Chapter 852

Hu Fo and Liang Da Zhuang each led a group of family members to begin tidying the manor when suddenly they heard the sound of horse hooves coming from outside. Hu Xiaotian was bringing Huo Shengnan for a rough tour of the Hu residence, and the two had just arrived at Boxuan Lou when they looked up and saw more than ten riders approaching the gate. Hu Xiaotian's eyesight was extraordinarily sharp; although he stood on Boxuan Lou about fifty zhang away from them, he could still clearly make out their faces. To his surprise, the leaders of the group turned out to be the Tang siblings.

Liang Da Zhuang came running in a panic, panting as he reported to Hu Xiaotian: "Young master, something serious has happened! The Tang siblings have brought people to the door again to cause trouble." He didn't know what had happened during Hu Xiaotian's mission this time, nor did he know that Hu Xiaotian and the Tang siblings had already turned swords into jade and silk. Hu Xiaotian smiled: "Don't panic, they're not here to cause trouble. Go! Open the gate and invite them in; I'll be there right away!"

Liang Da Zhuang responded with an acknowledgement and hurried off.

Hu Xiaotian and Huo Shengnan exchanged a glance. Huo Shengnan had dealt with the Tang siblings during her time in Yongdu; even though she was now dressed in male attire, the Tang siblings should still be able to recognize her. After all, the Da Yong court had issued a maritime arrest warrant pushing the blame for Princess Anping's murder entirely onto Huo Shengnan's head. Although she had left Da Yong, she still wasn't suited to reveal her identity lightly, lest unnecessary trouble arise. Hu Xiaotian told Huo Shengnan to stay in Boxuan Lou to avoid detection, while he himself went alone to the gate to greet them.

All four Tang siblings came this time. Tang Tiehan and Tang Tiexin, the two brothers, had been looked after by Hu Xiaotian during their mission to Da Yong, and they had long since turned from enemies to friends with him. The second brother, Tang Tiecheng, hearing of their experiences, felt immense gratitude toward Hu Xiaotian, and the little resentment he once harbored had long vanished. In fact, all the Tang children are passionate by nature, though they tend to act impulsively. Tang Qingxuan, although a girl, became spoiled and headstrong due to being overindulged at home. The cause of her past conflicts with Hu Xiaotian was that she had provoked them first; this trip to Yongdu completely changed her impression of him.

Tang Tiehan smiled and said: "Sir Hu, we siblings have heard that you successfully completed your mission, and also that the Emperor has formally restored your status. We have come specially to congratulate you."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Thank you, Elder Brother Tang!" He then bowed his thanks to Tang Tiecheng and Tang Tiexin one by one. When he faced Tang Qingxuan, her pretty face flushed crimson, her long black lashes fluttering, and she dared not meet his gaze directly. Hu Xiaotian had entered the palace posing as a eunuch to gather evidence against Ji Feihua; this matter had now spread throughout Kangdu, meaning Hu Xiaotian was certainly not a eunuch. He was a genuine man, and Tang Qingxuan naturally understood what that implied. Seeing Hu Xiaotian again, she could no longer maintain her former calm; recalling how he had held and kissed her, her whole body went limp, her heart raced, and her skin began to burn. Tang Qingxuan started to regret having come along.

Anyone who isn't blind can see Tang Qingxuan's unusual behavior, Hu Xiaotian thought to himself. Could this Tang girl have fallen for me? My charm is simply irresistible, and to say the Tang girl is also quite sexy in appearance. Unfortunately, she lacks wit and has a fiery temper; just one glance from me elicits such a strong reaction—could she be of the type that responds intensely to sensual stimulation? Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but let his imagination run wild. As the saying goes, when one is well-fed and warm, thoughts turn to lust. This fellow had just regained his freedom, and his long-suppressed restless thoughts began to stir again, but Hu Xiaotian could still weigh priorities; he smiled and said, "Miss Tang, hello!"

"Hello, Elder Brother Hu!" Tang Qingxuan said in a sweet, coquettish voice.

The three Tang brothers weren't mistaken; that soft, sweet voice that seemed about to drip with water truly came from their sister. In all their combined memory, the sister had never spoken like this before, and she didn't address him as "Sir Hu" but clearly called him "Elder Brother Hu."

Hu Xiaotian felt a tingling on his scalp; Tang Qingxuan seemed older than him, so why did she call him elder brother? Skilled at reading women's minds, he already understood that Tang Qingxuan was very likely smitten with him.

Tang Tiehan said: "Sir Hu, I heard the court has restored your residence to us. After discussing among ourselves, we have nothing better to offer as a gift, so we selected twenty fine steeds and six carriages to send for your household's use."

Hu Xiaotian was overjoyed upon hearing this. Although the Tang siblings are somewhat impulsive, their family is quite skilled at judging horses, especially their father, Tang Wen Zheng, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Transport, who is renowned as a contemporary Bo Le—not only in Dakang but throughout the world. Hu Xiaotian hurriedly thanked them.

