Chapter 1591

Grand Tutor Xiang Liren only noticed Li Chen Zhou behind him when he stepped out of the palace gate; he hurriedly stopped, lowered his head slightly, and showed respect to Li Chen Zhou without a trace. Fortunately, most officials had already left; even those who hadn't had time to leave walked with heads down, rarely attending to others' affairs.

Li Chen Zhou said, "Grand Tutor, good!"

Xiang Liren whispered, "I haven't yet had the chance to congratulate you, Supreme Commander."

Li Chen Zhou said calmly, "Fame and rank are but fleeting clouds to me; as long as Da Yong returns to glory, what does it matter if I remain a commoner?"

Xiang Liren sneered inwardly, "Li Chen Zhou, Li Chen Zhou, you've come to this point and still speak hypocritically—how can one be so deceitful?" Though he despised the man's actions, he said aloud, "Supreme Commander Li, your noble integrity is a model for all officials."

Li Chen Zhou said, "Grand Tutor, you flatter me; in truth, you are the nation's pillar and a model for all officials. Without you as the stabilizing divine needle, how could Da Yong survive this crisis? Fortunately, your discerning eyes recognized the late emperor's edict, making justice clear to all under heaven."

Xiang Liren could only smile bitterly; the will presented by Xue Lingjun was a forgery. He was intimately familiar with the late emperor's writing style and calligraphy; though the forged will resembled the genuine article, it was still a fake. Xiang Liren, acting against his conscience, claimed the will was genuine, though he had no choice.

Xiang Liren said, "The Grand Empress Dowager's remains are missing; this is no trivial matter. Supreme Commander, you must dispatch more men posthaste to locate the dowager's body."

Li Chen Zhou nodded and said softly, "The Grand Empress Dowager wished to correct past mistakes, but Xue Daohong foresaw it in advance, while Prince Yan sought to exploit the chaos for his own gain; Da Yong, after this turmoil, is like a body stricken with a serious illness."

Xiang Liren cursed inwardly, "Everything is not your doing alone; now you claim the Grand Empress Dowager and the Emperor are at odds, and Prince Yan is stirring trouble—this is merely shifting blame onto others. Li Chen Zhou is truly ruthless."

Li Chen Zhou said, "Lately, alarms sound everywhere; Grand Tutor, you should warn your family to stay indoors as much as possible." This remark clearly carried a threat.

Xiang Liren's head lowered further unconsciously as he whispered, "Among my daughters, the most disobedient is Qingyun; she resides in the Sword Palace, spending her days practicing swordplay with those junior disciples, and she has long ceased to heed my words."

Li Chen Zhou smiled and said, "I have actually seen Qingyun lately; I heard she is engaged to the Sword Palace's junior sect leader, Qiu Mubai. When will the wedding be?"

Xiang Liren sighed inwardly, "If it weren't for you threatening her life, how could I have aided a tiger?" He forced a smile and said, "Next March."

Li Chen Zhou said, "By then, I as your nephew will certainly come in person to ask for a cup of wedding wine."

Seeing that this fellow's mood was actually not bad, and thinking his uncle had just died, Xiang Liren thought him truly cold‑blooded. He could not help but pour cold water on him, saying, "Please mourn your uncle and adapt to the change."

Li Chen Zhou could not fail to hear Xiang Liren's implication; he sighed and said, "My uncle lived a life of loyalty and devotion, serving Da Yong until his death; to this day I still do not understand why he hanged himself. I will surely uncover the truth and give him justice."

Xiang Liren felt his heart tighten. It seemed Li Chen Zhou would stir up trouble using the matter of Li Mifu; I really shouldn't have probed further—Li Chen Zhou is too deep‑schemed; if a single remark were to bring disaster upon myself, wouldn't that be troublesome?

Li Chen Zhou asked, "How is Mo'er lately?"

Xiang Mo'er is Xiang Liren's youngest daughter. Upon hearing the question, Xiang Liren's heart jolted; he whispered, "She's fine. By the way, have you heard any news about your lady's disappearance?" He hurriedly tried to change the subject.

Li Chen Zhou replied, "The emperor has just ascended the throne and still has no empress; I think Mo'er would be a good match for him."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Liren's face changed. In fact, even before Xue Daoming's marriage to Princess Anping, he had hoped to marry his youngest daughter, Xiang Mo'er, into the imperial family, to Xue Daoming. Had he heard then that his daughter might become empress of Da Yong, he would have been overjoyed beyond measure; now this news feels like a heavenly catastrophe. He asks himself whether he has truly seen through Li Chen Zhou's character—this man's ambition is certainly not limited to being a Supreme Commander—and who can guarantee that today's Xue Daoming is not yesterday's Xue Daohong?

Xiang Liren said, "Thank you, Supreme Commander, for your kindness, but Mo'er is already betrothed; this would hardly be proper."

Li Chen Zhou smiled faintly, dropped the topic, and cupped his hands to Xiang Liren, saying, "I'll take my leave for now; let's catch up later."

Ahead, the commander of the Golden Scale Guard, Shi Kuan, awaited Li Chen Zhou. The two came to a place, and Shi Kuan cupped his hands to Li Chen Zhou, saying, "Supreme Commander, we have searched the Prince Yan's residence thoroughly and finally discovered a secret passage beneath the Buddha Smile Pavilion."

Li Chen Zhou furrowed his brows without speaking; as the saying goes, a crafty rabbit has three burrows, so finding a secret passage in the Prince Yan's mansion is hardly surprising.

