White Horse, Silver Spear, Grand Commandant Gao

Hearing Li Congke say this, Gao Xingzhou was instantly transported back to the time he spent together in the military camp, where he hadn't had enough of drinking and was rushing to the next round.

He immediately regained his senses, rose from his seat, and awaited orders.

Li Congke stood up unsteadily, and when the eunuch tried to help him onto the carriage, he was pushed away.

The emperor strolled over, intending to walk arm in arm with his friend, but Gao Xingzhou hurriedly stepped back, not daring to stand shoulder to shoulder with the emperor.

"Alas, even after drinking, one cannot be completely unrestrained."

Li Congke flicked his sleeves, strode forward, and began to sing a folk song.

In the past, Li Cunxu was fond of music. Whenever he went to war, he would give the troops in front and behind him newly composed lyrics and have them sing them aloud. These were called imperial compositions.

In the fierce battle, regardless of victory or defeat, wherever the horses point, war songs resound. Thus, the men forget their own lives; this is indeed a marvel of military strategy.

Gao Xingzhou was, of course, familiar with his own army's battle song, and moved by it, he sang in harmony:

"A lone horseman challenges the south of the city, a single swordman joins the army in the north of Ji. The young man's courage soars to the clouds, and he is destined to be a hero among men."

"Hundreds of miles of fire banners blaze, thousands of cloud riders gallop. They trample the Liao River until it dries up, and their drums and clamor make the Yanshan Mountains seem to fly."

"It is precisely during this time that all directions pay homage to the emperor, and one can truly know the imperial majesty of the grand dance." (Note 1)

"Of all the poems and songs that Emperor Zhuangzong composed, this one is my favorite."

After finishing his song, Li Congke sighed, "Xiao Gao, more than 20 years have passed in the blink of an eye, and we've all grown old."

"Your Majesty has just realized the will of Heaven; why should a hero be so short-tempered?"

"Hero, haha."

Li Congke said self-deprecatingly, "When future generations mention me, they will mostly only remember that I easily gained the throne by putting on a crying show."

Gao Xingzhou didn't know how to respond.

A short while later, the imperial carriage arrived at a palace garden.

Gao Xingzhou had never been to the inner palace before. He wondered which concubine's residence this was. As he stepped inside, a rich fragrance wafted into his nostrils.

He looked closely and saw that the courtyard wall was covered with a row of rose bushes, which were in full bloom. The green was deep green and the red was bright red. The lush green and the splendid maturity were perfectly matched.

However, compared to the person beneath the flowers, even the most beautiful blossoms pale in comparison.

"You, Indian!"

Gao Xingzhou was surprised that the emperor would bring him here, and the nickname he was used to using just slipped out.

"I knew it. Only when you come here will you open up and tell me the truth."

Li Congke patted Gao Xingzhou's shoulder heavily: "Don't get the wrong idea. It was the Empress Dowager who mentioned that the late Emperor had some dying instructions that could only be spoken if you and I were present."

So that's how it is. The late emperor has just been buried; Li Congke couldn't possibly be so audacious.

Gao Xingzhou breathed a sigh of relief, wondering what kind of instructions the late emperor would leave behind.

He found it strange that even if Li Siyuan had entrusted something to him, it was understandable that Li Congke, as his adopted son, would come to him.

For example, wouldn't Shi Jingtang be a better fit?

Alas, who could have imagined that less than half a year after the late emperor's death, his adopted son would fight with his biological son, seize the throne, and kill Li Conghou?

While Gao Xingzhou was still lost in thought, the Empress Dowager had already come out to greet him in person.

When the emperor arrived, he was summoned to Shou Kang Palace by the eunuchs. Hua Jianxiu was holding a boy by the hand in her left hand. Gao Xingzhou recognized him as the child she had been holding by the hand on the day of the funeral. The female official beside her was also holding an infant.

She did not have any children with the late emperor; they were likely adopted by Prince Xu, Li Congyi, and Princess Yongle.

Upon seeing his old friend again, Gao Xingzhou felt an emptiness in his heart, as if it had been hollowed out. Then, a mix of emotions welled up inside him, a complex and indescribable feeling.

At this moment, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor exchanged greetings.

According to family rules, Hua Jianxiu, as Li Congke's stepmother, should have received the emperor's greetings, while the Empress Dowager should stand to receive them. Unexpectedly, Hua Jianxiu pulled the boy aside and rushed to kowtow to the emperor first.

Li Congke stood to receive the greeting, while Gao Xingzhou, as a subject, found himself in an awkward position.

Given the difference in rank and the hierarchy, he had no choice but to lift his robe and kneel down, so that his eyes met those of the woman who had once held him in her arms and touched every inch of his skin and private parts, as if they were husband and wife bowing to each other.

