Chapter 597

Ji Feihua said: "Your Majesty has been blinded and deceived by that gang of treacherous villains; he never imagined that if I truly harbored ambitions to seize the throne, how could I have assisted the Emperor in ascending to the supreme position? The Emperor's suspicions are too heavy; I hear he has already drafted an edict, decided on the crown prince, only lacking a public announcement."

Empress Jian trembled and said: "Who has he decided on?"

Ji Feihua said: "Empress, you need to make a swift decision."

Empress Jian, upon hearing this, already understood in her heart that Ji Feihua was hinting she should act against the Emperor. She suddenly slapped the tea table, rose, and angrily shouted: "Bold madman, dare to speak such treasonous words in front of this palace? Are you not afraid that I will report your words and deeds to the Emperor, have your entire clan executed and your property confiscated?"

Ji Feihua's expression remained calm, she lifted her chazan and said: "The Emperor thinks I harbor ill intentions, listens to slander, and wishes to remove me. I will say something disrespectful: since I once had the ability to assist him in ascending the throne, I now also have the ability to support the Retired Emperor's return to power. Empress, if the Retired Emperor were to retake the throne, how would he treat the Emperor, and how would he treat you and the other consorts?"

Empress Jian involuntarily felt a chill; given Ji Feihua's current strength, he could indeed do that.

Ji Feihua said: "In my view, it makes no difference who sits on Dakang's throne, as long as they are of the Long family; what difference does it make? But I still wish to live longer in this world, and will wholeheartedly assist whoever treats me better."

Empress Jian sat down silently, lowered her voice and said: "You... you want me to do what?"

Ji Feihua said: "Actually, any of the Three Palaces and Six Courts could become empress, but there can only be one empress dowager; what do you think, Empress?"

Empress Jian bit her lip, then shook her head firmly and said: "This palace will absolutely not harm the Emperor."

Ji Feihua said: "I also have no intention of harming the Emperor; the Emperor's current state is entirely due to the mischief of petty villains around him. The Empress has a responsibility to relieve the Emperor's worries, eradicate treacherous officials, and purify the court."

Empress Jian secretly thought: "You are the treacherous one; you are the one who most deserves to die."

Ji Feihua said: "Wen Chenghuan, old and bereft of his son, is now exhausted and off guard. Quan De'an and Wen Chenghuan have long been in collusion; now is precisely the best opportunity for us to deal with them."

Empress Jian said: "Wen Chenghuan is a senior minister of two reigns, highly virtuous and respected; the Emperor trusts him greatly."

Ji Feihua said: "If you hesitate now, you will invite future trouble; Empress, if you miss this opportunity, you may regret it for the rest of your life."

Yongdu's spring has finally arrived; the willows by the river have sprouted tender green buds. Swaying in the wind with graceful postures, the river water is clear, the grass lush, and under the sunlight a flock of white geese lazily swims by. Hu Xiaotian, riding on Xiao Hui, dozes off listlessly; two magpies chatter as they fly overhead, waking him. He yawns, looks into the distance, and sees a majestic city appearing on the horizon.

Over the past twenty-plus days, they have traveled north, first by water then by land, nearly crossing Da Yong's north-south expanse, from the southern border of Yongjiang all the way to Da Yong's capital Yongdu; from Yongdu, going north another five hundred li reaches Da Yong's northern frontier. It is said that when Da Yong established its capital, the founding emperor Xue Juerang, against all opposition, insisted on choosing Yongcheng near the northern border, forsaking the more prosperous, milder Yun Chongcheng; in Xue Juerang's view, Dakang's threat paled beside that of the Black Hu.

In fact, in the century since Da Yong's founding, the wars with the Black Hu have been more numerous than those with Dakang; later Xue Shengkang ascended the throne, heavily relying on the Dakang defector Weichi Chong, recovered the seven northern prefectures formerly occupied by the Black Hu, and on that basis built a Great Wall defense line in Bei Jiang; after over twenty years of painstaking effort, the situation in Bei Jiang has basically stabilized, making it difficult for the Black Hu to cross the Great Wall and enter the interior.

Many believe that, had Da Yong not risen to resist the northern Black Hu, the brave and battle-skilled Black Hu would have long marched south, and Dakang would have already fallen; it is precisely Da Yong's existence that has enabled Dakang to resist the Hu, ensuring that the Central Plains' lands have not been sullied by the Black Hu.

Hu Xiaotian had heard of the great achievements of the Da Yong emperor even before leaving Dakang; upon entering Da Yong's territory, everything he saw was prosperous and contented populace, families living in peace and happiness; every city he passed through was orderly, the locals observed propriety and law, a situation incomparable to that of Dakang.

Li Chenzhou also took full precautions along the way, just as Hu Xiaotian and his companions had anticipated; within Da Yong's territory it was far safer than in Dakang, and after leaving Yongjiang they suffered no further attacks or assassinations, which also led Wu Jingzhen to believe Hu Xiaotian's account, as the multiple ambushes they had faced in Dakang were all linked to Wen Boyuan.

