Chapter 1900

Wen Chenghuan's smile faded, but he refused to yield easily, coldly saying, "What do you mean, Sir Zhou (official)? Are you trying to frame me for treason?"

Zhou Ruizhen said, "If we pin the charge of treason on you and make the truth public, it would actually earn you the reputation of a loyal minister. Do you think, after doing so many things that harm Dakang's interests, we would still grant you a loyalist's reputation?"

Wen Chenghuan finally understood why Zhou Ruizhen had just accused him of corruption and embezzlement— for Dakang, some charges are unwilling to be given, while others are forced upon him; the charges they refuse to give are solid proof, because they do not want to complete his reputation as a loyal minister of Da Yong. It appears the Dakang Court has fully uncovered his true identity; Wen Chenghuan's first thought was not himself but the Li family, wondering what impact this would have on his son.

If one carefully examines the matter, its unusual aspects become apparent; Zhou Ruizhen mentioned his correspondence with the former emperor— if such a letter existed, it should only be in the Da Yong imperial household, so how could they know? Wen Chenghuan felt a vague dread, not daring to think further, hoping the truth would not be as he imagined, which would be cruel; perhaps it was because he had overly protected Da Yong's interests, thus exposing himself.

Sir

Zhou Ruizhen said, "A single 《Bosaman》 alone cannot prove you are the biological son of Da Yong's Jingguo Gong Li Xuan'gan, but a well-wisher has sent a letter— this is precisely the handwritten note Li Mingzhao once wrote to the Da Yong Emperor Xue Shengkang." He paused, looking at Wen Chenghuan's face that had aged instantly, and said, "Actually, many things cannot be changed—for example, a person's handwriting; even if the font is altered, the inner character remains."

Princess - Her Royal Highness the Princess (though it does not appear; but we might still include it? Safer to include only if it appears. It does not appear alone. We'll omit.)

Zhou Ruizhen said, "Now you understand who wants to deal with you?"

Wen Chenghuan gave a bitter smile and said, "I, old man, understand nothing, but when the ruler orders a subject to die, the subject cannot refuse; what more is there to argue now?" Even now he has not admitted to being Li Mingzhao.

Zhou Ruizhen said, "When the ruler orders a subject to die, the subject cannot refuse; as the saying goes, 'when the birds are gone, the bow is stored; when the rabbit is dead, the hound is cooked.' In fact, you are far from having achieved success; the root cause of today's disaster is not you, but someone's ambition."

Wen Chenghuan understood that although Zhou Ruizhen spoke tactfully, he was actually referring to his precious son Li Chen Zhou; he had fully grasped the matter— it was precisely because Li Chen Zhou sought to seize the Da Yong throne that he had provoked the Da Yong imperial family's retaliation; exposing his own identity was merely the first step, the true intent being to take revenge on his son Li Chen Zhou. His heart filled with sorrow; he had always opposed his son's actions, and though the Li clan had been loyal and heroic, it had produced a traitor who disrupted the court. If his father had a spirit in heaven, he would likely be so angry as to leap from his coffin. Defying heaven surely invites retribution, yet the father‑son bond runs deep— no matter what Li Chen Zhou chooses, Wen Chenghuan does not wish him harm; he would rather die for his son, bearing all the sins his son has committed, but the current situation no longer allows him to do so.

Wen Chenghuan nodded and said, "Indeed, I am Li Mingzhao, the second son of Da Yong's Jingguo Gong; my purpose in coming to Dakang was to overthrow Dakang's state."

Zhou Ruizhen smiled faintly and said, "Who cares? Who would believe it? Even if they did, the court would not publicize this; you have lurked in Dakang for over thirty years, yet the court noticed nothing— does that not say the court is incompetent? To punish you with such a charge would only enhance your reputation in Da Yong; Minister Wen's deep affection for his offspring makes him want to bear all the blame himself, but it's probably too late now."

Wen Chenghuan's expression darkened; he realized Xue Daoming was already sharpening his swords, ready to strike at Li Chen Zhou. No matter how worried he might be, he could not break out of this cage— how could someone who cannot even control his own fate help his son? Wen Chenghuan nodded to Zhou Ruizhen and said, "You really go to extremes."

Zhou Ruizhen said, "What does this have to do with us? Minister Wen is a perceptive man; how did this come about? If the Da Yong side had not voluntarily provided information, no one would have imagined Minister Wen's background was so complex."

Wen Chenghuan said, "Sir Zhou (official), we have served together in the hall for many years; if I die, could you bury my remains on Phoenix Singing Mountain?"

Zhou Ruizhen gazed silently at Wen Chenghuan, then after a moment shook his head and said, "No, I can only guarantee to leave you a complete corpse; Minister Wen's mind is deep and scheming, and I find it hard to tell whether you are using me."

Xue Shengkang

Li Chen Zhou had come to the Grand Princess's residence for the second time, yet was still turned away at the gate; the autumn rain fell continuously, and the sudden chill in Yongdu prompted everyone to don bulky winter clothes, fitting the saying 'one autumn rain brings a chill.' Colder than this autumn rain was Li Chen Zhou's inner heart; the Grand Princess Xue Lingjun was his first woman, and also the first to truly enter his heart; he had poured too much love into her, and he likewise understood that Xue Lingjun had likewise shaped him— without her, he could not have become a man again, regained his masculine confidence, or eased his inner wounds and pain.

