Chapter 1833: and ===GLOSSARY=== sections

After the banquet, Hu Xiaotian and Wan Yan Lie Xin parted ways in front of Return Flavor Pavilion. Hu Xiaotian still had Huo Xiaoru on his mind; after walking a few steps he decided to turn back to look for Xiang Shanqing. Arriving at the gate of Return Flavor Pavilion, he saw the waiter standing there with a smiling face, waiting. Seeing Hu Xiaotian, the waiter chuckled and said: "I knew the Prince would come back."

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help laughing: "I didn't expect you to have the gift of foresight."

The waiter replied: "I don't have that talent; it's the boss who asked me to wait for you here."

Hu Xiaotian nodded; Xiang Shanqing must have guessed that he had many things to ask in private, so he anticipated that Hu Xiaotian would turn back to meet him.

The waiter led Hu Xiaotian through a side alley to the back of Return Flavor Pavilion, entered through the rear door, passed through two gateways, and arrived at the small courtyard behind Return Flavor Pavilion, where he saw Xiang Shanqing standing by the fish pond, tossing fish feed into the water.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Master Xiang, what refined tastes you have!"

Xiang Shanqing threw all the remaining fish food into the pond, smiled, and turned to Hu Xiaotian: "Just waiting to die is my life these days."

Hu Xiaotian burst out laughing.

Xiang Shanqing invited Hu Xiaotian to sit at the stone table under the shade, then went to wash his hands. The waiter brought the tea set, and Xiang Shanqing personally brewed tea for Hu Xiaotian. After sitting down, he said: "Actually, I heard the Prince had returned to Kangdu and had been thinking of paying a visit, but I worried it would be too presumptuous, fearing the Prince might have forgotten me."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "My memory isn't that bad."

Xiang Shanqing smiled: "Important people tend to forget things."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Some things aren't that easy to forget…" He paused, then added: "Some people are even harder to forget!"

Xiang Shanqing knew who he meant, lifted his teacup, took a sip, and said: "The young lady is also in Dakang."

Hu Xiaotian's heart stirred again. Though he and Huo Xiaoru had met only three times total, her impression in his mind was hard to erase. He had pondered the reason—perhaps because she was the first woman to stir his heart after he arrived in this world, making the impression especially deep. He even suspected that Huo Xiaoru was in Dakang, perhaps secretly watching him from somewhere in Return Flavor Pavilion, yet unwilling to show herself.

Hu Xiaotian kept his emotions well under control, his expression calm, and asked: "Is she all right?"

Xiang Shanqing nodded: "Quite well. Over the years she has gone through many things and changed a lot. The young lady also said that if you see her again, you might not even recognize her."

Hu Xiaotian's gaze grew distant: "I can't forget her."

Xiang Shanqing said: "The Prince must wonder why I bought this place and opened a restaurant here." He paused, then continued: "Actually, it was the young lady's idea. She said this is where she first met and got to know the Prince, the fondest memory of her life, which means a great deal to her."

Although Xiang Shanqing's tone was plain, Hu Xiaotian sensed from it the young lady's deep affection for him—if not true love, how could it be so profound? Yet since she had constantly thought of him, even valuing the place of their first meeting so highly, why had she never taken the initiative to seek him out all these years? What happened after she left Bohai State? How exactly had Xue Shengjing influenced her life?

Hu Xiaotian looked at Xiang Shanqing and said: "Please tell her that this place is just as important to me."

Xiang Shanqing smiled: "I will convey the Prince's words."

Hu Xiaotian lifted his teacup, quietly savoring the clear tea, its fragrance lingering in his throat, the aftertaste endless—just as the feeling Huo Xiaoru had given him.

Xiang Shanqing said: "The Prince should know that both Gathering Treasure Pavilion and Yan Xi Hall are properties of Prince Yan, and that he is aware of the young lady's relationship with him?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "If it weren't for your young lady, I wouldn't have gone to Bohai State to wade through those troubled waters."

Xiang Shanqing laughed: "The young lady is deeply grateful for everything the Prince did for her back then, and she has asked me to convey her thanks to him in person."

Hu Xiaotian shook his head: "There's no need for thanks between us; if anything happens to her, just let me know and I will appear at once to help as best I can."

Xiang Shanqing sighed: "It would be best if the young lady herself expressed her gratitude for the Prince's loyalty to her."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "Actually, there's one more thing she probably doesn't know—when Prince Yan tried to persuade me to go to Bohai State to help resolve the trouble, he once promised to betroth his daughter to me."

Xiang Shanqing blinked in surprise; he had never heard of this.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Actually, whether or not that promise exists, I would still go to save Xiaoru, but Prince Yan has yet to fulfill his promise—do you think I should demand repayment of a father's debt with a daughter's hand?"

Xiang Shanqing obviously looked embarrassed, he gave a wry smile: "I can't decide that; you'd better ask Prince Yan directly, or you could ask my young lady herself whether she would agree."

Hu Xiaotian sighed: "I would actually like to ask her in person, but unfortunately she refuses to give me a chance to meet."

Xiang Shanqing said: "Although I don't know why the young lady won't meet the Prince, I do know how to see her."

