Chapter 2, Disguised Service (Middle)

Long Yuan said softly: "No one knows I have come today, so please do not make it known. It would be inappropriate to disturb others in the residence." Since leaving the palace, he had reminded himself to be cautious with his words, even replacing the habitual 'I' with 'we'.

At this moment, Xu Hanliang finally understood why Longyuan had asked such a question when he was leaving. The young emperor was deliberately reminding him; it was he who had been foolish and failed to grasp the meaning behind his words. For every father, it should be a dream come true for his daughter to rise to the branches and become the master of the harem, the revered Empress of the Great Kang. However, Longyuan was nothing but a puppet, and the Great Kang regime was already in a precarious state. At such a time, sending his daughter into the palace was akin to pushing her into a fire pit. Xu Hanliang's lips trembled slightly as he looked into his father's eyes, trying to find an answer from him.

Your Majesty... I, the old minister, have been ill for so long. What has transpired in the court?

Xu Hanliang sent off Longyuan, and only then did he return to the inner hall with a smile. Upon entering his father's room, he turned around and closed the door, unable to contain his laughter: "The little emperor is truly ridiculous, actually pointing at a maid and claiming she is Huiyan. His judgment is indeed at its lowest point, it is truly laughable..."

I pressed my lips together in emptiness, and he grabbed the carved wisteria pipe from the table. Xu Hanliang hurriedly leaned over, took the flint, and lit the bowl for his father. I took two deep puffs, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, and his gaze became increasingly elusive within the haze. After a long silence, he finally said: "They want to force me into a desperate situation!"

Xu Hanliang saw Longyuan dressed in ordinary attire and already had a response in mind. It seemed that the young emperor's visit today was not merely to hasten his father's absence, but was indeed a sincere and genuine visit. The emperor, in disguise, came to inquire about their health, which could be considered an extraordinary favor for the Xu family. He trembled as he spoke: "Thank you for your great kindness"

Xu Hanliang was left bewildered by his question. The maid, in terms of hairstyle, headwear, and appearance, bore no resemblance to a young lady at all. He answered honestly, "The young lady went to Jici Temple to fulfill a vow early this morning and has not yet returned."

I originally intended to use the topic of Longyuan to criticize Xiao Nihan a bit, to demonstrate my loyalty and righteousness, but Longyuan deliberately did not mention the matter of Lan Xun, leaving him without an excuse to express himself

The feeling of melancholy weighs heavily on my heart: "Neither left nor right, could it be that we truly have to allow that scoundrel to bully us?"

Long Yuan did not have much fondness for this cunning old fox who was adept at self-preservation, but upon seeing his current miserable state, he could not help but feel a twinge of compassion. It seemed that this empty existence had little time left to live; if he were to die, there would be no one left in the court to stand against Xiao Nihan. With this thought, his mood suddenly grew heavy.

Long Yuan originally intended to disclose to Xiao Nihuan the matter of reallocating Lan Xun to suppress the civil unrest. However, as the words were on the tip of his tongue, his gaze fell upon Xu Hanyang's face. As the Deputy Minister of Justice, Xu Hanyang was naturally aware of the events occurring in the court today. Xu Wuwu must certainly know about Lan Xun, and moreover, there was no point in him speaking out, so why waste breath? He smiled and said, "It is truly rare to see the old Prime Minister, even in such a state of illness, still concerned about court matters. Rest assured, with so many ministers assisting me, there will be no issues within the court. You should focus on recuperating." Xu Wuwu must certainly know about Lan Xun, and moreover, there was no point in him speaking out, so why waste breath? He smiled and said, "It is truly rare to see the old Prime Minister, even in such a state of illness, still concerned about court matters. Rest assured, with so many ministers assisting me, there will be no issues within the court. You should focus on recuperating."

The greatest regret of my life is that I did not eliminate this scoundrel when he was still weak and vulnerable. Now, I have raised a tiger that poses a threat, and it is too late to repent.

