Chapter 571 - 278: "Under Heaven

Chapter 571: Chapter 278: "Under Heaven

"Lord Jiang! This simply will not do!"

After learning that Jiang Gaoyi was not to blame for the matter, Zheng Xiu spoke to him before leaving, his voice filled with deep regret.

Jiang Gaoyi was completely bewildered.

’What did he mean, ’will not do’?’

’Why was the Red King suddenly saying he wasn’t good enough?’

When Jiang Gaoyi timidly and respectfully asked why,

Zheng Xiu bluntly pointed out the flaws in Jiang Gaoyi’s Miracle Technique practice.

Finally, Zheng Xiu said, "You struggled so hard to just get a glimpse of the Path, but all you’ve learned is a bit of ’Reading the Room.’ With that, what’s the difference between you and a salted fish drying on a market street?"

The Red King’s words were like a sudden enlightenment, startling Jiang Gaoyi awake.

His mind heavy with thoughts, Jiang Gaoyi boarded a Zheng Clan carriage and gradually disappeared into the distance. Qing Shisan was waiting with the Red King Mansion’s carriage some ways from the Imperial Palace gate. As Zheng Xiu walked toward him, he saw from afar that Qing Shisan was chatting happily with a middle-aged man.

Zheng Xiu paused.

The two middle-aged men had completely disregarded their image, squatting on the stone steps with their legs apart, heads lowered in conversation. Both wore bamboo hats dusted with a light layer of snow, and Qing Shisan would occasionally scratch his foot.

"What are you two talking about? You seem to be hitting it off."

As Zheng Xiu approached, the other man looked up and grinned. Only then did Zheng Xiu see that the man talking with Qing Shisan was actually Old Wei’s personal driver—that seemingly extraordinary old soldier.

Zheng Xiu’s expression darkened. He fell silent for a moment before cupping his hands in a salute. "So it’s Uncle Huo."

Huo Huo. Twenty years ago, he was a common soldier under Zheng Haoran and had some rapport with him. Over the past two decades, he had accumulated considerable merit and was now in a semi-retired state, serving as Venerable Wei Yang’s personal driver and Guard.

The man’s profile surfaced in Zheng Xiu’s mind once more. ’This man is from my father’s generation. Calling him Uncle Huo is appropriate.’

"Our Daqian’s Prince Consort has finally come out."

Huo Huo grinned and nodded, accepting the generational honorific. He slapped the back of his pants and stood up, shaking a few snowflakes from his clothes.

Qing Shisan snickered, winking at Zheng Xiu with a mischievous grin, but said nothing. He had clearly heard from Huo Huo about Zheng Xiu’s grand selection as Prince Consort and his impending marriage to the Princess of Beiman.

"Since you’ve called me Uncle Huo... heh, for the sake of my friendship with your father, I can’t lead you astray, can I?" Uncle Huo moved to clap Zheng Xiu on the shoulder, but his hand stopped mid-air. He suddenly pulled it back and said with a helpless sigh, "You’re a Prince now. Can’t just go around patting these shoulders."

Zheng Xiu smiled faintly, noncommittally.

Huo Huo laughed. "You might not know this, but those Barbarian women? Their armpits are all hairy, they have this gamey smell when you get close, and they’ve got thick arms and legs. If it weren’t for the two bowls on their chests, they’d look like men from a distance. Back when we fought our way to the north, the sight of those savage women made us lose our appetites!"

Zheng Xiu’s face darkened.

Huo Huo’s tone shifted; he knew what Zheng Xiu was thinking. He shook his head. "But this Princess is different from the usual Barbarian women. She’s well-read and sensible, and she’s incredibly lovely. Especially her eyes—you haven’t seen them, but they’re absolutely stunning! It’s like they can sing! Marrying her is definitely no loss for you. Uncle Huo can vouch for that!"

Qing Shisan chimed in from the side, his eyes narrowed and the corner of his mouth crooked in a gleeful expression. "What a coincidence! This is what you call a double blessing!"

Zheng Xiu glared at Qing Shisan.

’I hate the word "double" right now. Double what? Blessing what? Can’t you see this Prince is angry?’

’You just love to watch the world burn, don’t you?’

Qing Shisan immediately shut his mouth, not daring to say more.

Huo Huo waved his hand. "It’s normal for a young man not to see the full picture right away."

"Heh." Zheng Xiu chuckled.

"Want to go meet her? You might just fall for her at first sight!"

Zheng Xiu shook his head and gave Huo Huo a meaningful look. "Is there a need for that?"

Uncle Huo grinned and laughed heartily. "You’re not like the others, kid."

"What exactly does the Great Emperor want?"

Huo Huo didn’t answer Zheng Xiu’s question. He suddenly lowered his bamboo hat and sighed softly. "It’s going to snow."

Qing Shisan looked up at the sky.

The dark clouds had completely scattered, and the sky had clearly brightened.

Huo Huo started walking toward the palace, saying as he went, "Speaking of heavy snow, the snow in the wilderness is the most beautiful. You’ve never seen it, have you? When it starts snowing on the plains, all you can see is a vast expanse of white. You can’t see the road ahead, you can’t see the road behind. Heaven and Earth are a blur of white. Except for the HOWLING wind, you can’t hear another sound. You can only stare foolishly at that white emptiness. Many people, they just stare and stare, and then they freeze to death. If the Red King wants to see real snow, why not go take a look at the Northern Barbarian Wilderness?"

Laughing loudly, Huo Huo walked further and further away, disappearing from Zheng Xiu and Qing Shisan’s sight.

Only after Huo Huo was long gone did the playful grin on Qing Shisan’s face freeze. He put away his joking mood, took out a pipe, and began puffing on it, breathing out clouds of smoke. "It seems, my Prince, that you really have no choice but to become the Prince Consort?"

"Let’s go back."

Zheng Xiu’s expression was calm as he boarded the carriage.

As he lifted the curtain, Zheng Xiu paused and glanced behind him. The street behind him was bustling with people, coming alive again after the snow, all hurrying on their way. Just a moment ago, Zheng Xiu had sensed a gaze on him from the shadows, but when he turned, it was gone.

On the way back, neither Qing Shisan nor Zheng Xiu spoke. Qing Shisan drove the carriage in silence, while Zheng Xiu sat quietly inside, lost in thought as he picked at a bump on his forehead.

On the street, walls have ears, so he, Qing Shisan, and Huo Huo had all spoken in veiled terms. But in truth, for the sake of that "Uncle Huo," Huo Huo had offered a slight bit of guidance.