Chapter 1155

Yang Lingqi said: "This move of Da Yong is truly brilliant; on the surface it looks like a concession, but in fact they have gained actual benefits from Dakang. They have simultaneously sent envoys, and both sides are conducting peace talks at the same time, while the real purpose is to temporarily pacify Dakang, this neighboring state. The new ruler of Da Yong should understand that fighting on two fronts is not wise; using this method they can reap enormous wealth from Dakang while also weakening Sir Hu's influence in Dakang." He did not state his words too explicitly; in fact, Da Yong also intends to have the court restrain Hu Xiaotian.

Qiqi said: "I'm just worried that although Dakang spent money, it may not be able to obtain the grain it wants from Da Yong, after all, control of the grain lies in their hands; how much they charge and how much they sell to you depends entirely on their willingness." She paused and then said: "The emperor sent Su Yuqi to Yunyang for only one reason: he has grown greatly suspicious of Hu Xiaotian, fearing a repeat of what happened with Li Tianheng."

Translate:

"Qiqi said: \"I'm just worried that Dakang spent money but may not be able to exchange it for the grain they want from Da Yong, after all control of grain is in their hands—how much they charge and how much they sell to you is entirely up to them. \" After saying this, she paused and said: \"The Emperor sent Su Yuchi to Yunyang for only one reason: he has grown greatly suspicious of Hu Xiaotian, fearing a repeat of what happened with Li Tianheng. \"

Note: Yunyang (from glossary).

Line 3:

Yang Lingqi and Hou Shengnan exchanged a glance, neither speaking. After all, they still leaned toward Hu Xiaotian in their hearts, even though Hu Xiaotian had asked them to stay and assist Qiqi; but Qiqi, being the Princess of Dakang, would still uphold Dakang's regime, and if she sensed that Hu Xiaotian harbored rebellious intentions, she might not stand with him.

Translate:

"Yang Lingqi and Huo Shengnan exchanged a glance, neither speaking, for deep down they still favored Hu Xiaotian. Although Hu Xiaotian had them stay to assist Qiqi, Qiqi is after all a Dakang princess; though she is engaged to Hu Xiaotian, she will still insist on defending Dakang's regime, and if she senses Hu Xiaotian has rebellious intentions, she may not stand on his side."

Note: may not stand on his side.

Line 4:

Qiqi said: "Forget it, worrying won't help; this is already settled. You may go back first—I still need to visit the palace to see the emperor in person and find out what he really intends."

Translate:

"Qiqi said: \"Forget it, worrying further is useless; this is already settled. You go back first; I still need to head to the palace to personally meet the Emperor and see what he really means. \"

Line 5:

After Yang Lingqi and Hou Shengnan left, Qiqi had Quan De'an summoned.

Translate:

"After Yang Lingqi and Huo Shengnan left, Qiqi had someone summon Quan De'an."

Line 6:

Quan De'an respectfully said: "Your Highness, what are your orders?"

Translate:

"Quan De'an respectfully said: \"Your Highness, what are your orders? \""

Line 7:

Qiqi said: "The emperor has agreed to purchase grain from Da Yong; based on what you've learned, how much silver can we raise?"

Translate:

"Qiqi said: \"The Emperor has already agreed to buy grain from Da Yong; based on your information, how much silver can we come up with? \""

Line 8:

Quan De'an leaned in and whispered something to Qiqi; her brows rose slightly and she softly sighed, saying: "It seems even less than I had expected."

Translate:

"Quan De'an leaned close to Qiqi's ear and whispered something; Qiqi's brows rose slightly, and she softly sighed, saying: \"It seems even less than I expected. \""

Line 9:

Quan De'an said: "Most of the emperor's silver is spent on the mausoleum; the treasury hardly has any left. In my view, even if Da Yong were willing to sell us grain, we currently cannot spare much silver to exchange."

Translate:

"Quan De'an said: \"Most of the Emperor's silver is spent on the imperial mausoleum; the treasury actually doesn't have much silver either. In my view, even if Da Yong is willing to sell us grain, we currently cannot spare much silver to exchange. \""

Note: In my view.

