Chapter 1392

Long Xuanjiao heard these words, a faint smile of understanding appeared on her face. Both of their gazes turned toward the window, the moon high in the sky, frost covering the ground.

Long Xuanjiao's thoughts returned to the matter at hand, and she softly said: "Hu Xiaotian has come!"

Hu Buwei nodded.

Long Xuanjiao said: "Buwei, you had me spread the news of selecting a prince consort throughout the world—what is your true intention?"

Hu Buwei said: "To find the most reliable ally among them."

Long Xuanjiao said: "But have you considered that the situation might spiral out of control? Recently, multiple assassinations have occurred as a result, and someone wants to use this incident to stir up trouble; if an important figure meets mishap in Dakang, it could backfire."

Hu Buwei said: "Don't worry, this will all pass soon; with Dakang's current strength, there's no need to fear any of them."

Long Xuanjiao said: "Buwei, honestly tell me, are you planning to use this incident to do something? Whatever you do, I will help you—please tell me."

Hu Buwei smiled and said: "Apart from Dakang, nearly all the states have sent their own representatives; if anything happens to them, the one who will be happiest is surely Dakang."

Long Xuanjiao furrowed her brows: "But don't forget, this is in Dakang; if anything happens to anyone, we must bear responsibility." A sudden fear rose in her heart—Hu Buwei wouldn't be gambling Dakang's future on revenge against Dakang, would he?

Hu Buwei said: "No one can threaten Dakang, and I will not let you and your son suffer any harm."

"Buwei!" Long Xuanjiao came to his side and leaned into his embrace.

Hu Buwei gently stroked her shoulder and whispered: "Xiao Jiao, do you still remember the thing I entrusted you to keep for me back then?"

Long Xuanjiao nodded: "That box!"

Hu Buwei's gaze suddenly became somewhat tense.

Long Xuanjiao smiled gently: "I have always kept that box for you; if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten about it."

Hu Buwei said: "Is it still there?"

Long Xuanjiao nodded: "Yes!" She took Hu Buwei's big hand and rose to walk toward the bed. Before reaching the bed, she gently pushed down a hidden mechanism; the bed slid slowly to one side, revealing a three-foot-square cavity beneath, in which lay an ordinary box.

Seeing the box, Hu Buwei could not restrain his inner excitement.

Long Xuanjiao quietly observed his expression and whispered: "I have kept this secret for over twenty years, waiting for you to tell me what exactly is hidden inside."

Hu Buwei lifted the box from below and said softly: "It is a treasure I found in the palace back then." He carefully examined the copper lock on top of the box.

Long Xuanjiao visibly displeased by his actions said: "Rest assured, I have never opened it; moreover, the copper lock bears a pattern password—I could not open it even if I wanted to."

Hu Buwei gave an apologetic smile, moved the password on the copper lock, and heard a clang—the lock sprang open automatically.

Hu Buwei did not avoid Long Xuanjiao's presence; he opened the box before her, revealing a container inside, which he lifted out. The container was entirely gray, placed carefully on the ground; the box was made of metal but very light. Strangely, the container seemed to have no seams at all, as if cast in one piece.

Long Xuanjiao brought a candle over to help illuminate the top of the container, and saw an eight‑pointed star relief on its face, with intricate patterns carved inside the star. Hu Buwei examined it carefully for a moment, then began to move the pattern. The relief concealed a pattern lock; after moving it more than ten times, he heard the container emit a series of clangs.

Hu Buwei cupped the container with both hands and slowly slid its lid open.

Long Xuanjiao looked up and saw a blue‑transparent skull placed inside the container, which made her gasp in fright.

Hu Buwei's face showed ecstatic delight; he whispered: "Don't be afraid, this is not a real skull."

Long Xuanjiao clutched her chest, trembling: "You… you didn't tell me earlier, making me sleep with a skull for all these years."

Hu Buwei respectfully bowed to the skull, then carefully lifted the blue skull out. His gaze turned blazing hot, as if what he held were not a skull but a peerless treasure. In the candlelight he examined it closely; his smile gradually faded, then he suddenly raised both hands and slammed the skull down onto the ground with a crack—the blue skull shattered into pieces.

Long Xuanjiao was frightened and let out another scream.

Hu Buwei abruptly turned around; his refined, gentle visage instantly turned ferocious and terrifying as he glared at Long Xuanjiao and snapped: "Fake! This skull is a fake!"

Long Xuanjiao was startled by his appearance, trembling: "You just said it was fake…" Before she could finish, Hu Buwei seized her shoulders hard, locked eyes with her, and demanded: "You opened this box!"

