Chapter 1011

A falcon sliced through the dawn sky over Kangdu, like lightning swooping down toward the Heavenly Secrets Bureau.

Hong Beimo, sitting quietly in the Stargazing Pavilion, opened his eyes; his gaze shot like lightning toward the heavens, catching the swooping hawk, he extended his hand, and the hawk fluttered its wings and gently landed on the back of his hand.

Hong Beimo took a bamboo tube from the hawk's lower leg, then released the hawk, unscrewed the tube and drew out a slip of paper; after reading it, his usually composed face changed abruptly.

To ensure the birthday banquet's safety, several roads leading to the Grand Marshal's residence have been temporarily sealed off; besides the invited guests, outsiders are not allowed to enter. Moreover, anyone entering the security zone must not carry any weapons.

After careful consideration, Hu Xiaotian decided to travel light, bringing only Liang Yinghao; Liang Yinghao had already obtained a map of the Grand Marshal's residence and had also chosen a retreat route in case of emergency.

Arriving at the Grand Marshal's gate, he saw a steady stream of people coming to offer birthday greetings. Hu Xiaotian stepped forward and announced his identity.

Unexpectedly, the greeter at the door smiled and said, 'So it's Hu Sir; the Grand Marshal has given special instructions—please come in right away to see him.'

Hu Xiaotian felt somewhat surprised by the favor; having been in Xizhou for several days, Li Tianheng had always avoided him, yet unexpectedly, before the birthday banquet, he agreed to meet—what scheme could he be hatching? Nine times out of ten it's nothing good.

Liang Yinghao had intended to accompany Hu Xiaotian, but the greeter said, 'The Grand Marshal ordered that Hu Sir go alone.'

Hu Xiaotian wasn't afraid either; given his current martial skill, even if ambushed, though he might not win, escaping should be easy. Moreover, today is Li Tianheng's birthday; he would hardly choose this moment to act against him.

Following the greeter around to the rear courtyard, Hu Xiaotian found the Grand Marshal's rear courtyard equally heavily guarded; although decorated with red banners, it bore no resemblance to the lively front scene. As he walked, he observed the layout inside the residence; Liang Yinghao's earlier map proved essentially accurate.

Two people walked toward him; Hu Xiaotian recognized the one in front as Li Tianheng's eldest son, Li Honghan, and smiled, clasping his hands: 'Brother Honghan!'

Li Honghan's expression showed surprise upon seeing Hu Xiaotian; not knowing why he had come to the rear courtyard, he glanced at the greeter who had led Hu Xiaotian, his look full of questioning.

The greeter hastily explained, 'Young General, the Grand Marshal has ordered Hu Sir to see him.'

Li Honghan nodded; from his demeanor it was clear he probably did not know about this.

Hu Xiaotian laughed, 'Excuse me!'

Li Honghan said, 'Let's meet again later!'

The greeter led Hu Xiaotian to Li Tianheng's residence and said with a smile, 'Please wait a moment, Hu Sir; I'll go inside to announce you.'

Hu Xiaotian nodded and waited outside; considering his status as an imperial envoy and future prince consort, Li Tianheng's treatment of him was clearly somewhat rude—if Li Tianheng still regarded him as a subject of Dakang, he ought to have come in person to pay respects to this envoy. However, the situation in Xizhou has suddenly shifted; various signs indicate that Li Tianheng is launching an unprecedented internal purge, eliminating dissidents to consolidate his rule over Xichuan, which means he will not accept the Dakang emperor's ennoblement. If that is the case, Li Tianheng certainly will not show courtesy to this Dakang envoy.

Hu Xiaotian also did not want to read the edict aloud in public; doing so would almost certainly provoke Li Tianheng's refusal, possibly even anger him, making the situation even harder to contain.

This time, Hu Xiaotian came not only with the imperial edict but also with a private letter from his father to Li Tianheng, whose contents he had never seen. Nevertheless, the letter presents an opportunity: setting aside official duties, he could use it to probe Li Tianheng's personal feelings, since the Li family once owed the Hu family. Perhaps Li Tianheng, out of regard for his late friend's son, will give him some leeway and not make things too difficult.

Hu Xiaotian waited at the gate for a while before seeing the greeter come out, who accompanied him with a smile and said, 'Hu Sir, the Grand Marshal is waiting inside for you; I won't go in with you.'

Hu Xiaotian nodded, smiled, and said, 'Thank you, sir!' He stepped into the compound, where two imposing warriors stood; they clasped their hands in salute to Hu Xiaotian and made an inviting gesture.

Hu Xiaotian smiled, walked between them, came to the room where Li Tianheng was, stopped, and said respectfully, 'Uncle Li, I, Hu Xiaotian, have come especially to wish you a happy birthday.' Setting aside the official purpose of this visit, he first wanted to appeal to their personal ties, as the saying goes, one does not strike a smiling face; today I will show courtesy, and you, Li Tianheng, given our families' past relationship, should not push things to extremes.

From inside the room came a steady voice: 'Come in!'

Hu Xiaotian stepped into the room and saw a slender-faced middle-aged man sitting by the window sipping tea—this must be the renowned Li Tianheng who shakes Xichuan. Although Hu Xiaotian had served as an official in Qingyun for some time, he had never had the chance to meet Li Tianheng; speaking of which, Li Tianheng had almost become his father-in-law, and had it not been for that court coup, he might already have been Li Tianheng's son-in-law.