Upon hearing this, Hu Xiaotian's spirits lifted; he leaned forward and said: "I am willing to owe you a favor, Master Xiang."

Xiang Shanqing smiled: "Actually, for the Prince it's just a trivial matter; the young lady wants him to help rescue someone."

Who?

The disciple Rong Shi of Lady Meizhuang, leader of the Wuxian Sect.

Hu Xiaotian stared in surprise upon hearing this; he had naturally seen Rong Shi before, but that was at the main altar of the Wuxian Sect, and after the volcanic eruption he did not know whether Rong Shi was dead or alive. Why would Xiang Shanqing make such a request? Strictly speaking, the request should have come from the young lady—how would she know Rong Shi? Doubts arose in Hu Xiaotian's mind; it was hard to say whether the request truly came from her. Since Xiang Shanqing had previously managed Yan Xi Tang, which is Prince Yan Xue Shengjing's core enterprise, making him a close aide of Xue Shengjing, one cannot tell whether the real instigator behind this is Xue Shengjing—after all, the young lady has not appeared.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I don't even know this person's whereabouts, let alone how to rescue him."

Xiang Shanqing said: "This person is currently detained in the Heavenly Mechanism Bureau."

"What crime did he commit?"

"He impersonated Ren Tianqing, the chief of Xuantian Guan, went to Yunyao Terrace to attend a banquet, had his identity exposed by Hong Beimo, who sent his subordinates, the Dragon Group Ten Elites, to lay an ambush outside the palace gates, capturing him; he is now imprisoned in the dark jail under the control of the Heavenly Mechanism Bureau."

Hu Xiaotian secretly mused that on the night he, Qin Yutong, and Quan De'an went to Long Ling Shengjing, Ren Tianqing and Meizhuang had set out to ambush them; at that time Qiqi had prepared a feast at Yunyao Terrace, and among the guests were Hong Beimo and Ren Tianqing. Only later did Hu Xiaotian realize that the Ren Tianqing present at the banquet was merely an impostor, though he did not know the impostor's identity at the time; hearing Xiang Shanqing's explanation now made everything clear.

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "Was it Prince Yan who made this request?"

Xiang Shanqing shook his head: "It was the young lady; Prince Yan is now in Black Hu, how could he know what's happening here?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "If I manage to rescue Rong Shi, can you guarantee she will agree to see me?"

Xiang Shanqing nodded: "This is a condition the young lady herself proposed; I am merely conveying it on her behalf."

The next afternoon, Hu Xiaotian went to the palace to pick up Qiqi, and together they headed for Fengyi Shan Zhuang. Although it was only a day out of the palace, because they needed to spend the night at Tianlong Temple, the Dakang royal court made thorough preparations; the commander of the palace guards, Mu Rongzhan, personally accompanied the escort.

Hu Xiaotian didn't bring anyone else this time, merely letting Liang Da Zhuang follow along—not because he trusted him especially, but because he had long suspected Liang Da Zhuang, so he had never let him into core secrets. After observing him for a while, Hu Xiaotian still found no concrete evidence against him; either his suspicion was wrong, or Liang Da Zhuang is a hidden expert who can conceal his tracks perfectly. Thus Hu Xiaotian changed his mind: the only way to uncover Liang Da Zhuang's flaw was to let him get involved in some inside information, which is why he brought him along this time—of course, this also relates to Liang Da Zhuang's deep familiarity with Fengyi Shan Zhuang.

Qiqi refused to ride in a carriage; in such sweltering heat, sitting inside the carriage was sheer torment, even though palace staff had specially lined the carriage floor with ice blocks, it did little to ease the heat, so Qiqi preferred to ride side by side with Hu Xiaotian.

The two marched in the middle of the procession; Qiqi was also dressed in male attire, even wearing clothes kept for changing at the Zhenhai Wang Fu. Along the way, Hu Xiaotian brought up the matter of Rong Shi; if he hadn't mentioned it, Qiqi would have almost forgotten about it.

Qiqi frowned slightly and said: "I did hear about this from Hong Beimo—he captured the impostor who pretended to be Ren Tianqing—but I forgot to ask about the aftermath; why did you suddenly think of this?"

Hu Xiaotian naturally wouldn't spill everything outright; he lowered his voice: "It's been many days since then, and neither Ren Tianqing nor Meizhuang has shown any sign; it seems they may have become wary and won't be easily deceived again."

Qiqi said: "Those two are nothing to worry about."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Ren Tianqing's martial arts is strong, Meizhuang is the leader of the Wuxian Sect, skilled in poisoning and has many disciples; this matter, if not resolved, will always be a hidden danger. I just found out that the impostor posing as Ren Tianqing is Meizhuang's beloved disciple Rongshi; perhaps we can get some information from him."

"If we get the information, Mr. Hong should report it to me."

Hu Xiaotian smiled faintly, said nothing, but Qiqi already understood his meaning; Hong Beimo still holds back when doing things, he definitely won't be completely frank with himself. She thought for a moment and said: "When we return this time, you go to the Heavenly Secrets Bureau and bring that person out, see what we can discover." (To be continued~^~)