Chapter 1595

Xue Daoming gazed at his mother's funerary portrait, tears welling in his eyes. He rose, passed the white curtain, Dong Bingtai, accompanied by his three sons, Dong Tianjiang, all in plain attire, waited outside. Seeing Xue Daoming come out, Dong Bingtai and his son Dong Tianjiang knelt together, father and son in unison exclaimed: "Long live the Emperor!"

Xue Daoming said: "Uncle, cousin, you need not be so courteous."

Dong Bingtai said: "Your Majesty, ruler and subject are distinct."

Xue Daoming nodded and said: "Rise!" He said to Dong Bingtai: "Uncle, come in with me!"

Dong Bingtai understood his meaning; on the surface he was bringing him in to view his sister's funerary portrait, but actually he wanted to speak with him alone. He glanced at Dong Tianjiang, who understood, and waited silently outside, keeping watch for them.

Xue Daoming and Dong Bingtai entered the room. Dong Bingtai saw Consort Dong lying motionless on the funerary bed, and his heart was filled with sorrow. This consort had once been the glory and pride of the Dong family, for she was deeply favored by Xue Shengkang, so the Dong family's position in the court had become as solid as gold and bronze. She was extremely strong-willed, wishing to elevate her biological son to the throne; it can be said that since Xue Daoming's birth, she had been striving for this. However, Xue Shengkang's sudden death rendered her and the entire Dong family's efforts futile. After Xue Daohong ascended the throne, although they remained steadfast in their original intentions, they had no choice but to keep a low profile, first considering how to preserve their lives under Xue Daohong's rule. Although this palace coup allowed their nephew to attain the throne as desired, his sister never got the chance to witness his coronation. If she is aware in the netherworld, she can now rest in peace.

Dong Bingtai gazed at Consort Dong's pallid face, only to discover her eyes were not fully closed—she died with eyes open! The sudden thought made Dong Bingtai shiver. He instinctively shut his eyes, feeling as if Consort Dong were staring at him, though she was clearly dead—how could she see him? Dong Bingtai actually understood: Consort Dong could not rest in peace; although Xue Daoming had ascended the throne, he was merely a puppet.

Xue Daoming whispered: "Uncle, my mother was killed by Li Chen Zhou!"

Dong Bingtai shuddered, opened his eyes, and glanced anxiously to both sides.

Xue Daoming knew what he feared. He whispered: "You needn't worry; I have cleared all palace personnel, and your cousin is still outside."

Dong Bingtai sighed: "The one who killed your mother is Xue Daohong."

Xue Daoming said: "If it weren't for Li Chen Zhou and Xue Lingjun joining forces to plot, how could my mother have died unjustly?" He also personally witnessed his mother die at Xue Daohong's hands, and he himself killed Xue Daohong to avenge his mother, yet the hatred in his heart remains hard to appease.

Dong Bingtai said: "What do you intend to do?"

Xue Daoming said: "Uncle, is that last will truly genuine or not?"

Dong Bingtai's eyes flickered with a hint of panic. He dared not meet Xue Daoming's gaze: "It is naturally true… Hasn't the Empress Dowager already confirmed it?"

Xue Daoming nodded and said: "Li Chen Zhou merely wants to use me as a puppet; he is now helping me ascend the throne, but once the opportunity arises, he will surely eliminate me, Uncle. We cannot sit and wait for destruction."

Dong Bingtai put on a bitter face and said: "Your Majesty, you must never speak such words again!"

Xue Daoming snapped: "What are you afraid of?"

Dong Bingtai sighed: "It's not fear, but a need to temporarily avoid the spotlight, Your Majesty. Absolutely do not act on impulse and engage in pointless conflict."

Xue Daoming said: "Uncle, if we merely endure, Li Chen Zhou's arrogance will only grow more insolent."

Dong Bingtai said: "Now is absolutely not the time, Your Majesty; please hear me out. Besides me, you must not mention this to anyone, not even your cousin."

Seeing his solemn demeanor, Xue Daoming also realized the gravity of the matter and slowly nodded.

Dong Bingtai said: "As long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of lacking firewood." Having said that, he dared not linger and slipped away quietly.

Dong Bingtai had just left when he heard a report from outside; it was the Eldest Princess Xue Lingjun arriving. Xue Lingjun was dressed all in plain white, her face worn and haggard, truly evoking pity at first sight. She had gone to see Xue Daoming and offered a few words of comfort—perhaps Dong Bingtai's earlier words had taken effect, for Xue Daoming's mood had calmed considerably, and throughout he showed no abnormality.

Xue Lingjun's stay was brief, for the imperial household had suffered three bereavements in succession: aside from Consort Dong Shu, there were the Grand Empress Dowager and Xue Daohong. As the saying goes, misfortunes never come singly; now the whole country is in mourning, everywhere a scene of gloomy clouds and sorrow.

Xue Daoming had his uncle Dong Bingtai see the Eldest Princess off.

Dong Bingtai accompanied Xue Lingjun to outside the memorial hall; Xue Lingjun softly sighed and said, "Sir Dong!"

Dong Bingtai respectfully replied, "I am here, your servant."

"The Emperor just ascended the throne and lost his mother; his spirits are naturally low. You are his uncle and one of his few relatives in this world—you must certainly comfort him often."

