Chapter 1706

Wu Jing-shan said: "I naturally have complete trust in the Prince, but others may not think the same way as I do." He moved closer to Hu Xiaotian: "Starting today, I would like to take charge of this office; I don't know what the Prince thinks."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Of course no problem; I'll hand over this area to you, Sir."

Hu Xiaotian looked far off at Baobao, but saw that girl seemed not to recognize him at all. Hu Xiaotian also knew that the two hundred people who came with Wu Jing-shan had complex identities; Baobao, as head of the Fox Unit of the Heaven's Secret Bureau, although entrusted with an important task by Hong Beimo, did not necessarily mean Hong Beimo would fully trust her; under the watchful eyes of everyone, it was naturally inconvenient for her to reveal herself to him.

Wu Jing-shan said: "I heard that the Empress Dowager of Tianxiang State will also come this time?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled and nodded.

Wu Jing-shan sighed: "After the Eldest Princess married, she never set foot in Dakang again; I never expected that this time, for the Prince's and Princess Yingyue's wedding, an exception would actually be made."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Princess Yingyue is her adopted daughter; it's natural for a mother to come when her daughter marries."

Wu Jing-shan nodded repeatedly, congratulating: "The Prince has now become the consort of Tianxiang State; truly double joy, worthy of celebration."

Hu Xiaotian however said: "All this is still thanks to your help, Sir."

Wu Jing-shan gave an embarrassed laugh: "What does this have to do with me? I dare not claim credit."

Hu Xiaotian said: "We have gone through hardship together; I won't hide it from you, Sir—actually Princess Yingyue is Princess Anping!"

Wu Jing-shan's eyes widened; he was a seasoned man. When he initially escorted Long Xi Yue to Da Yong for the marriage alliance, he had already harbored suspicions about what happened along the way. However, Wu Jing-shan, having served as an official for many years, practiced self-preservation. For matters not closely related to him, he naturally would not inquire.

Wu Jing-shan chuckled: "Prince, don't joke with me—who doesn't know that Princess Anping met with misfortune in Yongdu?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "The one who fell to death was a fake; you know, when the ship sank in the Yong River, we pulled a 'Li Dai Tao Jiang'—deceiving the heavens and crossing the sea."

A twitch crossed Wu Jing-shan's lips involuntarily. Why must Hu Xiaotian tell him this secret? He quickly understood: even if Hu Xiaotian spoke of it, he would not dare betray him; if the truth came to light, as the official who arranged the marriage back then, he would naturally bear primary responsibility—in other words, he would be Hu Xiaotian's accomplice. He suddenly realized: if Princess Yingyue were Long Xi Yue, then this secret would be exposed to the world on the wedding day; should the Yongyang Princess pursue the matter, he feared he would lose his head.

Wu Jing-shan sucked in a breath of cold air, feeling it seep into his organs and penetrate his marrow; for a moment, fear filled his heart.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Sir Minister, you spoke of retiring several years ago, yet you continue to serve the Dakang Court diligently, pouring your heart and blood—truly admirable."

Wu Jing-shan gave a bitter smile: "I have long wished to retire, but the court will not allow it; I have no choice."

Hu Xiaotian said: "The scenery around Yunze is pleasant, with clear mountains and clean water. As long as you are willing, Sir, feel free to pick a place you like; I will have a residence built according to your wishes, and you may enjoy your twilight years here."

Wu Jing-shan could not fail to hear that Hu Xiaotian was trying to lure him.

Hu Xiaotian also said: "As for your family, I have my own way to bring them here safely."

Wu Jing-shan said: "At my age, where I spend my old age doesn't really matter; the most important thing is stability." He glanced into the distance, then lowered his voice to Hu Xiaotian: "Among these two hundred people, many are from the Heaven's Secret Bureau; I'm just here to make up the numbers, really serving no purpose."

Hu Xiaotian smiled faintly: "Sir, you should be able to distinguish between close and distant relations."

Wu Jing-shan whispered: "What does the Prince want me to do?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "If a person is constantly in a state of tension, it will affect their judgment."

Wu Jing-shan chuckled: "Understood, I understand!"

Hu Xiaotian's aim was to get these two hundred people fully moving, to make them sense danger all around, to make them hear wind and crane cries, even to the point of seeing bows as snakes; in the end they would gradually become numb. Hu Xiaotian harbored no ill intent toward Qiqi; his motive for doing this was merely for fun.

Hu Xiaotian's grand wedding could be said to have shaken the world; the guests came not just for his face, the Empress Dowager of Tianxiang State, Long Xuanjiao, came specifically for Long Xi Yue, and Long Xi Yue's identity as chief of the Beggars' Sect naturally stirred many sects in the martial world, the most numerous being members of the Beggars' Sect; Hu Xiaotian specially opened a piece of land north of Baiquan City for the Beggars' Sect to use.

Seven days before the wedding, various leaders of the Beggars' Sect had already arrived one after another. Needless to say, Long Xi Yue's master Qiao Fangzheng came, as did several senior enforcement elders and the transmission elder of the Beggars' Sect; these people came not merely to enjoy a cup of wedding wine, but more to help maintain order and ensure the chief's safety.

