Chapter 569: Stating One's Position (Part 2)

Hu Xiaotian said: "Sir Wu, the princess's safety is the top priority. I suspect Wen Boyuan's true purpose is to harm the princess, so the upcoming journey must be protected by people we trust." His real intention was to sow doubt in Sir Wu's mind, making the old man start to suspect Wen Boyuan's motives.

Sir Wu said: "My personal guards are only a dozen or so, and the Tang brothers must stay in Dakang to look after the wounded. Where do we have any usable people left?" Peak Forest Gorge encountered the Hunshui Gang; they suffered heavy casualties, and the available personnel are indeed somewhat stretched thin.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Although the Tang brothers have left, there are still some loyal and usable people among their followers. We can select some brave and loyal individuals. Since we must leave so many wounded behind, Wen Boyuan will surely next propose to reinforce the troops. Sir Wu, have you already reported our itinerary to Navy Commander Zhao Dengyun, Sir Zhao, in advance?"

Sir Wu shook his head: "No, absolutely not. We agreed to keep the princess's itinerary secret. How could I possibly leak such an important matter?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "If neither you nor I said it, then only Wen Boyuan could have said it; otherwise, how could Zhao Wusheng bring people here so quickly?"

Sir Wu heard him speak so definitively, but in his heart he did not think the same. After all, their party numbered over seven hundred, not just the three of them; others could also have leaked the princess's whereabouts. Since Hu Xiaotian said that, he saw no need to refute and patiently listened to what Hu Xiaotian would say next.

Hu Xiaotian said: "We just arrived at Storage Wood yesterday; I only let Sir Xiong go to Azure Dragon Bay to contact the princess about boarding the ship to cross the river. Today, Zhao Dengyun sent his nephew Zhao Wusheng with men over. Sir Wu, don't you find this a bit strange?"

Sir Wu said: "This… you mean Zhao Wusheng came because of Wen Boyuan…"

Before he finished speaking, outside came Wu Kui's report: "General Wen is here!"

Hu Xiaotian and Sir Wu stopped talking; Hu Xiaotian continued drinking tea. Sir Wu raised his head, only to see Wen Boyuan and Zhao Wusheng walking in together.

Wen Boyuan glanced at Hu Xiaotian's face, about to speak. Hu Xiaotian had already stood up, cupped his hands toward Sir Wu and said: "Sir Wu, I must hurry to see the princess so she doesn't worry about me." He then smiled at General Zhao: "General Zhao has arrived. I'll take my leave, excuse me." He treated Wen Boyuan as if he were air, not even giving him a proper look; the conflict between them was now openly displayed.

Wen Boyuan said: "Sir Hu, don't rush off; since everyone is here, let's discuss the river crossing."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "No need to discuss; General Wen will arrange things however he sees fit."

Wen Boyuan never expected Hu Xiaotian to answer that way. His expression showed a hint of astonishment. Hu Xiaotian had no intention of staying and quickly walked away.

Sir Wu secretly sighed: Hu Xiaotian really is efficient, making it clear he won't waste words with Wen Boyuan—different paths, no cooperation!

Wen Boyuan was obviously embarrassed by Hu Xiaotian's actions. He coughed and introduced Zhao Wusheng, who was beside him, to Sir Wu.

Sir Wu recalled what Hu Xiaotian had just said, naturally becoming more wary, and smiled: "General Zhao arrived quite quickly."

Zhao Wusheng said: "The Commander sent me to Azure Dragon Pond specifically to take charge of escorting the princess across the river; as a subordinate, I dare not be negligent."

After Sir Wu greeted the two and had them sit down, he spoke slowly: "I don't recall having mentioned the river crossing to Commander Zhao before."

Zhao Wusheng laughed: "General Wen sent someone ahead to make contact; my uncle heard that several sirs had encountered some trouble in Peak Forest Gorge, so he ordered me to quickly lead an elite small team to come assist."

Wen Boyuan said: "Thank you very much, Commander, for your strong support. Once this mission is completed, I will certainly report it to the Emperor."

Zhao Wusheng said: "It's all for the sake of the state, not for any personal merit."

Sir Wu hehe-laughed: "General Zhao makes sense. It's all for serving the country, but I don't know what arrangements General Zhao has made."

Zhao Wusheng said: "The navy has prepared two large ships. Since we are escorting the princess to Da Yong for her marriage, we did not prepare warships but temporarily allocated two supply ships: first, to show our friendliness to Da Yong; second, for this joyous occasion, auspiciousness calls for celebrating, and using warships for escort would be inappropriate."

Sir Wu stroked his beard and smiled: "General Zhao's considerations are indeed thorough."

Zhao Wusheng laughed: "This is not my idea; it was my uncle's order."

Sir Wu secretly mused: Zhao Dengyun, having served as an official for many years, clearly understands the ins and outs of interstate relations; sending his close nephew certainly came from receiving news from Wen Boyuan, but on the other hand, someone wholeheartedly helping is never a bad thing.

