Chapter 485

The first few days, being within Dakang's borders, nobody was overly worried about safety, and they had chosen routes that were all northbound official roads; within 300 li north of Kangdu, towns were dense and there were no bandits lurking. Since there were still over two months until March 16, they didn't need to rush; aside from departing Kangdu at nightfall on the first day, each day they only set out after sunrise, entering towns to rest before dusk, and everyone's mood was very relaxed.

The warrior whom Hu Xiaotian beat on the first day, having broken ribs, could not leave Kangdu to recover; Hu Xiaotian's action directly caused the warriors under Wen Boyuan to unite against him, though there were exceptions—Zhan Peng certainly wouldn't hate him, but they deliberately kept their distance, even pretending not to know each other when they brushed past, for the time being unable to let others know their relationship.

Like Zhan Peng, Zhou Mo was also hiding among the troops; Zhou Mo had mixed in with the porters, eating and sleeping with those porters and groom, falling under the jurisdiction of the Tang brothers, Tang Tiehan and Tang Tiexin. Although the Tang brothers had past grudges with Hu Xiaotian, they had not confronted him directly these two days.

After Hu Xiaotian displayed his might at Kangdu's north gate over his mother's matter, he became much more low-key; for most of the time he guarded Princess Anping's side, constantly scheming his grand plan. Plans change; even the most perfect plan must be adjusted according to actual circumstances.

In the blink of an eye it was already the fifteenth of the first lunar month; according to their set itinerary, they could reach Tianbo City by noon today.

When they were still twenty li from Tianbo City, light snow began to fall from the sky, the north wind howling, affecting their marching speed; by the time they arrived at Tianbo City, it was already mid-afternoon.

In the biting cold wind, tiny snowflakes kept slapping passersby's faces, causing a burning pain. Hu Xiaotian rode on horseback, having shed his eunuch attire for a neat warrior's garb, draped in a black fur-lined greatcoat, with his mouth and nose tucked into the fluffy collar, only his eyes showing. Even his brows and lashes were dusted with white, making him look rather comical. Though his bearing suffered, this posture best preserved his body heat.

At this moment Wu Kui came over to report, saying that Wu Jing Shan wanted to discuss something with him, so Hu Xiaotian followed Wu Kui to the front of the troop.

After leaving Kangdu, Wu Jing Shan hid inside the carriage; his old arms and legs couldn't endure the jolting of horseback riding. Wen Boyuan's armor was bright and imposing as he rode a black steed with heroic vigor. Although Hu Xiaotian disliked him from the bottom of his heart, he had to admit that this fellow was spirited, putting on airs to a certain extent; though his armor was impressive, it wasn't as warm as a cotton-padded fur coat.

Wen Boyuan saw Hu Xiaotian approach but ignored him. He gave the reins a shake, galloping his horse to the front of the troop, clearly unwilling to talk to Hu Xiaotian, thus expressing his displeasure. Hu Xiaotian cursed silently. 'What a stuck‑up prick—see how long you can keep hopping about.'

Wu Jing Shan lifted the carriage curtain, revealing his wrinkled face. He shouted, 'Lord Hu, Tianbo City is right ahead; we'll rest in the city today.'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Good!' That was originally the plan, if not for the mid‑journey snowstorm. By now they had already enjoyed a nice meal inside Tianbo City.

Wu Jing Shan added, 'Beyond Tianbo City, towns to the north will grow scarcer; today is the Lantern Festival, and we've run into this snow, so why not adjust for a day in Tianbo City and set out early the day after tomorrow? Lord Hu, what do you think?'

Hu Xiaotian replied, 'Whatever Sir Wu says, we'll do.' Anyway, he wasn't in a hurry to race to Da Yong; even if he never made it there in this lifetime, it would be fine.

Wen Boyuan, at the very front of the troop, made a halt signal because he saw a detachment speeding toward them from straight ahead. His gesture shifted, and immediately a horseman burst out from the ranks—it was Zhan Peng, riding a yellow flank‑spotted horse, his posture vigorous, the horse like a startled dragon, darting toward the opposing group like a yellow bolt of lightning. Sent on a scouting mission, Zhan Peng soon returned to Wen Boyuan's side, clasped his fists and reported, 'General Wen, the force approaching is Wang Wenyou, the prefect of Tianbo City, who has come out specially to welcome Princess Anping's entourage.'

Wen Boyuan's brows knotted together as he coldly said, 'Wasn't an order already sent down that officials along the route must not muster troops, only quietly make reception arrangements? Did he not receive the command?' When a princess marries, passing prefectures and counties, local officials surely won't miss this chance to curry favor; opportunities to see royalty are rare, and since hospitality expenses come from public funds, nobody minds the cost. They had considered this issue at the outset, so they had sent word in advance to the prefectures they would pass, telling the local magistrates to simply provide hospitality and drop all formalities—no troop mobilizations, no street welcomes, all such events cancelled. For the past few days, every locality they'd passed had obeyed strictly, but upon arriving here, the prefect of Tianbo City, Wang Wenyou, actually led a crowd to greet them, clearly treating their order as nothing.

