"By the way, Steward Hua, how is things going with the Han family?" Huo Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and then asked.
Han Shiyi was picked up by Han San the day after they left the Huo family. It was said that there was internal strife in the Han family, and it seemed to have far-reaching consequences.
"The direct descendants of the Han family are fine, although some have been injured, but no one has died. As for the collateral branches..." Steward Hua hesitated, glancing at Shi Tou.
Stone looked at him, puzzled: "What's wrong? Just say what you want to say. Anyway, I'm not familiar with the Han family's collateral branches."
“Actually, the collateral branches of smaller families are even more troublesome, and the Han family already has a large population. This time, it seems that the collateral branches of the Han family have been implicated in the royal family's massacre, and many people have been taken away. It's just unknown whether they can come back.” Hua Wushuang said while carefully watching Shi Tou's expression. He already knew Shi Tou's identity, but he was not quite sure about Shi Tou's attitude towards the royal family.
Shi Tou looked at Huo Xiaoxiao in surprise: "That's really strange. Could it be that Huo Yi is conspiring with the Han family?"
"Impossible." Huo Xiaoxiao flatly rejected the idea: "There's definitely some dirty dealings among the collateral branches, but they absolutely can't be the culprits. Let me put it this way, if those people had that kind of ability, would they still be from the collateral branches?"
That seems to make some sense...
"Also, Huo Yi shouldn't be the mastermind; she was just being used. In other words, someone was giving her orders, but I haven't figured out who it could be yet. But it couldn't be someone of lower status than her."
Shi Tou nodded silently, believing that Huo Xiaoxiao was more knowledgeable about family matters than she was.
"Besides, it's not just the Han family that's in trouble; the Lin family must also have problems, right?" The last question was directed at Steward Hua.
Steward Hua nodded: "There are problems, but not as obvious as with the Han family. The Han family has the largest population, which is why this arrest operation was so shocking. It is said that several thousand people have already gone missing."
"Several thousand?" Shi Tou was startled. "How many people are there in the Han family exactly?" The Huo family's direct descendants only numbered three, and the collateral branches had a slightly larger number, but still no more than twenty. The Han family arrested several thousand people at once; their numbers were simply terrifying!
"The Han family's direct descendants number around three hundred, while the collateral branches number no more than twenty thousand!" Chief Steward Hua gave a rough figure: "The Han family has a very strong reproductive capacity."
Pfft! Reproductive ability...
"Never mind them, they're just collateral relatives anyway. Keeping them around is a waste of time; every one they die is a loss!" Huo Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes. Because of Huo Yi's situation, she felt an extreme aversion to illegitimate daughters. Of course, collateral relatives weren't necessarily illegitimate children, but they were certainly more distantly related.
It's important to understand that only those beyond the fifth generation are considered collateral relatives. Apart from sharing the same surname, they no longer have any particularly close relationship.
"Wushuang, do you know of any other news from the royal family? For example, about the King and Queen." Shi Tou always felt that with the death of the Third Prince, the King and Queen, as his biological parents, should have taken some major actions. And the disappearance of those collateral relatives of the Han family should have been their doing, but they shouldn't have stopped there.
"As for the royal family, His Majesty the King has not made any special moves as usual. However, the Queen has made some big moves. I heard that the Queen fell seriously ill, but even in her illness, she sent her attendants to investigate this matter. In addition, she has also sent people to communicate with the families that support Princess Irene, the Goddess of Magic. There also seems to be contact with the Fourth Prince, Ishizuki."
Shi Tou frowned. Analyzing intelligence had never been her forte. Looking at Huo Xiaoxiao, she asked helplessly, "What do you mean? What are the King and Queen trying to do?"
Huo Xiaoxiao took a sip of tea, pursed her lips, and pondered for a while: "His Majesty the King probably doesn't intend to do anything right now, or he just wants to observe the situation and make a decision before taking action. As for Her Majesty the Queen, she is completely panicked."
"Why?"
"Because the Queen has never had another child since she gave birth to the sixth princess. And think about it, both of her biological sons were born with illnesses. The third prince was alright, he managed to survive for so many years, but the second prince died before he was even a year old."
Stone indicated that she was still completely confused.
Huo Xiaoxiao looked at the stone and patiently explained, "Let me put it this way, His Majesty the King is a man, and he is only forty years old this year. Ordinary men can still impregnate women even when they are sixty years old. And he is an eight-star mage, very powerful and in good health. Believe me, he has no intention of abdicating."
No emperor would willingly abdicate. Shi Tou had no objection to this, but Huo Xiaoxiao's words made her realize: "The Third Prince is the Queen's last hope, but for His Majesty the King, he's a stumbling block?"
"But that's one way of putting it. Besides, the Third Prince's health was too poor, and his talent was not good either. Before he passed away, he was only a one-star mage. To be honest, even if he hadn't passed away, the throne might not have been passed to him. After all, historically, the throne must be inherited by the royal bloodline, but it doesn't say that it must be born to the queen."
