Chapter 1736

Qiqi finished reading the state letter delivered by Da Yong Minister of Rites Sun Weiyuan, smiled and nodded, saying: "Thank you for your greetings, Your Highness. Dakang and Da Yong are neighboring states separated only by a strip of water; we have always been on good terms, exchanges have been frequent in recent years, mutually beneficial, and I also hope the peace between our two countries can be maintained long."

Sun Weiyuan smiled and said: "Princess, this envoy comes under the emperor's order; one purpose is to deepen the friendship between our two countries, and there is another matter that needs to be discussed face‑to‑face with Your Highness."

Qiqi said: "Envoy, please speak frankly."

Five years ago, the Dakang Princess Anping was married to our seventh prince; it should have been a great joy celebrated throughout the realm, but unfortunately she was assassinated in Yongdu, the Princess passed away, the emperor felt remorse and therefore ceded Dongliang Jun to your state as an apology.

Qiqi nodded and said: "Indeed, that is true."

Sun Weiyuan again said: "However, at the time of the King of Zhenhai's wedding, the Queen of Zhenhai not only shared the same maiden name but also looked exactly like Princess Anping; this has left all of Da Yong bewildered. Back then, Hu Xiaotian was Dakang's marriage envoy; what exactly happened then, what hidden scheme was involved, I hope your state can give us a clear explanation." In fact, Hu Xiaotian's marriage to Long Xi Yue is now known throughout the world; everyone understands clearly. Since Princess Anping did not die, it proves that back then Hu Xiaotian tampered, secretly rescuing Princess Anping, causing Da Yong to suffer a great loss—not only failing to obtain Princess Anping, but also losing a city as a result.

Qiqi certainly knew the truth, but on the surface she still had to uphold it, after all Hu Xiaotian is now Dakang's King of Zhenhai; if past events were overturned, not only would Hu Xiaotian be unable to justify himself, but the whole Dakang would be in the wrong. Qiqi said: "Those baseless rumors circulating outside are best not believed; Princess Anping was killed in Yongdu, her remains returned to her hometown, and we specially asked several experts to verify, which can clearly confirm that the deceased was indeed Princess Anping. In this world there are not a few people who look exactly alike, and those sharing the same name and surname are countless—why bother yourself needlessly, Envoy Sir?"

This statement is equivalent to saying that Sun Weiyuan is needlessly worrying himself.

Sun Weiyuan smiled and said: "I, the envoy, also think it impossible, but His Majesty firmly believes it; some misunderstandings should be cleared up as soon as possible. Verifying a person's identity is not difficult—may Your Highness order the Queen of Zhenhai to cooperate?"

"Cooperate in what?"

Sun Weiyuan said: "We happen to have found the palace maids and eunuchs who once served Princess Anping in Zilan Palace; if they meet the Queen of Zhenhai, this mystery will naturally be solved."

Qiqi stared coldly at Sun Weiyuan; it seems they came prepared, but having said that, back then Hu Xiaotian not only abducted Long Xi Yue but also caused Da Yong to lose a city as a side effect; now that the truth is out, no one will easily swallow this grievance. Sun Weiyuan's demand may seem rude, but it is actually not excessive.

Qiqi had wanted to refuse, but then thought it didn't concern her personally, so she might as well do a favor; she softly sighed and said: "Since your state harbors doubts, clearing things up would not be a bad thing."

Sun Weiyuan knew she had agreed, bowed and said: "Thank you, Princess, for your understanding of the greater good."

Qiqi secretly amused herself, thinking: "If I agree, am I being reasonable; if I refuse, am I being unreasonable? Actually agreeing is a favor, refusing is duty; in truth whether I agree or not has no bearing on the bigger picture—when it comes to Hu Xiaotian, he may not comply. But his non‑compliance would be defying the edict, which conveniently gives me a handle."

Sun Weiyuan's request was not limited to this; he added: "Princess, there is another matter: five years ago your state borrowed the East Luo Granary; calculating, the return deadline has passed half a year ago, yet your state shows no sign of returning it voluntarily—it seems you have forgotten this."

Qiqi frowned slightly; this Da Yong envoy really is pushing his luck. She of course knew about the East Luo Granary matter: back then Hu Xiaotian sneakily attacked and seized it; after Da Yong saw the fait accompli, they sent Princess Xue Lingjun to negotiate, eventually agreeing to lend it to Hu Xiaotian for five years—a period that has long since expired. She showed displeasure: "You seem to have come to the wrong place."

Sun Weiyuan said: "The contract bears Dakang's imperial seal, and the loan document from that year was also signed by Dakang's Grand Secretary Wen." Hu Xiaotian back then was merely the leader of Dongliang Jun, so he lacked the authority to sign such a document; although East Luo Granary was taken by him personally, and he and Xue Lingjun orally agreed on the five‑year term, the final signing of the contract was done by the Dakang court, so Sun Weiyuan did not come to the wrong place.

Sun Weiyuan loudly said: "I have brought the contract signed back then; Princess, please have a look."

Qiqi coldly replied: "No need, Grand Secretary Wen!"

"Here I am!" Wen Chenghuan trembled as he stepped out from the ranks of civil officials; he had recently been claiming illness and staying home, and would not have come court if Qiqi had not specially summoned him.

