Hu Xiaotian had intended to send Xiong Tianba away first, lest the boy stay in the Yong Capital and stir up trouble. But Zhou Mo's concerns were not unreasonable. Apart from Zhou Mo and himself, none of the others could really keep the boy in check, so keeping him close would give them greater peace of mind.
Hu Xiaotian said, "Then let Zhao Chongwu go with you."
Xiao Tianmu said, "There's no need to worry about that. I'll have Gao Yuan accompany them to Hailing Commandery. He's clever enough to make sure everything is properly arranged."
Hu Xiaotian said, "Everyone else will return to Qichen Palace with me. We'll see how things develop and act as the situation demands."
After the others left, Xiao Tianmu asked Hu Xiaotian to stay behind alone. Knowing that he must have something important to discuss, Hu Xiaotian asked quietly, "What instructions do you have, Second Brother?"
Xiao Tianmu said, "Third Brother, sooner or later, Great Yong and Great Kang will go to war. Even if that witch kills Xue Daoming, she'll merely be igniting the flames of war ahead of time."
Hu Xiaotian's heart jolted. How could he not have seen the same truth? Great Kang was declining by the day. Once the overlord of the Central Plains, it had become a fat morsel everyone wanted to swallow. This marriage alliance might buy them some time, but it could never secure lasting peace. Xiao Tianmu was right: even if Xi Yan killed Xue Daoming, Great Kang would bear the blame. He himself had little to lose in the affair. So long as he brought the marriage alliance to a successful conclusion, he would have completed his mission and fulfilled his obligation to Great Kang.
Hu Xiaotian said, "That may be true, but if she