Chapter 1918

Weichi Chong's forehead broke out in cold sweat, and he secretly felt strange. Although Xue Daoming harbored dissatisfaction toward him in his heart, because he held military power, Xue Daoming had always been wary of him, and in several meetings he had shown considerable respect, never before speaking so harshly and making things difficult everywhere. Could it be that the purpose of his trip is not merely **** that simple? Does he intend to take advantage of the winter truce to strike at him, accomplish a change of leadership in Bei Jiang, and firmly seize Bei Jiang's military power in his own hands?

Beside him, General Dong Tian said: 'Your Majesty, the Grand Marshal has always been loyal and devoted, serving the country wholeheartedly; how could he have such a thought?'

Xue Daoming said: 'He certainly wouldn't dare, old beloved minister, please rise; the weather is freezing, your old bones cannot withstand such torment.'

Weichi Chong slowly rose to his feet, turned his gaze toward General Dong Tian, expressing his gratitude; General Dong Tian had once served under him, so in that regard he could be considered his mentor.

Xue Daoming said: 'I have come this time **** out of concern for your hardships in the Bei Jiang campaigns, I have specially allocated grain and supplies, prioritizing the Bei Jiang troops.'

Weichi Chong respectfully said: 'Thank you, Your Majesty's grace!' He hesitated a moment and then said: 'Your Majesty, this old subject dares to say one thing: the grain and supplies dispatched this time do not match what Your Majesty previously approved; they amount to less than half of the military's needs, I fear…'

Xue Daoming sighed and said: 'How could I not know? Yet the court also has its difficulties; even these provisions have already been given priority to you, old beloved minister, please show more understanding for the court's difficulties.'

Weichi Chong felt gloomy in his heart; this time the Emperor's personal presence **** has no practical use in resolving the army's difficulties.

Xue Daoming then inquired about the army's situation, which were all irrelevant trivialities; Weichi Chong answered patiently one by one. Only before departing did Xue Daoming mention the important point, revealing another purpose of this trip: to arrange for General Dong Tian to serve as Weichi Chong's deputy, assuming the post of deputy commander-in-chief of the army—its intention goes without saying.

Although Weichi Chong was dissatisfied with this decision, he had no choice. In fact, since Xue Shengkang's death, Xue Daoming and Li Shen Zhou have never abandoned their ambition to control the Bei Jiang army; you take turns singing while I take the stage—Weichi Chong had previously thwarted their repeated schemes, but faced with the Emperor's personal appointment, he could not refuse outright and could only tentatively agree, planning later to sideline General Dong Tian, find an excuse to dismiss him.

After Xue Daoming departed, General Dong Tian did not immediately follow but stayed to say to Weichi Chong: 'Grand Marshal, you are my mentor; this appointment is entirely the Emperor's decision, and I, as a subordinate, harbor no ambition to contend for power with you.'

Weichi Chong naturally would not believe his words, smiling blandly: 'The Yangtze's rear waves push forward the front ones; a new generation replaces the old. I am approaching sixty, years of campaigning have already exhausted my energy; your coming is certainly welcome, and if Your Majesty wishes, should I be able to lay down this burden, I would be grateful beyond measure.'

General Dong Tian courteously replied: 'Grand Marshal, how could Bei Jiang do without you, or Da Yong do without you!'

'Your Majesty has already arrived at Bei Jiang's Ju Xue City!' the black-clad person knelt before Li Shen Zhou and reported in a low voice.

Li Shen Zhou nodded, a flicker of cold killing intent flashing in his eyes. He waved his hand, and the black-clad person withdrew silently.

From behind the screen slowly emerged a person—none other than the former chief of the Beggars' Gang, Shangguan Yun Chong. He smiled at Li Shen Zhou and said: 'Is it time?'

Li Shen Zhou said: 'It is time.'

Shangguan Yun Chong said: 'I simply don't understand why you don't just kill Xue Daoming outright.'

Li Shen Zhou said: 'Xue Daoming is not frightening; without those behind him, he is utterly useless. To completely topple a person, one must first break his spine.'

Shangguan Yun Chong said: 'Grand Commander, you are indeed decisive in your actions!'

Li Shen Zhou's gloomy gaze fixed on Shangguan Yun Chong as he said: 'Remember, this time there must be no slip-up at all.'

Shangguan Yun Chong sighed: 'Grand Commander, you forget that we are in a cooperative relationship; you had best treat me with a little courtesy.'

Li Shen Zhou said: 'If you were not at your wit's end, how could you have fled from Hei Hu and returned to Da Yong? Tang Jiu Cheng and his son, as well as Jian Gong Qiu Xian Guang, all wish to kill you swiftly; the Beggars' Gang even wants to exterminate you completely. Under heaven, besides me, who would be willing to take you in?'

Shangguan Yun Chong's handsome face twitched involuntarily; Li Shen Zhou's words struck his soft spot. Initially he had used Li Shen Zhou to draw the Beggars' Gang's attention, causing the northern Beggars' Gang to gain then lose, forcing him and his father to flee to Hei Hu, where they had hoped to find refuge, but they never imagined they would end up with the fate of 'the birds gone, the bows stored away.' Jian Gong Qiu Xian Guang regarded them as enemies who killed his son, mobilizing the Jian Gong's forces to pursue them to Hei Hu; Luoying Palace's Tang Jiu Cheng and his son also fell into traps; the Beggars' Gang further laid a heavenly net to encircle and exterminate them, the three of them wandering east and west in hiding, now they have no choice but to sneak back to Da Yong, seek out Li Shen Zhou for his protection.

