Chapter 1586

Li Chen Zhou said: "Uncle, you always see what you should see and never see what you don't want to see, never looking nor caring; you left me by the Emperor's side—do you know what happened that day?"

Li Mufu's face was full of guilt; he lowered his head, not daring to look into Li Chen Zhou's eyes: "I... I don't know..." His voice obviously faltered.

Li Chen Zhou sighed and said: "For the sake of preserving the Li family, you have gone to great lengths, but if a person lives to such a point, it would be better to die!" He threw a seven-foot white silk at Li Mufu's feet: "Xue Shengkang is dead; you are the only one who could possibly expose this secret. You know what to do."

"Chen Zhou, I really don't know anything!"

"I don't believe it!"

"Chen Zhou, I am your uncle!" Li Mufu's voice was filled with panic.

Li Chen Zhou smiled at Li Mufu and said: "You've always wanted to sacrifice yourself for the Li family, haven't you? I'll grant you that! By the way, there's something I need to tell you: my father is still alive!"

When Jian Rongxin woke up, she found herself lying in bed. She sat up, first checking her clothing, and seeing that her clothes were intact, she breathed a sigh of relief. But then she thought of her father's tragic death and couldn't help but sob softly. She got out of bed, intending to look for her father, but as her feet touched the floor it felt like stepping on cotton; a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her, and she nearly collapsed. She hurriedly grabbed the bedstead to steady herself and sat down again.

The door was gently knocked; Jian Rongxin steadied her emotions and whispered, "Come in!" Only then did she realize her voice had become extremely hoarse.

Hu Xiaotian pushed the door open and entered, holding a bowl of medicinal soup. Seeing Jian Rongxin awake, he smiled and said, "You're awake?"

Jian Rongxin looked at him warily; this man's face was completely different from the one who had helped her the previous night. Moreover, she had seen Hu Xiaotian before and recognized him at a glance. She certainly didn't know that Hu Xiaotian had undergone a disguise yesterday, and now he appeared before her in his true appearance. Jian Rongxin asked, "Are you Hu Xiaotian?" Although she recognized him, she still needed to confirm his identity.

Hu Xiaotian did not conceal it, and said softly, "Madam Li, I am indeed Hu Xiaotian."

Jian Rongxin furrowed her brows slightly. She was no ordinary woman; although her household had suffered a tragedy the previous night, the deed was done, and further grief would be pointless. Now she must clarify her situation and understand exactly what had happened.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Madam Li, please take the medicine first. Let me explain slowly."

Jian Rongxin had wanted to refuse, but when the words reached her lips she changed her mind; she was clearly seriously ill, and if she died, the injustice against her family might never be redressed. She lifted the medicine bowl and drank it silently, set the empty bowl aside, and whispered, "Thank you for your trouble, but what exactly happened last night?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Madam Li, I won't hide it. Last night I happened to be drinking at a tavern when I saw you leaving the Duke Jingguo's residence alone. Curious, I followed you..."

Jian Rongxin interrupted Hu Xiaotian: "What exactly happened last night?"

Hu Xiaotian saw her eyes filled with sorrow and suspicion, and suddenly realized that Jian Rongxin must suspect that the family tragedy was connected to him. He said softly: "I don't know the exact details, but last night Yongdu witnessed several major events. The Grand Empress Dowager was dissatisfied with Xue Daohong's actions since his ascension, and together with some officials plotted to replace him with the Prince Ming. The plot was leaked somehow, and Xue Daohong, in order to secure his throne, schemed to kill the Grand Empress Dowager and also eliminated several senior officials involved, including your father."

Jian Rongxin's eyes reddened at this; she covered her lips to keep from crying out.

Hu Xiaotian continued: "It is said that Prince Yan, upon learning the truth, intended to use this matter to blackmail Xue Daohong and seize the throne amid the chaos. Fortunately, Li Chen Zhou stepped forward, joined forces with the Eldest Princess and several officials to quell the rebellion, produced the former emperor's last edict, and promoted Prince Ming Xue Daoming to reclaim the throne. Xue Daohong, after the plot was exposed, committed suicide. As for Prince Yan Xue Shengjing, his coup failed and he fled in panic; the entire city is now searching for his whereabouts."

Jian Rongxin suddenly recalled Li Chen Zhou's demeanor from the previous night; she gradually realized that nothing was coincidental—the husband she had trusted was actually so ruthless. He had always been a close aide of Xue Daohong, yet he suddenly turned against him and now joined forces with the Eldest Princess Xue Lingjun to support Xue Daoming's ascension. Last night he was so heartless, seemingly indifferent to his own life or death; perhaps her father's death was related to him. Thinking of this, Jian Rongxin burst into tears.

Seeing Jian Rongxin lose control of her emotions again, Hu Xiaotian didn't know how to console her; he picked up the medicine bowl and quietly withdrew outside.

Having come outside, he saw Zhan Peng and An Di both waiting there. When they saw Hu Xiaotian emerge, they both went to meet him. Hu Xiaotian pointed to the opposite room; although the snow had lessened a little, the weather was growing ever colder.