Dong Bingtai said, "Eldest Princess, you have gone to trouble; I will surely give the Emperor proper guidance."

Xue Lingjun said, "The Emperor is your nephew and this palace's close nephew; in my heart I love him no less than you do, but the Grand Empress Dowager's corpse is not yet cold, and I truly cannot be in two places at once."

Dong Bingtai said, "Eldest Princess, Your Highness, you must certainly take care of your health."

Xue Lingjun said, "When you have time, just accompany the Emperor alone and talk heart-to-heart; his inner anguish can only be shared with you, his uncle."

Dong Bingtai, hearing this, broke out in a cold sweat on his back; what did Xue Lingjun's words mean? I had just spoken a few words alone with Xue Daoming—how could it have reached her ears so quickly? Walls have ears; I only hope she doesn't know the specifics of our conversation. Dong Bingtai nodded anxiously, furtively glancing at her face from the corner of his eye, and saw her lovely face as cold as ice, his heart growing ever more uncertain.

Xue Lingjun said, "The turmoil in Da Yong has thrown people's hearts into panic; the urgent task is to stabilize the court and calm the officials' emotions. We must certainly help the Emperor emerge from grief as soon as possible, and absolutely not listen to outside rumors. The more dangerous the crisis, the more we need to be united above and below, with sincere solidarity—Sir Dong should understand what this palace means."

Dong Bingtai lowered his head and said softly, "What the Eldest Princess reminded me of is."

Xue Lingjun waved her hand and stepped away.

Dong Bingtai watched her retreating back, his expression complex; Dong Tianjiang came up from behind to his father's side and said softly, "She isn't keeping vigil at Cien Garden—what is she doing here?"

Dong Bingtai gave a wry smile and said, "The Grand Empress Dowager's corpse hasn't even been found—how can there be talk of keeping vigil?"

Dong Tianjiang said, "My elder and second brothers were transferred by Li Tianheng to Shaoyuan and still haven't returned."

Dong Bingtai looked at Dong Tianjiang full of worry and said, "Son, you must absolutely not cause trouble; I am already old, and I must never see any of you three brothers come to harm." He also had unspeakable difficulties: Li Chen Zhou, prior to this palace coup, had found a pretext to transfer his two sons to Shaoyuan, actually using their lives as leverage. He is not unaware of Li Chen Zhou's ambitions, but in this palace coup that Li Chen Zhou has long plotted, he has already fallen completely into a passive position; now choosing to resist would be utterly unwise and might even cost the lives of his relatives—to endure for a moment and wait for an opportunity to act is the correct course.

Dong Tianjiang said, "I understand everything, but there's one thing I simply cannot fathom: how Da Yong's century-old foundation could so easily fall into others' hands."

In the Li clan ancestral hall another tablet has been added: Li Mingfu's placed to the left of Li Xuan gan's. After paying his respects, Li Chen Zhou reverently inserted the incense into the burner; his father's tablet had already been moved away, replaced by one bearing only the surname, no given name—this tablet belongs to Wen Boyuan, the brother he has never met. When the brothers finally met, Wen Boyuan had already become a cold corpse; Li Chen Zhou drew from his chest a double-fish jade pendant joined as one, its warm, soft jade seeming to contain life, and he seemed to feel his brother's pulse.

Although he had no concrete evidence, he could still determine that his brother's death was surely related to Hu Xiaotian; he had never forgotten this blood feud, and he would let no one who had offended him go unpunished.

A report came from outside the door—but it was the Eldest Princess Xue Lingjun arriving. Although her status is exalted, according to the rules she may not enter the Li clan ancestral hall without permission.

Li Chen Zhou pondered, then suddenly said, "Please let her in!" He is now the Marquis of Jingguo and the true master of the Li family; he need no longer worry about anyone's face and can do whatever he wishes.

If Li Chen Zhou had not personally invited her, Xue Lingjun would not have thought of entering the ancestral hall; she came this time to mourn Li Mingfu, who died by hanging, and also to meet Li Chen Zhou. Since that night she has not yet had a chance to meet him alone, and even though they have joined forces, she still feels uneasy, sensing that Li Chen Zhou understands her far better than she understands him.

Li Chen Zhou is now steadier and more resolute than before, giving an unfathomable impression; even Xue Lingjun, whose status exceeds his, feels an intangible pressure in his presence. She keenly senses the changes occurring in him, perhaps precisely the change she has bestowed upon him.

Li Chen Zhou's gaze toward Xue Lingjun held a hint of warmth; looking at her as she came before him, he reached out and took her delicate hand, saying solicitously, "The weather is so cold—why must you come in person?"

Xue Lingjun felt warmed by his words, and though his hand held hers she felt a long‑absent shyness; she said softly, "Sir Li, loyal to the sovereign and patriotic, I ought by both emotion and reason to come and pay my respects." She tried to pull her hand free from Li Chen Zhou's big grip, but he held her ever tighter.

Li Chen Zhou led her before the rows of tablets and, word by word, said, "May our ancestors and forefathers look down—this is my woman, her name is Xue Lingjun."

Xue Lingjun's heart felt as if struck by lightning, her eyes blurring with tears for no reason; though she understood Li Chen Zhou might well use an emotional offensive to bind her heart and make her wholly devoted to him, his words were exactly what she most wanted to hear, easily striking her innermost soft spot.

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