After Marrying The Paranoid God of War (Rebirth) - Chapter 48 Part 1
In another room, Ruan An finally finished tidying up her clothes. Through the screen, she naturally also heard the nonsense Huo Pingxiao was talking about.
How could he say anything in front of their son?
Ruan An walked out with a slightly annoyed expression, seeing Huo Xi standing outside, scratching his head in confusion with his little hand, and asked her puzzledly, “Mommy, why did he say that I will never have brothers or sisters in the future?”
Even though Huo Xi was more intelligent than the average child, he was completely ignorant of the adult world. Seeing the child’s innocent and naive expression, Ruan An felt even more embarrassed in her heart.
She was a bit annoyed but could clearly feel the man’s gaze fixed unabashedly on her.
Since she came out, Huo Pingxiao had been watching her.
Ruan An gently pursed her lips, still not daring to meet his gaze at this moment. After leaning down slightly, she reached out to pinch her son’s little nose and gently changed the subject, “Did Guangwen (Extensive Literature) Academy have a monthly exam yesterday? How did Xi’er do?”
Asked about his studies, Huo Xi no longer dwelled on what had just happened and obediently replied, “I and third Uncle both found it not difficult. Don’t worry, Mommy – I have always been very diligent.”
“Then, Xi’er, go wait for Mommy in the side hall first.”
As Ruan An spoke, she also extended her little finger towards the boy and said warmly, “In a while, your father and I will accompany you for breakfast.”
When Huo Xi smiled, his dark eyes also squinted into two crescent moons. He hooked his finger with Ruan An’s and replied in a baby voice, “Mmm~”
When Huo Xi was led away by the nanny, Huo Pingxiao watched his little figure disappearing into the distance.
When Ruan An met his gaze again with her shy, almond-shaped eyes, the man’s slightly stern and cold eyes moved slightly.
The person before him was his wife and child.
From then on, he had something to care about in Chang’an City, no longer alone.
After Huo Xi finished his school break, Ruan An intended to go to the East Market to inquire about the better pharmacies there and understand the pricing of the medicines.
In these days, Huo Xi stayed within the Marquis of Dingbei’s mansion. Unless Ruan An was visiting the medicine hall or the medicinal herb gardens outside the city, she usually shared a carriage with her son, personally taking him to Guangwen Academy for his studies.
Perhaps because the separation in her previous life was too painful, Ruan An treasured the time she spent with Huo Xi.
After all, the Huo family held great power, with many eyes within the imperial court.
Ruan An faintly heard news of the Empress being confined to the palace, while Doctor Du was suddenly thrown into the heavenly prison by the officials of the Dali Temple, and Consort Li was demoted to the cold palace.
It seems the Empress’s behind-the-scenes maneuvers had been exposed, but the Emperor, considering she was his first wife, did not bring this dark matter to light.
As soon as Chen Consort’s child was born, the Emperor directly conferred him as a prince, a rank higher than that of the Third Prince, Xiao Wen, who had racked his brains trying to prove himself in front of the Emperor.
With the sound of wheels, Ruan An lifted the curtain of the carriage with her delicate hand, gradually stopping her thoughts.
She looked towards the towering pagodas of the Daci Temple, where the clear and solemn sound of the bell rang from within the Buddhist temple.
Suddenly, she remembered the Buddhist concept of cause and effect.
Since her rebirth, many things had changed, such as the survival of Lady Li and Consort Chen and her son.
It is said that pulling one hair moves the whole body.
Up to now, Ruan An could not be sure whether the events of this life could still follow the trajectory of her previous life.
She suddenly felt that the future was full of unknowns.
“Mommy, I’m off to school now.”
Huo Xi’s voice was clear and bright as he tilted his small face upwards to look at her.
Ruan An, with a gentle demeanor, nodded to her son, deciding not to overthink anymore, and cautioned, “Tonight, it will be Steward Su who comes to pick you up. After returning to the manor, behave in front of Grandpa, you can’t always be whimsical and stubborn.”
“Don’t worry, Mom, Xi remembers~”
After saying this, Huo Xi also saw the figure of his uncle, Huo Leshi, from afar and couldn’t wait to have the groom lift him off the carriage, running towards him with his steps tapping loudly.
The yellowing autumn leaves rustled down, and by the time the page had helped Huo Xi set up his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the desk, the boy’s mood was very pleasant.
Huo Xi was too short. If seated according to the usual arrangement with children of families of second rank and above, it would be difficult for him to see the face of the Imperial College’s doctor. Therefore, the school official had moved him to the front row, sitting behind the princes and princesses.
Taking advantage of the fact that the libationer had not yet entered the hall, Huo Xi lowered his voice and asked the Sixth Prince beside him, “Your Highness, why didn’t the Fourth Princess come today? Is she sick?”
The Sixth Prince glanced at the empty desk beside Huo Xi, his expression slightly evasive, and his young brows showed a sadness that seemed beyond his years. He closed his eyes tightly, not responding to Huo Xi’s question.
Huo Xi touched the back of his head, somewhat puzzled, his expression confused and disappointed.
