Chapter 1620

An Zhai shook his head, his face filled with grief and indignation, and said: "The six brothers tasked with guarding him were all killed, none survived; I examined their wounds, and they all died to the Northern Darkness Secret Sect's Great Hand Seal."

Hu Xiaotian and Xia Zhangming exchanged a glance, both simultaneously thinking of the Black Hu State Preceptor Gangbala. Could it be that Gangbala, for the sake of Weichi Chong, tracked him all the way to Yongdu? If so, Weichi Chong's situation would be dangerous.

Hu Xiaotian pondered for a moment and said: "Brother An, immediately withdraw the men deployed around there; remember, do not send anyone near there again. Moreover, our current hiding place is not safe either; we should split up. Brother An, you lead the brothers to find another place to settle, and Zhangming and I will head back now."

An Zhai nodded heavily.

Hu Xiaotian also said: "This place isn't safe either; for now we don't need to meet here. Over the next few days, we'd better not see each other; we'll talk again when the time is right."

The three immediately parted ways; Hu Xiaotian and Xia Zhangming hurried straight back to their hiding place. Upon arriving, they found Qin Yutong was not there. Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but panic; he had instructed Qin Yutong to stay constantly by Jian Rongxin's side while he was away, but unexpectedly she took his words as wind in the ears and left on her own.

Hu Xiaotian hurried to Jian Rongxin's room, knocked on the door, and hearing her gentle voice ask, "Who is it?" he finally relaxed.

After receiving Jian Rongxin's permission, he then pushed the door open and entered the room, seeing Jian Rongxin writing at the desk. He walked slowly forward, his gaze falling on the xuan paper; what Jian Rongxin had written was indeed an essay longing for her father, truly vivid and moving, each word a pearl.

Hu Xiaotian asked: "Why is Miss Jian staying here alone? Where did Miss Qin go?"

Jian Rongxin set down the wolf-hair brush in her hand, turned toward Hu Xiaotian, her eyes clear as autumn water still bearing an indelible sorrow, and she softly said: "Miss Qin had an urgent matter and went out; she said you would surely blame her when you returned."

Hu Xiaotian smiled.

Jian Rongxin said: "You needn't worry; since I promised you I wouldn't leave, I won't slip away without a word. In fact, although the world is vast, there is no place left for me to take refuge."

Seeing Jian Rongxin regain her composure and reason, Hu Xiaotian naturally relaxed and comforted her: "Miss Jian, please put your mind at ease; there is still justice in this world."

Jian Rongxin slowly shook her head and said: "There is no justice or morality; my heart is dead, I seek nothing else, only hoping that you, sir, can fulfill my one wish."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Miss Jian, please speak."

Jian Rongxin said: "I want to go to the East Forest Academy to have a look."

Hu Xiaotian had thought she would request to go pay respects to her father Jian Xihe, but he hadn't expected her merely to want to visit the East Forest Academy; this request was not excessive.

Jian Rongxin opened a wooden box containing a human-skin mask, a gift from Qin Yutong, and she softly said: "Miss Qin may need to be away for several days; she gave me this, saying it can conceal one's presence."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said softly: "We shouldn't linger here; we should indeed change our location."

The East Forest Academy was not an imperial academy, merely an ordinary civilian school in Yongdu City; it was also during the reign of Xue Shengkang that the state vigorously promoted literary and moral education, a task entrusted to Grand Secretary Jian Xihe, and the East Forest Academy was the first school Jian Xihe established within the Da Yong realm. Its significance lay in allowing children from poor families to qualify for admission, where they could receive instruction from the talented scholars of the Hanlin Academy, and periodically renowned learned scholars would be invited to give lectures.

However, this policy was not consistently implemented; after the Black Hu invaded Bei Jiang, the Da Yong notion that study is useless rose again, many scholars abandoned literature for martial arts, seeking to defend home and country, and the court's direction deviated from the original intent of establishing schools; even the East Forest Academy fell into the predicament of being shut down due to court neglect. Grand Secretary Jian Xihe, before his death, still made every effort to urge the court to value education, but his wish remained unfulfilled, and he met an untimely end.

After the snow had stopped for several days, the snow piled up at the gate of the East Forest Academy remained uncleared; the old man tasked with guarding the gate, wrapped in his old cotton jacket, was dozing by the stove in the side room. When the knocking sounded for the third time, he reluctantly rose to open the door. Seeing the young man and woman before him, the old man, eyes still heavy with sleep, muttered: "What are you up to? This academy has no students left."

The visitors were none other than Hu Xiaotian and Jian Rongxin in disguise; Hu Xiaotian burst into a smile, revealing a mouth of even, snow‑white teeth. Although disguised, his smile still had enough appeal, and of course he also possessed silver that could more easily move hearts—an ingot of at least five taels he placed in the old man's hand. The gatekeeper hastily grasped it, feeling its coldness, yet his heart warmed with excitement: "Sir… what are you up to…"

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said: "Old sir, please do us a favor; I once studied at the East Forest Academy for a few days, and today I have come to Yongdu hoping to pay respects to a few of my former teachers, and incidentally revisit the old grounds."