In an instant, Tianbo City's guard Wang Wenyou had arrived before the bridal procession; he led his subordinates in dismounting, all kneeling together in the snow, and proclaimed loudly, 'Wang Wenyou of Tianbo City, leading his department officials, respectfully welcomes Princess Anping's carriage—Princess, Thousand Years, ten thousand years!' The crowd, clearly rehearsed, shouted in unison, their voices echoing across the wilderness.

Wen Boyuan was about to erupt when a voice from behind called out, 'Is that you, Wenyou?' It turned out that the Minister of Rites, Wu Jing Shan, had dismounted from the carriage at that moment and walked over with a beaming smile.

Wang Wenyou shouted loudly, 'Student pays respects to his teacher!' He had originally been a disciple of Wu Jing Shan.

Upon learning this connection, Wen Boyuan immediately understood; no wonder Wang Wenyou dared defy the order to go out and greet them—behind it lay Wu Jing Shan's influence, and Wen Boyuan felt a vague resentment, realizing that this old man also had his own schemes.

Hu Xiaotian also stepped forward, smiling broadly at the officials and said, 'Why are you all kneeling? The Princess said to rise.'

Everyone turned their gaze at him; if he didn't speak, nobody would really notice this fellow, and even if a message were sent back and forth, it would take time—this guy was basically issuing false orders, and it was far too blatant.

Wu Jing Shan saw Wang Wenyou's bewildered face and hastily introduced him: 'This is Lord Hu, the steward of Zilan Palace, responsible for the Princess's food and lodging on this journey.'

Hu Xiaotian cursed inwardly, 'Damn it! Old Wu, you old bastard, you're openly smearing me—I am indeed the steward of Zilan Palace, but this time I'm also the deputy escort envoy, aren't I? Why are you downplaying my role? Afraid people won't know I'm a eunuch? I'm not just in charge of the Princess's food and lodging on the way; I also hold the financial authority for this mission, and I've noted this account.'

Wang Wenyou's reaction far exceeded everyone's expectations; he exclaimed with delight, 'Thank you, Princess, thank you, Sir Hu!' He gestured for his subordinates to rise, then stepped forward and bowed deeply to Hu Xiaotian, saying, 'I have long admired your bearing, Sir Hu; today I see that your reputation is well deserved.'

Hu Xiaotian never expected this guy to flatter him in front of so many people; the praise left him somewhat dazed—not the light‑headed sort, but a confused fog—he genuinely couldn't recall any prior acquaintance with Wang Wenyou, yet here the man was publicly showing goodwill toward him.

Wu Jing Shan's expression also darkened; he had thought Wang Wenyou came to greet him personally, but never imagined the fellow would suddenly shift his focus and start flattering Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian laughed, 'Sir Wang, you flatter me; to trouble you with welcoming us out in this heavy snow is truly overly grand.'

Wang Wenyou said, 'Sir Hu, escorting the Princess's carriage, as a local official I naturally ought to fulfill the host's courtesy.' He then issued orders for the two hundred cavalry who had followed him to lead the way ahead, while he rode alongside Hu Xiaotian.

Wen Boyuan didn't feel anything particular about the cold reception; Wu Jing Shan's old face really couldn't hold up, since Wang Wenyou was after all his disciple—actually, the so‑called disciple was merely that Wang Wenyou had taken the imperial exam that year when Wu Jing Shan happened to be the chief examiner; frankly, Wu Jing Shan had given Wang Wenyou no real help, and had even taken a fair bit of silver from him initially. Wu Jing Shan slunk back into the carriage, feeling stifled, thinking, 'Wang Wenyou, Wang Wenyou, after all this fuss you weren't actually coming for me—you dare to show off in front of an old man like me!'

Wang Wenyou and Hu Xiaotian staggered along in the midst of the troop; Wang Wenyou smiled and handed Hu Xiaotian a letter. Upon seeing it was Ji Feihua's handwriting, Hu Xiaotian finally realized that Wang Wenyou was a member of Ji Feihua's faction, and that the elaborate reception before them was entirely due to Ji Feihua's prior arrangements.

Hu Xiaotian returned the letter without changing expression, and in a low voice said, 'Sir Wang, the Princess's entry into the city should not be made a fuss of.'

Wang Wenyou replied, 'Sir Hu, rest assured; I have already made proper arrangements, ordering my subordinates at all levels to keep the matter strictly secret.'

Hu Xiaotian nodded.

Wang Wenyou added, 'I have had people clean both the Bibo Palace and the relay stations thoroughly; the choice of lodging is up to Sir Hu.'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Then the relay station it is; the Princess has previously said she does not wish to stay in a palace.'

Wang Wenyou nodded: 'Good!'

The retired emperor of Dakang, Long Xuan'en, loved to travel the world in his youth and had countless palaces built; the Bibo Palace was one of them. Although Princess Anping, by her rank, could have stayed at such palaces along the route, and although Wu Jing Shan and Wen Boyuan also recommended it, she stubbornly refused to reside in a palace for reasons unknown.

Hu Xiaotian, however, understood Long Xi Yue's feelings; she had no affection for the imperial palace, and to her its red bricks, green tiles, and splendid grandeur meant only a cage. (To be continued~^~)