Chapter 1320

After leaving the palace, Hu Xiaotian went straight to the Yongyang Prince's mansion; since the emperor had already given this place to him as a bridal chamber, it was only natural for him to stay here. As for the former Secretary's residence, the old emperor never said he wanted it back, so Hu Xiaotian simply accepted it as well, letting old Hong Beimo spend a bit more effort—which was worth it.

The sign of the Yongyang Prince's mansion was still up, and Quan De'an remained in charge there; seeing Hu Xiaotian come alone, Quan De'an went up to him and said, "Sir Hu, you're back."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and pointed at the mansion's plaque, saying, "No need to take it down for now; the emperor has already granted this place to me and the Princess to live in after our wedding."

Quan De'an was taken aback; it seemed Hu Xiaotian's trip to the palace had been quite fruitful, managing to make the emperor retract his order. In Quan De'an's view, Hu Xiaotian certainly had an ulterior motive—his intentions were not what they seemed, and it was still unclear what he was after.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Eunuch Quan, go prepare some bath water for me; I want to take a hot wash to get rid of this alcohol smell."

Quan De'an replied with an acknowledgment, silently cursing, "This fellow hasn't even become a prince consort yet, and he's already ordering me around. If I have to wait until after his wedding, won't I have to watch his face every day? But then I thought, it's unavoidable—I am, after all, a servant eunuch."

Quan De'an had finished preparing the bath water for Hu Xiaotian and was about to leave, but Hu Xiaotian called him back, saying, "Eunuch Quan, don't rush off; let's chat a bit."

Quan De'an looked somewhat startled and said, "Now?"

By then, Hu Xiaotian had already stripped behind the screen and slipped into the hot water, letting out a contented sigh as he said, "Eunuch Quan, I'm about to marry the Princess, so we're hardly strangers anymore."

Quan De'an said softly, "I am honored that you look upon me, Sir." Reflecting on how this once meek boy in his presence had now become his master, Quan De'an could only lament the vicissitudes of life.

Hu Xiaotian said, "At least in one respect our purposes are the same." After a pause he added, "We both care deeply for the Princess and don't want her to suffer any injustice."

Quan De'an had no objection to that, and said quietly, "Seeing how much you care for the Princess, Sir, puts my mind at ease."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Eunuch Quan, you surely remember how we first met, don't you?"

How could Quan De'an forget? If it weren't for meeting Hu Xiaotian's party at Lanruo Temple, he and Qiqi would likely have died in those wild mountains. It was Hu Xiaotian who amputated his injured right leg, and it was Hu Xiaotian who escorted Qiqi safely to Xiezhou.

Hu Xiaotian said, "With each new emperor comes a new set of ministers; Eunuch Quan, you too once had your glory days. I recall how you and Ji Feihua fought tooth and nail, and it was because of your threat that I entered the palace disguised as a eunuch."

Quan De'an coughed and said, "I was blind back then and did many things that disappointed you, Sir; I hope you won't hold a grudge. Don't stoop to my level."

Hu Xiaotian said, "You were also acting to protect the Princess, and besides, you really did help me a lot back then. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today, Eunuch Quan—I won't forget your kindness."

Quan De'an pondered, wondering whether Hu Xiaotian's words were sincere or sarcastic.

Hu Xiaotian said, "No one in the world knows Qiqi better than you."

Quan De'an said, "I dare not accept such praise."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Although I don't know what exactly happened in the past, Qiqi has grown up under your care from childhood. Without you, it's hard to imagine how a girl who lost her mother in infancy could have matured; now she can stand on her own. I'm sure you, Eunuch Quan, feel deeply gratified."

Quan De'an said, "That's all thanks to the Princess's natural intelligence; I dare not take credit."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Eunuch Quan, you couldn't possibly look after her for her whole life; there are some things you may be willing but unable to do."

Quan De'an coughed and said, "I am already in the decline of my years, with little time left. Fortunately, the Princess will have you, Sir, to look after her."

Hu Xiaotian said, "At this moment Hong Beimo has pushed Long Tingzhen into the spotlight—what do you think his intention is?"

Quan De'an replied cautiously, "These are major court affairs; I dare not speculate."

Hu Xiaotian said, "This Yongyang Prince's mansion used to belong to Long Tingzhen; I have just asked the emperor for it back, and he has agreed to restore the Princess's princely title."

Quan De'an said, "In that case, I must congratulate you, Sir."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Eunuch Quan, after so many years in the palace you should have a clear read on the emperor's mind; you must know why he summoned me back this time."

Quan De'an said nothing.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Today in the palace, the emperor suggested that after my marriage I should remain long-term in Kangdu, ostensibly to keep me company with the Princess, but his real aim is to weaken my military authority and strip the Yongjiang navy from my control."

Quan De'an still said nothing.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Dongliang Commandery is the Princess's fief; everything I have done is actually for her sake."

Quan De'an said, "The Princess will surely understand your devotion; otherwise she would not have agreed to marry you."