Gao Xingzhou looked away, so he didn't know if Hua Jianxiu was looking at him.

Fortunately, Li Congke ordered everyone to rise and dispense with formalities, thus relieving Gao Xingzhou's embarrassment.

A banquet was set up, with the emperor sitting in the center, facing south with his back to the north, flanked by the Empress Dowager and Gao Xingzhou, who were also facing each other.

Gao Xingzhou pretended not to care at all and calmly took his seat.

After settling down, he kept his eyes down, focusing only on the area a few feet in front of him, without looking across to the other side.

But a pair of embroidered shoes still came into view; it turned out that the Empress Dowager had walked to the center of the table.

Gao Xingzhou couldn't help but move his gaze upwards inch by inch.

Under the lamplight, the Empress Dowager changed out of her mourning clothes and into a simple, plain blue dress for receiving guests, revealing a single layer of white gauze undergarment, which looked elegant and understated.

Her long hair was styled into a high bun, and according to the rules, she should have worn a pure gold crown with nine inlaid flowers, but she simply used a few wooden hairpins to secure it.

"The Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubine's clothes, hairpins and earrings were all taken out and sold to raise money to reward those soldiers."

Li Congke explained for a moment, then turned to Hua Jianxiu and asked, "Your Highness, what instructions did the late Emperor give? You may speak now."

"Please forgive my rudeness, Your Majesty, for I dared to speak out."

"Your Excellency, there's no need for formalities. Please speak."

Hua Jianxiu led Li Congyi to a stop and began to speak eloquently: "Congyi is the youngest son of the late emperor, and he was ordered to recognize me as his mother."

Li Congyi was born to a palace concubine. Because of his humble origins, Li Siyuan changed his status to Wang Shufei as his mother, thus elevating his status. At the same time that Li Congke was enfeoffed as the Prince of Lu, he also enfeoffed Li Congyi as the Prince of Xu.

"Generals Li Congke and Gao Xingzhou, heed my command!"

Suddenly, a sharp shout rang out, and the two men, the emperor and his minister, trembled and involuntarily stood up.

Hua Jianxiu, as if possessed by the late emperor, relayed Li Siyuan's edict: "Of my four sons, three were born amidst the chaos of war. Only this child was born in the palace, hence I cherish him most. Now I am gravely ill and near death. I hope you will take care of this young child and protect him until he grows up."

"Your subject dares not disobey!"

Gao Xingzhou immediately responded loudly, but Li Congke stood motionless, his expression a strange mix of crying and laughing.

"The love a parent has for their child is natural. Even a hero like a godfather is not immune to it."

"But what about me? I, as an adopted son, also have children!"

"Before his death, Shigeyoshi was tortured and beaten, and suffered all kinds of pain."

"That child, Youcheng, has been devoted to Buddhism since she was a child and insisted on becoming a nun, so I had no choice but to give in to her."

Two streams of tears welled up in Li Congke's eyes as he murmured to himself, "I never expected my daughter to have me by her side, just to live a peaceful life. But instead, I've taken her life..."

"The one who killed them was your own son, Godfather!"

Hua Jianxiu never expected that her cleverness would backfire, stirring up the emperor's anxieties. Thinking of the mysterious death of Prince E and the murder of Empress Kong and her four sons, her delicate body couldn't help but tremble slightly.

Gao Xingzhou's heart sank; he didn't know how to offer any words of comfort.

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Hua Jianxiu forced herself to remain calm and quickly came up with a plan.

She ordered the female official to lead Li Congyi and Princess Yongle away, poured a cup of fine wine, raised it high above her head with both hands, and presented the cup to Li Congke: "As long as Prince Xu is safe, I am willing to resign from the emperor's position and become a Buddhist nun."

Li Congke was lamenting his own family affairs, not targeting the Empress Dowager. Upon hearing this, he asked in surprise why.

Hua Jianxiu's beautiful eyes were filled with tears, which silently slid down her cheeks. She said, "I was born by chance. If you, sir, do not accept me, how will I face the late emperor on the day I die!" (Note 2)

"Alas, that's not what I meant."

Li Congke had no intention of harming the late emperor's youngest son. Upon hearing the Empress Dowager's tearful account, he felt a pang of sorrow and let out a long sigh.

"All the sins of the people are mine. All the evils have come upon me. Buddhism teaches about cause and effect and reincarnation. I have fought on the battlefield and killed countless people, all of whom were born of my parents. Perhaps this is the inevitable retribution."

Unwilling to appear weak, he got up to change his clothes, and a group of eunuchs hurriedly followed behind.

