Chapter 1238

Xue Lingjun said: "Why not kill all these so-called witnesses? Without the key witnesses, what can they use to continue their mischief?"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head. He didn't know about others, but Yan Tianlu would certainly not lay a hand on Ling Saniang. Eliminating witnesses is indeed a direct and decisive method, but doing so leaves endless hidden dangers. Not only would it cause a rift between them and Yan Tianlu's faction, but even if they killed Ling Saniang and Tong Jincheng, who knows they wouldn't follow other clues to uncover Yanxi Hall.

Xue Lingjun said: "If you don't cut decisively, you will surely suffer the chaos—those are your words."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Rather than killing them, it's better to get rid of Li Changxing's successor."

Xue Lingjun blinked and said: "That wouldn't be wanton killing of the innocent, would it?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "They are certainly not innocent; whoever succeeds Li Changxing will benefit the enemy camp, so they are our enemy."

Xue Lingjun said: "What should we do next?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "You take charge of continuing to seduce/lure Zhou Yong, while I take charge of being jealous!"

Xue Lingjun sighed and said: "No good thing."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Since we are in the open, we might as well make things a bit more conspicuous. Anyway, no one will dare move against you for a while. Even if Zhou Yong notices your flaw, he will still try to turn the tables and lure you into a trap. You might as well let him use you; I will have people spread everywhere the news of Zhou Yong's corruption in the court, and then seize the opportunity to challenge him."

Xue Lingjun exclaimed: "Why challenge Zhou Yong?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "He seduced/lured my woman; I certainly won't let him off. It's unbearable. If I deal with him, the figures hidden behind him will appear, and then we can wipe them out."

Xue Lingjun gazed at Hu Xiaotian with seductive eyes and said: "What did you just say?"

"I said we should challenge Zhou Yong."

"Next line!"

"He seduced/lured my woman!"

Xue Lingjun bit her cherry lips and said: "I don't want to be anyone's woman. You won't be an exception..."

Zhou Yong recounted to Li Chen Zhou the whole story of his trip to Zhichunyuan today. After listening, Li Chen Zhou frowned, pondered for a long time, then said: "This matter is highly suspicious."

Zhou Yong nodded and said: "I also suspect Xue Lingjun and Hu Dafu are colluding in an act, but Xue Lingjun should already realize someone wants to kill her."

Li Chen Zhou said: "Guo Zhenhai is also a top-notch expert; few can kill him within just a few moves."

Zhou Yong said: "If it weren't for him, Xue Lingjun might already be dead."

Li Chen Zhou shook his head and said: "The target was originally him. It's definitely not Xue Lingjun."

Zhou Yong said: "You mean..."

Li Chen Zhou's face darkened: "Guo Zhenhai is my man!"

Zhou Yong sucked in a cold breath. If Guo Zhenhai is Li Chen Zhou's man, then the one who eliminated Guo Zhenhai is very likely Xue Lingjun. He recalled how Hu Dafu rescued Li Mingju from Tang Jingyu's arrow; Hu Dafu should have the strength to slay Guo Zhenhai. He whispered: "Could it be Hu Dafu?"

Li Chen Zhou said: "Hard to say."

"That night another expert appeared; the two fighters' skill levels were probably on par."

Li Chen Zhou said: "Xue Lingjun should already know we are setting up a trap. Since she wants to meet me, fine—arrange a suitable opportunity for her soon."

Zhou Yong said: "What about Hu Dafu?"

Li Chen Zhou said: "Since he dares to let Xue Lingjun stay at Zhichunyuan, it shows he has enough strength to protect her. This can be put aside for now; after all, if you move against him, it's tantamount to moving against Xue Lingjun. Have the matters at the Ministry of Punishment been settled?"

Zhou Yong said: "It's already decided. The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, Kou Zisheng, has been appointed in a crisis; he's our man."

Li Chen Zhou nodded and said: "This must be done flawlessly. The case of Yuan Tianzhao cannot be delayed any further."

The tangled affair between Zhou Yong and two women of the Bohai royal family had long been common knowledge among the Bohai populace, yet few dared to bring it up openly. However, after Li Changxing's assassination, rumors of Zhou Yong's corruption in the palace intensified; notices alleging his illicit relations with the Queen Dowager and the Elder Princess appeared everywhere on streets and alleys. This could be considered Bohai's first newspaper in its history, and moreover a scandal sheet, complete with illustrations. Although copies couldn't be handed to everyone, the gossip had already spread throughout the city.

Hu Xiaotian, using his foreknowledge, hand-wrote a newspaper. Although Yan Tianlu's subordinates had plenty of copyists, this still made Hu Xiaotian feel the necessity of movable-type printing. It seems that upon returning he will promote some black technology; leaving such resources unused is like lying on a mountain of gold and silver without knowing how to squander them—a complete fool.

Public opinion can serve as the vanguard of battle in any era, and if properly utilized it can absolutely match an army of millions.

Before Bohai King Yan Dongsheng lay such a scandal sheet; he was so angry his face turned ashen, his lips lost color, and his body trembled continually. Seeing him like that, the palace attendants dared not approach.

