Married To The Cruel Crown Prince

Huo Jin felt like beating Xu Wenhai. What he was asking and what Xu Wenhai was telling him were totally different.

"I did not ask you whom Yin Na likes. I asked you about the mistake you made," Huo Jin said with a stern expression. He was furious at Xu Wenhai, who had no idea how much Yin Na got hurt by today's incident.

"I said a few things against you which angered Yin Na," Xu Wenhai then said and narrated the entire incident to him.

He lowered his head and continued, "I did not know that Liang Wu and my other friends would come to the bridge. Things were already heated between us and Liang Wu made it worse. Before I could stop him, you hit him," Xu Wenhai stated.

Huo Jin could not believe that Yin fought for him with Xu Wenhai. She was not supposed to do that. Something strange happened in his heart. It melted when Xu Wenhai told him that Yin Na even slapped him for talking bad about him.

Did she forget even her surroundings? Why did she raise her voice for him? How could she love him this much?

"Huo Jin, just deliver my former message to Yin Na. I will surely ask His Majesty to punish Liang Wu," Xu Wenhai said with a firm tone. Huo Jin said nothing because, for a few days, Yin Na underwent such a trauma that had shaken her inside-out.

Huo Jin's anger subsided and he decided to ask Yin Na once about it.

"It is late. I will leave for my house. You should head back too," Xu Wenhai suggested to him and walked away.

Huo Jin, on the other hand, stayed at the same place for a long time. Contemplating over the words that everyone had told him. He did not know why he was adamant about not accepting Yin Na's feelings when his heart clearly knew that it beat for her.

He moved forward and soon reached outside the residence. The guards looked at him worriedly. They asked him if he was good. He hummed before stepping inside.

He turned to Yin Na's room and found that she had already fallen asleep. It relieved him and he went back to his room.

Wang Fuxing, who was on the lake pavilion was informed by his servant about the commotion caused in the market.

"Where are those two?" Wang Fuxing questioned the soldier before him.

"My Lord, they have returned and are in their respective rooms," the soldier replied. Wang Fuxing stroked his beard on his chin and told the soldier to leave.

"Yin Na refused to marry Xu Wenhai. It ended before I expected, and again, Huo Jin did not open his heart. Is his heart made of steel?" Wang Fuxing murmured and looked up at the sky. The moon was covered with clouds.

"My Lord, Young Master Huo Jin is confused about his feelings. I have seen him reacting differently whenever he is around Miss Yin Na," Wang Fuxing's personal servant told him.

Wang Fuxing hummed and asked his servant to keep an eye on both of them.

"Yes, My Lord. Please go back to your room. The air is cold, and my master can catch a cold," the servant humbly requested Wang Fuxing, who nodded his head, and they left the pavilion.

~~~~~

Jian Guozhi and Nianzu met in the restroom after having dinner.

"Brother Nianzu, Lord Lian is doing the same thing with two professions. He will not ask for the taxes if people go to his side," Jian Guozhi stated and rested his palm over his knee.

"That's why most of the people without putting much thought turned to his side," Nianzu affirmed.

"However, I found a few people who hold faith in the Han and its Emperor. Though, some are not happy because they think that the Emperor and the Princes are enjoying their lives in the Palace. There is distress among them," Jian Guozhi stressed and recalled about the young man, who told people to not foolishly follow Lord Lian.

"What shall we do then? Shall we head to the mini-town that lies adjacent to Changying and check what is going on?" Nianzu waited for Jian Guozhi's opinion.

"I think so. Lord Lian frequently comes to this town, which means he is near Changying. We don't know how well versed he is in warfare, so before approaching him, let's investigate the other parts of the market too," Jian Guozhi advised Nianzu.

A knock grabbed both of their attentions. Nianzu stood up and opened the door. Xiao Zhan bowed before him and then came inside.

"General Xiao, you look tense," Jian Guozhi said while Nianzu came to them after shutting the doors.

"Your Highness, the dead body of a taxation official is hung in the middle of the market," Xiao Zhan informed them and took out the folded paper that he retrieved near the body.

Both the Princes were shocked to hear it.

Xiao Zhan handed it to Nianzu, who quickly opened it and started to read it.

"Brother Jian, this issue is serious," Nianzu said with an anxious look. Jian Guozhi stood up from the chair and took the paper from him.

It had the message of Lord Lian to the government officials who collected taxes, indirectly to the Emperor.

"He wants a war," Jian Guozhi pronounced and knitted his brows together.

~~~~~

Sheng Li reached Changying in the early morning with Commander Yao and a few other trained soldiers. They took the rest in a resthouse which was located a few miles away from the main town.

However, before going to sleep Sheng Li wrote a letter to Ying Lili. He handed it to Commander Yao, who assured him that he would send it to Luoyang after getting in touch with the spy.

Sheng Li nodded and walked inside the room. He closed it from inside and removed the upper robe. He put the sword on the table and went to the bed to sleep for a few hours.