The three entered the room, and An Di said: "Indeed, a major incident has occurred in the Imperial City. It has been confirmed that Xue Daoming has indeed become the emperor of Da Yong. Moreover, it is said that Xue Shengkang once left a will naming Xue Daoming as his successor, not Xue Daohong, because Empress Dowager Jiang favored her grandson Xue Daohong, so she hid the genuine will and forged a decree to help Xue Daohong ascend the throne."

Zhan Peng sighed: "The affairs of the Da Yong imperial family are truly melodramatic, even more absurd than those of Dakang."

Hu Xiaotian chuckled: "Within the imperial family, things have always been this absurd and melodramatic—only we cannot imagine what they cannot do." He pondered for a moment: "Last night I still couldn't figure out why Xue Lingjun would leave the Duke Jingguo's residence alone, but now I somewhat understand; her relationship with Li Chen Zhou is far from the harmonious appearance it presents."

Zhan Peng asked: "Could it be that Li Chen Zhou killed Jian Xihe?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded; given the current situation, the possibility is high. He had ultimately underestimated Li Chen Zhou, always believing that Li Chen Zhou was extremely loyal to Xue Daohong, willing to be his pawn, but now it seems Xue Daohong was merely being used by Li Chen Zhou. Either Xue Daohong has already fulfilled his mission, or he has become an obstacle to Li Chen Zhou's progress, so Li Chen Zhou decisively eliminated him.

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but recall how the Eldest Princess Xue Lingjun had used the lives of Liu Changsheng and his son as leverage, forcing him to kill Jian Rongxin for her. This was no coincidence; perhaps Xue Lingjun and Li Chen Zhou had an illicit affair, causing her love to turn to hate and prompting her to want to eliminate Jian Rongxin. If Xue Lingjun and Li Chen Zhou joined forces, they could indeed run rampant in Da Yong, their strength sufficient to oppose anyone.

Even if Xue Daoming was pushed onto the throne, he could only be a puppet.

An Di said: "By the way, many people died last night—aside from Grand Secretary Jian Xihe, there was also Duke Jingguo Li Mufu, and even Consort Shu died; reportedly she was killed by Xue Daohong."

Upon hearing the news of Duke Jingguo Li Mufu's death, Hu Xiaotian felt increasingly perplexed. In his view, everyone's death seemed inseparably linked to Li Chen Zhou; killing others could be explained, but Duke Jingguo Li Mufu was his uncle—why would he kill his own paternal uncle? Or perhaps Li Mufu's death had nothing to do with him, being merely revenge by enemies? To unravel this mystery, probably only a few people could do so; the Eldest Princess Xue Lingjun should know the full story, and Li Chen Zhou himself could as well; if they were colluding, they certainly wouldn't tell him the truth. Prince Yan Xue Shengjing should also know the inside story, but his fate is unknown, making it hard to find him among the vast populace.

An Di said: "For the past few days, my lord, you'd better stay indoors and keep a low profile; this place is very safe, so you can rest assured."

Zhan Peng said: "There are many rumors outside, even that Prince Yan and our lord are secretly colluding, intending to overthrow Da Yong."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "They haven't colluded before, but now it's quite possible."

An Di sighed: "Li Chen Zhou has rendered meritorious service in defending the state, his power and influence have risen another notch; the Shangguan Tianhuo father and son enjoy his patronage, so it will be even harder to move against them."

Hu Xiaotian said: "When the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a way; the present predicament is only temporary. An Di, go inquire about the latest situation." Then he turned to Zhan Peng: "Zhan Peng, you stay behind to protect Jian Rongxin."

Zhan Peng sensed his intention to go out and asked anxiously: "My lord, at a time like this, you wouldn't really go out, would you?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Given such a major incident, how could I stay put here at ease? You needn't worry about me; even if I encounter trouble, I can extricate myself safely."

An Di said: "Actually, my lord, you needn't do it yourself; just leave the task of gathering news to me."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "It's not that I don't trust you, Elder Brother An; your information is usually reliable, but there is something I must personally attend to."

Both looked at Hu Xiaotian, full of puzzlement, not knowing what matter he absolutely had to handle himself—something no one else could substitute for.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Perhaps only I can find Xue Shengjing!"

The heavy snow in Yongdu had fallen for a day and a night, already reaching knee-deep. In the streets and alleys, many residents had come out spontaneously to shovel snow; normally they would gather in groups of three or five to chat about recent events, but today the atmosphere was different—everyone kept their heads down while shoveling snow, and even when they met acquaintances they merely exchanged glances, nobody daring to speak first. Armored Golden Scale Guards periodically passed through the streets. The city was under lockdown, seeking to apprehend Prince Yan Xue Shengjing and his remnants.

The common folk didn't know exactly what had happened inside the palace, but rumors spread: the Empress Dowager had died, Consort Shu had died, the Emperor had died, the new emperor had ascended the throne—so many major events in a single night, each of them earth-shattering, matters that ordinary people dare not discuss.

Second Update delivered, Zhangyu goes out to train, hoping to bring another update tonight! (To be continued~^~)