Chapter 10

Hu Xiaotian, however, stood there with a smile, as if the entire matter had nothing to do with him.

At this moment, someone shouted, "Go to the government to seek justice!" "Right! Take him to the officials!" "What a great son of the Minister of Rites!"

Hu Buwei's expression remained calm, and he turned back to Tang Wenzheng, whispering, "Brother Wenzheng, rest assured, I will definitely get to the bottom of this matter today. But first, shouldn't we let these people disperse? In such a noisy and chaotic situation, there are bound to be people with ulterior motives spreading rumors, which will not only fail to solve the problem but also make things worse."

What Hu Buwei said was indeed true. Tang Wenzheng, hugging his daughter, was filled with anger, but he dared not act out of respect for Hu Buwei's position. As he hesitated, his two sons could no longer hold back. Tang Tiehan shouted, "What do you mean by 'getting to the bottom of it'? The matter is clear; everyone saw it. That bastard kidnapped my sister and defiled her. This man is a heinous criminal; I will not rest until he is dead..." Before he could finish, Tang Wenzheng had already slapped him hard, scolding, "You fool, do you have the right to speak here?"

Tang Tiehan deserved the slap. In his anger, he had even called Hu Xiaotian a "bastard," which was equivalent to calling Hu Buwei an old turtle to his face. Moreover, his claim that Hu Xiaotian had defiled his sister was heard by everyone. Regardless of whether Hu Xiaotian had actually defiled Tang Qingxuan, how would others perceive it? With the Tang family making such a fuss and the fact that Hu Xiaotian had indeed taken Tang Qingxuan, people would inevitably speculate about what had happened during that time. Even if nothing had happened, Tang Qingxuan's reputation would still be affected.

At this moment, the Prefect of the Capital, Hong Baiqi, hurried over with several subordinates, accompanied by Tang Jia's third son, Tang Tiejun. Seeing the scene, Hong Baiqi inwardly groaned. No matter how much conflict there was between the Hu and Tang families, it was none of his business, but today, after hearing the news, Murong Feiyun had led several constables to the Minister of Rites' residence first, inevitably involving him. If it weren't for Murong Feiyun's involvement, Hong Baiqi would have been happy to stay out of it. Let the two families do as they pleased; he would help with medical treatment if someone was injured and with burial if someone was killed. As for who was right or wrong, they could discuss it later. Being an official in the capital was difficult. The position of Prefect of the Capital sounded impressive, and he was a significant official, but in the capital, there were many officials of higher rank, not to mention the royal relatives. In the capital, one had to consider all aspects of relationships, and a slight misstep could offend someone. It was truly a struggle to survive in the cracks, with every step fraught with difficulty.

Hong Baiqi approached and greeted Hu Buwei and Tang Wenzheng. Hu Buwei said, "Lord Hong, you came just in time. You handle this matter."

Hong Baiqi inwardly groaned, thinking, "Why did you push this onto me? Isn't this making things difficult for me?" He cleared his throat and said, "Gentlemen, I think we should let the bystanders leave first." The bystanders referred to the helpers brought by the Tang brothers.

Although Tang Wenzheng was angry, his mind was clear. Even if they had the right on their side, the fact that they had broken into the Minister of Rites' residence and engaged in a fight was undeniable. It was best to let these people disperse first.

Tang Tiehan, who had just been slapped by his father, was still holding his face in pain. Hearing that the Prefect of the Capital had arrived and was about to make them leave, his anger flared up. He loudly protested, "Why should we leave? If we don't get justice for the Tang family today, we will not leave!"

Strength lies in numbers, and most people had the mentality that the law would not punish a large group. Hearing Tang Tiehan's words, they immediately joined in the commotion.

Tang Wenzheng was truly at a loss with this son, inwardly cursing him for not knowing when to back down.

At this moment, a lazy voice said, "Indeed, we cannot let them go!"

Everyone turned to see Hu Xiaotian walking over. He had somehow found a blue robe to wear, but he wasn't wearing any pants, exposing his bare legs, making him look even more out of place.

Hu Buwei frowned. In his view, his son wasn't very smart, and his mind wasn't quite right. It was best to get these people to leave first to resolve the matter quietly. If the matter escalated, it would definitely be detrimental to the Hu family.

Hu Xiaotian said, "You people broke down our gate, beat up our servants, insulted the Hu family's honor, and tarnished my reputation. You've done all the bad things, and now you want to walk away? There's no such easy thing in this world!"

Among the three brothers, Tang Tiejun had the best eloquence. He stepped forward and pointed at Hu Xiaotian, saying, "You're lying. It was you who kidnapped my sister first, and now you're the one making accusations."

