Chapter 1207

Long Xuan'en let out a long sigh, his voice low: "You may go back, I am tired."

Qiqi, before leaving, bowed to him and said: "Emperor, do you still blame me?"

Long Xuan'en closed his eyes wearily, speaking meaningfully: "What's the point of blaming you for what's already been done?"

After Qiqi left, Long Xuan'en's mood remained unsettled for a long time; he ordered Wang Qian to summon Hong Beimo.

Hong Beimo, summoned late at night, naturally guessed something major was afoot; he came to Long Xuan'en's side and respectfully said: "Your servant pays homage to Your Majesty, may you live ten thousand years; I do not know why Your Majesty has summoned me at this hour."

Long Xuan'en said: "I want you to investigate whether Yan Xuanming is still alive!"

Hong Beimo, unaware of this secret plot between Long Xuan'en and Wen Chenghuan, respectfully asked: "Your Majesty, could you please explain this in more detail?"

Long Xuan'en briefly outlined the whole matter to Hong Beimo; as he listened, Hong Beimo's face grew graver, and he bowed deeply to Long Xuan'en, saying: "Your servant dares to offer advice: Your Majesty's handling of this matter has been somewhat rash."

Long Xuan'en said: "Speak!"

Hong Beimo said: "I share the same view as the Yongyang Princess: a mere island lord of Mangjiao Island could not possibly deal with Hu Xiaotian; since Hu Xiaotian is already settled peacefully in Dongliang Jun, why should Your Majesty rush to act against him?"

Long Xuan'en said: "Hu Xiaotian is ambitious; since I sent him to Dongliang Jun, isn't everything he's done aimed at strengthening his own power? Do I really have to watch him devour Dakang's lands bit by bit?"

Hong Beimo said: "The best way to deal with a tiger is not to kill it but to let it return to the mountains. Let it roar and roam the forests—what harm could that do? Your Majesty, have you forgotten that we only need time? Hu Xiaotian's firm hold on Yongjiang poses no threat to us; he is indeed a nail, but as long as Your Majesty does not step forward voluntarily, he will not prick your foot."

Long Xuan'en snapped: "How could he be content to stay in one corner? I ordered him to come to the capital to deliver grain, yet he not only refused, but feigned illness and secretly took his fleet to Mangjiao Island to suppress pirates."

Hong Beimo said: "Even if he goes to Mangjiao Island to suppress pirates, what harm would that cause Your Majesty?"

Long Xuan'en said: "Don't you see? He seeks to expand overseas, to establish a firm base abroad; once his wish is fulfilled, I will no longer be able to restrain him."

Hong Beimo secretly sneered, thinking, "You think you can still control him now?" He did not say this aloud, then said: "Your Majesty, it has not yet been confirmed whether Hu Xiaotian went to Mangjiao Island. I only wish to ask Your Majesty one thing: if he has remained constantly in Dongliang Jun, never setting out to sea with the fleet, how then should Your Majesty deal with this matter?"

Long Xuan'en drew a sharp breath at this supposition: if Hu Xiaotian remained firmly in Dongliang Jun, then sending Su Yuchi out would be like sending a sheep into a tiger's den. From the way Qiqi just came to confront him face‑to‑face, she must have seen through his entire plan. Being in Kangdu, her only source of information would be Hu Xiaotian—does that not mean Hu Xiaotian already knows everything inside out?

Hong Beimo said: "Grand Tutor Wen and Hu Xiaotian have long been at odds; he has always blamed the death of his beloved son Wen Boyuan on Hu Xiaotian, so this matter carries the scent of settling private scores under the guise of public duty."

Long Xuan'en said: "He is also acting for the sake of the court."

Hong Beimo said: "If it is for the court's sake, why then target Yan Xuanming at this very moment, knowing full well that it will provoke the pirates of Mangjiao Island? Should Yan Xuanming be harmed, Yan Tianlu will surely retaliate madly. The first to feel the impact will be the newly opened grain‑transport route." He added earnestly: "Dakang has finally earned a brief respite; Your Majesty, do you really wish to drag everything back to how it was before?"

Long Xuan'en remained silent. His heart had already begun to feel regret.

Hong Beimo said: "Your Majesty, if you wish to deal with Hu Xiaotian, why act so hastily? Such measures would not only fail to harm him, they would merely scare the snake, alerting him prematurely. What Your Majesty needs most now is stability; with a little more patience, once the Samsara Tower is completed……"

Long Xuan'en, upon hearing the three words "Samsara Tower," suddenly grew excited: "You always tell me this, but when will the Samsara Tower be finished? Must I wait until my dying day to ever see it completed?"

Hong Beimo said: "Your Majesty, I have exerted my utmost effort, yet I still lack some necessary materials."

Long Xuan'en said: "What is lacking? I have already given everything—if you need money, I give you money; if you need people, I give you people; even if you want the ancestral treasures passed down from my forebears, I would not frown. Earlier you told me it could be done in a year; now? Now? Only a few months remain of the deadline you set, and you tell me you still lack something? Ah! Are you mocking me?"

"Your servant dare not!"

