Chapter 10

Hu Xiaotian stood there smiling with narrowed eyes, like an uninvolved person, as if the whole matter had nothing to do with him at all.

At this moment someone shouted, "Go to the government office to reason!" "Right! Arrest him and see the official!" "The Secretary's son is amazing!"

Hu Buwei's expression was calm as an ancient well; he turned and returned to face Tang Wen Zheng, speaking softly: "Wenzheng brother, rest assured, I will certainly get to the bottom of today's affair, but should we first let these people disperse? In such a noisy, chaotic situation, there are certainly those with ulterior motives spreading rumors to confuse the masses; not only will it not solve the problem, it will only make things more tumultuous."

Tang Wen Zheng embraced his daughter, his heart filled with rage, yet he dared not act out of fear of Hu Buwei's official position. As he hesitated, his two sons could no longer contain themselves; Tang Tiehan roared, "What do you mean 'get to the bottom'? The matter is plain as day—everyone saw it. That turtle bastard forcibly seized my sister, ruined her chastity; this person's crimes are enormous, I will not rest until I kill this scoundrel!" Before he finished speaking, Tang Wen Zheng raised his hand and slapped him hard across the face, shouting, "You good-for-nothing, where do you get off speaking?"

Tang Tiehan deserved a beating; in a fit of anger he cursed out all the turtles' sons, and Hu Xiaotian is a turtle's son— isn't that equivalent to cursing Hu Buwei to his face as an old tortoise? Moreover, he shouted that Hu Xiaotian had ruined his daughter's chastity, and everyone heard it clearly. Leaving aside whether Hu Xiaotian actually spoiled Tang Qingxuan's purity, how will others view this? The Tang family has mobilized so many people, and the fact that Hu Xiaotian abducted Tang Qingxuan is true; what exactly happened during this period? It makes people unable not to suspect. Even if nothing happened, Tang Qingxuan's reputation would inevitably be affected.

At this moment, Capital Magistrate Hong Baiqi rushed over with a few subordinates in a flustered hurry, and accompanying him was also the Tang family's third son, Tang Tiexin. Seeing the scene before him, Hong Baiqi secretly groaned to himself; whether the Hu and Tang families clashed, he didn't care, but today Murong Feiyan, upon hearing the news, had taken the lead in bringing a few constables to the Secretariat's residence, which inevitably dragged him into the matter. If it weren't for Murong Feiyan's involvement, Hong Baiqi would have been too lazy to wade into this muddy water; you two families can toss and turn as you please, and once the tossing is over, if anyone is injured I'll help send them for medical aid, if anyone is killed I'll help collect the corpses, and as for who is right or wrong, we'll discuss that later. Being an official in the capital is no easy task; the title of Capital Magistrate sounds imposing, and he is indeed a senior figure, yet looking around the capital, there are who knows how many officials of higher rank, not to mention those imperial clansmen. Serving as an official in the capital requires attending to every connection; a slight misstep could offend someone unknown, truly a struggle to survive in the cracks, every step arduous.

Hong Baiqi stepped forward and first paid his respects to Hu Buwei and Tang Wen Zheng. Hu Buwei said, "Sir Hong, you've come just in time; please handle this matter."

Hong Baiqi secretly groaned, thinking, "How did your family's affairs get pushed onto my head? Isn't this making things difficult for me?" He coughed once and said, "Gentlemen, I think it's best to let the idle onlookers withdraw first before we continue." The idle onlookers naturally referred to the helpers brought by the Tang brothers.

Although Tang Wen Zheng was furious inside, his mind was not clouded; even if our side held all the justification, forcibly breaking into the Secretariat's residence and coming to blows is also a fact, so it's best to first let these people disperse.

Tang Tiehan had just been slapped by his father, covering his face as he felt wronged; upon hearing that the Capital Magistrate had arrived and was about to order them to leave, his pent‑up anger instantly flared, and he loudly protested, "On what grounds must we leave? If today we don't get justice for the Tang family, we absolutely will not go!"

With many people, strength is great, and besides, most people have the mentality that the law does not punish the many; hearing Tang Tiehan say that, they immediately joined in the clamor.

Tang Wen Zheng really had no idea what to do with this son; he silently cursed the brat for not knowing the times.

At that moment a languid voice said, "Indeed we cannot let them go!"

The crowd followed the sound and saw Hu Xiaotian walking over from that side; this guy had somehow gotten hold of a Lan‑colored long robe, which he wore without any trousers underneath, exposing two bare calves, making him look even more improper and odd than before.

Hu Buwei also furrowed his brows; in his view his son was not exactly smart, and his mind was still abnormal. Only by first sending these people away could we turn a big matter into a small one and a small matter into nothing; if the affair blew up, it would certainly be disadvantageous for the Hu family.

Hu Xiaotian said, "You lot, you smashed our gate, beat our servants, insulted the Hu family's honor, slandered my name, and did all the bad deeds— now you actually want to pat your backsides and walk away? In this world, where is there such a cheap thing!"

Tang Tiecheng's eloquence is the best among the three brothers; he stepped forward, pointed at Hu Xiaotian, and said, "You're spouting nonsense— clearly it was you who first seized my sister, and now you have the gall to play the victim and accuse first."

Hu Xiaotian hehe‑laughed, "You say I seized her— what evidence do you have?"

Tang Tiecheng angrily replied, "We all saw it— my sister herself is the witness!"

