Bride snatching! (Part two)

Hu Fo was older, after all, and had seen much more of the world. He knew that forcibly abducting a woman violated the law and already constituted an offense under the Great Kang Code. He quietly advised, "Young master, if your father finds out about this, he'll certainly hold you accountable. If word gets out, it will damage your reputation, too. You've only just become engaged to the young lady of the Li Family. If this reaches their ears..." Everything Hu Fo said was true. The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listener took it to heart.

Hu Xiaotian had been fretting over this marriage for days. Hearing Hu Fo's words, he decided he might as well go all the way. So what if I abduct a woman? So what if my reputation suffers? That's exactly what I want-to drag my name through the mud! As long as I don't actually do anything bad, the worst I'll get is a scolding. Since Dad's a third-rank official at court, he should be able to smooth over a little matter like this. I'm snatching a bride, and I want the Li Family to know! I'm going to wreck this marriage! They want to saddle me with a hideously ugly, paralyzed wife? Not a chance!

Hu Xiaotian had once felt reasonably well disposed toward his father, the minister of revenue. After all, the man provided him with fine clothes and sumptuous meals. But once Hu Buwei took it upon himself to arrange his engagement, Hu Xiaotian immediately understood that his father was treating him as a weight on the political scales. His son's personal happiness had never entered into his calculations.

With that in mind, Hu Xiaotian naturally had no fear of making a bigger scene. Laughing heartily, he scooped the still-unconscious girl in red off the ground and strode toward his room.

The household servants stared after him, dumbfounded. They had finally figured it out: their young master was not stupid in the slightest, but he was certainly lecherous! Hu Fo nudged Liang Dazhuang with his arm. "Dazhuang, go talk him out of it..."

"Why don't you go?"

Tang Tiehan scratched his ears and cheeks in agitation, standing outside and cursing without pause. He also had someone bring a length of tree trunk to batter down the gate. Not all his men were fools, and one stopped him. "Big brother, this is the minister's residence! You mustn't force your way in. Minister Hu is Great Kang's god of wealth, and he enjoys His Majesty's particular favor."

Tang Tiehan snapped, "His dad's an official, and so is mine! He abducted my sister! I wouldn't be afraid to argue our case even before the emperor!"

The man sighed. "But he's a third-rank dignitary!"

Tang Tiehan caught the implication: the fellow was plainly saying that his father was inferior to the other man's. He gave him a backhanded slap, sending him spinning twice on the spot. Having vented his anger, Tang Tiehan calmed down somewhat. Although hotheaded and impatient, he was no fool. He knew his father held the sixth rank, more than one level below the other man. Never mind anything else—even the rear gate of the Minister's Residence was far grander and more imposing than his own family's main entrance. Around the horse market, Tang Tiehan had always been the one bullying others. He had never expected to be bullied himself today, and he paced in frantic circles.

His men suggested sending someone to inform his father, Tang Wenzheng, vice minister of the Carriage Department, and having family members beat the grievance drum at the Capital Prefecture. Today, at least, justice was entirely on their side. The Tang Family had been bullied, so there was no reason to fear making a major affair of it.

The Tang Family had three sons but only one daughter, Tang Qingxuan. Her father, Tang Wenzheng, vice minister of the Carriage Department, normally cherished her like a pearl in his palm, and her three older brothers indulged her at every turn. Over time, this had made the girl arrogant and spoiled. Had she not been so overbearing and willful, galloping her horse through the streets and whipping people at the slightest disagreement, she would never have run into today's trouble.

When Tang Tiexin, the Tang Family's third son, beat the grievance drum at the Capital Prefecture, court had just adjourned.

Hu Buwei, the minister of revenue, sat in his carriage, considering the marriage alliance between the Hu and Li families. Li Tianheng enjoyed the profound trust of Crown Prince Long Yeqing. He had once saved the crown prince from assassins, giving him, in effect, a second life. The reigning emperor was already sixty-three, and his health and vigor were visibly declining by the day. On several occasions, he had expressed an intention to pass the throne to the crown prince. It seemed that the day of the crown prince's accession was not far off.

It was easy to foresee that once Long Yeqing ascended the throne, Li Tianheng would inevitably be entrusted with important responsibilities. As Li Tianheng's in-law, even if Hu Buwei could not advance any further, he could at least ensure that his present position remained as firm as Mount Tai.

At that thought, a knowing smile touched Hu Buwei's lips. But when he thought of Li Tianheng's ugly, paralyzed daughter, and then of his own son, whose mind had suddenly returned to normal, a faint sense of guilt stirred within him. Making his son marry the Li Family's daughter truly did him an injustice. Yet for the Hu family's future and standing, he could only sacrifice the boy's personal marital happiness.

Hu Buwei had another, secret reason for doing this: he had once offended Long Yeqing. The current crown prince of Great Kang had never liked him much. Despite Hu Buwei's every effort to make amends over the years, the results seemed negligible. Each new sovereign brought his own ministers. What if the new emperor began his reign with a bloody purge? Then Hu Buwei might lose not only his office, but even his life... He drew in a sharp breath. Fortunately, he had already prepared a path of retreat. With his connection to Li Tianheng, he should be able to keep the Hu family safe.

A rapid clatter of hooves approached from ahead. Hu Buwei heard his guards draw their sabers outside. Both his personal guards were first-rate fighters, exceptionally alert. Hu Tianxiong bellowed, "Who goes there? How dare you block Lord Hu's carriage?" His commanding tone alone proved that he had already identified the newcomer. At the very least, he was certain that the man held a lower official rank than Hu Buwei; otherwise, he would never have dared speak so forcefully. Officialdom had its own rules to master.

