Chapter 461

Hu Xiaotian said: "When I was in the Mingyue Palace, I personally witnessed the Talented Person sending a picture of bees gathering flowers to Princess Anping; later the princess politely declined it, and that painting was indeed drawn by Wen Boyuan's own hand." Revealing this matter aims to make the Emperor abandon the idea of sending Wen Boyuan; traveling with Wen Boyuan surely will bring trouble.

Long Yelin quietly gazed at Hu Xiaotian: "You mean..."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Wen Boyuan has always harbored affection for the Princess; this time sending the Princess to Yongdu for marriage is of great importance, I worry that General Wen will let his feelings interfere, sending him there might be inappropriate."

Long Yelin furrowed his brows: "Is this true?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "If Your Majesty does not believe it, you can summon him for questioning."

Long Yelin said: "My imperial sister is peerlessly beautiful; many nobles and officials admire her, even if Wen Boyuan admires her charm, it is hardly a crime."

Hu Xiaotian said: "But knowing full well that the Emperor has already betrothed the Princess to the Seventh Prince of Da Yong, yet still urging the Talented Person to send that painting to the Princess, such intentions are worthy of scrutiny."

Yin Zheng stood properly at the side, not daring to utter a sound; the less presence he had right now, the better. He admired Hu Xiaotian to the utmost, thinking this old bold fellow was really fat‑hearted, daring to slander the son of the Grand Preceptor. If the Grand Preceptor Wen and his son found out now, they would certainly not let him off lightly. He had no idea Hu Xiaotian was doing this to lay the groundwork for shifting blame later.

Long Yelin said: "I have already agreed with the Grand Preceptor Wen; once spoken, my word cannot be changed. Letting Wen Boyuan go over is not a bad thing; through this matter I can just as well test his loyalty to me."

Hu Xiaotian thought, "Old man, I'm not afraid of you letting him go." He had already made up his mind: if he could persuade the Emperor to recall the order sending Wen Boyuan over, then rescuing Princess Anping would naturally become much easier; if not, he would simply try to push the future responsibility onto Wen Boyuan. Hu Xiaotian said: "Your Majesty, regarding the Bright Moon Palace matter, the Grand Preceptor Wen and his son have always borne a grudge against me. Going to Yongdu Mountain, where the roads are high and the waters long, I worry……"

Long Yelin laughed and said: "After all this, you're still worried that Wen Boyuan will target you. In that case, I will clearly define your duties: you will be responsible for the princess's food and daily needs along the way, while Wen Boyuan will handle security on the route. You two will each perform your own tasks, so naturally there will be no conflict."

The Emperor having said that, Hu Xiaotian naturally could not say anything more; he could only kowtow in thanks.

Long Yelin seemed a bit weary, he yawned and said: "I'm a little tired; you may go."

Hu Xiaotian saw that the Emperor had not been swayed by his words, feeling inevitably disappointed, he could only kowtow and take his leave. Yin Zheng saw him out the door.

Hu Xiaotian had just stepped out of Xuanweigong when he unexpectedly met Ji Feihua, who had come to see the Emperor; he hurried forward to salute. Ji Feihua, seeing Hu Xiaotian appear here, was also taken aback, but she did not ask, merely glanced at his face with her phoenix eyes, then walked silently toward Xuanweigong. Ji Feihua had come because Long Yelin had summoned her, asking her to accompany him on a trip to Ethereal Mountain.

Long Yelin stood at the bow, gazing at the Jade Pool in the night sky; his mood rose and fell like the tide. He had thought that after overthrowing his father and ascending the throne he could finally become the revered Son of Heaven of Dakang as he wished, but he never imagined that after taking the throne he would be constrained at every turn.

Ji Feihua appeared silently behind him, unfurling a golden sable fur coat and draping it over his shoulders, she whispered: "The night is cold and windy; Your Majesty, please take care of your dragon body."

Long Yelin said: "Just now Hu Xiaotian came to see me and told me he does not want to be the marriage envoy."

Ji Feihua said indifferently: "Oh? Perhaps he has some misgivings."

Long Yelin nodded and said: "He has quite a few worries; this little eunuch is really simple."

Ji Feihua said: "Anyone in his position would naturally act more cautiously; not every time can one snatch back one's life."

Long Yelin said: "I can tell you like him a lot."

Ji Feihua said: "Hu Xiaotian is clever and quick-witted, indeed quite capable; when Your Majesty suddenly fell ill last time, it was he who cured you."

Long Yelin said: "Come to think of it, it's really strange—I once heard that Hu Buwei's son was originally a fool; how did he suddenly become so smart and capable, and his medical skill is actually not bad either."

Ji Feihua said: "So you see, outside rumors are mostly unreliable; it's hard to say whether something you haven't seen with your own eyes is true."

Long Yelin coldly stared at Ji Feihua and said: "Truly recognizing a person is not easy."

Ji Feihua smiled and said: "It is rare in a lifetime to be muddled; I often think that living a little muddled may not be a bad thing—Your Majesty, why must you think so much?"