During this period, Li Chenzhou also closely monitored the Da Yong envoy delegation, attempting to glean information from its members, yet everyone remained silent about events in Dakang; although some were close associates of Wen Boyuan, no one voluntarily spoke of Wen Boyuan's ongoing conflicts with Hu Xiaotian before his death, and Hu Xiaotian had never disclosed this beforehand. Being in a foreign land and having experienced so much, everyone understands that only unity can see them through the crisis.

Long Xi Yue spent most of this time under Zhan Peng's protection; the formerly pampered Princess Anping, to keep her secret hidden, followed the same routine as ordinary soldiers, her feet blistered from marching, yet she endured without a word. Zhan Peng occasionally gave her pointers on self-defense and archery; Hu Xiaotian selected her to be his assistant in grooming and feeding the horses, and each time he saw her enduring such hardship, his affection grew, yet he dared not show any sign of it in front of outsiders.

In contrast, the impostor princess Zijuan lived a life of ease and luxury along the way, with fine clothes and jade food taken for granted; every few days she made more demands, and whenever she felt like it she ordered Hu Xiaotian to run around for her. When Hu Xiaotian saw the outskirts of Yongdu, he breathed a sigh of relief from the bottom of his heart; upon arriving in Yongdu, he could finally set down this burden.

He had intended to ride forward to the front of the group to exchange a few words with Li Chenzhou, but he heard Zijuan's voice from the carriage: "Little bearded one, come up!"

Hu Xiaotian felt a headache coming on, slowed his horse, approached the carriage, and said: "Princess, what are your orders?"

"I've been sitting too long, my back and waist ache; come up and give me a rub."

Hu Xiaotian silently cursed, "Hit your grandmother's head," for over these twenty-plus days she never let him idle, having him fetch tea and water, pound his back and pinch his shoulders, attending her carefully; yet she would flip her face at a moment's notice, publicly berating him countless times. Had it not been circumstances forcing him, Hu Xiaotian would have definitely slapped this impostor with a big ear; he truly treated her as a princess.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Princess, Yongdu lies ahead; I need to arrange our entry into the city. Why not wait until we reach the Yi Zhan, then I'll give you a proper massage?"

Zijuan snorted coldly from inside the carriage: "Hu Xiaotian, you're nothing but a lazy, slippery good-for-nothing; is your skin itching again? Once we reach Yongdu, this princess will certainly not go easy on you." She seems to have fully entered her role, her princess demeanor convincing indeed, whereas the genuine Princess Anping is gentle and virtuous, never so petty and shrewish.

Hu Xiaotian, Long Xi Yue, and even Wu Jingzhen know the truth; aside from these few, no one else is aware. To outsiders, Zijuan now appears even more like a princess—naturally, a noble lady must have a noble temperament, thus she must be willful.

As Hu Xiaotian hesitated whether to board the carriage, a Da Yong warrior galloped up to him, clasped his fists, and said: "Sir Hu, my general Li requests your presence."

Hu Xiaotian acknowledged, then turned to the carriage interior and said: "Princess, General Li is looking for me, what do you think?"

"After all, is he your master or am I your master?"

"Uh..."

Zijuan coldly said: "Go ahead; there might be something important."

Hu Xiaotian glanced at the warrior who had come to fetch him; the warrior, listening nearby, could barely keep a straight face. In fact, everyone on the journey had labeled Hu Xiaotian as a punching bag. Almost every day they heard Princess Anping scold this fellow. In the troupe, Long Xi Yue looked at Hu Xiaotian with affection, secretly believing his ill treatment was entirely due to her; Zijuan, having grown up with her since childhood, was not naturally like this—rather, forced to substitute for her and impersonate the princess, she found it hard to swallow her resentment.

Hu Xiaotian approached the front of the unit looking disheveled; Li Chenzhou, seeing his grimy appearance, couldn't help but laugh: "Sir Hu, have you angered the princess again?"

Hu Xiaotian turned, glanced back, and gave a wry smile: "Does General Li really think I've eaten the heart of a bear and leopard? I wouldn't dare provoke her!"

Li Chenzhou laughed: "I used to hear that Princess Anping was gentle and virtuous, understanding and reasonable; it seems the rumors aren't entirely true."

Hu Xiaotian said: "What you hear is false, what you see is real; in fact, the princess's gentleness and understanding apply only to the imperial prince; someone like me, a lowly servant, will never have the chance to experience it." He inwardly warned himself, wondering if Li Chenzhou had sensed something; Zijuan's acting was indeed over the top, and if she slipped up it would be trouble.

Li Chenzhou burst out laughing: "How could a princess of a nation have no temper at all?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Actually, the princess isn't always like that; previously she was only a bit irritable during the few days of her menstrual cycle each month. Lately I don't know what's wrong—perhaps she's unaccustomed to the water and soil of Da Yong."

Li Chenzhou had no reply; this eunuch dares to say anything, but Li Chenzhou, being a married man, knows something about women's matters, and Hu Xiaotian's words are not without reason. He does not wish to continue discussing this topic with Hu Xiaotian, lest it appear disrespectful to the princess. Raising his whip, he pointed ahead to the city walls and said: "Ahead lies our nation's capital." (To be continued~^~)