Hu Xiaotian smiled. "Big Brother is so shrewd, so why would he do something so foolish? Please pass on a word of advice for me: he must never let his achievements overshadow his sovereign. Though his intentions are good, it would be very bad indeed if others misunderstood."
Ma Qingyun said, "The Prince has always known how far to go, but I will certainly pass your words on to him, Lord Hu."
Hu Xiaotian nodded. Just then, Liang Dazhuang came over with tea. He took the cup and sipped it. "Adviser Ma, surely you haven't come merely to ask after me?"
Ma Qingyun smiled. "I came on the Prince's orders, first to visit you, and second to bring you a special gift, Lord Hu." He presented the scroll he had brought.
Hu Xiaotian took it and unrolled it, revealing a painting of a graceful, alluring beauty. He had seen this painting before at Buddha's Smile Tower in the Prince of Yan's Residence. The woman in it was none other than Huo Xiaoru. Why had the Prince of Yan sent someone all this way to deliver her portrait? Hu Xiaotian recalled how Huo Xiaoru had tried to assassinate the Prince of Yan, and how he had later rescued her from the prince's residence. He had paid no small price to save her.
Thinking of Huo Xiaoru, Hu Xiaotian could not help feeling wistful. Since they had parted in the Yong Capital, he had heard nothing from her. Gazing at her portrait, he seemed to see her standing among a profusion of flowers, looking back with a radiant smile that robbed every blossom of its color. The memory of her peerless beauty set his heart fluttering.
Ma Qingyun quietly watched the changes in Hu Xiaotian's expression. Feelings often could not be concealed;