Chapter 758

Xi Yan's vicious glare was like two sharp daggers, wishing to pierce two bloody holes in Hu Xiaotian's big belly.

Rain poured heavily; the coachman had already been waiting outside the door, the two white horses pulling the carriage washed by the rain to a dazzling white, eye‑catching white. The coachman wore a straw hat and a straw raincoat, and where the raincoat did not cover, the Lan‑colored clothing underneath showed.

Hu Xiaotian held up the umbrella to shield Xi Yan as he entered the carriage; before getting in himself, he glanced curiously at the coachman, who at that moment turned around, revealing a stern and heroic face, sword‑browed and bright‑eyed, with a chilling aura, his gaze indifferent toward Hu Xiaotian, showing no emotion at all.

Hu Xiaotian's heart gave a sudden thump; for no reason he suddenly recalled that day when he and Dong Tianjiang were tracking the Lan‑clothed person.

Upon entering the carriage, he could not help asking Xi Yan, "Who is he?"

Xi Yan said, "Everyone has their own secrets."

With a loud crack of the whip, the two white horses pulled the carriage toward Prince Yan's mansion.

Upon reaching Prince Yan's mansion, the rain had just stopped, but the sky remained overcast; it seemed Heaven was merely taking a brief breather, and before long it would return with a vengeance. Red lanterns hung high along the roads leading to the mansion, creating a festive atmosphere. The open space before the mansion gates was filled with carriages and horses, all guests coming to attend Prince Yan's night banquet, each face beaming with joy. In stark contrast to the gloomy, miserable state at Rising Emperor Palace, it appears Princess Anping's death did not cause any real stir in Da Yong's upper society; no one would change their life over the passing of this foreign princess.

Xi Yan lifted the carriage curtain and peered outside, whispering, "Do you remember?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Remembered, I am Hai Dasheng, you are my daughter Hai Xiaohong, I am the richest man of Hailing Commandery, my wealth comes from a crew under me specializing in salvaging sunken ships from the seabed, so I have accumulated countless rare treasures."

Xi Yan handed Hu Xiaotian a pill.

Hu Xiaotian said, "What is this?"

"Voice-altering pill; after taking it, others cannot discern your identity from your voice."

Hu Xiaotian looked at her with a face full of suspicion.

Xi Yan pursed her cherry lips and said, "How come? Don't you trust me? Do you think I would harm you?"

Hu Xiaotian hehehed, "Women can be relied upon, and sows can climb trees!"

"What did you say?"

Hu Xiaotian took the pill and stuffed it straight into his mouth.

Xi Yan said, "Don't swallow it; crush it and let the pill dissolve in your mouth."

Hu Xiaotian bit the voice-altering pill, feeling a minty candy taste. Though not tasty, it wasn't unpleasant either.

Xi Yan opened the wooden box she carried, took out a pair of jadeite bangles and put them on her wrists. Although Hu Xiaotian had little expertise in jade appraisal, he could tell at a glance that the bangles were of rare glass‑seed jade, and even more remarkable was their true green hue; the green was vivid and lush.

Xi Yan then took out a string of jadeite necklace and put it on, then handed Hu Xiaotian a mutton‑fat jade thumb ring and a string of mutton‑fat jade beads. She whispered, "Hai Dasheng loves jadeite, collects all kinds of rare treasures, is generous in spending, likes to show off at various occasions; Prince Yan and he are not well acquainted, Hai Dasheng has only been residing in Hailing Commandery for a year, and this is his first visit to Yongdu. Therefore most of the nobles and dignitaries in Yongdu do not know him."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Just a nouveau riche, huh?"

"That's more or less correct; Hai Dasheng outwardly claims he makes money from overseas shipping, but in fact his main business is salvaging sunken ships to loot treasures; one purpose of his coming to Yongdu this time is to curry favor with the powerful, so naturally he brings gifts." Xi Yan then handed Hu Xiaotian a wooden box.

Hu Xiaotian opened the wooden box. Inside lay a night‑pearl as large as a goose egg, bigger than the one used for underwater lighting in the Dakang imperial palace by Qiqi; he couldn't help exclaiming, "What a huge egg!"

Xi Yan gave him a sideways glance and said, "You're clueless; this is a night‑pearl. Tonight's banquet nominally is Prince Yan entertaining guests, but actually it's a treasure showdown so he can pick out what he likes. Xue Shengjing is extremely greedy; whatever he sees that he likes, he will surely take for himself."

Hu Xiaotian said, "You want me to give this to Xue Shengjing?"

Xi Yan said, "Stealing the Black Ice Clam doesn't require you to act personally; your task is to create a stir on the spot, drawing everyone's attention to you. This night‑pearl is priceless; if it were lost, it would surely cause chaos."

Hu Xiaotian nodded, but still worried inwardly: "But… what if he recognizes me?"

Xi Yan said, "Don't worry, he definitely won't recognize you; even if your parents came, they couldn't recognize you."

The pot‑bellied Hu Xiaotian slowly stepped down from the carriage; the coachman actually walked over to help him down, and although the man's arm didn't exert much force, Hu Xiaotian felt an overwhelming aura from him, and he grinned at the Lan‑clothed person, saying, "I've memorized you!"