Without uttering a word, I handed him the note. Xu Hanliang took the note and saw that it clearly contained the birth dates of two individuals: one was the current Emperor Longyuan, and the other was surprisingly his beloved daughter Xu Huiyan

Father!" Xu Hanliang exclaimed excitedly, as he had not heard his father speak such resolute words for a long time

"Get up!" Long Yuan personally pulled Xu Hanliang up from the ground. Xu Hanliang took Long Yuan to the back hall, arriving at the courtyard where Xu Wuwu was recuperating. Long Yuan turned to Qiu Fuhai and said, "Chief Steward Qiu, you and the others wait for me outside, so as not to disturb the old Prime Minister's peace!" Although he was young, he was very astute, aware that the palace was filled with the eyes and ears of Xiao Nihan. He trusted no one else but Bing Shan. Although today's visit to Xu Wuwu was Xiao Nihan's idea, he did not want every step he took to fall under Xiao Nihan's control.

He approached his father, only to find him sitting on the bed in a daze, his expression extremely grave, holding a red letter in his hand. He whispered, "Father, what is wrong? Are you unwell?"

I coughed violently: "... ... I have failed the trust placed in me by the late Emperor, and I am ashamed to face Your Majesty's grace."

Father, since it has come to this, let us simply confront him. Even if we fail, we will still earn a timeless reputation for loyalty to the monarch and love for our country.

The two gatekeepers in front of the minister's residence noticed Long Yuan's extraordinary demeanor and did not dare to be negligent. One of them recognized Qiu Fuhai, who was behind Long Yuan. Naturally, these gatekeepers were very perceptive; upon seeing the respectful demeanor of the Grand Steward Qiu Fuhai and the librarian, they already understood about seventy to eighty percent of the situation. The two were hesitating whether to kneel and pay their respects when Qiu Fuhai coldly said, "Why aren't you quickly going to summon your master to come and receive the carriage?"

When Longyuan arrived at the Xiangguo Mansion, it was already dusk. The snow had stopped, and a gentle breeze blew, causing the snowflakes on the ground to rise again, dancing in the air above the white, snow-covered earth as if shrouded in a layer of mist. The small river in front of the mansion was also enveloped in a faint haze, quietly flowing through the winding waterway.

Longyuan lazily yawned, and with the assistance of Qiu Fuhai, donned his outer cloak. He rose and stepped down from the carriage, treading on Fu Zishan's sturdy back. Qiu Fuhai supported Longyuan's arm and whispered, "Your Majesty, I will go and make an announcement"

The imperial carriage guard Zhao Changchun steadily brought the four-horse carriage to a halt. The inner palace guard Fu Zishan dismounted, opened the carriage door from the outside, and knelt down in the snow, saying: "Your Majesty, please disembark!"

Xu Hanliang sent Longyuan out of the door in place of his father. Longyuan took two steps but suddenly stopped, pointing at a maid who passed by and asked, "Is she your daughter"

I respectfully accepted it, and Longyuan did not wish to linger. He stood up and said: "You should take care of your health and recuperate. If you wish to serve the country with loyalty, you must wait until you are well again. If you need anything, feel free to speak to the palace."

Not bad! Xiao Nihan, believing he holds great power and looking down on the world, is now set to eliminate us, the last obstacles in his way. However, he has not considered that although we are old, we still possess some strength

Xu Wu, I seemed to want to rise, yet ultimately I still gave up, my body collapsing onto the bed, trembling as I said: "Your Majesty, this old minister is useless... I cannot fully comply with the formalities, please forgive me..." Long Yuan stepped forward and held Xu Wu's bony left hand, only to see his complexion pale and yellow, his cheeks deeply sunken, and his eyes dry and devoid of spirit, clearly suffering from a serious illness. He spoke gently: "There is no need for the old Prime Minister to be like this; I am also traveling incognito and came by to see you."

