Hu Xiaotian was delighted. Truly, flowers planted with care refused to bloom, while a willow cutting casually stuck into the ground grew into a shady tree. The clash between the Tang Family Siblings and Wen Boyuan had never been part of his plan; seeing the two sides at each other's throats was an unexpected bonus. He had no fear of the trouble escalating—the more bitterly they fell out, the better. Wen Boyuan's enemies are my comrades. This fellow was the very sort who feared the world might not be chaotic enough.
"Everyone, put down your weapons! All of you!" Wu Jingshan shouted. Although he was the chief Marriage Escort Envoy, those warriors only obeyed Wen Boyuan. Without a word from Wen Boyuan, they naturally would not follow Wu Jingshan's orders.
Hu Xiaotian shook his head and sighed. "Lord Wu, do you see that? These men don't even show you any respect. They haven't the slightest understanding of rank or station."
Wu Jingshan knew he was fanning the flames, but that was indeed the situation before him: Wen Boyuan's men showed him no respect. "General Wen, have them put down their weapons!" he said.
Wen Boyuan offered no reply, as though he had not heard Wu Jingshan at all. His burning gaze fixed on the Tang Family Siblings. "You actually allowed a woman to sneak into the party. What exactly are you plotting? Confess at once, or don't blame me for showing no mercy!" When picking persimmons, one chose the soft ones to squeeze. Wen Boyuan thought the Tang Family Siblings would be easier to break than Hu Xiaotian, never realizing that his actions were effectively pushing them onto Hu Xiaotian's side. Tang Qingxuan had still harbored some hesitation before, but now her resolve was utterly firm.
"I was the one