The best of intentions (part one)

Hu Xiaotian had figured there was little chance of keeping this matter from his father. Sure enough, when Hu Buwei returned home that evening, he summoned Hu Xiaotian to his study.

Seeing his father's dark expression, Hu Xiaotian guessed that he had almost certainly heard about the clash with Shi Xuedong.

When Hu Buwei saw Hu Xiaotian enter, he slammed his palm down on the desk and roared, "On your knees!"

As far as Hu Xiaotian remembered, his father had never been this angry before. It seemed he had truly infuriated him today. Hu Xiaotian dropped to his knees with a thump, muttering, "Fine, I'll kneel! When a father commands his son to kneel, the son has no choice."

Hu Buwei said, "Wrong! When a father commands his son to die, the son has no choice!"

"Surely not, Father! I'm your own flesh and blood. You don't look like the sort to sacrifice his family for righteousness!"

At that, Hu Buwei almost laughed, but he knew this was no time for laughter. Keeping his face stern, he glared at Hu Xiaotian. "You little bastard! Do you think I wouldn't sacrifice my own family for righteousness?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Father, I take back what I just said. It wouldn't be your first time."

Hu Buwei snapped, "Insolence!"

Hu Xiaotian said, "You found me a paralyzed woman for a wife. That's as good as taking a cleaver to both my happiness for the rest of my life and the happiness of my lower half. Doesn't that count as sacrificing your family for righteousness?"

"Er..."

"I have no grand ambitions, and I don't want to win glory or build a great career. All I want is to stay in the Capital City with you and Mother and fulfill my filial duties. But you won't even grant me that tiny wish. You insist on sending me to Western Sichuan. Doesn't that count as sacrificing your family for righteousness too?"

" Well..."

"Nothing should happen more than three times! You've already sacrificed me twice, and today you want to do it again. I'm sure you can harden your heart enough, and I'm sure you can go through with it. Father, if you really can't stand the sight of me, just finish me off. You gave me this life anyway. Even if you kill me, I won't bear you any resentment."

"Ah... you... you really, really... you'll be the death of me!" Hu Buwei clutched his head, staggered back two steps, and collapsed into the Grand Tutor Chair. For all his silver-tongued eloquence at court, he truly had no way to handle this son of his. Over the past sixteen years, his son's foolishness had caused him untold anguish. At long last, Heaven had opened its eyes and made the boy clever overnight. Yet although he had indeed become clever, he had also begun causing endless trouble, each incident worse than the last. Last time, he had offended a sixth-rank official; now he had gone straight for Shi Buchui, the Minister of Personnel. Hu Buwei and Shi Buchui were on the same political side, too, and he had recently made a special request for Shi Buchui's help in finding the boy an official post. This child truly gave him no peace.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Father, please don't get angry. At your age, you need to keep a calm frame of mind. Scold me a few times, hit me a few times, whatever you like, but you shouldn't punish yourself for my mistakes, should you? If you really make yourself ill with anger, won't I be the one who has to look after you? What terrible grudge is there between us that we have to end up hurting each other?"

Hearing the boy's twisted reasoning, Hu Buwei did not know whether to laugh or be angry. At last, he could not help cursing, "You little brat, you really do want to make me die of anger..." At that, he broke into laughter. He had meant to keep a stern face and a cold glare to teach his son a lesson he would never forget, but the boy's clowning had left him utterly helpless.

Seeing his father laugh, Hu Xiaotian knew there probably would not be much trouble now. He sidled up to him. "Father, what exactly are you angry with me about?"

Hu Buwei shot him a sideways glare. "Did I tell you to get up?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "My knees are swollen from kneeling. I'm not worried about getting hurt myself. I'm worried about making you worry. If I fall ill because of this, won't your heart ache? Even if yours doesn't, Mother's certainly will, right? Once she comes back and hears about this, she'll definitely settle accounts with you. Even an upright judge can't untangle family disputes. Once your own backyard catches fire, the consequences will be unthinkable!"

Hu Buwei looked at his son and sneered. "Are you threatening me?"

"I wouldn't dare!"