Hu Xiaotian noticed Quan De'an's use of the phrase "to marry down," and, sensing that in this old eunuch's mind he still wasn't worthy of Qiqi, he said, "Please, Eunuch Quan, come in and scrub my back."

Quan De'an answered with an acknowledgment; although he knew Hu Xiaotian was deliberately ordering him around, he complied, going around the screen to stand behind Hu Xiaotian and scrub his back. Gazing at the nape of Hu Xiaotian's neck, he secretly thought, "This fellow trusts us; if we were to strike from behind, couldn't we fell him with a single palm?"

Hu Xiaotian closed his eyes and said, "Eunuch Quan, you once lost to me ten years' worth of internal energy—that's no small gift."

Quan De'an forced a smile and said, "Do you still hold a grudge over that, Sir?"

"As the saying goes, 'Loss may be a blessing in disguise.' If it weren't for the internal energy you gave me, Eunuch Quan, I would probably have died long ago in this perilous palace; fortunately my luck has held, and now this matter poses no threat to me."

Quan De'an said, "Sir, your broad-mindedness leaves me feeling ashamed."

Hu Xiaotian said, "I have always believed that there are no absolutely good people nor absolutely bad people in this world; every action requires a motive. What benefits you may harm another, and looking back at all the things Eunuch Quan has done, the fundamental purpose seems to have been to safeguard the Princess's interests."

Quan De'an pressed his lips together and had to admit that Hu Xiaotian truly understood him.

Hu Xiaotian said, "I too have done many things; at first I even acted obediently in your presence while defying you behind your back, and I once tried to curry favor with Ji Feihua. But my motive was simply to survive better, to find a way to live in the cracks, and for that goal I could resort to any means. The emperor longs for immortality, wishing to live as long as heaven and to retain eternal youth, so Hong Beimo can cater to that desire, earning the emperor's trust. Long Tingzhen wants to become heir apparent, which is why he willingly serves Hong Beimo." Pausing there, Hu Xiaotian added, "What does Hong Beimo want?"

Quan De'an shook his head and said, "I'm not him—how would I know?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "The imperial mausoleum must conceal a great secret, and what Hong Beimo seeks lies within it."

Quan De'an said, "I have no interest in that."

Hu Xiaotian said, "You care only about Qiqi, yet some matters will inevitably involve her; to protect her we must eliminate hidden dangers before they erupt."

Quan De'an said softly, "The water seems to have cooled; I'll go fetch you a robe." As he turned, he heard Hu Xiaotian ask, "Eunuch Quan, are you familiar with Ling Jiazi?"

Quan De'an halted his steps; his back seemed to freeze in place for a moment before he resumed walking out. He brought the robe and said respectfully, "I will attend to your dressing, Sir."

Having put on the robe, Hu Xiaotian turned to study Quan De'an's expression; the eunuch remained calm, his gaze still as an ancient well, and Hu Xiaotian said, "You should remember the former crown princess, shouldn't you?"

Quan De'an nodded and said, "Of course I remember; she was the Princess's birth mother."

Hu Xiaotian said, "I once saw a portrait of her in the Yun Temple."

Quan De'an furrowed his brows, "Yun Temple! Could it be the Yun Temple on Mount Piaomiao?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "This portrait was painted by the emperor himself—don't you find that strange?"

Quan De'an said, "I don't find it strange at all."

"Having spent so long in the palace, Eunuch Quan might not grasp ordinary human relations—have you ever seen a eunuch give a portrait to his daughter-in-law, and even keep it close at hand?"

Despite being insulted to his face by Hu Xiaotian, Quan De'an managed to keep his composure, saying, "Such talk is reckless; if it reached the emperor's ears, it could cause serious trouble."

Hu Xiaotian said, "I'm merely curious about that former crown princess—what kind of person was she?"

Quan De'an said, "She's already passed away—why dwell on her? In any case, the crown princess was extraordinarily wise and kind-hearted."

Hu Xiaotian said, "She must have treated you well, otherwise you wouldn't have devoted yourself so wholeheartedly to looking after Qiqi."

Quan De'an said: "If there were no crown princess, this old servant would not have lived to this day."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Eunuch Quan can also be considered a righteous man who repays kindness, to be frank, what I worry about most now is the Emperor's appointment of an heir; if Hong Beimo gets his wish and pushes Long Tingzhen onto the heir's position, then once Long Tingzhen ascends, the first to be dealt with will be Your Highness and me."

Quan De'an said calmly: "Sir, you worry too much; the Princess has no such great ambition, nor has she ever thought of competing with others. Originally Your Highness had already abdicated; Sir, why bother urging the Emperor to take back his order?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said: "What did I just say? The person who understands Qiqi best is you, but you are certainly not the only one."

Quan De'an quietly locked eyes with Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian said: "What rightfully belongs to her, no one dare take away!"

Quan De'an's heart skipped a beat; he did not believe Hu Xiaotian would so fiercely defend Qiqi's interests, but he did not understand Hu Xiaotian—in Hu Xiaotian's view, having married Qiqi, Qiqi is his woman, and what belongs to Qiqi naturally belongs to him as well.

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