Chapter 379

At this moment, two young eunuchs carried in food and wine; the cattle and sheep kitchen of the Imperial Food Directorate naturally had no shortage of delicious dishes.

Zhang Fuchuan invited Hu Xiaotian to take a seat, and Hu Xiaotian eagerly picked up the wine jug and filled the two cups before them.

After the young eunuch withdrew, Zhang Fuchuan raised his wine cup and said: "Lord Hu, we have known each other for so long, yet sitting down alone to drink seems to be the first time."

Hu Xiaotian raised his wine cup, stood up, and respectfully said: "In my heart, Eunuch Zhang is like a teacher to me; I will never forget that it was Eunuch Zhang who personally brought me into the palace." Remembering kindness for a thousand years, Hu Xiaotian's ability to preserve his life is largely thanks to the favor bestowed by Zhang Dequan; regardless of the cause, this favor Hu Xiaotian has kept in mind.

Zhang Dequan said: "Lord Hu, you are being modest; you are young and accomplished, and today you have rendered great service. I heard the Emperor bestowed upon you the Coiling Dragon Gold Medal. In the future, I hope you will look after me, this old brother." In front of Hu Xiaotian he actually dared not act presumptuously. Hu Xiaotian knew he was merely putting on a show; Zhang Fuchuan's respect was not directed at him personally, but at the power behind him, Quan De'an. Sure enough, there are no walls that do not let the wind through; before long after saving the Emperor, the news had already spread throughout the entire palace.

Hu Xiaotian regarded Zhang Dequan's words as mere pleasantries; Zhang Dequan was undoubtedly a trusted aide of Quan De'an, so he had no need to curry favor with Hu Xiaotian, nor would he conceal his intentions from Quan De'an while trying to get close to Hu Xiaotian. Although Hu Xiaotian appeared to have gained the favor of the two powerful figures, Quan De'an and Ji Feihua, in reality he was merely a pawn in their eyes. Given Zhang Dequan's worldly sophistication, it was impossible for him not to see through this. The two drank this cup together, and Hu Xiaotian eagerly refilled Zhang Dequan's cup. After the initial pleasantries, Zhang Dequan no longer competed with Hu Xiaotian for the jug, but sat back comfortably, letting Hu Xiaotian pour his wine.

Hu Xiaotian asked: "Eunuch Zhang, did you summon me for something else?"

Zhang Dequan smiled and said: "Nothing else, just offering congratulations."

Hu Xiaotian set down the wine jug, his smile showing a hint of helplessness: "What joy is there to speak of! Without hiding it from Eunuch Zhang, the Bright Moon Palace is indeed a place of misfortune; in just a few days three lives have already been lost, and today the Emperor suddenly fell ill within the palace. The commander of the Imperial Guard, Mu Rongzhan, has just taken away a palace maid and a eunuch; now only I and another palace maid remain in the Bright Moon Palace."

Zhang Dequan smiled: "The innocent need not worry, why should you, Brother Hu, be concerned?" Just moments ago he had addressed him as Lord Hu, but after two cups of wine he began calling him Brother Hu; indeed, over wine it is easy to draw people closer.

Hu Xiaotian said: "This Bright Moon Palace truly is an ominous place."

Zhang Dequan said: "As long as the Emperor is safe, that's good. In my view, the series of events occurring in the Bright Moon Palace are not a natural disaster…" He trailed off, smiling at Hu Xiaotian, and the unfinished half-sentence was already understood by Hu Xiaotian. Since it was not a natural disaster, it must be a man-made calamity.

Hu Xiaotian deliberately sighed and said: "Eunuch Zhang, to speak frankly, I feel as though I am sitting on pins and needles in the Bright Moon Palace, each day dragging like a year; if it were not for Eunuch Quan's instructions, I would have long ago thrown up my hands and returned to the Bureau of Imperial Gardens."

Zhang Dequan chuckled: "Having come, one should settle in. Brother Hu, why be so anxious?" In his heart he did not believe Hu Xiaotian's words. "Leave at a moment's notice? Do you think you are someone who can go wherever you please, serve whomever you wish, and decide everything yourself?" Furthermore, he added, "It was Ji Feihua, not Quan De'an, who arranged for you to be stationed in the Bright Moon Palace."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Although that may be the case, I always feel that the surroundings of the Talented Person are overly complicated."

"The past was complicated, but the present is not so simple." Zhang Dequan said with deep meaning, noting that the Bright Moon Palace now only had three people, so naturally it would not be as intricately complex as before.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I really do not understand why someone would send their children into the deep palace, when some people spend their whole lives without ever gaining the Emperor's favor."

Zhang Dequan said: "How the Grand Tutor thinks is not something we servants can fathom, but recently there have been many rumors circulating in the palace, all saying that the Talented Person is an ominous individual."

Hu Xiaotian lifted his wine cup, took a sip, and said: "Whether or not she is ominous, I do not know; but the Talented Person's fortune is indeed somewhat poor. The Emperor drew her name, letting her spend the night with him, yet coincidentally she had her menstruation that evening. Today the Emperor came specially to the Bright Moon Palace to visit her, yet unexpectedly he fell ill again."

Zhang Dequan also expressed deep agreement, saying in a low voice: "I heard that it was you, Brother, who rescued the Emperor?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I dare not claim credit; I merely recalled a folk remedy I had heard of, suggested it to the Emperor on a whim, and unexpectedly it worked—all thanks to the Emperor's boundless blessings."

Zhang Dequan raised his cup and said: "May the Emperor's dragon body be healthy, his blessings boundless; may Dakang enjoy favorable weather and peace, and the nation prosper and its people live in tranquility."

Hu Xiaotian echoed the sentiment; previously he had not noticed that Zhang Dequan actually had a talent for shouting slogans.

