Chapter 695

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Zhou Mo said: "Third brother, that Ji Feihua is an ambitious castrated villain; Dakang's current situation is inevitably linked to him. Are you still planning to return and continue to endure humiliation serving under him?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Eldest brother, second brother, how could I want to be a lackey eunuch in the palace, summoned at will? But my parents are still in their grasp; if I rashly leave, Ji Feihua would hardly let them go easily."

Zhou Mo said: "If he forever uses Uncle Hu and them as leverage, are you really going to spend your whole life in the palace as a eunuch?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I won't let my parents live in perpetual anxiety; after returning to the capital this time, I will find a way to rescue them."

Zhou Mo patted his shoulder and said: "This is my good brother; we've come from Kangdu here, weathered all storms—what's there to fear about one Ji Feihua?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Eldest brother, definitely don't underestimate him; I've personally seen Ji Feihua act—he's likely the strongest I've ever witnessed."

Xiao Tianmu said: "Third brother, you're right; Ji Feihua's martial prowess is secondary—what's truly formidable is his command of the capital's 100,000 Feather Forest Army, his influence spreading throughout the inner and outer imperial city; that's the real reason he holds Dakang's power."

Hu Xiaotian said: "It's still too early to consider these matters; after all, we haven't even gotten past this immediate obstacle."

Zhou Mo nodded.

Xiao Tianmu said: "As for Princess Anping, it'd be best if you could persuade her; if she's willing to stand with us in a united front, things will go much more smoothly. As for Uncle Hu and them, I'll make proper arrangements."

According to the plan they'd agreed upon, Zhou Mo and Xiong Tianba entered the Qichen Palace together. Now they have no one left staying at the Nanfeng Inn, and on the surface they've severed all ties with the Nanfeng Inn.

Liang Yinghao, from the exit of the waterway of Qichen Palace, went against the flow and found an underground route into Qichen Palace. With this route, it can be used for escape when needed.

Only ten days remain until Princess Anping's grand wedding; news came from the Da Yong imperial household that the Empress Dowager will personally visit here in the next two days. This is a piece of good news for the Dakang envoy, amounting to formal recognition from the Da Yong imperial house.

Xi Yan has been behaving properly these days; she rarely goes out, at most just taking a breath of air in the courtyard garden.

Hu Xiaotian decided to have a proper talk with her again; the success or failure of his plan this time hinges entirely on her.

Outwardly, there's no way to tell Xi Yan apart from Zijuan, but their temperaments are completely different. Recall that Zijuan used to avoid meeting his gaze directly when she looked at him. Xi Yan's gaze, however, is always unrestrained, carrying an aura of inviolable sternness.

When Hu Xiaotian saw Xi Yan, she was picking fresh flowers in the courtyard; seeing the faint smile on Hu Xiaotian's lips, she truly made the person outshine the flower. Zijuan's looks cannot be called heavenly beauty, yet the same appearance on Xi Yan exudes a captivating allure—this is inevitably tied to one's temperament.

Xi Yan inserted a few flowers into the prepared crystal vase, said nothing, turned and went into the room.

Hu Xiaotian followed her steps into the room; Xi Yan handed him the vase, gesturing for him to place it on the table.

Hu Xiaotian placed the vase properly, but his ears were listening to the surroundings; his perception could fully cover every corner of the inner court, except for the two guards at the inner court entrance and the two maids tending the garden—no one else could hide there. After Huo Shengnan took over security of Qichen Palace, she became considerably more reasonable, though external security tightened, she was much more courteous toward the Dakang envoy members.

The two newly arrived maids serving Xi Yan were also personally selected by the Empress Dowager; they are usually obedient.

Xi Yan said: "Where's the book?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Tang Tiehan is a big mouth; there's really no such thing as the Baojun Qi Record. He probably heard his father mention this extraordinary horsemanship book, so he boasted about it as if it were true, unexpectedly inviting this disaster."

Xi Yan gave him a white-eyed look: "You've already sent off the Tang Tiehan siblings, right?" These past two days she hasn't seen them, so she asks.

Hu Xiaotian nodded, without concealment: "I laid my cards on the table with Wanyan Chixiong, exchanging Lahan for Tang Tiehan; the Tang siblings have already been sent off by me."

Xi Yan let out a faint sigh: "After all this effort, I gained nothing from this affair; what a waste of my Purple Curtain Bullet."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "To you, I should be far more precious than the Purple Curtain Bullet."

Xi Yan coldly glanced at him: "Does your life or death have anything to do with me?"

Yes, of course; if I died, wouldn't you become a widow?

Xi Yan gave a hehe cold laugh, then after laughing said nothing.

Hu Xiaotian lowered his voice: "Don't forget, we have already bowed to heaven and earth."

Xi Yan said: "It was you who bowed; I didn't."

Hu Xiaotian said: "On the Mingjue Tower in Tianbo City, we did bow together to heaven and earth—how dare you deny it?"

Xi Yan said: "Even if we bowed to heaven and earth, I can still divorce you!"

Hu Xiaotian hehe laughed: "Don't get it wrong—if anyone's divorcing, it's me divorcing you!"

