Chapter 938

Madam Hu returned safely from Gold Mausoleum; the one escorting her all the way to Gold Mausoleum was Zhangyu's carriage driver Wu Renxing, but when she returned, Wu Renxing had already gone missing. En route, Xu Fengyi had already received news of her son Anran's safe return to Kangdu, and she was longing to see her son as if an arrow pierced her heart. Along the way she also heard of her son's various mighty deeds, and also heard that her son had merely posed as a eunuch to enter the palace; now the court had restored his status and even appointed him Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard, making Xu Fengyi all the more relieved.

The carriage arrived at Fifteen Li Pavilion, and they saw a troop of soldiers waiting by the roadside ahead. Xu Fengyi heard the coachman's report, her heart first startled; lately Dakang has been in turmoil everywhere, could they have run into bandits? But after a moment's thought, this place is already near the imperial capital, at the emperor's feet—such a thing shouldn't happen.

The scout sent to check the situation returned happily, calling out from afar, 'Madam, it's the young master come to fetch you!'

Xu Fengyi felt greatly relieved, she lifted the carriage curtain and looked out, only to see that group already coming toward her; the one leading the charge on horseback was precisely her long‑yearned‑for precious son Hu Xiaotian. Xu Fengyi trembled as she said, 'Stop the carriage! Hurry and stop!'

The coachman hurriedly stopped the carriage, and Xu Fengyi pushed open the door and jumped down. At that moment Hu Xiaotian had already come before her, dismounting from the little gray horse; although the wound at his thigh root had not yet healed and pulling it still hurt a little, none of that could compare to the joy of mother and son reuniting. He took three steps in two, quickly stepped before his mother, and with a thud knelt on the ground, tears in his eyes, saying, 'Mother! Your unfilial son Hu Xiaotian kowtows to you!'

Xu Fengyi's eyes turned red, she grabbed her son in a tight embrace; all the longing and grievance of these days turned into tears pouring down, and in a short while they had already dampened the collar of Hu Xiaotian's shoulder.

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, 'Mother! Seeing your son return safe and sound, you ought to be happy—why are you crying instead?'

Xu Fengyi wiped her tears while smiling and said, 'Mother is just too happy—that's why I'm crying.'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Mother, don't cry yet; let me introduce you to a few of my friends.'

Just then, the people who had accompanied him to welcome her arrived; the whole group dropped to their knees before Madam Hu, saying, 'We pay our respects to Madam Hu! May Madam Hu be auspicious!'

Seeing the scene before her, Xu Fengyi panicked and said, 'Hurry, everyone get up—how can this be allowed?'

Hu Xiaotian laughed as he had everyone rise; Zhang Peng led the way to Xu Fengyi's front and performed a salute, saying, 'Nephew Zhang Peng pays respects to Aunt Hu.'

Xu Fengyi laughed and said, 'You make me laugh.' She had previously met Zhang Peng at the Well Lane Hutong, and knew he shared a life‑and‑death bond with her son.

Hu Xiaotian then introduced Zhao Chongwu, Yan Fei, Yang Lingqi and the others one by one to his mother; when he finally introduced Huo Shengnan, a flicker of embarrassment appeared in her eyes. Since what happened between her and Hu Xiaotian, she has become his woman, and this meeting is akin to a new daughter‑in‑law meeting her parents‑in‑law, so she naturally felt shy from the bottom of her heart. Fortunately she is now in disguise, and Madam Hu did not suspect anything.

Hu Xiaotian said, 'He is my good friend Huang Feihong.'

Xu Fengyi laughed and said, 'Feihong, that sounds like a girl's name.' She reached out and took Huo Shengnan's hand; it felt soft, delicate, like creamy fat. Although Huo Shengnan had changed her guise, she could not alter the texture of her skin, and Xu Fengyi felt a faint surprise. Looking again at Huo Shengnan's eyes, she saw a hint of shyness. Having been through such things herself, Xu Fengyi vaguely sensed that something was amiss.

Huo Shengnan dared not pull her hand away forcefully; she whispered, 'The "hong" in Feihong is the "hong" of wild goose.'

Only then did Xu Fengyi laugh and let go of her hand: 'It seems I was mistaken.' Fortunately her attention was wholly on her son: 'Xiaotian, where is your father?'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'He's still at the Well Lane Hutong. The Emperor has already returned the Hu mansion to us; I've invited him several times, but he refuses to go back—he's very stubborn.'

Xu Fengyi nodded and said, 'Let's go see your father first!'

Hu Xiaotian handed his mount to his attendant, then got into the carriage to sit with his mother.

Xu Fengyi gripped her son's hand, as if fearing that letting go would mean never seeing him again; her eyes kept scanning him, and she couldn't help but shed tears again.

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said, 'Mother, if you keep crying you'll cry your eyes into peaches—wouldn't Father develop an outside heart seeing you like that?'

Xu Fengyi burst into laughter, smacked his hand with a slap, and said, 'You're asking for a beating; even if I lent him some courage, he wouldn't dare.'

Hu Xiaotian asked, 'Mother, did you see my grandmother on this trip to Gold Mausoleum?'

Xu Fengyi nodded, but upon hearing this the smile on her face vanished instantly; she softly sighed and said, 'Mother will never go back there again.'

Seeing his mother's expression, Hu Xiaotian knew her visit to her parents must have gone badly; he gently patted the back of her hand to comfort her and smiled, 'Once you marry into the Hu family, you are one of us—whether you return to that natal home or not makes no difference, especially since you no longer have a husband or son there.'

