"And so, this one is now a homeless lost lamb," Bai Liang summarized everything. He drank his tea and smiled at Huo Zhang. "General Huo, would you be so kind to shelter this pitiful one under your wings?"
Huo Zhang fell silent and processed everything. When he received the news that the Lans' second young master was driven out of his house, he thought that it was because their intercourse last night was found out. He was ready to take responsibility and marry Bai Liang only to find his cinnabar mole was still brightly displayed on his earlobe. If it wasn't for the scratches and bite marks left on his body, he would've thought last night was only a spring dream.
Now that he knew the real circumstances, it wasn't any less good. Still, he had to admit, there was a sense of satisfaction that he was the first person Bai Liang thought of to ask for help. He even felt he could be a little conceited and suspect Bai Liang planned this to some degree.
"I have a reputation to uphold." Huo Zhang traced the rim of his cup in a slow, circular motion. "There is only one acceptable circumstance that a gher can live under the same roof with a non-related man."
Bai Liang chuckled. "General Huo, are you willing to give betrothal gifts to my family?"
"Our family is not so poor that it will be vulnerable after spending a few golds." Huo Zhang tapped on the table. "Their priority right now is to uphold their household name. They will not dare withhold your betrothal gifts for their benefit. Moreover, you are already 25 years old. According to the law, ghers who have passed the age of 23 may have the freedom to choose who they wish to marry. And if both sides of the pair consent to the marriage, it is legal to proceed even without the gher's family approval. This can be done in the public office."
Before Bai Liang could reply, the other abruptly stood up and took his hand.
"Come. I will introduce you to my parents."
Bai Liang held down his laughter and let Huo Zhang drag him out of the booth. He thought Huo Zhang would have some conflict in taking him considering their circumstances, but his master didn't even try to hide his enthusiasm.
A carriage was already prepared outside from who knew when, and Huo Zhang let him enter first before stepping in himself. As they drove away, he saw one of his bodyguards appearing on the street across Blue Moon Pavilion.
His attention was returned to Huo Zhang when the other touched his earlobe. Huo Zhang rubbed it briefly to check whether it was real or not. "Your cinnabar mole…"
"My body is special, General Huo." Bai Liang tilted his head to Huo Zhang and curled a playful smile. "The more you love me the stronger you will become. Does it not sound magical?"
Fighting the urge to kiss those lips, Huo Zhang took a long deep breath and settled on wrapping his arm around Bai Liang's waist instead. "What do you mean?"
"You can cultivate your qi with my body and incorporate my qi into yours." Bai Liang poked Huo Zhang's dantian. "You got yourself an exclusive qi furnace. Is this enough of a dowry for you?"
Huo Zhang stared at Bai Liang with heated eyes and eventually couldn't help himself from kissing him. He indeed felt his body became significantly lighter by dawn and surged with abundant power. Now he knew why.
But hearing Bai Liang calling himself a qi furnace made him uncomfortable. He broke their kiss, backing away the slightest inch, and whispered, "The only thing you will become is my wife. You are not allowed to entitle yourself to anything but that."
Bai Liang blinked and let out a heartfelt laugh. "This one understands."
They arrived at Huo Zhang's ancestral home half an hour later. Huo Zhang already informed his parents of his visit and they had gathered in the front hall of the house.
Father and Mother Huo saw the gher by Huo Zhang's side and looked at each other. Their son greeted them with a salute which Bai Liang gracefully followed before Huo Zhang introduced him, "Father, Mother, This is Lan Jing, Prime Minister Lan's secondborn. We wish to have your blessing for our marriage."
Bai Liang knew that he said that on purpose and gave an awkward smile. Hearing his surname, Father and Mother Huo's faces already changed, and once Huo Zhang confirmed he was indeed the son of the prime minister, not to mention his intention to marry him, Father Huo was enraged.
"This child, are you bewitched? How dare you bring a Lan to our doorstep!"
"Father, Lan Jing is innocent," Huo Zhang calmly refuted. "He has been staying out of the prime minister's schemes until this morning, he was forced to act as a Lan or be disowned. And so he chose to leave his family, but he's a gher and has nowhere to go."
Mother Huo touched her husband's hand. "Husband, why don't we listen to Ah-Zhang's explanation first? This child is not the type to be bewitched to irrationality."
Father Huo looked at Bai Liang who politely stood aside, obedient and sensible, and considered for a long while. Indeed, there was a rumour that the prime minister had 2 sons, but he didn't think it was true. He asked, "Child of Lan, tell me, are you truly clean from your father's sin?"
Bai Liang lowered his head. "Answering Master Huo, This one is coward. This one does not dare to muse on the thought and imagine the consequences of going against the imperial family. This one has only spent his time reading, painting, and training in his courtyard without any involvement with his family's affairs. This one had tried advising his father against it, but this one is merely a second child and a gher. If it was not for this one's older brother's protection, this one would already be married away to either the second prince or the firstborn son of Secretary Dian."
"What?" Huo Zhang's eyes turned fierce. He never heard of this before.
"It was already 2 years ago," Bai Liang helplessly said. "Did General Huo even know me at that time?"
Huo Zhang couldn't deny it and furrowed his brows bitterly. He only knew and confirmed that the prime minister had a gher second son a year ago and even so, he didn't know what he looked like. Hence, if Lan Jing got wed to another man at that time he wouldn't know and wouldn't care either way.
"A coward would not be brave enough to fight against his father for his own conviction." Mother Huo's impression towards Bai Liang improved slightly. "Raise your head, Child of Lan."
"Thank you for your kind words, Madame Huo."
"But what about your brother? If you enter our family, it's inevitable you will be going against him as well. Are you fine with that?"
Bai Liang was silent for a while before he answered, "…If the Huo household would be willing to spare just this one's older brother's life when the time comes, this one is willing to dedicate himself as a member of the Huo household. This one's older brother only wishes to protect this one from any harm and grievance."
Father Huo finally gave Huo Zhang's request serious consideration. His son had been refusing every women and ghers the matchmaker offered to him and instead, scared them away left and right. Both he and his wife had been concerned that their son, as an excellent general under the emperor, would die a lonely death without giving them any descendants.
"Master Huo, if you wish for this one to prove his loyalty, this one is willing to represent the Huo household in painting the 1,000-petalled lotus for the emperor's pilgrimage," Bai Liang offered.
"No need. You came to me exactly to avoid being involved and so, I will not let you get involved." Huo Zhang frowned.
"General Huo, what this one did not want to get involved in is his family's devious schemes. If it is to defend what is right, this one is willing to come out of his hiding."
Father and Mother Huo looked at each other once again, and they finally came to an agreement. However much they trusted their son's judgement and capability, with Lan Jing's identity, they still needed some form of reassurance.
"Child of Lan, you may be betrothed to our son," Father Huo decided. "Once you represent our household to paint the 1,000-petalled lotus, regardless of the outcome, we will bless your marriage."
Bai Liang bowed with a salute. "This one will not disappoint."