Chapter 1266: and ===GLOSSARY===

Yan Tianlu handed over a letter he had long prepared to Hu Xiaotian: "If you get the chance, help me deliver this letter to Yan Dongsheng; as long as he releases Ling Saniang, I, Yan Tianlu, will never be his enemy for the rest of my life."

Hu Xiaotian put the letter away safely; he was confident he could persuade Yan Dongsheng.

Yan Tianlu gazed at Yan Boguang's siblings in the distance and whispered, "Tonight I will have someone send them away."

Hu Xiaotian said, "If nothing unexpected happens, this matter here should be resolved smoothly."

Yan Tianlu said, "It would be best if everyone is pleased; I may be getting old, and my competitive spirit is not as strong as it once was." He truly felt he was growing older, and with age his former ambition to reclaim the throne gradually faded.

That evening, the Prince of Bohai held a banquet in the palace; among the invited guests were Xue Lingjun and Li Chen Zhou, all present. Xue Lingjun looked at the invitation in her hand and couldn't help but smile, casting a glance at Hu Xiaotian opposite her and saying, "Yan Dongsheng doesn't entertain guests early or late, yet he chooses to hold a feast now—what could be on his mind?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "He probably just wants to politely send you lot of plague gods away!"

Xue Lingjun spat and said, "You're the plague god! Whenever I see you, misfortune follows."

Hu Xiaotian chuckled, walked over to her, took the invitation from her hand, and asked, "Elder Sister Lingjun, are you going?"

Xue Lingjun replied, "Of course I'll go; since we're leaving anyway, it's no harm to meet Li Chen Zhou and say hello."

Hu Xiaotian said, "I'll accompany you!"

Xue Lingjun gave a charming smile and said, "Why do you need to accompany me? I don't want gossip spreading about us outside."

Hu Xiaotian said, "If you're afraid, why did you come to my door voluntarily?"

Xue Lingjun said, "Times change."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Elder Sister Lingjun, you're really pragmatic." Seeing that the crisis had been resolved, he realized he was no longer as important to Xue Lingjun as before; he inwardly stayed on guard, feeling he must always be extra wary of this woman.

Xue Lingjun seemed to guess what he was thinking and whispered, "What nasty scheme are you hatching again?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Naturally, I'm scheming about you, Elder Sister."

Xue Lingjun grabbed his collar, leaned close to his face, and exhaled like an orchid, saying, "Coward, all talk and no action?" Her words were full of teasing.

Hu Xiaotian pursed his lips, thinking, "Old lady, what in the world am I not daring to do?" He was about to give this princess a deep impression when Xue Lingjun laughed brightly and shoved him away, saying, "I can't stand your fake face—take it off and talk to me."

Hu Xiaotian grinned and asked, "Elder Sister Lingjun, do you like Hu Dafu more or me more in your heart?"

Xue Lingjun furrowed her brows, looking deep in thought, and after a while said, "One is too ugly, the other too scheming; compared to them, I still prefer a more honest man."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Given your temperament, Elder Sister, if an honest man really pursued you, wouldn't you end up being given a stack of green hats later?"

Xue Lingjun never expected this jerk to utter such nonsense; her pretty face flushed red, she gritted her teeth, her phoenix eyes widened. After a long while she managed to spit out, "Get lost—go as far away as you can!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed loudly, but then he heard Xiao Lizhi outside say, "Sir, a distinguished guest requests an audience!"

Hu Xiaotian had been flirting with Xue Lingjun to his heart's content, but now he had to pause temporarily, smiling at her and saying, "Elder Sister, please wait a moment—I'll be right back."

Xue Lingjun gritted her teeth and said, "If you delay any longer, I'll rip your lips to shreds."

The one who came to the door seeking an audience was Xiang Shanqing, the manager of Yanxi Hall; Hu Xiaotian had previously sent Xia Zhangming to Ji Prefecture to contact him, and although Xia Zhangming brought Hu Xiaotian's own hand-drawn portrait, he never met Huo Xiaoru in person.

Xiang Shanqing was a gaunt-looking middle-aged man; upon seeing Hu Xiaotian, he rose with a smile and said, "Hello, Master Hu; I dare to intrude, and I hope you won't take offense."

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said, "I came to Bohai State this time specifically to meet you, Boss Xiang, but after arriving at Wanghai City I've been swamped with affairs, so I couldn't make it until today—your personal visit is most welcome, Manager Xiao; hurry up and have tea served!"

Xiao Lizhi responded and hurried off.

Hu Xiaotian invited Xiang Shanqing to sit down again; paying special attention to this Yan Prince Xue Shengjing's representative for interests in Bohai State, he observed that Xiang Shanqing appeared to be an ordinary scholar, dressed plainly, with no trace of a merchant's shrewdness, his eyes bright and inwardly focused, and from his slow breathing rhythm one could infer his martial ability was not low. The Yan Prince Xue Shengjing had originally persuaded Hu Xiaotian to come to Bohai State to help resolve the crisis because of Huo Xiaoru; yet although Hu Xiaotian had spent many days in Bohai State and had basically resolved Xue Shengjing's crisis, he still had not met Huo Xiaoru, and the less he saw her, the deeper his longing for her grew.