Only Gao Xingzhou and Hua Jianxiu remained alone in the hall.

"..."

The two, who were once inseparable, are now silent, unsure of what the other is thinking.

Hua Jianxiu took out a handkerchief to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes and broke the silence first: "General Gao, how have you been these past years?"

Upon hearing this unfamiliar form of address, Gao Xingzhou replied in standard form: "Thanks to Your Majesty's grace, I am well."

"You must already have a family, right?"

This time, Gao Xingzhou hesitated for a moment before replying, "Your Majesty, I already have two sons and one daughter."

"General Gao is very fortunate, unlike me who has no children and has no one to rely on after the late emperor passed away."

"The Dowager Consort..."

Gao Xingzhou sensed the resentment in her voice and felt a pang of pity.

However, since they couldn't keep her back then, their statuses and positions are now vastly different, making it impossible for them to overstep boundaries and offer her comfort.

"Everyone has their own destiny; everyone chooses their own path."

Gao Xingzhou hesitated, but Hua Jianxiu stopped him, saying, "Empty words are useless. If one day Prince Xu and I are in dire straits, would General Gao be willing to lend a helping hand?"

"The Dowager Consort is the widow of the late Emperor, and Prince Xu is a prince of noble birth; who would dare to make things difficult for them?"

Hua Jianxiu's beautiful eyes sparkled as she looked directly into his eyes: "What if there is?"

The gaze of his former lover made Gao Xingzhou feel an invisible pressure, and he had no choice but to reply, "Since the late emperor has left his will, I will certainly do my best."

"Then I thank you in advance."

Hua Jianxiu chuckled lightly, seemingly mocking his insincerity: "This time, we can probably trust General Gao's promise, right?"

Speechless after hearing that, Gao Xingzhou was speechless. The two fell silent, letting time slip by.

"It's been many years. General Gao, isn't there anything you'd like to say to me?"

Gao Xingzhou lived for fifty years and still didn't understand that even someone as noble as the Empress Dowager was still a woman.

He thought for a moment, then asked the question he had just posed: "Of so many former subordinates, why did the late emperor choose me to entrust with this task?"

Hua Jianxiu didn't answer, but instead asked, "What do you think?"

After much deliberation, Gao Xingzhou concluded that there were only two possibilities.

"Did the late emperor... know about us?"

"Even if he didn't know at first, over time, someone would naturally find out and report it to him, so that I would lose favor."

The power struggles within the imperial harem are treacherous and unpredictable, filled with both overt and covert attacks, and fraught with hidden dangers.

Gao Xingzhou sensed the danger in Hua Jianxiu's casual remark and felt increasingly uneasy.

Li Siyuan did not do anything to himself because of this matter, which shows his great magnanimity.

He thought about it again and realized that it still wasn't right.

The late emperor was far-sighted. Would he really entrust his young son and Hua Jianxiu to my care just because I had a past entanglement with her?

Hua Jianxiu still didn't answer directly. Instead, a mysterious smile curved her lips: "What do you think?"

Gao Xingzhou dared not think about that answer.

Fortunately, Li Congke returned. Hua Jianxiu and Gao Xingzhou looked away and sat up straight, as if the conversation had never happened.

The three people who knew the secret gathered together, and Li Congke, the instigator, looked at the two with a playful gaze.

In the past, Gao Xingzhou would have roared, "What the hell are you doing, Ah San?" and grabbed him, giving him a good beating.

Now that the relationship between ruler and subject is different, they have no choice but to swallow their anger and pretend to be indifferent.

Li Congke took a walk and let the night breeze blow over him, his drunkenness mostly dissipating, and his mood improved: "I have set out this wine to ask the Empress Dowager for a favor."

Hua Jianxiu's heart, which had been slightly relieved, started racing again. What kind of request would the emperor make?

Refusing to become a nun herself, and bringing Gao Xingzhou along, she was lost in thought, and a faint sense of anticipation began to stir within her.

"His Majesty has given the order, and none dare disobey."

Tell me about the circumstances surrounding the late emperor's death.

Li Congke looked at Gao Xingzhou: "Gao Qing must also want to hear it."

Gao Xingzhou nodded emphatically. How did that man, who had spent his life on the battlefield and governed the country for seven years, face the end of his life?

They wanted to know, yet they were also afraid of their illusions being shattered.

"On the fifteenth of November last year, it was snowing. The late emperor went to the Shihe Pavilion in the west of the palace and contracted typhoid fever. His health deteriorated. In just one day, his condition became critical, and he was moved from the Guangshou Hall to the Yonghe Hall."

Hua Jianxiu composed herself and slowly recounted the days leading up to Li Siyuan's death.