Hu Xiaotian left the inner grounds under the venomous stares of Nanny Liu and the palace maids. Outside, the post station steward was still waiting. Seeing Hu Xiaotian, he came forward again. "Eunuch Hu..."
Hu Xiaotian glared at him. "Who are you calling a eunuch? Who the fuck are you calling a eunuch? I am Great Kang's marriage envoy, an imperial emissary representing an entire nation! You're just a petty post station steward. What should you call me?"
The steward was cowed by Hu Xiaotian's imposing manner, but soon recovered and sneered. "I don't care what kind of imperial emissary you are. This is Great Yong, and this is Qichen Palace. Orders just came down from above for you lot to find somewhere else to stay. If you're still here by noon tomorrow..."
"What then?"
"Don't blame me for enforcing the rules."
"What?" Hu Xiaotian asked.
"Didn't hear me? Do you need me to say it again?"
Hu Xiaotian shook his head. "No need!" Without warning, he raised his hand and slapped the steward, sending him spinning a full circle. Stars flashed before the man's eyes, the world whirled around him, and he landed on his backside with a shriek. "You actually hit me..."
Hu Xiaotian sneered. "You blind fool. It's sniveling opportunists like you I hit. You think I want to stay in this place? Fuck! Even if you begged me to stay, I wouldn't." Apparently, slapping people could become addictive too.
Wu Jingshan happened to walk in just then and witnessed Hu Xiaotian's resounding slap in its entirety. His face drained of color. Hu Xiaotian truly had no fear of stirring up trouble. "Oh dear! Lord Hu, Lord Hu!" he cried. "We can talk this through! We can talk this through..."
The steward shouted, "Guards! Get over here!"