Hu Buwei suddenly chuckled, and Hu Xiaotian joined in with a sly little laugh.

Without warning, Hu Buwei stopped laughing. Hu Xiaotian, carried along by momentum, was still chuckling, and it was already too late to slam on the brakes. Looking rather awkward, he said, "Father, you could at least give me some warning. You can't just pull the rug out from under me like that."

Hu Buwei said, "In three days, you will set out for Western Sichuan!"

"What?" Although Hu Xiaotian had already prepared himself for this, he still could not help being startled when it was finally confirmed. A moment later, an indescribable joy welled up inside him. He had thought his father had forgotten about the matter, but apparently it had been moving forward all along. Putting on an act, he said, "Father, I don't want to leave you!"

Hu Buwei said, "You have no say in it! What can you do in the Capital City besides stir up trouble? If I don't send you out to gain experience, you'll never understand the hardships of life, and you'll never learn to cherish these precious good days that were so hard to come by." He rose and patted his son's shoulder. "Xiaotian, it isn't that your father is heartless. As the saying goes, jade must be carved to become a treasure, and a man must learn to understand righteousness. Traveling ten thousand miles is more effective than reading ten thousand books."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Father, are you really sending me to Western Sichuan to become the Li Family's live-in son-in-law?" He had always doubted his father's motive for sending him to Western Sichuan. He kept feeling that it was not simply a matter of having him leave the Capital City to shelter from the political storm.

Hu Buwei smiled calmly. "Since I'm letting you go, I intend for you to temper yourself properly. I have no intention of telling the local officials who you are. As long as you don't flaunt your identity, the Li Family naturally won't know. Western Sichuan is vast. The Li Family is in Western Prefecture, while the place you're going to is called Azure Cloud. You'll be serving as the Azure Cloud County Deputy. Given the Li Family's standing, with all of Western Sichuan under their authority, why would they notice a tiny county like Azure Cloud?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "What rank does that make me?"

Hu Buwei was stumped. A county deputy was such a minor official that he had never paid any attention to its rank. Only after thinking for quite a while did he say, "It should be Principal Ninth Rank... lower grade!"

Hu Xiaotian had been full of excitement when he first heard that he would be given his freedom and sent away to serve as an official. But his father's words felt like a basin of cold water dumped over his head. Damn! Principal Ninth Rank, and lower grade at that! Who was he kidding? Did that even count as an official? Hu Xiaotian said, "Father, so after calling in favors from friends and pulling strings, all you managed to get me was a sesame-seed-sized post? Er, my mistake. Half a sesame seed."

"What? You're unhappy?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "It doesn't bother me, but you're Principal Third Rank, a high-ranking court official. And I get ninth rank with 'lower grade' tacked onto it. Do you think that sounds respectable? Let me make this clear beforehand: I don't mind. As long as you don't find it embarrassing, I don't mind!"

How could Hu Buwei fail to see through the fellow's scheming? After all that talk, he simply thought the post was too lowly. Hu Buwei smiled. "You needn't worry. I have no intention of telling anyone you're my son. If you're afraid of embarrassing me, make sure you don't say you're my son after you take office."

Hu Xiaotian was utterly dumbfounded. "Father, why do I feel like you've sacrificed your family for righteousness yet again?"

Hu Buwei said, "I have only the best of intentions, Son. In truth, you'll spend no more than two years tempering yourself in Western Sichuan. The scenery there is beautiful, and its remarkable land nurtures outstanding people. You can treat your time there as a chance to relax and enjoy yourself." In fact, Hu Buwei truly could not bear to send his son away. But a change of imperial power loomed, and dark currents surged beneath the surface at court. There was no telling what changes might come. At precisely this time, their family's Iron Deed of Redemption had also been stolen. Although the matter had not yet come to light, every day it remained missing meant another day of hidden danger, weighing on Hu Buwei's heart like a heavy mountain. Hu Xiaotian was the Hu Family's only seedling. Sending him to Western Sichuan was also a way for Hu Buwei to leave his family a path of retreat. It was a decision he had made after careful deliberation.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Since you've already decided, I have nothing more to say."