NCCnovel Chapter 416 House Phase
Chapter 416 House Phase
Li Chengqian walked out of Li Jing's residence slowly, raised his head and took a deep breath of the cool air. The haze that had been lingering in his heart for a long time seemed to dissipate a little, and he felt much more relaxed.
Recalling that although Li Jing was bedridden, he still had a clear mind, and his words were full of memories of the past and expectations for the future, Li Chengqian's mouth corners unconsciously rose a little.
At least judging from Li Jing's mental state today, as long as he takes care of himself, there shouldn't be any major problems. This made Li Chengqian feel a little relieved.
The carriage moved slowly forward in the snow, making a creaking sound, and soon arrived at its last stop - Fang Xuanling's mansion.
The mansion looked exceptionally peaceful under the cover of snow, and the icicles hanging from the eaves sparkled in the dim light.
Li Chengqian gently pushed open the door of the mansion. The courtyard was covered in silver and white. Several plum trees stood proudly at the corner of the wall. The plum blossoms on the branches bloomed in the snow, emitting bursts of faint fragrance.
Fang Xuanling, an old man who devoted his life to the Tang Dynasty during the Zhenguan and Qianwu reigns, was now sitting quietly by the fire.
His thin body looked even weaker in the light of the fire. He looked through the window glass and watched the snowflakes falling outside quietly.
Li Chengqian opened the door gently and walked in, but the slight noise still startled the people in the house.
Lu Miaoyu was the first to notice someone coming in. Seeing it was His Majesty, she hurriedly stood up and was about to salute when Li Chengqian quickly stepped forward and gently waved his hand, "Madam Fang, please don't be polite."
His voice was soft, afraid to disturb the tranquility in the room.
Fang Xuanling, who was sitting in a wheelchair, heard the sound and slowly turned his head. He looked in the direction of Li Chengqian with a vicissitudes of life in his eyes. His lips moved slightly and he asked weakly, "Your Majesty, you are here?"
Li Chengqian's heart suddenly tightened. Looking at the old minister who was once the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty but now looked so haggard due to the erosion of time, his eyes could not help but become slightly moist.
Li Chengqian walked quickly to Fang Xuanling, moved a chair over, sat down gently in front of him, then stretched out his hand and held Fang Xuanling's old and slender hand tightly.
When he touched the hand, Li Chengqian could clearly feel that it had become almost skin and bones, and the feeling of guilt in his heart became stronger.
"Prime Minister Fang, I'm here. Thank you for all the hard work you've done these years."
Li Chengqian's voice was slightly hoarse, and his eyes were filled with self-blame and heartache. "I feel guilty. If I hadn't left you in Chang'an and let you toil day and night in the court, you might not have suffered so much, and your health wouldn't have been in such a state."
Fang Xuanling shook his head slowly, a faint smile appeared on his face, and there was a bit of open-mindedness in that smile: "Your Majesty, what are you talking about?"
"As a minister of the Tang Dynasty, I previously served as Prime Minister, shouldering the heavy responsibility of assisting Your Majesty in governing the country."
"Although I am now old, I am honored to be the elder of the Tang Dynasty. I should serve in my position and make decisions. This is the duty of an old minister."
"Your Majesty treats me well, and I understand that very well."
"I know the condition of this old minister well, Your Majesty, so there's no need to worry too much."
At this point, Fang Xuanling sighed, "I am in much better shape than old man Wei. He is only one year younger than me, yet he is so weak."
"Old minister, holding on for another two years shouldn't be a problem."
Fang Xuanling paused for a moment, the smile on his face gradually disappearing, replaced by a sense of relief. "This old minister has devoted his entire life to the Tang Dynasty, worrying about so many things."
"Now that I can finally relax, I don't want to dwell on those troubles anymore. I just want to quietly empty myself for a while. Your Majesty, please don't blame me."
Li Chengqian nodded heavily, "What nonsense are you talking about, Prime Minister Fang? How could I blame you? If I have to blame anyone, it should be that I have let you down!"
Fang Xuanling shook his head again, his eyes full of gratitude: "Your Majesty, you have done the utmost for our Fang family."
"I have always known about the matter of Yiai. I have seen and remembered everything Your Majesty has done. But I have never known how to thank Your Majesty for this kindness. So, over the years, I have only been able to work harder on government affairs, hoping to share Your Majesty's worries."
"Now, I, this old minister, can finally open my heart and say this to Your Majesty."
Fang Xuanling's voice trembled slightly, tears glistening in his eyes, "Your Majesty, thank you for saving the dignity of my Fang family."
Li Chengqian sighed, "Prime Minister Fang, those are all things of the past. Let's not talk about them anymore."
"What you have to do now is to take good care of yourself."
"My Great Tang will soon enter a new era. Prime Minister Fang, I want you to see it with me, okay?"
Fang Xuanling looked at Li Chengqian's expectant eyes, a gratified smile on his face, and nodded slowly: "Okay, Your Majesty, I promise you that I will work hard to take care of my health and see this new era with you."
Fang Xuanling's eyes revealed his longing for the future. Although he knew that his physical condition might not allow him to see the full picture of that day, he was willing to make another effort for His Majesty and the Tang Dynasty, even if it was just to see it for a moment.
"Your Majesty, it is a blessing for the Tang Dynasty and for the people of the world that it has a monarch like you!"
Although Fang Xuanling's voice was weak, it was full of power and echoed in the silent room.