During the days he took a break at the Marquis of Dingbei’s mansion, he either stayed at the mansion playing or followed his mother to the herbal garden to watch the farmers grow and roast herbs. No one told him what had happened in the palace lately. Ruan An and Huo Pingxiao mentioned the events at the Qianqiu Banquet only in passing.
At this moment, Xiao Yan, sitting not far in front of Huo Xi, turned back to look at him.
That day at the Qianqiu Banquet, Xiao Yan had already witnessed the beauty of the Fang family’s cousin. The more she looked at Huo Xi, the more she felt he and his birth mother shared many expressions.
Every time she came to the Imperial College, seeing Huo Xi, who resembled both Huo Pingxiao and Ruan An, Xiao Yan felt as if there were thorns in her back.
She deliberately made the princes and princesses born from concubines alienate Huo Xi, but the child was indeed lovable. Both the Sixth Prince and the Fourth Princess took good care of him.
Especially the Fourth Princess, who had just turned twelve this year, took even more care of this little child. Xiao Yan had warned her multiple times in the palace, telling her not to get close to Huo Xi, but the Fourth Princess still refused to listen.
Thinking of this, Xiao Yan said to Huo Xi in a low voice, “You don’t know yet? The Fourth Princess’s mother, Consort Li, has been demoted to a worthless person and sent to the Cold Palace. People say that she is not the Emperor’s biological daughter but a lowly born, naturally, she is to be executed.”
—”She won’t be able to return to the Imperial College ever again.”
Hearing this, Huo Xi’s bright eyes suddenly widened, Xiao Yan’s words were sharp.
Words like “lowly born” and “execution” also made it difficult for the boy’s fragile heart to bear.
He had not yet recovered from the shock when the Imperial College doctor entered the hall with a book in hand.
Suddenly feeling a sting in his nose, Huo Xi forced back tears, his entire morning distracted by uncontrollable sadness.
Ruan An had protected him well in Jiazhou. As a bell doctor, she had been in contact with many dying people and occasionally replaced the undertaker to tidy up and examine the bodies of the deceased, but she had never let her son be exposed to these matters.
Thus, the boy’s impression of death was still very vague.
But hearing Xiao Yan say this, Huo Xi suddenly realized that once someone dies, they can never come back.
He shook his small head repeatedly, unable to believe that the Fourth Princess, who had given him paper and persimmons to eat a few days ago, could die and disappear from this world.
After school, Huo Xi seemed lost.
Huo Leshi noticed his nephew’s unusual state and asked with concern, “Xi’er, what’s wrong?”
As he asked, the direct grandson of Grand Tutor Li, also the biological brother of Li Shuying, Li Yi, was about to pass by the two.
Li Yi’s eyes held a mocking look as he explained to Huo Leshi, “The Fourth Princess’s lineage is unclear. She should be deposed by His Majesty soon and might even be executed. Your nephew has always been close to her, so naturally, he is upset.”
Li Yi seemed to be explaining the situation to Huo Leshi, but in reality, he was trying to stir Huo Xi further with his words.
Before he entered the Imperial College, he was the most brilliant student here, often praised by the National Scholar and the Libationer.
However, once Huo Xi arrived, he captured everyone’s attention, relegating Li Yi to second place, which was unbearable for someone who had always been held in high expectations.
After hearing this, Huo Xi bit his lip, trying to hold back the tears that were about to burst forth, and ran out of the Guangwen Pavilion without waiting for Huo Leshi to speak again.
Upon returning to the minister’s residence, Huo Xi didn’t eat dinner and locked himself in the study, sitting in front of the desk with his chin propped on his hands, lost in thought and not even noticing the rumbling of his stomach.
Steward Su broke out in a cold sweat but could not get Huo Xi to respond to him no matter how he called.
The boy was very intelligent but couldn’t grasp the disputes of the court, and what he heard today seemed too cruel to him.
Upon hearing the news, Huo Lang immediately had someone push him to Huo Xi’s courtyard.
As soon as he entered the room, before Huo Lang could ask, Huo Xi stood up pitifully, his voice choking as he pleaded, “Grandfather… I don’t want to go to the Imperial College anymore…”
Huo Lang’s expression suddenly deepened, puzzled, he asked, “Why would you say that?”
Then, he coldly glanced at Steward Su.
Steward Su immediately understood and hurriedly relayed what he had learned from Huo Le Shi to Huo Lang.
Steward Su thought that although the young prince was the son of the Marquis of Dingbei, the father and son, though similar in appearance, had different temperaments.
The Marquis of Dingbei had been unruly since childhood, and no matter how elders scolded or punished him, his eyes wouldn’t even redden.
Even when his mother, Madame Da Fang, went mad and cut his neck with a hairpin, nearly killing him, the Marquis’s eyes only showed terror, yet he never shed tears.
Compared to the Marquis, the overly intelligent young prince seemed even more like a normal child.
After all, a four-year-old child indeed cries over small matters.
Such situations would only make one feel more saddened.
“Why, why execute her? What does this have to do with her? She’s innocent… sob sob sob…”
Hearing Huo Xi’s crying, Huo Lang frowned displeasedly, looking deeply at the weeping child and gesturing for him to come closer.