BLHO Chapter 25
by VolareFrom afternoon until nightfall, neither of them dared to sleep too soundly.
After Hai hour (9-11 pm), Fengdu City was under curfew.
They got up and left the General’s Manor silently, heading to Drunken Fragrance Pavilion to take care of serious business.
While the imperial court was filled with bloody storms, the pleasure quarters were still filled with singing and dancing, and the patrons were generous, spending lavishly.
In this den of debauchery, the quiet room seemed particularly out of place.
Lin Shuangxu waited in the carriage while He Yuncheng went alone, taking down all the guards, both overt and covert, without making a sound. He scaled the wall, climbed through the window, and entered Song Jiting’s room.
Only after entering did he realize something was wrong.
He had clearly seen a figure projected on the window, which should have been Song Jiting, but after entering, the person was gone.
He carefully searched the room, then saw that the bed curtains were drawn, unsure if there was an ambush inside. Listening for any movement, he slowly approached.
He suddenly yanked open the curtain.
No one.
He turned back to search again and noticed a thin crack in the cabinet door behind him.
Hesitating for a moment, he walked towards the cabinet. The moment he opened the door, he quickly dodged to prevent hidden arrows.
But there was still no one inside, only darkness.
Then he realized that this was no ordinary wooden cabinet, but a disguised door, behind which was a secluded path.
–
Outside the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, Song Jiting, dressed in a green robe, his face covered with white gauze, revealing only a pair of panicked eyes, was running away in haste as the night wind blew.
The secret passage in his room was built by Li Yuliang.
Grand Eunuch Li wielded power that overshadowed the court and had countless enemies. Although Song Jiting was just a lowly male prostitute, he feared that one day he would be implicated and suffer a cruel fate.
The secret passage led to the exit of Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, meant for him to escape in case of emergency.
Song Jiting lifted his robe and hurried down the street, only daring to slow down after confirming that no one was following him. He pulled out a signal arrow from his waist, intending to light it and send it into the sky to ask Li Yuliang for help.
But before he could light the fire starter, a row of figures suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his path.
Song Jiting stopped and watched cautiously.
Blocking his way were a group of dark guards in night clothes. The leader, dressed in white and wearing a luxurious fox fur coat, exuded an air of composure that revealed his extraordinary status.
Song Jiting asked warily, “Who are you?”
Lin Shuangxu stared into his eyes and slowly replied, “You’ll find out soon enough. Please, Master Song, come with us.”
Song Jiting took a step back, threatening, “If you dare to touch me, Grand Eunuch Li will not spare you!”
To protect himself, he could only invoke Li Yuliang’s name to intimidate them.
But Lin Shuangxu had come for Li Yuliang today, so how could he be frightened by his name?
He raised his hand and waved, and the dark guards immediately rushed forward to seize him.
Seeing the situation was bad, Song Jiting didn’t think twice and turned to run in the opposite direction.
Having followed Li Yuliang for so long, he knew what kind of person he was: ruthless and leaving no one a way out. If his enemies came to his door, he would not be merciful. If he fell into the hands of Li Yuliang’s enemies, he would suffer immensely, even if he didn’t die.
As he hurriedly tried to escape, another person blocked his path.
He Yuncheng was not as polite as Lin Shuangxu. He stood with his hands behind his back, his figure elongated by the moonlight. “Master Song, don’t force us to use harsher methods.”
Song Jiting held his breath, squinting to get a better look at his face, and the more he looked, the more familiar he seemed. “You are… General He?”
Knowing that he couldn’t escape, Song Jiting could only put on a brave face. He quickly thought and said, “I don’t know what grudge the general has with Grand Eunuch Li, but if you want to use me to threaten him, I’m afraid it won’t work. I’m just a male prostitute. Grand Eunuch Li wouldn’t sacrifice himself for me.”
He Yuncheng said, “Master Song, you overestimate yourself. My dignified General’s Manor would never resort to such despicable tactics as blackmail. We’ve come to find you today to help you escape.”