Line 10:

Qiqi said: "But the emperor seems confident; perhaps he has privately hidden a considerable amount of silver."

Translate:

"Qiqi said: \"But the Emperor seems quite confident; perhaps he still has a lot of silver hidden away. \""

Line 11:

Quan De'an chuckled: "After the Chusourcehai corruption case, Dakang's vitality was greatly weakened, and the emperor again entrusted Hu Buwei. The facts prove—" He paused, glanced at Qiqi, and since Hu Buwei is her future father-in-law, he had to speak cautiously.

Translate:

"Quan De'an laughed: \"After the Chu Yuanhai corruption case, Dakang's vitality was greatly weakened, and the Emperor again promoted Hu Buwei. The facts prove—\" He paused here, glanced at Qiqi, and since Hu Buwei is Qiqi's future father-in-law, he couldn't speak without restraint."

Line 12:

Qiqi said: "Hu Buwei is fundamentally an ambitious schemer; he and Li Tianheng had long conspired to overthrow Dakang, merely hampered by bad luck. During his years as Minister of Revenue, he has embezzled a great deal of Dakang's silver."

Translate:

"Qiqi said: \"Hu Buwei is basically an ambitious schemer; he and Li Tianheng had long conspired to overthrow Dakang, just unlucky. During his years as Minister of Revenue, he hasn't skimped on embezzling Dakang's silver. \""

Line 13:

Quan De'an said: "Your Highness, what do you think of Hu Xiaotian?"

Translate:

"Quan De'an said: \"Your Highness, what do you think of Hu Xiaotian? \""

Line 14:

Qiqi said: "What else can I think? He's living carefree now; he's probably already forgotten me."

Translate:

"Qiqi said: \"How else could I see it? He's now carefree and happy; I'm afraid he's already forgotten me. \""

Line 15:

Quan De'an said: "I don't think he'd dare to perish; Dongliang Prefecture is your fief, and he is merely administering it on your behalf."

Translate:

"Quan De'an said: \"I don't think he'd dare to die; Dongliang Jun is the princess's fief, he's merely managing it on her behalf. \""

Note: I don't think he'd dare to die.

Line 16:

Qiqi let out a faint sigh and said: "As a descendant of the Long clan, I only wish to help Dakang overcome its difficulties, to let the people live in peace and prosperity; but now everyone has their own agenda, and no one is willing to sincerely strive for Dakang."

Translate:

"Qiqi let out a faint sigh: \"As a descendant of the Long clan, I only wish to help Dakang emerge from its predicament, to let the people live in peace and prosperity; but now everyone has their own thoughts, and no one is willing to sincerely strive for Dakang. \""

Line 17:

Quan De'an said: "Truly, it's a hardship for Your Highness."

Translate:

"Quan De'an said: \"Truly, it's hard on Your Highness. \""

Line 18:

Qiqi said: "What exactly is the emperor hiding in the mausoleum?"

Translate:

"Qiqi said: \"What exactly is the Emperor hiding in the imperial mausoleum? \""

Line 19:

Quan De'an remained silent, but Qiqi continued: "In his eyes, the mausoleum is even more important than Dakang's realm. Don't you find that strange?"

Translate:

"Quan De'an said nothing, but Qiqi continued: \"In his eyes, the imperial mausoleum is even more important than Dakang's realm. Don't you find that strange? \""

Line 20:

Quan De'an said: "Perhaps only Hong Beimò and the emperor know the secret within."

Translate:

"Quan De'an said: \"Perhaps only Hong Beimo and the Emperor know the secrets within. \""

Line 21:

Qiqi said: "They may not even know all of the secrets!"

