Chapter 769: Pleading at the Door (Part 1)

When Hu Xiaotian woke up, it was already dawn the next day; he found himself lying on the bed, and from the furnishings in the room he could tell it should be the place where Huo Xiaoru had previously brought him for a disguise, while the rain outside was still falling.

"Is anyone there?" Hu Xiaotian shouted. After a long while with no reply, he got up from the bed, saw his clothes neatly placed at the head of the bed, with a letter on top of them. He unfolded it and saw a line of neat small characters.

"You brat, I'm leaving! Really leaving, I won't come to bother you again in the near future. Last night I schemed against you again, but I don't mean to harm you; I just don't want you to go to Prince Yan's mansion and risk your life. As for Huo Xiaoru, I truly can't help. I've left you some things in the bundle beside you that might help. Why can you give up your life for other women, yet be so heartless toward me? Believe it or not, one day I'll kill all the women you're close with."

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help frowning at this; given Xi Yan's methods, if she really intended to do this, it would be troublesome later. He took a deep breath and continued reading.

"By the way, you still owe me something you haven't done. You clearly said you'd help me kill Wanyan Chixiong, yet you went back on your word. That Soul-Anchoring Pearl is currently hidden in the Wild Goose Tower of the Red Mountain Guild Hall; beneath the tower is a secret chamber of the Black Hu people. The Red Mountain Guild Hall has long flown the banner of a chamber of commerce, but secretly it's an espionage organization gathering military intelligence for Da Yong. How to handle it is up to you to decide."

After finishing the letter, Hu Xiaotian felt a heaviness in his heart; Xi Yan had explained everything so clearly, it seemed she had really left. Thinking of Huo Xiaoru still trapped in Prince Yan's mansion, his mood instantly turned anxious, unsure if she was still alive. He dared not delay, quickly removing his disguise, washing up simply, restoring his former appearance, changing into his own clothes, and opening the small Lan-printed cloth bundle Xi Yan had left for him, inside which lay three wooden boxes containing smoke bombs, poison gas bombs, and confusion drugs. He packed the bundle back, put on a straw hat, draped a raincoat, went outside, and saw a black horse tethered under a corridor pillar in the courtyard—the mount Xi Yan had left for his transport.

Hu Xiaotian untied the reins and mounted the horse, but he didn't rush to Prince Yan's mansion. Instead he first returned to Qixing Palace; having been out this long, he wondered whether it would attract attention from those there. Actually, going from here to Prince Yan's mansion, one must pass through Qixing Palace.

Arriving at the gate of Qixing Palace, Hu Xiaotian saw a petite girl desperately begging outside: "Sirs, please let me in; I want to see Sir Hu!"

Hu Xiaotian blinked, unsure who the girl was or why she specifically asked to see him.

One of the gate guards said, "Just go away. I've told you already, Sir Hu isn't here; he went out on business."

The girl burst into loud sobs and fell to her knees with a thud.

At that moment Hu Xiaotian came to the gate, dismounted, and stepped closer. The girl turned out to be Wan'er, Huo Xiaoru's maid. Although it had been years since they parted in Kangdu, she had grown considerably, yet Hu Xiaotian recognized her at once from her eyebrows and facial features.

One of the guards had already recognized Hu Xiaotian and exclaimed in astonishment, "Sir Hu!"

Hu Xiaotian nodded; Wan'er, tears in her eyes, turned her head and, seeing Hu Xiaotian suddenly appear before her, burst into joyful tears, rushed forward and knelt before him, saying, "Sir Hu, do you still remember me? I am Miss Huo's personal maid..."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and nodded, saying, "I remember, you're Wan'er!"

Hearing him call her name so readily, Wan'er was overjoyed, wanting to speak, but suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed into the mud. She was mainly anxious and frightened over Huo Xiaoru's situation; in Yongdu she had no relatives, so after thinking it over she could only come to Qixing Palace to seek Hu Xiaotian's help, yet upon arriving she learned he wasn't there. Still young, her emotions swung wildly, already on the verge of breakdown; just as she despaired, her savior Hu Xiaotian suddenly appeared, and in her ecstasy she couldn't bear the faint and passed out.

Hu Xiaotian sighed, lifted her from the ground, pressed her philtrum, and Wan'er slowly woke. Seeing Hu Xiaotian, she was sure she wasn't dreaming, and with tears said, "Sir Hu, my young lady has met with misfortune; please save her."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Wan'er, calm down; what exactly happened?"

Wan'er replied, "Sir Hu, my young lady was seized by people from Prince Yan's mansion, who accused her of assassinating the prince—impossible, she would never do such a thing; she must have been framed. Sir Hu, you and Prince Yan are sworn brothers, and now only you can go rescue her."

While Wan'er spoke through tears, a troop arrived at the gate of Qixing Palace—it was the commander of the Tiger Standard Battalion, Dong Tianjiang. Seeing Hu Xiaotian, he initially wanted to go over and greet him, but thought it might be inappropriate to disturb them now, so he waited aside and happened to hear Wan'er's words clearly.

Hu Xiaotian told Wan'er, "Wan'er, I understand; your anxiety won't help. How about this: you go back and rest, while I go to Prince Yan's mansion to check the situation?"