Shi Tou suddenly felt a pang of anxiety: "Xiao Xiao, do you think... do you think the Third Prince might be... might have been..."
"The death of the third prince is a fatal blow to the queen. But for His Majesty the king, it is a good thing that is more beneficial than harmful."
Instantly, Shi Tou's heart sank. If that were truly the case, then His Majesty the King...
☆, Chapter 268 The Legend of the Eastern Residence
"Actually, Xiaoxiao, do you think it's possible that His Majesty the King..." Shi Tou asked hesitantly. In fact, she didn't believe what she was thinking, but her reason told her that this might be the truth.
"You suspect the King was also involved in the royal massacre, right?" Huo Xiaoxiao said casually, "Actually, everyone except the Queen is a suspect. The King? The six great families of the East? Or the eldest prince? And the fourth prince? Tsk tsk, you're quite a suspect too."
Shi Tou stared at Huo Xiaoxiao, dumbfounded: "What does this have to do with me? What does it have to do with me?" Honestly, she had never thought of vying for this so-called throne!
"I know." Huo Xiaoxiao glanced at Shi Tou indifferently: "You don't have the brains for that."
Shi Tou suddenly felt an urge to rush up and scratch Huo Xiaoxiao to death. What was this? She didn't have the heart for it! It wasn't that she didn't have the brains! Cough cough, of course, if she really got involved in palace intrigue, she probably wouldn't even know how she died.
"By the way, your friend Han Shiyi won't be a suspect either. Although she's a direct descendant of the Han family, her status isn't high enough, and she's not qualified."
Shi Tou felt even more resentful. Why was Han Shiyi not a suspect because she wasn't qualified, while she wasn't a suspect because she was brainless? With this resentment, Shi Tou sat in front of Huo Xiaoxiao with a conflicted expression, occasionally rolling her eyes at her.
"Looking at me won't change anything. By the way, what are you really thinking? Isn't being queen great?"
"No, not at all."
Huo Xiaoxiao was even more confused: "Queen, do you even know what a queen is? It's someone who can command a hundred followers and has a multitude of servants..."
"You expect to be fed and clothed without lifting a finger, right?" Shi Tou rolled his eyes. "I'm not a cripple like Lin An."
Huo Xiaoxiao was taken aback. Clearly, she didn't immediately recognize Lin An. Fortunately, her memory wasn't that bad: "Oh, Lin An? You went to see him? He's not dead?"
That's what I meant...
Shi Tou silently wiped away a bead of cold sweat: "Xiao Xiao, I have no grudge against him!" This was indeed the truth. Perhaps she had disliked him a little before, but to talk about hatred, it really wasn't that serious. Let's put it this way. Love breeds hate, and Lin An was only slightly better to Shi Tou than a stranger. What was there to hate?
"I know, that's why I didn't retaliate against Lin An." Huo Xiaoxiao blinked. "Of course, I didn't stop Han San from retaliating against Lin An either. I don't think you'll have any objections, right?"
What a load of rubbish!
"He deserved it! But what's this about Han San retaliating against Lin An?" Han San was naturally unhappy that his precious little sister had been bullied. But with Lin An in this state, how could Han San possibly retaliate?
"You don't know? Didn't Han Shiyi tell you? Or does even she not know?" Huo Xiaoxiao suddenly became interested and moved to sit next to Shi Tou. "Lin An is a cripple now, you know? I'm not talking about him being disabled, I mean that, that..."
Shi Tou glanced at Huo Xiaoxiao, who seemed hesitant to speak, and said with a wicked grin, "A man's manhood? I know. Tsk tsk, does that mean there's still justice in this world?"
Huo Xiaoxiao was speechless at Shi Tou's words, but the one who suffered even more was Hua Wushuang, the head steward standing beside them. The head steward was a real man, but even a real man feels more uncomfortable hearing two girls discussing this.
"But Han Shiyi said that she used... Ah! Right, Wushuang!"
Poor Steward Hua was just contemplating whether to sneak out when Stone suddenly yelled. Instantly, he instinctively squeezed his legs together, looking at Stone with a livid expression: "Beautiful Master, what are your orders?"
"By the way, Wushuang, let me ask you, did you give Han Shiyi the explosive rocket launcher?"
Steward Hua breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that was what she was asking about: "Yes, but that's because Miss Huo instructed me to do so."
"ah?"
Huo Xiaoxiao nodded: "That's right. That's how it is."
"So, you're actually the culprit, right?" Shi Tou squinted, staring at Huo Xiaoxiao with ill intent. "Tell me, is it because Lin An also abandoned you that you're acting like a wronged woman, wanting to take revenge on him?"
"Please! I asked Steward Hua to give the test subject to the first person who came to him that day, not to have Han Shiyi deal with Lin An. Besides, do you think I'm like you? You don't even know how to fight back after being ridiculed. Let me tell you, if Lin An dares to mess with me, I'll blast him to smithereens without saying a word!"
Wow! That's brutal, truly brutal.
