Chapter 19

Everyone was taken aback, Hu Xiaotian blinked his eyes, and thought, could this Miss Hu be a dog? Truly, strange things happen everywhere, and there are particularly many here. Ha ha, so many people gathered here for a literary gathering, and the important guest they were waiting for turned out to be a dog.

At this moment, the originally noisy hall suddenly fell silent. A lady in a white dress slowly walked in. Her white dress was spotless, her black hair was casually tied into a bun, with an ancient and simple hairpin inserted into it. A thin veil covered her face, making it impossible to see her full appearance. Her eyebrows were lightly drawn, and her beautiful eyes were clear and profound. Her gaze swept over the hall, and everyone felt as if she was looking directly at them, their hearts beating uncontrollably.

Hu Xiaotian's eyes were fixed on the lady in white, secretly admiring her. Although he didn't know what she really looked like, her demeanor and grace were impeccable. From her every move, it could be inferred that this girl had definitely studied male psychology. The half-revealed, half-concealed approach was a fatal kind of sexiness for these self-proclaimed elegant but not vulgar literati. If a girl in a bikini had strutted in, most likely these pretentious people would have condemned her for being indecent. Hu Xiaotian glanced at the Minister of Rites, Wu Jingshan, and noticed that the old man was smiling at the incoming lady, looking much more friendly than before.

Hu Xiaotian cursed in his heart, "Old man, don't look so righteous, who knows what dirty thoughts you have in your mind. You must wish your eyes could turn into X-rays to see through her." Hu Xiaotian didn't know why he was so repulsed by Wu Jingshan, probably because Wu Jingshan and his father were political rivals. Although Hu Xiaotian was also annoyed with his father, they were still family, and he would still stand by his father in critical moments.

Wu Jingshan, with his status, could still sit still, but the other literati were clearly agitated. The Censor-in-Chief, Su Qingkun, even stood up to welcome her, smiling and saying, "Miss Hu has arrived!"

This lady in white was none other than Hu Xiaoru, a famous performer in Dakan. She was not only an expert in singing and dancing but also a talented woman, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She usually wrote and composed her own lyrics and music. The nobles of Dakan often considered it an honor to invite Hu Xiaoru to perform at their celebrations. She had been in the capital for more than four months, invited by the Ministry of Rites to compose and choreograph for the Emperor's 60th birthday celebration.

Xu Zhengying had been staring at Hu Xiaoru ever since she entered the Yanshui Pavilion. If Hu Xiaotian hadn't nudged him, he would have almost forgotten Hu Xiaotian's presence. Xu Zhengying quietly introduced Hu Xiaoru to Hu Xiaotian, who suddenly understood. Hu Xiaoru was like a female celebrity from the past, taking an intellectual route and exuding a literary charm. Such female stars had a common trait of being pretentious, but as long as they did it just right, their appeal to men was almost fatal, especially to these self-proclaimed elegant middle-aged and elderly literati.

From the moment Hu Xiaoru appeared, just showing half her face had already made these literati go wild with desire.

Everyone's attention was focused on Hu Xiaoru, and even Wu Jingshan's presence seemed less significant. No one noticed the blue-clad maid behind her. The girl, about 13 or 14 years old, with a round, chubby face and short stature, was holding a pure white fox dog. No one paid attention to her, but the dog seemed to want to assert its presence, breaking free from her arms and following Hu Xiaoru, barking twice.

This drew everyone's attention.

The Minister of Rites, Wu Jingshan, looked at the white dog, lightly stroking his sparse beard, and smiled, "Hey! Look, is that a wolf or a dog?"

Everyone was taken aback, thinking, "This is clearly a dog, how could Minister Wu not tell the difference between a dog and a wolf?" But after a brief moment of confusion, they realized the hidden meaning. Wu Jingshan was actually using a pun to insult the Undersecretary, saying "wolf" but meaning "Undersecretary." The only Undersecretary present was Xu Zhengying, so Wu Jingshan was essentially insulting him in public. Understanding this, the crowd burst into laughter. Some had been holding back, but hearing others laugh, they couldn't help but join in. The first to laugh was the Censor-in-Chief, Su Qingkun, and once he laughed, everyone followed.

Xu Zhengying immediately understood Wu Jingshan's meaning. Hearing the laughter, his face turned red with anger. He cursed Wu Jingshan in his heart, "Old dog, you're using your power to publicly insult me." Although Xu Zhengying was furious, he feared Wu Jingshan's position and didn't dare to react.

