Zhang Ziqian was about to answer when footsteps suddenly sounded outside. Someone came to the door and knocked softly. "Is Lord Zhang here?"
Hu Xiaotian's heart jolted at the voice. It sounded exactly like Xiangqin from the Many Fragrances House-more precisely, it had to be her. He glanced at Zhang Ziqian. He had never heard that Western Sichuan's foremost strategist enjoyed visiting brothels. Even if he did, surely his tastes were not so extreme that he would choose Xiangqin. Every appearance she made served a definite purpose. Hu Xiaotian was almost certain that she had very close ties to Xi Yan.
"I am!" Zhang Ziqian replied.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you, Lord Zhang?"
Zhang Ziqian glanced at Hu Xiaotian. "I'm not hungry. I'd like some peace and quiet."
Xiangqin murmured her assent. "Then I won't disturb you, my lord."
Hu Xiaotian secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he thought Xiangqin had finally left, someone shoved the door open. Her bloated, corpulent body appeared outside like a small mountain, her broad back blocking the morning light. She smiled at Hu Xiaotian. "So you have an honored guest!"
Completely unruffled, Hu Xiaotian smiled back. "What a coincidence. Fancy meeting you here too, little sister. You and Lord Zhang seem unusually close."
Xiangqin fixed her eyes on Hu Xiaotian and chuckled. "Lord Zhang is my benefactor. The Western Prefecture has been far from peaceful lately, so I've been protecting him. But even a hundred precautions leave one gap, and someone still managed to slip through."
Hu Xiaotian nodded with a smile. "This gets more interesting by the minute. Do you think I mean Lord Zhang harm, little sister? If I truly wanted to hurt him, do you think you could stop me?" He stood less than ten feet from Zhang