Chapter 330

Su Qingkun's face first flushed red, then turned ashen, then purple; Hu Xiaotian was obviously speaking indirectly to curse himself, cursing so venomously, he was about to explode. Yet he heard Ji Feihua giggle: 'It's apt, but a bit too vulgar, Your Highness, what do you think?'

Third Prince Long Tingzhen also burst out laughing; their laughter made the crowd, who had been holding back with difficulty, all laugh as well; Su Qingkun nearly vomited blood from anger, you little brat, I swear I won't be a man if I don't avenge this!

Hu Xiaotian laughed: 'Coincidences in this world are truly many; what Xiaotian said about this child having some fortune is fine, but his surname is the "comfort" Shu, not the Su of Sir Su.' The more he described, the darker it got, and Ji Feihua laughed even more gleefully.

Wen Bohuan didn't smile, quietly watching Hu Xiaotian speak eloquently, and suddenly realized this kid was indeed a rare talent.

Ji Feihua said: 'It's rare that everyone is so happy; the Zajia also has a couplet.'

Everyone stopped laughing and all looked at Ji Feihua, but Ji Feihua's gaze was fixed solely on Long Tingzhen.

Long Tingzhen laughed: 'Your humble servant listens attentively.'

Ji Feihua said: 'My upper couplet is: With both hands I cleave the path of life and death!'

Long Tingzhen's brows slightly furrowed, and he softly said: 'One stroke writes all joys and sorrows!'

Everyone shouted approval in unison.

Ji Feihua, however, slowly shook his head and said: 'Your Highness's lower couplet sounds fitting, but upon closer inspection it's not the best.'

Wen Bohuan beside him said: 'I also feel something is missing.' He paused, lifted his head, his gaze blazing as he fixed on Ji Feihua: 'I've figured it out; it seems to lack a killing intent!'

Wu Jingshan said: 'Your Highness is benevolent at heart; it shows between the lines.'

Ji Feihua laughed: 'This lower couplet actually existed long ago.' He stood up and said: 'One slash cuts the root of right and wrong!' After saying that, he took his leave from Long Tingzhen.

Long Tingzhen didn't keep him, merely nodding.

Once Ji Feihua left, Hu Xiaotian certainly had no reason to stay; he followed Ji Feihua out of the Smoke and Water Pavilion.

Ji Feihua came outside the Smoke and Water Pavilion, turned to glance at its sign, a flicker of cold chill crossed his eyes. Hu Xiaotian walked beside him, clearly sensing the icy killing aura emanating from him, making even his hairs stand on end.

Ji Feihua didn't rush to board the carriage, but softly told Hu Xiaotian: 'Very good, not wasting the Zajia's regard for you.' He pointed ahead to the long street: 'Walk two steps!'

Hu Xiaotian and Ji Feihua walked side by side, going over a li, arriving at West Phoenix Bridge; beside the bridge's riverbank was a tiny night market stall run by an elderly couple, whose business was sparse due to the cold, and they were already planning to pack up.

Ji Feihua walked over and placed a silver ingot weighing about five taels before the stall. The old man hurriedly set up a small table and placed two low stools.

Ji Feihua greeted Hu Xiaotian to sit down; it seemed he was a regular here, no need to order, and indeed the stall had few dishes. Soon the old lady brought up steaming braised beef and a plate of white lotus root.

The coachman fetched a jar of Yutang Chun liquor from the carriage and handed it over. Hu Xiaotian opened the jar, filled Ji Feihua's wine bowl, and poured himself a bowl as well.

Ji Feihua downed his wine in one gulp; Hu Xiaotian didn't want to be outdone, finishing his own bowl. Life is truly wonderful—before, he never imagined he'd get a chance to sit with Ji Feihua, let alone face each other at an inconspicuous snack stall in Huangcheng, drinking together.

Ji Feihua's gaze seemed somewhat lost, looking toward the distant Smoke and Water Pavilion, which remained brightly lit, standing out starkly amidst the night‑shrouded capital.

Hu Xiaotian picked up a piece of hot beef, dipped it in sauce, and put it in his mouth; the meat was tender, juicy, and delicious—who would have thought such a humble stall could offer such flavor? Even more unexpected that a high‑and‑mighty eunuch like Ji Feihua, who looks down on everyone, would choose this modest stall for drinks.

Ji Feihua whispered: 'What did you see tonight?'

Hu Xiaotian swallowed the beef, took another sip of wine, and said slyly: 'What I've seen is actually what all the commanders have experienced.'

Ji Feihua said: 'Tell me your opinion.'

Hu Xiaotian said: 'I dare not speak, for fear of saying something wrong.'

Ji Feihua said: 'Speak!'

Hu Xiaotian said: 'The Third Prince seems to have some prejudice against you.'

Ji Feihua laughed: 'In the Zajia's heart he's just a child; he is a prince, and no matter how he treats me, the Zajia will bear no grudge whatsoever.'

Hu Xiaotian heard him speak eloquently, but it's hard to say if he can truly do that; he whispered: 'People like Wu Jingshan and Su Qingkun are probably trying to curry favor with the Third Prince, which is why they jumped out; I think they lack the gall to offend you.'