Long Xuanjiao looked bewildered: "Buwei, you actually suspect me? I have never touched your things!" Her beautiful eyes instantly filled with tears: "It turns out in your heart I am not even worth a skull."

Seeing Long Xuanjiao's tears, Hu Buwei realized his lapse, released her shoulders, and said: "Xiao Jiao, I never doubted you; think carefully—aside from you, who else knows about this?"

Long Xuanjiao bit her lip, then after a moment said: "The deceased king!"

Hu Buwei's face was full of suspicion.

Long Xuanjiao, tears streaming, shouted: "You doubt me? Do you really doubt me? I have endured humiliation and survived for you all these years, yet you suspect me—get out, get out of here!"

Hu Buwei sighed, reached out, and despite her struggle pulled her into his embrace, whispering: "How could I doubt you? Even if I lost an object, or even my life, I would not hold the slightest grudge."

When Hu Xiaotian returned to Cui Garden it was already midnight; Zhang Peng and the others, having received the news, had already split up to search for him, only failing to report to the authorities; Xu Mubai was also waiting for him in Cui Garden, and upon hearing that Hu Xiaotian had returned safely, everyone came out to greet him.

Xu Mubai asked concernedly: "Cousin, where did you go? You made me search near the Deyue Lou for almost two hours."

Hu Xiaotian naturally would not tell him the truth, sighed, and said: "I pursued that strange fellow southward, but halfway I fell into an ambush and only with great effort managed to escape."

"Do you know who they are?"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head: "They wouldn't tell me the truth; those people's martial arts are not weak, they probably deliberately lured me there." He had begun to suspect Xu Mubai.

Xu Mubai also found it inconvenient to press further; after exchanging a few pleasantries with Hu Xiaotian, he took his leave.

Xia Zhangming arrived at Piaoxiang City by water on August 17; by the time he arrived, people were already leaving in dribs and drabs. Perhaps anticipating the danger behind the grand scale of the prince‑consort recruitment, Long Xuanjiao visibly accelerated the screening process; the Honglu Temple, Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Personnel, and Ministry of War all sprang into action, conducting a preliminary review of the selected list, aiming to confirm a thousand persons within seven days according to their progress—meaning most of them would be eliminated.

According to the regulations, those who voluntarily withdraw as eliminated candidates not only get back their hundred gold, but Dakang also grants fifty taels of gold as travel expenses; many youths who came just to watch the spectacle have already begun to retreat. People value self‑awareness; many know they have no chance of qualifying given their conditions, and reluctantly staying would merely make them spectators—especially after repeated assassinations in this place, the applicants feel their safety threatened, and no one wishes to waste their lives in a foreign land for a slim hope; thus, as soon as Dakang officially announced the compensation plan, an exodus from the city began.

Within five days after Mid‑Autumn, the number of those who left voluntarily exceeded five thousand, meaning about half felt they had no hope of being selected and departed. A tentative final‑selection list had already been quietly circulating in the city, which included the Seventh Prince of Da Yong, Xue Daoming, the Prince of Shajia, Helden, the Young Commander of Xichuan, Li Honghan… and of course Hu Xiaotian.

In fact, this list of a dozen‑odd names is precisely the guest list from that night's banquet at the Fu Prince's mansion; somehow it leaked out and spread with apparent credibility. After the list circulated, more people began to think of giving up; although the list's authenticity remains to be verified, those named are without exception outstanding young heroes. The list shattered the confidence of many, sparking an even larger exodus. When the official list of the thousand who passed the preliminary round was finally announced, the number of applicants still registered in Piaoxiang City had dropped to fewer than three thousand. Each person regarded himself as the protagonist of his own world; once they realized they were merely spectators, a foil for others, they naturally refused to continue playing along, and leaving was only natural.

Even these thousand must still face an examination personally set by the Empress Dowager, after which another nine hundred will be screened out, leaving only a hundred for the next round, and ultimately only one will be chosen by Princess Yingyue; such a stringent selection process has caused many to entertain thoughts of withdrawing.

Hu Xiaotian pays no heed to this farce of selecting a prince consort; regardless of whether he is ultimately chosen, he has already resolved to take Long Xi Yue away. Liang Yinghao has already surveyed the terrain around the Green Shadow Pavilion in detail, and Zhao Wusheng and Xia Zhangming have begun preparing for the return journey of the Double Ninth Empress.

Since the Mid‑Autumn family feast that Ji Feihua ruined, Xu Mubai has not appeared again, nor has Ji Feihua. These days, Hu Xiaotian spends most of his time hidden in Cui Garden, living reclusively and venturing out seldom.

Today I am feeling unwell, so I will pause after this update for now—this is a notice. (To be continued~^~)