《Kali Yuga》Chapter 77. Xia Bao.
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When Zhang Hu or to be more correct, the grand elder spent his time with Madame Zhang Hu. Xia Bao and Chen Fang were on theit way home. Both chose two house next to each other.
"Brother Chen..., don't you think Brother Zhang changed?", Xia Bao suddenly spoke seriously when they were alone on the street.
Chen Fang stopped on his track, they were casually chatting few minutes before. He wasn't expecting Xia Bao suddenly turned serious.
"Did he?", Chen Fang asked.
"I'm not sure, but I feel he changed.", said Xia Bao.
Chen Fang sighed. For a long time, both old friends, stayed there quietly. No ope spoke a word.
"I hope you're wrong.", said Chen Fang.
"Me too...", said Xia Bao.
"But if you said he change, then he did change. Power change people, that's how it is...", said Chen Fang.
Xia Bao took a deep breath and sighed, "We don't know how much he will change in the future, but do you remember what Qin Shi Huang did?"
Chen Fang let out a long sighed, "No and nor I forget about how Zhu Yuanzhang executed many of his former brothers in arm."
Poor Zhang Hu, the grand elder possessed him. But people who were close to him, thought he changed because he was being obsessed by his power. The grand elder thought his acting was perfect and no one suspected anything. The truth, a few people who knew Zhang Hu for years, noticed his changed behavior. It wasn't much, but they knew.
His wife, probably Fan Zheng and Xia Bao. Zhang Xuan would know about it too, if she wasn't too absorbed with Huang Wen.
Unfortunately all of them, thought it was natural for Zhang Hu to change after he held his current position.
Rather than suspecting something about the fairie, Yue Guang or the grand elder, they thought Zhang Hu was changed by the power he held.
"What should we do then?", Chen Fang asked.
"Don't do anything. We don't know how much he's going to change. I told you this, so you would be more careful on what you say or do. Brother Chen, sometimes you're just to honest and straight forward. In the past it's fine to criticize him openly. But now, please refrain yourself from criticizing him. Don't even show if you disagree with him.", said Xia Bao.
"And that's all?", Chen Fang felt a bit not satisfied with Xia Bao's answer.
"No, let me think about the rest. But for now, keep what I said in mind. Do not ever disagree or opposed him. Be it openly or in private.", said Xia Bao.
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Chen Fang nodded his head, "I understand."
"I'm glad to hear that. Now, let's go home.", said Xia Bao cheerfully.
Chen Fang snorted, "Hmp... people say I'm easy going and laid back. But look at you. You just said that one of our brothers was a Zhu Yuanzhang or Qin Shi Huang in the making. Now, you're whistling like nothing happen."
Xia Bao laughed, "I told you. I'll think something."
Chen Fang laughed, "Well, I hate too much thinking. I'll let you do all the thinking."
Xia Bao replied, "Whistle then."
Chen Fang laughed, "Ha ha ha .. two middle aged man, walking on the street hand by hand, whistling. Are you drunk or what?"
Both of them laughing and whistling. They just looked like two drunken old men. Whoever saw them passed by, would never suspect they just talked about their fear of Zhang Hu. Xia Bao sent Chen Fang to his home, before he went to his own home.
His wife welcomed him. Xia Bao smiled and thanked her. She helped him took off his shoes and put it on the shoes rack. Then she followed him behind and offered hot tea.
Xia Bao shook his head, "I want some hot bath."
His wife nodded and smiled, "Okay, wait here. I'll prepare it for you. Would you like something while you wait?"
Xia Bao shook his head, "Nothing, thanks. Hey, where's my boy?"
"He already asleep hours ago. You're quite late tonight.", answered his wife.
"Hmm... Zhang Hu kept us for a long time.", said Xia Bao curtly.
She went to the bathroom when suddenly Xia Bao called out, "Wife... what do you think about that boy who saved us? Huang Wen."
She stopped and gave it a thought for a while, "Hmm... I think he's nice kid."
"Just that?", Xia Bao asked.
"Hmm... many people like him. Everyone who came from Nan An owe him their life. He also showed how strong he is in the battle of Nanping. Many young men idolize him and girls are crazy about him.", answered his wife.
"Hmm .... ", Xia Bao rubbed his chin, thinking.
His wife waited for a few seconds and then said, "I'll prepare some warm water for you. Is that okay?"
Xia Bao nodded without gave her much attention, "Hmm... make it hot."
