Chapter 1811

Hu Xiaotian said: "Speaking of this, I am deeply puzzled. I am a subject of Dakang; my fief is also part of Dakang, and the people living on that land are naturally Dakang's subjects. Could it be that those opposing ministers have already regarded me as an outsider?"

Zhou Ruiyuan secretly laughed; this brat is still putting on airs—who in the whole court would still regard him as a loyal subject? But times have changed: the court previously listed him as a rebel and traitor, yet the situation shifted so quickly that one could barely keep up. In the blink of an eye, he not only transformed into Prince Zhenhai of Dakang but also seemed to have regained the Yongyang Princess's trust. Zhou Ruiyuan had long been disappointed with Dakang; if not for his concern for the state and the people, he would not have remained in the Chancellor's position. He picked up the Chazan, took a sip of tea, and said: "The Princess has ordered a province-wide seal of Xuantian Guan; I hear this matter has already been handed over to the Prince for handling."

Hu Xiaotian then understood Zhou Ruiyuan's true purpose in coming; the connection between Zhou Ruiyuan and Xuantian Guan must be due to Qin Yutong, and what he is concerned about should be only Qin Yutong, not the others of Xuantian Guan.

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "Indeed, it is true."

I don't know why.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Chancellor, do you not know about Ren Tianqing's affairs? Present evidence shows that Ren Tianqing colluded with the Yan Prince of Da Yong, Xue Shengjing, to betray Dakang's interests—this is truly the crime of colluding with a foreign state."

Zhou Ruiyuan feigned astonishment, sucking in a breath of cold air: "Is there any solid evidence?"

Hu Xiaotian certainly didn't believe he knew nothing about this, and said with deep meaning: "Chancellor, it seems you are still unaware of Ren Tianqing's true identity—he actually comes from the Wuxian Sect, and is the senior martial brother of Meizhuang, the wife of the Wuxian Sect's leader."

Upon hearing Meizhuang's name, Zhou Ruiyuan's face changed abruptly; this was a scar in his heart, and Hu Xiaotian's words were like tearing open that wound, causing fresh blood to flow again.

Hu Xiaotian knew what Zhou Ruiyuan was worried about, and said softly: "Actually, Chancellor, even if you hadn't come, I was planning to go see you; someone entrusted me to give you something." He took out a silk pouch from his waist, placed it on the tea table, and then gently pushed it toward Zhou Ruiyuan.

Zhou Ruiyuan took it, opened the silk pouch, and saw a peace knot inside; his heart immediately surged with emotion, for he naturally recognized that peace knot.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Rest assured, Qin Yutong has gone to Dongliang Jun; her safety will naturally not be any problem."

Zhou Ruiyuan pressed his lips, nodded to Hu Xiaotian, and a hint of comfort appeared in his eyes. He put away the peace knot; learning that his daughter was safe, the stone in his heart was also set down. He said softly: "Both Da Yong and the Black Hu have sent envoys; now the two countries are at war, and Dakang has instead become the target of their competing alliance."

Hu Xiaotian said: "What does the Princess mean?"

Zhou Ruiyuan said: "The Black Hu's envoys have already arrived, while Da Yong's envoys are still on the way; however, the Princess currently has no intention of meeting them immediately."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "I will ask the Princess about this matter."

Zhou Ruiyuan rose and said: "I still have matters to attend to; I will take my leave now."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Uncle, please stay."

Zhou Ruiyuan stopped his steps, smiled, and said: "Prince, what else do you need?"

Hu Xiaotian finally made up his mind and said: "Nephew has some doubts in his heart; I hope Uncle will not blame me for any presumption."

Zhou Ruiyuan sat down again and said softly: "I don't know whether the Prince wishes to ask about public or private matters." Having met countless people in his life, he already sensed from Hu Xiaotian's tone that the upcoming question would surely be very thorny.

Hu Xiaotian said: "When I went to Xichuan this time, I discovered a secret."

Zhou Ruiyuan secretly thought: This brat knows some of my secrets; earlier he used the Meizhuang matter to blackmail me. Thinking of Meizhuang, Zhou Ruiyuan felt a faint pain in his heart; if not for this woman, his wife would not have died holding a grudge.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I have some understanding of Uncle's family affairs, and I also know why Qin Yutong and you became estranged."

Zhou Ruiyuan sighed and said: "Is it all because she told you?"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head and said: "How could she have said that? Uncle doesn't even know how many secrets Qin Yutong hides in her heart, nor why she entered Xuantian Guan."

Zhou Ruiyuan said: "Even I don't know why she was determined to enter Xuantian Guan to study medicine; could it be… that she already knew Ren Tianqing's secret?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "Uncle, do you know that the former leader of the Wuxian Sect, Qin, is actually Qin Yutong's maternal grandmother?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ruiyuan was shocked and turned pale; if not for Hu Xiaotian's words, he would still be unaware of the relationship. Shocked, he also inevitably blamed himself, knowing nothing about his wife's affairs; if what Hu Xiaotian said is true, then his wife Qin Shi would naturally be the daughter of the Wuxian Sect's leader, and she, Ren Tianqing, and Meizhuang would all be fellow disciples. Thinking of his gentle and virtuous wife actually coming from the Wuxian Sect, Zhou Ruiyuan found it utterly unbelievable.

