After Marrying The Paranoid God of War (Rebirth) - Chapter 24.1
Chapter 24: Support
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Ruan An’s expression was slightly dazed, unsure of how to respond.
Help him?
How could she help?
Huo Pingxiao didn’t rush her to reply.
The man remained silent, his cold brows and eyes slightly lowered, then he used his long fingers to gently unfasten her belt. Although his movements seemed slow and methodical, he was actually closing in on her step by step, his figure and breath exuding a subtle sense of intrusion.
The soft silk fabric gradually slid off Ruan An’s shoulders. The girl’s cheeks suddenly turned red, and she quickly lifted the top edge of her robe with her small hands, trying to stop his actions.
Seeing her resistance, Huo Pingxiao promptly withdrew his hands and did not continue to approach.
With her face still red, Ruan An turned around, not daring to look directly into his eyes, and replied in a hesitant voice, “No, there’s no need to trouble Lord Hou, I’ll ask Bai Wei and the others to help me change.”
Having said that, she finally understood the meaning behind Huo Pingxiao’s words earlier.
As a wife, she should not leave the task of changing her husband’s clothes and headwear to the maids.
Of course, with her own selfish motives, she didn’t want others to handle such matters either.
Perhaps sensing her embarrassment and awkwardness, Huo Pingxiao no longer stood behind the folding screen, staring at her changing.
Ruan An finally breathed a sigh of relief, hearing the voice of the man outside the screen calling for Fu Ling and Ze Lan.
Soon, Fu Ling and Ze Lan came over, helping Ruan An change into a simple white nightgown.
The finely woven pale yellow silk reflected the flickering flames of the red candles.
Just as Ruan An was about to go to the mirror to remove the decorations from her hair, she suddenly noticed Huo Pingxiao’s tall shadow on the screen, getting closer and larger.
He walked towards her direction, and in an instant, the distance between the two abruptly narrowed.
The girl’s heartbeat suddenly stopped, but Huo Pingxiao had Ze Lan bring a small stool and had her place it in front of Ruan An’s lotus-embroidered shoes.
“Stand on it.”
He spoke softly, lips pursed, gazing at the shy girl before him.
With the help of a maid, Ruan An stepped onto the small ebony chair. Fearing she might not be stable, Huo Pingxiao still supported her slender, delicate arm, to prevent her from falling.
The two maids knew that the lord wanted to be alone with his wife, so they tactfully retreated to one side, not daring to disturb.
Although Ruan An was now much taller, Huo Pingxiao’s voice still seemed to brush over her from above her head.
He asked in a deep voice, “Back in Xinghua Village, didn’t you help me change my clothes?”
Ruan An shook her head, lowering her eyes. “It was Sun Ye who helped you… I didn’t help you change.”
“Can you undo a man’s waistband?”
As he asked, his hand, which was holding her slender arm, suddenly moved down. Taking advantage of Ruan An not withdrawing her hand, he again grasped her delicate, jade-like hand.
Huo Pingxiao led it down to his dark-colored waistband, his tone carrying a hint of weariness as he casually asked, “If you don’t know, I can teach you.”
Ruan An’s tender hand, already held by his rough palm, felt warm. As her fingertips touched his waistband, they acquired a faint coolness.
While speaking, Huo Pingxiao even lightly pinched her with his fingertips. The stern face of the man gradually approached, and Ruan An couldn’t escape.
She finally realized that since their marriage, Huo Pingxiao had intentions, always deliberately teasing her.
Huo Pingxiao’s outwardly cold and proud demeanor made him seem unapproachable, but when Ruan An was alone with him, he was proactive and expressive in his approach to her.
A person like Huo Pingxiao, treating a girl in this manner, could melt even a heart of ice.
If this continued, she would eventually be exposed.
With this in mind, Huo Pingxiao slightly leaned forward, and their noses were only two fingers apart.
