The old steward, Hu An, glared at him. "Wronged, my ass! The young master has gone out now. If he gets into trouble again, I'll hold you responsible."
Liang Dazhuang protested indignantly, "Why blame me? The young master was the one who wouldn't let us go."
Hu An jabbed a finger at Liang Dazhuang's chest. "Have you got a brain? The young master said you couldn't go, but he never said you couldn't follow. They're attending a literary gathering at the Misty Waters Pavilion. Just follow them quietly, so you'll be there to help if anything happens." Ever since the incident in which he had tried to abduct Tang Qingxuan, everyone in the Minister's Residence had begun to reassess this young master. The fellow definitely had the makings of a walking disaster.
Xu Zhengying's carriage waited outside. He had been generous enough to give Hu Xiaotian a valuable thousand-year-old mountain ginseng root, which showed that he was comfortably off. His carriage was quite luxurious too. The compartment was rectangular, with patterns carved along its edges and intricate, elegant lattice windows in its upper half, allowing those inside to see the scenery outside. Its roof resembled a hexagonal pavilion and extended well beyond the compartment on all sides, providing excellent protection from wind and rain. It projected particularly far forward, a design that both protected the passengers' privacy and sheltered the driver. That was the carriage's canopy. Drapes hung around all four sides, while a longer, soft curtain at the front had been lifted onto the canopy. Bronze bells, tassels, and silk cords decorated the drapes and curtain. An imposing beast's head adorned the yoke, further proclaiming the owner's distinguished status.
Hu Xiaotian rarely traveled by carriage. Although his family owned quite a few, this was the first time he had seen one so luxurious. He followed Xu Zhengying inside and sat on a cushion with just the right amount of spring to feel rather like a sofa. Yet for all its exquisite luxury, the carriage was drawn by only two horses. "Uncle Xu," Hu Xiaotian said, "why did you only get two horses? Imagine how impressive you'd look with eight pulling your carriage!"
Xu Zhengying's expression changed at once. He glanced around and said nervously, "My dear nephew, you mustn't say such things carelessly. Only His Majesty is entitled to ride in an eight-horse carriage. Under the laws of Great Kang, my carriage may be drawn by no more than three."
Hu Xiaotian laughed inwardly. He had learned something of Great Kang's culture during his time here and naturally knew that an eight-horse carriage was a privilege reserved for the emperor. Princes of the first rank could have six horses, while imperial sons and daughters could have four. Most officials used two or three, and ordinary commoners could only ride in carriages drawn by a single horse. If Xu Zhengying dared drive an eight-horse carriage down Capital City's main thoroughfare, his final stop would probably be the imperial prison. Deliberately needling him, Hu Xiaotian said, "Uncle Xu, you really are the man who prints the money. Our family has plenty of carriages, but not a single one this luxurious and flashy."
Xu Zhengying was startled again. Damn it, you're setting me up! He hurriedly said, "My dear nephew, although I oversee the minting of Great Kang's currency, I have always kept public and private affairs strictly separate. This carriage was a gift from my father-in-law. If you like it, I'll gladly pass it on to you."
Hu Xiaotian's next words nearly made Xu Zhengying choke with fury. "I don't want a secondhand vehicle!"
Xu Zhengying could only chuckle awkwardly. Inwardly, he cursed eighteen generations of Hu Xiaotian's ancestors and resolved to commission a new carriage for the fellow once he returned home. Today was really bleeding him dry. How had he run into such an insatiably greedy brat?
The carriage sped along Capital City's main thoroughfare, its two fine horses moving in perfect step with a clear, steady rhythm. The carriage bells chimed in time with their strides, delightfully pleasant to the ear. The low-hanging blue drapes and gauze curtains fluttered in the breeze, and the wind chimes decorating them rang sweetly too. Xu Zhengying clearly understood how to live and enjoy himself. Every silk furnishing inside had been perfumed with incense. As the spring breeze blew through the gauze curtains, a subtle fragrance drifted through the compartment. Truly, fine horses and carved carriages filled the road with fragrance. Sitting inside, one felt carefree and refreshed, steeped in an air of genteel indulgence.
A horse-drawn carriage was certainly less comfortable than a car, but no car could rival this sense of novelty and superiority. After all, luxurious carriages were uncommon in this era, and passersby turned to stare wherever it went. Back in my old life, this would have been at least the equivalent of a BMW 5 Series. No, with two horses pulling it, it should be a 2 Series. Two! What an unlucky number. When I get my own ride, it'll have to be at least a 3 Series. Only the emperor can ride in an 8 Series, and I'd have to become a prince of the first rank before I could even ride in a 6 Series. Damn it, even money can't buy you the freedom to do as you please in this era. Hu Xiaotian swayed with the carriage while his mind wandered in every direction.
Xu Zhengying looked at the young fellow beside him, puzzled. Everyone said Hu Buwei's son had been an idiot for sixteen years and had only suddenly regained his senses six months ago. Even if he had begun studying the moment he recovered, he could only have had half a year of schooling at most. He was probably still illiterate. Why would an illiterate boy like you tag along with me? Everyone attending the literary gathering at the Misty Waters Pavilion today is a learned scholar of Great Kang. If you start spouting nonsense there, you'll not only disgrace yourself, you'll drag me down with you. Then Xu Zhengying remembered that this was Hu Buwei's son. If the others discovered his true identity, they would surely mock Hu Buwei for failing to educate his child. At that thought, a chill struck deep into his heart. His real purpose in bringing over the thousand-year-old mountain ginseng today had been to curry favor with Hu Buwei. If he caused Hu Buwei to lose face at the gathering, wouldn't his attempt to pat the horse's rump land him a kick from its hoof instead? Hu Buwei would almost certainly think he had deliberately taken his son out to make a fool of him while he was away.
