Chapter 328: 【Slap in the Face】 (Part 1)

Ji Feihua said: "There's a banquet outside the palace tonight; if you have nothing else to do, come with Zajia."

"Yes!"

At dusk, Hu Xiaotian rode out of the palace together with Ji Feihua; besides Hu Xiaotian, only the coachman drove the carriage, and no one else accompanied them. Looking across the palace interior, very few people would have the honor of riding in the same carriage as Ji Feihua.

Ji Feihua sat in the carriage with eyes closed, quietly resting his spirit; Hu Xiaotian dared not disturb him, waiting silently at the side, for the carriage curtains on both sides were lowered, obscuring the outside view, so he could only hear the hooves hitting the ground and the wheels rumbling. After leaving the capital and traveling for about an hour, the carriage finally arrived at its destination.

At this moment, Ji Feihua slowly opened his eyes, and the coachman outside respectfully said: "Commandant, we've arrived at the Smoke-Water Pavilion!"

Hearing the three words "Smoke-Water Pavilion," Hu Xiaotian's heart stirred; this was precisely where he had once dueled in poetry with the Minister of Rites, Wu Jing Shan. Recalling past glory, relying on his superlative couplet skill, he had reduced Wu Jing Shan and the Censor-in-Chief Su Qingkun and their ilk to utter embarrassment, causing a host of literati to lose face before him, and even the renowned talent Huo Xiaoru had come to look upon him favorably. All of this seemed to have happened just yesterday, yet he could not have imagined that in less than a year, everything would have been turned upside down.

The coachman opened the carriage door, and Hu Xiaotian stepped out first, intending to help Ji Feihua, but Ji Feihua waved him away; the coachman set down a small stool, and Ji Feihua stepped down onto it, then he looked up at the horizontal plaque on the Smoke-Water Pavilion, glanced at the carriage waiting outside, and said softly: "It seems they've already arrived."

Hu Xiaotian followed Ji Feihua into the Smoke-Water Pavilion.

The Smoke-Water Pavilion has five floors; the banquet they were attending that night was on the fifth floor. As Hu Xiaotian followed Ji Feihua up the stairs, his mind kept pondering. He did not know which important figures would appear here tonight.

Upon entering the fifth floor of the Smoke-Water Pavilion, two burly warriors stood at the entrance; seeing Ji Feihua approach, they hurriedly bowed and saluted: "Commandant Ji has arrived!"

Ji Feihua didn't even glance at them, holding his head high and striding forward; Hu Xiaotian quickly followed behind him, hearing a hearty laugh say: "Commandant Ji has arrived!" He heard the voice but saw no one.

As Hu Xiaotian stepped over the final stair, he saw a young, handsome man striding toward them, clasping his fists with a smile all over his face, saying: "Bo Yuan failed to welcome you properly; I hope Commandant Ji will not take offense." The man was none other than Wen Boyuan, son of the current Grand Tutor Wen Chenghuan and the publicly acknowledged organizer of the Shence Directorate.

Ji Feihua stopped in his tracks, the corner of his mouth curling into a bewitching smile, his phoenix eyes fixed on Wen Boyuan, and he said lightly: "You are a junior; why would Zajia blame you?" Though it sounded ordinary, it was actually full of reproach.

Although Hu Xiaotian did not side with Ji Feihua in his heart, from the present situation it was clear that Wen Boyuan had done this on purpose; if he truly wished to show respect to Ji Feihua, he should have waited at the main gate of the Smoke-Water Pavilion to greet them, rather than rushing out only when they reached the fifth floor. It was obviously deliberate, full of perfunctoriness. After learning Wen Boyuan's identity, Hu Xiaotian immediately understood why he had acted thus: Wen Boyuan was the organizer of the Shence Directorate, meaning he currently stood on the same side as Quan De'an, opposing Ji Feihua, so his actions made sense. Yet since Ji Feihua and Wen Boyuan were on bad terms, why had he come to the banquet? Could tonight's feast be a Hongmen banquet? Hu Xiaotian silently grew wary.

Upon hearing Ji Feihua address him as a junior, Wen Boyuan naturally felt displeased, silently cursing Ji Feihua as a eunuch who dared to speak so, yet his face showed no displeasure as he smiled and said: "Please, Eunuch Ji!" Tit for tat. Since you don't respect me, I naturally need not give you much face; changing your title from Commandant to Eunuch clearly tells Ji Feihua that you are nothing but a eunuch. Wen Boyuan is also an outstanding figure among Dakang's younger generation, not only possessing superb martial prowess but also extraordinary wisdom; his father, Wen Chenghuan, contributed greatly to Long Yelin's ascension to the throne, and like the Left Chancellor Zhou Ruiyuan, he enjoys deep favor from Long Yelin, holding a first-rank office, being called Long Yelin's left and right arms, a pillar of the state of Dakang.

Although Ji Feihua enjoyed the emperor's favor, after all he was a eunuch, and according to official rank he was merely a fourth-rank official; Wen Boyuan, meanwhile, held a concurrent post in the Ministry of War, having been bestowed the title of Mingwei General, also a fourth-rank lower, not much different from Ji Feihua.

Ji Feihua showed no change in expression, maintaining his smile as he walked slowly inside; Hu Xiaotian followed behind. Wen Boyuan, however, gave a glance, and the two warriors reached out to block Hu Xiaotian.

Before Hu Xiaotian could speak, he saw a flash, then heard two crisp slaps; looking again, the two warriors' faces were swollen high, for Ji Feihua had lightning-fast dealt them two slaps, his strike swift as a ghost; Hu Xiaotian couldn't even see it clearly, and at that moment Ji Feihua had already withdrawn his right hand, saying nonchalantly: "You blind things, dare you stop Zajia's people?"

