Chapter 1712

Lan Kingdom, as the sole oasis in the Hanhai Desert, holds a strategically important position, facing Shajia to the south and bordering Heihu to the north. Over the years, both Shajia and Heihu have sought to annex Lan Kingdom, but because the Hanhai Desert forms a natural barrier, any attempt to conquer Lan Kingdom would inevitably exact a heavy toll. Thus, despite their ambitious designs, the two great powers have never put them into practice.

Hu Xiaotian chuckled, 'I'm afraid I can't be of much help.' Even if he were to seize Jicheng for himself, Lan Kingdom remains far away, not to mention the Ankang Grassland and Hanhai Desert lying between; with his current strength, he simply cannot stretch his influence that far.

Wanyan Liexin laughed, 'The alliance isn't meant to have the Prince send troops; rather, we hope that when we later launch an expedition against Lan Kingdom, we can borrow a passage through the Ankang Grassland.'

Hu Xiaotian secretly mused that although Heihu's territory almost entirely covers the northern reaches of the Hanhai Desert, the point closest to Lan Kingdom is actually the Ankang Grassland; even if we call it near, the straight-line distance is about eight hundred li, and using the Ankang Grassland as a route is unrealistic, for the Great Qu Mountains lie between the Ankang Grassland and Heihu, making it unlikely that Heihu's cavalry could surmount that natural barrier. Are they perhaps planning to cross the Great Qu Mountains, then purchase and reorganize cavalry on the Ankang Grassland to advance into the Hanhai Desert? The cost and hardship involved would far exceed simply marching south from the north into the desert, so Wanyan Liexin's words are utterly implausible; it seems Heihu has designs on the Ankang Grassland.

Hu Xiaotian smiled, 'We'll talk about that later; the Ankang Grassland isn't my territory, but if one day I come to control it, this matter will naturally pose no problem.'

Upon hearing that, Wanyan Liexin recognized it as an excuse and didn't pursue the matter further, chuckling, 'The Prince is indeed straightforward.'

After chatting with Wanyan Liexin for an hour, Hu Xiaotian finally rose to take his leave; stepping outside, Zhao Wusheng led the martial men forward to greet him. Zhao Wusheng asked, 'What did the Heihu people say?'

Hu Xiaotian gave a faint smile, 'Nonsense; heaven only knows what their true purpose is.' His gaze flicked to the leather case the Heihu had presented him, and he added, 'Nevertheless, this generous gift is precious; to decline it would be rude.'

Zhao Wusheng laughed.

Hu Xiaotian added, 'They also sent me some Dawan horses and slave girls; please go accept them for me.'

Yes!

Sugar-coated cannonballs have no effect on Hu Xiaotian whatsoever; his specialty is to strip off the sugar coating and hurl the projectile back.

Qiqi stood at the bow. Gazing toward the center of Lake Yunze, the vast, misty waters bore undulating green hills, most of them hidden in the morning fog; the wind stirring the haze made it seem like a fairyland. She whispered, 'Is that Bixin Mountain over there?'

Behind her, Quan De'an said respectfully, 'Yes! In the past, the Black Water Stronghold on Bixin Mountain harbored river bandits, but after Hu Xiaotian wiped them out, the place is now entirely under his control, according to our intelligence. Currently, the Black Water Stronghold on Bixin Mountain commands a navy of twenty thousand and a hundred warships; to hold Bixin Mountain is to command the entire water domain of Lake Yunze.'

Qiqi let out a soft sigh, 'If he hadn't seized Bixin Mountain, perhaps Lake Yunze would still be the domain of those bandits.'

From behind came Hong Beimo's resonant voice: 'Your Highness, you speak wisely. Although Bixin Mountain has fallen into Hu Xiaotian's hands, at least the Lake Yunze region has become much more peaceful; his troops no longer roam about burning, killing, and looting as those water bandits once did.'

Qiqi did not turn her head, her lovely eyes still fixed on the direction of Bixin Mountain: 'The rivers and mountains of Dakang are so beautiful; there are places this palace may never reach in this lifetime…' After a pause she added, 'If it weren't for his grand wedding this time, I might never have come here.' Her words carried a tinge of regret.

Hong Beimo smiled, 'Human energy is ultimately limited, but if Your Highness wishes, you may freely tour any part of Dakang.'

Qiqi said coldly, 'Some things aren't simply a matter of my wanting them to be so; when I return to the palace, I will go to the imperial mausoleum to have a look.'

Hong Beimo's smile froze on his face; this young lady remained thoroughly suspicious of him. Recently she had frequently investigated his expenditures, clearly showing her lack of trust. He changed the subject: 'We should be able to reach Qinglong Bay by dusk today; I wonder how the King of Zhenhai's preparations are coming along?'

Qiqi gave an indifferent smile, 'It's nothing more than a wedding; he's made it so extravagant that the whole world knows, yet I truly don't understand why.'

Quan De'an beside her remarked, 'Perhaps he intends to use this occasion to display his strength to the world, proving he has the ability to contend with the heroes of the age.'

Qiqi's brows furrowed slightly as she asked, 'Eunuch Quan, do you really think he possesses such ability?'

Quan De'an had brought up the topic himself, but finding it hard to answer, he smiled and said nothing, his gaze shifting to Hong Beimo.

Hong Beimo said, 'According to the information I have received, not only have all the invited guests arrived, but Heihu, Da Yong, and Xichuan have also voluntarily sent envoys to observe the ceremony.'

Qiqi remarked, 'It seems Hu Xiaotian has become the object everyone is vying to win over.'

