Chapter 248

When Hu Xiaotian and Kangdu left, there wasn't much change; as Hu Xiaotian passed Heaven Street, he suddenly thought of Huo Xiaoru, looked toward the East Four Archways, wondering if she was safe. Recalling her words before parting that she would soon leave Kangdu, he supposed she had already gone; originally they had a one-year agreement, agreeing that next year Huo Xiaoru would travel to Qingyun, but worldly affairs are unpredictable—now he has returned to Kangdu, yet he does not know where Huo Xiaoru is; it seems this agreement cannot be fulfilled.

Recalling the past, Hu Xiaotian's heart filled with sorrow; now he has no time to lament these things, perhaps he is destined in this world to be only a fleeting passerby. He had wanted to live a simple life, but he must chase wind and waves; the fate of the Hu clan can only rely on him to save.

The Enze Manor lies northwest of Kangdu, south of the Xiao Merchant River; this place was formerly where the Crown Prince Long Yelin was under house arrest, and not long ago the Crown Prince Long Yelinqing was also imprisoned here, finally hanging himself to death. It is easy to find: before the Enze Manor gate is a narrow alley called Suoyun Lane, which originally was named Suochun Lane; during the Mingzong era they disliked the name as inauspicious, and the emperor personally edited it, changing the middle character 'spring' to 'cloud', thus becoming the current name—though the former name was more fitting. There are no ordinary residents in this lane; both sides are grand mansions housing some imperial household agencies, which are mostly inconvenient to set up inside the palace, so they are arranged here. Nearby are the Ritual Bureau hutong, Bell and Drum Office hutong, Porcelain Warehouse hutong, Dyeing and Weaving Bureau hutong, Wine and Vinegar Bureau hutong, Firewood Conservation hutong, Wax Storage hutong, Frugality hutong, and the imperial ice cellar. This area faces the Dakang palace across the river; although it does not match the palace's grandeur, its occupied area is also considerable. The Enze Manor stands out among these buildings; entering Suoyun Lane, one can immediately see its blue-gray roof tiles. The narrow Suoyun Lane can accommodate only one carriage; the walls on both sides are about three zhang high, and walking through gives a strong sense of oppression.

The blazing sun hung in the sky, yet sunlight could not reach into the lane; anyone walking inside the lane remained in shadow, and the long Suoyun Lane had only Hu Xiaotian walking alone.

Arriving before the Enze Manor, he discovered the gate was also pitch black; Hu Xiaotian then realized that aside from gray-black, the entire Suoyun Lane had no other color, and there was not even any vegetation inside. Previously, while in Kangdu, he had not known there was such an oppressive place here.

The black gate of the Enze Manor had just been painted; the air still smelled of fresh paint, and the door nails had been newly replaced, each bright and glossy yellow, adding a touch of brightness to this oppressive lane. A young eunuch stood before the gate, head bowed, dozing.

Hu Xiaotian came up to him and coughed once. The young eunuch stifled a yawn, lifted his head, and sized up the stranger before him: 'Who are you looking for?'

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, 'May I ask if Eunuch An is here?'

The young eunuch grinned and said, 'Eunuch An? There's no Eunuch An here! I've never even heard of such a person.' Hu Xiaotian froze for a moment, wondering if Ande Quan was a false name; this old eunuch was truly crafty, not even revealing his real name to this benefactor who saved his life. Or perhaps this young eunuch's status was too low to ever come into contact with a high-ranking eunuch like Ande Quan. Hu Xiaotian, with a tentative attitude, produced the Ebony Token and waved it before the eunuch's eyes.

Unexpectedly, upon seeing the Ebony Token, the young eunuch was so frightened he fell to his knees with a thud, trembling as he said, 'Great... great sir, this lowly one has eyes but no pearls; I hope the great sir will not blame me for my negligence.'

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but laugh and said, 'Do you know me?'

The young eunuch shook his head vigorously and said, 'I don't know you!'...

'You don't know me and yet you make me kneel?'

The young eunuch said, 'Seeing the Ebony Token is like seeing Quan…' He raised his hand and slapped himself across the face: 'It is like seeing the Commander-in-Chief in person.'

Hu Xiaotian looked at the Ebony Token; however he looked at it, it seemed utterly ordinary. Yet it had frightened the young eunuch to this extent? It seemed Ande Quan had not deceived him.

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Who is in charge here?'

The young eunuch said, 'Eunuch Quan!'

Hu Xiaotian startled, 'Eunuch Quan? He doesn't bear the surname An, yet Ande Quan's last character is also Quan; perhaps this old eunuch deliberately reversed his name when he gave it to me, his real name being Quan De'an—this old fox, uttering not a single word of truth.' Hu Xiaotian reached out and lifted the young eunuch: 'Little sir, please rise.'

The young eunuch continued to tremble with fear, which naturally had nothing to do with Hu Xiaotian; they were afraid of the token in Hu Xiaotian's hand.

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Is Eunuch Quan's full name Quan De'an?'

The young eunuch glanced to both sides, then nodded somewhat fearfully; earlier he had only uttered a single word before falling silent, his heart filled with dread for this Senior Manager Quan.

Hu Xiaotian's guess was indeed correct; he whispered, 'I have come this time specifically to pay a visit to Eunuch Quan; I do not know if Eunuch Quan is inside.'

