Jiang Suizhou felt that this was more surreal.
He stared blankly at Huo Wujiu, only to see him sitting there with an extremely carefree countenance with his eyes raised to Lou Yue.
According to the original historical progression… he had no reason to refuse Lou Yue’s request at all.
That being the case, was the truth completely different from what he had read in official records?
Before Jiang Suizhou could regain his senses, Lou Yue, who was beside him was already open-mouthed.
“T-This kid, you actually…”
“Have you asked Lou Wanjun what she wants?” Huo Wujiu folded his arms and frowned. “Why are you blindly arranging things for her?”
“She’ll surely…” Lou Yue didn’t hesitate.
“Then you’re looking at things wrong.” Huo Wujiu didn’t beat around the bush at all. “We grew up at odds with each other since childhood, and still are to this day. You are an old man who spends all his time in the barracks, so why don’t you just fight your battles? Why are you acting as a matchmaker as well?”
His words were completely impolite, but Lou Yue was rendered speechless.
“But…”
Huo Wujiu continued: “General Lou, you know exactly what kind of person I am. By tying the two of us together, we won’t become relatives, but enemies. By then, it will be counterproductive and not the result you want.”
Lou Yue was speechless.
At this time, Jiang Suizhou was completely relieved, feeling as if he had just survived a disaster. He felt like every single cell in his body was relaxed. Nevertheless, he also knew that this was a critical moment to negotiate with Lou Yue, so he could not mentally relax because of his personal feelings.
He quickly focused his attention. Seeing that Lou Yue looked dejected, obviously having lost the upper hand, and not saying anything, Jiang Suizhou hurriedly took advantage of the situation and persuaded him, “General Lou, even if you want to use your daughter’s marriage as a reason to rebel, that’s unacceptable as well. You’re afraid that historians will scold you for being duplicitous and a traitor for glory. Why do you think they won’t scold you for committing treason for the sake of love and embarrass you?”
Lou Yue looked at him and said morosely, “You have a point.”
“On this account, if you don’t act against them now, you can only sit back and await your doom and let them cruelly oppress you,” Jiang Suizhou said.
Seeing Lou Yue’s hesitation, Huo Wujiu frowned and said, “Are you afraid of what they will do? The worst they could do is just condemn you verbally and in writing.”
Jiang Suizhou followed, “Besides, this isn’t a question about rebelling or not. Hundreds of years ago, didn’t the Emperor surnamed Jiang rise up and overthrow the previous dynasty? The changing of dynasties is as normal as the setting of the moon and the rising of the sun. Moreover, isn’t the current Emperor of Northern Liang also a vassal of the Jiang family who rose to power? Thousands of years later, historians will be writing about it, but they will only be saying that you abandoned the old and welcomed the new.”
Jiang Suizhou spoke with overflowing confidence.
Lou Yue fell silent for a moment before speaking.
“See, see!” He took his chopsticks and pointed at Huo Wujiu. “After staying in His Highness Jingwang’s manor for so long, you haven’t picked up a bit of his knowledgeable and rational spirit. You’re like a bandit! It’s rude to talk to elders like this!”
Hearing his rebuke, Jiang Suizhou let out a long breath of relief.
If Lou Yue could say these, then it meant that it was done.
He couldn’t resist looking at Huo Wujiu, his eyes brimming with pleasant surprise. And the moment he looked at him, Huo Wujiu also turned his head to look at him. Although his face was expressionless, the look in his eyes was quite deep.
They looked at each other for a moment, and then the corners of Huo Wujiu rose, and he laughed.
“Weren’t you the one who hated the poor and pedantic literati?” he asked.
Lou Yue poked a chopstick of foot bitterly: “Can His Highness Jingwang be the same?”
Although Huo Wujiu was talking to him, his eyes were on Jiang Suizhou.
“Indeed he’s not the same,” he said.
Although he breathed a sigh of relief, Jiang Suizhou still couldn’t figure out why the facts were so different from the historical records. Once the meal was over, he pondered this question.
Huo Wujiu scurried up to the carriage from a dark alley behind the restaurant, and saw Jiang Suizhou sitting pensively in the carriage.
“What are you thinking about?” Huo Wujiu asked.
Jiang Suizhou blurted out, “Why did you refuse General Lou?”
Huo Wujiu was a bit puzzled: “What else can I do? I don’t want it.”
“But Miss Lou is…” Jiang Suizhou was halfway through his sentence when he realized his gaffe.
He initially wanted to say that Miss Lou was the partner who would accompany him in the future, but this must not be said.
He quickly stopped speaking.
But Huo Wujiu looked puzzled. “What’s the matter with her?”
“…She’s fine,” Jiang Suizhou muttered vaguely.
But to his surprise, displeasure surfaced on Huo Wujiu’s face when he heard this.
“What’s good about her, huh?”
Jiang Suizhou immediately discerned the aggressiveness in his tone, and quickly turned his head for a look. Huo Wujiu was frowning on the seat there, with dismay all over his face.
“She’s beautiful, nothing more and acts like a man all day long. Even her temper is terrible. Just because she was all smiles to you, you consider her a nice person? At the age of seven or eight, she chased Wei Kai and the others and beat them. It gives me a headache at the mere thought of it. I have never seen…”
Jiang Suizhou had never heard Huo Wujiu speak so fast and like a cannonball.
…Or speak ill of other people.
Jiang Suizhou had never talked behind people’s backs, so when hearing Huo Wujiu’s words, he blushed a bit and quickly stopped him, “Okay, okay, I know you don’t like her. Cut the crap.”
However, Huo Wujiu did not budge, and when he looked at him, a hint of hostility sparked in his eyes.
“Of course I don’t like her.” He said, “So you should also polish your eyes and not look at her.”
This time, it was Jiang Suizhou’s turn to be baffled and surprised: “What are you talking about? Of course I don’t have any illusions about Miss Lou, ah.”
When these words fell, for a time, the two looked at each other, and both did not make a sound.
All that remained was the rattling wheels of the carriage.
A second later, Jiang Suizhou couldn’t help chuckling.
“What made you think so?” he asked.
Huo Wujiu opened his mouth and averted his gaze as if lacking confidence.
“Don’t you also think I like her?”
“The two of you have grown up together since you were young, after all…”
“We grew up with Wei Kai,” Huo Wujiu interjected.
Jiang Suizhou burst out laughing.
Huo Wujiu scowled and said with dissatisfaction, “What are you laughing at? I meant it. Do I have to like her just because we grew up together?”
Jiang Suizhou smiled and nodded frankly, “Okay, okay, got it.”
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