Hu Xiaotian said, "Lord Wu, the princess's safety is our foremost concern. I suspect Wen Boyuan's true aim is to harm her, so for the rest of the journey, we must have people we trust protecting her." His real intention was to sow suspicion in Wu Jingshan's mind and make the old man begin questioning Wen Boyuan's motives.
Wu Jingshan said, "I have only a dozen or so household guards, and the Tang Family Brothers must stay in Great Kang to care for the wounded. Who else do we have available?" Their encounter with the Turbid Water Gang at Peak Forest Gorge had left them with heavy casualties. They were indeed stretched thin when it came to usable manpower.
Hu Xiaotian said, "Although the Tang Family Brothers are leaving, some of their men are loyal, honorable, and worth using. We can select a few brave, faithful men from among them. Since we're leaving so many wounded behind, Wen Boyuan will presumably propose reinforcing our numbers next. Lord Wu, did you notify Navy Governor Zhao Dengyun of our itinerary beforehand?"
Wu Jingshan shook his head. "No, absolutely not. Didn't we agree to keep the princess's itinerary secret? How could I possibly leak something so important?"
Hu Xiaotian said, "If neither you nor I said anything, then it could only have been Wen Boyuan. Otherwise, how could Zhao Wusheng have arrived with his men so quickly?"
Despite Hu Xiaotian's certainty, Wu Jingshan did not quite agree. After all, more than seven hundred people were making this journey, not just the three of them. Someone else could have leaked the princess's whereabouts. Still, there was no need to contradict Hu Xiaotian. He patiently waited to hear what he would say next.
Hu Xiaotian said, "We only just arrived in Cangmu. Yesterday, I sent