Chapter 573

Hu Xiaotian said: "The only thing I cannot be certain of is whether Ji Feihua will also include me in his calculations; if he also intends to sacrifice me, then this time the risk will be much greater."

Zhan Peng said: "My swimming ability is decent; I will personally take on Wen Boyuan."

Hu Xiaotian shook his head and said: "Wen Boyuan already suspects you, making it harder for you to find an opportunity." He crouched down, picked up a dry branch from the ground, and drew a boat on the earth: "If I'm not mistaken, the princess's boat will meet with disaster, and Wen Boyuan will certainly choose to accompany her on the same vessel to guard her; Zhou Dage will be responsible for protecting the princess, and you will help me eliminate Wen Boyuan's entourage, preventing them from rescuing Wen Boyuan; all other matters I will handle myself."

Zhan Peng said: "But this way, wouldn't the young master be taking a great risk?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Besides me, you will find it hard to approach Wen Boyuan, and when it comes to underwater skills, few can match me." Hu Xiaotian was not boasting; since learning the art of feigning death from an old beggar, and while accompanying Qiqi to explore Miaoxiang Mountain, he grasped the secret of staying submerged in Changliu water without needing to breathe; in terms of swimming ability, ordinary people rarely can keep up with him. Even if Wen Boyuan's martial arts surpass his, once this land duck enters the water, he can only await death.

Zhan Peng said: "What if Ji Feihua has other plans?" He was referring to the matter Hu Xiaotian had just mentioned.

Hu Xiaotian stood up, gazing toward the southeast sky, where Kangdu lay; although he also had concerns about this, for some reason he felt this possibility was minuscule, deep down he believed Ji Feihua currently harbored no harmful intent toward him, otherwise why would he have given him that set of water armor? If Ji Feihua truly intended to eliminate him as well, then his parents would likely not escape calamity either.

Since Hu Xiaotian left Kangdu, Xu Fengyi's face has never shown a smile again; Hu Buwei naturally could understand his wife's feelings, and the peach blossoms in their residence had already bloomed, the spring colors arriving silently with these touches of red.

The sunshine was fine, but Xu Fengyi's face did not brighten with it; it remained shrouded in a layer of worry.

Hu Buwei quietly came to her side, handed her a bundle of cloth, and Xu Fengyi came to her senses: "What?"

"Take a look!"

Xu Fengyi unfolded the bundle; inside was a boxwood comb.

Hu Buwei said: "Just now, as I passed the market, I saw this comb, remembered that yours had broken, and so bought it back for you."

Xu Fengyi held that ordinary wooden comb, and a warm current rose in her heart. In adversity true feelings are revealed; they have endured so much together, but fortunately they are still alive, and what comforts her most is that their son is also alive.

Hu Buwei smiled and said: "How so? Thinking of your son again?"

Xu Fengyi nodded; her eye sockets involuntarily reddened again.

Hu Buwei said: "Rest assured, Xiaotian will be fine; he is so clever that he can turn any danger into safety."

Xu Fengyi softly sighed and said: "Although you say that, a mother worries when her child travels far; nowadays the world is in turmoil, the relations between Dakang and Da Yong are rather delicate, and I only hope he returns safe and sound."

Hu Buwei reached out to take his wife's hand, only to find that her once smooth and jade-like palm had become extremely rough; a wave of guilt welled up in him, and he apologized: "It's because I've made you suffer."

Xu Fengyi shook her head and said: "There's no need for a family to speak like this; when I defied my mother's opposition and chose you, I had already prepared myself to endure hardship alongside you; by your side I have enjoyed several decades of comfort, and even if I were to die now, I would have no regrets."

Hu Buwei deliberately put on a stern face and said: "Nonsense, we're still waiting for Xiaotian to return."

Xu Fengyi spoke dimly: "I would rather he just leave and never come back." She turned to Hu Buwei and said: "I truly regret that when the Hu family fell into crime, we didn't choose to die together; if we had died, Xiaotian would have no further attachments, nor would he risk returning to the capital to rescue us, and then he wouldn't come to harm."

Hu Buwei said: "Isn't it too late to say these things now?"

Xu Fengyi shook her head and said: "Not yet, Buwei; if we were dead, would Xiaotian then not need to come back?"

Hu Buwei sighed, lowered his voice: "Fengyi, you don't understand your own son; if we truly took that step, he would certainly not just leave and be done with it—" He glanced around, but ultimately did not finish the sentence; given his knowledge of his son, should something happen to them, Xiaotian might very well overturn the Dakang realm to avenge them.

The gate was lightly knocked; Hu Buwei rose to his feet. Since the Hu family's misfortune, they had temporarily taken refuge in Shui Jing'er Hutong, their every move under official surveillance; usually hardly anyone came to visit, not even relatives or friends, who all avoided them; after so long, only a few had shown up: "Who is it?"

A thin, sharp voice from outside the gate asked: "Is Sir Hu in?" As the voice spoke, the gate was slowly pushed open, and Ji Feihua, dressed in deep-blue palace robes, walked slowly into the courtyard.

