Hu Xiaotian thanked him repeatedly and put away the jade vial. It seemed Quan Dean did not want him dying too soon either. After all, he was still of some use to him. Here come the sugar-coated cannonballs again. I'll take whatever comes my way. If you dare give it, I dare accept it.
"Ji Feihua put you in charge here. Did he discover something?" Quan Dean's question carried a double meaning: he was asking whether Ji Feihua had discovered that Hu Xiaotian had not been castrated.
Hu Xiaotian shook his head. Someone had indeed discovered his secret, but that person was not Ji Feihua. Li Yuncong kept himself deeply concealed; even Quan Dean probably had not noticed this potential opponent. The mantis stalked the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it. While Quan Dean and Ji Feihua fought tooth and nail, neither realized that another hidden force existed within the palace. Hu Xiaotian said quietly, "I still haven't mastered the Yin-Lifting Yang-Shrinking technique you taught me, Eunuch Quan."
Quan Dean smiled calmly. "There's no hurry. You're still alive and well, aren't you? I'll see that nothing happens to you." His gaze swept around the courtyard. "Those four maids and eunuchs probably all have someone behind them. You must keep a close eye on them. Nothing must happen to Wen Ya."
Hu Xiaotian's scalp prickled. "Sounds like a pretty thankless job."
Quan Dean said, "Living in the palace means learning to find joy amid hardship." He did not linger long. Once all the dowry gifts had been put in place, he left with the eunuchs who had accompanied him.
After Quan Dean left, Hu Xiaotian and the maids and eunuchs waited miserably until noon, but Lady Wen still had not arrived. Hu Xiaotian sent Wang Ren to inquire and only