The hoofbeats abruptly stopped. An anxious but deferential voice came from ahead. "Your subordinate, Tang Wenzheng of the Carriage Department, requests an audience with Lord Hu on an urgent matter!"

Hu Buwei slowly lifted the curtain at the front of the carriage and saw Tang Wenzheng, Director of the Imperial Stables, dismounting from a dapple-gray horse. Although the Carriage Department belonged to the six ministries' administrative structure, it came under the Ministry of War and had no direct connection to the Ministry of Revenue, which Hu Buwei headed. Tang Wenzheng was merely a minor official of the Principal Sixth Rank, but he was quite well known in the Capital City. Skilled at judging horses, he was called the Bole of his age. Zhang Zhize, the minister of war, relied heavily on him, and the two were also close friends in private.

Tang Wenzheng was tall and broad-shouldered, with dark skin, traits all three of his sons had inherited. His daughter Tang Qingxuan, by contrast, had skin fairer than snow and features as lovely as a painting. Anyone who had seen her found it hard to believe that Old Tang could father such a beautiful daughter. In temperament, however, Tang Qingxuan was the very image of Tang Wenzheng.

For a sixth-rank official meeting a third-rank dignitary, dismounting was the most basic courtesy. Although Tang Wenzheng had a fiery temper and deeply despised Hu Buwei's character and official reputation, he remained impeccably respectful on the surface. These Capital City officials knew the routines of officialdom by heart. To gain a firm footing in a court of treacherous waves and shifting clouds, one first had to learn to feign courtesy and compliance. No matter how fierce the hatred in one's heart, not a trace could show on one's face. A blade hung above the character for forbearance; let the anger burn within.

Tang Wenzheng dismounted, but Hu Buwei showed no intention of leaving his carriage. Smiling, he said, "I wondered who it was. So it's Brother Wenzheng! Come to think of it, we haven't seen each other in some time." He did not ask why Tang Wenzheng had sought him out, though he was already certain the man wanted something. As Great Kang's minister of revenue, Hu Buwei oversaw its territories, farmland, household registers, taxes, salaries, and all financial affairs. He wielded immense power. Under him were the Coinage Hall and the Treasure Spring Bureau, responsible for minting money; the Three Treasuries of the Ministry of Revenue, responsible for treasury reserves; and the Granary and Transport Office, responsible for storage and grain transport. He was Great Kang's god of wealth in every sense. In Hu Buwei's view, Tang Wenzheng had most likely come seeking assistance with funding or expenses. Earlier, the emperor had entrusted Tang Wenzheng with the General Mountain Horse Ranch project, and Hu Buwei had personally arranged the funds for its construction.

Tang Wenzheng tossed his reins to an attendant, worried and furious in equal measure. Hu Buwei probably did not yet know that his son had abducted Tang Wenzheng's daughter. Managing to keep his composure, Tang Wenzheng took a few steps forward, came up to the carriage, and whispered a few words into Hu Buwei's ear.

Even with Hu Buwei's practiced composure, his expression changed sharply at Tang Wenzheng's words. This was outrageous! His son had actually done such a thing? In truth, Hu Buwei did not understand his son particularly well. This was certainly not because he cared too little about him. From the boy's infancy onward, he had done everything possible to make his life comfortable. Unfortunately, his son had been born mentally impaired, and father and son had never communicated. Only half a year ago had the boy suddenly regained his faculties and become able to speak. Yet his words and behavior were indescribably strange, and the two still rarely communicated. Amid his astonishment and delight, Hu Buwei had also found the matter rather peculiar. Whatever the explanation, however, it was a gift Heaven had bestowed upon him.

Hu Buwei had been thirty-five when this son was born, and his wife, Yang Hu, had borne no other children. Though a treacherous man, Hu Buwei treated his wife and family exceptionally well. His feelings for his wife had remained unchanged to this day. He had never taken a concubine or become romantically entangled with any other woman. His wife had recently returned to their old home in Jinling, while he spent every day occupied with state affairs, inevitably neglecting his son somewhat. He had never expected such a serious incident to occur just five days after her departure. Hu Buwei felt a headache coming on. But he was, after all, a veteran minister who had served two reigns, skilled in calculation. His face soon became as unruffled as the water in an ancient well. He said to Tang Wenzheng, "Brother Wenzheng, please step into the carriage so we can talk."

Tang Wenzheng's heart was almost ablaze by now. He wished he could sprout wings and fly straight to the Hu Family to rescue his daughter from those demonic claws. But he understood the other man's standing even better. Hu Buwei was the reigning minister of revenue, a third-rank dignitary, not someone a sixth-rank official like himself could afford to offend. Even with justice entirely on his side, he dared not rashly bring the matter before the emperor. Besides, his daughter was still an unmarried maiden. If this affair grew into a scandal, even if he rescued her safely, her reputation might... The more Tang Wenzheng thought about it, the more anguished and resentful he became.

Yet however bitter his hatred, he had to force down his anger. He entered the carriage. Meanwhile, Hu Buwei summoned his personal guard Hu Tianxiong and whispered a few instructions in his ear. Upon receiving his orders, Hu Tianxiong immediately spurred his horse into a gallop toward the minister's residence.

Thanks to my brothers EK Chocolate and Morning Light Lucifer for their generous support, and thanks to bohy, Heaven-Battling Hatred, gotosleep, Rainbow Along the Way, and all the other brothers and sisters for their support. To every reader, old and new, mentioned or unmentioned, Octopus offers his thanks here.

Finally, please keep adding the book to your favorites and casting your votes. Voting for Medical Dominion lately is like delivering charcoal in the snow-far more meaningful than adding flowers to brocade. Hehe, Octopus is off to write!