Huo Shengnan said, "Wouldn't that be a very long journey? Could his health withstand it?"
Hu Xiaotian said, "Circumstances leave us no choice. He has to make this trip. Great Kang is suffering a famine, and Great Yong has threatened the surrounding nations, forbidding them from trading grain with Great Kang. If this continues, Great Kang will collapse from within without them having to deploy a single soldier."
Huo Shengnan said, "His Majesty has always wanted to march south and unite the Central Plains. It seems his opportunity has finally arrived." The emperor she spoke of was naturally Xue Shengkang, the ruler of Great Yong.
Hu Xiaotian said, "Do you feel a little regret? If things hadn't gone wrong, perhaps you would have been the one commanding the army on its southern campaign."
Huo Shengnan shook her head. "Those of us who serve as subjects are nothing more than tools for satisfying the ambitions of those above us. After this ordeal, I've come to see everything for what it is. From now on..." She bit her cherry-red lip, suddenly looking rather bashful. "From now on, I'll stand on your side. Yours alone."
Warmth surged through Hu Xiaotian's heart. He wished he could take Huo Shengnan into his arms right then and lavish affection on her. People said that, well, that part was the passage to a woman's heart, and now it seemed they were right. Ever since his night with General Huo, every barrier between them had vanished, and Huo Shengnan had given her heart entirely to him.
Hu Xiaotian said, "Actually, I only want to live a decent life. I used to think that was easy, but now it seems even staying alive isn't so simple. There's always someone trying to control your fate."
Hu Xiaotian's words inevitably made