Long Xuan'en rose in anger, strode down the steps to stand before Hong Beimo, glaring into his eyes. Hong Beimo's expression remained unmoved by favor or disgrace, his gaze calm as an ancient well, utterly unfazed by Long Xuan'en's thunderous wrath. Lowering his voice, Long Xuan'en said: "I will not grant you even a single extra day beyond the one‑year limit." Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his chest; he clutched his breast, began to cough painfully, covered his mouth, and after a while managed to suppress the cough. He opened his palm—its center was stained with a blot of dark‑purple blood—and told Hong Beimo: "This is your doing! I have taken your elixir; though my complexion has begun to grow younger, my inner self is aging day by day. At first the heart‑pain struck once a month; now it grows ever more frequent, each attack leaving me wishing for death." He clutched his chest, breathing heavily.

Hong Beimo said: "Your Majesty, do not panic; I dare assure you that your dragon body will suffer no serious harm."

Long Xuan'en said: "I understand; you are using drugs to stimulate my inner potential. Though outwardly I appear to grow younger each day, in truth I am drawing ever closer to death, am I not? Is it not so?"

Hong Beimo replied calmly: "You overthink it. These past years, I have remained utterly loyal to Your Majesty; without you, I could accomplish nothing."

Long Xuan'en nodded: "My time is running short; yours is as well."

Wen Chenghuan had just risen in the early morning when the news shocked him: the Emperor had actually issued an edict pardoning Yan Xuanming's entire family, and not only that, restored Yan Xuanming to his former office. Wen Chenghuan did not know what had happened; overnight such a great change had occurred, and what troubled him most was that Long Xuan'en had made this decision without even consulting him.

Wen Chenghuan hurried to the palace to seek an audience with the Emperor, and only after the sun was high three poles did he receive a summons from the old emperor.

Long Xuan'en had clearly not slept well that night; his face showed utter exhaustion.

After seeing the Emperor, Wen Chenghuan cautiously asked: "Your Majesty, I have just heard that you personally issued an edict pardoning Yan Xuanming and restoring him to his former post; is this true or false?"

Long Xuan'en nodded: "Indeed there is such a matter."

Wen Chenghuan silently cursed: earlier, in order to kill Hu Xiaotian, I had expended much effort and energy, and you had always approved of it; yet I never expected you, this old villain, to change your stance at a whim, altering course without even a greeting. Though he hated you to the bone, he dared not show the slightest sign before the Emperor, and feigned astonishment: "Your Majesty, why have you made such a decision? I am foolish; please, Your Majesty, guide me."

Long Xuan'en yawned: "This morning I have received definite news: Hu Xiaotian is in Dongliang Jun, and Su Yuchi is staying as a guest at his residence."

Wen Chenghuan stared, his first reaction being disbelief: according to the information he possessed, Hu Xiaotian was clearly on Mangjiao Island; even if Yan Tianlu refused to act against him and immediately released him, Hu Xiaotian would need at least seven days and nights of nonstop sailing to return to Dongliang Jun—how could he possibly have arrived there so suddenly?

Long Xuan'en said: "Wen Aiqing, your information has truly disappointed me!"

Wen Chenghuan bowed and said: "Your Majesty, could this be a deception? I dare guarantee that Hu Xiaotian is definitely on Mangjiao Island."

Long Xuan'en gave a sinister chuckle: "A guarantee? What do you base it on? Have you actually seen Hu Xiaotian on Mangjiao Island yourself?"

"Er…… this……"

Long Xuan'en said: "It is not only you who have eyes and ears; definite word has come from Dongliang Jun that Hu Xiaotian is there, his illness has now healed, and Su Yuchi is with him—there can be no mistake. Do you still wish to advise me to kill Yan Xuanming?"

Wen Chenghuan said: "Your Majesty, my heart is loyal and true, as the sun and moon can attest; I harbor not the slightest selfish motive."

"Whether one harbors selfish motives is known only to oneself, Wen Aiqing. As a Grand Tutor of Dakang, a pillar of the state, you ought to put the greater good first. I know you and Hu Xiaotian have long been at odds, but you must not let hatred blind your eyes, nor allow personal spite to push me into an awkward position."

"Your Majesty……"

"I have always trusted you, yet you must not abuse that trust. I have long wanted to ask you: in the matter of Yan Xuanming, what advantage do you seek for yourself by making a fuss? What benefit does Dakang gain?"

Wen Chenghuan said: "Your Majesty, Hu Xiaotian is ambitious……"

"Enough! You are not answering the question! If I were to provoke a feud with Mangjiao Island now, those pirates would certainly not dare to attack Dakang, but they might well spare no expense to sabotage Da Yong's grain‑transport ships, disturbing the grain route between the two states. Have you considered this possibility? Should such a dire outcome arise, causing Dakang to suffer famine once more, who would bear the responsibility?"

Wen Chenghuan said: "Your Majesty, this old servant has always been diligent and conscientious; if you doubt my motives, please punish me—even if you were to drag me out before the Meridian Gate for execution, I would bear no grudge. Your Majesty, have you forgotten that it was this old servant who secured Da Yong's opening of the grain ban!" He fell to his knees, tears streaming down.

Long Xuan'en was utterly unmoved by his tears, speaking flatly: "If I were not to consider this matter, I would indeed suspect your motives; the case of Yan Xuanming needs no further discussion."

"Your Majesty, if the rebel Hu is not eliminated, the nation's troubles will never cease!"

Long Xuan'en coldly gazed at Wen Chenghuan and said: "If I kill him, can you help me guard the northern border?" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come.)