3. Brother

He felt heartbroken, frustrated, and angry when he learned that Nangong Yao was determined to bring Su Wan back, and when he found out that the child had passed away prematurely. He could no longer sit still; he could not bear to protect that bastard's territory. All he wanted was to protect her well.

"Do not cry." Huo Tingdong stood up, his warm hand gently wiping away the tears that spilled from the corners of her eyes. A hint of a smile appeared on his handsome face, "After so many years, you are still like this. If the brothers in the army were to see you, wouldn’t they laugh at you?"

Nangong Yao's kiss came fiercely, yet inexplicably carried a hint of anger. Huo Qingsang looked at his dark yet still deep and bright eyes in surprise, and a glimmer of hope rose in her heart as she responded to him without reservation

Huo Tingdong gazed intently at her exquisite features, wondering if it was a blessing from heaven. After enduring so much, she still resembled a red plum blossom blooming in desolation, unmoved by the wind, I remain still, quietly blossoming, silently exuding fragrance

Huo Tingdong's handsome face turned slightly red: "Don't just pick the nice things to say. Tell me, what does the Emperor really mean?"

Finally, Nangong Yao slightly raised his hand, walked behind him, and grasped Huo Qingsang's wrist: "It is understandable that the Empress is concerned about her brother, but disregarding the house arrest order and leaving the palace without permission is inappropriate"

Huo Qingsang did not expect him to be like this, his body stiffened slightly, almost causing him to fall off the horse

He entrusted the treasure in his palm to Nangong Yao, but how did Nangong Yao repay him

The soldier scratched his head and pointed towards the large tent not far behind him

"Qing Sang." The deep voice seemed to be infused with strong liquor; as soon as it opened, it was filled with intoxicating camaraderie

Huo Qingsang's expression stiffened, and after a long while, he said: "Did you not already know? Su Wan must enter the palace this time without fail."

A cool breeze blew in through the gap of the large tent's entrance curtain, the candlelight on the table flickering intermittently. Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps approached, and a group of people burst in while Huo Qingsang was still in shock

"Why aren't you leaving?" He slightly parted his lips and suddenly took her earlobe between his thin lips

Huo Tingdong knelt with his knees slightly numb, tilting his head back, his brows and eyes slightly furrowed, staring intently at Nangong Yao as if trying to see through him.

Huo Qingsang was unexpectedly bitten by him, causing her entire body to lean backward

Her hand was tightly restrained, causing Huo Qingsang to frown slightly in pain, yet she did not dare to defy his wishes any further. Glancing sideways at Huo Tingdong, her agitation grew; at this moment, her brother truly should not have returned to the capital.

"You may rise, my dear minister."

Huo Tingdong reached out and patted her frail shoulder, coldly stating in a somewhat domineering manner: "So what? If we were able to send her away once, we can certainly send her away a second time."

The wind in the mountains was cool, and Nangong Yao stood there in a daze, watching the person and horse disappear into the forest. The words of Huo Qingsang echoed in his ears, and a vague, indescribable emotion churned within him

"Tomorrow morning, please plead guilty!" Nangong Yao said lightly, pulling Huo Qingsang out of the large tent

After speaking, Huo Tingdong's expression suddenly darkened, and his large, strong hand tightly gripped her shoulder: "Qing Sang, just how much longer do you intend to keep that matter from me?"

Huo Tingdong cast a sidelong glance at the military doctor, and after the doctor left, he turned around slowly, his gaze almost greedily fixed on the person across from him

Nangong Yao could not explain the sudden surge of emotions that had emerged, nor did he wish to do so. He gazed at Huo Tingdong with a profound silence, his tightly pressed thin lips moved slightly, yet in the end, he said nothing.

Thirty miles outside the city of Bianjing lies a mountain known as Kunlong Mountain. It is called Kunlong because of its steep terrain, which is easy to defend but difficult to attack, making it a gateway to Bianjing

Nangong Yao crossed over to the east of Huo Ting, looking at Huo Qingsang, hoping to discern something from her eyes

Do not move

Nangong Yao's body stiffened: "What am I afraid of?"