Long Yelin said: "Being muddled is rare, hehe, easy to say." He understood the meaning behind Ji Feihua's words: if he were to live his whole life in a muddled daze, perhaps Ji Feihua would never move against him and would be content with the status quo, but how could he bear it? As a descendant of the Long clan, how could he allow himself to be bullied like this, how could he let the Long family's realm fall into others' hands?

People's mindsets differ, and so do the views they see. Long Yelin still remembers that Ethereal Mountain was once the most scenic spot in the imperial palace, but now Ethereal Mountain looks gloomy and terrifying. As Long Yelin approached Lingxiao Palace, he visibly hesitated; since imprisoning his father here, this was still his first visit, and when the moment to meet him finally arrived, he suddenly realized his state of mind had changed greatly. When he seized the throne, he had wished to kill his father outright; as time passed, his hatred remained, but it was not as intense as before. He had thought that deposing his father from the throne would grant him control of Dakang's power, yet he ultimately discovered that, although he had achieved his wish of ascending the throne, he was still merely a puppet. If he once hated his father most, now he hates Ji Feihua most—perhaps her presence has absorbed much of his hatred.

Long Yelin stopped before the Numinous Heaven Palace, glanced at Ji Feihua, and she smiled: "I won't accompany Your Majesty any further."

Long Yelin naturally did not want Ji Feihua to follow him, but he never expected her to be so tactful; he nodded and said: "All right." He drew a deep breath and slowly stepped into the Numinous Heaven Palace. Gazing at Long Yelin's back, Ji Feihua's lips curled with a faint cold smile; he lifted his head, and far away a black shadow appeared like a phantom atop the Numinous Heaven Palace. The black‑clad figure clenched his right fist over his heart, saluting Ji Feihua in that manner; his face bore a bronze mask, and moonlight, like water, shone upon his pair of gray‑white pupils, reflecting an eerie light.

Long Xuan'en sat on the dragon throne, silently gazing at his son approaching, the corner of his mouth twitching with a slightly nervous smile: "Who comes? Why do you not kneel before me?" His mind kept flashing back to the scene of his son forcing him to abdicate; he still remembered the brutal kick his son had dealt to his belly, which still caused a faint ache even now. From now on, no one is to call himself "I" in my presence! The domineering words Long Yelin once spoke still echoed in his ears, yet Long Xuan'en still called himself "I", unafraid to provoke this rebellious son—for a man who has come to this pass, there is nothing left to fear.

Long Yelin halted, lifted his head to look at his father in the lamplight; half a year had not passed, yet his father seemed to have aged considerably, though the pace of his aging should not match his own—Long Yelin himself felt as if he had suddenly stepped into old age.

Long Xuan'en's deep‑set eyes almost instantly perceived the enormous change in his son; if the last time they met he had still been full of ambitious vigor, now Long Yelin seemed to have lost his sharp edge. Not everyone possesses the talent to govern a state, especially a vast country like Dakang.

Long Yelin said: "You seem to have forgotten what I once said."

Long Xuan'en chuckled hehe, suddenly rose to his feet, trembled as he walked down, came before Long Yelin and fell to his knees with a thud; his action clearly took Long Yelin by surprise. Long Xuan'en said: "Dakang has only one Son of Heaven; you are the Emperor, I kneel before you—long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, I offer my New Year's greetings to the Emperor."

Long Yelin felt his inner heat surge, his face burning as if struck; for a father to kneel to his son—would that not provoke heaven's wrath?

Peng— a muffled thud—Long Yelin's heart jumped, but it was merely the sound of fireworks being set off in the distance; although the sound was not loud, it made Long Yelin tremble with fear.

Long Xuan'en obviously heard that boom as well, he he laughed: "Heaven's thunder and lightning strike, heaven's thunder and lightning strike!"

Long Yelin gazed at his somewhat mad father, recalling the recent reports—it seemed his father's mind was indeed disordered. He gave a glance to the Senior Eunuch Wang Qian, who stood far away, mute as a winter cicada; only then did he dare approach, helping Long Xuan'en to his feet: "Grand Emperor, Grand Emperor, you must not, you must not!" In Long Yelin's presence he no longer dared to call himself "Emperor"; here only one Emperor is allowed.

Long Yelin looked at the throne, then at his father.

Long Xuan'en gazed at him with a strange smile, pointing to his most beloved dragon throne: "Your Majesty, please sit! Please sit!"

Long Yelin pursed his lips, but still did not walk over.

Long Xuan'en said: "If Your Majesty likes that chair, just take it away—it's hard and unyielding, and sitting on it only grows more uncomfortable."

Long Yelin said: "You clearly know this chair is uncomfortable, yet you still give it to me?"

Long Xuan'en said: "If you don't sit on it yourself, how can you know the suffering of sitting on it?" His words were full of deep meaning.

Long Yelin nodded, and said in a low voice: "Since you say that, I will give it a try." He walked over step by step, brushed the dragon throne with his hand, and found that the cushion on it had also become tattered; a feeling hard to describe suddenly welled up in his heart, and he carefully sat upon the dragon throne. (To be continued~^~)