Hong Beimo said, 'After all, he possesses value that can be exploited!' His words carried deep meaning; indeed, Qiqi's attitude toward Hu Xiaotian explains everything: not only was his crime pardoned, but he was exceptionally enfeoffed as a prince of a different surname, and now she herself has come in person to attend his wedding. These facts cannot be fully explained by lingering affection alone. In Hong Beimo's eyes, Qiqi is a youth who behaves with mature composure, harbors deep scheming, never drags her feet on major matters, and is almost cold-hearted in her feelings. If not driven by political interest, she would hardly make such a series of concessions. Since Qiqi can recognize Hu Xiaotian's value, others can do the same. This grand wedding of Hu Xiaotian has thus become an opportunity for the heroes of the world to vie in courting his favor.

Qiqi said, 'Value is always relative; if one fails to seize the opportunity, it won't be long before he becomes worthless.' As she spoke, her lovely eyes fixed coldly on Hong Beimo; though it seemed she was speaking of Hu Xiaotian, her demeanor was clearly directed at him. After finishing, she turned and walked toward the cabin.

Hong Beimo watched Qiqi's retreating back, gave a wry smile, and shook his head, saying to Quan De'an, 'Your Highness harbors quite a few misunderstandings about me.'

Quan De'an replied, 'If you conceal your intentions too deeply, others will inevitably speculate; if you're worried that the Princess misunderstands you, Sir Hong, you might as well be more frank.'

Hong Beimo chuckled; at that moment, the lookout warrior on the ship called out a warning, only to report that a flotilla was not far ahead on their right, sailing in the same direction.

Since Lake Yunze is under Hu Xiaotian's control, the waters have regained their former tranquility after the Black Water Stronghold was wiped out. Hong Beimo drew a monocular from his waist, extended it, and gazed into the distance, where three large vessels came into view. Judging by their equipment, they appeared to be mere merchant ships, yet the ships were enormous; the central flagship boasted five decks of cabins on its upper deck, and a great flag flew from its prow, embroidered with a nine‑headed bird poised to take flight.

Hong Beimo furrowed his brows, retracted the monocular, and said in a low voice, 'The Xu family of Jinling!'

The Xu family of Jinling is a prominent clan in Dakang, and indeed throughout the Central Plains, but over the past decade they have kept a low profile. After Hu Wu's flight, the Xu family severed all ties with the court; the court had even once gone to the Xu family to demand accountability over the Hu affair, though later the matter was somehow resolved, and it is said the Xu family paid a considerable price for it. Since then, the Xu family has conducted no business whatsoever in Dakang. This nine‑headed bird banner is the Xu family's mark; twenty years ago it fluttered over Dakang's major cities, land routes, and waterways, but after the old matriarch retreated from public life, the banner was laid up. Even now, any surviving Xu family establishments in the Central Plains no longer fly it, so it is puzzling why it should appear so conspicuously on Lake Yunze today.

Quan De'an also started, murmuring, 'The Xu family? How could that be?'

Hong Beimo said, 'Eunuch Quan, have you forgotten Hu Xiaotian's origins?'

Quan De'an replied, 'Isn't Hu Xiaotian supposed to have cut ties with the Xu family?'

Hong Beimo snorted coldly, 'Times change; just as the Xu family once withdrew from the Central Plains out of fear that the court would move against them, perhaps they now believe Hu Xiaotian has the strength to carve out his own domain, and so they too want to jump on the bandwagon and forge a marital connection.'

Quan De'an whispered, 'I wonder whether the old matriarch of the Xu family will come.'

Hong Beimo shook his head, 'Impossible; that old lady has been in seclusion for so many years that she didn't even attend the funeral of her own daughter when she died—how could she possibly break her retreat this time?'

At that moment a small boat approached their fleet; it came from the Xu family's merchant vessel, and on its deck stood a handsome young man in white robes, Xu Mubai, who clasped his fists in salute and called out loudly, 'Is this the fleet of the Yongyang Princess of Dakang?' His voice, carried clearly by the morning breeze, was heard distinctly by everyone on the large ships.

Both Hong Beimo and Quan De'an showed appreciation on their faces; such youthful yet profound inner strength is no accident for the Xu family to have attained its present standing—just look at this junior scion's ability.

Quan De'an exclaimed sharply, 'Not bad, but who are you?'

Xu Mubai said, 'I am Xu Mubai, a scion of the Jinling Xu family. We are heading to Baiquan City to attend the King of Zhenhai's wedding; acting on my grandmother's orders, I have come specially to pay my respects to the Princess. Since our voyage makes formal visits inconvenient, I hope the Princess will not take offense.'

Both Quan De'an and Hong Beimo were startled; it turned out that the old matriarch herself had come personally. After so many years in seclusion, she had broken her retreat for her grandson's wedding—whether out of familial feeling or some other motive, one cannot say—but they certainly understood propriety, knowing when to advance and when to retreat; by sending the grandson ahead to greet them, they avoided any breach of etiquette.

Quan De'an looked ahead and saw that the Xu family's fleet had noticeably slowed, a sign of deference, letting them go first. He nodded slightly and said, 'We will convey your regards to the Princess, and Master Xu will also pass along our greetings to the old lady.'

Xu Mubai gave a slight smile, clasped his fists in salute, then directed the boatmen; the small skiff shot off like an arrow released from a bow toward the Xu family's fleet.

Second update coming up—Zhangyu is feeling unwell today; he woke up after writing in the morning and sleeping all day, just managed to finish one chapter, and is trying to squeeze out another; otherwise he feels he's letting the readers down.

It's the end of the month—please support with your monthly ticket! (To be continued…~^~)