Hu Xiaotian chuckled, "What evidence do you have that I kidnapped her?"

Tang Tiejun said angrily, "We all saw it. My sister is the witness!"

Hu Xiaotian pointed to the burning grass pavilion, "Did you burn that grass pavilion?"

Tang Tiejun looked at the grass pavilion. He was a bold man and wasn't afraid to admit what he had done. He glared and said, "So what? I burned it!"

Hu Xiaotian said, "What crime do you deserve for that?"

Tang Tiejun said, "It's just a grass pavilion. Even if I had torn it down, what could you do? I'll just build a new one for you!"

Hu Xiaotian pointed at Tang Tiejun, "You are truly a traitor, wanting to tear down the government and build a new one. This is disrespectful to the Great Kang, and you are clearly plotting rebellion!" He deliberately twisted the meaning of "grass pavilion" to "government."

Tang Tiejun's face turned red with anger, and he shouted, "You dare to slander me. I said I would tear down the grass pavilion, not the government!"

"You wouldn't dare to overthrow the government. Look at your weaselly appearance; you don't have the courage!" Hu Xiaotian taunted.

Tang Tiejun couldn't stand being provoked and roared, "So what? I'm not afraid of anything. What if I overthrow the government..." He realized he had fallen into a trap and was stunned.

The people from the Xu family were all pale with fear. Goodness, this guy would say anything.

Hu Xiaotian pointed at Tang Tiejun, "Oh... So you are indeed a traitor, wanting to overthrow the government?"

Tang Tiejun, trembling with anger, shouted, "I said I would tear down the grass pavilion..."

Everyone heard him clearly, but it still sounded like "overthrow the government."

Hu Xiaotian spread his hands in a helpless gesture, "Everyone heard it. He wants to rebel against the country. What do you think?"

Tang Tiejun was speechless, and with a roar, he drew his knife to attack Hu Xiaotian, "You've made me so angry, you scoundrel! Give me your life..." He had barely drawn his knife when Tang Tiehan pushed it back, and Tang Tiejun, who had rushed over, firmly held him back, shouting, "Second Brother, calm down!"

Hu Xiaotian looked at the group behind the Tang brothers, "Who else burned the grass pavilion?"

They all looked at each other, and no one responded.

"Who else?"

In a moment, over a hundred people scattered, leaving the scene. Burning a grass pavilion might result in imprisonment, but burning the government would mean execution. If the charge of rebellion was placed on Tang Tiejun, it would mean the extermination of his entire family. No one was foolish enough to get involved in a rebellion. It was time to leave.

The Prefect of the Capital, Hong Baiqi, watched as over a hundred troublemakers fled without stopping his subordinates. His principle in handling this matter was to smooth things over and resolve the issue quietly.

Tang Wenzheng was terrified, knowing that his son had been tricked by Hu Xiaotian. Saying that he wanted to overthrow the government was a serious offense. If this matter reached the emperor's ears, not only would he lose his position, but the entire Tang family would be executed. People said that Hu Buwei's son was deaf and foolish, but today, he realized that this boy was not only extremely intelligent but also cunning and devious, capable of turning a losing situation into a winning one. His son's intelligence was far inferior to this boy's. How could he have such a son?

Hu Buwei had been silent, but he had been thinking about how to turn the situation around. The facts were clear, and he needed to find a way to resolve the issue. Hu Xiaotian's words not only scared away over a hundred of the Tang family's helpers but also left Hu Buwei deeply impressed.

Hu Buwei looked at his son as if he were seeing him for the first time, his eyes wide with shock and delight. Is this really my son? Confusing right and wrong, lying, turning defeat into victory, and turning danger into safety. In a completely passive situation, he changed everything with just a few words. Grass pavilion! Government! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! I have served under two emperors of the Great Kang for decades and have tricked many people, but I never thought of such a brilliant idea. This son must be mine. So cunning, so devious, and so vicious. Who else could have produced such a perfect offspring? Hahaha, what a pleasure! What a pleasure! Heaven has eyes, heaven has eyes! My family has an heir, my family has an heir!

Although Tang Tiejun had said the words about overthrowing the government, Hong Baiqi saw clearly that the foolish boy had been tricked by Hu Xiaotian. Hong Baiqi's view was that he was angry at his lack of effort and sad for his misfortune. At this moment, he would pretend to be deaf and mute, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Hu Buwei then said, "Lord Hong, what do you think..." Although he didn't say much, the significance of his words at this critical moment was clear. He was forcing Hong Baiqi to take a stance.

...

New book, struggling to gain traction. I hope everyone will remember to add it to your collection and recommend it!

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