Chapter 35

When Hu Xiaotian heard that the news was confirmed, he couldn't help but feel a chill inside. This was no small matter. If the iron voucher was stolen and this incident involved Hu An, then as soon as the news leaked, the current emperor would certainly investigate. If they were charged with deceiving the emperor, the Hu family would face the dire consequence of being exterminated. Oh no! I've only been alive for half a year and haven't even had the chance to get married. Could it really be this tragic? If I lose my head so easily, wouldn't that be the greatest injustice?

Hu Buwei said, "Hu An, that beast, I treated him well, but I never thought he would betray me and do such a despicable and immoral thing."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Father, that iron voucher has been passed down since the Ming Dynasty. It has been so long that it's almost a relic. Even if it's lost, it wouldn't be a major crime. Why don't we just explain the situation clearly to the current emperor? Perhaps he will understand."

Hu Buwei slowly shook his head and said, "In the past, it might have been fine, but now it's a very different time. The emperor's health has been poor for the past two years, and he has become unpredictable. A small matter might anger him." Hu Buwei sighed inwardly. Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger; the emperor's mind is as changeable as the weather in June, making it impossible for his subjects to fathom.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Father, you have made great contributions to the Da Kang Empire, and the emperor trusts you greatly. He wouldn't punish us for such a small matter, especially since we didn't lose it intentionally but were deliberately framed."

Hu Buwei said, "Recently, many people have been slandering me to the emperor, and he has become more distant. If the news of our family losing the iron voucher suddenly breaks, what do you think the consequences will be?" This was the first time he mentioned court affairs to his son.

Hu Xiaotian felt a chill. If his father said so, it must be true. It seemed that he had gradually fallen out of favor with the emperor. Hu Xiaotian had read history and understood the emperor's unpredictable nature. Even favored ministers were like ants in the emperor's eyes; if he was displeased, he could take their lives at any time.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Not many people know about this!"

Hu Buwei said, "Hu An has been in our household for decades. I treated him well, but I don't know why he betrayed me. I know he must have a plan in mind for stealing the iron voucher."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, "If he wanted to use this to harm our family, he would have spread the news long ago. I think he is using the iron voucher to blackmail us, and there must be someone else behind him."

Hu Buwei deeply agreed with his son's analysis. He was pleasantly surprised to find that his son's mind had indeed returned to normal, even showing a meticulous thought process. As his son said, there must be someone else behind Hu An. Hu Buwei firmly believed that Hu An was coerced or tempted by someone to betray him and the Hu family.

Hu Xiaotian said, "It seems the iron voucher is a card in their hand. They won't use it unless absolutely necessary, so we are still safe for now."

Hu Buwei slowly nodded. Although his son's analysis made sense, the loss of the iron voucher remained a hidden danger. Before the other party made a move, he still had time to respond. He said in a low voice, "Tell me everything that happened last night in detail."

Hu Xiaotian then recounted the events of the previous night from start to finish. He mentioned how the two thieves used a diversion to draw the attention of the Hu family's guards and set fire to the Jiyaxuan. Because of Hu An's betrayal, Hu Xiaotian now had a new theory. He pushed open the window and looked at the ruins of the Jiyaxuan nearby, saying, "Now I realize that when we were catching the thieves, Hu An was not present. He must have taken advantage of the chaos to steal the iron voucher and set the fire. Since everyone's attention was on the two thieves, he was able to act calmly."

Hu Buwei said, "After he succeeded, he deliberately revealed the secret to you and used the opportunity to report to me in the East Capital to escape. This old man has hidden his true intentions from me for so many years, and he even dared to collude with outsiders to frame me." Hu Buwei was so angry that he gritted his teeth. If Hu An appeared before him now, he would tear him apart to vent his anger.

Hu Xiaotian suddenly said, "That's not right!"

