Chapter 1625: [Stating One's Position] (Part 2)

Li Chen Zhou showed no hesitation, readily nodding and saying, "I agree to this matter, but I also want the Grand Marshal to agree to one thing for me: after I help rescue Liu Yucheng, the Grand Marshal must guarantee he leaves Da Yong and never sets foot in Da Yong's territory in this life or the next." He spoke these words with absolute certainty, leaving no room for maneuver.

Weichi Chong secretly delighted; as long as Li Chen Zhou can release Liu Yucheng, this is hardly a harsh condition. He lowered his voice to state his position: "After I settle this matter, I will immediately return to Bei Jiang; as for Liu Yucheng, I will send someone to escort him out of Da Yong, and if he ever appears again in Da Yong's territory, whether he lives or dies, I will not inquire."

Li Chen Zhou smiled faintly; the two had essentially reached an agreement. Actually, stabilizing Weichi Chong was merely a temporary measure; both Da Yong and he himself must rely on Weichi Chong to block the black barbarians' invasion. Once he stabilizes the situation within Da Yong, he will immediately move to strip Weichi Chong of his military power, using his own confidants to replace Weichi Chong's position, at which point Weichi Chong will be utterly worthless.

Weichi Chong also asked: "Why does Prince Yan want to harm me?"

Li Chen Zhou said: "He is very likely colluding with the black barbarians!"

Zong Tang led Hu Xiaotian and Weichi Qieting along the small path to the imperial forest; from the hillside they overlooked the workshop's location, but Li Chen Zhou and Weichi Chong talked for a long time without emerging. Weichi Qieting couldn't help but feel worried, saying: "I don't know what they are discussing; will Li Chen Zhou be unfavorable to my father?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said: "How could that be? Li Chen Zhou is so shrewd; his visit to the Grand Marshal is almost certainly to persuade the Grand Marshal to return to Bei Jiang and resist the black barbarians."

Weichi Qieting sized up Hu Xiaotian; she had never seen Hu Xiaotian's original appearance. Now Hu Xiaotian, in his disguised form, appeared before her. Although he was tall and sturdy, and could be considered thick-browed and large-eyed, his skin was dark, giving him an earthy aura. Weichi Qieting secretly wondered why her sister Shengnan would take a liking to him; he seemed unremarkable. Unconsciously she thought of Liu Yucheng; compared to Liu Yucheng's graceful bearing, Hu Xiaotian paled in comparison.

Hu Xiaotian felt somewhat uncomfortable under Weichi Qieting's blatant scrutiny, and he coughed dryly, saying: "Miss Weichi, why do you keep staring at me?"

Weichi Qieting said: "I just want to see why my sister is so infatuated with you." After a pause she added: "Frankly, you don't seem to have any outstanding qualities!"

This girl is truly frank and outspoken; Zong Tang beside her couldn't help but laugh.

Hu Xiaotian also couldn't help but smile, he looked up at this imperial mausoleum and softly said: "This tomb should be the largest one, right?"

Zong Tang nodded and said: "Not bad."

Hu Xiaotian said: "It seems like a mountain, huh?"

Zong Tang said: "This place used to be called Niu Tou Mountain; after Emperor Jingde took a liking to it, he hollowed out the mountain to build the imperial mausoleum."

Weichi Qieting suddenly interrupted them, saying: "He's gone, he's gone!"

Hu Xiaotian and Zong Tang followed the direction she pointed, only to see Li Chen Zhou leading his retinue out of the workshop; only after those figures had completely vanished into the dusk did they return to the workshop, seeing Weichi Chong already packing up. Weichi Qieting exclaimed delightedly: "Father, are you planning to leave?"

Weichi Chong nodded and said: "The situation in Bei Jiang is grim; the Grand Commander has ordered me to prepare quickly, and I will soon receive the imperial edict." Weichi Chong clearly understood that Li Chen Zhou's stance represented the court's position; regardless of whether Xue Daoming was willing, his return to Bei Jiang had become a settled matter. Weichi Chong's return to Yongdu was not merely to state his position, but also to personally observe Da Yong's current political situation; only by seeing it firsthand could he make a correct judgment. He turned to Zong Tang and said: "Li Chen Zhou has already agreed to my request and will spare Liu Yucheng."

"Really?" Weichi Qieting's delight grew even greater; now everyone could see that her feelings for Liu Yucheng were anything but ordinary.

Weichi Chong nodded and said to Hu Xiaotian: "I have a few words I'd like to say to you alone."

Zong Tang and Weichi Qieting tactfully withdrew, leaving only Hu Xiaotian and Weichi Chong in the workshop; Hu Xiaotian respectfully said: "Father-in-law, please speak."

Weichi Chong sighed and said: "I understand your thoughts, but do you understand mine?"

"Junior, I'm all ears!"

Weichi Chong said: "All my life I have acted only to be guiltless before my conscience, yet having lived more than half my life, I have only now realized that I have accomplished nothing; in Dakang's eyes I have been branded a traitor-general, and in Da Yong I am no loyal minister either. This time I came to Yongdu to meet the Emperor, who placed great hopes in me, wishing me to guard the imperial carriage, eradicate treacherous officials, and revive Da Yong, but I dare not accept."

