After making sure that the guards lined up on both sides, several eunuchs and palace maids disembarked with honor guards. Lou Yue prepared a smile, but Lou Wanjun, who was beside him, clicked her tongue, unimpressed.
“What a big show!” she whispered.
Lou Yue gingerly gave her a cross look.
At that moment, a person slowly walked up to the gangway.
His snow-white brocade boots were densely woven with gold threads of python patterns, glittering in the sunlight and reflecting the unique shade of gold.
The man who looked like a snow-white gold robe, wearing a gold crown with jade inlay and a face like a crown.
The graceful young man dressed in a snow-white golden robe looked down. He was wearing a jade-inlaid gold crown, and possessed a complexion as clear as jade.
As he stepped off the pedal, Lou Yue and everyone behind him knelt down one after another, causing their armors to clang.
“Lou Yue, the last general, welcomes Your Royal Highness!” Lou Yue greeted him.
Behind him, mountainous shouts followed.
The crowd fell to their knees, and their silver armor glittered for a time. They looked like a landslide and a tsunami. The young man remained calm and relaxed. He slowly walked down, stopped in front of Lou Yue, and bowed to hold his arm.
“Uncle Lou need not be polite,” he said warmly.
Lou Yue stood up along with the force he exerted. He raised his head and recognized the gentle and elegant person smiling at him in front of him as none other than Huo Yuyan.
He was no different from when he was young. He was gentle and fonde of smiling. He looked handsome and elegant, especially his eyebrows, warm and firm. When he was in Yangguan, he was different from the wild rascals raised there. He was usually accompanied by poetry and books, and his speech was also unhurried.
“This is unacceptable! Your Highness, there is a difference between ruler and subject!” he deterred him.
After supporting Huo Yuyan, Lou Yue felt how weak his body was. Originally, although this boy looked handsome, his martial arts skills were as good as any excellent general in the army. But the moment he helped him up, he obviously felt none of his strength. He was light and airy, as if his bones were empty.
Despite knowing that the child was vicious, Lou Yue couldn’t help but feel sour in his heart.
When the Marquis of Dingbei was alive, although he only had Huo Wujiu as his son, he favored Huo Yuyan the most.
Lou Yue easily stopped Huo Yuyan’s bow. Huo Yuyan didn’t argue with him. Instead, he went along with his force and stood up straight.
“Your Highness has had an exhausting journey. It’s inconvenient to stand here and talk the whole time.” Lou Yue said, “A banquet has been prepared in the city. Why don’t Your Highness go with this general and a meal? Recuperate for two days before we leave for Lin’an.”
Huo Yuyan smiled lightly when he heard his offer. His expression was gentle, and he betrayed not a clue: “That would be the best. Thanks to Wujiu. If he hadn’t arranged the whole Southern Jing in an orderly manner, I wouldn’t have been lucky enough to hide here for leisure.”
With his joyous and gentle demeanor, who could see the shady things behind his back?
Lou Yue lowered his eyes and hid his complicated gaze.
Just then, he heard Huo Yuyan chuckle. He turned sideways and asked, “Is Sister Wanjun also here?”
Lou Wanjun raised her eyes and saw the slender and quiet young man of yesteryear with a jade-like stature, standing in front of her. His eyes were as gentle as water.
“Sister Wanjun has grown up to be so beautiful.” He said, “You look like Mrs. Lou in between the eyes and eyebrows.”
He complimented her with a faint smile.
Lou Wanjun drew a breath without a trace. She unexpectedly got tongue-tied, and didn’t know how to reply.
I’m so pretty. She muttered to herself.
Her heart seemingly teetered, like a magnolia flower blowing in the wind.