Xu Fengyi couldn't help but smile faintly and said in a low voice, 'The Emperor asked the Xu family for a grain loan, but your grandmother refused; I worry this will implicate us.'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Mother, don't worry; I will handle these matters myself.'

As they talked, they arrived at the southern gate of the capital; after entering the gate, Hu Xiaotian told the group, 'Brothers, you may go back first—I'll accompany my mother to see my father!'

After bidding farewell to the group, Hu Xiaotian accompanied his mother to the Well Lane Hutong. These days, Hu Buwei has continued to reside here, still having to go to the Ministry of Revenue each day for work. Although Hu Buwei has not been reinstated to his former post, in fact he has begun to take charge of over half of the Ministry's affairs; officials like Xu Zhengying treat him with even greater reverence, attending to him as if he were the Minister of Revenue.

The current state of Dakang is not something he can solve; even if anyone else took over, it would be hard to lead Dakang out of its predicament. Since learning that the old Madame Xu refused the Emperor's request for a grain loan, Hu Buwei has vaguely felt that perhaps another great calamity is looming. Unlike his son's optimism, Hu Buwei harbors a deep sense of crisis; he does not believe a fourteen‑year‑old girl could hold Dakang's power.

The return of his wife brought a rare smile to Hu Buwei's face; after enduring a series of trials, the family of three finally had a chance to reunite. Hu Buwei's greatest wish now is to resolve all troubles—even if it means losing wealth and honor, all he needs is a small courtyard where the whole family can be together, and that would be enough.

After thirty years of marriage, even a glance tells each other what the other is thinking; Hu Buwei smiled at his wife and said, 'Just having you back is good.'

Xu Fengyi said, 'You seem to have lost weight again.'

Hu Buwei replied, 'Being a bit thinner makes one more spirited and looks younger.'

Hu Xiaotian, standing aside, couldn't help but laugh: 'Father, Mother, should I step out for a while so as not to disturb your intimacy?'

Hu Buwei's old face flushed, and he spat, 'You brat, the older you get the more outrageous you become—who talks like that?'

Xu Fengyi's face also flushed red; she grabbed Hu Xiaotian's ear and said, 'You little punk, believe it or not I'll rip your ear off.'

Hu Xiaotian hurriedly begged for mercy; the side room already had hot water prepared for her, and Xu Fengyi rose to go bathe and change. Just before leaving, she suddenly remembered something, took out a letter and handed it to Hu Buwei, saying, 'The old lady asked me to give this to you, saying only you may open it personally.'

Hu Buwei took the letter.

After Xu Fengyi left, Hu Xiaotian seized the moment and said, 'Father, now that Mother has returned, shouldn't we all move back home together? This place is too small, the sunlight is poor, and summer is just around the corner—it will be hot and humid.'

Hu Buwei said, 'That mansion was a gift from the Emperor to you; I never intended to go back there.'

'You are my father—why must we be so clear‑cut about it?'

Hu Buwei shook his head and said, 'It's not about drawing a clear line; one who lacks foresight will surely have near‑term worries—I simply don't want to be driven out of there again by others.'

Hu Xiaotian chuckled and said, 'Who would dare?'

Hu Buwei looked at his spirited son; although he was pleased with his son's present achievements, he still felt compelled to remind him: 'Xiaotian, do you know that your grandmother has refused the Emperor?'

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, 'In your grandmother's eyes, our Hu family has long ceased to exist; if so, why should we seek to climb higher?'

Hu Buwei sighed and said, 'It's not as simple as you see it. I'm in the Ministry of Revenue, and I know Dakang's situation better than anyone. These past two years Dakang has suffered continuous disasters, year after year of poor harvests—not to mention the common folk, even the grain stored in Dakang's major granaries is nearly exhausted. Although the Emperor has allocated some funds, none of the neighboring states are willing to sell grain to Dakang at this time. Judging from the current conditions everywhere, this autumn's harvest will not be good either; if the shortfall continues, the people will likely rise in revolt first.'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'That is why the Emperor wants to purchase grain overseas through the Xu family.'

Hu Buwei said, 'The Emperor has placed great hope in this matter; as the saying goes, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Your grandmother has clearly refused the Emperor's request, and in his fury he might…' He did not finish the sentence, trusting that his son would understand his meaning.

Hu Xiaotian asked, 'You mean the Emperor wants to take revenge on us?'

Hu Buwei nodded.

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Don't worry; I've made it perfectly clear to Princess Yongyang that we and the Xu family of Gold Mausoleum have long had no entanglement.'

Hu Buwei gave a bitter smile and said, 'Do you think the Emperor will believe that?'

Hu Xiaotian was quite curious about the letter in his father's hand; he pointed at it and said, 'Father, won't you take a look at what's inside?'

After Hu Xiaotian's reminder, Hu Buwei finally opened the letter; having read it, he fell silent.

Hu Xiaotian was also curious about the letter's contents, not knowing what the old lady had written inside. He whispered, 'Father, what does the letter say?'

Hu Buwei said, 'Your grandmother indeed has her unspeakable difficulties; if she lent grain to Dakang, the neighboring states would regard her as an enemy, and the Xu clan of Gold Mausoleum would become a target for the top experts of those states to eliminate. Her open refusal of the Emperor was also a helpless move, but she did agree to point Dakang toward a trade route—provided that Dakang itself sends people to make contact.'

Fourth update delivered—Is Zhangyu working hard enough? Please vote for the monthly ticket to encourage us; we'll have another update tonight! (To be continued~^~)