Chapter 1613

After Xue Lingjun had sent him away, she turned back to the tea room, saw Li Chen Zhou already out, sitting in the spot where Weichi Chong had just been. Xue Lingjun came to his side, leaned against him and sat down, stretching her arm around his waist and said, "What did you find?"

Li Chen Zhou said, "Retreating to advance, step by step building fortifications—do you really think he doesn't know what's happening in the palace?"

Xue Lingjun placed both hands on his shoulders, lifted her pretty face to look at him and said, "How do you plan to deal with him?"

Li Chen Zhou said, "Do you really think his position is irreplaceable? He actually takes pride in his achievements and uses that as leverage?"

Xue Lingjun said, "He has indeed earned many merits for Da Yong; if we get rid of him, wouldn't it be that loved ones suffer while enemies rejoice?"

Li Chen Zhou chuckled, turned to Xue Lingjun and said, "Who said I want to get rid of him? Your sworn brother is no simple figure—how true are his words? If this midway assassination is true, how could he determine the other side's identity? Would the Black Hu really launch an assassination without any disguise? If he hasn't even figured out the other's true identity, he might suspect us instead; otherwise, why would he hint at retreating in front of you?"

Xue Lingjun's beautiful eyes brightened: "Is he trying to convey his meaning to you through me?" After a pause she added, "How would he know about our relationship?"

Li Chen Zhou smiled and said, "What relationship?"

Xue Lingjun extended a finger and poked Li Chen Zhou's chest, pressing against his chest to push him onto the floor mat, coquettishly saying, "You dare to do it but not to admit it?"

Hu Xiaotian also returned to Yongdu at the same time as Weichi Chong; this guy's facial wounds had not yet healed, his nose was still red and swollen, making him look rather disheveled. Seeing his appearance, Qin Yutong couldn't help but be startled; her first thought was that he was using a disguise. But upon closer look she immediately realized that this appearance was actually his true face, and she felt both worried and amused.

Hu Xiaotian guessed what Qin Yutong was thinking from her gaze, and with a bitter face said, "If you want to laugh, just laugh out loud; if I can win a smile from the beauty, this beating is worth enduring."

Qin Yutong secretly wondered, given Hu Xiaotian's current martial prowess, few in the world could make him suffer a loss, let alone beat him into this state. She said softly, "Making too many enemies is no good; sooner or later you'll take a fall, so it's best to be kind to others."

Hu Xiaotian blinked and said, "Am I not yet kind enough to others?"

Qin Yutong said, "I was just speaking offhand; you don't need to take it to heart."

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said, "I take every word of yours to heart."

Qin Yutong stared at him coldly.

Hu Xiaotian said with a playful grin, "You don't need to look at me with such deep-seated hatred; although I don't know what's on your mind, I have always regarded you as a friend."

Qin Yutong said, "I'm startled by the favor."

Hu Xiaotian said, "How has Jian Rongxin been these past two days?"

Qin Yutong said, "Her emotions have calmed. She no longer mentions leaving, and usually just stays in her room reading and writing."

Hu Xiaotian furrowed his brows, not believing Jian Rongxin could have calmed so quickly, and said to Qin Yutong, "Pay more attention—I always feel it's not that simple."

At that moment, An Zhai walked over with a dejected expression. He had already learned from Xia Zhangming the news of Xue Zhenhai's death; for the Beggar Sect, this was truly adding insult to injury. This time Xue Zhenhai had led a crowd here, intending to eradicate the rebels and recover the Jiangbei branch, but he died before achieving victory. The group of Beggar Sect disciples who came to Da Yong are in fact already leaderless.

Qin Yutong drifted away, and Hu Xiaotian comforted An Zhai, saying, "Brother An, you still need to mourn and move on; cheer up and seek vengeance for Elder Xue and the others."

An Zhai sighed and said, "We still haven't found any trace of Shangguan Tianhuo and his son; how can we even talk about revenge?" He understood the Beggar Sect's situation very well. In recent years, talent within the sect has dwindled; the one once most looked up to, Shangguan Yun Chong, is actually a treacherous rebel. Without seeking outside help, relying solely on their current manpower makes revenge almost impossible.

Hu Xiaotian said, "How did the inquiry you were tasked with turn out?"

An Zhai said, "The branch of Abundant Prosperity Hall had already been transferred, but not long after, the shopkeeper closed shop due to poor management."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, "Find someone to buy the Abundant Prosperity Hall branch—I'll have a use for it." The Yongdu branch of Abundant Prosperity Hall was originally established by his sworn brother Xiao Tianmu; the hall still exists, but the three sworn brothers have since gone their separate ways, and thinking back fills him with a sense of loss.

An Zhai added, "After Empress Dowager Jiang's burial, the city's security seems to have relaxed a bit these past two days, and officials and nobles of Yongdu have begun to come out and resume activities."

Hu Xiaotian said, "There will come a day when the wind and snow cease."

Xue Daoming's mood did not ease in the slightest despite the weather clearing; although he had attained the long-coveted throne, he felt increasingly lonely. His mother's death made him more clearly aware of the cold-blooded cruelty of the imperial clan. Although these civil and military officials outwardly show respect, they are actually distancing themselves from him, even his uncle Dong Bingtai is no exception. These people are likely pressured by Li Chen Zhou, fearing that getting close to him will bring disaster upon themselves.