Without wasting words, He Yuncheng raised an eyebrow and ordered, “Take him away!”
By the time they escorted him back to the General’s Manor, it was late at night. Eerie candlelight flickered in the courtyard, and all the servants had been sent to the side rooms, with only trusted guards left to watch over the place.
In the main hall, Lin Shuangxu sat on the grand chair, while He Yuncheng stood beside him, playing with a dagger against the tea table.
Song Jiting cautiously stared at the two people in front of him, waiting to hear their purpose for capturing him.
Lin Shuangxu didn’t go straight to the point, but sized Song Jiting up and down, asking him, “Master Song, why do you not show your true face?”
Song Jiting still had the veil on his face. Just looking at his eyes, they were indeed beautiful and clever, but having been humiliated for too long, the light in his eyes had been worn away.
“Grand Eunuch Li doesn’t like me showing my face in public,” Song Jiting replied.
Lin Shuangxu said, “Then I presume your appearance must be extraordinarily stunning.”
Song Jiting was already disgusted with serving others with his looks, saying, “Just a commoner, unremarkable in appearance, undeserving of Grand Eunuch Li’s affection.”
Lin Shuangxu walked up to him. “Master Song, you keep mentioning Grand Eunuch Li. It seems there’s quite a bit of affection between you… I wonder, if Lord Song Lian knew that his child was debasing himself under an eunuch, would his spirit in heaven be at peace?”
Song Jiting’s expression suddenly changed. “How do you know my father is…? You investigated me?”
Falling into prostitution and serving a eunuch was truly a disgrace to the family. Even though his father’s reputation had already been tarnished, Song Jiting still didn’t want anyone to know his identity, which was why he always concealed his face.
Lin Shuangxu said, “It wasn’t easy to invite Master Song here, so naturally we had to do our homework in advance. You don’t have to be so guarded. Didn’t the general say just now that we want to save you?”
“Save me? I don’t know you, so why would you save me?”
“To be honest, we need Master Song’s help.”
“Help with what? Help you deal with Li Yuliang?”
“Yes.”
Song Jiting sneered, “Do you know how many people want to bring down Li Yuliang? And do you know what became of those people?”
Lin Shuangxu said, “Li Yuliang does indeed have powerful connections, which is why we came to you, hoping you can help.”
Without thinking, Song Jiting shook his head. “You overestimate me. I’m just an object he plays with, nothing in his eyes. To expect me to help you, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”
“It’s not that complicated,” Lin Shuangxu said. “We just want to corroborate something with Master Song.”
“What?”
Lin Shuangxu said slowly, “On the wedding night of General He and Princess Meng Ning, someone poisoned the princess. After the poison took effect, it stimulated lust, causing unbearable pain, and red cloud-like marks appeared all over her skin. Master Song, do you know what kind of poison this is?”
He stared intently into Song Jiting’s eyes, not missing a moment of his emotions.
He saw his face suddenly become flustered, as if recalling something, nervous and fearful.
Then, his voice uncontrollably trembled as he asked Lin Shuangxu, “How could there be such a drug in the General’s Manor?”
“Naturally, it’s not something from my manor. Someone brought the drug in, harmed the princess, and wanted to frame the general.”
“Harmed the princess?”
“Yes, Princess Meng Ning is dead.”
Song Jiting widened his eyes in shock.
Lin Shuangxu continued, “That night, after being violated, the princess committed suicide. The Empress Dowager has already issued an edict to find the murderer who harmed the princess. Whoever it is will be killed without mercy. Master Song, I’m being honest with you. Some time ago, at Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, I saw Li Yuliang use this kind of lust poison on you. As long as you are willing to come forward and testify about the source of this drug, I guarantee that Li Yuliang will have nowhere to escape this time.”
The hall was extremely quiet, and Song Jiting’s palms were secretly sweating.
Lin Shuangxu didn’t rush him, quietly waiting for his response.
After waiting for a long time, he finally heard him speak—
“I don’t know… what lust poison? I’ve never heard of it.”