Chapter 1617

Xue Daoming fell into silence. Dong Bingtai, having finished these heartfelt words, said nothing more, his eyes red as he stared silently at him. After a long while, Xue Daoming finally reached out and lightly patted Dong Bingtai's shoulder, speaking softly: "These principles I have already considered, but no matter how grand my ambitions may be, ultimately one man cannot stand alone; if all officials have already submitted to the wicked might of these villains, what can I use to oppose them?"

Dong Bingtai said: "Your Majesty, force and threats can only make people submit temporarily, but they can never win hearts; although this palace coup occurred hastily and was the work of Li Chen Zhou and the Long Princess together, the true crux lies with Xue Daohong!" Xue Daohong plotted to murder the Grand Empress Dowager, using a forged last edict to ascend the Da Yong throne, this matter has been widely spread; although this time they did not pursue responsibility behind him, the funeral's pomp and spectacle even cannot compare to that of Empress Jiang and Consort Dong Shu; if the crime were not confirmed, Dong Bingtai would not dare to directly address this newly enthroned emperor by name.

Xue Daoming sighed and said: "Now it seems my imperial elder brother was also deceived."

Dong Bingtai sneered: "If it weren't for his lust for power and influence, how could he be so easily bewitched? Earlier, in Bohai State he stirred up trouble, trying to eliminate Prince Yan, but Prince Yan resolved it; the Black Hu army still remains in Bei Jiang, yet he does not think of stabilizing the domestic situation, discarding past grudges to present a united front against external threats; instead, he uses this assassination incident to stir up trouble, listening to the nonsense that 'to repel external threats one must first pacify internal affairs,' and in the end even wants to eliminate the Grand Empress Dowager together."

Xue Daoming nodded and said: "He merely did not expect that while he was the mantis catching the cicada, the oriole was behind him; he himself also became a prey of Li Chen Zhou."

Dong Bingtai said: "Your Majesty, I am not unwilling to speak, I simply do not wish to; nowadays the court is filled with panic, Li Chen Zhou meticulously plotted, catching everyone off guard; this person is deep-minded and deeply hidden; if not for the success of this palace coup, almost everyone would think he wholeheartedly serves Xue Daohong."

Xue Daoming said gloomily: "Only blame my lack of vigilance; I had no preparation for the incident at Cien Garden, otherwise he would not have succeeded so easily."

Dong Bingtai said: "This is not Your Majesty's fault; actually, everyone present at Cien Garden that night had their own thoughts. Xue Daohong wanted to remove the Grand Empress Dowager because, although she appeared to have retreated to Cien Garden, in fact after the late emperor's demise she refused to relinquish power, attempting to influence court affairs through various means. Jian Xihe, Li Mingfu, and even the Grand Tutor Xiang Liren are all her people; after the late emperor's demise they often went to Cien Garden to see the Grand Empress Dowager, and any stir in the court could not escape their notice. I have heard that after Xue Daohong ascended the throne, the person he most wanted to eliminate was Prince Yan; the turmoil in Bohai State nearly captured Prince Yan and the Long Princess in one net, and had it not been for the Grand Empress Dowager's intervention, he would not have easily given up that idea."

Xue Daoming nodded and said: "I have also looked into this matter; the plot by Bohai State against Prince Yan was devised solely by Li Chen Zhou, although at that time he even intended to eliminate the Long Princess as well; I do not know why they suddenly joined forces."

Dong Bingtai said: "There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. Prince Yan Xue Shengjing, what makes you think he lacks his own calculations? The affair of the Treasure Pavilion is known throughout the realm; the late emperor was not unaware of his conduct, merely turning a blind eye, drawing funds from him whenever needed. Prince Yan's worldly frivolity, laughing through life, is merely a show for others; how could he lack ambition? He managed to escape from Cien Garden under everyone's eyes; even Li Chen Zhou did not anticipate he would have such a countermove; this alone suffices to prove his cunning. He travels the world under the banner of collecting rare treasures, establishing Treasure Pavilions everywhere; after the Bohai State incident, although he was forced to surrender the Treasure Pavilion to prove his innocence, I have heard that the Treasure Pavilion is merely a part of his vast enterprises, and he also possesses secret industries; throughout the late emperor's reign, he never ceased operating, and the late emperor remained constantly wary of him."

Xue Daoming said: "Since my father emperor had long seen through him, why did he still indulge him?"

Dong Bingtai sighed and said: "During the late emperor's reign, Prince Yan was always reverent and respectful; although he had private maneuvers, he never dared overstep the bounds; whenever Da Yong faced crisis and needed funds, he was invariably the first to step forward, for he understood the late emperor could give him everything, and also easily take it all away. Only the late emperor's passing was truly sudden, leaving no time to arrange his after-affairs." Dong Bingtai's implication is that if Xue Shengkang had not died suddenly, he would certainly have eliminated Prince Yan Xue Shengjing before his death, and could not have left such a major hidden danger for his children to deal with.

Xue Daoming pursed his lips and said: "My father emperor's death was truly too sudden; he had always been healthy, none of us anticipated it."

Dong Bingtai said: "Before the late emperor's passing, only the Long Princess was by his side, and his last edict was also handed to her."

Xue Daoming nodded and said: "They claimed that the previous edict was false; when my father emperor was on his deathbed, the Grand Empress Dowager was not by his side."