Wu Jingshan, with a smile, turned to Xu Zhengying, "Minister Xu, you are well-read and knowledgeable. What do you think, is it a wolf or a dog?"

Xu Zhengying cursed Wu Jingshan's ancestors in his heart but didn't dare to confront him openly. He forced a smile and said, "Minister Wu, I am not well-versed enough to tell the difference."

Hu Xiaotian looked at Xu Zhengying with disdain. This guy had no backbone, being insulted to his face and still able to hold back. Seeing Wu Jingshan's arrogance and Hu Xiaoru's amusement, Hu Xiaotian felt a sense of solidarity. He said calmly, "Actually, it's not hard to tell the difference between a dog and a wolf."

Since everyone's focus was on Wu Jingshan and Xu Zhengying, no one dared to interrupt. Hu Xiaotian's words immediately drew everyone's attention.

Xu Zhengying inwardly cursed, "This kid, didn't you agree to stay silent? Why are you speaking now? Do you think I haven't been humiliated enough?" He gave Hu Xiaotian a subtle look, signaling him to stop.

Hu Xiaotian ignored it and said, "There are two ways to tell the difference between a dog and a wolf. One is to look at the tail. If it hangs down, it's a wolf; if it stands up, it's a dog."

The hall fell silent. Today, a gathering of literati, none of them were fools. Everyone understood Hu Xiaotian's words. He was using the same method to counter Wu Jingshan, clearly calling the Minister a dog. While everyone secretly praised his clever response, they were also shocked by his audacity. Who was this kid to dare insult the Minister of Rites in public?

Xu Zhengying felt a surge of satisfaction. "Damn! You've got guts! Truly, heroes emerge from the young. Your father, Hu Buwei, has a remarkable son. The Minister is a dog! Great! Great! Great!" After feeling satisfied, Xu Zhengying felt a headache. Hu Xiaotian's response would definitely offend Wu Jingshan, and ultimately, the blame would fall on him, as he had brought Hu Xiaotian here. Offending Wu Jingshan was one thing, but if Hu Buwei found out he had brought his son to cause trouble, his days in the Ministry of Revenue would be over. "What a fool I am, why did I bring this kid to the literary gathering?"

Hu Xiaoru's beautiful eyes brightened as she looked at this somewhat arrogant young man. He was not only exceptionally intelligent but also incredibly brave. Anyone who dared to publicly insult the Minister of Rites, Wu Jingshan, was either incredibly bold or a fool.

The fox dog ran toward Hu Xiaotian, who picked it up from the ground.

Hu Xiaoru walked over to him, and Hu Xiaotian stood up to return the dog to her. Her delicate hands were white and smooth, like flawless lilies, gently stroking the dog's white fur. She said softly, "Sir, you mentioned two methods earlier?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled, "The other method is to see what it eats. Wolves only eat meat, while dogs eat meat when they encounter it and feces when they encounter it."

Hu Xiaoru's eyes sparkled with admiration. Her heart secretly marveled at this young man's intelligence. His response, though seemingly crude, was full of wisdom. This clearly insulted the Censor-in-Chief, Su Qingkun, implying that he "eats feces."

Xu Zhengying burst into laughter, "Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!" He had been holding back, as the Minister of Rites, Wu Jingshan, was higher in rank than him, and he didn't dare to offend him. But the Censor-in-Chief, Su Qingkun, was a half-rank lower. When Wu Jingshan first attacked him, Su Qingkun had led the laughter. "You have your day too, Su Qingkun." Xu Zhengying said, "What a fitting description, 'eat meat when you encounter it, eat feces when you encounter it.' That's the nature of a dog." Xu Zhengying had made up his mind; if he was going to offend someone, he might as well go all out.

Hu Xiaoru couldn't help but laugh, her skin under the white veil slightly blushing, making her even more alluring. She said in a soft voice, "My dog hasn't offended you, but it has been insulted today." She handed the fox dog to the maid behind her, her eyes quickly scanning Hu Xiaotian's face, and said softly, "Is the seat next to you taken?"

Hu Xiaotian gentlemanly pulled out a chair for her, using his sleeve to symbolically wipe it, "Miss Hu, please sit."

The Minister of Rites, Wu Jingshan, was so angry that his face turned green. He had planned to publicly humiliate Xu Zhengying, but he hadn't expected this unexpected interference. His plan backfired, and he ended up humiliating himself. Hu Xiaoru was originally supposed to sit next to him, but she seemed to ignore the Minister of Rites and sat next to Hu Xiaotian instead.