Chapter 526: [Truth] (Part 2)

Long Xuan'en says: "If he dares to do that, he has the resolve to break the cauldrons and sink the boats; he has no jade seal in his hand, and he is not a genuine emperor."

Qiqi's eyes lit up.

Long Xuan'en saw from her gaze the ambition hidden in her heart, his heart stirred—could it be that this little girl Qiqi actually harbors great ambition deep inside? He leaned close to her ear and whispered softly: "Do you still remember the children's song your nursemaid used to sing in your ear when you were young?"

Qiqi nodded, never expecting that a person could lay out plans so deep.

Long Xuan'en says: "With your intelligence, it's not hard to deduce the secret; although I am imprisoned on this lofty mountain, I am not without any means to fight back."

Qiqi says: "What do you want me to do?"

Long Xuan'en leaned to her ear and whispered a few words, then said: "If you go out like this, you will surely arouse suspicion..." He suddenly drew something from beside the bed—a shard of pottery sharp as a knife—and swung his hand, letting it fall sharply onto Qiqi's shoulder. Qiqi gasped in pain, and looking at her shoulder saw a bloody gash.

Long Xuan'en laughed wildly, yet shoved the pottery shard into Qiqi's hand. Qiqi took it, her bright eyes flickered, she instantly understood, grabbed Long Xuan'en's collar with one hand and raised the other, aiming the shard's tip at his heart, about to stab down.

A panicked voice came from behind—the Senior Eunuch Wang Qian: "Little Princess, you must absolutely not..."

At the same time Long Yelin's loud shout rang out: "Qiqi, stop!"

Princess Anping accompanied Tang Qingxuan for a chat and then left soon after; Hu Xiaotian originally wanted to leave, but the Tang brothers warmly invited him to stay for drinks. Before leaving Kangdu, none of them could have imagined their relationship would change like this.

Friendship between gentlemen is as light as water, yet in this world men's interactions mostly rely on alcohol. The Tang brothers are naturally fond of drink. Toward Hu Xiaotian, their former enemy, they now show complete sincerity, handing over the game they hunted on the way for the cook to prepare, and also bringing out the salted wind-goose they brought from Kangdu—truly holding nothing back.

Faced with the Tang brothers' warmth, Hu Xiaotian naturally could not refuse. Although their relationship has been improving, it is still the first time they have actually sat down together to drink.

Tang Tiehan is inarticulate; looking at Hu Xiaotian he felt a bit embarrassed, he gave a hehe laugh, and Hu Xiaotian laughed too—of course his laugh was much brighter than Tang Tiehan's, one laugh dissolved the grudge. Some grudges are actually not worth remembering to the death.

Tang Tiexin says: "Sir Hu, my sister has received your two rescues; this kindness we brothers cannot repay, we can only express our gratitude with a bowl of water and wine."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "I've said it many times already. No need for politeness; we share weal and woe, whoever has trouble should look out for each other." He raised his wine bowl, clinked it with the two, and gulped down a big mouthful.

Tang Tiehan and Tang Tiexin both can hold their liquor. They glug-glug drained their bowls upside down, seeing Hu Xiaotian not finish his. Tang Tiehan said: "Sir Hu, why don't you finish it? Do you look down on us brothers?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Where does that come from? Tolerance varies, but I still finished this first bowl." He tilted his neck and drank it completely dry.

Tang Tiehan then laughed: "Sir Hu, your drinking capacity is not bad either. I thought you still remembered our past misunderstanding."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Brother Tang, I can see you are also a man of feeling; although we had some misunderstandings before, now we have completely cleared them up, so how could I be petty?"

Tang Tiexin nodded: "Sir Hu is indeed broad-minded; otherwise he would not repay hatred with virtue."

Hu Xiaotian thought to himself: "I'm not repaying hatred with virtue, after all. When you siblings chased me to kill me, I didn't hold it against you, but if I say I saved Tang Qingxuan twice, I still feel somewhat ashamed. The first time I merely wanted to silence her; if others had arrived a step later, perhaps more than just Zhao Zhihe would have died. Although I let Tang Qingxuan go, she also did not betray me, so on that point we could consider ourselves even. As for the second time, saving Tang Qingxuan from the hands of Mount Sumeru was a genuine favor."

Hu Xiaotian put down his wine bowl; Tang Tiexin hurried to refill it for him. Hu Xiaotian said: "I can only drink this one more bowl."

Tang Tiehan said: "Hey! Since we're drinking, we ought to drink heartily, drink until we're drunk and stop. Sir Hu, if you think highly of us brothers, then today just drink freely."

Hu Xiaotian raised his wine bowl, sighed, then set it down again, gazing at the princess's distant camp, and said softly: "Brother Tang, it's not that I don't want to keep you company and enjoy myself; it's that duty calls."

Tang Tiehan said: "With so many masters and warriors around, Sir Hu, what do you have to worry about?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Although there are many masters and warriors, who knows what schemes they harbor? The Black Pine Forest incident already proved that someone in our troop harbors ill intentions toward the princess."