The Lan‑clothed person said, "Qin Liefeng!" He actually volunteered his name to Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian nodded, then glanced at Qin Liefeng's face; at that moment Xi Yan came over, linked arms with him, and said in a coquettish voice, "Dad! Is this the prince's mansion?"

Hu Xiaotian got goosebumps from being called "Dad"; for a moment he really wasn't used to this role reversal, and he grunted, "Daughter, this is the prince's mansion."

Xi Yan beamed at him, her round baby‑fat face a completely different style from before; Hu Xiaotian secretly admired her superb disguise skills, yet he did not know whether she or Qin Yutong was better at this.

The two arrived at the prince's mansion gate; Hu Xiaotian handed over the invitation, and the attendant in charge of reception was still the steward Tie Zheng. As usual before entering, a body check was conducted to ensure no one carried weapons; of course genuine regulars with status were exempt, but for someone like Hai Dasheng, a newly rich merchant, his presence at the prince's mansion was hardly noticeable. Someone came to pat down Hu Xiaotian, deliberately feeling his belly—though it was a fake belly, the feel was very realistic; Hu Xiaotian feared exposure, his heart pounding, yet the man detected nothing amiss.

Prince Yan's mansion was very thorough, also assigning two elderly women to inspect female guests.

After the night‑pearl Hu Xiaotian brought was opened and inspected, they were allowed to proceed; upon entering Prince Yan's mansion, a guide led them to the Jewel‑Gathering Hall where tonight's banquet was held.

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing was obsessed with collecting; as the Emperor's brother he stayed away from politics, spending most of his time gathering rare treasures. The Jewel‑Gathering Shop he founded is the world's largest antiquities appraisal house. He welcomes many guests, boasting three thousand retainers, though their quality varies; most gain access to him by offering rare treasures as a token.

The Da Yong Emperor Xue Shengkang has repeatedly rebuked Prince Yan in public for this hobby, saying he plays with objects to the detriment of his ambitions and that he doesn't know how to share the emperor's burdens, but Xue Shengjing pays no heed to his elder brother's words and continues his own way.

Hu Xiaotian and Xi Yan arrived at the Jewel‑Gathering Hall; night had fallen, lamps were lit, and the spacious interior blazed bright as day under various lights, while the early‑arriving guests chatted in small groups.

As Xi Yan had previously instructed, Hai Dasheng had no acquaintances in Yongdu, so naturally no one came over to make small talk with him; Hu Xiaotian looked around and was surprised to see the Crown Prince Xue Daohong speaking animatedly amidst a crowd—unexpected, yet not surprising, since Prince Yan Xue Shengjing is his paternal uncle.

Xi Yan tugged Hu Xiaotian's sleeve and walked toward their assigned seat; as they passed, someone brushed past him, whom Hu Xiaotian recognized as an acquaintance—it was Zan Buliu, with whom he had attended a banquet at the Fragrance Pavilion before. Zan Buliu was the owner of the Xinglong Firm, low‑key but a wealthy magnate in Da Yong; he failed to notice the altered Hu Xiaotian and smiled as he approached Crown Prince Xue Daohong to say hello.

After Hu Xiaotian and Xi Yan sat down, someone served fragrant tea and snacks.

Xi Yan asked the servant, "May I ask when the prince will appear?"

The servant replied, "He'll be here shortly!" Because the Crown Prince Xue Daohong had already arrived, someone had already gone to inform Prince Yan Xue Shengjing.

At that moment a loud laugh came from outside the hall; looking toward the sound, they saw Prince Yan Xue Shengjing entering the Jewel‑Gathering Hall accompanied by two buxom beauties. He must have just bathed, his hair slightly damp, his skin washed white with a hint of red, making him look plump and fair, giving an impression of radiant vigor; the two women beside him also had peach‑blossom cheeks and spring‑in‑their‑eyes looks. Prince Yan's high spirits were thanks in part to Hu Xiaotian's Invincible Diamond Set—though he had been utterly depressed after parting with Hu Xiaotian, feeling he'd been tricked, when he returned home he tried the set out of curiosity and was delighted to find his virility restored, even better than before.

Precisely for this reason, Xue Shengjing felt he got his money's worth; even if he sent away a jade pixiu, he could have another made. If his body went wrong, no amount of money could compensate. Especially in this regard, it concerns a man's dignity.

Upon Prince Yan Xue Shengjing's arrival, everyone came forward to greet him; he merely nodded slightly and proceeded straight to Crown Prince Xue Daohong, who laughed and bowed, saying, "Imperial Uncle! After a few days apart, your spirit surpasses before—truly vigorous as a dragon and tiger."

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing burst out laughing, stepped forward and gripped Crown Prince Xue Daohong's arm, saying, "Daohong, you really give me face, coming this early."

Crown Prince Xue Daohong said, "Don't blame me, Imperial Uncle; lately I've felt stifled, so I wanted to come early to your place to liven things up and broaden my horizons." (To be continued~^~)