Because the manor had just been reclaimed, the servants were still tidying up, so Hu Xiaotian could only ask them to wait outside. The group sat down in the pavilion, and without prior agreement they recalled the past conflict when they had caused a grass pavilion to catch fire. Their eyes met, and they all shared a knowing smile—truly, one smile dispelled all grudges.

Tang Tiexin said: "Sir Hu, I heard the court has appointed you as Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "It's merely an honorary post; the actual duties are still handled by Commander Murong, and I don't have any specific responsibilities there."

Tang Tiecheng said: "I still want to use Sir Hu's influence to secure a position in the Imperial Guard for myself." He is blunt and speaks his mind; Tang Qingxuan couldn't help but glare at him, blaming the second brother for speaking rashly.

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "If Second Brother Tang truly wishes to become a guard, I can still help with this small favor."

"Really?" Tang Tiecheng's face lit up with joy.

Tang Qingxuan said: "Second brother, Elder Brother Hu has just returned and only recently received his appointment; you'd better not cause him trouble."

Tang Tiecheng said: "Sir Hu already agreed to my request, so why are you, this girl, saying no again? You really are always looking out for Sir Hu."

Tang Qingxuan's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, and she spat: "I'm ignoring you!"

Tang Tiexin kicked the second brother, and Tang Tiecheng only then realized he had misspoken, chuckling: "My sister's right too; Sir Hu isn't in a rush to arrange things, so I'll think about this matter after everything stabilizes—I'm not in a hurry either."

Hu Xiaotian turned to Tang Tiehan and asked: "Elder Brother Tang, do you have any news about Minister of Rites Wu?"

Tang Tiehan said: "Yes, we met him in Tianbo City, and he inquired about your news; it's clear he was very anxious."

Hu Xiaotian nodded. Wu Jing Shan would hardly be unperturbed; having returned early to Dakang, he had been watching the situation's development. Moreover, he should already know that I completed this mission, that the court did not punish me but instead rewarded me according to merit, so Wu Jing Shan must have relaxed and can now return to Kangdu without hesitation.

Tang Qingxuan said: "I heard Elder Brother Hu brought back the princess's ashes?" Upon mentioning Princess Anping, Tang Qingxuan's eyes welled up. She and the princess had sworn sisterhood on the road; the princess was gentle and kind, treating her like a sister. In fact, Hu Xiaotian had previously told her that the Princess Anping of Yongdu was an impostor, Zi Juan, and although Tang Qingxuan had long known this, thinking of the princess still brought tears to her eyes.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with the Tang brothers, Hu Xiaotian saw that the Hu household was bustling up and down, and it would be inconvenient for them to stay, so they bade farewell and left.

Having just seen off the Tang siblings, another distinguished guest arrived at the door—none other than Qin Yutong of Xuantian Guan, someone Hu Xiaotian had not expected.

To Hu Xiaotian, Qin Yutong's arrival was indeed a pleasant surprise; she is naturally aloof, so her voluntarily calling on him is rare. Before leaving Kangdu, there had been a time when Hu Xiaotian was dissatisfied with Qin Yutong because she showed utter indifference when her close friend Long Xi Yue married far away. Regardless of whether he admits it, the leather mask she gave him had played a significant role, and moreover, in Yongdu, had it not been for her introducing Liu Changsheng of the Shen Nong Society to him, his affairs there would not have gone so smoothly.

Wearing a deep blue robe, plain cloth with a simple hairpin, and a veil covering her face, although her features were hidden, her transcendent, otherworldly aura alone left one breathless. In Hu Xiaotian's eyes, Qin Yutong resembled a snow lotus far removed from worldly clamor, standing pure and unstained amidst the mire no matter how noisy the surroundings.

Even standing opposite her, one feels no sense of closeness; Qin Yutong naturally carries an aura that keeps people at a distance. Recalling the shocking scar on her face and then seeing her peerless beauty, Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but lament inwardly: such a beauty, why was she disfigured? Yet he also suspected that Qin Yutong might not be showing her true face; given her skill in disguise, making herself ugly is not difficult, and concealing her real appearance may simply be to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "Miss Qin, you've come; I was just about to go to Xuantian Guan to visit you, but you arrived before me."

Qin Yutong said: "You came from Da Yong, crossing mountains and rivers, weary from travel by boat and carriage; it is only fitting that I should call on you."

Hu Xiaotian glanced at the servants bustling about and said: "We only just reclaimed the manor today; everywhere people are busy cleaning up, and it's a mess."

Qin Yutong replied calmly: "It seems I've come at an inconvenient time."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Not at all; why don't I accompany you, Miss Qin, on a walk around?"

Qin Yutong shook her head: "I came here just to ask you a few questions."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Miss Qin, please go ahead."

"I heard the princess died at the hands of the poisoner of Banlan Gate?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded: "Exactly!"

Qin Yutong said: "In Da Yong, you once killed three direct disciples of the Northern Marsh Old Monster?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "I didn't expect the news to spread so quickly!"

Qin Yutong's clear, beautiful eyes fixed on Hu Xiaotian as if seeing him anew, and she softly said: "It seems your martial arts have advanced by leaps and bounds during this time—you can actually defeat the three disciples of the Northern Marsh Old Monster and even put them to death."

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