Chapter 1821

For Xue Lingjun, this is hardly good news; the plan she had carefully devised must be overturned anew, for the negotiation counterpart has shifted from Qiqi to Hu Xiaotian, and she would rather face the small‑but‑crafty Qiqi than the frivolous‑smiling Hu Xiaotian—yet when confronting Hu Xiaotian she finds herself unable to lift her head.

No matter how bad the feeling, what must be faced must be faced; Xue Lingjun understands that her purpose in coming here is for the future of Da Yong; since she and Li Chen Zhou joined forces to seize power, Da Yong has not become as strong as they imagined, and their strength is still insufficient to dominate the court and countryside.

Before coming to Kangdu, Li Chen Zhou had specially instructed her to go pay a visit to Dakang's Grand Tutor Wen Chenghuan; in handling the relations between Dakang and Da Yong, Wen Chenghuan has always been a peace advocate, and he has personally participated in every negotiation between the two states. After arriving in Kangdu, Xue Lingjun gave it careful thought and decided to start with Hu Xiaotian after all, for this is someone else's territory; from the moment she entered Dakang's borders, her every move might be under others' watch.

Hu Xiaotian had long anticipated that Xue Lingjun would come to see him first, and he did not make things difficult for her, having Liang Da Zhuang escort her to the Back Garden.

Given Xue Lingjun's status, Hu Xiaotian should at least have waited at the second gate even if he didn't come out to the main gate; yet today his conduct is clearly somewhat rude. Xue Lingjun, on the way, secretly wondered whether he had deliberately failed to greet her, and it seems this fellow still bears a grudge over past events.

Following Liang Da Zhuang into the Back Garden, Xue Lingjun silently admired the exquisite sights along the way—Jiangnan truly is a land of natural bounty and pleasant scenery; entering the Zhenhai Wang Fu, every step offered a view, every spot pleasing to the eye and heart. Ahead she heard rushing water: it was a silver‑dragon‑like three‑tiered waterfall cascading down the artificial hill. Though the fall was modest, seeing it in summer lifted the spirit; its water flowed into a pond, then wound onward as a pebble‑lined stream. Knowing it was all man‑made, Xue Lingjun could not help clicking her tongue in wonder. She followed the stream into a lush, verdant bamboo grove where bamboo shadows swayed, the air extraordinarily cool, as if the scorching summer heat were completely shut out.

Xue Lingjun walked along the bamboo‑lined path, with Liang Da Zhuang leading the way ahead and Commander Shi Kuan of the Golden Scale Guard behind her. Had this been before she and Hu Xiaotian became enemies, she would not have allowed Shi Kuan to accompany her, but this time she did not refuse his request to come along—because she lacked confidence.

Xue Lingjun said softly, "This truly is a tranquil and refined place; Prince, you certainly know how to enjoy life."

Hearing the voice but seeing no one, a hearty laugh rang out from deep in the bamboo grove: "Elder sister, you still can't help speaking ill of me behind my back, huh?"

Hearing Hu Xiaotian's laugh, Xue Lingjun felt her heartbeat quicken.

Rounding the ahead bamboo, the view opened up: there, where the stream wound, stood a small pavilion built of green bamboo, and outside it a white‑clad young lord of graceful bearing stood, smiling faintly as he looked toward their approach—this handsome youth in white was naturally Hu Xiaotian.

Xue Lingjun secretly thought, it was surprising that Hu Xiaotian, with such dark skin, would wear white robes; according to her usual notion, someone of that complexion wearing white would merely expose his flaws, yet Hu Xiaotian's snow‑white robe showed no discord at all—on the contrary, it accentuated his bronzed complexion, making his whole person glow, looking exceptionally sunny and healthy.

Hu Xiaotian clasped his fists in salute and said, "Elder sister, you have come from afar; my failure to greet you properly is indeed rude."

Xue Lingjun pursed her cherry lips and coquettishly said, "Since you know it's rude, why do you deliberately commit it?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled and made an inviting gesture, saying, "In this world there is no perfect win‑win; if I had gone out to greet you, I couldn't have brewed good tea. The weather is scorching, and you, having come far, must be terribly thirsty—surely your desire for water now outweighs mine."

Xue Lingjun chuckled, "Always your reasoning." She pointed to Shi Kuan behind her and said, "Commander Shi, you two are old acquaintances as well."

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "Exactly, old friends."

Shi Kuan's usually stern face twitched into a brief smile, but it came and went quickly.

Hu Xiaotian invited them to be seated.

Liang Da Zhuang lifted the teapot and poured tea for everyone.

Xue Lingjun took a sip of tea, looked around, and said, "This place is quite cool."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Kangdu is not like Yongdu; it's the height of the three‑fu heat, the hottest days of the year—can you still endure it, elder sister?"

Xue Lingjun laughed, "Although Yongdu lies in the north, the three‑fu heat is similar there, but Kangdu is ultimately more humid; upon arriving here I always feel oppressive." Her chest rose and fell somewhat exaggeratedly.