After stabilizing the situation in Ji City, Zong Tang also rushed back together with Liang Yinghao and Xiong Tianba; with Xie Jian holding down Ji City, there would naturally be no problem. Through observation over this period, they found that Xie Jian had completely thrown his lot in with Hu Xiaotian, and moreover, three thousand troops had recently arrived from Xingzhou to garrison Ji City, strengthening its defenses; it can be said that they now have this frontier town firmly under control.

Zhan Peng, Xia Zhangming, and Liu Yucheng also came early to help; as for generals Zhao Wusheng, Yu Tianxing, Li Yongfu, and Chang Fanqi, they would only be able to arrive the day before the wedding.

During this period Hu Xiaotian found himself with leisure; he had thought Baobao would look for a chance to see him, but she had been in Baiquan City for over twenty days without ever proactively contacting him; it seems she must have been inconvenienced.

That day, Prince Heldan of Shajia State arrived with his entourage; Hu Xiaotian had actually invited his older brother, the Twelfth Prince Huoge, but Huoge, being occupied with other matters, could not come, so he specially sent Heldan to offer congratulations. Upon hearing Heldan's arrival, Hu Xiaotian personally went out of the city to meet him; accompanying Heldan were also the State Preceptor Jia Luo and his sister Mengya.

Upon seeing Mengya, Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but recall Zhao Wusheng; during their time in Tianxiang State, Mengya had once shared a "no fight, no acquaintance" bond with Zhao Wusheng, and their feelings at parting were evident to all; Mengya glanced left and right, originally hoping to spot Zhao Wusheng among the welcoming crowd, but in the end she saw only disappointment.

Hu Xiaotian had a good impression of Heldan; upon meeting, they patted each other's shoulders to express delight. Heldan said: "It feels like no time has passed since we parted from Tianxiang; I said I would come to attend Brother Hu's wedding, and we Shajia people always keep our word."

Hu Xiaotian laughed loudly: "Isn't it joyful to have friends come from afar? Your Highness Prince being able to attend my wedding is truly my supreme honor."

Heldan then introduced the entourage members to Hu Xiaotian; Hu Xiaotian had dealt with State Preceptor Jia Luo before, knowing he was skilled in soul-capturing technique, so he kept an extra watch on him; Jia Luo remained as before, lifeless and unresponsive, and even upon seeing Hu Xiaotian he merely gave a slight nod, with no smile at all.

Hu Xiaotian approached Mengya with a smile: "Princess Mengya, we meet again; during this time Zhao Wusheng has constantly been mentioning you."

Mengya's pretty face flushed; she bit her cherry lips and said: "You're lying—he didn't come to fetch me!" After all, as a foreign maiden, she is more open and less reserved than Central Plains girls.

Everyone burst out laughing; Mengya turned and glared at the entourage: "What's there to laugh at? What's funny?" In fact, her coming to the Central Plains had taken great effort; originally her father Khan wanted to ally with other tribes through marriage, to give her away, but she refused to yield, insisting she already had a beloved and had privately pledged lifelong commitment to him in Tianxiang State, which enraged her father Khan Sangmuza to the point of nearly ordering her execution; later, several of her royal uncles united to protect her, pleading bitterly, and Sangmuza relented, yet had her confined, forbidding her to leave the tribe without permission.

Upon hearing the news of Hu Xiaotian's grand wedding, Mengya, with the help of her royal brother, secretly slipped away again, catching up with Heldan's entourage en route. As for this sister, Heldan could do nothing about it; on one hand he sent people back to report news, lest the family worry; on the other hand he brought her to the Central Plains. Mengya had already made up her mind: this time she would not return. Seeing that Zhao Wusheng had not come, her heart naturally felt great disappointment.

Hu Xiaotian understood her feelings; he whispered a few words to Xia Zhangming, since Zhao Wusheng was in Wuxing County, wanting him to arrive as soon as possible, he could only rely on Xia Zhangming's help.

Xia Zhangming nodded with a smile, but Zhao Wusheng has a weakness: he is naturally afraid of heights, and it is unknown whether Princess Mengya's arrival could help him overcome this psychological barrier.

On Hu Xiaotian's side, he had not yet invited Heldan into the city when Liang Yinghao came to his side and whispered: "My lord, the guests from Mangjiao Island have arrived; they came in a total of three vessels."

Hu Xiaotian nodded, letting Zuo Xingjian represent him to go greet them, while he himself would arrive shortly after.

Heldan laughed: "Since guests have arrived, Brother Hu, go ahead and attend to your affairs; let your subordinates accompany me into the city to settle in. However, tonight you must definitely come over to join me for a hearty drink; my elder brother still has many important matters for me to convey."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and agreed.

As for Mangjiao Island, this time the island master Yan Tianlu himself came, accompanied by Ling Saniang; they set out from Mangjiao Island with a total of three warships, but the hulls were too large to enter Wangchun River, so they moored at the military harbor of Wuxing County; then the Yongjiang navy provided them with another three warships, and under the escort of Wuxing County magistrate Yan Xuanning they sailed upstream, only to turn into a tributary of the Yongjiang, the Wangchun River.

(To be continued~^~)