Seeing the anger on his mother's face, Long Tingsheng knew she was truly furious. He said quietly, "Mother, Hu Xiaotian does have some ability. If he hadn't intervened today, Father would surely still be suffering from his illness."
However much Empress Jian disliked Hu Xiaotian, she acknowledged that he had treated the emperor. Lowering her voice, she said, "Talent without virtue! That boy has a wolf's ambition and is no decent man. He and Ji Feihua hunt together like wolf and jackal. Don't let his performance deceive you." Her dislike of Hu Xiaotian would not change overnight.
Long Tingsheng did not share his mother's view. If Hu Xiaotian could serve Ji Feihua, he could serve him as well. Having grown up in the palace, he understood eunuchs' minds very well. Most valued power and profit, and their physical impairment made their hunger for power even stronger than that of ordinary men. With sufficiently generous terms, he need not worry about failing to tempt the fellow. There were too many people watching and listening here for him to persuade his mother, so Long Tingsheng merely smiled and said nothing more.
Just then, Quan Dean arrived with Grand Tutor Wen Chenghuan and Left Chancellor Zhou Ruiyuan to visit the emperor. Although the Imperial Palace could suppress news of the emperor's illness, word had still leaked out. These senior Imperial Court officials had hurried over as soon as they heard.
A eunuch went inside to announce their arrival, leaving the senior Imperial Court officials waiting outside. Quan Dean slowly approached Hu Xiaotian. Although he had not witnessed everything that had just happened, he had already learned of it through other channels.
Since the fire at Bright Moon Palace, Hu Xiaotian had developed a deep dislike of Quan Dean. In Quan Dean's eyes, he