Qiqi said, "The skull contains all manner of things, but most of them are Heavenly Aspect Diagrams."
Hu Xiaotian said, "Hong Beimo treats you with such respect entirely because of that skull. Did you know that?"
Qiqi nodded. "Each of us takes what we need and uses the other. In my eyes, you're no different from him."
Hu Xiaotian said, "Do you know what Hong Beimo is doing in the Imperial Mausoleum?"
Qiqi said nothing.
Hu Xiaotian said, "Of course you do. For decades, silver from the Great Kang Treasury has poured endlessly into the Imperial Mausoleum. Its construction is on a scale unmatched not just in Great Kang, but anywhere in the world, past or present." He paused before continuing, "Hong Beimo found the spaceship that sank in Qixia Lake all those years ago. He's been repairing and rebuilding it ever since, which is why he's consumed such vast amounts of manpower and resources."
Qiqi said, "You sound so certain. Did you see it with your own eyes?"
Hu Xiaotian said, "I haven't seen it myself, but I'm certain Hong Beimo has spent all these years working toward that end. He was once Chu Fufeng's disciple, a brilliant man whose learning spans ancient and modern times. Unfortunately, his abilities alone have never been enough to repair the spaceship. The key to whether he can succeed lies in your hands." Hu Xiaotian fixed his burning gaze on Qiqi's flawless, white-jade face.
Qiqi said softly, "Go on."
Hu Xiaotian said, "I could never understand why Long Xuan'en doted on you so much, while Long Yelin was filled with fear and suspicion toward his own daughter. None of it seemed to make sense. Only recently did I realize that it wasn't you they feared, but your mother."
Qiqi gave a little laugh,