"But why did you suddenly have a brain fart that day?" The Blazing Rocket Launcher isn't a product for sale. To maintain their noble status, the Huo family strictly forbids Ironforge from selling any goods similar to the Blazing Rocket Launcher. Of course, this doesn't mean the Huo family is deliberately obstructing Stone's path to wealth; rather, they would buy up all the Blazing Rocket Launchers.
However, the two members of the Huo family will never know that what Shi Tou took out were all defective products. The real good things were kept in her own ring space and she would never take them out to the Huo family!
"Because that day was the day the real Huo Yi returned to the Huo family, and because Ironforge is your property, in other words, it's the property of the second young lady of the Huo family. Do you understand what I mean? Huo Yi, that's you, you are Huo Yi."
This kind of riddle-like game was never Shi Tou's forte, but fortunately, she already had a general understanding of the Huo family's affairs, so she wasn't completely confused: "So, originally I was replacing the real Huo Yi. And now the real Huo Yi wants to replace me?"
"Yes, who told you to leave such a delicious pie!" After so many years of development, Ironforge has accumulated wealth, and its status in the capital city alone is enough to make people drool.
"Wushuang, I really didn't realize you were so talented in business!" It was clearly a compliment, but it seemed to have another meaning behind it, and Steward Hua's face twisted in disbelief.
Is this a compliment, a compliment, or a compliment?
"However, given Ironforge's current situation, it's best to reduce some business." Huo Xiaoxiao turned to look at Steward Hua: "Do you understand what I mean?"
Steward Hua nodded: "In fact, I have been in control of these things for the past six months. And as you instructed, I have started to stockpile supplies in large quantities, and of course, I have also prepared a lot of space equipment."
Stone grew increasingly puzzled: "What are you trying to do?"
"Leave!" Huo Xiaoxiao's lips curled upwards, satisfied to see Shi Tou's shocked expression. "Six months ago, I realized that the Huo family was becoming increasingly difficult to control, and that's when I started planning to leave. Then came Grandpa's injury, that person's complete control of the Huo family, and Huo Yi's growing importance..."
Stone's mouth was agape in an "O" shape, and his silly look thoroughly amused Huo Xiaoxiao.
"Don't you think my leaving was inevitable?"
“But…” Stone reached up and murmured, his mind still blank: “Since you’re planning to leave anyway, why do you always try to convince me to be the queen?”
“I was planning to leave. Firstly, because I could no longer control the Huo family. Secondly, because neither the Third Prince nor the Fourth Prince, nor His Majesty the King in power, was what I desired. But at that time, I did not know you would return.”
Stone scratched her head, indicating that she was completely bewildered: "So, if I become queen, you won't leave?"
"Yes, yes, are you interested now?" Huo Xiaoxiao looked at her expectantly: "Being a queen is great, you can get whatever you want. Think about it, what do you want most?"
Shi Tou really wanted to spray her face, but seeing Huo Xiaoxiao's rare disregard for her image, she chuckled and said, "Handsome men! For example, honest and family-oriented men like Steward Hua, cute little boys like Lin An, and elegant noblemen like Han San. Oh, and there's also the Fourth Prince, a stunningly handsome man whose beauty is beyond description!"
Now it was Huo Xiaoxiao's turn to be dumbfounded. The Luo Ming Empire was a monogamous country. Of course, this didn't mean all couples were faithful, but generally, husbands had mistresses, and wives were unfaithful. But for someone like Shi Tou to so openly declare his dream of having countless handsome men was absolutely bizarre.
"So, Xiaoxiao, if I became queen, could I do this?"
Huo Xiaoxiao swallowed hard. "Actually...actually, I think..."
"What?"
"Actually, His Majesty the King is quite good. I think we should let him continue to be king!"
Shi Tou looked at Huo Xiaoxiao with a mournful expression: "And then? You don't want me to be queen anymore?"
Huo Xiaoxiao's originally delicate face twisted into a knot. How was she supposed to say this? Should she just say, "Don't make a mess of the royal family?" Or should she be more tactful and say, "You're not really suited to be queen?"
"Ahem, I think you can come with me."
Stone was genuinely surprised this time: "Go with you? This...this...let me tell you, I only like handsome men!"
"Let... gas out!" Huo Xiaoxiao wasn't stupid; she immediately understood what Shi Tou meant, and her face instantly fell. "I just don't want you to bring disaster to the Luo Ming Empire!"
"Where are we going?" Stone asked, deliberately trying to be joking. "Just the two of us?"
"How could that be? I also have my own subordinates, and I have Chief Steward Hua." Huo Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment, looked at Shi Tou's still somewhat bewildered expression, and sighed: "Actually, this royal struggle is definitely not that simple. I just don't want to get involved in this struggle."
Stone fell silent. Of course, she knew that every coup was often followed by bloodshed.
"And do you know about the Eastern House? I want to find the real Eastern House, the place where our ancestors lived. Although it's just a legend, I want to find it."
☆, Chapter 269 The Grand Finale