Translate:

"Qiqi said: \"They might not even know all the secrets! \""

Line 22:

Hong Beimò had not appeared in the palace for several days; this time he came to the palace first to deliver medicine to Long Xuan'en, and second to report an extremely secret matter to him. A subordinate of Ji Feihua, Hé Mù, was recently captured. Although the arrest of a mere eunuch would not normally alarm the emperor, his capture exposed a shocking secret: the Third Imperial Grandson, Long Tingzhen, had never died. He is still alive in this world; the person killed by Long Ting Sheng earlier was merely his double. After escaping, Long Tingzhen fell into Ji Feihua's hands. Ji Feihua did not kill him, but kept him for future use. However, as Ji Feihua suddenly lost influence in the palace, his forces fell into disarray—leaderless. Many core members, fearing implication, quietly fled; Hé Mù was one of them. Under interrogation, he confessed many things, including that Long Tingzhen remains alive and is being held in a secret dungeon.

Translate:

"Hong Beimo had not appeared in the imperial palace for several days; this time he came to the palace first to deliver medicine to Long Xuan'en, and second to report an extremely secret piece of news. Ji Feihua's subordinate He Mu was recently captured; although the arrest of a mere eunuch would not normally alarm the Emperor, the capture of He Mu exposed a shocking secret: the Third Imperial Grandson, Long Tingzhen, had never died. He is still alive in this world; the person killed by Long Ting Sheng was merely his double, and after escaping, Long Tingzhen fell into Ji Feihua's hands. Ji Feihua did not kill him, but kept him for future use. However, with Ji Feihua's sudden loss of power in the palace, his forces have become leaderless. Many core members, fearing implication, have quietly fled; He Mu is one of them. Upon arrest, he confessed to many things, one being that Long Tingzhen is still alive, and that Long Tingzhen is imprisoned in a secret dungeon."

Note: deliver medicine; captured; eunuch; Third Imperial Grandson; double; leaderless; core members; implication; quietly fled; confessed; secret dungeon.

Line 23:

Upon learning this, Hong Beimò immediately sent experts from the Heavenly Mechanism Bureau to rescue Long Tingzhen. Although they saved this ill-fated Third Imperial Grandson, his ultimate fate still awaits the old emperor's decision.

Translate:

"Upon learning this, Hong Beimo immediately sent experts from the Heavenly Secret Bureau to rescue Long Tingzhen; although they rescued this ill-fated Third Imperial Grandson, his ultimate fate still awaits judgment from the old Emperor."

Line 24:

Upon hearing that the Third Imperial Grandson was still alive, Long Xuan'en also found it astonishing, and slowly nodded, saying: "I had thought the Long line would have no heirs."

Translate:

"Upon hearing that this Third Imperial Grandson was still alive, Long Xuan'en also found it astonishing, nodding slowly and saying: \"I thought the Long family was about to have no heirs. \""

Line 25:

Hong Beimò smiled and said: "I have verified his identity; there is no doubt. Your Majesty, how do you intend to deal with him?"

Translate:

"Hong Beimo smiled: \"I have already verified his identity; there is absolutely no problem. Your Majesty, how do you intend to deal with him? \""

Line 26:

Long Xuan'en paced back and forth a couple steps and said: "Good! Excellent! Li Tianheng uses Ye Fang as leverage; since Ting Zhen is alive, it means this card in his hand has lost its usefulness. I finally have someone I can entrust the realm to as heir."

Hong Beimo said: "Your Majesty, are you preparing to entrust him with an important post?"

Long Xuan'en said: "How can one know the preciousness of life without experiencing setbacks? Ting Zhen was already smart in the past; I recall that the Divine Strategy Office was originally set up by him, right?"

Hong Beimo said: "Not bad!"

Long Xuan'en said: "As long as she obeys, that's fine; I want that little girl to know exactly what the consequences are of defying my will."

Hong Beimo said: "Your Majesty, when do you plan to make this public?"

Long Xuan'en pondered for a moment before saying: "On the first day of the new year, we ought to have a new atmosphere; it's a good chance to dispel ill omens and also let Dakang's subjects see the dawn of the future." He then turned to Hong Beimo and said: "How is your matter progressing?"

Hong Beimo said: "It is still underway; Your Majesty, there is no need to be anxious."