His wife just smiled. Sometimes Xia Bao seemed cold to everyone in his family but his only son. But he was also reliable and she liked that part of him. She knew she could rely on him to take care of her and her children and that was good enough for her. Some women wanted a romantic husband, but she believed she knew better. She chose the reliable one over the romantic one. She left Xia Bao who was thinking about Huang Wen.
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'Hmm... he is popular. She's right. He is popular and know how to fight. Isn't he a bit like Lu Bu?', he quietly thought to himself.
'If I want to be a king maker, he is a good choice. Yue Rang is too experienced and opportunistic.'
'Brother Fan Zheng.... hmmm.... he will never betray Brother Zhang Hu.', Xia Bao thought to himself.
Fan Zhang and Zhang Hu. Chen Fang and Xia Bao. Zhang Hu, Fan Zheng, Chen Fang ans Xia Bao were as good as brothers. But within their four, there were two pairs. Chen Fang and Xia Bao were friend years before they met Zhang Hu and Fan Zheng. Zhang Hu and Fan Zheng were friend years before they met Chen Fang and Xia Bao.
'Aside from them two and Huang Wen, no one here have the charisma to compete with Brother Zhang Hu.'
'Hmm... but Zhang Hu's daughter had her hands around him..."
'It got to be him.... but how?'
'How could I distant him from Brother Zhang Hu? Or win his heart to us?'
It was then when Xia Yue popped up and told her father, "Father.... mother said the water is ready."
"Hm? Oh... yes, thanks.", Xia Bao woke up from his thoughts and watched Xia Yue.
Xia Yue rarely got special attention from her father. Even before her brother was born, Xia Bao didn't give her much attention. He cared for her and treated her well, but that's all.
"Uhmm.. father.. do you need something from me?", Xia Yue asked hesitatedly.
Xia Bao smiled and shook his head, "No..., I just think. My... my... I never realized how pretty my daughter is."
Xia Yue was blushing, "Father... you're teasing me now."
Xia Bao laughed, "Now go to sleep. It's late. It's time for little girl to sleep and I want my bath."
Xia Yue wanted to cutely object, but she knew her father too well. Beside she grew watched her mother treated her father like a king.
She nodded obediently, "Yes, father. Good night father."
Xia Bao nodded and went to take a bath.
As he walked to the bath room, he thought to himself, 'Xia Yue don't have much in her head, but she got a nice face and attractive body. Her empty head, might even attractive in its own way.'
Humming, Xia Bao went to take a bath. No one knew what he had inside his head. Not his daughter and not even his wife. Some people might roll their eyes and thought, how could a father saw his daughter like a an object. But there were many men who was like that. It wasn't that they were evil. They just considered women as some second class citizen. For some feminist, perhaps that was the true definition of evil itself.
For centuries, a daughter was considered lost to her family the day she was married. It was sons who bore the name of the family.
Besides, it wasn't like Xia Bao wanted to sell his daughter to a pimp. He wanted her to seduce and marry Huang Wen/ Which in his mind, wasn't a bad guy. He was a hero in many people's eyes.
From Xia Bao's point of view, he saw nothing was wrong with his plan.
Xia Bao didn't know that Zhang Xuan planned something similar, although with different purpose. But he knew, that once Xia Yue had a relation with Huang Wen. It would be a tug of war, between him and Zhang Xuan. Who could win Xia Yue's heart? Her father, Xia Bao. Or her best friend, who was closer than a sister, Zhang Xuan.
As he took a bath, Xia Bao began to form a plan, to help Huang Wen to grow. Huang Wen must grow into a person who could compete with Zhang Hu.
When Zhang Hu did change a lot and began to persecute his own brothers, Xia Bao and Chen Fang would use Huang Wen to counter Zhang Hu's action.
'We're lucky. At this moment, Zhang Xuan want to help him grow. Just as much as us. But she want him to grow for her father. We want him to grow, to compete with her father. But everything is set up nicely for us. I don't even have to lift a finger. That girl, already set it up for us.', Xia Bao was thinking as he took a bath.
Xia Bao sighed, 'There was time when I wish my daughter will be as smart as Zhang Xuan. Who knows? Being smart doesn't always be a good thing.'
He was feeling good now. With a light step, he went to his bed room. He wanted to sleep. Xia Bao was thinking, perhaps he should ask his wife to sleep in another room.
Huang Wen...., rather than his wife, it was Huang Wen who was in his mind right now.
'I better tell Brother Chen Fang about this tomorrow.', Xia Bao thought to himself.
When he thought about Chen Fang, he remembered about Chen Fang's daughter, 'Hmm... he won't like it if I make any suggestion. But he will listen to me. It's better for us if he agree with my opinion.'
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