Chapter 667

Princess Royal Xue Lingjun stepped forward with lotus steps, swaying gracefully, arrived before Xue Daohong, and said coquettishly, "Daohong, you've come—you really give me face today."

Xue Daohong laughed heartily and said, "Aunt, you're hosting guests—how could I be missing? Not only have I come today, I've also brought a distinguished guest." He introduced to Xue Lingjun, "This is the Fourth Prince of Black Hu, Wanyan Chixiong."

Since Princess Lingjun appeared, Wanyan Chixiong's eyes have been fixed on her face; he looked as if his soul had flown away, seeing such a bewitching beauty that he almost forgot to drool.

Xue Lingjun said, "Greetings, Fourth Prince!"

Xue Daohong cleared his throat to remind him, and Wanyan Chixiong finally came to his senses: "Ah… ah… good… good… good!" His Chinese was awkward and sounded quite funny. Da Yong and Black Hu have been at war frequently; not long ago the two countries even fought a war, so the people of Yongdu harbor deep hostility toward the Black Hu. Seeing Wanyan Chixiong stare so brazenly at their own Princess Royal, many guests felt resentful, whispering among themselves. Yet everyone also understood that since the Crown Prince himself had invited him, relations between Black Hu and Da Yong must be improving.

Huo Shengnan obviously couldn't stand Wanyan Chixiong's behavior, snorted coldly and sat down. Hu Xiaotian also sat beside her, whispering, "In this world there are no eternal enemies nor eternal friends."

That remark drew the attention of Li Chenzhou and his wife as well; Li Chenzhou smiled and said, "Sir Hu, that makes sense. Then what in the world is eternal?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Interest!"

Li Chenzhou's eyes lit up, and Huo Shengnan said, "I don't know what common interests Da Yong and Black Hu could have; the Black Hu have repeatedly invaded our territory, slaughtered our people, committing heinous crimes—too many to record! I truly don't know why we would treat such bandits with such courtesy." She was hot-tempered and deeply hated the Black Hu.

Li Chenzhou said, "State affairs must be considered from the big picture; General Huo need not be so nitpicky."

Hu Xiaotian said, "But one must also have principles; knowing the other side is a wolf, yet insisting on dancing with the wolf, in the end only oneself suffers."

Li Chenzhou's face sank; he frowned slightly, showing some displeasure, evidently thinking that Hu Xiaotian had no right to speak on Sino–foreign relations.

Huo Shengnan bit her lip angrily and said, "I'm ashamed to sit with bandits; I'll leave first, please carry on." She rose, but before she could walk away, Crown Prince Xue Daohong, accompanied by Wanyan Chixiong, had already approached this side.

Wanyan Chixiong recognized Huo Shengnan. Seeing his old battlefield rival, a glint of cold malice flashed in his eyes, but he immediately broke into a wide grin: "General Huo! Haha! I never thought we'd meet in Yongdu." One must admit his pronunciation isn't standard, yet it's clear enough that everyone can understand him.

Huo Shengnan looked at Wanyan Chixiong indifferently and said, "General Wanyan should feel lucky. Fortunately we're not meeting on the battlefield."

Wanyan Chixiong laughed heartily and said, "You have a saying: 'Grievances should be resolved, not perpetuated.' Let bygones be bygones; from now on we are friends."

Huo Shengnan said, "I have hardly any friends, and I'm not looking to make any!"

Xue Daohong said, "Shengnan! Don't be rude!"

Huo Shengnan was about to leave her seat when Princess Royal Xue Lingjun stepped in front of her, grabbed her arm, and softly said, "Shengnan, you owe me this face—sit down!"

Huo Shengnan pressed her lips together and finally sat down.

Xue Daohong then introduced Li Chenzhou and his wife to Wanyan Chixiong. Seeing Li Chenzhou's wife, Jian Rongxin, Wanyan Chixiong was naturally drawn to her beauty again, his gaze lingering on her face for a good while. Hu Xiaotian silently cursed, "This Black Hu is truly coarse—doesn't he know the propriety of not staring rudely?" Yet Li Chenzhou and his wife were well bred and showed no displeasure.

Xue Daohong hadn't planned to introduce Hu Xiaotian to Wanyan Chixiong, but the latter turned his gaze to Hu Xiaotian and asked, "And who might this sir be?"

Xue Daohong glanced at Hu Xiaotian, the corner of his mouth twitching with faint contempt, and said, "This is Envoy Hu from Dakang, a eunuch."

Hu Xiaotian mentally cursed Xue Daohong's ancestors eighteen generations over, thinking, "Just introduce me properly—an envoy is an envoy; why tack on 'eunuch' as if afraid people wouldn't know I'm a castrate?"

Upon hearing that, Wanyan Chixiong burst out laughing: "So you're a eunuch from the State of Kang! A neutered thing!" The remark provoked uproarious laughter throughout the hall. Had he said that about someone else, it might have sparked collective outrage, but since it was directed at the outsider Hu Xiaotian, the guests felt no sympathy—only amusement. Of course, a few felt pity for Hu Xiaotian: Huo Shengnan, Princess Royal Xue Lingjun, and Jian Rongxin.

