Eldest Princess Xue Lingjun arrived at the Prince of Yan's Residence not long after Hu Xiaotian had left, making a special trip to visit her full brother. A visit to Qichen Palace had already been on her itinerary; she simply had not expected her second brother to be interested in coming along.
When Seventh Prince Xue Daoming heard that his uncle and aunt had both arrived, he hurried out to greet them.
Before he could kneel, Eldest Princess Xue Lingjun caught him and pulled him upright. Looking at his haggard face, she sighed. "It's only been a few days. How have you grown so thin? Dao Ming, Dao Ming, you must learn to take care of yourself."
"Thank you for your concern, Aunt," Xue Daoming said. "I'm all right."
Hu Xiaotian stood to one side and saw Xue Shengjing's little eyes flick toward him. This was hardly an occasion for smiling, so he nodded from amid the crowd by way of greeting. Naturally, the moment those two arrived, everyone flocked around them, eager to curry favor. Hu Xiaotian did not join the bustle. Instead, he went alone to kneel before the princess's funeral casket and burned a few sheets of spirit money. Ordinarily, he had no opportunity to get this close. Opening his mouth wide, he wailed, "Princess, what a terrible death you suffered... ah..." He dragged out the final sound, as though afraid someone might fail to notice his grief. Seventh Prince Xue Daoming usually monopolized the Spirit Hall. It was like the floor at a concert, while Hu Xiaotian was confined to the stands. At last, he had found an opening and a chance to perform.
Hu Xiaotian's wailing drew quite a few eyes. One monk chanting prayers for the dead could not help opening an eye. *This