Realizing he intended to kiss her, Ruan An finally turned her face to the side, somewhat disrupting the scene, and said, “I… today, I went to Tongjian Garden with the third brother to see father. Father said he wanted to personally raise Huo Xi. At the time, due to the situation, I could only agree in front of him…”
As she spoke to this point, Huo Pingxiao slowly straightened his body.
Thinking about how Ruan An hadn’t seen Huo Xi for several days, and he, due to negligence, hadn’t resolved this matter in time, the man’s hard jawline gradually tightened, and the dark pupils gained a hint of coldness.
Looking at him, Ruan An continued, “But after all, Huo Xi is our child, so I still think this matter should be discussed with Marquis Hou.”
“What do you think, Marquis Hou?” Ruan An asked again.
“Definitely not,” Huo Pingxiao replied.
After releasing Ruan An’s small hand, Huo Pingxiao still felt the warm and delicate touch of her skin in his palm.
His voice was calm as he continued, “Tomorrow, I’ll talk to that little devil Huo Xi first, have him accompany you directly in the courtyard. When I come back from the military camp at night, I’ll discuss this matter with my father.”
**”
Early the next day, Huo Pingxiao went directly to the Tongjian Garden.
Upon hearing that Huo Pingxiao intended to bring Huo Xi back, Steward Su looked somewhat uncomfortable. He respectfully explained, “Master was unwell last night and still needs more rest during the day. The old servant… the old servant can’t make this decision.”
Although Su was the chief steward of the mansion, ever since Huo Pingxiao was granted a noble title by the emperor, his days in the mansion were like walking on a tightrope. He hovered between the strong-willed father and son, afraid to offend either.
This situation also revealed that the person sitting on the dragon throne had ulterior motives. With Huo Pingxiao’s recent remarkable achievements in wars, he could indeed bear the title of a marquis.
To outsiders, the fame of having two marquises in one family overshadowed everything.
However, someone like Su, living within the encirclement, deeply understood that the emperor’s decision was a deliberate move to exploit Huo Pingxiao’s temperament.
It aimed to provoke disputes within the Huo family, causing discord between father and son.
In recent years, due to lingering old ailments, the Prime Minister’s outwardly ruthless and iron-fisted style had softened. Still, he remained a sleeping tiger who could manipulate the entire court when necessary.
Regarding the attitude of the young Marquis Huo, it was less severe than before, displaying a sense of indulgence.
Huo Pingxiao coldly stared at Steward Su, saying, “You just need to bring Huo Xi out. I’ll explain the rest to the master.”
After speaking, with a dark expression, he intended to break into the main hall of the Tongjian Garden.
The attendants stationed in the Tongjian Garden were mostly loyal to Huo Lang and would only obey his orders. Despite fearing Huo Pingxiao’s dominance and martial prowess, they made a move to intercept him.
Seeing this, Huo Pingxiao couldn’t help but squint his eyes.
Since joining the military at the age of fifteen, he had tempered his previous wild temperament. Entering the officialdom of Jiannan, his character had become much more steady.
Recalling the days when he used to confront Huo Lang, it had been ten years. During these ten years, he had been mostly engaged in external campaigns. He would meet Huo Lang only two or three times a year, and even when he returned to the mansion, he mostly stayed in his own courtyard, rarely taking the initiative to see him.
In recent years, Huo Lang seldom went to court. When the emperor had important matters to discuss with Huo Lang, he would even personally ride in the imperial carriage to the prime minister’s residence, due to Huo Lang’s mobility issues, to consult with him.
Thinking of this, Huo Pingxiao looked coldly again at those sword-bearing attendants.
The old man hadn’t slept well last night, and tonight, he wouldn’t have the luxury of sleep either.
It had been a long time since he caused trouble outside the old man’s courtyard. He wondered how the batch of guards Huo Lang had changed in recent years fared.
Although the man’s expression appeared slightly indifferent and lazy, a faint murderous intent lurked in the corners of his eyes and brows, causing a shiver down one’s spine.