Insulted publicly, Hu Xiaotian felt his lungs about to burst; unable to tolerate it, he smiled thinly and said, "I don't know what kind of thing this honored envoy is."

Wanyan Chixiong was taken aback by the question: "A thing? I'm not a thing!"

Laughter erupted again; even Huo Shengnan couldn't help it, secretly admiring Hu Xiaotian's wit in cleverly turning the insult back on Wanyan Chixiong.

Wanyan Chixiong, not understanding why everyone was laughing, continued, "I'm not a thing; I simply am not a thing!"

The laughter grew louder, some even clutching their stomachs and squatting down. Though Wanyan Chixiong's mind hadn't yet caught on, he could sense from the reactions that he might have fallen into Hu Xiaotian's trap; he glared at Hu Xiaotian and snarled, "You little southern barbarian, dare to scheme against me?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, "Blackbeard, it's fine if you insult me, but dragging everyone present into it is not right. Ladies and gentlemen, did you all hear that?"

The laughter died down at once; the Black Hu customarily call Central Plains people "southern barbarians," a term aimed not only at Dakang but also at Da Yong, and this insult instantly aroused a sense of common enemy among the crowd.

Seeing that things were going awry, Xue Daohong smiled, took hold of Wanyan Chixiong's arm, and said, "Brother Wanyan, aren't we supposed to be friends?"

Wanyan Chixiong, certainly no hotheaded brute, immediately nodded and laughed heartily: "Friends! We want to be friends; I came this time for friendship, right?"

Xue Daohong seized the moment to pull him toward the seat of honor.

Princess Royal Xue Lingjun fixed her gaze on Hu Xiaotian, sighed helplessly, and said, "Hu Xiaotian, your tongue really spares no one."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Princess Royal, do you regard him as a person?"

Xue Lingjun gave him a glare, yet the corner of her mouth twitched with a smile; in fact she also disliked Wanyan Chixiong's coarseness and rudeness, his arrival wasn't her invitation—he was essentially an uninvited guest—so Hu Xiaotian giving him a little comeuppance was fitting, at least to make Wanyan Chixiong rein in his sharpness.

After everyone was seated, food and drink were served. Seeing Huo Shengnan still glum, Hu Xiaotian knew her mood had been affected by Wanyan Chixiong's appearance, and he gently advised, "General Huo, you needn't lower yourself to the level of such barbarians, nor let his presence spoil your spirits."

Huo Shengnan nodded and said, "Quite right—just pretend he doesn't exist."

After some urging, it was still Crown Prince Xue Daohong who rose to give the toast. He smiled and said, "My appearance today has somewhat stolen the spotlight; this banquet was convened by my imperial aunt. First I thank the aunt for giving me this opportunity; since she lets me speak in her stead, I thank all of you for coming, and especially thank the Black Hu Fourth Prince, His Highness Wanyan Chixiong, for traveling far for the friendship of our two nations! With this wine I toast everyone present, and I toast our most honored guest, Prince Wanyan."

Naturally, the Crown Prince's remarks drew cheers and approval from some, but each guest felt differently. Hu Xiaotian heard this and felt displeased, very displeased. Though he couldn't be called a patriot, he was after all an envoy of Dakang; the Crown Prince's earlier words were clearly favoring one over the other. Though Hu Xiaotian and Wanyan Chixiong hold different statuses in their own countries, their identities in Da Yong are the same—both are envoys. Xue Daohong's differential treatment thus shows a lack of respect for him and for Dakang.

Huo Shengnan raised her wine cup and said, "Some things, Sir Hu, you shouldn't take to heart; in fact we're here tonight solely at the Princess Royal's invitation, unrelated to anyone else." A common enemy can bring two people together quickly, and that is exactly the situation of Hu Xiaotian and Huo Shengnan now.

Hu Xiaotian remained calm and composed, after all this is a foreign land; it's not his place to throw his weight around, nor is it necessary to argue with Crown Prince Xue Daohong. Too many things in this world defy clear explanation; rather than let others ruin their mood, it's better to pretend these people don't exist and wholeheartedly enjoy the food before him.

Li Chenzhou and his wife also proactively raised two cups with Hu Xiaotian. As the banquet grew lively, Wanyan Chixiong stood, lifted his cup, and said, "Thank you, Crown Prince and Princess Royal, for your generous hospitality. I offer this cup to all of you, wishing the Emperor of Da Yong longevity and good health, and wishing Da Yong and the State of Hu eternal alliance, with no more war."

The crowd roared approval; his words were indeed lofty and noble-sounding.

After drinking that cup, Wanyan Chixiong loudly said to Princess Royal Xue Lingjun, "Princess Royal, I have brought you a gift on this visit."

Xue Lingjun laughed and asked, "What gift?"

Wanyan Chixiong clapped his hands and shouted, "Bring it in!" From outside the hall came the jingling of camel bells, and a stalwart Black Hu man led in a pure white camel. The beast was exceptionally handsome, its body completely free of a single stray hair. (To be continued~^~)