Chapter 1264

Empress Dowager Jiang said: "I have lived this long, I can be said to have seen all the vicissitudes of the world. As a woman of the inner chambers, I may not have the right to meddle in state affairs, but I am still aware of what happens in the palace. Just now I had something left unsaid: among all princes and grandsons, who does not want to become emperor? You stood out among the many sons and grandsons, not only because of your own ability but also thanks to a bit of luck. Speaking of which, you have been emperor for a while now; how does it feel to sit on the dragon throne?"

Xue Daohong pressed his lips together and did not answer immediately.

"It's fine; it's just you and me here, mother and son. If you have anything to say, just speak plainly."

Xue Daohong said: "The pressure is immense; I am humbled and fearful."

Empress Dowager Jiang said: "The pressure comes from bearing the burden of Da Yong's realm on your shoulders; the awe and fear stem from your constant worry that someone might plot to seize your throne."

Xue Daohong shook his head and said, "Daohong has never thought that way." In fact, Empress Dowager Jiang had hit the nail on the head regarding his thoughts, but he was unwilling to admit it.

Empress Dowager Jiang said: "Even if you don't think that way, others will; who among princes and grandsons doesn't want to be emperor? But cutting off their thoughts does not necessarily mean the only solution is to kill them."

Xue Daohong's heart jolted; Empress Dowager Jiang finally got to the point.

Empress Dowager Jiang said: "I know everything that has happened in Bohai State. Your Imperial Uncle is indeed greedy; whatever he sets his sights on, he will spare no effort to take for himself, yet he harbors no ambition for the throne."

Xue Daohong had wanted to retort, "How do you know?" but the words died on his lips.

Empress Dowager Jiang said: "I am not actually protecting him; I am doing this to protect you, Your Majesty. Since you have only recently ascended the throne, if you act on every whim, other members of the imperial family will become alarmed. Remember, when the lips are gone, the teeth feel the cold."

Xue Daohong laughed and said, "Grandmother, you are overthinking; I have no such intention."

"It would be best if there were none; I know the Emperor is a person of great wisdom, knowing what should be done and what should not. The Emperor understands this in his heart. In the north, the Black Hu are mustering troops and feeding horses; they may invade southward this spring. All of Da Yong should be united against the external threat."

Xue Daohong felt a bit impatient; an old lady on her deathbed actually dared to tell him what to do.

Empress Dowager Jiang, having noticed the subtle changes in his expression, smiled and said, "Forget it, I won't say more; my health is deteriorating day by day." She yawned and said, "I'm tired. Little Dong, help me rest. Your Majesty, excuse me."

Eunuch Dong hurried over to help Empress Dowager Jiang up.

Xue Daohong took the opportunity to take his leave.

Watching Xue Daohong depart, Empress Dowager Jiang couldn't help but sigh. Eunuch Dong asked, "Empress Dowager, why are you sighing?"

Empress Dowager Jiang said: "I find that the older I get, the softer my heart becomes."

Eunuch Dong laughed: "Empress Dowager, you've always been a living bodhisattva!"

Yan Boguang's affair ended with a prison break; given Yan Boguang's abilities, it was utterly impossible for him to escape from the heavily guarded heavenly prison. What actually made the difference was Zou Yong, after repeatedly clashing with Hu Xiaotian. Zou Yong finally realized the fact that he was no match for Hu Xiaotian; in the current situation, let alone himself. Even Li Chen Zhou could not turn the tide; perhaps he should not have placed all his bets on Li Chen Zhou from the start.

Grand Princess Yan Dongqing was also released by bandits the day after Yan Boguang's prison break; she immediately went to the Jing Shui Xing Yuan estate and wept until her face was streaked with tears, utterly heartbroken.

King of Bohai Yan Dongsheng, after careful consideration, decided to halt the investigation into Ju Bao Zhai.

Huang Hua Port remained bustling as ever; Hu Xiaotian arrived at the merchant ship that had been arranged beforehand. Yan Nujiao was already waiting for him on the deck, her pretty face bearing a sweet smile. She had not felt this relaxed in a long time. Yan Boguang, after enduring several days of ordeal, finally returned safely, the heavy stone that had weighed on her heart finally falling to the ground. Yet, despite feeling relieved, she could not help but feel a sense of loss, for it meant that she and her brother would soon leave Bohai State to return to Python Dragon Island, facing the imminent moment of parting with Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian smiled and asked, "Is he alright?"

Yan Nujiao nodded and said, "She got a bit frightened, but she's fine; she's currently talking with my uncle."

Hu Xiaotian glanced toward the cabin and smiled, saying, "No need to disturb them."

Yan Nujiao said, "Come with me."

Hu Xiaotian followed her into her cabin; as soon as he entered, he grabbed her from behind, encircling her waist, and rained kisses like raindrops on her face and neck. Yan Nujiao let out a soft moan, melting in his strong, powerful embrace; they clung to each other for a long time before finally parting.

Yan Nujiao cupped Hu Xiaotian's face, their foreheads touching, and she whispered, "I'm leaving tomorrow."

Hu Xiaotian said, "You'll miss me?"

Yan Nujiao nodded, her nose tingled, and two streams of tears flowed down.

