The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 133 Farewell to the Old
Not long after leaving the inner hall of Jinxiang, Xiao Yi was pulled aside by Li Hongyi and Li Hongjian.

"General Xiao, have you discussed the funeral arrangements with the Empress?"

"Yes."

Li Hongyi stroked his beard and asked softly, "May I ask, how have you decided to resolve this?"

"Solve what?"

"This... General Xiao, did you not consult with the Empress?"

Xiao Yi wondered to himself, "Could it be that they have noticed something?"
Since he and An Yuanzhen were innocent, he was quite frank and said calmly, "Please speak frankly if you have something to say."

“Yuzhou is more than 300 li away from Kaifeng. A round trip for the funeral would take at least ten days. The new emperor is about to ascend the throne, and there is no time to spare.”

Xiao Yi was slightly taken aback. From this, it seemed that Ruiling was located in Yuzhou, so far away? He had thought it was similar to Yingling.

The problem is, nobody actually told him that.

The Empress is in charge of the funeral, so you can't expect her to know anything about it. Those who do know, however, dare not speak up, for fear of being told, "Since you know where Ruiling is, go and see him off."

Li Hongyi's eyes flickered as he asked, "Who would want to miss the new emperor's ascension? Besides, the coffin can't be placed here when the new emperor ascends the throne. What should we do?"

A sense of absurdity washed over me.

Xiao Yi felt that the entire palace, including himself, was a makeshift operation.

These are Li Hanmei's closest relatives, and this is what will happen after her death. It's only because she decisively extricated herself that she did so; otherwise, whether she died or went to Taiping Palace, she would have become a burden to others, awaiting their redemption.

Xiao Yi learned two things from her.

First, regardless of gender, losing power is like losing dignity and life. We must fight to the end with unwavering determination, regardless of the cost or the means. Second, never entrust your future or life to anyone. Maintain independence and, in any situation, prioritize self-preservation.

"General Xiao? Say something!"

What advice do you two have for me?

"General Xiao was in charge of the funeral arrangements and slept soundly last night as usual. He must have a plan in mind. Please give us your advice."

Xiao Yi knew what they were thinking and hoped that he could make the decision so that the Li brothers would not have to attend the funeral.

He can make this decision, but there are conditions, and he will only discuss it with Li Hongxin.

This also presents an opportunity, forcing both sides to be open and honest with each other...

"Look at my two brothers, they're idiots!"

Li Hongxin sighed and said, "You and I both know that the coffin doesn't contain my real younger sister. I would never go to Ruiling and miss the new emperor's ascension to the throne."

"Isn't Commander Li just reaping what he sowed?"

"My original intention was to wait a while before taking action, just in time for my departure from the capital."

Once Li Hongxin made the admission, the truth was revealed, and his attitude changed drastically.

He sighed again and said, "Either stop at a temple, or have the palace servants escort us; we don't need to go with them."

"Both methods are risky and could easily be exposed. Moreover, you are a man of deep feelings, so this would cause you to underestimate the General."

"What's your plan?"

"After escorting him thirty li outside the city, we cremated his body and sent him back to his hometown for burial. Afterward, the procession continued to Ruiling Mausoleum, while we returned to the capital to welcome Lord Ming."

"But what if the new emperor knew..."

"The General felt sorry for his sister and followed her last wish. Now that you know about Emperor Gaozu's abduction of his wife, will you blame the General for it?"

"They probably won't blame me, but you'll be in big trouble."

"I'll handle my own affairs."

Li Hongxin did not immediately agree. He paced back and forth, then suddenly turned around and looked at him warily, asking, "What are your conditions?"

"No rush, protect the Li family first."

"I feel uneasy if you don't tell me."

"We're all on the same side, why rush to settle things now?"

"Kid, you're trying to get something for nothing."

"I lost my life, while the Li family lost hundreds of lives. Is the Li family the one who suffered a loss?"

"If my little sister hadn't stopped me, I really would have killed you."

Despite saying that, Li Hongxin reached out and gave Xiao Yi a high five.

It was agreed that on the same day, they would first send Zhao Chu and others to the mountains twenty miles outside the city to build a crematorium.

The following day, thick smoke rose from the desolate western suburbs of Kaifeng.

Xiao Yi looked up, and the conversation with Li Hongxin deepened.

“Your Excellency is different from the emperors of the past after the fall of the Tang Dynasty. The world will eventually unite after a long period of division, and this unity will begin with Your Excellency. Without this consensus, the Li family will not be able to survive.”

“If we can gain the new emperor’s trust, who would bother with a gambler and scoundrel like Liu Chong? To be honest, I didn’t get along with Liu Chong when I first joined Emperor Gaozu.” Li Hongxin said, “The problem is, will the new emperor tolerate the Li family?”

"General, do not think about relying on military power. When it comes to fighting, no one in the world can beat you, my lord. Liu Chong can only rely on the terrain of Hedong, but Shanzhou is definitely not an option. If you want to gain your trust, the only thing you can do is be sincere."

"It's easy for you, but difficult for me."

"How about I demonstrate for you then, General?"

"You have caused a great disaster this time. If you can get through it safely, then I will trust the new emperor."

"it is good."

At this point in the conversation, Zhao Chu brought out a large white ceramic basin, intending to hand it to Xiao Yi.

Li Hongxin stepped forward first, took it, and said, "I will send someone to send it back to Mingli Village."

"That's good. I suppose Liu Chong hasn't completely blocked the roads east of the river yet."

At this point, the whole matter was over for Xiao Yi. Only then did he realize that Li Hanmei actually needed very little from him.