He would just practice his fighting skills, trying not to hurt or disable anyone.
A gentle breeze started, blowing the broken petals on the bluestone pavement into the air.
—”Zhong Xun.”
Huo Pingxiao was about to start a fight with these attendants when Huo Lang’s deep voice resonated from inside the hall.
“Coming to my residence to fight so early in the morning, aren’t the tens of thousands of soldiers in the Wolf Cavalry enough for you to practice with?”
“A father now, and still as quick to resort to violence as before, what kind of example are you setting?”
With Huo Lang’s stern voice, the attendants pushed his wheelchair out of the hall. Little Huo Xi briskly followed beside Huo Lang’s wheelchair.
Huo Pingxiao noticed the boy’s obedient gaze; in just a few days, he had become very familiar with Huo Lang. Huo Lang was a dignified and forceful old man, yet Huo Xi showed no fear of him.
When Huo Lang’s wheelchair came to a stop, Huo Xi also halted beside it. The boy tilted his chubby face upward, looking at Huo Lang, then glanced at Huo Pingxiao.
Huo Lang extended his hand adorned with a jade ring and naturally patted Huo Xi’s little head.
Seeing this, a moment of surprise flashed in Huo Pingxiao’s eyes.
It was indeed the legendary affection between generations. Huo Pingxiao lowered his eyes helplessly, without speaking to Huo Lang. He gestured to the little guy, signaling him to come over and quietly commanded, “Huo Xi, I’ll take you back.”
After a brief hesitation, Huo Xi, with a childish voice, replied, “No, I want to stay here and learn things from Grandfather.”
“The things your grandfather can teach you, your father can teach too. There’s no need to be so biased towards learning from him.”
Hearing Huo Pingxiao refer to himself as ‘father’, Huo Xi immediately furrowed his little brows and retorted in a childish tone, “No! You only know how to fight, relying solely on brute strength. Grandfather is a civil officer; I want to be a civil officer in the future too.”
Huo Xi’s words actually amused Huo Pingxiao.
Huo Pingxiao had risen to his current position not merely as a brute as Huo Xi thought.
—”What about your mother? Don’t you miss her?”
Huo Pingxiao lifted his eyelids, glancing at Huo Xi, and spoke words that cut to the heart in the direction of the little boy.
At the mention of Ruan An by Huo Pingxiao, Huo Xi’s chubby face immediately drooped, and the boy placed both little hands behind his back.
In his thoughts, only under grandfather’s guidance could he quickly advance in his official career. For the future happiness of his mother, he might have to sacrifice the opportunity to see her.
However, he really, really missed his mother.
Huo Xi’s little face became even more disheartened.
Seeing this, Huo Pingxiao prepared to utter a few more words to pierce the heart of the little boy.
At that moment, Huo Lang twirled the jade thumb ring on his thumb and spoke, “Steward Su, take the young prince to Lady Fang’s courtyard to see his mother.”
Steward Su immediately replied, “Yes.”
Leading Huo Xi by the hand, Steward Su instructed the servants to take the child to Ruan An’s residence.
Huo Pingxiao didn’t anticipate that Huo Lang would soften his stance so quickly. He was about to take his leave and head to the military camp.
However, Huo Lang unexpectedly proposed to have a serious discussion with him about the upbringing of Huo Xi.
After they sat down in the hall, Huo Pingxiao didn’t beat around the bush with Huo Lang. Speaking in a heavy tone, he said directly, “The child is still young and cannot be separated from his birth mother. Besides, he’s not even four years old yet, there’s no need for such hardship.”
As he spoke, he looked at Huo Lang with a tone of determination: “This matter is non-negotiable.”
Steward Su lowered his head, standing by the side, but his ears were perked up, unwilling to miss a single word of the conversation between the Huo father and son.
He felt that the tone and expression of Duke Dingbei at this moment were exactly the same as when he was in his teens—mischievous and untamed.