Shi Kuan lowered his voice and said, "That passage leads all the way outside Yongdu; its exit is a well six li west of the city—it seems he has already fled Yongdu."

Li Chen Zhou pondered for a moment before saying, "Xue Shengjing escaped from Cien Garden; where does that passage lead?"

Shi Kuan replied, "Although we dug through the surface, the tunnel collapsed shortly after entry; likely Xue Shengjing triggered a mechanism that destroyed the passage."

Li Chen Zhou said, "There is no evidence that the passage from Cien Garden connects to the Prince Yan's mansion, so…" He paused, then added, "We cannot conclude that Xue Shengjing has left Yongdu."

Shi Kuan disagreed, saying quietly, "Xue Shengjing is sly and vigilant; now that Yongdu is firmly under our control, how could he sit and await death? I believe eight or nine times out of ten he has fled."

Li Chen Zhou said meaningfully, "The more dangerous the place, the safer it is; Xue Shengjing acts with restraint and resolve, having painstakingly built his power in Da Yong over many years—his latent strength must not be underestimated." In Li Chen Zhou's view, among the Da Yong imperial clan, only Xue Shengjing poses his greatest threat; this time he gained the upper hand solely by seizing the initiative, not because he could overwhelm his opponent in strength.

Shi Kuan said, "Supreme Commander, rest assured; I have deployed the entire Golden Scale Guard, and there will be no slip‑up within Huangcheng."

Li Chen Zhou nodded and said, "Weichi Chong may return to mourn; do not underestimate his influence in the army. Before his return, we must ensure that Xue Daoming's forces are completely eradicated and Yongdu's situation firmly under control."

Hu Xiaotian entered the Red Mountain Hall; this was not his first visit. Previously, when the Red Mountain Hall was still under the control of the Black Hu, he had gone with Huo Shengnan, Dong Tianjiang, and Zong Tang to seek the Soul‑Stabilizing Pearl, sneaking into the Wild Goose Tower at night. In the secret chamber they encountered the black and white corpses, endured successive battles, barely escaping death, and it was also during that struggle that Wanyan Chixiong was killed and Huo Shengnan suffered a false accusation, fleeing Da Yong with him.

It felt as if it had happened just yesterday, yet now everything seemed changed—people and things were no longer the same, and the Red Mountain Hall had been purchased by merchants of the Lan Kingdom.

Without an introduction, it is impossible to enter the inner chambers of the Red Mountain Hall, let alone see its current master, En He—a stout man with red hair and braided beard; his splendid attire does not make him look noble, but rather gives him an air of vulgarity and lewdness.

When Hu Xiaotian entered the main hall, En He and his retinue were drinking and making merry, while two foreign women danced lasciviously in the center of the hall.

Seeing Hu Xiaotian enter, En He clapped his hands to signal the dancers to withdraw, his plump hands seized a silk kerchief to wipe his grease‑stained lips, and he chuckled, "Guests are always welcome—is this gentleman introduced by Mr. Zan?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled and replied, "Exactly!"

En He patted the cushion beside him and said, "Come, sit!" His voice carried a strong foreign accent.

Hu Xiaotian did not stand on ceremony; he approached En He, took off his boots, and sat cross‑legged on the wool cushion.

A servant came over and slowly filled Hu Xiaotian's Golden Goblet with wine; En He's pale green eyes surveyed Hu Xiaotian, his curled reddish‑purple beard slightly upturned as he smiled, though his smile was somewhat cunning.

No merchant is without deceit; Hu Xiaotian had seen all sorts of merchants, but this was his first dealings with Lan Kingdom traders.

En He raised his Golden Goblet in a gesture of invitation, drinking first as a sign of respect.

Hu Xiaotian also drained his Golden Goblet in one gulp, and En He asked, "What business brings you here, sir?"

Hu Xiaotian handed over a portrait to En He; when En He unfolded it, he saw a plump figure depicted—none other than the Prince Yan of Da Yong, Xue Shengjing.

En He abruptly snatched back the portrait and shouted loudly, "Come here!" More than ten sturdy warriors rushed in from outside.

Hu Xiaotian had anticipated such a turn of events; he seized the wine jug, filled his Golden Goblet to the brim, and said calmly, "I hold all the evidence of your dealings with the Prince Yan; if I were to hand it all over, you would know the consequences."

En He was visibly shaken by Hu Xiaotian's words, stared for a moment, then burst into loud laughter, saying, "What evidence? You're trying to frame me as innocent?"

Hu Xiaotian remained unruffled; in truth he had no evidence at all, merely bluffing. Since Zan Buliu had pointed him toward this route, it showed the Red Mountain Hall was likely problematic, and a show of confidence might produce unexpected results. Judging by En He's reaction to his remark, Hu Xiaotian suspected he had something to hide. He said calmly, "Let's give it a try, then—let's see whether they believe you or me."

En He's smile vanished instantly: "Don't think you can bluff me like that!"

Hu Xiaotian said, "If something happens to me, at worst I lose my life; but if something happens to you, everyone in the Red Mountain Hall will suffer." He lifted his Golden Goblet, took a sip, and remarked, "Really not bad—you certainly know how to enjoy yourself."

En He gazed silently at Hu Xiaotian, then finally waved his hand, signaling everyone to withdraw; he rose and said softly, "Come with me."

Third Update delivered—only the last day of the month remains. If you still have monthly tickets, please cast them for the Medical Union! (To be continued~^~)