Qiqi asked: "Do you remember the East Luo Granary matter?"

Wen Chenghuan coughed, bowed and said: "Your Highness, it is indeed so; the contract was signed in early March, and now it is late July."

Qiqi said: "I had overlooked this matter." She smiled at Sun Weiyuan and said: "In relations between states, good faith is paramount; since the contract says so, we must naturally honor it. Envoy, do not worry—I will immediately issue an order for the King of Zhenhai to return your East Luo Granary."

"Thank you, Princess!" Sun Weiyuan was overjoyed, never expecting this trip to go so smoothly.

However, the court officials were not optimistic about this; although the contract was originally signed by the Dakang court, actual control of the East Luo Granary still lay in Hu Xiaotian's hands—it sits at the northernmost edge of his territory, of great strategic importance, and Hu Xiaotian will not easily relinquish it; even if Qiqi issues an order, he may not agree to return the granary to Da Yong. Qiqi's purpose in issuing the order is merely to cause Hu Xiaotian some trouble, so that everyone knows this man is faithless and treacherous.

At this moment Hong Beimo hurried into the court hall; his appearance aroused some curiosity among the officials, since he rarely attends court, and they wondered what important matter he had to report.

Hong Beimo indeed had an important matter to report.

As the Da Yong Minister of Rites, Sun Weiyuan was naturally perceptive; having achieved his goals for this visit, he took his leave at an appropriate moment.

After Hong Beimo saw Sun Weiyuan depart, he then stepped forward and said: "Princess, we have just received news from Xichuan that Li Tianheng has been assassinated!"

Upon hearing this, the whole court was startled; for Dakang this was considered a piece of good news.

After hearing the news, Qiqi fell silent, her first thought being: who killed Li Tianheng?

Hong Beimo said: "According to the information we have received, they are pointing the finger at our court, claiming that Dakang sent assassins to kill Li Tianheng."

In fact, most civil and military officials think this could have been Dakang's doing, since Dakang is currently massing troops in the southwest and naturally would prefer Xichuan to be in chaos; now that Li Tianheng is dead, leaving the faction leaderless, Xichuan's internal situation will inevitably fall into disorder—exactly the ideal opportunity for Dakang to employ its forces.

Qiqi angrily retorted: "That's sheer nonsense!" She denied this suspicion before the assembled civil and military officials.

Hong Beimo said: "For now, Li Tianheng's son Li Honghan has inherited his authority, and there is no movement within Xichuan."

Qiqi waved her hand, signaling everyone to withdraw from court, leaving only Hong Beimo, Zhou Ruizhen, and Wen Chenghuan. She spoke softly: "This is suspicious; Li Tianheng was killed at this time—who stands to gain?"

Zhou Ruizhen said: "To outsiders it is naturally Dakang that benefits, since our troops are stationed in the southwest and everyone believes we intend to attack Xichuan."

Grand Secretary Wen Chenghuan said: "Sir Zhou, your statement is mistaken; the one who benefits from Li Tianheng's assassination is not necessarily our Dakang side—Hu Xiaotian, taking advantage of the earthquake in Xichuan, has launched attacks and seized territory, not only capturing Yunyang but also gaining a large tract of land in northeastern Xichuan, and even Xichuan's neighboring states could profit from this."

Qiqi rose and paced a few steps, saying: "The one who stands to gain the most from this is actually Li Honghan."

Everyone was slightly taken aback; the Yongyang Princess's idea indeed differed from others, yet no one could deny that she made sense. After Li Tianheng's death, his sole heir Li Honghan naturally became the leader of Xichuan; although patricide for power is heavenly unacceptable, such occurrences within the imperial family are not unheard of—at least the Dakang imperial succession has seen fathers killing sons, sons killing fathers, brothers killing brothers, brothers maiming brothers. Though the Yongyang Princess is young, she has personally witnessed countless intrigues and mutual slaughter in the palace, so it is only natural that she first suspected Li Honghan of plotting Li Tianheng's murder.

Wen Chenghuan said: "Your Highness, that is also possible."

Zhou Ruizhen, however, shook his head and said: "Li Honghan may have a reputation abroad, but from my modest understanding of him, he lacks significant ability; seizing power through patricide is probably beyond his resolve."

Wen Chenghuan scoffed: "Sir Zhou, have you forgotten that people can change?"

Hong Beimo said: "Li Tianheng was indecisive in his actions, while his son Li Honghan is rash and impulsive; it is not impossible that father and son could come into conflict, and I, in my humble opinion, actually worry for the safety of the Prince of Zhou."

In fact, all of them were thinking about the Prince of Zhou, but aside from Hong Beimo no one dared to bring it up, since everyone could see that Qiqi's ambition for power was extreme; even if the Prince of Zhou were to return alive, she would never relinquish her authority.

Qiqi pondered, then said: "This matter must be investigated promptly." She glanced at the three faces and spoke softly: "In your opinion, who would be most suitable to send?"

The three fell silent together; after a while, Wen Chenghuan said: "In my view, it would be best to let Hu Xiaotian handle this."

The timeline of this chapter is intentionally written this way for clarification; I continue working despite illness, and the excitement will keep coming. (To be continued~^~)