Here is the translation:
Hearing this, Huo Qixiao's understanding of the whole matter fell into place. No wonder Huo Qiyuan survived the poisoning from the Ice Flax Grass; it turned out Gongsun Zan was also rescued by Su Muqing. This explained everything.
Suddenly, Huo Qixiao looked at Wang Bingchang with extreme dissatisfaction. If it hadn't been for his incompetence and the delays on the road, causing him to arrive late, Huo Qiyuan wouldn't have escaped death today. More importantly, a divine physician like Gongsun Zan might have already been serving under him.
For the Great Yu Dynasty, having an enemy with such a skilled physician was akin to facing an even more formidable foe. Not to mention that the predecessor to the Hua Xia Dynasty was a gathering place of several major martial forces that all the states vied to incorporate.
Fate was not predetermined at all. Otherwise, why would those who laughed last in his previous life, like Chu Ruoqiao, the forces of Fierce Tiger Village, and the likes of Wang Bingchang, either be vulnerable or have long turned into piles of white bones in this life!
After a long while, Huo Qixiao suppressed the anger in his heart. The past was in the past, and heaven wouldn't give him another chance to start over. Focusing on resolving the current predicament was what he needed to consider most.
Fortunately, the situation had changed. Su Ling'er was a relative of Su Muqing, which would make certain matters much more convenient. "Since you are Su Muqing's cousin and have been lurking in Yaoking City for so long, wouldn't it be effortless for you to approach her and do something? Tell me, what is your next plan?"
Su Ling'er's heart tensed upon hearing Huo Qixiao's words, and she didn't reply. Approaching Su Muqing? How could she possibly do that?
She had been driven out of the village by Su Muqing herself when they were fleeing from famine. If Su Muqing hadn't become the Emperor later and couldn't be bothered with such minor matters, and if Zhengyi Alley hadn't been handed over to Su Minghui's responsibility, she probably wouldn't have been able to successfully infiltrate Yaoking City, let alone obtain household registration documents.
Seeing Su Ling'er's silence, Wang Bingchang asked Huo Qixiao, who was seated above, with a knowing smile, "What do you think of Ling'er, Young Master?"
Huo Qixiao sat up straight, his gaze unkind as he scanned Su Ling'er from head to toe. "Her skin is like congealed fat, her figure is voluptuous, her voice is sweet, her appearance is beautiful, and she possesses innate charm. She can be considered a beauty."
Huo Qixiao was not an uncultured man. In both lifetimes combined, he believed he had seen many beautiful women. Three years prior, he had always thought Chu Ruoqiao was the most beautiful woman in the world.
Later, when he encountered Su Muqing and her group in the no man's land and witnessed her breathtaking beauty, Huo Qixiao had to admit that Su Muqing's face was indeed more stunning and memorable than Chu Ruoqiao's.
Therefore, looking at Su Ling'er now, although her attire was decent, her face passable, and her voice sufficiently charming, her overall appearance was at best just acceptable.
While she might not be someone to become hopelessly infatuated with, keeping her as a pet or a plaything, to be brought out for amusement on a whim, wouldn't be out of the question.
Wang Bingchang was pleased with Huo Qixiao's assessment of the beauty. In his mind, Huo Qixiao was generally not very interested in women, and his standards for selecting women to present to court officials were always very high.
In the past, despite his efforts to find many women for Huo Qixiao, the most common descriptions he heard were "ordinary" or "nothing special."
It seemed that Su Ling'er could finally catch his eye. This was good; it wouldn't be a waste of his diligent cultivation over the past year!
With that thought, Wang Bingchang moved closer to Huo Qixiao and whispered in his ear, "What do you think if we offered her to the Regent of the Hua Xia Dynasty? Could she win Huo Qiyuan's favor? Would this honey trap work?"
Unbeknownst to them, upon hearing this, Huo Qixiao cast a disdainful glance at Wang Bingchang, his eyes filled with mockery. "Heh! A honey trap? So, you intend to offer her to Huo Qiyuan? You are truly like a hen that has fallen into a nest of pheasants, still thinking you're seeing a phoenix! Do you know how beautiful Su Muqing is? Do you know that Huo Qiyuan is her future imperial consort? Do you think he, who is marrying the most beautiful and powerful phoenix woman in the world, would take a liking to such a common wild pheasant?"
Huo Qixiao's words were undeniably venomous. He not only spoke but also gestured with his hand, appraising Su Ling'er from head to toe, his eyes revealing exaggerated, blatant, and silent mockery and contempt, showing no regard for Su Ling'er, thoroughly humiliating her.
Su Ling'er trembled with rage at Huo Qixiao's words, wishing she could unleash a killing spree to vent her fury. Su Muqing! Su Muqing! It was because of her again! After all the humiliation she had endured over the years, each instance caused by her, it seemed she was her natural nemesis, her lifelong enemy!
Even though she knew she couldn't compete, Su Ling'er felt incredibly unbalanced. In the beginning, Su Muqing was inferior to her in every aspect.
Her parents were disliked by their elders, and she was constantly bullied by people from the old family compound. Su Muqing herself was timid, and in the village, she was even more unremarkable. Among the children who grew up together, few were willing to play with her, except for a few from Su Minghui's family.
However, after a drought, everything changed drastically.
The former Su Muqing had transformed, no longer the meek, easily bullied pushover. With just a few words, she had made the people from the old family compound the target of public criticism, even causing herself to be struck by lightning, and ultimately driven out of the village.
Later, Su Ling'er finally met a benefactor and received cultivation, transforming herself inside and out. Just when she thought she finally had a chance to contend with Su Muqing, Su Muqing suddenly reappeared as the most noble queen, above all others.
Why? Why was heaven so unfair! They both came from humble backgrounds, and they were both peasant girls who lacked food and clothing at the beginning. Why could Su Muqing soar to the branches and become a phoenix, while she had to endure such insults from others!
Su Ling'er's inherent charm turned stiff in that instant. Wang Bingchang, standing beside her, also did not expect Huo Qixiao to think this way.
He turned back again, carefully examining Su Ling'er from all angles. Could it be that Su Muqing was truly unearthly beautiful? Or was Huo Qiyuan's taste simply too high?
Su Ling'er's appearance was, after all, charming yet not vulgar, delicate yet not seductive. While she might not be the absolute top-tier, she shouldn't be as bad as Huo Qixiao described!