Long Xuan'en coldly said: "You promised me that it would be completed within a year."

Hong Beimo said: "I will devote all my strength to it."

Long Xuan'en bluntly corrected: "It's not about giving it your all; it's about definitely completing it!"

Hong Beimo smiled slightly, lifted the wooden box containing the elixir, and said: "Your Majesty, this is the elixir I have just finished refining."

Long Xuan'en received the elixir, and finally a hint of a smile appeared on his face: "After taking the elixir you recently refined, I feel much younger all over; it seems to have taken effect."

Hong Beimo said: "Once the Reincarnation Tower is completed, I will be able to refine for Your Majesty an elixir of immortality; may Your Majesty enjoy eternal blessings and a lifespan equal to heaven's."

Long Xuan'en nodded satisfactorily and said: "I believe you will not disappoint me; by the way, have you heard about Da Yong lifting the grain ban?"

Hong Beimo said: "I have heard a bit, but it is merely a tactic of Da Yong; they intend to use this method to plunder Dakang's wealth."

Long Xuan'en said: "Even so, I cannot but accept their proposal; this is also the only way to ease the famine."

Hong Beimo said: "Your Majesty, rest assured; the turning point lies in next spring. As long as Dakang endures this harsh winter, next year will surely have favorable weather and timely rains, while Da Yong's misfortune will follow in quick succession."

Long Xuan'en looked at him half-believing, half-doubting and said: "How can you be so certain?"

Hong Beimo said: "I am merely speculating."

Long Xuan'en said: "Compared to Da Yong, I am more worried about Hu Xiaotian; this kid's development is really too fast. Had I known earlier, I should not have let him go out. I have just issued an edict ordering him to personally escort one hundred thousand shi of grain back to Kangdu."

Hong Beimo smiled lightly and said: "He will certainly not return."

Long Xuan'en sighed and said: "Indeed! Once a tiger is set loose, it's not easy to lock it back in a cage; I am merely using this method to test him."

Hong Beimo said: "Actually, there is a better way to get him to return."

Long Xuan'en furrowed his brows.

Hong Beimo said: "Next year the princess will already be of age; Your Majesty, perhaps you should consider arranging her marriage."

Long Xuan'en said: "Hu Xiaotian is so crafty; I fear he will not readily agree."

Hong Beimo said: "If he does not agree, Your Majesty will have grounds to cancel this marriage."

Long Xuan'en seemed to understand something, and slowly nodded: "Very well, I need not marry Qiqi to him."

Zuo Xingjian led his more than two thousand subordinates toward Wuxing Jun, originally intending to pass through here to reach Dongliang Jun; coincidentally, Hu Xiaotian was here. Zuo Xingjian had someone announce his purpose, and of course he dared not bring those two thousand soldiers into the city; he entered Wuxing Jun alone to meet Hu Xiaotian.

At this moment Hu Xiaotian was chatting with Xia Zhangming; Li Chang'an had already left. After campaigning with Hu Xiaotian in Yunze, Xia Zhangming had not returned to Dongliang Jun. Hu Xiaotian was quite curious about Xia Zhangming's method of commanding flying birds, and was now asking him for advice; Xia Zhangming also patiently explained some of the Beast Tamer's training process to Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian's original intention was to have Xia Zhangming set up a Snow Eagle corps; if they could have over a thousand snow eagles, and then train a thousand elite warriors capable of riding the snow eagles to soar the skies, then this aerial force would surely be unstoppable. Although Hu Xiaotian's idea was good, putting it into practice is difficult.

Xia Zhangming listened to him finish and couldn't help but laugh: "My lord, the snow eagle is huge in size, capable of carrying people and cargo, but snow eagles are extremely rare; they inhabit the Snow Eagle Valley within the Black Hu territory, they do not like to flock, are naturally solitary and proud, usually only one can survive in a nest; as far as I know, the total number of snow eagles in the world probably does not exceed a thousand, and most of them live in frigid highlands, making them hard to capture, let alone tame." (To be continued~^~)