Chapter 610: [Let's Go If We Say So] (Lower)

Hu Xiaotian left the inner quarters under the vicious stares of Granny Liu and those palace maids, came outside, and the station chief was still waiting there; upon seeing Hu Xiaotian, he came forward again: "Lord Eunuch..."

Hu Xiaotian glared: "Who are you calling eunuch? Who the hell are you calling eunuch? I am the Dakang marriage envoy, an honorable imperial envoy of a state, you, a mere petty station chief, what do you call me?"

The station chief was shaken by Hu Xiaotian's aura, but he quickly recovered, hehe laughing: "I don't care what envoy you are, this is Da Yong, this is the Qichen Palace; I just received orders from above to have you find another lodging; if you're still in the Qichen Palace by noon tomorrow..."

"How so?"

"Don't blame me for carrying out official business."

Hu Xiaotian said: "What?"

The station chief said: "Didn't hear clearly? Want me to say it again?"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head and said: "No need!" Without warning he raised his hand and slapped him, sending the station chief spinning in place, seeing stars, dizzy, he plopped onto the ground and cried out: "You actually hit me..."

Hu Xiaotian sneered: "You blind thing, I'm hitting someone like you, a sniveling petty person; do I even want to stay here? Damn! Even if you beg me to stay, I won't." Slapping people can actually become addictive.

Wu Jianshan just happened to walk in at that moment, saw clearly Hu Xiaotian's big slap on the station chief, and was instantly shocked; this Hu Xiaotian truly isn't afraid of making a big deal, he exclaimed: "Sir Hu, Sir Hu! Let's talk it out, let's talk it out..."

The station chief shouted: "Someone! Come quickly!"

The station runners inside the post station heard the commotion and rushed to the scene; the station chief covered his half-face swollen high from Hu Xiaotian's slap and wailed: "He dares to assault an official! Someone! Seize him!"

Wu Jianshan saw the dozen-plus people rushing forward with hostile intent, panicked and waved his hands: "Don't, don't!"

Hu Xiaotian sneered: "Motherfucker. A petty little official dares to be rude to an envoy of another state—is this how Da Yong treats guests? Is this your so-called magnanimity of a great nation? I'll fuck it! Whoever dares to step forward today, I'll kill him first!"

The Dakang warriors who had just returned to their rooms to pack their belongings also heard the news and rushed over; seeing that even a petty station chief dared to be rude, they recalled how they had just boasted about driving their own side out the door, feeling humiliated. These warriors burned with anger; Zhan Peng led the roar: "Who dares to disrespect our lord? Today I'll make you bleed five steps!"

Although this is in Da Yong and inside the Qichen Palace, within this courtyard the numerical advantage absolutely belongs to Hu Xiaotian's side.

Perhaps pressured by the visible momentum, or perhaps cowed by Hu Xiaotian's overbearing aura, the station chief moved his mouth but ultimately dared not speak any arrogant words; he gritted his teeth and said: "Do you lot know what place this is?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "What qualifications does a petty station chief like you have to speak to me? Disappear from my sight immediately, or I won't rule out making you bleed five steps."

Outside suddenly came a burst of hearty laughter. A man in a grayish-yellow long robe entered, accompanied by four warriors. Seeing the man, the station chief hurriedly covered his face and approached, covering his face and said: "Sir Cao, they're committing violence and beating people!"

The man is the palace guard with a blade, Qianhu of the Jinlin Guard, Cao Xi. The four behind him are all his subordinates; he is responsible for the security of the Qichen Palace, but previously Cao Xi had never shown his face.

Cao Xi glanced at the station chief, his face showed no anger, only he sighed: "You offended Sir Hu; you deserved the beating!" He stepped forward and cupped his hands to Hu Xiaotian and Wu Jianshan: "Greetings, sirs. I am Cao Xi, entrusted by the court to oversee the security of the Qichen Palace; please forgive any shortcomings."

Wu Jianshan said: "Sir Cao, may I ask if it is Your Majesty of your state who assigned you to handle our envoy's affairs?"

Cao Xi said: "The emperor only tasked me with guarding the Qichen Palace; he never mentioned anything else."

Wu Jianshan's expression turned awkward; for a moment he didn't know what to say.

Hu Xiaotian chuckled: "Sir Wu, we'd better be sensible, pack up our luggage and leave at once; there's no need to wait for others to chase us away."

Cao Xi frowned and asked the station chief: "Is there really such a matter?"

The station chief came to his side and whispered a few words in his ear; Cao Xi said: "You two sirs must have misunderstood; the Qichen Palace is not a place just anyone can stay; perhaps the station chief didn't express himself clearly—he meant to have the other warriors reside outside, not to drive you two away."

Wu Jianshan was about to speak, but Hu Xiaotian beat him to it: "Our envoy's brothers walked from Dakang here, sharing life and death, through wind and fire; if we leave, we naturally go together. Brothers, pack your luggage—Yongdu is vast; where could we not find a place to stay? There's no need to remain here and suffer others' contempt."