Hu Buwei was surprised and asked, "What's not right?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "If the two thieves colluded with him, they knew nothing about him. The person they named was Zhao Zhenghao. When I and the constables from Jingzhao Prefecture went to Tu Street to find Zhao Zhenghao, it turned out to be a trap. Their goal was to kill me!" Thinking about the situation, Hu Xiaotian still felt a chill. If it weren't for Murong Feiyun's brave rescue, he would have been killed by Mo Shaolin's arrow.

Although Hu Buwei did not witness the assassination attempt, he was still deeply worried. He had only one son, and if he died so unjustly, where could he find a way to regret it?

Hu Buwei patted his son's shoulder with concern and asked, "Are you hurt?"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head and said, "Fortunately, I had some luck."

Hu Buwei said, "One cannot always be lucky." Almost instantly, he made an important decision: "Tian'er, I have an idea. What do you think?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, "I need to know what it is first."

Hu Buwei closed the window and lowered his voice, "The emperor's health is deteriorating day by day. I think the day of succession is not far off. Whenever the throne is passed, there is never peace. Recently, the capital has been filled with undercurrents, and a storm is brewing." Hu Buwei paused and continued, "I am in the court, and it is difficult to ensure that I will not be affected by this storm. I am old, and even if some disaster befalls me, I will not flinch. But I have one major concern, and that is you..." Hu Buwei spoke with genuine emotion, his feelings evident.

Although Hu Xiaotian was extremely unhappy with his arranged marriage, he was moved by his father's concern. Blood is thicker than water, and Hu Buwei's care for his son was undoubtedly sincere.

Hu Buwei said, "Actually, I had the idea a few days ago to send you to serve as an official outside the capital."

Hu Xiaotian was secretly delighted. Serving as an official outside the capital would mean leaving the capital, allowing him to live a life of freedom. Although he was happy inside, he put on a reluctant face, "I don't want to leave Father."

Hu Buwei said, "I can't take care of you forever. One day, you will have to stand on your own." The idea of sending his son to serve as an official outside the capital had been in his mind for a long time. Hu Buwei had long predicted that the period of the throne's succession would bring unprecedented turmoil to the capital. Although the position of crown prince had already been given to the sixth prince, Long Yeqing, many of the old ministers were extremely dissatisfied and were secretly plotting to support the first prince, Long Yelin. During the trip to the East Capital, Hu Buwei had quietly probed the emperor's thoughts, and the old emperor seemed to regret deposing his eldest son, Long Yelin, as the crown prince.

Having served the emperor for so many years, Hu Buwei understood his temper. The older the emperor got, the more unpredictable he became, and his mood could change faster than turning a page. Although Long Yeqing was currently the crown prince, the old emperor might change his mind at any time and replace him with another son. After all, the old man had many sons, having sired countless children, with twenty-seven princes alone, just one short of the twenty-eight constellations.

Hu Buwei's position in the court had remained stable through two generations of emperors, thanks to his mature political acumen. Although he had made various preparations, the closer the transition of power approached, the more uneasy he became. If there were any changes in the palace, the officials in the capital would be the first to be affected. As the saying goes, "A new emperor brings new ministers." No one could guarantee that they would still be favored after the new emperor ascended the throne.

At this critical time, the theft of the iron voucher added to Hu Buwei's concerns. His marriage alliance with the Li family was just one of his strategies, and its success depended on whether the crown prince, Long Yeqing, could smoothly inherit the throne. Before the trip to the East Capital, Hu Buwei had believed that the succession would not change, but the old emperor's unintentional remarks made him lose his confidence. Hu Buwei even began to consider whether he should put all his bets on Long Yeqing.

A mature politician must be prepared for the future. Hu Buwei had been quietly making arrangements, but the sudden loss of the iron voucher disrupted his plans. Even with his experience and composure, he felt somewhat at a loss.

This event prompted Hu Buwei to decide to send his son away from the capital, a place of conflict, to avoid the impending political storm.