After drinking together, Zhang Dequan smiled and asked: "Brother, may I have a look at that Coiling Dragon Gold Medal?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded, took from his waist the Coiling Dragon Gold Medal bestowed by the Emperor; although its name sounded mighty and imposing, the medal was not large—about the size of a matchbox. Zhang Dequan turned it over and over, examining it for a while, then clicked his tongue in admiration: "In my impression, the Emperor has personally bestowed no more than five such Coiling Dragon Gold Medals."

Hu Xiaotian thought: The Emperor has only just ascended the throne; this item is essentially a special pass, allowing free entry and exit from the palace, and even access to the inner court of the harem. If the Emperor were to dispense it casually, that would be irresponsible toward his own safety. In front of Zhang Dequan, Hu Xiaotian behaved modestly, smiling: "It is merely heavenly protection and my own good fortune."

Zhang Dequan said: "Brother, at such a young age you have already gained the Emperor's favor; you are destined for great heights. When you attain power, be sure not to forget this old brother." His intention to ingratiate himself was obvious.

Hu Xiaotian sensed from his words an implication of wanting to become sworn brothers, and hastily replied: "I will not forget, I will not forget; I have always repaid a drop of kindness with a spring's gratitude. Eunuch Zhang, please rest assured—uh, this seems not early." Hu Xiaotian had no desire to become sworn brothers with him; he was looking for an excuse to leave.

Zhang Dequan said: "Little brother, why the rush? Anyway, there's nothing else tonight; let us two brothers chat a bit longer."

Hu Xiaotian said: "I am worried about the Bright Moon Palace; there is no one attending to the Talented Person."

"There is nothing to worry about," said Zhang Dequan. "The Bright Moon Palace has seen so many incidents; the palace guards have tightened security. Moreover, there is still a palace maid present. It is already very late; the Talented Person must have already gone to sleep. Even if you returned, you could not be of much help, don't you think?"

Zhang Dequan pressed his invitation warmly; Hu Xiaotian could not easily refuse his face, so he nodded, inwardly wondering whether Quan De'an would still come tonight.

Hu Xiaotian stayed at Zhang Dequan's place until midnight, seeing that a jar of wine had already been emptied, yet Zhang Dequan still showed no sign of drunkenness and wanted to open another jar to continue drinking. Hu Xiaotian was not afraid of matching him drink for drink; even if he became intoxicated it would not be disgraceful, and moreover his own alcohol tolerance was decent. However, the topics Zhang Dequan discussed with him tonight were mostly trivial, seemingly intended to stall for time. Hu Xiaotian vaguely felt that something was amiss tonight, and decided to end the drinking party quickly and return to the Bright Moon Palace.

Seeing that Hu Xiaotian was determined to leave, Zhang Dequan did not detain him this time; instead he personally carried a lantern to escort Hu Xiaotian out of the Imperial Food Directorate, then handed the lantern to Hu Xiaotian, reminding him to be careful on his way back.

Hu Xiaotian walked toward the Bright Moon Palace holding the lantern; the night temperature dropped sharply, the snow that had melted during the day refroze into ice, making the ground slippery. Along the road to the Bright Moon Palace one could see many guards; since the incident of flying thieves infiltrating the palace a few days earlier, security had been tightened considerably. Hu Xiaotian did not fear being questioned en route, firstly because he now possessed a certain status and position, and secondly because the Emperor had just bestowed upon him the Coiling Dragon Gold Medal, so even if he were stopped it would cause no trouble.

Arriving outside the Bright Moon Palace, he intended to enter through the side gate; previously he had agreed with Baobao to leave the gate unlocked, but upon reaching the door and giving it a light push he discovered that it had been bolted from inside. Pressing his eye to the crack and looking inward, he saw that the interior of the Bright Moon Palace was pitch black; Baobao must have fallen asleep waiting for his return.

Hu Xiaotian glanced around; with his lightness skill scaling the wall to enter would not be difficult, but after thinking it over he instead went around to the main gate, where he found the door ajar, leaving a gap. He felt a secret delight, realizing that Baobao had ultimately not forgotten this matter and had not bolted the main gate.

Hu Xiaotian pushed the door open and entered, then closed it behind him. He had intended to go straight back to his room, but upon reaching the doorway he instinctively glanced toward the chambers, only to see a black-clad, masked figure standing on the roof, silhouetted against the wind, two sharp, knife-like eyes fixed upon him. Hu Xiaotian sucked in a breath of cold air and shouted loudly: "Someone! Catch the thief!"

The black-clad figure made no sound, tapped lightly on the ridge with the tip of his foot, and his body rose suddenly like a black cloud drifting in the dark night; in the blink of an eye he had vanished.

Hu Xiaotian silently thought: "This is bad." He did not give chase, for from the black-clad figure's movement he could tell he was far out of his league. His first thought was for the safety of Wen Ya and Baobao; he immediately rushed into the chambers.

The gate of the Bright Moon Palace was also ajar; Hu Xiaotian rushed in holding his lantern, shouting loudly: "Talented Person! Baobao!" After taking just a few steps, his foot caught on a soft, fluffy object and he nearly fell to the ground. He steadied himself, lowered the lantern to look down, and saw a headless corpse lying in a pool of blood. Hu Xiaotian's heart leapt with terror; his first thought was for Wen Ya and Baobao, these two being closely connected to him, and if either came to harm the impact on him would be enormous.

Hu Xiaotian suppressed the shock in his heart and looked down again, only to see that the headless corpse was wearing the uniform of a guard, presumably a man; this eased his mind somewhat, and he said in a trembling voice: "Baobao… Talented Person…"

Request Monthly Ticket! (To be continued…~^~)