Shangguan Yun Chong is also extremely clever, understanding that the more dangerous a place, the safer it is; he believed most people would not expect him to dare return to Da Yong.

But Li Shen Zhou is no pushover; he would not freely offer protection—useful if compatible, discarded if not. Shangguan Yun Chong, who had once betrayed him, could well do so again. His decision to cooperate with Shangguan Yun Chong now is a reluctant one; his situation is dire. On the court's side, Xue Daoming, after the plague incident, has won over a large group of old officials' support, and more troublingly, he has gained considerable popular sentiment in Yongdu. Those officials who once wavered in court, shifting with the wind, have also noticed Xue Daoming's growing influence and quietly leaned toward him. Although Prince Yan Xue Shengjing fled unknown whereabouts, the latent forces he left in Da Yong remain vast; since Li Shen Zhou took power, he has never ceased sowing chaos. Moreover, Da Yong seems cursed, suffering constant natural disasters. These are not yet Li Shen Zhou's greatest worries; what truly troubles him is Xue Lingjun.

Since Xue Lingjun returned from his mission to Dakang, a rift irreparable has appeared between them; Li Shen Zhou has visited repeatedly, yet never gained an audience with Xue Lingjun, who clearly intends to sever all ties with him.

From the recent information he has learned, the relationship between Xue Lingjun and Xue Daoming shows signs of thawing, which makes him apprehensive; if uncle and niece resolve their differences and join forces against him, his situation will only worsen.

Xue Daoming's decision to go to Bei Jiang **** at this time delighted Li Shen Zhou immensely; he intends to seize this opportunity to bring the political situation, on the verge of losing control, back under his own command.

Although Shangguan Yun Chong is exceptionally wise, politically he is far less mature than Li Shen Zhou; in his view, the simplest way for Li Shen Zhou to resolve the current predicament is to eliminate Xue Daoming, but Li Shen Zhou sees that removing Xue Daoming would be like drawing fire upon himself; the true targets should be Xue Daoming's backers—Dong Bingtai, Xiang Linren, and the like—only by eliminating Xue Daoming's supporters can one fundamentally overturn the chaos and restore authority.

While Li Shen Zhou was tense, arranging countermeasures against these veteran officials, inside the Da Yong Ministry of Personnel's residence, Minister of Rites Dong Bingtai was leisurely playing chess with Xiang Linren; Xiang Linren was visibly uneasy, he placed a black stone, then sighed, his gaze turning to the overcast sky.

Dong Bingtai couldn't help but laugh: 'Brother Xiang, why are you sighing?'

Xiang Linren said: 'Why does the Emperor insist on going his own way? At such a time, how could he leave Kangdu?'

Dong Bingtai knew he was referring to this matter, and smiled without speaking.

Xiang Linren couldn't help but complain: 'You are the Emperor's maternal uncle; why don't you advise him to stay? This journey to Bei Jiang **** is thousands of miles long, not to mention the hardships along the way; moreover, Weichi Chong's obedience to the court's orders is merely superficial, and this **** may yet bring unknown mishaps.'

Dong Bingtai lifted the Chazan on the table, took a light sip, and said: 'Surely there will be more misfortune than fortune!'

Upon hearing this, Xiang Linren stared dumbfounded, stunned for a while before stammering: 'You… you clearly know that misfortune outweighs fortune, yet you still let the Emperor go?'

Dong Bingtai laughed: 'Actually, the ones who ought to worry are us; given Li Shen Zhou's wisdom, how could he be foolish enough to assassinate the Emperor? If the Emperor meets some mishap in Bei Jiang, everyone will first suspect him.'

Xiang Linren nodded; his words were not wrong, yet Weichi Chong is no easy opponent, and one cannot rule out the possibility that he might act against the Emperor.

Before he could raise the question, Dong Bingtai had already anticipated this; he said softly: 'Weichi Chong naturally has his own calculations; holding Bei Jiang's military power, he will not allow either the court or Li Shen Zhou's faction to interfere, and he certainly has his own schemes. Although he has merit for garrisoning Bei Jiang and resisting Hei Hu, we cannot indulge him, for indulgence will inevitably lead to the Bei Jiang troops alienating from the court, and the longer it goes on, the harder it will be to remedy.'

Xiang Linren nodded in deep agreement: 'Precisely for this reason, the Emperor's **** journey is fraught with danger!' At this moment his emotions had completely calmed, not because he had let go of his worries, but because of the composure displayed by Dong Bingtai; Dong Bingtai is the most important backer behind Xue Daoming, and moreover Xue Daoming's future fate is intertwined with the interests of the Dong family, Dong Bingtai's concern for his life and death would surpass anyone's; since he can show such composure, it proves he has sufficient confidence to guarantee the Emperor's safety.

Dong Bingtai said: 'What recent moves has the Grand Princess made?'

Xiang Linren said: 'Following your suggestion, I went to see the Grand Princess; it appears she is somewhat despairing of Li Shen Zhou.'

Dong Bingtai chuckled: 'It seems those two words are not enough.' (To be continued~^~)