Hu Xiaotian then recounted everything from those years in detail; much of it was unknown to Zhou Ruiyuan. Since his wife's death, he had constantly felt self-blame, believing that his drunken misconduct had caused her to resent him, leading her to angrily take her own life. Over the years Zhou Ruiyuan had lived in guilt, but upon hearing Hu Xiaotian explain the full story, he finally understood the pressure his wife had endured to protect them and their daughter, and what pained him even more was that his daughter, at such a young age, had already planted the seed of hatred in her heart, enduring humiliation and joining Xuantian Guan to investigate her mother's death and avenge her. After listening to Hu Xiaotian finish, Zhou Ruiyuan was old and tearful, unable to speak from shame, tightly clutching the peace knot his daughter had entrusted him to give him, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

Hu Xiaotian comforted him: "Uncle, some things are beyond remedy; even if you had known the truth earlier, you could not have done anything."

Zhou Ruiyuan slowly nodded and said: "I understand, I know!"

Xuantian Guan had already been sealed off; this foremost medical hall of Dakang had completely lost its former glory. When Hu Xiaotian arrived at the gate of Xuantian Guan, he saw a squad of soldiers pressing the chief physician and disciples of Xuantian Guan out from inside; the leader, whom Hu Xiaotian recognized, was Zuo Tang, who had once accompanied him to Tianlong Temple to guard the imperial procession.

Upon seeing Hu Xiaotian, Zuo Tang immediately beamed with joy and went up to him. He had already received the news earlier: the court had ordered Prince Zhenhai of Dakang, Hu Xiaotian, to personally supervise the investigation and seizure of Xuantian Guan. In fact, he had not believed it at first, because in recent years Hu Xiaotian had been regarded as a rebel in Dakang; but that day, things changed unexpectedly, and in the blink of an eye the court again helped Hu Xiaotian clear his name, not only granting him a princely title but also entrusting him with an important mission. On the contrary, the ever-respected Ren Tianqing had met misfortune; now even Xuantian Guan suffered collateral damage and was thoroughly investigated. Hu Xiaotian had turned around to become the person in charge of this affair—truly, plans are no match for change. Seeing this, Zuo Tang, a minor figure, felt dazzled, envied Hu Xiaotian's omnipotent influence, and could not help but lament Ren Tianqing's drastic fall from grace, while also feeling that the imperial court is treacherous, truly not a playground for ordinary people.

Zuo Tang respectfully said: "Your humble servant Zuo Tang pays respects to the Prince, may you live a thousand years, ten thousand years!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said: "No need to announce your name; how could I forget you?"

Upon hearing those words, Zuo Tang felt his face glow with pride, and he hehe-laughed: "It's been years, Prince; your bearing remains the same, your looks ever more handsome, your stature ever more imposing, your demeanor ever more noble, and your entourage still as amiable, making me feel as if bathed in spring breeze."

A string of flattery left Hu Xiaotian feeling dizzy, but his mind remained clear enough; he hehe-laughed: "Zuo Tang, Zuo Tang, I take your words as sincere."

"Naturally, they are sincere words." Zuo Tang noticed that Hu Xiaotian today had brought only Liang Da Zhuang along; given his current status, this was clearly a deliberate effort to keep a low profile.

Hu Xiaotian glanced at the group of Xuantian Guan disciples wailing loudly and said: "Who ordered you to tie them all up?"

Zuo Tang said: "Wasn't the order to investigate traitors and thoroughly examine Xuantian Guan?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "We only need to conduct a thorough investigation, not to launch such a large-scale operation. This matter arose because of Ren Tianqing and has nothing to do with ordinary Xuantian Guan disciples. Moreover, Xuantian Guan has always enjoyed a good reputation in Dakang; your massive show of force will only panic the people. Before clear evidence of guilt is found, these Xuantian Guan disciples are not criminals—how can we tie them up?"

Zuo Tang repeatedly said yes.

At this moment, the retinue of Jingzhao Prefecture's magistrate, Hong Baiqi, had also arrived; they were responsible for cooperating in this operation to investigate Xuantian Guan. Upon hearing that Hu Xiaotian had come, Hong Baiqi hurried over to pay his respects. Ten years east, ten years west—thinking back, Hu Xiaotian was merely a son-in-law of the Ministry of Revenue minister's household then, while Hong Baiqi already held the post of Jingzhao Prefecture magistrate; now Hu Xiaotian has become Dakang's only non-imperial-surname prince, whereas Hong Baiqi remains stagnant, inevitably feeling a myriad of emotions.

After Hu Xiaotian met with Hong Baiqi, he instructed him to properly accommodate these Xuantian Guan personnel; those junior disciples and attendants with no suspicions were immediately released, while the others were loosened and then arranged to stay nearby to assist the investigation—in other words, placed under house arrest.

Leaving aside Hu Xiaotian's status and position, the court had clearly issued an edict assigning the task of investigating Xuantian Guan to him, so Hong Baiqi and the others naturally gave their full cooperation. In fact, they also understood that although Xuantian Guan had many disciples, very few could actually see Ren Tianqing, and even fewer could receive his personal guidance.

Hu Xiaotian did not believe that Ren Tianqing would tell his secrets to these disciples; as for the alleged collusion with a foreign state and betrayal of Dakang's interests, that was merely a charge Hu Xiaotian had fabricated against him—Ren Tianqing's vision was certainly not so shortsighted, and the Yan Prince Xue Shengjing was likely just a pawn Ren Tianqing used.

Hong Baiqi had people disperse the Xuantian Guan disciples and attendants as appropriate, take away those who needed to be taken away, then had the onlookers dispersed and temporarily blocked the entrance to Xuantian Guan. (To be continued~^~)