Hu Xiaotian shook his head. "Nothing yet, but I reckon they certainly won't let me off lightly."
Shi Xuedong sucked in a breath of cold air. When the lips were gone, the teeth felt the cold; if anything happened to Hu Xiaotian, his own days in the Imperial Palace would become difficult. Given his temperament, he had thrown his weight around in the Palace Gardens Bureau, relying on Hu Xiaotian's power and position. If he fell on hard times, those little eunuchs might well turn around and strike back at him. He said quietly, "Since Lady Wen started the fire, it has nothing to do with you. His Majesty will surely see reason."
Hu Xiaotian chuckled. "How would he have time to care whether a little eunuch lives or dies? Lady Wen may have set the fire at Bright Moon Palace, but Grand Tutor Wen might not be willing to accept that fact, much less swallow his anger so easily." Remembering Wen Chenghuan's venomous stare earlier, Hu Xiaotian felt a chill in his heart.
Shi Xuedong said, "Don't you have Eunuch Quan? And isn't Eunuch Ji protecting you too?"
Hu Xiaotian said, "Do you think they'd offend the current Grand Tutor for my sake?"
Shi Xuedong also thought that impossible. He sighed dejectedly. "Surely things won't get that bad? At most, they'll strip you of your post."
Hu Xiaotian said, "Right now, he's consumed by grief and hasn't had time to assign blame. Once his emotions settle, it may be time for him to settle accounts with me."
Shi Xuedong said, "His daughter burned down the building. What right does he have to settle accounts with you?"
Hu Xiaotian said, "When I first saw that suicide note, I felt relieved too. I thought the truth had finally surfaced, and I