Chapter 17

Old steward Hu An glared at him and said, "You're talking bullshit, the young master has gone out; if you cause any more trouble, you'll be the one held accountable."

Liang Da Zhuang angrily protested, "Why blame me? It's because the young master won't let us go."

Hu An pointed at Liang Da Zhuang's chest and said, "Do you have a brain? The young master didn't let you go, but he didn't say you couldn't follow; they're going to the ink gathering at Yan Shui Pavilion, just quietly tail them, and if anything happens, you'll have someone to look out for you." Since the incident of forcibly abducting Tang Qingxuan, everyone in the Minister's residence has begun to reassess this eldest young master; this guy definitely has the potential to be a trouble-magnet.

Xu Zhengying's carriage was right outside; he was generous, giving Hu Xiaotian a valuable thousand-year-old ginseng, showing his good financial situation. His carriage was also quite luxurious: the cabin was rectangular, its edges engraved with patterns, the upper half carved with exquisite lattice windows through which one could see the outside scenery. The canopy was in the shape of a hexagonal pavilion, large enough to extend beyond the cabin on all sides, providing excellent protection from wind and rain; it extended far forward at the front, shielding the passengers' privacy and sheltering the driver—that is the carriage's canopy. The cabin had curtains on all four sides, with a longer soft curtain lifted onto the canopy at the front, and both curtains were decorated with copper bells and tassels. The yoke bore a fearsome beast's head, further highlighting the owner's noble status.

Hu Xiaotian rarely rode in carriages; although there were many at home, he had never seen such a luxurious one. He followed Xu Zhengying into the carriage, sitting on a soft cushion with moderate elasticity that felt like a sofa. Although the carriage was exquisitely luxurious, it was pulled by only two horses. Hu Xiaotian said, "Uncle Xu, why only two horses? If you had eight horses pulling your carriage, how imposing that would be!"

Xu Zhengying's face changed at those words; he looked around and said somewhat nervously, "Dear nephew, you must not speak such words recklessly—only the current Emperor may use an eight-horse carriage, and by Dakang's regulations my carriage may not exceed three horses."

Hu Xiaotian secretly laughed; he had actually learned some Dakang culture by now and knew that an eight-horse carriage was a privilege reserved for the Emperor—princes could have six, princes and princesses four, while most officials had two or three horses and ordinary commoners only a single-horse carriage. If Xu Zhengying dared to have eight horses pull his carriage on the capital's main roads, he'd likely end up in prison all the way. This guy deliberately provoked Xu Zhengying, saying, "Uncle Xu, are you the one who prints money? Our family has many carriages, but we don't have a single one that's this luxurious and flashy."

Xu Zhengying was startled again; I said, you're setting me up! He hurriedly said, "Dear nephew, although I am responsible for minting Dakang's currency, I have always kept public and private separate—this carriage is a gift from my father-in-law, and if you like it, I will give it to you."

Hu Xiaotian's next words almost made Xu Zhengying half-dead with anger: "I don't want a used carriage!"

Xu Zhengying could only chuckle helplessly; in his heart he cursed Hu Xiaotian's ancestors eighteen generations over, secretly resolving to have a new carriage made for this guy when he got back—today he really took a big financial hit, how did he end up with such a greedy, insatiable brat?

The carriage galloped on the capital's main thoroughfares; the two fine horses stepped in unison with a clear rhythm, and the Palace Bell rang rhythmically with their gallop, sounding extremely pleasant. The low-hanging Lan-colored curtains and sheer screens swayed in the wind, and the wind chimes decorating them also emitted a pleasant sound. Xu Zhengying clearly knew how to enjoy life: all the silk fabrics inside the carriage had been scented with incense, the spring breeze blew through the screens into the carriage, and a subtle fragrance lingered within—as the saying goes, fine horses and carved carriages fill the road with fragrance; a person inside feels refreshed and delighted, full of a petty bourgeois vibe.

Riding in a carriage is certainly not as comfortable as riding in a car, but this sense of novelty and superiority cannot be compared to that of a car—after all, luxurious carriages of this era are not common, and wherever it passed passersby stared. In the past this carriage would have been at least equivalent to a BMW 5 Series; no, with two horses pulling it, it should be a 2 Series—two! Inauspicious. When I have my own dedicated vehicle, I'd at least need a 3 Series, since an 8 Series is for the Emperor alone, and to even think of riding a series one must first become a prince—damn it, in this era even having money doesn't let you do as you please. Hu Xiaotian's body swayed with the carriage, but his mind was wandering.

Xu Zhengying looked at the boy beside him, feeling somewhat puzzled—everyone said Hu Buwei's son had been foolish for sixteen years, only regaining his sanity half a year ago; even if he had started studying after waking up, at most he'd have read for half a year, so I'd guess he's still illiterate. What business does an illiterate like you have joining me? Today those going to the ink gathering at Yan Shui Pavilion are all learned scholars of Dakang; if you go there and spout nonsense, not only will you embarrass yourself, but I'll also be embarrassed by association. Xu Zhengying also thought, this is Hu Buwei's son after all—if others knew his true identity, they'd surely mock Hu Buwei for failing to educate his son. Thinking of this, he involuntarily drew a cold breath from the depths of his heart; I myself came today to give him thousand-year-old ginseng, the real purpose being to curry favor with Hu Buwei through this gesture—if, at the ink gathering, I cause Hu Buwei to lose face, wouldn't that be flattery that backfired onto the horse's hooves? Then Hu Buwei would likely think I deliberately took his son out while he was away to embarrass him.