Ji Feihua said: 'The truly hateful are these people; they think by cozying up to the Third Prince they can jump out and oppose the Zajia.'

Hu Xiaotian said: 'What kind of person is Wen Bohuan?'

'He's the son of Grand Tutor Wen, close with Quan De'an; the Emperor's approval of the newly established Shen Ce Bureau was his doing. How? You haven't heard of it?'

Hu Xiaotian said: 'I've heard of the Shen Ce Bureau, but not anything else about it.'

Ji Feihua smiled meaningfully: 'The old traitor shouts loyalty to the sovereign and patriotism, but in fact he's only scheming for his own gain; he colluded with Wen Chenghuan to found the Shen Ce Bureau, which is not to protect the Emperor nor to relieve his burdens, but truly to prop up the Third Prince to the throne.'

Hu Xiaotian remained silent; what Ji Feihua said seemed true. Long Yelin had only recently ascended the throne, yet the matter of naming a crown prince was already on the agenda; now several princes actively vie for the position, Third Prince Long Tingzhen enjoys strong support, especially with Grand Tutor Wen Chenghuan backing him, giving him ample confidence. Suddenly he felt that present‑day Dakang was no different from the past—whoever becomes emperor makes little difference. The struggle for the throne has never ceased through ages. He picked up the jar and refilled Ji Feihua's wine bowl, then whispered: 'Whom do you favor?'

Ji Feihua said: 'The Emperor is in his prime; there's no rush to name an heir; it's only these people who are anxious.'

Hu Xiaotian said: 'I've heard the Shen Ce Bureau was established to counter the Tianji Bureau.'

Ji Feihua laughed: 'The Tianji Bureau now is but a shadow of its former might; the so‑called opposition is merely a pretext. In Quan De'an's mouth, is the Zajia decadent and extravagant, indulging in extreme luxury?'

Hu Xiaotian said: 'He rarely mentions you in my presence.'

Ji Feihua slowly set down his wine bowl: 'The Zajia's present status actually owes something to Eunuch Quan's patronage.'

Hu Xiaotian had also heard a bit about their grudges; nowadays Ji Feihua's influence grows, and he no longer regards his mentor Quan De'an with respect; their rivalry, at its core, is still a struggle for power.

Ji Feihua said: 'The Zajia has no intention of making him an enemy, yet he regards the Zajia as a thorn in his flesh and a splinter in his eye, insisting on disposing of me as soon as possible.'

Hu Xiaotian naturally wouldn't believe his one‑sided words; Ji Feihua and Quan De'an are fundamentally no different.

At that moment a cool raindrop fell on Hu Xiaotian's face; Ji Feihua's left pinky twitched slightly, and he whispered: 'Looks like rain; let's return to the palace.'

The carriage crept along Tian Street, outside scattered raindrops fell, striking the canopy in a slow rhythm that produced a ticking like a clock's second hand; Hu Xiaotian suddenly recalled the verse 'Tian Street's gentle rain moistens like cream,' remembered his previous stroll with Murong Feiyan along Tian Street, and his encounter here with Huo Xiaoru—life is full of too many coincidences and too many uncertainties.

Ji Feihua's delicate, jade‑like ears twitched; his phoenix eyes snapped open, a piercing cold light flashing in the darkness. He heard a sharp whistling, faint but impossible to escape his keen hearing—the sound of metal cleaving air, approaching from afar; from the sound he judged the speed and direction of the oncoming attacker.

The wheels rolled over the gaps between the blue stones; the carriage first sank slightly, then, due to the jolt, the cabin lurched upward. Only then did Hu Xiaotian hear the metal‑splitting sound, and he widened his eyes in alarm.

Ji Feihua's slender, white hand slowly reached out, blossoming like an orchid in the night; a forged steel spear shot with a bang, piercing the carriage, its sharp, gleaming tip carrying heat as it sped inside. Ji Feihua seized the spear effortlessly, plucked it from the air, then his arm trembled slightly and he flung the spear backward. He snorted coldly, his body launched upward, his palm shattering the carriage roof, his form spiraling up, and in an instant he rose to a height of five zhang.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! More than ten shafts of cold light shot from five different angles at the still‑airborne Ji Feihua; his body spun faster, his scarlet cloak turning into a sheet of red light in the darkness that enveloped him, and the incoming arrows all missed. At the same time, the spear he'd thrown backward smashed through the rear brick wall; the assassin hiding behind the wall hadn't yet managed to withdraw when he saw the spear shaft shoot through the dust‑filled hole in the wall, strike his chest, brutally pierce his body and burst out from his back, eliciting a heart‑rending scream that echoed through the silent night.

A flash of red light, and Ji Feihua had already landed on the right‑side eave of the street; he flicked his cloak, his phoenix eyes gazing proudly over the surroundings, looking down from above with an air of 'who else but me?'

Hu Xiaotian also jumped out of the carriage afterward; the carriage's profile was too big—staying inside meant staying in danger. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he heard barking in the distance; he looked up and saw more than ten mastiffs surrounding his position. (To be continued...)