Painstaking intentions (Part two)

Hu Buwei truly thought his son was reluctant to leave his side. He said softly, "Tian, everyone has to grow up someday. If you stay in the Capital City, here beside me, you'll always be like a flower in a greenhouse, unable to truly grow, and I'll never really be able to let go of you. Son! Your father may be old, but he isn't muddleheaded. I know you can only spread your wings if I let go!"

Hu Xiaotian felt a jolt. He suddenly realized that his father's ideas about raising children were not feudal in the slightest; they were perfectly in line with modern educational thinking. Yes, only by letting go could a child spread his wings. Flowers raised in a greenhouse could never withstand wind and rain. Hu Xiaotian nodded. "Father, I understand!"

Hu Buwei did not know whether the boy truly understood or was merely humoring him, but hearing those words was already a great comfort. He sighed. "I've heard about what happened between you and the Shi family's boy."

Hu Xiaotian said, "It's already settled. We even became sworn brothers!"

Hu Buwei said, "Affection can't be measured by whether you've sworn brotherhood, and loyalty and righteousness aren't things that never change. Even blood brothers-what of it? In all my years as an official, I've seen countless brothers turn against each other and become enemies. A person living in this world must first think of himself!" Although Hu Buwei's words were hardly noble, they were realistic. Such was human nature: if a man did not look out for himself, Heaven and Earth would destroy him!

Hu Xiaotian said, "Father, I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble this time."

Hu Buwei smiled. "When the old man lost his horse, who could have known it was a blessing? Everything has two sides. You're my son. There's never any need for formalities between us."

Only when his departure was truly imminent did Hu Xiaotian realize how unfamiliar he was with the Capital City. He had not even properly toured it, and on the few occasions he had gone out, something had happened every time.

He had intended to spend these three days exploring the Capital City, but Heaven refused to cooperate, sending one dreary rain after another. In weather like this, the best choice was to stay quietly at home.

Hu Xiaotian did not need to worry about any of the travel arrangements. He did not even have to go to the Ministry of Personnel himself to collect his documents and official seal. Still, he found time to look through the paperwork and learn what compensation awaited him. According to the ministry's regulations, an official's remuneration generally consisted of three parts: a grain allowance, land, and a stipend. A ninth-rank official like Hu Xiaotian received only grain. His allowance was thirty shi. One shi was 120 jin, equivalent to ten dou, making his total 3,600 jin. That worked out to ten jin a day, so he certainly should not starve. He could never eat all of it, and the surplus could be exchanged for money, though that would probably only just cover his daily expenses. By contrast, his father's annual grain allowance alone was four hundred shi, or 48,000 jin. No wonder people said an official one rank higher could crush you to death. The extra grain alone could do the crushing.

Great Kang's official hierarchy had nine ranks divided into thirty grades. Each rank, from first to ninth, was divided into principal and subordinate, and from Principal Fourth Rank to Subordinate Ninth Rank, each was further divided into upper and lower grades. If Hu Xiaotian counted downward from Principal First Rank, it was hard to work out exactly where he stood, but counting from the bottom made it perfectly clear. He was lower Principal Ninth Rank, with only the upper and lower grades of Subordinate Ninth Rank beneath him. He ranked third from last. If the thirty grades were steps, he still had twenty-seven to climb before reaching the top. Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

Fortunately, Hu Xiaotian was not obsessed with officialdom. Since being reborn, this fellow's greatest wish had been to enjoy life, not chase fame and fortune. Although his marriage prospects were unsatisfactory, the wedding would be postponed for two years, leaving plenty of room for things to change. His greatest advantage now was his youth. With a physical age of not quite seventeen, he had plenty of time to squander. Taking up a post in Azure Cloud was the equivalent of going down to the grassroots for practical experience. Even in ancient times, people valued gilding their credentials. His father had sent him to this small county town on the southwestern frontier for two reasons: first, to keep him far from the political storms that might arise over the next two years as the throne changed hands; second, to let him accumulate some political achievements and experience. It seemed his father wanted him to follow in his footsteps along the long road of officialdom.

Even though Hu Xiaotian was the Minister of Revenue's son, and even though he had recently done several things that could just about be called sensational, few people in the Capital City knew of him. The Kang Capital was too vast, and most people's attention was focused on the imperial palace. Few would notice that the Minister of Revenue's son was about to leave the capital to take office elsewhere. Of course, this also had something to do with Hu Buwei's deliberate efforts to keep a low profile. He did not want too many people to know that his son was leaving to become an official. The more discreetly this was done, the better. After all, his many years at court had earned him plenty of enemies. His son had always been his weakest link, and also the one he cared about most. He did not want his enemies to set their sights on the boy.

