Tang Qingxuan had never expected him to ask such a shameless question. Blushing, she said, "Of course you were wearing trousers!" The moment she said it, she realized she might have fallen into his trap.
Hu Xiaotian laughed. "If I was wearing trousers, what could I possibly do with her head between my legs? Tang Tiehan, what did you think I was doing?"
"Well... you..."
Hu Xiaotian said, "You must have thought I was forcing your sister to use her mouth to do that sort of thing for me..."
"I didn't! I never thought my sister was using her mouth to do that sort of thing for you..." As the two traded questions and answers, neither explicitly named the act, but everyone present knew perfectly well what they meant. Every woman there listened with flushed cheeks and a racing heart. Tang Qingxuan was so mortified she wished she could dash her head against something and die. Oh, my foolish brother! How can you be this stupid? Why is it so easy for this scoundrel to trick you?
"You're lying! Dare you swear to heaven that if you ever thought that, every last member of your Tang Family will die a miserable death?"
Tang Tiehan's mouth hung open. He did not dare make such a vicious oath, and for a moment he stood frozen.
Seeing his son cornered into speechlessness, Tang Wenzheng inwardly cursed his uselessness and fumed at Hu Xiaotian's insolence. He gave a cold snort. "Lord Hu!" It was a reminder to Hu Buwei that his son's words had gone far too far.
Hu Buwei felt as refreshed as if he had drunk chilled mung bean soup in the sweltering dog days of summer. Inwardly, he cried Wonderful! a dozen times in a row. He could plainly see Tang Wenzheng's face turning livid with rage and hear him calling, but he pretended he had seen and heard nothing.
Hu Xiaotian pressed him relentlessly, leaving Tang Tiehan no chance to catch his breath. "Did you think that or not?"
Driven beyond endurance, Tang Tiehan blurted out, "Yes! I did think that!" A chorus of gasps rose around them. Several elders slowly shook their heads, clearly utterly disappointed in him. Tang Qingxuan's mind went completely blank. She felt numb from the roots of her hair to her toenails and no longer knew what she was thinking or doing.
Hu Xiaotian opened his mouth so wide in apparent astonishment that a duck's egg could almost have fit inside. He declared loudly, "Have you no decency? Thinking that of me is one thing, but to think that of your own sister! You're truly measuring a gentleman's heart with a petty man's yardstick!" Then he bowed to Capital Prefect Hong Baiqi. "Lord Hong, everything is clear now. Tang Tiehan's mind is filthy and foul. He invented every one of these lies."
Left speechless by this rebuke, Tang Tiehan struggled for a long while before managing, "Isn't it a fact that you abducted my sister?"
Hu Xiaotian said, "You brought all those men, kept calling me a lecher, and wanted nothing more than to kill me. If I didn't leave, was I supposed to stand there and wait for you to cut me down?"
"But you took my sister hostage..."
"I couldn't beat you in a fight, and you wouldn't listen to my explanation. This was the only way to make you behave and listen."
"But why did you abduct my sister and bring her here? What could it have been if not some indecent scheme?"
Hu Xiaotian burst out laughing. "Good question!" He took a step toward Tang Tiehan and fixed him with a piercing gaze. "If I told you there was nothing improper between your sister and me, would you believe me?"
"Only a ghost would believe you!" Tang Tiehan snapped. The instant the words left his mouth, he realized he had been tricked again. His dark face turned purple with rage.
Hu Xiaotian smiled. "It seems you can't wait for me to do something indecent to your sister!"
"Bullshit! You're nothing but a lecher!" Tang Tiehan flew into a fury and raised a fist the size of a vinegar bowl, aching to flatten Hu Xiaotian's hateful face with one punch. An opponent like a god was less frightening than a teammate like a pig. Tang Tiehan would have been better off keeping quiet. The more he spoke, the greater the mess became, and the worse things looked for his side.
Hu Xiaotian said, "You call me a lecher? Tang Qingxuan, since you came to the Minister's Residence, have I done anything improper to you at all?"
Tang Qingxuan had no answer. This fellow was far too glib. Clearly, every scrap of justice had been on her side, so how had she ended up seeming to lack both a valid argument and the words to make one?
Murong Feiyan said, "My lord, Miss Tang is still an unmarried young lady. There are things she is simply too embarrassed to say."
Hu Xiaotian said, "She's unmarried, and so am I. She cares about her honor, and I care about my good name just as much. Your Tang Family keeps calling me a lecher and claiming I acted indecently toward Tang Qingxuan. To put it bluntly, after bringing her here, I had plenty of time to do something indecent. Did I? Tang Qingxuan, tell them. Have I done anything indecent to you?"
His questions left Tang Qingxuan utterly speechless. Her pent-up anguish reached its breaking point, and she burst into tears with a sob.
Seeing his daughter driven to this state, Tang Wenzheng could no longer suppress his fury. "Lord Hu, please tell your son to show some decency in his speech!"
Hu Buwei said, "I will discipline my own son. Xiaotian, tell everyone here clearly: did you do anything indecent to the Tang Family's young lady?" His heart was overflowing with satisfaction. A pack of blind fools, coming here to provoke our Hu Family! I'm a ruthless schemer, and my son is no harmless innocent either. Falling into our hands means eight lifetimes' worth of rotten luck for you.