Wen Boyuan said: "There's also good news to tell Sir Wu: after discussing with General Zhao, General Zhao agreed to allocate two hundred elite warriors to accompany us in protecting the princess as we enter Da Yong, exactly filling the gap left by the wounded personnel left behind." His face showed delight, as if exhilarated by this news.

Sir Wu's hand holding the teacup paused there; Hu Xiaotian was indeed not mistaken—Zhao Wusheng came prepared, Wen Boyuan had removed the Tang brothers from the troop and immediately supplemented new forces. Without asking, the two hundred elite warriors Zhao Wusheng supports will certainly obey only Wen Boyuan's orders. What exactly does this kid want? Is it merely to protect Princess Anping? Or does he aim to increase his influence in the troop and reestablish his prestige?

Sir Wu slowly set down the teacup, smiling narrowly: "Thank you for General Zhao's good intentions, but we still don't need those two hundred warriors."

Wen Boyuan was stunned; he never expected Sir Wu, that old fuddy-duddy who muddles things, to actually veto his proposal to his face. Zhao Wusheng found it inconvenient to speak, and glanced at Wen Boyuan.

Wen Boyuan said: "Sir Wu may not be aware of our current situation: over a hundred brothers are wounded, and several more have died along the way. With our present manpower, it's hard to guarantee this journey will be completely safe; adding these two hundred warriors is mainly for the princess's safety."

Sir Wu said: "After crossing the Yong River, the princess's safety will be handled by Da Yong's forces, so our pressure will naturally lessen greatly; there's no need to add more personnel."

Zhao Wusheng smiled: "Sir Wu, do you not trust my men?" Being shrewd, he had already guessed Sir Wu's thoughts.

Sir Wu hehe-laughed: "It's not that I don't trust them, but that they cannot be used!" The old man displayed an unprecedented clear stance.

Wen Boyuan said: "Sir Wu, I don't understand—aren't these two hundred men Dakang's soldiers? Why can't they be used?"

Sir Wu cupped his hands toward the southeast and said: "Thanks to Your Majesty's favor, entrusting me with the important mission of escorting Princess Anping to Da Yong for her marriage. Although I am old and frail, even if I were to sacrifice my life, I could not betray the imperial trust. The people in this troop were appointed by His Majesty; who may go and who may not is the result of His Majesty's repeated deliberation. If we were to arbitrarily let anyone join based on our own preferences, how would we later face His Majesty?"

Wen Boyuan was convinced that Sir Wu had been provoked by Hu Xiaotian; he only showed Sir Wu superficial respect, in fact never taking this old muddler seriously. Although Sir Wu had never openly opposed his views before, now he acted contrary to his usual manner, displaying unprecedented firmness. Wen Boyuan secretly cursed Sir Wu for not knowing his place, and arrogantly said: "Sir Wu need not worry about this; if His Majesty asks later, I will explain myself." This speech was truly arrogant to the extreme—although Sir Wu's presence is merely ornamental, like a deaf man's ears, he is nevertheless the chief marriage envoy for this mission and, outwardly, still the leader of the envoy.

Sir Wu had always been very courteous toward Wen Boyuan; although he had long seen Wen Boyuan as young, vigorous, and arrogant, he refrained from saying a single negative word out of respect for Grand Tutor Wen Chenghuan's face. Wen Boyuan's remarks had completely disregarded him. Recalling what Hu Xiaotian had just said, Sir Wu felt a sense of alarm: if this kid is allowed to run wild, the situation might become uncontrollable. He stroked his beard and smiled: "His Majesty entrusted me with this matter; naturally, I will report to His Majesty's side. If the princess's safety encounters any problem, His Majesty will investigate, and undoubtedly the first to be held responsible will be me. Even if General Wen is willing to take the blame for me, I would not bear to let you suffer in my stead." His words were somewhat polite, but his inner displeasure was clearly evident: you, Wen Boyuan, still lack the qualifications; here, I am the one who decides.

Wen Boyuan said: "Sir Wu, I am entirely motivated by the princess's safety; do you doubt my motives?"

Sir Wu smiled: "Grand Tutor Wen is loyal and steadfast, a pillar of Da Kang Guo. Even if I don't understand General Wen, I deeply admire Grand Tutor Wen; given his character, his son cannot be far off."

Wen Boyuan said: "Sir Wu, along this journey we have suffered many casualties; if we rely on our current forces to protect the princess, it would be hard to guarantee her safety. Should anything go wrong, we probably couldn't bear the responsibility."

Sir Wu heard him threaten him again, naturally feeling resentful, yet this old smooth-talker showed no anger, his expression calm as still water, and he said softly: "I also understand that General Wen is considering the princess, but have you consulted the princess about this? If she agrees, everything can be discussed; if she disagrees, even if we reach an agreement here, it would be mere lip service."

Wen Boyuan secretly cursed this old sly fox, also understanding that Princess Anping obeys Hu Xiaotian's every word, so his proposal would surely be rejected. (To be continued~^~)