As the saying goes, to beat a dog you must look at its owner; Ji Feihua struck these two warriors, but in reality he was humiliating Wen Boyuan. Wen Boyuan had merely intended to thwart Hu Xiaotian to dampen Ji Feihua's spirit, yet he did not expect Ji Feihua's reaction to be so fierce and swift; his heart involuntarily tightened, for from Ji Feihua's displayed movement alone, one could see his martial arts were unfathomable. Wen Boyuan's adaptability was also remarkably quick; he angrily shouted: "You scoundrel, how dare you be disrespectful to Eunuch Ji!"

The two warriors truly swallowed their broken teeth; the instigator of this affair was Wen Boyuan, yet now the blame fell entirely on them. They lowered their heads, making way before Hu Xiaotian.

An unexpected scene then unfolded: Hu Xiaotian did not rush to pass, but raised his hand and delivered two big slaps. If Ji Feihua's earlier strike left the warriors unable to defend, Hu Xiaotian's strike came when they were completely unprepared—not even Ji Feihua had anticipated that Hu Xiaotian would strike.

The blows landed on the warriors' faces, but the humiliation was directed at Wen Boyuan.

Wen Boyuan's face instantly turned deathly pale, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.

Hu Xiaotian, however, approached him as if nothing had happened, smiling: "General Wen, perhaps you should spare them; Zajia has already taught them a lesson on your behalf."

Wen Boyuan was utterly infuriated by this wretch—how shameless could one be? After beating someone, he still pretends to be a good person.

Ji Feihua's lips curled with a smile; he secretly praised Hu Xiaotian's two slaps as well-placed, striking while the opponent was down—a clever move. Though he himself had disciplined those two warriors, Wen Boyuan might not yet feel anything, but this little eunuch Hu Xiaotian's strike landed a very fine blow; this kid is also a Zajia man, hahaha, I'm laughing myself to death.

Wen Boyuan was no ordinary figure either; the killing intent in his eyes flickered and vanished, he smiled and nodded: "You two still haven't thanked this little eunuch for interceding for you."

The two warriors swallowed their anger and bowed: "Thank you, Eunuch, for your intercession." Verbally they gave thanks, but in their hearts they wished to chop Hu Xiaotian into a thousand pieces.

Entering the banquet hall, he saw that most of the guests had already arrived; Hu Xiaotian spotted a few acquaintances—the Minister of Rites Wu Jing Shan and the Censor-in-Chief Su Qingkun—while many others he did not know. These two bore old grudges against him, so Hu Xiaotian hastily lowered his head and hid behind Ji Feihua, not wishing to invite trouble.

Wu Jing Shan's dim old eyes failed to recognize that Hu Xiaotian had become a eunuch; on the contrary, Su Qingkun recognized him at a glance. Su Qingkun's heart first leapt with joy—since the Smoke-Water Pavilion incident where this brat had stolen the limelight and left him embarrassed, he had nursed a grudge; now that this brat had met misfortune, it seemed he finally had a chance for revenge. But when he saw that Hu Xiaotian had come with Ji Feihua, his heart sank again, for Ji Feihua was a favorite beside the emperor; since the emperor's accession, this person's influence in the palace had grown daily, and as the saying goes, to beat a dog you must look at its owner—today it seemed he could not vent his anger.

Although Ji Feihua was currently in favor, his official rank was lower than Wu Jing Shan's; propriety dictated that he should go over and greet him. As he approached, Wu Jing Shan also rose to his feet; as a Minister of Rites capable of holding office through two dynasties, he still had that perceptiveness. Wu Jing Shan clasped his hands and smiled: "Commandant Ji has come as well."

Ji Feihua smiled: "Having heard that Official Wu was coming, I certainly had to come; today I came not only to share drinks and pleasantries with Minister Wu, but also to ask him for a piece of calligraphy." Wu Jing Shan was a renowned calligrapher of Dakang, hence Ji Feihua's remark.

Wu Jing Shan laughed: "You flatter me, you flatter me; my modest skill is not worthy of display." At this moment he finally made out Hu Xiaotian beside Ji Feihua. His eyes swept over Hu Xiaotian, and he smiled: "Is this not the precious young master of Hu Buwei?" In the days when Hu Buwei held power, Wu Jing Shan would not dare address him directly by name.

Ji Feihua, unaware that Hu Xiaotian had any grudge with him, nodded with a smile: "Exactly! Xiao Tian, hurry and pay your respects to Minister Wu."

Hu Xiaotian steeled himself and stepped forward, clasping his hands: "Hu Xiaotian pays his respects to Minister Wu!"

Originally this remark meant nothing, but upon hearing it Wu Jing Shan felt it especially grating, involuntarily recalling the couplet "Minister of Rites is a dog"; his old face flushed, yet with Ji Feihua present he dared not erupt openly. He could only suppress his anger, exchange a few pleasantries with Ji Feihua, and prepare to take his seat. Suddenly, a report came from outside: "His Highness the Prince has arrived!"

Ji Feihua heard this announcement and his heart gave a start— which prince? Before tonight's banquet, Wen Boyuan had not informed him that a prince would be coming.

Everyone rose together to greet, yet they saw the Third Prince Long Tingzhen, accompanied by two guards, stride in with large steps. Ji Feihua saw it was Long Tingzhen, and his heart sank—indeed, there is no good banquet; tonight Wen Boyuan's invitation clearly aimed to embarrass him. As a favorite beside the emperor, Ji Feihua had not earned the trust of several princes and princesses, but rather attracted much criticism, especially this Third Prince Long Tingzhen, who always gave him a sour look. (To be continued~^~)