Liang Da Zhuang was pouring tea for Shi Kuan when his gaze was caught by Xue Lingjun's rising and falling chest; he zoned out, and the boiling tea spilled onto his hand, scalding him so that he let out a miserable cry, even flinging the teapot away—it flew straight toward Shi Kuan, whose eyes narrowed as he reached out and steadily caught the teapot, cradling the scalding vessel in his palm; Shi Kuan seemed to feel nothing, his expression indifferent as he said, "Be careful!"

Hu Xiaotian glared at Liang Da Zhuang and snapped, "Useless thing, get out at once!"

"Yes!" Liang Da Zhuang bowed his head, face red, as he retreated; even as he left, he could not help stealing a glance at Xue Lingjun's *___*.

Xue Lingjun silently cursed the slave's boldness; truly, what kind of master yields what kind of servant—if the beam is not straight, the rafters will be askew.

Shi Kuan slowly set the teapot back on the table, and Hu Xiaotian laughed, "My servant is always oblivious and clumsy; elder sister and Commander Shi, please don't take offense."

Shi Kuan replied calmly, "Your Highness, everyone has moments of clumsiness."

Hu Xiaotian smiled, "Indeed, everyone will have moments of clumsiness," his gaze fixed on Xue Lingjun.

Xue Lingjun smiled lightly and said softly, "The weather is so oppressive; is it going to rain again?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "When it rains is up to heaven; who knows when he'll be displeased?"

Xue Lingjun waited for Hu Xiaotian to ask why she had come, but he only chatted about the weather, showing no intention of getting to the point; she began to feel a little impatient, for in the past she never felt this way when facing him—each time she saw Hu Xiaotian she sensed his progress, and now he seems less youthfully rash and more inwardly composed, still friendly on the surface and still calling her elder sister, yet she feels a sense of being near yet far, as if viewing flowers through fog, unable to discern Hu Xiaotian's inner thoughts.

Xue Lingjun subtly signaled Shi Kuan with a glance, realizing upon seeing Hu Xiaotian that having him present was a mistake, and that some matters should be discussed privately.

Shi Kuan understood Xue Lingjun's meaning, rose and said, "Your Highness, I am quite interested in the architecture of your manor; may I be allowed to take a look?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded, summoned the steward Hu Fu, and had him take Shi Kuan to tour the manor; in fact everyone understood that Shi Kuan was simply trying to give Hu Xiaotian and Xue Lingjun a chance to speak alone.

After Shi Kuan left, Xue Lingjun smiled and said, "I heard you went to the perilous lands of Xichuan, and I had been worried; later I learned you returned safely. For this mission to Dakang, I had originally planned to return via Dongliang Jun to visit you, but I never expected you would arrive in Kangdu before me."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Thank you for your concern, elder sister, but compared to you I am truly lacking in conscience; these days I have been so busy that I haven't even thought of you."

She met with a cold rebuff after warming her face; this fellow really isn't giving her any face—can't he even be bothered to utter a noble‑sounding lie? Xue Lingjun said in a subdued voice, "You're different now; as Prince Zhenhai of Dakang, you naturally have countless affairs to attend to, so forgetting me is quite understandable." She said it with a sour tone.

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "I'm a lazy person; the more things there are, the less I want to bother with them. This time, if it weren't for the princess ordering me to receive the envoy, I'd rather stay home and enjoy the cool."

Xue Lingjun thought, 'Aren't you still not hiding at home enjoying all blessings?' She sighed and said, "This envoy—I originally didn't want to take on the role, but the emperor has no trustworthy person at his side; as his aunt, if I don't help him, who else would?"

Hu Xiaotian silently sighed at this woman's endless lies; her envoy this time is certainly not for Xue Daoming—under heaven everyone knows she now has an offensive‑defensive alliance with Li Chen Zhou, and together they dominate Da Yong's court. Although Xue Daoming also commands his own power, he still cannot match the two of them. Yet Li Chen Zhou and Xue Lingjun did not anticipate that Xue Daoming would be so hard to control; after the plague incident in Yongdu, he seized the opportunity, won much popular support, and even as a savior rescued many officials. He originally had considerable backing in the court, and this time he has also won over many wavering officials, so his influence in the court continues to grow.

Xue Lingjun had once urged Li Chen Zhou to eliminate Xue Daoming as soon as possible, but Li Chen Zhou did not heed her advice; first, because the Black Hu army is pressing the northern border, and second, because although Prince Yan Xue Shengjing has fled, he still leaves behind a huge force within Da Yong. Compared to them, Xue Daoming's threat is the smallest; if they were to move against him now, they would not only provoke a bloody civil war, but their struggle would also allow the lurking Prince Yan to benefit, and could even lead to graver consequences, for the Black Hu might well break through the northern defenses and march straight on Yongdu.

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