Qiqi said, "You mean Wen Boyuan was colluding with Xue Daohong?"
Hu Xiaotian smiled. "I don't have any evidence."
Qiqi turned and glared at him. "If you have no evidence, don't make reckless accusations. Wen Chenghuan may oppose you at every turn, but he is a veteran statesman who has served three reigns. His loyalty to Great Kang is beyond question."
Hu Xiaotian smiled. "You can't paint everything with the same brush. I never said Wen Chenghuan was a treacherous minister. I only said Wen Boyuan's actions were highly suspicious."
"He's dead. Why concern yourself with him anymore?" Only then did Qiqi remember that she had been the one to bring up today's incident. It was only natural that Wen Chenghuan hated Hu Xiaotian to the marrow of his bones. He blamed Hu Xiaotian for his son's death; this was a feud that could not coexist beneath the same sky.
Hu Xiaotian said, "He may be dead, but the matter isn't over. Wen Chenghuan has targeted me several times, so I sent people specifically to investigate him." As the saying went, it was discourteous not to return a courtesy. Hu Xiaotian had never been the sort to meekly accept mistreatment and swallow his anger.
Qiqi said, "What did you find?"
Hu Xiaotian said, "I discovered that Grand Tutor Wen has always advocated peace, particularly in our relations with Great Yong. When Great Kang's natural disasters were at their worst, he was the one who negotiated with Li Chenzhou and pushed through the purchase of grain from Great Yong at inflated prices."
Qiqi nodded. Naturally, she knew about that.
Hu Xiaotian continued, "Grand Tutor Wen's consistency is quite remarkable, too. For years afterward, he held firmly to the same position in handling relations between the two countries, always remaining friendly toward