Xu Zhengying now felt so regretful he wanted to slap himself twice—who made him have such a loose mouth? What good is attending a poetry gathering?

Hu Xiaotian didn't care what he was thinking, leaning against the window to enjoy the outside scenery like a bird just released from its cage, feeling carefree—his mood was excellent.

Xu Zhengying gave a dry cough and said, "Dear nephew, when we get there you had better not reveal your identity lightly."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Why?"

Xu Zhengying originally wanted him to say as little as possible, best to play dumb, but he was also afraid of offending Hu Xiaotian, so he tried to speak as tactfully as possible. He said with a pleasant expression: "Today, many officials from the court are going to attend the poetry gathering. If they know you are Sir Hu's son, they will surely flock to curry favor, which will not only bring you much trouble, but if it gets out, it might not look good. If Sir Hu finds out about this, he will certainly blame me for meddling."

Hu Xiaotian secretly delighted, "Old bastard, you're afraid I lack culture and will lose face for you, so you don't want me to speak. If I make a fool of myself, people will not only laugh at me, but likely drag my father into it too; when that happens, my dad will surely come settle scores with you." Seeing Xu Zhengying's forced smile and awkward expression, Hu Xiaotian almost burst out laughing, letting you flatter him—your flattery ain't that easy. Hu Xiaotian said: "Uncle Xu, don't worry, I'm just going to see the liveliness, broaden my horizons; when we get there, I'll play dumb and not say a word."

Hearing his ready agreement, Xu Zhengying finally relaxed a little.

Yanshui Pavilion is located on the banks of the Cangshui River southeast of the capital; the Cangshui River winds its way connecting north and south of the capital, and where it meets the Tianwan Bay and the Grand Canal southeast of the capital, the water surface there is the broadest stretch. Standing on Yanshui Pavilion one can just see the confluence of the two water systems, a magnificent and expansive sight. Yanshui Pavilion is a five-story wooden pavilion with a history of over three hundred years, during which it has suffered three fires, undergone multiple repairs and reconstructions, the most recent renovation being three years ago when all the roof tiles were replaced with red glazed tiles; under the sunlight they shine with dazzling colors, quite striking.

Because of its unique location, Yanshui Pavilion has become a place where generations of scholars and poets vie to climb and overlook the capital's scenery, leaving behind many widely known masterpieces; outside its gate, more than a dozen carriages are parked, and judging by their decorations, the owners are all persons of distinction.

After the carriage came to a stop, Hu Xiaotian was the first to jump down, hands clasped behind his back, he lifted his head to examine the pavilion up close. In this era, buildings rarely exceed three stories; the five-story Yanshui Pavilion stands out among the capital's constructions like a crane among chickens. Above the gate hangs a horizontal plaque with black background and gold characters, the three large characters 'Yanshui Pavilion' shining brightly, vigorous and graceful, grand and magnificent. Hu Xiaotian's hard‑brush calligraphy is not bad, but his brush‑hand writing is merely average; nevertheless he could tell that those three characters were definitely the work of a master. Looking at the signature, it read 'Longyin Kong' three characters. He certainly knew this person: Longyin Kong, whom Dakang hailed as the emperor of all ages, a hero of extraordinary talent and strategy, who swept aside the northern Hu invaders and unified the realm, his great achievements still celebrated to this day.

It is a pity that the world cannot escape the principle that division leads to unity and unity leads to division. After Dakang was unified under Longyin Kong's hand, it enjoyed over a hundred years of prosperity, then gradually declined; later, favored ministers held power, corrupt officials ran rampant, continuing until the reign of Emperor Longyuan of the Mingzong, when internal and external troubles nearly brought the state to ruin. Longyuan strove to govern, reorganized the mountains and rivers, and gave the beleaguered state a renewed vigor. After another hundred years or so following the Mingzong, Dakang's fortune has been waning day by day, and the world has fallen back into chaos. Nowadays, southern Da Yong is growing stronger, stationing troops in Jiangnan, striving to govern, gradually annexing Dakang's southern territories; in the north, the Chi Hu also frequently raid south to harass Dakang's borders, and the Dakang emperor's days are not easy.

Hu Xiaotian gazed at the three characters of Yanshui Pavilion, dumbfounded, and after a while praised: "Fine calligraphy!"

Xu Zhengying thought to himself, 'What do you know about good or bad? You're probably just putting on an act,' but aloud he flattered: 'You have a keen eye, nephew; these three characters were personally inscribed by Dakang's emperor of all ages, the Taizong emperor.'

Hu Xiaotian said: "When I have time, I'll write a few characters and hang them up."

Xu Zhengying secretly laughed at this brat, who doesn't know the height of heaven or depth of earth, actually daring to compare himself to the Taizong emperor.