Although Duke Dingbei had become a father, in front of Huo Lang, he was still a son.
In fact, it had been a long time since Huo Pingxiao had such a tense conversation with Huo Lang.
Steward Su unexpectedly found himself reminiscing about the days of chaos and excitement in the past.
“Your son is a rare talent.”
Huo Lang’s tone was calm as he rested his arm on the wheelchair’s armrest, whispering, “With a little cultivation, he can surpass both of us. Are you sure you want to waste such a promising seed, letting him be like ordinary children, only knowing how to play with cats and dogs?”
Steward Su’s expression changed slightly.
The marquis rarely praised people, but the tone just now was so earnest.
He thought that the young heir might be a bit smarter than ordinary children, but he couldn’t determine if he was truly a prodigy. However, if the Prime minister said so, then it must be true.
Setting aside the marquis’s exceptional ability to judge people and talents, even if the young heir wasn’t a prodigy, with a bit more intelligence than usual, nurtured by the marquis in such a short time, he would undoubtedly become a formidable figure in the future.
People outside often said that the Huo family had reached its peak with Huo Pingxiao’s generation, and from now on, the Huo family would inevitably decline.
Steward Su naturally felt worried and indignant about these opinions.
Yet, it also felt like what these people were saying was, in fact, reasonable.
Huo Lang and Huo Pingxiao, this father-son pair, achieved the pinnacle of civil service, reaching the highest positions among court officials, and exerting influence over the court and the common people.
One achieved the pinnacle of a warrior, becoming a marquis through a single battle and commanding forces in all directions. If the younger generation wants to surpass that, it seems they can only take the treacherous path…
Upon hearing Huo Lang’s words, Huo Pingxiao’s eyes subtly changed. Huo Lan continued, “Huo Xi can still see his mother; why are you so anxious? My health is not good, and occasionally, there are state affairs to attend to. It’s impossible to have Huo Xi by my side every day. In a ten-day period, of course, he should spend a few days with his mother.”
Huo Pingxiao, perplexed, furrowed his brows slightly and did not immediately respond. However, Steward Su discreetly blinked, recalling that Huo Lang didn’t phrase it this way yesterday.
Huo Lang’s original words were: Keep Huo Xi by his side.
Constrained by his imposing presence and her submissive personality, the cousin from the Fang family hadn’t dared to argue these days. Huo Lang hadn’t instructed the servants to send Huo Xi to the cousin’s courtyard.
Steward Su suddenly grasped the depth of Huo Lang’s subtle intentions.
He speculated that the Prime Minister orchestrated this significant move to prompt the Duke of Dingbei to take the initiative and discuss matters. Leveraging the dispute over Huo Xi’s custody, the Duke of Dingbei would naturally engage in a more extended conversation with him.
Their Prime Minister’s approach to matters remained as intricate as before, full of twists and turns.
Meanwhile, Huo Pingxiao finally spoke, calmly saying, “Understood. I will discuss it with the Fang family and give you an answer when I return.”
Just now, he had also figured out why Huo Xi suddenly entertained the idea of entering official service.
This mischievous child must have secretly overheard the conversation between Ruan An and him at the Duke of Pei’s residence, prompting him to seek employment sooner so that he could release his wife early.
Even if Huo Xi is exceptionally bright, he would have to wait until he’s in his teens to formally participate in the imperial examination. The titles conferred during the Children’s Examination are akin to academic ranks, sounding prestigious but essentially holding little real authority.
Even if Huo Xi passes the children’s exam, he has plenty of excuses to stall him.
Moreover, even if he were exceptionally clever, he wouldn’t be eligible for the imperial examination until he was in his teens. At three and a half years old, Huo Xi was too young even for the Imperial Academy.
The old man was willing to raise him, providing an opportunity for him and Ruan An to spend time together.
But if they want him to release his wife, that’s impossible.