Hu Xiaotian strode forward, bowed deeply, and said respectfully, 'Uncle Li, please accept my bow, nephew.'

Li Tianheng's deep eyes swept over Hu Xiaotian's face and he said, 'Hu Sir, there's no need for such formality; you are an imperial envoy sent by the court and the future husband of the Yongyang Princess—I cannot accept such a grand salute.'

Hu Xiaotian had not intended to kneel anyway; hearing Li Tianheng's words, he realized Li Tianheng was adopting a strictly official stance, yet if it were purely official, there would be no need to single him out for a meeting in the rear courtyard—Li Tianheng must have his own calculations.

Hu Xiaotian smiled, 'Uncle Li, you surely didn't summon me for official business; I came to Xizhou mainly to wish you a happy birthday, and incidentally to deliver a letter from my father.' He took out the letter he had prepared and presented it with both hands.

Upon hearing that Hu Buwei had written him a letter, Li Tianheng set down his teacup, took the letter Hu Xiaotian offered, opened and read it, fell silent for a long while, then pointed to the chair beside him and said, 'Sit!'

After thanking him, Hu Xiaotian sat down; Li Tianheng remained silent, and Hu Xiaotian did not speak first, reasoning that since Li Tianheng had summoned him, he must have something to say, so he patiently waited for him to speak.

Li Tianheng asked, 'How is your father's health?'

'Thanks to your kindness, Uncle Li, my father is in excellent health.'

Li Tianheng sighed, 'The affairs of Xichuan have implicated you as well.'

Hu Xiaotian thought to himself, 'You know full well that if it weren't for your rebellious intentions, Long Yelin wouldn't have seized a handle on our Hu family, confiscated our property, thrown my parents in jail, and nearly had me snipped into a eunuch—Li Tianheng, Li Tianheng, you let down the Hu family.' Aloud he said, 'Uncle Li, please don't say that; my father has always regarded you as his best friend.'

Li Tianheng sized up Hu Xiaotian, seeing that this young man had an impressive appearance and outstanding talent. He recalled that when Hu Xiaotian first came to Qingyun as an official, he himself had once sent Zhang Ziqian to Qingyun to investigate; Zhang Ziqian had praised this young man's abilities without reserve. Given Zhang Ziqian's discernment, it was rare to find a youth who earned such praise. Li Tianheng initially thought Zhang Ziqian might be overpraising him, but later, after Hu Xiaotian fled Xichuan, some of his deeds reached his ears. The fact that this young man could rise to his present position in such a short time already proved his capability, and he would be a good match for Li Tianheng's daughter. Thinking this, Li Tianheng couldn't help feeling a tinge of regret.

Li Tianheng said, 'In my heart, could it be any other way? Dear nephew, you surely didn't come just to deliver a letter for your father, did you?' His address to Hu Xiaotian shifted from 'Hu Sir' to 'Dear nephew,' showing that he was beginning to let down his guard.

Hu Xiaotian knew what Li Tianheng was really concerned about; he nodded and said, 'Indeed, there are a few other minor matters.'

Upon hearing this, Li Tianheng couldn't help but be a little surprised, for Hu Xiaotian had come as an envoy of Dakang whose main task was to proclaim the emperor's edict and enfeoff him as a king of a different surname—this matter had been noised abroad, yet the young man called it a trifle; having said that, Li Tianheng felt it awkward to press further, since if it were truly a small matter there was no need to inquire. He smiled and asked, 'Have you been getting along alright in Xizhou these past few days?'

Hu Xiaotian replied, 'I've grown accustomed to the lodging, but the public security here seems rather poor.'

Li Tianheng smiled, 'Although Xizhou cannot be described as a place where doors are left unlocked at night and lost items are not picked up, the local customs are simple and honest; soldiers and civilians mostly abide by the law, and when it comes to public security, it is far better than most towns in Dakang.'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Although I have not been here long, I have repeatedly faced assassination attempts; if it weren't for my good fortune, I would probably not have the chance to keep talking with Uncle Li now.'

Li Tianheng's brows furrowed; what did Hu Xiaotian mean by saying that to his face? Was he implying that Li Tianheng himself had sent people to deal with him? Li Tianheng had done no such thing, and he snapped, 'Who dares to be so bold as to do such a thing in Xizhou?'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'The audacity is indeed great—not only did they strike at me, they also targeted the Eldest Princess of Da Yong, Xue Lingjun.'

Li Tianheng stared in disbelief, 'What are you saying? Has the Eldest Princess of Da Yong, Xue Lingjun, also come to Xizhou?'

Hu Xiaotian nodded, having no interest in keeping secrets for Princess Xue Lingjun. He said, 'Recall that not long ago, when I was on an embassy to Da Yong, Princess Anping and the Black Hu Fourth Prince, Wanyan Chixiong, were killed in succession, throwing the Da Yong court into disarray. I suspect someone intends to use Uncle Li's birthday celebration to sow chaos; if an important envoy were to meet with mishap in Xizhou, Uncle Li's reputation as a local magnate would surely suffer as well.' (To be continued~^~)