Xi Yan said: "You dare!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Under heaven, there really isn't anything I dare not do; so you'd better not push me to the edge."

"Threaten me?" Xi Yan's eyes flickered as she stepped closer to Hu Xiaotian: "You don't want your life?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Better to live shamefully than die nobly; if I didn't want my life, I wouldn't have endured humiliation to survive this long, but you think my doing this means I'm cowardly and timid—that's completely wrong."

Xi Yan sneered: "I'd actually like to hear what you plan to do."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "I won't hide it from you—I've made two preparations; if the situation here turns bad, someone will immediately rescue my parents and escort them to safety from Kangdu; in other words, I have no lingering attachments."

Xi Yan said: "So you're going to throw caution to the wind?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "You know I'm a cracked pot; why bother colliding with your fine porcelain?"

Xi Yan said: "I'm delighted!"

Hu Xiaotian sat down sprawled on Xi Yan's bed; Xi Yan frowned: "Get up!"

Hu Xiaotian not only didn't get up, he took off his shoes and lay down, hands behind his head, saying: "It's so fragrant and comfortable; want to come up and lie together for a while?"

Xi Yan said: "Under my bed are all poisonous creatures—is your skin itching again? Are you tired of living?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I just received a secret report from Kangdu. Want to hear it?"

Xi Yan approached the bed gracefully; her formerly icy-cold pretty face instantly melted, her beautiful eyes shimmering, she coquettishly said: "Don't keep us in suspense—tell me."

Hu Xiaotian said: "The Dakang throne has changed hands." Although he spoke plainly, to Xi Yan it sounded like a thunderclap, shocking her; her surprise flickered and vanished. Then she hehe laughed: "Hu Xiaotian, you're really something—you can fabricate any lie."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Lying to you serves no purpose; I just received news that the Dakang emperor suddenly went mad, unable to handle state affairs. Now the crown prince Long Tingsheng is acting as regent, and Empress Jian is ruling from behind the curtain."

Xi Yan gazed at Hu Xiaotian, her expression half-believing, half-doubting.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Since you're working for the Li clan of Xichuan, surely there will be someone in Yongdu to meet you; there are still ten days until the grand wedding. News from Dakang will arrive soon. Of course, you could also use your princess status to summon the Dakang envoy to Jimin; he's been closely watching Kangdu affairs lately, so his information should be more reliable than mine."

Xi Yan already believed seventy percent in her heart, inevitably feeling a bit perplexed. She never imagined the Dakang imperial palace could undergo such an earth-shaking change. Although Xi Yan is exceptionally wise, she still lacks understanding of political intrigue.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Dakang's fate is sealed; originally Long Yelin's usurpation already put the Long family's foundation in jeopardy, and now his backside hasn't even warmed the dragon throne before this happened. If, according to your plan, you eliminate Xue Daoming, it conveniently gives Da Yong a pretext to launch troops. Although the Li clan of Xichuan has proclaimed itself king, its foundations are shallow; even Xichuan cannot be said to be fully stabilized yet. I think Li Tianheng lacks the ability to invade eastward and swallow Dakang's territory; the inevitable outcome is that Dakang's fat meat will be handed over to Da Yong with both hands." Hu Xiaotian hehe laughed: "You've painstakingly schemed all this, only to end up doing someone else's bridal work."

Xi Yan said: "All you're saying boils down to wanting to preserve Dakang."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Dakang's fate is sealed; no one can save it, yet you're prematurely dooming Dakang, which amounts to also ruining the future of the Xichuan Li clan; if I were you, I wouldn't do such a foolish thing."

Xi Yan's phoenix eyes widened: "You're the number one big idiot in the world!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "No need for such viciousness; as the saying goes, troubled waters are easy to fish in. In this chaotic era, when one's foothold is still unsteady, it's natural to stir this pool until it's as muddy as possible. Dakang's decline, national ruin already an inevitable trend—nothing more than a matter of time. The Xichuan Li clan has just proclaimed itself king, its wings not yet full; forget about dominating the Central Plains, the most realistic thing now is to steady one's footing. The hegemon of the Central Plains is Da Yong; whether you acknowledge it or not, this is an indisputable fact. If Da Yong sends troops against Dakang, given Dakang's current state, it simply cannot resist; Dakang lies on a plain, with fertile lands stretching a thousand li. Once Da Yong crosses the Yong River, there will be no defensible position left, and the only viable retreat would be to withdraw southwestward. Meanwhile, Xichuan is precisely Li Tianheng's territory; although Dakang has fallen, it still has the strength to fight the present Li clan, especially since they have reinforcements behind them, making a back‑to‑the‑wall battle—who will win or lose is hard to say. Da Yong's only taboo is the black lake; they can set aside their grudges and ally, their purpose already clear: to secure the rear and free their hands to unify the Central Plains. Therefore, Dakang's and the Li clan's greatest enemy now is not each other but Da Yong!" (A great activity of heavenly‑fallen pancakes, cool smartphones await you! Follow the start~point public account (add friend on WeChat → add public account → enter qdread), join now! Everyone gets a prize—right now immediately follow the qdread WeChat public account!) (To be continued~^~)