Although the Capital City was not Hu Xiaotian's hometown, he still felt a touch of sorrow at leaving it. The unending dreary rain inevitably affected his mood. He remembered some things and forgot others. With so much going on, he had actually forgotten that he was supposed to send gold to the Fang father and daughter.

Some people forgot, while others remembered. Hu Xiaotian had not expected Murong Feiyan to come looking for him at his residence, much less that this girl had come to collect a debt.

Upon hearing that Murong Feiyan had come to see him, Hu Xiaotian immediately had Liang Dazhuang invite her in. Only as his departure approached did he realize that he did not have a single friend in the Capital City. Murong Feiyan could hardly count as a friend, but she was at least an old acquaintance. Having someone to chat with before he left was a good thing.

Murong Feiyan wore a dark blue warrior's outfit. In fact, Hu Xiaotian had known her for some time, yet the only occasion on which he had seen her dressed in women's clothes was the day of the assassination attempt on Camel Street.

Murong Feiyan possessed a dashing, valiant bearing rarely seen among women of this era. The red folding umbrella in her hand was brilliantly colored, like a delicate flower blooming in the rain. Water dripped in fine strands from its edges, veiling her graceful figure like a curtain of pearls.

Sitting in the waterside pavilion, Hu Xiaotian smiled as he watched Murong Feiyan approach through the rain. Her arrival added a splash of brightness to the gloomy world around him.

Murong Feiyan entered the covered walkway, closed her umbrella, and leaned it against a pillar. Her beautiful eyes, clear and deep, found Hu Xiaotian in the waterside pavilion.

Hu Xiaotian lounged on a bench in the pavilion, his body half reclining against the wall behind him. His expression was languid, as though he had just awakened, and his eyes were half closed, utterly lacking in energy. To Murong Feiyan, he looked lazy and listless. Only an idle young gentleman with no worries about food or clothing would wear such an expression.

Murong Feiyan walked slowly toward Hu Xiaotian. He watched her without moving his gaze or his body. Only when she stood before him did he say, "What guidance do you have for me, Chief Constable Murong?"

Murong Feiyan said, "I happened to be passing the Minister's Residence, so I came in to remind you of something."

Hu Xiaotian looked puzzled. "What?"

Murong Feiyan extended two slender, jade-like fingers and waved them in front of his face.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Two! I recognize that. Say, Chief Constable Murong, do you have to call me an idiot the moment we meet? Did I wrong you in a previous life?"

Murong Feiyan glared at him. "Stop playing dumb. Who promised to give them five taels of gold?"

Only then did Hu Xiaotian remember. Over the past two days, preoccupied with leaving the capital to take up his post in Western Sichuan, he had overlooked the matter entirely. Sending money to the Fang father and daughter had completely slipped his mind. He slapped his forehead and sat upright on the bench. "Oh, heavens! If you hadn't mentioned it, I really would have forgotten!"

Murong Feiyan stood there looking down at him, her face full of disdain. She did not believe for a moment that Hu Xiaotian had simply forgotten. This fellow was far too crafty.

Hu Xiaotian beckoned to Liang Dazhuang, who hurried over, nodding and bowing.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Dazhuang, go to the accounts office and draw five taels of gold. Take it straight to Mr. Yuan at Easy Origin Hall and ask him to pass it on to the Fang father and daughter for me."

Liang Dazhuang said, "Young Master, five taels of gold is no small sum. If I ask for it, the accounts office might not give it to me."

Hu Xiaotian snapped, "Enough of that nonsense! If he dares refuse, tell him to come see me. I'll speak to him myself!"

Liang Dazhuang acknowledged the order and left.

Only after hearing the exchange between master and servant did Murong Feiyan believe that Hu Xiaotian might truly have forgotten. In fact, ever since he had helped remove the Fang-Barbed Arrow from her, her impression of him had changed considerably without her realizing it. She now thought he was not nearly as bad as she had first believed. That day at Swallowcloud Tower, the Fang father and daughter would certainly have been in serious trouble if Hu Xiaotian had not stepped forward. Murong Feiyan had deliberately dragged him into those muddy waters, and afterward she had felt somewhat guilty about it. Seeing that he had fulfilled his promise, she said, "I'm leaving!"