Hu Xiaotian pointed at the grass pavilion still sputtering flames and asked, "Was that grass pavilion burned by you?"

Tang Tiecheng looked at the grass pavilion; he too is a straightforward fellow, unafraid to admit what he did, and glared: "How about it? Yes, I burned it!"

Hu Xiaotian said, "What crime should you be charged with?"

Tang Tiecheng said, "It's just a grass pavilion— whether burned or not, even if I tore it down, what's the big deal? At worst I'll compensate you with a new grass pavilion."

Hu Xiaotian pointed his finger at Tang Tiecheng and said, "You are truly rebellious— you actually want to dismantle the court and build a new one; this is disrespect to Dakang, clearly this is treason!" People were talking about a grass pavilion, but he twisted it into the court.

Tang Tiecheng, his face flushed red with anger, shouted, "How dare you slander me! I said I would tear down the grass pavilion— when did I ever say I would tear down the court?"

"I doubt you'd dare to overthrow the court— look at your beady, shifty eyes and pathetic appearance; you don't have the guts for that!"

Tang Tiecheng couldn't withstand his goading; he roared, "What? I fear nothing— what if I overthrow the court?" Only after saying that did he realize he had fallen for the other's trick, and he froze there.

The people from the Xu family's side were all frightened pale as paper; good heavens, this guy dares to say anything.

Hu Xiaotian kept pointing his finger at Tang Tiecheng: "Oh…… you really are a rebellious traitor, actually wanting to overthrow the court?"

Tang Tiecheng trembled all over with rage and bellowed, "I said I would overturn the grass pavilion……"

Everyone heard it clearly— still, it was about overthrowing the court.

Hu Xiaotian spread his hands, looking helpless: "Everyone heard it— he wants to rebel and commit treason; you decide what to do."

Tang Tiecheng, unable to defend himself with a hundred mouths, let out a strange cry "wa‑ya‑ya", drew his waist blade and lunged at Hu Xiaotian: "I'm furious, you villain! Give me your life!" The blade had just been drawn an inch when Tang Tiehan pressed it back; behind him, Tang Tiexin rushed forward and tightly embraced him, shouting loudly, "Second brother, stay calm!"

Hu Xiaotian scanned the helpers behind the Tang brothers and asked, "Besides those who burned the grass pavilion just now, who else is there?"

They looked at each other, and no one responded.

"Anyone else?"

With a whoosh, over a hundred people scattered in an instant; burning a grass pavilion at worst means a jail term, but burning the court means decapitation. Just now Hu Xiaotian, in front of everyone, had driven Tang Tiecheng to a dazed state, even making him utter the words of overthrowing the court— if that charge were really pinned on him, it would entail extermination of nine clans, and not enough heads to chop. Nobody is foolish; nobody wants to be tied to rebellion, so if not now, when else would they leave?

The Capital Magistrate Hong Baiqi watched as the hundred‑plus troublemakers fled in a flash, clean and tidy, and he did not order his men to stop them; his principle in handling this affair was to smooth things over as much as possible, turning big matters into small ones and small matters into nothing.

Over there, Tang Wen Zheng was frightened out of his wits; although he knew his son had been entrapped by Hu Xiaotian, the words of overthrowing the court are absolutely not something to be uttered lightly— if this reached the Emperor's ears, not only would his official position be lost, but I fear the heads of everyone in the Tang family would roll. People say Hu Buwei's son is a deaf‑mute simpleton, but seeing him today, I finally realize this lad is not only extraordinarily intelligent but also deeply scheming and wicked to the extreme; his intellect compared to his son's is like heaven and earth. Both are sons— just look at how the other is raised!

Hu Buwei had remained silent all along, but in fact he had been constantly calculating how to turn the tables; faced with the facts, he considered how to reverse the situation and resolve this trouble. Hu Xiaotian's remarks just now not only scared away more than a hundred of the Tang family's helpers, but also left his old father stunned beyond words.

Hu Buwei seemed to be meeting his son for the first time, staring agape at him, his heart half shocked, half delighted— "Is this really my son?" Confounding right and wrong, spouting nonsense, turning defeat into victory, turning danger into safety— clearly the situation was completely passive, yet a few of his words completely transformed it, grass pavilion! court! How wonderful! How wonderfully exquisite! I, who have served under two emperors of Dakang for decades, have schemed against countless people, yet never conceived such a splendid idea; this son must truly be my own flesh and blood— so crafty, so wicked, able to devise such nefarious tricks— who else but I, Hu Buwei, could produce such a paragon of excellence? Hahaha, exhilarating! Exhilarating! Heaven has eyes, heaven has eyes, my Hu line has an heir, my Hu line has an heir!

Although Tang Tiecheng had uttered those treasonous words of overthrowing the court, Hong Baiqi standing nearby saw clearly that this foolish boy had merely been led into it by Hu Xiaotian's goading tactic; his view was resentment at his lack of fighting spirit and pity for his misfortune. At times like this, I pretend to be deaf and dumb, acting as if I heard nothing.

Hu Buwei opened his mouth at this moment and said: "Sir Hong, look……" Although he didn't say any particular content, the significance of this pause at a critical moment was extraordinary; it was clearly forcing Hong Baiqi to state his position.................................................. The new book's early days are difficult; I hope everyone does not forget to collect, please Recommendation!