The old man sighed and said: "What teachers are left? There isn't even a single student. It's bitterly cold—what's there to see? You look like a decent person; coming from afar, I couldn't let you make the trip for nothing." He pulled the door open, then glanced at Jian Rongxin. Jian Rongxin recognized the old man; having no experience in disguise, she feared being recognized and lowered her head somewhat guiltily.

Seeing her reaction, Hu Xiaotian already guessed her state of mind and smiled at the old man: "Old sir, do you recognize my wife?"

The old man shook his head, chagrined, and said: "I've been rude, little old man." Although as the academy's gatekeeper he understood the propriety of not gazing immodestly, he yawned and said: "Please feel free to look around, I'll go on tending the fire; when you leave, kindly close the gate for me."

Hu Xiaotian nodded with a smile and accompanied Jian Rongxin as they walked into the academy. Hu Xiaotian naturally had no special attachment to the East Forest Academy, but Jian Rongxin felt otherwise; she had once lived there with her father for a time and held deep affection for every plant and tree. Upon arriving at the courtyard where they had once resided, she touched the cypress there and could not help but tears stream down—this cypress had been planted by her own hands together with her father's, and her father's character was like this cypress: upright and unyielding, preferring to break rather than bend.

Hu Xiaotian gazed at Jian Rongxin from afar, for a moment unsure how to console her; he did not know what had transpired between Li Chenghou and Jian Rongxin as husband and wife, nor could he easily imagine how this once deeply loving couple could suddenly part ways, and Li Chenghou's cold‑blooded ruthlessness made it even harder to predict—if it hadn't been for my chance sighting of Jian Rongxin walking alone in the snow that night, perhaps she would have already perished in that massacre of her clan.

Some time had passed since the palace coup, and Hu Xiaotian had also gathered much information. Besides the coup that occurred in Cien Garden, there was also a group of veteran officials in Yongdu who met misfortune that same night, among them Jian Xihe and the Duke of Jingguo, Li Mingfu; the difference was that Jian Xihe was killed while Li Mingfu committed suicide. According to Li Chenghou, Jian Xihe's murder was part of Xue Shengjing's plot to usurp the throne. Moreover, Hu Xiaotian preferred to believe that both incidents were linked to Li Chenghou, a view confirmed by Prince Yan Xue Shengjing. The deaths of these two men were related to their steadfast support of the Grand Empress Dowager; Li Chenghou decisively chose to eliminate obstacles, even at the cost of sacrificing his own kin.

Hu Xiaotian asked himself whether he could match Li Chenghou's cold‑blooded ruthlessness; if it were him, he could never do such a thing. Politics and power can make a person cold‑blooded, and he had seen plenty of examples, but fortunately his own change has not been great—perhaps because he is familiar with history, and because he can view issues from an outsider's perspective. Compared with most people of this age, he understands the laws of social development more clearly; ultimately, it is because his ambition is not as strong as he imagined, and in this world he remains an outsider.

Recalling his origins, a wry smile touched Hu Xiaotian's lips. 'An outsider?' Perhaps not anymore—by now he has fully merged into this world; his life, his emotions, his relatives and friends, everything about him has been deeply imprinted by this era. From the start he never thought of changing the world; he only wanted to live comfortably in it. This seemingly simple wish, however, proves extraordinarily hard to put into practice—unless one experiences it personally, who could imagine its flavor?

Jian Rongxin stayed in the East Forest Academy for half an hour; when it was time to leave, Hu Xiaotian had intended to bid the old man farewell, but upon reaching the gate he heard the old man's heavy snoring—clearly he was fast asleep. Not wishing to disturb his rest, Hu Xiaotian and Jian Rongxin slipped out quietly, closing the gate behind them. Their lodging was not far away at the South Wind Inn, so they did not take a carriage but chose to walk.

Just after leaving the East Forest Academy, they saw a convoy approaching ahead; passersby scattered to the sides of the road, and the two of them blended into the crowd. Pedestrians whispered among themselves, and upon seeing the convoy's grandeur they knew it was no ordinary entourage.

Jian Rongxin lifted her gaze; as soon as she made out one of the figures in the convoy, her phoenix eyes widened and her delicate frame trembled. Hu Xiaotian keenly sensed her strong reaction, followed her line of sight, and saw Li Chenghou clad in black, vigorous attire, his spirit soaring—no wonder Jian Rongxin reacted so strongly.

Hu Xiaotian silently thought, 'Oh no,' worried that Jian Rongxin might lose control of her emotions; he hurried to her side, reached out and grasped her arm, only then feeling her delicate frame trembling slightly—not from fear but from anger.

Hu Xiaotian sent a mental transmission to Jian Rongxin: 'Minor forbearance spoils great plans!' (To be continued~^~.)