Chapter 1573: [Hard-won Candor] (Part 2)

Hu Xiaotian remained silent, but he already knew in his heart who the person Xue Shengjing mentioned who had framed him was.

Xue Shengjing said: "He deliberately arranged for a courtesan to approach me; I fell madly in love with her at all costs, and she loved me too, but because of my imperial status I could not bring her into the family, so I secretly placed her. She bore me a son and a daughter. When everything became fact, that person reported my affair with the courtesan to the imperial father, who flew into a rage, believing I had disgraced the clan, and ordered her execution. I believed the news and sent people to escort them away, never imagining that all my actions were under his control." He sighed again: "In fact, the imperial father never intended to kill my son and daughter; someone merely spread this rumor to take advantage of their flight and wipe them out."

Hu Xiaotian could already determine that the person who had framed Xue Shengjing back then was surely the Dakang Emperor Xue Shengkang; now that Xue Shengkang is dead, that old grudge has lost much of its meaning, and a thought arose in his mind: was there some secret behind Xue Shengkang's sudden death? Xue Shengjing had lain on firewood and tasted gall, enduring for so many years—would he abandon his revenge? Given Hu Xiaotian's understanding of Xue Shengjing, that was clearly impossible.

Xue Shengjing did not continue his topic, instead turning his gaze to the window, taking a deep breath, adjusting his emotions, then lifting the cup before him and taking a sip, saying: "You ventured all the way to Yongdu; surely you didn't come just to admire the scenery."

Hu Xiaotian laughed, in the deep winter of the ninth nine-day period; if there were no important matter, he certainly wouldn't have traveled a thousand miles. He said softly: "Recently Yongdu has seen some events that have implicated a few of my good friends. So I came specially to see if I could be of any help to them." Hu Xiaotian himself could hardly be of any assistance; otherwise he wouldn't have come to see Xue Shengjing—he was seeking Xue Shengjing's aid.

Xue Shengjing glanced casually at Hu Xiaotian's face and said: "The affair of assassinating the emperor probably isn't related to you, is it?"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head: "No relation at all; I previously made an alliance with Da Yong."

"Such an alliance is worth not a penny; it's merely a trick to fool children." Xue Shengjing's tone showed extreme disdain.

Hu Xiaotian said: "The father and son of the Shen Nong Society, Liu Changsheng, are honest men. They are also my good friends; I hope elder brother will mediate and save their lives."

Xue Shengjing looked at Hu Xiaotian full of suspicion; he did not believe that Hu Xiaotian had come to Da Yong solely for the lives of those two people. From his personal perspective, it was utterly unfathomable—even for a friend, such a risk would not be worth it. Different people naturally have different views on the matter.

Of course, Hu Xiaotian's purpose in coming to Da Yong this time was not just that; he also bore the mission of finding the father and son of Shangguan Tianhuo and eliminating them. He and Xia Zhangming were merely the vanguard; the Beggar Sect's experts, including Xue Zhenhai and An Zhai, also entered Da Yong by land and would soon reach Yongdu to join him.

Xue Shengjing said: "It's not that I refuse to help you. But recently the emperor's assassination has caused an uproar, and he has even fixed his suspicions on me, secretly sending people to gather evidence linking me to this affair. If I were to intervene actively, I fear I would not only be unable to help you, but might even endanger your friends."

Hu Xiaotian knew that what Xue Shengjing said was indeed the case; not intending to shirk responsibility, he said softly: "Elder brother, could you point me to a clear path?"

Xue Shengjing sighed, rose, and slowly walked to the window. He thrust open the lattice window, unafraid of the biting wind blowing in, and his narrow eyes involuntarily narrowed: "Many things cannot be judged by appearance alone; the target of the assassination appears to be the emperor, yet the emperor is unharmed, while the slain consort is the one I sent to the emperor."

Hu Xiaotian secretly wondered: Could there be some hidden scheme behind this assassination? Did the mastermind plan this attack merely to eliminate the consort Xue Shengjing had sent to Xue Daohong? Wouldn't the cost be too great? Xue Shengjing is a treacherous and cunning man; his words cannot be trusted.

Xue Shengjing said: "It's true that someone plotted the assassination, but someone else had already mastered this assassination operation and deliberately let it happen, using the incident to expand its influence and seize the opportunity to eliminate rivals."

Having heard this, Hu Xiaotian already believed seventy percent; Xue Shengjing had no need to deceive himself on this matter, but who exactly was the mastermind behind it? It probably wasn't Xue Daohong, who would not stage a self-directed assassination of himself.

Xue Shengjing quickly gave his answer: "The emperor trusts Li Chen Zhou too much; this person holds an exalted position, with many experts under his command serving him. I observe that he harbors wolfish ambitions, seeking to seize my Xue family's state."

Although Hu Xiaotian had heard rumors of the internal power struggles in Da Yong, he had never heard that Li Chen Zhou possessed such ambition; however, given their differing positions, Xue Shengjing hated Li Chen Zhou to the bone—the earlier turmoil in Bohai State was instigated by Li Chen Zhou alone, and Li Chen Zhou has consistently urged Xue Daohong to promptly remove these royal clansmen.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Perhaps you should tell these words to your emperor."

Xue Shengjing sighed: "The emperor knows not what bewitching draught he has been given; he hears only one side and believes it, in his eyes only this man is a loyal minister, while all others are untrustworthy." Pausing there, he looked at Hu Xiaotian and said: "Surely you are aware that the former chief of the Beggar Sect, Shangguan Tianhuo, has already defected to Li Chen Zhou?"

Although Hu Xiaotian knew that Shangguan Tianhuo and his son had established themselves in Da Yong, he did not know that Li Chen Zhou backed them behind the scenes, and he frowned, asking: "Really?"

Xue Shengjing nodded: "Why would I deceive you? Li Chen Zhou not only has close ties with the Beggar Sect, but also has an extraordinary relationship with the Sword Palace and the Falling Cherry Palace; this man is no ordinary figure, he also wields considerable influence in the military, and now enjoys the emperor's such trust, making his power in Da Yong extraordinarily exalted—even I dare not provoke him lightly."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Surely the affairs of Da Yong are not yet his to command?"

Xue Shengjing gave a wry smile: "If you want to save people, you actually shouldn't come to me; to be frank, the current emperor is deeply wary of me, guarding against me everywhere, and I basically avoid the court altogether. If you wish to rescue Liu Changsheng and his son, there is a simplest method." He lowered his voice: "All that is needed is for my mother, the empress dowager, to speak, and Liu Changsheng and his son will naturally be safe."

Hu Xiaotian's eyes lit up; what Xue Shengjing said was indeed correct.

Xue Shengjing said: "But I cannot speak before my mother, the empress dowager; you had better go find my imperial sister."

Today I return home, having risen early to deliver two thousand characters; because I must rush on, today's amount will likely be only this much. (To be continued~^~)