bookrandom Chapter 498 The Emperor's Instructions
Chapter 498 The Emperor's Instructions
Inside the Tiance Mansion's mourning hall, there was dead silence, and a gloomy atmosphere enveloped everything.
The white curtains hanging on the wall rustled softly in the cold wind that blew through the hall, murmuring endless sorrow.
Li Chengqian sat alone on the mat in the mourning hall, his eyes fixed on Li Shimin's spirit tablet. The words on the tablet seemed to have transformed into Li Shimin's face. All kinds of memories of the past surged in his mind like a tide.
In his hand, he held a small bottle of Xiaobaigan, and the wine in the bottle swayed with his slight trembling.
Li Chengqian was not good at drinking, but at this moment, this spicy liquid became his only reliance to comfort his inner pain. If it were not for the alcohol, he really could not bear the heavy burden of losing his loved ones.
He slowly raised his hand, brought the bottle to his lips, and took small sips. The wine brought a burning sensation into his throat, but he was completely unaware.
Inside the mourning hall, the only sounds were the sound of him swallowing wine and the occasional popping of candle flames.
At this moment, the half-closed door of the mourning hall was gently pushed open, making a slight "creaking" sound.
Li Jingyou appeared at the door. He walked very lightly, as if he was afraid of disturbing the solemn atmosphere.
Li Chengqian heard the noise, slowly turned his head, his gaze fell on Li Jingyou, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes, and then he put down the Xiaobaigan in his hand.
"You'er, why are you here?"
Li Chengqian spoke, his voice hoarse from days of sadness and fatigue.
Li Jingyou took a few steps forward, stopped in front of Li Chengqian, and called softly, "Father."
Then he reached into his arms and took out an object wrapped in layers of oilcloth.
Carefully opening the oilcloth, the military token of the Black Armor Army was revealed, gleaming coldly in the dim light.
He held the military token in both hands and handed it to Li Chengqian respectfully, saying earnestly, "Father, this is the military token of the Black Armor Army that my father gave me before he died. Now I am passing it on to you, Father. Please accept it."
Li Chengqian looked at the military token handed to him by Li Jingyou, and an elusive meaning flashed in his eyes.
He looked at Li Jingyou carefully and saw that his face was calm and his expression was unperturbed. Such a steady look made Li Chengqian's heart move.
After a moment, he slowly reached out his hand and gently pushed Li Jingyou's small hand back, saying in a calm tone: "Since this military token was given to you by your grandfather, then you should keep it and use it as your own guard."
After saying this, he paused and asked, "After I finish my vigil, will you return to Chang'an with me? I have already had the East Palace cleaned up."
Li Jingyou raised his head, a hint of reluctance in his eyes. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Father, I don't want to go to Chang'an. I want to stay in Xianyang. Besides, I haven't completed my studies yet, so there's no point in going back to Chang'an."
Li Jingyou's words made Li Chengqian's heart move suddenly, and a familiar feeling came to his heart.
He continued, probingly: "You'er, is there anything else? Or do you have any conditions you would like to ask me?"
When Li Jingyou heard this, his face was filled with confusion. He looked up at Li Chengqian with bewilderment, his eyes filled with confusion. "Father, I don't quite understand what you mean."
Seeing Li Jingyou's confused look, Li Chengqian added, "Palace Jade Wine?"
But after hearing this, Li Jingyou was still confused and had no idea what was going on.
Seeing this scene, Li Chengqian smiled helplessly and did not ask any further questions.
He waved his hand and said, "Alright, if you have nothing else, go out first. Your father is here to guard your grandfather's body. If you want to stay in Xianyang, you can stay in Xianyang alone."
When Li Jingyou heard this, he was overjoyed, and his originally dim eyes instantly lit up.
He saluted hastily, his voice filled with uncontrollable excitement: "Your Highness, I thank you!"
Watching Li Jingyou skipping away, Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes, frowned slightly, and whispered softly: "You'er, remember, we are father and son."
Li Jingyou, who was about to walk out the door, heard this and paused. He turned around and said solemnly, "Your son knows!"
Then he turned and left, his figure gradually disappearing into the darkness outside the mourning hall.
After Li Jingyou left, Li Chengqian did not touch the bottle of Xiaobai Gan again, but fell into a long silence.
He sat there quietly, staring blankly ahead.
The candlelight in the mourning hall flickered, occasionally making a crackling sound, as if adding a different footnote to the silent atmosphere.
After an unknown amount of time, the door of the mourning hall was gently pushed open again.
Lin Dafu's slightly bloated figure appeared at the door. He walked lightly, fearing to disturb the solemn atmosphere.
Li Chengqian's mood brightened when he saw Lin Dafu coming. He quickly greeted him, "Fatty Lin, why are you here? Isn't Qianyu Chamber of Commerce busy? Come and sit down and talk to me."
Lin Dafu looked at Li Chengqian's reaction, was silent for a moment, and a trace of barely perceptible guilt flashed across his face.
He slowly opened his mouth and called out, "Brother Qian."
Hearing Lin Dafu calling him "brother", Li Chengqian raised his eyebrows, looked at Lin Dafu, then couldn't help laughing and said, "What's wrong, Fatty Lin, do you have something to ask of me?"
"Tell me what it is. Tell me what it is. I'll let my brother handle it for you."
There was a hint of his former boldness in his tone, and he remained consistent towards Lin Dafu and Mr. Qi.
Looking at Li Chengqian's heroic attitude, Lin Dafu felt more and more guilty.
He lowered his head slightly and said helplessly: "Brother Qian, I'm entrusted with this task!"
After hearing Lin Dafu's words, Li Chengqian looked at him intently and asked, "Who entrusted you with this?"
Lin Dafu smiled bitterly and slowly uttered a few words: "I am entrusted by the Emperor."
Hearing this, Li Chengqian's smile froze on his face instantly. He stared at Lin Dafu closely, as if trying to find the answer from his face. The mourning hall fell into silence again, with only the "crackling" sound of the candlelight, which seemed particularly abrupt in the silence.
"When did the Emperor give you this instruction?"
Li Chengqian asked calmly.
There is only one good thing about Lin Dafu.
I will never hide it from Li Chengqian.
He told Li Chengqian everything that Li Shimin had said to him on the train.
The meaning of the black gold order is very clear.
On the surface, he wanted to return it to Li Chengqian, but in fact, he wanted to let Li Chengqian give the black gold order to Li Jingyou through Lin Dafu.
Li Shimin's thoughts were profound.
At the end of his life, he made it clear that he wanted to pave a smooth road for his grandson.
Even though the position of crown prince was as stable as Mount Tai, Li Shimin was still worried. No one could predict what would happen in the future.