Tang Tiehan, hearing this, also set down his wine bowl, looked around, and lowered his voice: "It must be that Wen Boyuan—just looking at this dog of a thing, you know he's no good!" Since the Black Pine Forest incident, Tang Tiehan has developed a strong aversion to Wen Boyuan.

Tang Tiexin, being more careful, secretly gave his elder brother a glance, fearing he might say the wrong thing. Although their brothers' relationship with Hu Xiaotian has improved, after all they cannot wholly trust him.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Brother Tang, without evidence we shouldn't speculate wildly; rather, there is something I want to remind you about."

Tang Tiehan said: "Sir Hu, please go on."

"Miss Tang's true identity has already been exposed; moreover, the Black Pine Forest incident offended Wen Boyuan because of speaking out for justice. I worry that on the upcoming journey there may be trouble. Although Princess Anping and she are sworn sisters, when something really happens I fear the princess may not be able to attend to both."

Tang Tiexin said: "I understand what Sir Hu means; we have also urged her to go back, but this girl is extremely stubborn and simply refuses to return."

Tang Tiehan said: "Sir Hu is right; we have indeed indulged her too much. This time, regardless of whether she wants to or not, tomorrow we will make her go back..."

"Who are we sending back?" Tang Qingxuan appeared behind them at some point.

Tang Tiehan was momentarily speechless; he pointed to his younger brother Tang Tiexin, whom he always found troublesome regarding this sister. Tang Tiexin pretended not to see, lowered his head and gnawed on a chicken leg.

Tang Qingxuan came to sit beside Hu Xiaotian, poured herself a bowl of wine, raised it toward him and said: "I toast you, thank you for saving my life."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "If you propose a toast, you must drink; otherwise it's a penalty drink." He clinked his bowl with Tang Qingxuan's and took a sip.

Tang Qingxuan actually tipped her head back and finished that bowl of wine, showing Hu Xiaotian the empty bowl, her chin slightly raised, quite a defiant posture.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I can't hold my liquor; I really can't finish it."

Tang Qingxuan said: "That's fine, no need to force it; anyway I won't go back—I promised my sister I will accompany her to Yongdu."

Tang Tiehan said: "Little sister..."

"Shut up!" Tang Qingxuan's willow brows rose, her phoenix eyes widened.

Tang Tiehan could only give a wry smile.

Tang Tiexin said: "Actually, elder brother..."

"Shut up too!"

The two Tang brothers exchanged a glance; they weren't afraid of this sister, but they loved her too much to bear reproaching her.

Tang Qingxuan said: "Sir Hu, I have a few things I'd like to say to you alone; may I have a word?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and followed Tang Qingxuan to a place away from the crowd.

Tang Qingxuan sighed: "I know you all mean well for me, but I and the princess are sworn sisters; seeing her lonely and helpless, about to marry far away into Da Yong, my heart feels like it's breaking." As she spoke, crystal tears glistened in her eyes, showing her true feeling.

If previously Hu Xiaotian still harbored some resentment toward her, seeing her now completely changed his impression of her. Although this girl is willful and headstrong, her heart is pure and kind, especially her friendship with Long Xi Yue, which is truly rare.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Da Yong is not like Dakang; although the two states are allied by marriage, many people there secretly wish to sabotage this."

"Then I should follow you all the more—I can be a personal guard for my sister."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Still talking about guarding—who knows if you can even protect yourself?"

Tang Qingxuan's pretty face flushed; she had thought her martial arts were decent, but upon actually going out she realized she was merely a frog in a well, having all along been sheltered by her father and brothers, unaware of the dangers outside. She whispered: "Anyway, I don't care—if you won't let me go, I'll spill everything that happened that day."

Hu Xiaotian had anticipated this, smiled and said: "If you speak now, you'll bring trouble upon yourself as well."

Tang Qingxuan said: "I can sacrifice anything; you should understand."

Hu Xiaotian nodded: "Understood!"

Tang Qingxuan's face reddened even more; before Hu Xiaotian she felt no superiority, recalling their interactions, it seemed she never gained an advantage, always ending up at a loss. She somewhat embarrassedly wrinkled her nose and said: "Be honest—did you want to kill me that day?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "How could that be? I'm not that kind of person!" Such a thing could never be admitted under any circumstances.

Tang Qingxuan said: "I'll believe you this once, but you definitely cannot drive me away."

Hu Xiaotian said: "All right! In any case, I won't bring it up again." He turned his head toward the bonfire, only to see the two Tang brothers looking over this way, obviously curious about their conversation. Hu Xiaotian said: "Wen Boyuan bears a grudge against you because of the previous incident; I'm worried he might take revenge on you later on the road."

Tang Qingxuan said: "We Tangs are not to be trifled with; we may have no way with people, but we have plenty of ways with livestock. If he dares to do the first, we dare to do the fifteenth—by then we'll surely make him taste our methods." (To be continued~^~)