Yan Dongqing entered Fulin Palace anxiously. As one of the figures mocked in the scandal sheet, she had already heard the news beforehand. Hearing that her royal brother summoned her, she guessed it was about this matter. Upon entering Fulin Palace, Yan Dongsheng waved his hand, and all the idle palace attendants quietly withdrew. Yan Dongsheng was about to erupt, but Yan Dongqing had already burst into tears and knelt on the ground: "Royal brother, please grant me death! Only by dying can I clear my name and preserve the dignity of the royal family."

Yan Dongsheng, hearing this, felt his anger flare even more. He sprang to his feet, flung the scandal sheet at her, and roared: "Would your death really preserve the royal family's dignity? An ill wind seldom blows without cause—do you dare claim everything written here is pure lies?" He had long heard rumors about the relationship between Yan Dongqing and Zhou Yong, but he found it hard to speak of it; as long as the scandal remained unpublicized, he pretended ignorance, turning a blind eye. Moreover, this matter involved his mother, the Queen Dowager.

Yan Dongqing, tears in her eyes, said: "Please calm your anger, Royal brother. Actually these groundless rumors are not aimed at me, but at you, Royal brother!"

Yan Dongsheng snapped: "I don't care what rumors; you caused this—how do you plan to settle it?"

Yan Dongqing, tears streaming, said: "No need to hide it, Royal brother: I and Zhou Yong truly love each other, heart to heart, but the Queen Dowager is innocent and has nothing to do with this."

Yan Dongsheng felt as if a knife were cutting his heart, feeling his imperial dignity torn apart and trampled underfoot. He gritted his teeth and snarled: "Wench, I will personally kill Zhou Yong to avenge the royal family's disgrace!"

Yan Dongqing panicked: "No! If you do that, Royal brother, it would be tantamount to proving to the world that everything written on that sheet is true!"

Yan Dongsheng roared: "Isn't it all because of you?"

Yan Dongqing, tears in her eyes, said: "Royal brother..."

Yan Dongsheng snapped: "Shut up!"

Outside, a eunuch's announcement suddenly rang out: "The Queen Dowager has arrived!"

In Yan Dongqing's tear-filled beautiful eyes a glimmer of relief appeared. Yan Dongsheng glared at her viciously; the Queen Dowager's arrival at this moment was almost certainly her idea.

Yan Dongsheng guessed correctly. Yan Dongqing knew this was no trivial matter; fearing that her royal brother might, in his fury, take out his anger on Zhou Yong, she had someone notify the Queen Dowager in advance.

The Queen Dowager strode into the gates of Fulin Palace and said coldly: "Everyone, out!" Not only her attendants but also Yan Dongqing rose as if relieved and withdrew.

Although Yan Dongsheng was the king of Bohai, before the Queen Dowager he still showed great reverence; he forcibly suppressed his anger and said respectfully: "Queen Dowager, why have you come?"

The Empress Dowager gave him a cold glance and said: "We pay our respects to the king—surely we are allowed to enter the palace?" She usually does not reside in the palace but has chosen to retire to the scenic Western Hills.

Yan Dongsheng said: "I didn't mean it that way."

The Empress Dowager stepped closer, silently sizing up the son she had raised and helped become the Bohai king; finally her gaze fell on the scandal sheet on the ground, and she sighed softly: "Do you believe those outside rumors?"

Yan Dongsheng did not answer immediately, pursed his lips, and said: "I will never allow anything that damages the royal family's reputation to happen..."

Before he could finish, the Empress Dowager lashed out and slapped him hard across the face; the blow left Yan Dongsheng stunned, and she shouted sternly: "Unfilial son! Are you insulting us?"

Yan Dongsheng lowered his head: "I dare not..." Indeed he did not dare; although he was the ruler of a state, as long as the Empress Dowager wished she could strip him of all his powers and drive him from the throne.

The Empress Dowager shook her head: "We have endured hardship and suffering to raise you; who knows how much humiliation we endured to lift you to your present position, and yet you... you actually doubt your own mother!"

Yan Dongsheng's knees gave way and he knelt before the Empress Dowager: "Empress Dowager, I absolutely do not doubt your intentions; please calm your anger, please calm your anger!"

The Empress Dowager nodded and said: "Although you are not our biological child, in our hearts you have long been part of our life. Ask yourself sincerely: from childhood to now, have we ever wronged you in the slightest?"

Yan Dongsheng said tearfully: "I was wrong, child!"

The Empress Dowager also knelt down, reaching out to stroke his face: "My child! I know your heart is troubled, but in this world, when can one ever escape gossip? What is the purpose of others spreading these rumors? Nothing more than to make your heart chaotic, to scatter your kin; if that truly happens, you have fallen into their scheme!"

Yan Dongsheng nodded, knowing the Empress Dowager had some point, yet he could not fully accept these reasons.

The Empress Dowager said: "I have long known about Zou Yong and Dong Qing's affair; since they love each other, you might as well fulfill their wish."

"What?" Yan Dongsheng stared, dumbfounded.

"The only obstacle between them is merely the prince consort; if Zou Yong can become husband and wife with Dong Qing, with his wisdom and ability he will surely become a pillar of talent for Bohai."

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