The young eunuch said, 'Great sir, Eunuch Quan entered the palace early this morning to attend an audience with the emperor.'

'When will he return?'

'That's hard to say; these past two days the palace has been swamped with affairs, Eunuch Quan is extremely busy, perhaps he will return in the evening, or perhaps he will not return at all today.'

Hearing this, Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Because of the Ebony Token in Hu Xiaotian's hand, the young eunuch was extremely respectful, earnestly saying, 'Great sir, why not leave a verbal message for me to convey to Eunuch Quan when he returns?'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'You only need to tell him that someone bearing the Ebony Token has come to seek him; I will come again later to pay my respects.'

The young eunuch acknowledged with a sound and respectfully saw Hu Xiaotian off.

Hu Xiaotian left Suoyun Lane, and even as he departed he remained very cautious; although his current appearance would not be recognized by others, during the interrogation of Xu Zhengying he had ultimately leaked some secrets, and given Xu Zhengying's intellect it was likely he would deduce that Hu Xiaotian would come to the Enze Manor, possibly setting up an ambush nearby to intercept him.

Hu Xiaotian found that the mask Qin Yutong had given him still served its purpose well; thanks to this mask as a disguise, he could openly come and go through Kangdu's streets and alleys. He had not hurried back to the previous inn, nor did he plan to meet again with Gao Yuan, who was a good kid; the Hu family had met misfortune, and his own future and fate were beyond his control—why drag an innocent child into it?

Wanting to gather news, visiting teahouses and taverns is also an effective method; that noon Hu Xiaotian arrived at Yan Yun Lou, where he had previously dined, recalling that he had once gotten into a fight there because of the blind woman Fang Fang and the son of the Minister of Rites, Shi Buhui, Shi Xuedong.

Although business at Yan Yun Lou remains as before, Hu Xiaotian has gone from being the pampered son of a ministerial family to a nameless fugitive hiding his identity—truly, worldly affairs toy with people.

Hu Xiaotian ordered two small dishes and a pot of wine, drinking alone while listening to the conversations around him.

Although it is said that one should not discuss state affairs in public, the topics of the common folk in the capital are still related to state affairs eight or nine times out of ten. Especially with the recent change in imperial rule and the new emperor's accession, the past two days have seen frequent shifts within the court; as former high officials are arrested one after another, an unprecedented political storm has officially swept through all of Kangdu.

The person at the neighboring table said, 'I heard that the former Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, Zhou Ruizhou, Zhou Sir, has been appointed as the current Left Secretary, overseeing the Ministry of Personnel—a position second only to the emperor and above ten thousand people.' The Lan-robed scholar at the same table laughed, 'A new sovereign brings new ministers; since ancient times, whenever imperial rule changes, this scene repeats.' Another short, stout man said, 'With the new sovereign's ascension, some families rejoice while others grieve; have you heard that in these three days alone, seven third-rank officials have been arrested, including the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Personnel? It seems the court is planning a major move.'...

The one who spoke first said, 'Keep your voice down; now eyes and ears of the court are everywhere in the capital, and whoever comments on state affairs risks being dragged into the government office.' The several people stopped their discussion and almost simultaneously looked toward the stairway entrance.

Hu Xiaotian also raised his head and glanced, only to see two familiar figures walking up from the stairs. One was Yuan Shiqing, the attending physician of Yiyuantang; the other was Zhan Peng, the hunter whom Hu Xiaotian had once helped. Hu Xiaotian knew them, but the two clearly could not recognize the now-disguised Hu Xiaotian; they sat at the table next to him, Zhan Peng setting his pack and arrows on the ground. Yuan Shiqing summoned the waiter and ordered a few dishes, requesting a pot of fine wine.

Yuan Shiqing raised his cup and said, 'Brother Zhan, as you head to Xichuan where mountains are high and waters long, I offer this cup to wish you a safe journey.'

Zhan Peng lifted his wine bowl, clinked it against Yuan Shiqing's, and tilted his head back to drain the wine.

Hu Xiaotian heard clearly: Zhan Peng was going to Xichuan? He was obviously a native of the capital, so why go to Xichuan? Now Li Tianheng has risen in revolt with his troops, the whole of Xichuan has fallen under the control of the Li rebel forces, the eastern front of Xichuan is tense, war could break out at any moment—why would Zhan Peng head to Xichuan at this time? Could it be…

Yuan Shiqing then drank another bowl of wine with Zhan Peng and said in a low voice, 'Brother Zhan, the Li clan of Xichuan has risen in revolt with its troops; it is said that the emperor is already mustering a great army and will soon launch a punitive expedition against the rebels—going there now is indeed rather dangerous. Moreover, Hu Sir's life or death is unknown; even if you reached that place, you might not be able to find him.' Although he deliberately lowered his voice, Hu Xiaotian at the neighboring table heard it clearly, so it is true that walls have ears, and some words are better not spoken outdoors.

Hearing the two mention his name, Hu Xiaotian's heart stirred; he had vaguely sensed that Zhan Peng's trip to Xichuan this time was likely related to him, and the fact indeed confirmed it. In such tumultuous times, it is moving that someone still cares for his safety and has decided to go to Xichuan to seek him; Hu Xiaotian felt a sudden surge of emotion.

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