My murky eyes suddenly emitted a piercing cold light: "I have been enduring silently in front of him, not because I fear him, but because I am waiting for an opportunity!" He paused for a moment and then said: "Lan Xun has long harbored rebellious intentions. For nearly a decade, he has been meticulously managing affairs in the Western Frontier and will never willingly abandon his hard work. To force him to leave the Western Frontier is equivalent to forcing him to rebel! The civil unrest in Xudu, Chengwei, and Nanyang is escalating, and the northern Hu people have never once given up their covetous gaze upon the Central Plains. The southern barbarians are in constant turmoil, and the Great Kang is indeed at its most perilous moment. I am curious to see how Xiao Nihan plans his next move?" The civil unrest in Xudu, Chengwei, and Nanyang is escalating, and the northern Hu people have never once given up their covetous gaze upon the Central Plains. The southern barbarians are in constant turmoil, and the Great Kang is indeed at its most perilous moment. I am curious to see how Xiao Nihan plans his next move?

No need! Long Yuan shook off Qiu Fu Hai's arm and strode forward. To avoid drawing attention from others, Long Yuan changed into a neat samurai outfit, wearing a black fur cloak and thick-soled leather boots, which was much more convenient compared to the cumbersome and luxurious imperial robe he wore in the palace

In the void, I lay on the couch, while a beautiful maid was beside me, helping to comb my hair

Long Yuan originally did not wish to be ostentatious, he coldly snorted and said: "Lead the way ahead!"

Xu Hanliang said with a heavy heart: "Is it really necessary to send Huiyan into the palace? This young emperor does not even know how long he will live, what ability does he have to protect my daughter?"

Father, Huiyan has been betrothed to Xuanyu since childhood. We can use this excuse to refuse His Majesty!

The two attendants immediately understood the situation, and one of them hurriedly ran into the residence, while the other hastily knelt down on the ground: "This servant... https://www.hetushu.com... This servant pays his respects to... Your Majesty..."

Long Yuan originally wanted to take the opportunity to meet the daughter of Xu Hanliang, but he did not expect such an unfortunate coincidence. He nodded slightly disappointed and left the Prime Minister's mansion in large strides.

Xu Hanliang said in a trembling voice: "Father, His Majesty has come to see you"

Xu Wu sighed and said: "Today, the Emperor came not to inquire about health, but to propose marriage. The engagement between Hui Yan and Xuan Yu was merely a verbal agreement. The Empress Dowager and Xiao Ni Han must have thoroughly investigated everything beforehand, which is why they made this unexpected move. The Emperor himself has sent his birth date and time, which is tantamount to informing us that there is absolutely no room for negotiation regarding this marriage."

Is the fate of the Great Kang truly at an end

In the void, I closed my eyes, as if an old monk had entered meditation. After a long while, I finally spoke: "I never expected to witness with my own eyes the collapse of the great kingdom of Da Kang..."

Longyuan remembered the task entrusted to him by the Empress Dowager and handed the sachet to me, saying, "Old Prime Minister, this is what the Empress Dowager asked me to give to you."

Wait a moment

Eternal reputation?" Xu Wu laughed heartily and said, "If a person is dead, what use is there for a good reputation?" He gently patted Xu Hanliang's shoulder and said, "As for our current situation, we can only wait...

Thank you, Your Majesty

I whispered in despair: "The Prince of Pingnan and I share a deep bond. If I were to go back on my word and withdraw from this marriage, he would undoubtedly sever all ties with me. Without his support and that of his old friends, our Xu family would no longer have a foothold in the court."

A few people, led by the doorkeeper, entered the residence of the Xiang family. Before they reached the second gate, they saw Xu Huanliang, the Vice Minister of Justice, hastily coming out to greet them. Upon seeing the Emperor in person, he hurriedly knelt down on the ground, shouting "Long live!" and firmly knocked his head three times on the frozen hard ground.