Xu Zhengying regretted it so bitterly that he wanted to slap himself twice. Why had he let his tongue run loose? Why mention the literary gathering at all?
Hu Xiaotian cared nothing for what he was thinking. He leaned over the window to admire the scenery outside, as delighted as a bird released from its cage. His mood could not have been better.
Xu Zhengying gave a dry cough. "My dear nephew, once we arrive, it would be best if you didn't readily reveal your identity."
"Why?" Hu Xiaotian asked.
Xu Zhengying had originally wanted to tell him not to speak any more than absolutely necessary-preferably to pretend he was mute-but he feared offending Hu Xiaotian, so he tried to phrase it as tactfully as possible. With a pleasant expression, he said, "Quite a few court officials will be attending today's gathering. If they learn that you're Lord Hu's son, they'll certainly compete to cultivate your acquaintance. Not only would that cause you a great deal of trouble, but word getting out might also reflect badly on us. If Lord Hu learned of it, he would surely blame me for meddling."
Hu Xiaotian was secretly delighted. You old bastard, you're afraid I'm an ignorant fool who'll embarrass you. That's why you don't want me talking. If I make a laughingstock of myself, they won't just laugh at me-they'll laugh at my father too, and then he'll certainly settle the score with you. Looking at Xu Zhengying's strained smile and awkward expression, Hu Xiaotian almost laughed aloud. Serves you right for trying to kiss ass. Did you think mine would be that easy to kiss? He said, "Don't worry, Uncle Xu. I'm only going to watch the fun and broaden my horizons. Once we get there, I'll pretend to be mute and won't say a single word."
Hearing him agree so readily, Xu Zhengying finally felt a little more at ease.
The Misty Waters Pavilion stood beside the Cang River in the southeastern part of Capital City. The winding Cang River ran through the city from north to south and joined the canal at Tianshui Bay in the southeast. The waters were broadest here, and from the pavilion one could see exactly where the two waterways met, a magnificent, sweeping vista. The Misty Waters Pavilion was a five-story wooden building with more than three hundred years of history. It had suffered three fires during that time and undergone repeated repairs and rebuilding. Its most recent renovation had been three years earlier, when all the tiles along its eaves and roof had been replaced with red glazed tiles. Under the sunlight, they shimmered with dazzling color and stood out vividly.
Thanks to its unique location, the Misty Waters Pavilion had become a place where generations of poets and scholars vied to climb and gaze down over Capital City's scenery. They had left behind many celebrated works that endured through the ages. More than a dozen carriages were already parked in the open space outside its entrance, and their decorations made it clear that their owners were no ordinary people.
Once the carriage stopped, Hu Xiaotian was the first to jump down. With his hands behind his back, he raised his head to examine the building up close. In this era, few buildings exceeded three stories, so the five-story Misty Waters Pavilion stood like a crane among chickens amid Capital City's many buildings. Above its main entrance hung a horizontal plaque with gold lettering on a black background. The three large characters spelling "Misty Waters Pavilion" gleamed brilliantly, their strokes soaring like dragons and dancing like phoenixes, grand and majestic. Hu Xiaotian was reasonably good at pen calligraphy, but his brushwork was only average. Even so, he could tell that these three characters were unquestionably the work of a master. He checked the signature and saw the name Long Yinkong. Naturally, he knew who Long Yinkong was. Hailed in Great Kang as the peerless emperor of the ages, he had possessed immense talent and sweeping vision, conquered all beneath the six directions, driven the northern invaders back, and united the realm. His tremendous achievements were still celebrated to this day.
Unfortunately, the realm could not escape the truth that prolonged division led to unity, and prolonged unity led to division. After Long Yinkong united Great Kang, it enjoyed more than a hundred years of prosperity before gradually declining. Later, favored courtiers held sway and treacherous ministers ran rampant. By the reign of Mingzong, Long Yuan, internal troubles and external threats had brought the country close to ruin. Long Yuan devoted himself to restoring good government and putting the realm back in order, breathing vigorous new life into a state on the verge of division and collapse. More than another century had passed since Mingzong's reign, and the fortunes of the Great Kang dynasty had waned by the day, plunging the realm into turmoil once more. Now Great Yong in the south was growing stronger, massing troops south of the river, working diligently to strengthen its rule, and gradually nibbling away at Great Kang's southern territories. In the north, the Red Hu also swept south from time to time to harass Great Kang's borders. Life was not easy for the emperor of Great Kang.
Hu Xiaotian stared silently at the three characters on the Misty Waters Pavilion's plaque. After a while, he finally praised them. "Fine calligraphy!"
What would you know about good calligraphy? You're probably just putting on an act, Xu Zhengying thought. Aloud, however, he flattered him. "You have a discerning eye, my dear nephew. Those three characters were written personally by Emperor Taizong, Great Kang's peerless emperor of the ages."
"When I have some time, I'll write a few characters to hang up too," Hu Xiaotian said.
Xu Zhengying laughed inwardly at the boy's ignorance of the height of heaven and the depth of earth. He actually wanted to compare himself to Emperor Taizong.
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