The group of warriors felt their blood surge; hearing Hu Xiaotian's words, they all responded in unison.

Wu Jianshan had originally wanted to say a few more words, but the situation no longer allowed him to speak further.

Everyone took their luggage, marched out of the Qichen Palace heads high and chests out. At the gate, Wu Jianshan, face full of sorrow, said to Hu Xiaotian: "Sir Hu, how can you act on impulse? The princess is still inside; how can we just say we're leaving and go?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Just leaving the Qichen Palace to find another lodging, not leaving Da Yong; if Sir Wu wants to stay behind and keep watching people's faces, I have no objection."

Wu Jianshan said: "Old brother Hu, where does this come from? We naturally share weal and woe; wherever you go, I'll follow." Wu Jianshan now has no backbone.

Zhan Peng said: "Sir Hu, where should we stay?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "No rush, let's wait for Zhou Mo and the others to return before deciding." He turned to Wu Jianshan: "Sir Wu, did you see Minister Sun today?" Wu Jianshan and he had left together earlier; Old Wu was going to pay a visit to Da Yong's Ministry of Rites Minister Sun Weiyuan; beforehand he had been full of confidence, even claiming a deep friendship with Sun Weiyuan, but after spending the whole day he hadn't even seen Sun's face.

Wu Jianshan gave a wry smile and shook his head: "The minister's residence was very courteous to me, but Minister Sun isn't there."

Hu Xiaotian said: "He's not absent; he's avoiding you."

Wu Jianshan still put on a brave face: "That shouldn't be; I and Minister Sun are bosom friends, our temperaments match; logically he wouldn't avoid me."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Sir Wu, can't you see that since we arrived in Yongdu we've been met with scorn and cold treatment everywhere, everyone's avoiding us; up to now the imperial side hasn't even shown a face—what the hell!"

Wu Jianshan sighed: "Actually I also feel something's off, but their emperor refuses to summon us; what can we do?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Never mind all that; let's settle down first, then talk."

At that moment, Zhou Mo and Long Xi Yue approached side by side on horseback; Hu Xiaotian went forward to meet them.

Zhou Mo dismounted, Long Xi Yue dismounted behind him; Zhou Mo casually tossed the reins to her, an action that seemed offhand but held deep meaning—doing this in front of everyone made it seem that Long Xi Yue was merely an ordinary attendant.

Zhou Mo, seeing the scene before him, was also taken aback, and exclaimed in astonishment: "What's happening?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "The landlord looks down on tenants and has kicked us all out."

Zhou Mo furrowed his thick brows: "How could this be? A great nation, yet its breadth is so narrow—where is there such hospitality?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Screw the hospitality; it's better not to stay here. Brother Zhou, is everything still going smoothly?"

Zhou Mo said: "Smooth!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "We'll discuss it later; first let's find a place to settle."

Wu Jianshan stepped forward: "Sir Hu, how much travel money do we have left?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "The travel funds are running low, but..." He put his arm around Wu Jianshan's shoulder and walked aside; Wu Jianshan guessed he had a secret to tell him, and lowered his voice: "How?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "When we were sorting the dowry, I had someone secretly underreport a chest."

Wu Jianshan turned green with fright: "This... this is a crime punishable by execution of the whole clan..."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know; we've already lost so much dowry, one more chest doesn't matter. Sir Wu, I'm telling you because I trust you; otherwise I'd have kept it all for myself. Rest assured, later I'll give you half."

Wu Jianshan shook his head repeatedly, voice trembling: "I don't want it, I don't want it..."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Whether you want it or not, from now on your food and expenses will all come from this silver."

Wu Jianshan gave a bitter smile: "Old brother Hu, doing this isn't right."

"The brothers still have to stay in Yongdu for twenty-odd days; do you want them to follow us and drink the northwest wind?"

Wu Jianshan sighed; Hu Xiaotian's words were all true, he whispered: "Do whatever you want; anyway I know nothing."

Hu Xiaotian gave a hehe laugh; at that moment Zhao Chongwu and Zhan Peng led out a horse-drawn cart; Wu Jianshan glanced at it, not knowing how much was hidden inside, and said in a trembling voice: "You really only took one chest?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Does it matter how much? The important thing is that there's no evidence!"

Wu Jing Shan felt his vision go dark, then bursts of gold stars flashed before his eyes; this kid is too damn greedy—people say eunuchs are greedy for money, and today this old man finally got to see it.

Zhou Mo said: "Sir Hu, should we go look for an inn?"

Hu Xiaotian gave a hehe smile, made a glance at Zhou Mo, the two moved to the side, and Hu Xiaotian said: "No need to look; just buy a residence."

Zhou Mo thought he had misheard: "What?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I have plenty of money now; I can do whatever I want. I've figured it out, brother—while alive, one must be willful!"

Hu Xiaotian's willfulness is by no means a momentary impulse; the series of events that occurred after he arrived in Yongdu made him feel that everything here is ever-changing and unpredictable, and behind the layers of mist lies unknown conspiracies.