Li Chenzhou shook his head and said, "Father, you have always been a great hero in my eyes. Before Grandfather passed away, he specifically said that you were his most beloved son and the greatest pride of his life!"
At this, Wen Chenghuan's tears fell like rain. Father and son rose, supporting each other. Wen Chenghuan pointed to the unfinished flower-and-bird painting on the writing desk. "Your brother painted that himself before leaving on his diplomatic mission to Great Yong. It seems there will never be a chance to finish it now."
"The dead cannot return to life," Li Chenzhou consoled him. "Father, you mustn't remain immersed in grief forever."
Wen Chenghuan let out a long sigh. He went to the bookshelf, turned the mechanism, and opened the door to the secret chamber, then led Li Chenzhou inside. Apart from himself, only his two sons had ever entered this chamber.
Father and son first went to Li Xuangan's spirit tablet and offered incense to comfort his soul in heaven. Wen Chenghuan said respectfully, "Father, I have finally acknowledged Chenzhou as my son. If you know of this beneath the earth, you may rest easy now."
Following his father, Li Chenzhou kowtowed three times before his grandfather's spirit tablet. After offering incense, the two went to sit nearby.
"My son," Wen Chenghuan said, "Long Xuan'en has made up his mind to reject Great Yong's terms for peace. He must have seen through Great Yong's current situation and realized that it cannot launch another war in the near future."
Li Chenzhou nodded. Long Xuan'en was more cunning than he had expected, and his assessment of the current situation was extremely accurate.
Wen Chenghuan sighed. "How could the late emperor have passed away so suddenly? When I left Great Yong, he told me