After a long time, so long that Huo Qingsang thought time had come to a standstill, Nangong Yao suddenly pushed her away, awkwardly turned around, and his cold voice, like icicles in December, pierced into her body, freezing all her passion

As a heavy curtain was pulled aside, a strong scent of herbs rushed towards them. Huo Qingsang slightly furrowed her brows, while the person on the wooden bed stiffened for a moment, then swiftly reached for a robe beside him to drape over his shoulders. However, he was ultimately too slow, allowing Huo Qingsang to catch a glimpse of his scarred back. A faint pink scar, which ran from his right shoulder across his entire spine, had a new wound added to it, and the crimson blood stained the robe he had just put on. On the floor beside the bed lay a pile of freshly removed bloodied bandages.

"In the imperial harem, without an imperial decree, no foreign officials are to be received. Huo Qingsang, how many heads do you have?" He let out a cold laugh, using it to mask the turmoil within his heart

Huo Qingsang smiled faintly and said nothing, releasing her hand and swiftly leaping onto the chestnut horse beside her, looking down at him from a height: "You fear he will take me away. You still need to use me to restrain my father, to restrain him, do you not? If I leave, what will you use to control them? Ultimately, you are nothing more than a petty schemer. You say you love Su Wan, but who forced you with a knife to send her to the Western Regions back then? Nangong Yao, I may be a true villain, but you are also a hypocrite." After saying this, she raised the whip in her hand high, and the chestnut horse galloped away along the path it had come.

Nangong Yao was waiting for her at the entrance of the path, with a dark black Qilin horse behind him. In the darkness, his facial expression was indistinguishable, yet one could sense the continuous chill emanating from him. Huo Qingsang suddenly felt a sense of irony; what did he mean by this? Who was he putting on a jealous husband act for?

"Silly girl, how could you leave the palace without permission? Tomorrow, after I have reorganized the army, I will come to see you in the palace," he said, gently rubbing her somewhat cold cheek with his calloused palm. His handsome brows furrowed slightly as he looked at her with displeasure, "Why have you lost weight again? Is the Nangong family unable to take care of you?"

A surge of emotions suddenly washed over his heart and mind, which he could no longer suppress. He could only allow himself to walk over, tightly embracing her in his arms, feeling her shallow breaths against his chest, the warmth searing his skin through the thin fabric.

As the large tent was opened, a refreshing breeze blew towards him. Nangong Yao couldn't help but let out a cold laugh, abruptly shaking off Huo Qingsang and striding into the dim night.

Huo Qingsang looked at the domineering Huo Tingdong with amusement: "Do not bring your battlefield tactics into the court again. What is the purpose of your unauthorized entry into the capital this time?"

Listening to his feigned angry complaints, Huo Qingsang chuckled and withdrew from his embrace, saying: "Is it wrong for me to miss my brother?" As soon as she spoke, she suddenly remembered that it had been many years since they last met, as it seemed he had not entered the capital since her marriage to Nangong Yao

Huo Tingdong looked at her and swallowed the reprimand that was on the tip of his tongue, reaching out to hold her tightly in his arms once more, while inwardly cursing Nangong Yao countless times.

"Caught you." Nangong Yao growled, opening his mouth to fiercely bite her delicate white neck. His large hand covered the back of her hand that held the reins, and he tightly squeezed the stirrups with his legs. The chestnut horse neighed and charged forward like an arrow released from a bow.

Huo Qingsang's eyes suddenly turned red, her feet felt as if they were filled with lead, and her throat burned, yet she could not utter a word

Indeed, over the years, everyone has changed, yet she remains in the same place, so infatuated with that person, even though she knows she will receive not a shred of response

Thinking of this, a pang of pain surged in her heart, and her swollen cherry lips revealed a cold smile. She suddenly leaned forward and embraced his waist from behind, burying her head in his broad back: "Nangong Yao, are you afraid?"

Huo Qingsang let out a long sigh and walked towards the main tent, but with each step, she felt her heart sink further. Her brother was foolish; how could he be so reckless as to enter the capital at a time like this? Entering the capital without an imperial edict was a matter that could cost one their head

Huo Qingsang stared blankly at him; for just a moment, she thought he cared about her, at least that he was displeased with her closeness to other men. But at this moment, she clearly understood that perhaps he only felt that she was challenging his authority. Since he ascended to power, his control over it had become increasingly tyrannical. He simply did not want a concubine in his harem to cuckold him, even if that person was her brother with whom she had little blood relation.

Huo Qingsang glared at him fiercely; only in front of him was she forever a little girl who loved to cry.

