Chapter 1941

Wanyan Liexin said: "I am delighted to hear the good news of the Prince and Yongyang Princess's engagement; truly congratulations. I do not know if the wedding date has been set yet? When the time comes, I will certainly come in person to offer my congratulations!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "I estimate it will be next spring; if Wanyan Brother can come in person, that would be best."

Wanyan Liexin said: "The Prince's previous grand wedding still leaves a fresh memory in me; without exaggeration, I can say that wedding was the most eye-opening and most impressive I have ever seen in my life."

Hu Xiaotian burst out laughing, he believed Wanyan Liexin's words were not merely flattery; let alone Wanyan Liexin, even if all the guests who attended the wedding were counted, probably only Old Lady Xu had seen such a spectacle and scene. Hu Xiaotian said: "Every woman should have a wedding of her own."

Wanyan Liexin smiled: "Beauty pairs with hero; the Prince is truly the foremost hero of the present age, drawing countless beauties to bow!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Wanyan Brother, you are really overpraising me." Being flattered by Wanyan Liexin's constant praise still felt quite pleasant.

Wanyan Liexin said: "I have heard that all of Weichi Chong's former troops have defected to the Prince; I wonder if this is true?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded: "Indeed, Weichi Chong's adopted daughter Huo Shengnan is my concubine; after he sacrificed his life for righteousness, his three hundred thousand troops fell into hunger and cold, on the verge of annihilation. Shengnan naturally could not bear to watch these soldiers perish, so she sought my help; I provided the Ankang grassland as a refuge for them. In return for my aid, they conquered Domain Lan and presented it as a gift to me."

Wanyan Liexin deliberately sighed: "From now on, the Central Plains will surely be dominated solely by Dakang; no one else will be able to contend with the Prince for supremacy!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Not necessarily; even if there is no rival in the Central Plains, the north still has you, a powerful state, whose ambition to contend for the Central Plains has never been abandoned, right?"

Wanyan Liexin laughed: "Prince must have misunderstood; the reason our country fought several wars with Da Yong in the past was entirely because Da Yong seized our territory, killed our people, and plundered our livestock. Now both sides have reached an understanding and signed an agreement, so naturally there will be no more war."

Hu Xiaotian secretly chuckled: "Playing politics, this face is thick enough; clearly you are the thief yet you try to blame others. However, the affairs between our two countries have nothing to do with me; I am too lazy to expose his lies.' With a faint smile, he said: 'Ceasing hostilities and stopping war is naturally good for the people; Wanyan Brother's ideal is nothing but world peace, traveling everywhere to study, and taking in the magnificent landscapes.'

Wanyan Liexin nodded: "It's hard for the Prince to still remember."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Naturally I remember; I remember every single thing that has happened."

Wanyan Liexin could of course hear the implication in his words; he should be reminding himself of what he had done in Dakang earlier; he also did not worry that Hu Xiaotian would settle old scores with him; in the face of the larger situation, with Hu Xiaotian's breadth of mind, he would certainly not quibble over trivial matters. Wanyan Liexin said: "Does the Prince still remember Princess Xima?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded: "I remember; she had a great figure and a sweet voice." Unbidden, he recalled Xima's alluring posture and soft moan; this Black Hu Princess's performance in bed was extraordinarily passionate; whenever he thought of her, Hu Xiaotian felt a heat rise in his chest; although she still remained at the Sandy Plains horse farm, though he very much wished to bring her along to Kangdu, Hu Xiaotian considered that she was not suited for public appearance and thus did not bring her.

Wanyan Liexin sighed: "It's her!"

"'What happened to her?'"

Wanyan Liexin said: "Princess Xima was originally set to go to Shajia for a marriage alliance, but when she went to Fan Yin Si to seek the Living Buddha's blessing, the temple suffered a major incident; the building collapsed, killing and injuring most of the monks, and the Living Buddha and the Princess herself vanished without a trace."

Hu Xiaotian pretended: "Really? Such a thing?"

Wanyan Liexin nodded: "Some say the Princess met with disaster; others say she was abducted, in order to break the alliance between Black Hu and Shajia."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Is anyone saying that the person who abducted the Princess is me?"

Wanyan Liexin gazed at Hu Xiaotian: "Indeed, there is such a saying."

Hu Xiaotian burst out laughing: "In this vast world, nothing is strange."

Wanyan Liexin stared into Hu Xiaotian's eyes: "Actually, Princess Xima has always harbored affection for the Prince in her heart; if the rumors are true, that would not be a bad thing either."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Wanyan Brother's idea must never be known to your khan; if he learns your true thoughts, he will surely fly into a rage, and might even blame you."

Wanyan Liexin said: "Some words can only be spoken to those who understand; although I dare not say the Prince is my confidant, the Prince should understand my meaning."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "Princess Xima is blessed; I believe she will surely be happy, and you will eventually meet again."

From Hu Xiaotian's words, Wanyan Liexin already understood that Xima most likely was with him; his heart felt both joy and relief; in fact he had always regarded Xima as his younger sister; hearing news of her safety was already enough; besides that, he had no particular thoughts. In fact, given Hu Xiaotian's current strength, even if the Black Hu side knew it was he who abducted Xima, they could only suffer this dumb loss.

Wanyan Liexin said: "From now on, the rivers and mountains of the Central Plains will surely belong to the Prince."

