Chapter 824

Zhao Wusheng dismounted and quickly walked toward Hu Xiaotian, laughing loudly from afar: "Sir Hu! Your humble servant Zhao Wusheng didn't know Sir Hu had returned, failed to give a proper welcome, failed to give a proper welcome!"

Hu Xiaotian let out a hehe evil laugh, his voice sharp and thin; hearing it, Huo Shengnan felt a chill run down her spine and goosebumps rose all over her body. Only then did she realize Hu Xiaotian was still a eunuch's identity, and in public he must play the eunuch role well.

The officer knocked down by Hu Xiaotian's punch covered his mouth and nose, and with the help of his subordinates stood up. Only then did he realize Hu Xiaotian was the Dakang marriage envoy who had returned from Da Yong, and he was so frightened his soul left his body; he plopped down on his knees, trembling as he said: "Sir Eunuch, I have eyes but no pearls, I have offended Sir Eunuch; I hope Sir will not hold my offense against me and not treat me as an equal."

Hu Xiaotian's lips curled into a cold smile; actually the ship owner had already explained clearly, the fugitive's escape was obvious, this officer was deliberately making things difficult for him, simply eyeing his money. Hu Xiaotian held up the ash box and said slowly: "Zajia certainly has no quarrel with you, but if Zajia had acted just a step slower, the princess's ashes would have been split open by you, you scoundrel."

Only just now did everyone realize that what Hu Xiaotian was holding in his hands was actually Princess Anping's ashes; Zhao Wusheng was the first to kneel, his subordinates seeing him all knelt down, nobody dared remain standing, and one after another rushed to kneel. Zhao Wusheng, tears in his eyes, said: "I, General Zhao Wusheng, leading my troops, respectfully welcome Princess Anping's spirit back to her homeland!" After saying that, he respectfully kowtowed three times to the ashes box in Hu Xiaotian's arms, and everyone followed suit and kowtowed together.

Hu Xiaotian secretly smiled, not knowing whose ashes were in the box, but no matter whose they were, it was at least a fitting tribute to her; from the moment he entered Dakang territory he had given her such a lofty reception. Needless to say, once they returned to Kangdu, the Emperor would surely order a grand burial.

Zhao Wusheng and his troops were actually just putting on a show; nobody had deep feelings for Princess Anping, and everyone understood that her marriage into Da Yong was merely a political event. As for her assassination in Da Yong, although many felt indignant, it was really just resentment over the humiliation Dakang had suffered. The Dakang court is now in constant turmoil, with domestic uprisings sprouting everywhere, and even the soldiers stationed to guard Dakang's border defenses feel uneasy—one could say they are even more pessimistic about Dakang's future.

Among them, the most frightened was the officer who had just given Hu Xiaotian a hard time; upon hearing that the ashes box he had almost split open actually belonged to Princess Anping, he immediately fainted from fright, knowing he had stirred up a huge trouble.

After standing up, Zhao Wusheng gave that officer a cold look and angrily said: "Drag this clueless rascal away and lock him up; first give him fifty military strokes, then we'll decide his fate later."

Yes!

Seeing his identity exposed, Hu Xiaotian could only change his original plan; he and Huo Shengnan mounted their horses, and Zhao Wusheng rode alongside him. Zhao Wusheng said: "Sir Hu, why didn't you give us advance notice so we could make proper preparations to receive you?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I originally didn't want to trouble General Zhao; I never expected that the merchant ship we were on would have a fatality."

Zhao Wusheng said: "Sir Hu, why do you have only one attendant?"

Hu Xiaotian sighed and said: "It's hard to explain in a few words." After saying that, he didn't elaborate; seeing that Hu Xiaotian refused to speak, Zhao Wusheng naturally didn't press further. He smiled and said: "Sir Hu, this journey to Yongdu must have been exhausting; once you return to Dakang you can relax, so why not stay a few more days in Wuxing County to rest?"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head and said: "We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning; the princess's affairs cannot be delayed."

Zhao Wusheng nodded, his face showing a sorrowful expression.

Hu Xiaotian said: "When I was in Da Yong, I heard that Wuxing County had fallen into the hands of rebels; when was the uprising quelled?"

Zhao Wusheng said: "Sir Hu, not long after you left Warehouse Timber, the rebels broke through the gates of Wuxing County, looted the granary and killed the magistrate; when our navy gathered troops to come to their aid, the rebels had already abandoned the city and fled, fortunately there were not many casualties, and most of the unfortunate were officials and merchants; thus Commander Zhao temporarily placed Wuxing County under military administration, and after this period of tidying up and purging, we barely managed to restore some order; the detailed situation has been reported to the court, but we have not yet received a response."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "Wuxing County is the throat of Dakang's Bei Jiang frontier defense; if it were lost, the entire northern defense line would be threatened."

Zhao Wusheng said: "I heard that the Black Hu Fourth Prince, Wanyan Chixiong, died in Yongdu; now the Black Hu people are sharpening their weapons and feeding their horses, preparing to march south—Da Yong can barely take care of itself, how could it still worry about us?"

Huo Shengnan, following behind, couldn't help but frown; after all, she is a Da Yong general, and hearing others discuss Da Yong's affairs inevitably made her a bit sensitive, but she soon felt relieved—she only feared that while she cared about Da Yong, Da Yong no longer cared about her, and the affairs of state were no longer her concern.