The heavy curtain was lifted, and Nangong Yaoh stood at the door with a cold expression, his icy gaze fixed on the two people huddled together inside the tent like a venomous snake, a surge of anger seemingly squeezed out from within him, carrying a kind of earth-shattering madness

In the large tent behind him, there was still a faint flickering light, but Huo Qingsang could no longer turn back; he could only steady his heart and step into the darkness, one step at a time

"Brother." After a long while, she finally squeezed out this one word from her throat and reached out to tug at his robe

"Brother," Huo Qingsang shouted angrily, "how did you get hurt? With such a severe injury, how long do you intend to hide it from me?" The bloody wound was gaping, and although she only glanced at it, she could tell that it was deep enough to see the bone.

Nangong Yao pressed his lips together in silence until the urging of the horse brought them to a secluded forest. Only then did he dismount, grasp her wrist, and pull her into his embrace. With a turn, he trapped her between his arms and the tree trunk.

Huo Qingsang's body stiffened, and upon thinking of that prematurely deceased child, her heart felt as if it had been doused with hot oil, causing a pain so intense that it was almost impossible to breathe. Indeed, when Ye'er had passed away, she feared that Huo Tingdong would, in a fit of rage, return to Bianjing and cause a commotion, so she deliberately had someone keep this matter a secret. Unexpectedly, he still found out about it.

A chestnut steed galloped swiftly along the causeway from the direction of Bianjing, and from a distance, the army stationed at the foot of Kunlong Mountain was already visible.

"Who is it!" The guard soldier blocked the horse's head and, upon seeing the woman on the horse, was momentarily taken aback, "Miss, no, Your Majesty!" All were soldiers under the command of the Huo family army. Back in the day, when Huo Qingsang and Huo Tingdong fought together on the battlefield, few could forget this remarkable young lady who was as formidable as any man.

Huo Qingsang tossed the riding whip to the soldier with a backhand and dismounted, asking, "Where is my brother?"

The cold lips, filled with anger, approached fiercely, and before Huo Qingsang could even scold, he was aggressively silenced by them.

The watchman struck the bell for the third watch, yet the vast tent remained enveloped in silence

A slight pain throbbed in her heart, recalling the battle with Xiliang that year. She had entered the battlefield with a careless attitude, and had it not been for him blocking that knife for her, how could she be here today? Reflecting on this, she felt her eyes growing increasingly hot, and she also sensed that the person before her had changed so much.

Huo Tingdong gently pushed open Huo Qingsang, gave her a reassuring glance, swiftly positioned himself in front of her, and bowed down.

"As for Ye'er, there will come a day when I will demand an explanation from him for you." Huo Tingdong snorted coldly, "How can a ruler of a nation fail to protect his own child?" When he left Bianjing for the frontier, he deliberately avoided her wedding date and missed the birth of that child. However, when he learned that she was pregnant, he was also filled with joy. He thought she had finally found happiness, but little did he know, it was merely an illusion.

"Nangong Yao, are you out of your mind? This is not the way back to the city!" She was astonished to find that the horse was following the small paths on either side of the plank road directly into the forest, with the lush branches scraping against her cheeks. By the time she regained her senses, the horse had already plunged deep into the dense woods.

She coldly laughed as she walked up to her chestnut horse, reached out to pull the reins, and leaped onto the horse. As she urged the chestnut horse forward, she realized that Nangong Yao had already leaped in front of her, his large hand tightly gripping the reins in her hand, and he landed behind her. His cool lips brushed against her neck, and the warm breath he exhaled sprayed onto her nape. For a brief moment, it seemed as if she could hear the wild beating of her own heart.

The carefree girl from back then, the bright and cheerful Qing Sang, what has she become now under the torment of Nangong Yao? Those once crystal-clear eyes have now been clouded by too much pain. At this moment, he suddenly loathes himself immensely, resenting himself for not taking her away back then, even if it meant she would hate him.

Today, the usually tranquil Kunlong Mountain appears particularly tumultuous; no, perhaps it is more fitting to describe it as tense and confrontational. A mysterious army returning from the border has almost surrounded Kunlong Mountain with a thunderous force. At the foot of the mountain, lights are ablaze, and the general has already ordered the establishment of camp, with smoke rising from cooking fires.

"Huo Qingsang, you truly disgust me. You did in the past, and you do now as well." He turned around slowly, his icy hand gripping her slender neck tightly, feeling the powerful pulse of her artery, a surge of bloodthirsty impulse rising within him. Images of her and Huo Tingdong entwined in disarray flashed through his mind, as if a thorn had pierced his heart; it did not hurt, yet it was enough to leave him feeling unsettled.