But everything was suddenly lost; he lost his reason at the Mianyang Water Stronghold and nearly killed Xue Lingjun by mistake— love turned to hatred. Had he not heard the news that Xue Lingjun had rekindled her old romance with Hu Xiaotian in Kangdu and spent a wonderful night together, Li Chen Zhou would not have acted this way; only afterward did he calm down, realizing this was very likely a false rumor deliberately spread by Hu Xiaotian to provoke him, aiming to make him lose his reason and thus drive a wedge between him and Xue Lingjun, destroying their relationship.

Given Li Chen Zhou's proud nature, the fact that he voluntarily came to her door twice already shows his sincerity; yet Xue Lingjun seems to have given up on him, firmly refusing to meet.

Upon hearing that Xue Lingjun still refused to see him, Li Chen Zhou felt inevitable disappointment, contemplating whether to sneak over the wall and confront her in person to ask for forgiveness, when his deputy commander came galloping from afar, out of breath, clearly bearing urgent news to report.

Li Chen Zhou stepped aside, and his deputy commander whispered, "Commander, we have just received news from within Dakang that Dakang's Minister Wen Chenghuan has been imprisoned for corruption and embezzlement, having drained the national treasury—a matter of considerable implication."

Upon hearing this, Li Chen Zhou's heart sank; Wen Chenghuan was his birth father, and he had always believed his father held a secure position in Dakang, never expecting him to suddenly run into trouble; his worry was beyond words, he lifted his head to glance toward the Grand Princess's residence, then resolutely turned back to the manor— no matter how important Xue Lingjun's affair might be, it could not compare to his father's life or death.

In fact, while Li Chen Zhou paced outside the manor, Xue Lingjun had all along been watching him from the small pavilion above, seeing his silhouette disappear into the autumn rain; she couldn't help but sigh, when a deep voice from behind asked, "Grand Princess, why won't you see the Grand Commander?"

Deputy General

Even Xue Lingjun herself had not expected Xiang Liren to come calling at this moment; Xiang Liren has always been a neutral figure, wise in self‑preservation, offending neither side, well‑versed in the art of officialdom. His visit today was rather sudden, under the pretense of asking her to act as matchmaker for his daughter Xiang Mo'er.

When Li Chen Zhou arrived, Xiang Liren was present and had no intention of withdrawing; given his conduct as an official, he naturally knew when to avoid a situation, so his decision to stay on was clearly deliberate.

Xue Lingjun's face showed displeasure: "This is my affair; Minister Xiang, you need not concern yourself."

Xiang Liren gave a slight smile and said, "It was my presumption; I should take my leave."

Elder Princess

Xiang Liren said he was leaving, yet his feet showed no sign of moving, as if he had just recalled something: "By the way, Grand Princess, have you heard the news that Dakang's Minister Wen Chenghuan has been imprisoned?"

Xue Lingjun's heart skipped a beat; she had not yet heard of this, she had met Wen Chenghuan a few times and her impression of him was not bad. She then asked, "What crime did he commit?"

Xiang Liren deliberately said, "I've heard it's corruption and embezzlement; the details are unclear, but now rumors are spreading everywhere that Wen Chenghuan might be the second son of Jingguo Gong Li Xuan'gan, who, after committing a crime years ago, fled to avoid punishment, escaped to Dakang, betrayed his homeland, and became a Dakang official."

Da Yong Emperor (already have) maybe duplicate; we have Da Yong Emperor as #19.

Xiang Liren said: "I heard that when the Princess went to Dakang, she also gave him a handwritten copy of the 《Bosaman》 by the late Duke Jingguo; I don't know if this is true."

Xue Lingjun, acting on instinct, shook her head vigorously and said, "Who's spreading nonsense? There's absolutely no such thing."

Xiang Liren smiled and said, "It's best if there isn't such a thing. Now even the Emperor is paying attention to this matter. The Princess has always been able to distinguish right from wrong, so it's naturally best to keep clear of such things and such people."

Xue Lingjun said coldly, "Are you threatening me, Grand Tutor Xiang?"

Don't dare, don't dare, I'm just offering sincere advice. After all, many mouths can melt gold, accumulated slander can destroy bones. The Princess should also know that the Emperor places great importance on the imperial family's reputation.

Xue Lingjun naturally understood what he was alluding to; her eyes turned cold, she initially wanted to flare up, but the words reached her lips and she changed her mind. She suppressed her anger and said, "According to the Grand Tutor's opinion, how should this matter be handled?"

Xiang Liren said, "How could my humble opinion possibly catch the Princess's eye? In fact, rumors stop at the wise; why bother paying attention to matters that originally had nothing to do with us, don't you agree?"

Xue Lingjun said disdainfully, "As fellow Grand Tutors, if Wen Chenghuan had even half your understanding of how to be an official, he wouldn't have ended up in this situation."

Xiang Liren chuckled and said, "The Princess is overpraising me; I feel ashamed."

Xue Lingjun said, "Grand Tutor Xiang, why be so modest?" (To be continued... ^~^)