Zhao Wusheng led his men in escorting Hu Xiaotian all the way to the Commander's residence, which was actually the former magistrate's office; Commander Zhao Dengyun, since taking up post in Wuxing, has made this his temporary office.

Commander Zhao Dengyun is also Zhao Wusheng's paternal uncle; thinking of their relationship, Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but recall the incident when they crossed the river at Warehouse Timber earlier. If Zhao Wusheng were a plant placed here by Ji Feihua, he would have known that the sinking ship incident could affect his uncle; as Commander, Zhao Dengyun would certainly be held accountable, and given Zhao Wusheng's shrewdness he would certainly have considered this. In this situation he still pressed ahead with the action—either he had calculated that the court could not touch Commander Zhao, or he was ruthless enough to sacrifice family for the greater good.

Upon arriving at the Commander's residence, they saw a group of people dressed in mourning clothes lined up at the gate; at their head was none other than Dakang's Commander Zhao Dengyun.

Hu Xiaotian glanced at Zhao Wusheng and understood that he must have sent someone ahead to deliver the message; but in such a short time, where could they have gotten these mourning garments? It seems they had prepared them in advance.

Seeing Hu Xiaotian's party arrive, Commander Zhao Dengyun led his civil and military officials in kneeling, each weeping bitterly; the Commander himself knelt, and Zhao Wusheng, as his nephew, naturally joined them. Looking around, only Hu Xiaotian and Huo Shengnan remained standing; everyone else had knelt. Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but smirk; these Dakang commanders may not be formidable in battle, but their talent for putting on a show is top-notch, as if they feared no one would know they were grieving for Princess Anping. Thanks to their display, everyone in Wuxing County now knows that the princess's ashes have returned to Dakang.

Commander Zhao Dengyun is about fifty years old, of medium build, with fair skin, dignified appearance, and three long whiskers on his jaw, bearing the air of a scholar-general; after rising, he wiped the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief, approached Hu Xiaotian, and said: "Sir Hu, you have worked hard on your journey."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Serving the state, I would willingly endure any hardship." Facing this Dakang navy's top authority, Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but study him more closely.

Commander Zhao Dengyun said: "Sir Hu, you will rest here tonight; we'll discuss matters in detail later." He turned to Zhao Wusheng and said: "Wusheng, issue the order: starting tonight, no wine shops or tea houses in the city may operate, brothels must close their doors to guests, and no household may hang lanterns or string up decorations."

Yes!

Upon hearing this, Hu Xiaotian immediately understood that Commander Zhao Dengyun intended to hold a grand memorial for Princess Anping; he said to Commander Zhao Dengyun: "Commander, please hold off on that decision; Zajia has a few words to say."

Commander Zhao Dengyun turned to Hu Xiaotian, smiling, and said: "Sir Hu, please speak."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Commander, I never intended to make a big fuss over escorting the princess's ashes back to the country; first, the princess preferred tranquility in life and would surely dislike being disturbed, and I also didn't want to cause trouble for many people; second, it's also for the safety of the princess's ashes, as there is still a distance from Wuxing County to Kangdu, and along the way we cannot guarantee that no ill-intentioned person will seek trouble, so I ask for your understanding—keeping this secret for now is best."

Commander Zhao Dengyun heard Hu Xiaotian's words, furrowed his brow as if considering them, thought for a moment, then nodded and said: "Sir Hu, that makes sense; then let's proceed as you suggest." He waved his hand, signaling everyone to disperse.

Zhao Wusheng led Hu Xiaotian to the eastern courtyard to settle in temporarily; Hu Xiaotian finally had the chance to luxuriate in a hot bath, and after he finished bathing it had grown dark. Still, Zhao Wusheng came over to invite him, saying that Commander Zhao Dengyun had invited him to dinner.

Zhao Dengyun invited Hu Xiaotian to come alone to the mansion; Hu Xiaotian said a word to Huo Shengnan, then followed Zhao Wusheng to the Back Garden of the Governor's residence.

Naval Governor Zhao Dengyun had already taken off his armor and changed into a scholar's robe; on the stone table in the pavilion several cold dishes had already been laid out; seeing Hu Xiaotian enter, Zhao Dengyun smiled and greeted: "Lord Hu has arrived!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Sir, despite your busy schedule you still took time to invite me; the Zajia is truly honored and startled."

Zhao Dengyun chuckled: "Lord Hu, why be so polite? You escorted Princess Anping to Yongdu for marriage, enduring nine deaths and one life; although I have only just met Lord Hu, I have long admired his bearing."

Hu Xiaotian secretly thought: "What bearing could I, a eunuch, have? What is there for you to admire? You probably know my relationship with Ji Feihua and are deliberately trying to get close to me; thinking of Ji Feihua, I couldn't help but recall the news I heard yesterday from the red-haired man, unsure if it's true or false; today I happen to be able to inquire from Zhao Dengyun about the true situation of Kangdu."

Zhao Wusheng filled the wine cups before Hu Xiaotian and Zhao Dengyun with fine wine.

Zhao Dengyun raised his wine cup and said: "This cup I toast to Lord Hu; Lord Hu, who braved dangers and endured nine deaths and one life to go to Da Yong, whether wisdom or courage, makes us deeply admire." (To be continued~^~)