Hu Buwei hurried forward to salute: "Your humble servant, Hu Buwei, pays respects to Commander." He hastily gave Xu Fengyi a look, signaling her to come over and pay respects.

Xu Fengyi inwardly despised this red-purple great eunuch, but thinking of her son's future in the palace, she had no choice but to approach and perform the salute.

A faint smile touched Ji Feihua's lips: "So Madame Hu is also here."

Hu Buwei said: "Madam, hurry and pour tea for the Commander."

Xu Fengyi turned and left.

Hu Buwei invited Ji Feihua to sit inside, but Ji Feihua shook his head, took the seat Xu Fengyi had just vacated, turned his gaze to the peonies blooming not far away, and said softly: "The peach blossoms have opened!"

Xu Fengyi came out with the prepared tea and handed one of the coarse porcelain cups to Ji Feihua.

Ji Feihua received it with both hands and said courteously: "Thank you, Madame Xu."

Xu Fengyi noticed that Ji Feihua's pair of hands were like carved white jade, exquisitely delicate and smooth to the utmost, fairer and more slender than a maiden's hands; she secretly sighed, this eunuch is truly beautiful, indeed enough to make women envy his looks, and unconsciously she thought of her son again, wondering whether he too might one day become such a neutered figure.

Xu Fengyi was about to take her leave when Ji Feihua called out: "Madam, there's no need to rush away; please sit down together, for Zajia happens to have a few questions I'd like to ask you."

Xu Fengyi glanced at her husband; Hu Buwei said: "The Commander invites you to sit, so please do." Then he turned to Ji Feihua with a smile: "Commander, please excuse us; we womenfolk have little insight."

Ji Feihua said: "How could the eldest daughter of the Xu family of Jinling lack insight? Sir Hu, that remark is unfair to Madame."

Upon hearing Ji Feihua suddenly mention the Xu family of Jinling, Hu Buwei's heart gave a start, though his expression remained calm; he smiled and changed the subject: "Commander, what brings you here this time?"

Ji Feihua said: "Nothing much, just happened to pass by and take a look; I and Lord Hu share deep friendship, in my heart I already regard him as my own brother; when he is away, I simply feel I should look after his parents more."

Hu Buwei said humbly: "I dare not accept such praise; Commander, you truly flatter me."

Ji Feihua said: "Sir Hu, there's no need to stand on ceremony; if you encounter any difficulty or any problem you cannot solve, just speak plainly to Zajia, for Zajia still has some sway with the Emperor."

Hu Buwei said: "Thank you, Commander."

Ji Feihua said: "I heard from the Ministry of Revenue that Sir Hu has more or less finished handing over his duties?"

Hu Buwei replied: "Yes!" His heart involuntarily fluttered with anxiety; as the saying goes, when the rabbit is dead the hound is cooked, when the birds are gone the bow is put away; the Emperor spared his life only because he still had some use in the Ministry of Revenue, and once that utility vanished, his time would be up.

Ji Feihua said: "Sir Hu, there's no need to be formal; we're just chatting casually. Recently Zajia has heard some rumors from the palace, but cannot tell truth from falsehood, so I'd like to ask Sir Hu to help me examine them."

Hu Buwei said respectfully: "Having been favored by the Commander, I will certainly speak fully and hold nothing back."

Ji Feihua said: "Do you still remember the Chu Yuanhai case from nineteen years ago, Sir Hu?"

Hu Buwei said: "I do recall; when the Chu Yuanhai case broke out nineteen years ago, it caused an uproar across the world." He was secretly alarmed, but his expression remained as usual, and his answer was flawless; the Chu Yuanhai case had indeed caused a sensation back then, not only do I remember it, but many others do as well.

Ji Feihua said: "It is said that when they searched the cellar of Chu Yuanhai's residence, they found eighteen thousand taels of pure gold and three million taels of silver, not to mention other rare treasures; it was from that time that Dakang's finances began to run into serious trouble."

Hu Buwei said: "Your humble servant, although I succeeded Chu Yuanhai, I had no private dealings with him; when his case erupted, I was still serving as an official in Jinling, so I am not aware of the specific circumstances."

Ji Feihua laughed: "Sir Hu, there's no need to overthink it; Zajia was just asking casually." He sighed and said: "Lately there's a rumor circulating in the palace that although the Chu Yuanhai case led to the confiscation of property and extermination of the clan, a great deal of wealth was never found."

Hu Buwei said: "I have also heard that rumor; since I took over the Ministry of Revenue, merely sorting out the department's accounts took me two full years, during which I found few omissions, so I do not know where this rumor originates."

Ji Feihua said with deep meaning: "Accounts are always made by people; perhaps someone is deliberately trying to conceal something?"

Hu Buwei clasped his hands in a salute toward the direction of the Imperial City and said: "I, Hu Buwei, am loyal and devoted to Dakang; heaven and earth can bear witness."

Ji Feihua laughed: "Sir Hu, even now you still don't understand why you have fallen to your present state?"

Hu Buwei said nothing.

Ji Feihua said: "What the Emperor truly cares about is not Dakang, but himself." (To be continued~^~)