Xue Daoming felt he had become a truly isolated lord; hearing that Weichi Chong had returned to Yongdu, he immediately summoned him to the palace.

In Xue Daoming's innermost thoughts, Weichi Chong was also one of his hopes for regaining power, for Weichi Chong holds the military authority of Bei Jiang and is the only one capable of opposing Li Chen Zhou.

However, Weichi Chong's attitude upon entering the palace this time disappointed Xue Daoming to the extreme; Weichi Chong not only showed no clear intention to help him, but actively offered to hand over his military authority, claiming it was to guard Empress Dowager Jiang's tomb.

Upon hearing this, Xue Daoming flew into a thunderous rage, leaping up from the dragon throne and glaring at Weichi Chong, he shouted, "Say that again? The Black Hu army is massed at Yonglan Pass; as soon as the weather warms, they will surely roll back. In this critical moment, you do not think of serving the nation, yet you ask me to resign—how is that any different from deserting in the face of battle?"

Upon hearing those four words "deserting in battle," Weichi Chong's lip muscles twitched violently; in his lifetime of a hundred battles, blood-soaked fields, no one had ever used that term to describe him! For a veteran who has spent his life on horseback, those four words are nothing short of a monumental disgrace.

Weichi Chong is certainly no deserter, nor is he trying to shirk responsibility; he intends to use this incident to sound out the attitudes of all parties, thereby seeking the true assassin who tried to kill him.

Xue Daoming nodded resentfully and said, "It is understandable that you guard the tomb for the Grand Empress Dowager, after all you are her adopted son, but loyalty and filial piety have always been hard to reconcile; if you abandon your post at Bei Jiang to guard her tomb, putting the safety of all Da Yong at risk, you are simply irresponsible."

Weichi Chong bowed deeply and said in a low voice, "It is not that I dare not bear this responsibility, but that I am old and my strength is failing."

Xue Daoming said, "Who was it who told my father the emperor that he would devote his life to Da Yong's military campaigns? And who told my father the emperor that he would rather die on the battlefield? Have you forgotten these words?"

"I dare not forget!"

Xue Daoming said, "I know what you're afraid of—Da Yong belongs to the Xue family, and you are safeguarding the Xue family's realm and its people; at a moment of national life and death, how can you retreat three leagues? How can your actions repay the favor my father the emperor showed you? How can they repay the Grand Empress Dowager's affection?" He grew more agitated as he spoke.

Weichi Chong, however, was somewhat worried; after this palace upheaval, the current Xue Daoming ought to choose to conceal his abilities, yet he still displays his sharpness too openly—walls have ears, and there's no guarantee his words today won't reach Li Chen Zhou's ears.

Weichi Chong said, "Since the Emperor does not permit me to resign, I have no choice but to obey, and I will stake my old life to defend Bei Jiang for Da Yong."

Hearing him say this, Xue Daoming's agitated emotions eased somewhat; he stepped forward to Weichi Chong, sighed, and said, "General Weichi, you are the adopted son of the Grand Empress Dowager; by rights I should address you as uncle."

Weichi Chong hastily said, "Your Majesty, you are overwhelming me!"

Xue Daoming said, "During this period, you must have heard about what has happened in Yongdu, right?"

Weichi Chong said, "I have only just arrived and haven't yet had a chance to learn what exactly happened." Given his rich experience, he would not easily reveal his stance. Although Xue Daoming has already taken the dragon throne, he lacks the true ability to rule; the more eager he appears, the more it shows he lacks confidence. Xue Daoming wants to find a strong backing so he can have the strength to oppose Li Chen Zhou? It seems he has settled on himself.

Xue Daoming was displeased by Weichi Chong's answer; this palace upheaval is known throughout the land, yet Weichi Chong actually spoke unclearly. He had originally placed great hopes in Weichi Chong, expecting that upon his return they would stand firmly together to turn the tide and reverse their passive situation, but Weichi Chong's attitude is vague and ambiguous—does he refuse to side with him? Thinking this, Xue Daoming felt a vague fear: if Weichi Chong chose to side with Li Chen Zhou, he would never have a chance to turn things over. He recalled the earlier news that Weichi Chong's first act upon returning to Yongdu was to visit the Eldest Princess. Although the reason was more than sufficient, he did not know what they discussed; seeing Weichi Chong's cautious demeanor, Xue Daoming calmly said, "Could it be that the Imperial Princess didn't tell you?"

Weichi Chong felt a jolt in his heart; his visit to the Eldest Princess Xue Lingjun had been extremely secret, something he had not publicized, and it had only happened yesterday, yet the news had already reached Xue Daoming's ears so quickly—the most likely explanation is that Xue Lingjun's side deliberately leaked the information, using this method to cause Xue Daoming to misunderstand. Weichi Chong felt a sense of helplessness; although he had just returned to Yongdu, he already sensed a heavy cloud of intrigue—power! Nothing else but power is the source of all these disputes. In their struggle for control over Da Yong, these people have even forgotten the crisis in Bei Jiang. (To be continued~^~)