Greetings, Ninth Uncle

Huo Xueshi was really brooding over the fact that Huo Changyuan personally chased after Cheng Yujin, and Qin Xin was also highly vigilant. The servant girl casually let out a few words, and Huo Xue-shi easily agreed to let people call Huo Changyuan from the martial arts field.

Huo Changyuan entered the room, full of sweat. He thought there was something urgent. As a result, the young man frowned deeply upon Huo Xue-shi’s words: “Mother, you suddenly called me back just for this trivial thing?”

“How can this be trivial!” Huo Xue-shi gripped her handkerchief in dissatisfaction. “That Cheng eldest miss is very scheming and not a good seed. You shouldn’t get close to her in the future, be careful that she might trap you again and won’t let you go.”

In Huo Xue-shi’s eyes, probably all the women in the world wanted to hook up her son. Huo Changyuan smiled bitterly. Cheng Yujin wanted to trap him? He remembered the other girl’s merciless slap and refused to respond.

Huo Xueshi asked: “Changyuan, what did she say to you after she lured you outside? Just tell mother ah.”

Huo Changyuan’s mind secretly flashed in displeasure. He was already 20 years old. Why should he report his private conversation with a former fiancee to his mother? Moreover, Huo Changyuan inexplicably didn’t want to talk about Cheng Yujin to Huo Xue-shi, as if this was a secret he didn’t want others to probe.

Huo Changyuan felt faint displeasure, but soon it was dissipated. Because it happened so quickly, Huo Changyuan didn’t notice that he was actually feeling annoyed at his mother. Half-heartedly he said: “Nothing. This is my business, mother shouldn’t ask me more.”

Huo Xue-shi’s fingers tightened on her palm. She felt a sudden sense of crisis, as if her son was going to be taken away from her. She quickly covered up her mind and smiled, “Okay. If you don’t want me to ask, Changyuan, then I won’t. Alas, blame your father for leaving us too early. I’m just a widow who rarely goes outside, delaying your marriage. And you also went to the battlefield, making it impossible to find an engagement then. Now you already twenty, yet your marriage affair still hasn’t been settled. If only I started looking earlier, wouldn’t you already have a family now? Not like this, having to deal with that shameless eldest miss Cheng. Changyuan, you don’t worry. Tomorrow mother will start to ask around. I’ll definitely find a good, virtuous wife from a noble family worthy of you.”

Huo Changyuan frowned when he heard this. “Mother, why didn’t you tell the Cheng family today that I want to marry Mo’er?”

Both Huo Xueshi and Qin Xin were startled: “What?”

Huo Changyuan’s brows furrowed even tighter: “I have told you this morning. Didn’t you pay attention?”

Huo Xue-shi really didn’t pay attention. When she heard that Huo Changyuan wanted to cancel his engagement, all her mind was on this matter. How could she still pay attention when his son mentioned about wanting to marry Cheng Yumo? Huo Xue-shi was extremely displeased. Have all unmarried girls in the capital died so that Changyuan had to be fixated with that Cheng family? After letting go of the older sister, he picked the younger sister.

Before she even saw the girl. Huo Xue-shi already had a bad impression of Cheng Yumo. Her son could not be wrong, it must be that fox spirit who gave Changyuan a love potion and seduced him to cancel his engagement to marry her.

Huo Xue-shi was unhappy, but to Huo Changyuan, she was still a kind mother. With a smile, she said: “Changyuan, you can rest assured. Mother will take care of the Cheng family’s affairs. You should just concentrate on the court matter with a peace of mind.”

Huo Changyuan believed in his mother’s love and obedience. So he was relieved when Huo Xue-shi said this. Obviously, he was talking about Cheng Yumo, but somehow Cheng Yujin’s face flashed in his mind.

One glance in the snowy cave, and his heart was shaken to the core. She was like a heavenly being. Even when slapping him today, her eyes were as beautiful as the paintings, blazed in anger and looked so dazzling.

Huo Changyuan suddenly realized that he has lost his mind. He was shocked to find himself thinking about that venomous woman. For a moment, his brain stopped working, unable to accept the blow. But soon, Huo Changyuan recalled of the man he saw standing next to Cheng Yujin today.

She called him ninth uncle.

Huo Changyuan asked: “Mother, do you know something about a man who was ranked ninth in Cheng family?”

“Ninth?” Huo Xue-shi stunned for a moment. Why did her son suddenly mentioned the Cheng family’s ninth master? But soon, she remembered past events.

Huo Xue-shi’s expression changed a bit. She replied: “Cheng family’s ninth master, I actually know a bit about him. He is a child of an outside mistress, and his biological mother still has some family ties with me.”

Huo Changyuan was really surprised: “What?”

“His biological mother is also surnamed Xue. Before Xue family’s fall, I have met her once or twice. But our branches separated quite far, so we weren’t close. Later, when the Xue family was exiled, she happened to still unmarried. As the Xue’s daughter, she followed her brothers and father to the frontier exile. I’m afraid of being implicated by their family and haven’t explored her whereabouts for so many years. But after twenty years, unexpectedly, I see her again in the capital.” Huo Xueshi saw her son’s expression and nodded, “Yes, she had become Marquis Yichun’s outside mistress and gave birth to a six-year-old son named Cheng Yuanjing. It is really surprising that such an outside child can even get the jinshi title in the imperial exam and rapidly rise up. Although an outside child isn’t a glorious status, one more ally in the court means more help. There is no harm in having a bit of contact with him.”

Huo Changyuan was very surprised at this. Cheng Yuanjing’s momentum was so imposing and majestic. He would even believe if being told that Cheng Yuanjing was an imperial prince. But unexpectedly, the man was actually a shameful child of an outside mistress.

Huo Changyuan’s curiosity dissipated, and his inexplicable mood was also disappeared. He nodded and said, “Rest assured, mother. Looking at your relationship, I’ll give him some guidance.”