Hu Xiaotian smiled as he helped her wipe away the tears, and said softly, "It's not a matter of life and death; why cry? If you don't want to go, stay, be my wife, and bear my children."

Yan Nujiao let out a puff of laughter, wrapped her arms around his neck, and said, "I must go back this time; I have to speak plainly with my father about our situation—I can't just leave with you without a word."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, "Or else, when I have time, I'll make a special trip to talk with him properly."

Yan Nujiao shook her head and said, "My father doesn't like you; you'd better not see him now."

Hu Xiaotian laughed heartily; back when he was in Qingyun Xian, he never imagined he would have such a connection with the bandit Yan Kui, who holds Tianlang Mountain, and in fact he has already become his son-in-law.

Suddenly, a loud voice from outside called out: "Is Hu Caidong here?"

Yan Nujiao's pretty face flushed; she hurriedly let go of Hu Xiaotian, gesturing for him to leave quickly, lest others misunderstand.

Hu Xiaotian stepped out of the cabin and saw Yan Tianlu and Yan Boguang outside. Yan Boguang, having been recently imprisoned and long deprived of sunlight, looked somewhat pallid. Seeing Hu Xiaotian emerge from his sister's cabin, Yan Boguang smiled; he had figured out the whole sequence of events and knew that his narrow escape this time was entirely thanks to Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, "Master Yan, how have you been?"

Yan Boguang said, "Many thanks, Hu Caidong, for your help." After this setback, this fellow actually became polite.

Yan Tianlu said, "Let's talk at the bow."

The two went to the bow, where Yan Tianlu's subordinates had already set up two chairs, host and guest taking their seats. Yan Tianlu said, "I heard that the manager of Ju Bao Zhai, Tong Jincheng, has been released; it seems the suspicion against Ju Bao Zhai has been cleared." Ju Bao Zhai has finally been freed from trouble, but Ling San niang, also implicated in the Yuan Tianzhao case, remains in custody. Yan Tianlu's wish in coming to Bohai State this time remains unfulfilled. According to his original intention, he did not want to let Princess Yan Dongqing off so easily; at the very least, he wanted to use her to exchange for Ling San niang.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Does the island chief still want to rescue Ling San niang?"

Yan Tianlu glared, eyes wide: "Nonsense, of course we must save her!"

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, "It seems the island chief's feelings for her are anything but ordinary."

Yan Tianlu's old face flushed; knowing Hu Xiaotian had sensed their private feelings, he gave a dry cough and said, "We are sworn siblings, so of course our feelings are not ordinary."

Hu Xiaotian gave a hearty chuckle and said, "This isn't difficult, but I want the island chief to answer me clearly: do you still harbor designs on the throne of Bohai State?"

Yan Tianlu's thick brows knit together; Hu Xiaotian's question made him somewhat reluctant to answer.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Just speak your mind, island chief."

Yan Tianlu sighed, rose to his feet, and walked alone to the bow, gazing at the canal water slowly flowing eastward beneath his feet. After a while he said, "That useless emperor Yan Dongsheng may not live as comfortably as I, this pirate chief." Although Yan Dongsheng is the ruler of a state, he is constantly restrained by others; even an envoy from Da Yong dares to pressure him with power. In Yan Tianlu's eyes, he is utterly pathetic.

Hu Xiaotian said, "When you hold a position, you must attend to its affairs. Bohai is merely a small state; to survive in the cracks, one must bow and scrape before other nations—and that is Yan Dongsheng's way of survival."

Yan Tianlu nodded and said, "These past two days I've been pondering the same question: if I were made King of Bohai, would I do better than he?" He turned to Hu Xiaotian, his eyes bright, clearly seeking an answer from him.

Hu Xiaotian shook his head; no matter who becomes King of Bohai, they must know how to make concessions. Yan Tianlu probably lacks the ability, in the short term, to make Bohai strong—and that depends not only on personal ability but also on Bohai State's unique geography and resources.

Yan Tianlu said, "I understand. In fact, the reason the two great powers, Da Yong and Dakang, have not attacked Bohai over the years is ultimately because Bohai State's strength is too weak to pose a real threat to them. Once Bohai State begins to strive for strength and grows powerful, they will notice the signs and deploy their navy to annihilate Bohai; with Bohai's current strength, it simply has no capacity to resist."

Hu Xiaotian smiled at him; Yan Tianlu is a person who appears rough but is actually meticulous, and he has seen the heart of the matter.

Yan Tianlu returned to sit beside Hu Xiaotian and said, "The root of this trouble lies in Yan Dongsheng's attempt to use Da Yong's strength to eliminate me; fortunately he realized in time that inviting Da Yong to intervene is like inviting a wolf into the house. Actually, if one day I were to overthrow Bohai's regime and seize the throne, would Da Yong not use this as a pretext to help him? They might seize the opportunity to occupy Bohai State."

Hu Xiaotian whispered, "They definitely would!"

Yan Tianlu said, "So neither I nor Yan Dongsheng should act rashly; in fact, the Eastern Sea is vast enough to accommodate both of us—I'll be my pirate, he'll be his king; fundamentally we are one family, so why must we fight to the death, handing over our ancestors' legacy to others?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed and stood up; this time he had come intending to tell Yan Tianlu this principle, but Yan Tianlu had obviously already figured it out.

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