Hu Xiaotian did not know why he would utter such words; was it out of admiration for himself, or to numb himself? Hu Xiaotian said: "Rivers and mountains are like a painting, drawing countless heroes to bow; who can withstand the temptation, who will stand till the end?"

Wanyan Liexin was stunned by his words, long immersed in the shock Hu Xiaotian gave him.

After seeing off Wanyan Liexin, Hu Xiaotian was about to return to rest when he saw Hu Fo hurrying over, whispering: "Young Master, Liang Da Zhuang wants to see you..."

Hu Xiaotian was slightly startled; he had thought that after Liang Da Zhuang's escape, he would surely find a place to hide and live in seclusion, never to cross paths with him again; he never imagined this scoundrel would dare to return, and moreover openly come to pay a visit.

Hu Xiaotian nodded: "Let him in! I will wait for him in the Study."

Liang Da Zhuang's appearance had not changed much from before; not only had he not become thin after the turmoil, he seemed to have grown somewhat fatter; seeing Hu Xiaotian, he still squeezed out a fawning smile, but Hu Xiaotian still saw fear in the depths of his eyes.

Liang Da Zhuang bowed to the ground: "Liang Da Zhuang pays respects to the Young Master!"

Hu Xiaotian grunted, sizing up Liang Da Zhuang: "I never expected you to have the gall to step into this manor; you must be acting on someone else's commission.' In his view, Liang Da Zhuang avoided him like the plague; how could he possibly take the initiative to seek him out.

Liang Da Zhuang said: "Young Master, please discern! Truly nothing can be hidden from you!"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head; although this address of Young Master sounded affectionate, between them the master-servant bond had long been gone; he said softly: "Was it Old Lady Xu who sent you?"

Liang Da Zhuang raised his head, his expression extremely astonished; obviously he was stunned by Hu Xiaotian's astonishing analytical ability.

For Hu Xiaotian, this was not too difficult to deduce; in the earlier Qinghong Ge battle, Su Yujin was killed, Xiang Qin captured, and Liang Da Zhuang fled in panic; although Xiang Qin never mentioned the conspiracy and plot behind this incident, Hu Xiaotian could infer the relationship between these people and the Xu clan; various signs indicated that the Xu clan's interior was not harmonious; Old Lady Xu claimed not to meddle in family affairs, while everything in the Xu family was controlled by Xu Fengmei, and the Xu clan's support for the State of Xiang proved that Xu Fengmei and Hu Buwei had an extraordinary relationship. After the Qinghong Ge incident, Liang Da Zhuang should have been regarded by Xu Fengmei as a discarded pawn; even if Hu Xiaotian let him go, he could not escape responsibility, so the only possibility remained: Liang Da Zhuang had met Old Lady Xu.

Liang Da Zhuang nodded: "Yes! Old Lady Xu sent me to see you!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Where is she?"

Liang Da Zhuang said: "Right at the Beneficial Origin Hall!"

Hu Xiaotian's heart shuddered; he never expected Old Lady Xu to appear openly in the capital, in the Beneficial Origin Hall; what circumstance could cause a retired elder to choose to come out of retirement again? Hu Xiaotian could not help but think of tomorrow's appointment; as the time he had agreed with Liu Yuzhang approached, these long-absent figures began to appear one after another; could it be that their emergence is all related to this matter? Hu Xiaotian felt it impossible, after all this matter had not been publicized; he had not spoken of it, and Liu Yuzhang could not possibly speak of it externally; Ji Feihua's disposition would never involve interaction with the outside world; could it be Qiqi? Thinking of Qiqi's abnormal behavior these past few days, Hu Xiaotian felt his mind in turmoil.

Liang Da Zhuang secretly observed Hu Xiaotian's expression; unexpectedly, Hu Xiaotian's sharp gaze swept over him, frightening him into quickly lowering his head again.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Besides Old Lady Xu's coming to Kangdu, who else knows about it?"

Liang Da Zhuang said: "Nobody knows!"

Hu Xiaotian was not unfamiliar with the Beneficial Origin Hall; it is one of Dakang's three major medical halls; the three medical halls ought to have Xuantian Guan as the highest in status, but since Ren Tianqing met with misfortune, Xuantian Guan's status has plummeted, no longer retaining its former glory.

As for the Blue Ox Hall, although it has many branches, in terms of medical skill it has never been able to enter the ranks of the refined; the Beneficial Origin Hall, however, is the most balanced in all aspects; its branches have spread across the world, yet the Beneficial Origin Hall remains consistently low-key and pragmatic.

Hu Xiaotian's earliest display of medical skill was his interaction with the second-in-charge of the Beneficial Origin Hall, Yuan Shi Qing; as for the head of the Beneficial Origin Hall, Li Yi Feng, he is also an old acquaintance; this time, going to the Beneficial Origin Hall, he suddenly recalled how Yuan Shi Qing had helped him forge surgical instruments; Old Lady Xu's choice of the Beneficial Origin Hall as the destination for this trip is obviously the result of careful consideration; in her mind, the Beneficial Origin Hall must be safe and trustworthy. Hu Xiaotian, however, deduced a terrifying possibility from this: perhaps Yuan Shi Qing, Li Yi Feng, and even the entire background of the Beneficial Origin Hall are under Old Lady Xu's control.