Hu Xiaotian said, "Your son doesn't know what 'indecent' means. Different people see the world differently and use different standards to judge good and evil. I only know what a good deed is and what a bad deed is. I truly don't understand what an indecent act is. Miss Tang, why don't you teach me how to do something indecent?"
Thud! Tang Qingxuan fell stiffly to the ground. This time, she really had fainted from rage. Everyone's attention had been focused on Hu Xiaotian, so no one reacted in time.
Tang Wenzheng rushed over and gathered his daughter into his arms, tears streaming down his aged face. "My daughter... wake up! Wake up..."
The three Tang brothers charged forward in fury, ready to fight Hu Xiaotian to the death.
Hu Xiaotian stood fearlessly. With Capital Prefect Hong here, he doubted these three fools could stir up much of a wave. Murong Feiyan hurried to block them.
Tang Wenzheng pinched the groove above his daughter's upper lip and shook her shoulders until he finally brought Tang Qingxuan around. She cried mournfully, "I've been wronged... Father... I want to go home..." She felt as though she had been stripped bare and flayed, with no dignity or self-respect left. All she wanted was to go home and escape this place as quickly as possible. A moment ago, she had still wanted justice. Now she only hoped this villain would stop tormenting her.
Hong Baiqi sighed. "My lords, please hear me out!"
Having gained the upper hand in every respect, Hu Buwei naturally assumed a gracious air. "Please speak, Lord Hong," he said with a smile.
Tang Wenzheng did not object either. Holding his daughter tightly, he felt desolate. Their position was weaker, and further words would accomplish nothing. That his daughter's chastity had not been ruined by this wicked young man was already the greatest blessing amid their misfortune. Everything else seemed less important now.
Hong Baiqi said, "I believe this was a misunderstanding. Young people are hot-blooded and come to blows over a disagreement. In my many years as an official, I've seen plenty of such incidents. Fortunately, we arrived in time, and nothing disastrous happened. Since no one has suffered any injury, I suggest we let the matter rest here."
Tang Wenzheng's eyes blazed with anger, but he did not dare erupt openly before these two high officials.
Hu Buwei, who had come out ahead in every way, merely listened with a beaming smile and said nothing.
Hong Baiqi said, "What do you two think?"
Hu Buwei sighed softly. "We all serve at the same court and stand as ministers in the same hall. We mustn't let this trifling matter damage our harmony. Whatever caused today's incident, my son was wrong to bring Miss Tang into our home. The greater share of the blame lies with our Hu Family." Though he appeared to make a concession, there was no real admission of wrongdoing in his words. First he said the cause remained uncertain, then he said his son had merely brought Tang Qingxuan home. Tang Wenzheng heard every word clearly and cursed inwardly. Old villain! Your wicked son abducted my daughter and brought her here, yet now you call it simply bringing her here? Turning black into white and muddling right and wrong! Scoundrel! I, Tang Wenzheng, am ashamed to stand in your company.
Hu Buwei said, "I will bear all of today's losses." Turning to Hu Xiaotian, he said, "Xiaotian, hurry and apologize to your Uncle Tang!" By saying this, he had effectively declared the matter closed.
The three Tang sons naturally objected to this resolution, but their father silenced them with a look before they could speak.
Hu Xiaotian walked slowly up to Tang Wenzheng and bowed deeply. "Uncle Tang, I am young. If I have offended you in any way, please be generous and forgive me!"
Tang Wenzheng nodded reluctantly. He did not want to remain in the Hu Residence for even another moment. Rising, he said, "Lord Hu, Lord Hong, I have other matters to attend to. Farewell!" He cupped his hands, then turned and left without another word. Seeing their father leave, the Tang siblings naturally followed. Tang Tiehan and Tang Tiecheng had swallowed a bellyful of frustration at Hu Xiaotian's hands, and both pointed at him bitterly before departing.
Hu Xiaotian grinned. "What about the Thatched Pavilion?"
Hearing him bring up the burning of the Thatched Pavilion again, the brothers turned and fled in fright.
Seeing that a major affair had been reduced to a minor one, then reduced to nothing at all, Hong Baiqi felt deeply pleased. He stayed no longer, gathered his men, exchanged a few pleasantries with Hu Buwei, and took his leave.
After seeing Hong Baiqi off, Hu Buwei looked at the wreckage strewn across the rear courtyard and shook his head.
At some point, Hu Xiaotian had come to stand beside him. Looking at the Thatched Pavilion, now burned to ashes, he said with a cheeky grin, "Father, are we really going to let the matter of the Thatched Pavilion go just like that?"
Hu Buwei suddenly reached out and seized his ear, giving it a hard twist. "You little wretch! Look what you've done!"
Hu Xiaotian cried out, "It hurts! It hurts! Let go! Let go!"
Hu Buwei released him, then gave the back of his head a light slap. It was not a real blow. Though he scolded his son, his eyes were filled with affection. His son's performance today had delighted him beyond all expectation. He had never imagined that, after sixteen years of being witless, his son would awaken and unleash such formidable power. His display just now had truly blazed with brilliance and stunned everyone present. Gazing at the ashes of the Thatched Pavilion, Hu Buwei said, "Thatched Pavilion, imperial court-the words sound alike! You certainly have a quick mind."
**********Thanks to Windlike Gai for the huge red-highlighted donation! Applause and flowers to celebrate Medical Sovereign's third alliance leader! And please send recommendation votes!
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