Seemingly casually, Li Hongxin added, "After the funeral, why don't you come to my residence for a while?"

Xiao Yi shook his head and said, "No."

"I won't be staying in Beijing for long," Li Hongxin sighed. "Before the city closes tomorrow, I'll arrange for my family to return to Shanzhou first."

"I have to get to Gaomen Village tomorrow night. I'll visit the commander again when I have the chance."

"You've got a tough temper, haven't you?"

...The funeral procession carried the empty coffin to Ruiling Mausoleum. With the new emperor about to enter the city, no one cared about the matter anymore.

"Let's go, goodbye to the old and welcome the new."

The Li brothers did not return to the capital; instead, they rode directly to Gaomen Village.

Xiao Yi then escorted the Empress to Taiping Palace to complete the last task concerning the old dynasty.

During a rest stop, An Yuanzhen kept beckoning Xiao Yi to come closer.

"Queen."

"I summoned you several times before you finally came."

"Yes, does the Empress want a big pit or a small pit this time?"

"Shut up, or I'll whip you."

"What brings the Empress here?"

“I’m telling you, I came from Xiangzhou before, and I took this road too. I didn’t even notice it yesterday.”

Is Xiangzhou really that good?

"Yes, you'll see when you get there. Since the chaos of the Tang Dynasty, Xiangzhou has been the most stable and prosperous city. It's more reassuring than Kaifeng. I guarantee you won't want to leave once you're there."

"understood."

"Alright, let's set up the portable canopy... Hmm, a small one will do."

At this moment, An Yuanzhen was in a good mood, as if she had just returned from an outing. However, when she arrived at Taiping Palace in the afternoon, she was stunned.

"Do you live here?"

"Although the environment cannot compare to that of the palace, it is not bad either. Your Majesty, please."

"But...it sounds like a prison."

"How is it similar?"

"The guard outside looks like a butcher, it's scary. And those old nuns, their eyes are unpleasant, they just hate me."

"The guesthouse is nice, take a look."

"Where is this good? It's so deserted, the walls are so high, and it's so cold and gloomy. A lot of people must have died here. I don't want to live here, I don't want to."

"I'll only stay for a short time, until your father bestows upon me the title of Prince of Nanyang..."

"No, I don't want to. Xiao Yi, I beg you, don't make me stay here, please take me to Grandpa's villa, okay? I don't want to stay here, I'd rather die than stay here."

An Yuanzhen glanced at the house once, then turned and ran.

Xiao Yi went over to stop her, but she suddenly punched him. He was in so much pain that he clutched his hand, squatted on the ground, and burst into tears.

"Woooooooo..."

"Your Majesty, please stop crying."

"How could you do this?! You sent me to this place for your own future, sob sob sob... I'm a slave of a conquered nation, what are they going to do to me?"

The palace servants quickly went over and whispered words of comfort.

Soon, an old nun came over with a solemn expression. She put her palms together in front of Xiao Yi and said, "Amitabha, General, you may leave. This place can be left to this humble nun."

"Then I'll leave it to you. She is not only the former empress, but also the daughter of a noble family in the current dynasty."

Xiao Yi gave a brief explanation, glanced back at the room he had arranged, knowing he couldn't let An Yuanzhen go, and walked out.

The crying behind him grew louder, which was quite pitiful.

They were clearly not very familiar with each other; it was as if he owed her something.

Upon exiting Taiping Palace, Sun Zhong immediately came to greet them, his face practically overflowing with obsequiousness.

"General Xiao, you have become even more imposing and noble. I never expected you to give me such a good job. I really don't know how to thank you for your kindness."

Do you know what to do?

"Please enlighten me, General."

"Empress An is the daughter of the military governor of Shannan East Circuit. Your Excellency will soon be enfeoffed as the Prince of Nanyang."

"Understood, I will be very careful."

Xiao Yi nodded, and Sun Zhong escorted him to the horse's side.

Just as he was about to mount his horse, a young monk in gray robes suddenly ran over from the street corner and also greeted him with his palms together.

"May I ask, was it General Xiao in person?"

"What's the matter?"

"Amitabha Buddha, I have been entrusted by someone to deliver a message to the general and lead the way. The original message is: 'Although I did not intend to hide it from you, I feel ashamed. I offer this gift and wish you a bright future in the new year.'"

"What about her?"

“The benefactor has left after making an offering at our temple.”

"Lead the way."

"please."

Behind him, Lü Chou muttered, "I saw this little monk hiding in the street corner a long time ago, and I thought he came to the nunnery to find his lover."

The group walked east for a short while and then turned into a neighborhood with blue brick paving and numerous residences of nobles and relatives.

Passing through the alley, there was a large mansion ahead, with a black-headed gate, showing off its extravagance, but the gate was sealed off.

"Where is that?"

Lü Chou, a local of Kaifeng, replied, "General, the one in front is Li Ye's residence. The Li brothers all live nearby. The one behind is Li Hongjian's residence."

Xiao Yi initially thought that Li Hanmei wanted to see him before leaving, but when he looked back, there was no one else on the street, and only a line of hoofprints heading west in front of the Li residence.

Li Ye's residence was next to the ward wall, and on the other side of the ward wall was a small temple, with a corner of the hall peeking out, which was quite tranquil.

As Xiao Yi passed by, he noticed that a small section of the wall of the ward had sunk into the ground. He couldn't help but think of the pawnshop he encountered when capturing Su Fengji, which was a tunnel that ran through two wards.

The young monk led them through the alley and into the temple.

(End of this chapter)