Dong Bingtai said: "There must be some mystery here; the Grand Empress Dowager has already passed away, so they naturally can say whatever they wish." He himself was present in Cien Garden at that time and personally witnessed that edict; he knows clearly whether it is genuine or false, and although several people present actually understood, none dared to openly reveal the truth.

Xue Daoming lowered his voice and said: "The edict in the Long Princess's hand is the false one!"

Dong Bingtai said: "Whether true or false is irrelevant to Your Majesty; what matters is that this affair brings Your Majesty no harm, and precisely because of their actions, Your Majesty's occupancy of this position becomes legitimate and proper."

Xue Daoming gave a cold snort and said: "They are not genuinely trying to help me ascend the throne; their true aim is to turn me into their puppet, to silence the world's gossip, and to conceal their fact of plotting to usurp the throne."

Dong Bingtai said: "In the face of the prevailing trend, one cannot resist head-on; one must go with the flow, seek opportunities, accumulate strength, wait for the moment to ripen, then strike decisively to settle the heavens and earth!"

Xue Daoming's eyes lit up at his words, but then immediately dimmed again; although Dong Bingtai's words are all reasonable, actually carrying them out is not that easy; Li Chen Zhou and Xue Lingjun have joined forces to firmly control the situation inside and outside the court; the late emperor, during his life, overly relied on Xue Lingjun, and she enjoys the deep trust of the Grand Empress Dowager, being thoroughly versed in palace affairs. Li Chen Zhou also holds the post of Da Yong Grand Commander, commanding the military forces around Yongdu and even the Da Yong navy. Originally, Weichi Chong, this Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces, possessed the capability to stand equal to Li Chen Zhou, but Weichi Chong's performance since his return has been truly disappointing; as a minister employed by the late emperor, at the critical moment of Da Yong's life and death he dared not uphold justice, nor stand on his side.

Xue Daoming said softly: "I fear that as time passes, their control over power will only grow greater."

Dong Bingtai shook his head and said: "I think not; although Weichi Chong refuses to stand on Your Majesty's side, he also would not choose Li Chen Zhou; he holds Bei Jiang, his position in Da Yong is irreplaceable, precisely because of this he dared to return to Yongdu; however, this man is not a Yongdu native, non-our kind must have divided loyalties; his petition to resign office before Your Majesty shows he does not necessarily tie his fate and life to Da Yong's destiny."

Xue Daoming said: "I truly dare not employ him at present."

Dong Bingtai said: "Your Majesty, have you heard that Weichi Chong encountered an assassination attempt on his way back?"

Xue Daoming, with a face full of rice, said: "He has never mentioned it in my presence."

Dong Bingtai said: "The fact that Weichi Chong could attain his current position is enough to prove he is no ordinary person; according to rumor, it was the Black Hu people who assassinated him en route."

Xue Daoming said: "He has guarded Bei Jiang for many years; the Black Hu people indeed regard him as a thorn in the eye and a splinter in the flesh, wishing to eliminate him swiftly."

Dong Bingtai said: "Weichi Chong's return is extremely secretive; his return route was meticulously calculated, deliberately concealing his movements; although he brought back over a hundred people this time, attempting to completely conceal the assassination attempt is utterly impossible; I have heard that among those who participated in the assassination attempt on him were also members of the Beggars' Sect." Dong Bingtai however obtained this news from his son; his three sons are all renowned generals of Da Yong, with many connections in the military; after Weichi Chong entered Yongdu alone, his subordinates who accompanied him naturally worried about his whereabouts; through various connections they inquired, and fortunately someone heard news from General Dong Tianjiang's place, so General Dong Tianjiang received much firsthand information.

Xue Daoming furrowed his brows and said: "Why would the Beggars' Sect be an enemy of my Da Yong?"

Dong Bingtai said: "The Northern Beggars' Sect split from the Beggars' Sect; the backer behind it is Li Chen Zhou!"

Xue Daoming angrily said: "Li Chen Zhou actually has the audacity to plot against a high-ranking court official!"

Dong Bingtai shook his head and said: "Although Li Chen Zhou is not lacking in courage, he has no reason to assassinate Weichi Chong. He once served under Weichi Chong's command, so they could be considered to have a teacher-student relationship. Li Chen Zhou is no fool; with the affairs of Huangcheng still unsettled, he would not destroy his own Great Wall, and moreover, Weichi Chong has never publicly denounced Li Chen Zhou, not even uttering a single ill word about him."

Dong Bingtai paused, then continued: "Although we cannot determine who wants to kill Weichi Chong, one thing is certain: if Weichi Chong dies, our Da Yong will inevitably fall into chaos again; the Bei Jiang defenses will be affected, and the troops stationed in Bei Jiang will believe the court killed him."

Xue Daoming sucked in a breath of cold air; if that were true, the situation would become very serious.

Dong Bingtai said: "Da Yong appears temporarily calm, but undercurrents are surging; Your Majesty, this is not the time to act hastily, but to discern who are your enemies and who are your friends, find our allies, and connect with every force we can; only when our strength grows can we make a move."

Xue Daoming sighed and said: "I can't tell who my true friends are."

Dong Bingtai said with deep meaning: "Their enemy is Your Majesty's friend, but that person is certainly not Prince Yan!" (To be continued~^~.)