Wan'er nodded through tears, saying, "I won't go back; I want to go with Sir Hu to Prince Yan's mansion to see my young lady."

Hu Xiaotian sighed and told the gate guards, "Go inside and summon Sir Xiang." Only then did he notice Dong Tianjiang standing not far away, who gave him a meaningful look, clearly having something to say.

Hu Xiaotian walked over to Dong Tianjiang. Since the night they had together stormed the Red Mountain Guild Hall, any grudge between them had vanished; Dong Tianjiang believed that if it weren't for Hu Xiaotian's crucial reminder at that moment, he wouldn't have awakened from his confused state of mind, and deep down he felt indebted to Hu Xiaotian. Actually, Hu Xiaotian's shout then had merely been intended to stop Xiong Tianba; he never expected that his casual remark would, like a willow cutting inadvertently planted and grown into shade, awaken the lost Dong Tianjiang.

Dong Tianjiang, who always distinguishes gratitude from grievance and dislikes owing favors, pulled Hu Xiaotian aside and whispered, "Sir Hu, you probably don't know what major event happened at Prince Yan's mansion last night."

How could Hu Xiaotian not know? He had witnessed the entire process of the assassination attempt on Prince Yan last night; those present really had few who knew it better than he, yet he feigned ignorance, full of bewilderment, saying, "I, Xiao Tian, don't know; I hope General Dong can point me in the right direction."

Dong Tianjiang sighed and said, "Last night Prince Yan's mansion held a banquet; Huo Xiaoru led her Music Dance Troupe to perform there, who would have thought she would seize the opportunity to assassinate the prince. Prince Yan was wounded by her blade and nearly lost his life; this matter has already alarmed the emperor. Sir Hu, considering our acquaintance, I advise you not to wade into these muddy waters."

Hu Xiaotian furrowed his brows: "Thank you for the reminder, General Dong."

At that moment Xiang Jimin hurried out from inside; seeing Hu Xiaotian return, he also breathed a sigh of relief. Last night Hu Xiaotian had stayed out all night, which had worried Xiang Jimin, but besides him, no one else paid attention to Hu Xiaotian's whereabouts.

Hu Xiaotian had Xiang Jimin take Wan'er inside to find a place for her to rest properly, while he himself decided to make a trip to Prince Yan's mansion.

Upon hearing that Hu Xiaotian still intended to go to Prince Yan's mansion, Dong Tianjiang couldn't help sighing, thinking that Hu Xiaotian's decision to forge ahead despite the difficulties was unwise, though he didn't press the matter further, since he himself was beset with troubles: the corpse of Princess Anping had been stolen right under his nose, and after leading troops to surround the Red Mountain Guild Hall and killing many Black Hu warriors, the Black Hu side is now demanding an explanation from Da Yong; although he is a close nephew of Consort Shu, this affair involves relations between the two states, leaving him quite disheveled these past days. His visit to Qixing Palace today was to consult Seventh Prince Xue Daoming about a solution.

Without even entering the main gate of Qixing Palace, Hu Xiaotian spurred his horse toward Prince Yan's mansion; upon arriving at the mansion's gate he indeed saw the defenses tightly manned, completely unlike the usual scene. The gate guards, seeing it was Hu Xiaotian, hurried inside to report.

As a sworn brother of Prince Yan Xue Shengjing, he still retained some face; not long after, the mansion's warriors invited Hu Xiaotian inside.

Arriving at the courtyard where Prince Yan Xue Shengjing resided, Hu Xiaotian took off his raincoat and straw hat; the rain gear of this era is far from advanced, leaving him damp in several places. He tidied his clothes and followed Ma Qingshan, who had been waiting outside, into the room.

Ma Qingshan said, "Sir Hu, you've come quite early!"

Hu Xiaotian asked, "How is the Prince's health?"

Ma Qingshan replied, "The Prince just woke up; upon hearing that Sir Hu had come, he only then agreed to meet. This morning several waves of visitors came to pay their respects, all of whom the Prince turned away."

Hu Xiaotian nodded; it sounded as if Prince Yan was giving full face to his sworn brother, yet he couldn't tell what other calculations lay in the prince's mind.

Upon hearing that Hu Xiaotian had come early to pay his respects, Prince Yan Xue Shengjing immediately surmised that this visit must be for a request, and nine times out of ten it concerned Huo Xiaoru. He still remembered when he first met Hu Xiaotian, the two had discussed Huo Xiaoru at the Buddha Laugh Pavilion, where Hu Xiaotian clearly stated he had some acquaintance with her. Although Prince Yan had already recognized his own biological daughter, the uproar over Huo Xiaoru's assassination attempt last night had shaken the whole city; how to handle it, divert public attention, and yet release his daughter safely—even Prince Yan himself found it a headache.

Hu Xiaotian entered Prince Yan's sleeping quarters, seeing the prince already up, his short neck wrapped in a band of white cloth, his small eyes swollen like walnuts—it looked as if he hadn't slept all night. Hu Xiaotian assumed the prince's discomfort came from wound pain and post‑assassination fear, little knowing how tangled the situation actually was. Putting on an act of deep concern, he stepped forward quickly, grabbed the prince's arm, and exclaimed, "Oh dear, big brother, I've come late; big brother, you've suffered!"

Early morning update—please vote for recommendations and monthly tickets! (To be continued~^~)