Hu Xiaotian nodded; Weichi Chong's refusal to accede to Xue Daoming's demand was a wise move, for if he agreed to stand on Xue Daoming's side, he would inevitably become an enemy of Li Chen Zhou, who would never tolerate such a formidable adversary living in the world.

Weichi Chong said: "Just now Li Chen Zhou came to see me, intending to probe my position; you should be able to guess what I would say."

Hu Xiaotian said: "He who knows the times is a true hero; Father-in-law, you are a person who looks after the greater picture; whatever decision you make, I, as your son-in-law, will support you."

Weichi Chong gave a wry smile and said: "I am no hero, nor am I a person who looks after the greater picture; all I think about is protecting myself, my kin, and my friends. Morally I ought to oppose him, but if I made that choice, I fear I would never have a chance to return to Bei Jiang; if I did not return to Bei Jiang, its troops would surely lose morale, and even if we could withstand the black barbarians' assault, our soldiers would suffer heavy losses."

Hu Xiaotian said: "The court's struggles are mere trifles; it doesn't matter who becomes emperor. Da Yong does not belong to the Xue family, Dakang does not belong to the Long family, the Central Plains' land belongs to none of them; the true masters are the countless commoners who live and multiply on this land. Father-in-law, making such a choice is a decision for the greater good; without you leading the army to block the black barbarians' cavalry, not only Da Yong but even the entirety of the Central Plains' populace would suffer the ravages of war."

Weichi Chong smiled faintly and said: "Hearing you say that, my heart feels a little easier. Li Chen Zhou's courteous treatment of me is merely a stopgap; his true intention is to stabilize the Bei Jiang frontier, and only then can he free his hands to consolidate power within Da Yong. From this perspective, am I not becoming his accomplice? After a hundred years, what face would I have to meet my adoptive mother and the former emperor?" Although he had made up his mind, Weichi Chong's heart remained tormented.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Grand Marshal, there's no need to overthink; just attend to the present matters and fulfill your duties."

Weichi Chong nodded and said: "I am already nearing sixty, and my time is not far off; whether loyal or treacherous, after death I leave judgment to others. Xiao Tian, since you address me as father-in-law, I acknowledge you as my son-in-law. The most precious thing in my life has always been my two daughters; Shengnan has already escaped danger, she conducts herself with propriety and knows when to advance or retreat, and now with you by her side I have nothing left to worry about. As for Qieting..." Weichi Chong trailed off.

"Qieting is frank and simple, having grown up under my protection; she knows nothing of the world's hardships. My going to Bei Jiang makes it inconvenient to bring her along, and I cannot leave her in Yongdu either, for everyone knows she is my weak point; if anyone wishes to harm me, they will surely target her first." Weichi Chong's deep eyes were shrouded in a deep sorrow.

Hu Xiaotian already understood that Weichi Chong was evidently intending to entrust Qieting to him.

Weichi Chong said: "She and Liu Yucheng also have mutual affection; Mr. Liu, during his life, had on several occasions indicated a desire to become allied by marriage with me, but I could never bear to part with this daughter, so I never agreed. Now that Mr. Liu has passed away, I intend to fulfill his wish. Li Chen Zhou promised to release Liu Yucheng; I will arrange for troops to escort him to Dongliang Jun, and as for Qieting, I would like you to bring her to Shengnan's side so that she may reunite with Liu Yucheng."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "I will take care of this matter properly, though Qieting may not necessarily obey my arrangements."

Weichi Chong said: "I will explain the pros and cons to her, but the journey to Dongliang Jun involves high mountains and long rivers, so there may well be trouble along the way."

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said: "Father-in-law, there's no need to worry; I have my own way to get them out safely." Possessing a Snow Eagle and a falcon, he thought it would still be difficult to smuggle two people out without anyone noticing.

Hu Xiaotian and Weichi Chong talked until the dusk grew deep before concluding; he had not suggested letting Weichi Chong defect. From Weichi Chong's arrangements it is clear that he had already planned everything meticulously; his reluctance to involve himself in Da Yong's court struggles does not mean he is willing to betray Da Yong and rely on himself; returning to Bei Jiang is Weichi Chong's best option.

Zong Tang had been waiting outside for Hu Xiaotian all along; when Hu Xiaotian emerged, they together bade farewell to Weichi Chong, and after leaving the workshop, Zong Tang whispered: "Let me show you something."

Hu Xiaotian looked at Zong Tang with some surprise; he had thought they were about to leave the imperial mausoleum, but today Zong Tang's behavior seemed odd, as if coming to the imperial mausoleum were not merely to bring him to see Weichi Chong.

Zong Tang said: "Do you still remember when the wing-armored warriors assaulted the blacksmith's shop?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded; he certainly remembered. Had it not been for his intervention that time, the artisans under Zong Tang's command would surely have suffered heavy casualties; after repelling the wing-armored warriors, he also joined forces with Liu Yucheng to treat many of the wounded.

Zong Tang said: "Come with me!"

Hu Xiaotian followed Zong Tang as they left the imperial mausoleum worksite, took their horses, and headed westward.

Hu Xiaotian also didn't know where Zong Tang was headed, but he trusted Zong Tang completely, knowing Zong Tang could never harm him. The two raced along, arriving at a spot about ten li northwest of the imperial mausoleum, where they had left the mausoleum guards' patrol zone; night had fully fallen, and Zong Tang pointed ahead to the mountain and said: "This is Black Camel Mountain!" (To be continued~^~.)