Hu Xiaotian believed Xiang Shanqing must know Huo Xiaoru's whereabouts, vaguely guessing that his visit this time was related to her, and a boundless anticipation arose in his heart.

Xiang Shanqing said, "Master Hu entrusted someone to send that painting; I have already delivered it. This time, by coincidence, while coming to Wanghai City, someone also entrusted me to bring you a painting." He produced a scroll and presented it with both hands.

Hu Xiaotian received it respectfully, did not open it in front of Xiang Shanqing, and smiled, asking, "Is she still in Ji Prefecture?"

Xiang Shanqing shook his head and said, "She has already left; because Bohai's situation has been unstable lately, staying here risked being caught up in the turmoil, so I took the liberty of sending her away ahead of time."

The "she" he referred to was naturally Huo Xiaoru.

Upon hearing that Huo Xiaoru had left, Hu Xiaotian felt relieved yet also a sense of loss, and he softly asked, "Where did she go? Boss Xiang, could you tell me?"

Xiang Shanqing smiled and said, "Having accepted a commission, I must fulfill it faithfully; she does not allow me to reveal her destination, so I cannot speak of it."

Hu Xiaotian nodded; he still understood Huo Xiaoru's nature, and since she did not wish to tell him where she was going, he felt it improper to press her.

Xiang Shanqing said, "She said that when the time to meet arrives, she will naturally come to see you."

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said, "Thank you, Boss Xiang, for passing along the message."

Xiang Shanqing said, "Really, we should thank Master Hu; without your strong assistance, this matter would not have been resolved so smoothly."

Hu Xiaotian looked at Xiang Shanqing; actually, the one who should be thanked is Xue Shengjing—if it weren't for my intervention, this turmoil would not have subsided so quickly, and the Baobao Zhai affair would almost certainly have implicated Xue Shengjing, giving the new Yong ruler Xue Daohong a pretext to act, forcing Xue Shengjing to shed a layer of skin even if he survived; in this matter, Xue Shengjing undoubtedly owes me a great favor. Hu Xiaotian said, "The Baobao Zhai's Tong Jincheng has already been released, and the confiscated goods will soon be inventoried and returned."

Xiang Shanqing said, "Master Hu may not know this yet, but Prince Yan has already handed Baobao Zhai over to the Emperor."

Hu Xiaotian was startled by these words; he had not been informed of this, and Xue Lingjun likely didn't know either, as no hint had been given to him before. If Xue Shengjing were to hand Baobao Zhai over to Xue Daohong, it would be tantamount to giving away the lifeblood of his half‑lifetime of effort for nothing; yet the Bohai crisis had clearly been resolved, and Xue Shengjing held the upper hand in this matter, so why would he voluntarily show weakness? Given Xue Shengjing's character, how could he possibly resign himself to this?

Seeing Hu Xiaotian's confusion, Xiang Shanqing softly sighed and said, "Yanxi Hall is also to be disbanded; the Empress Dowager probably does not want the imperial clan to feud internally, and Prince Yan, ever filial, naturally follows her wishes."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, "Wealth is merely an external possession; Prince Yan's ability to see through worldly things is truly admirable."

Xiang Shanqing did not linger long; after chatting a few sentences with Hu Xiaotian, he rose to take his leave.

Hu Xiaotian saw Xiang Shanqing off, then returned alone to his room and opened the scroll Xiang Shanqing had given him—only to find it depicted a handsome, elegant young man of graceful bearing; who else could it be but himself? Huo Xiaoru had returned his gesture with a painting of her own, and Hu Xiaotian studied the scroll for a long while, realizing that she had idealized him considerably; even at the peak of his own looks he lacked the painting's ethereal charm, and though her likeness was accurate, the figure exuded an austere, otherworldly air that set it apart from him.

Gazing at the painting, Hu Xiaotian seemed to see Huo Xiaoru under a lamp, brushstroke by brushstroke, devotedly painting his portrait; a smile tugged at his lips, and from the image he perceived Huo Xiaoru's deep affection for him. Though she refused to meet him, she must have unspeakable difficulties, yet Xiang Shanqing's message had already proved that one day she would come to seek him out of her own accord.

Hu Xiaotian silently resolved that, should he ever meet Huo Xiaoru, he would never let her slip away easily.

Regarding the matter of Prince Yan Xue Shengjing surrendering his properties to the state treasury, Hu Xiaotian had not informed Xue Lingjun; he even suspected she already knew. In the imperial court, intrigue abounds—earlier, to counter the crisis engineered by Xue Daohong, Xue Lingjun had allied with Xue Shengjing, but after the crisis was resolved, their sibling alliance might not endure. Likewise, once the danger passed, my alliance with Xue Lingjun was declared over; perhaps tomorrow we will turn against each other, for interests dictate everything, and any outcome is possible.

Xue Lingjun seemed to sense Hu Xiaotian's thoughts; on the way to the palace banquet she remained silent, and only when her carriage entered the capital did she feign sleep, leaning her delicate frame against Hu Xiaotian and tilting her head to rest on his shoulder.

Xue Lingjun might fool others, but it's hard to deceive a master like Hu Xiaotian; while he inwardly sighed at her cunning, a mischievous idea sparked in his mind, and taking advantage of her pretended slumber, he quietly reached out and gave her breast a light squeeze. (To be continued~^~)