BLHO Chapter 34
by VolareSong Jiting woke up to find himself lying in a warm room.
He didn’t know how long it had been, but the wind and snow outside were completely blocked out. He was covered with a thick quilt, his back resting against a warm chest.
Without turning his head, he knew who was holding him just by looking at the hand around his chest.
Li Yuliang.
This damned eunuch… actually spared his life?
Was he unwilling to let him die, or did he think that dying like this was too easy for him?
He didn’t dare to wake him up, held his breath, and thought about his next course of action.
Just then, the person behind him spoke first, “Awake?”
Song Jiting stiffened and turned around slowly.
His frostbitten body hadn’t fully recovered, and his movements were a little sluggish.
“Grand Eunuch…”
Their eyes met. Li Yuliang’s eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like he hadn’t rested well in a long time.
“Does Grand Eunuch… forgive me?”
“No,” Li Yuliang answered bluntly, pulled out his arm from under his head, and got out of bed.
He opened the door and called for someone. The madam, who was guarding outside the door, quickly led a doctor in.
Seeing that Song Jiting was awake, she clapped her hands with joy. “Oh, my dear, you’re finally awake! You’ve been in a coma for two whole days, making the Grand Eunuch anxious. He’s been watching over you the whole time, afraid you wouldn’t wake up! Now that you’re awake, please, doctor, take his pulse again.”
“Yes.”
Song Jiting couldn’t care less about his own body. He only heard the madam say that he had been in a coma for two days.
Had it been delayed for so long?
No, he had to fulfill his agreement with the General’s Manor before the joint trial by the three judicial offices, otherwise, once General He’s case was over, no one would be able to help him save his father.
He handed his wrist to the doctor and looked at Li Yuliang with feigned grievance. “Do you believe me now?”
“No.”
“If you don’t believe me, why do you keep me around?”
“Because I feel happy.”
Because that “Brother Yu” made him feel comfortable.
This was Song Jiting’s only purpose as a plaything—to amuse the Grand Eunuch.
If the Grand Eunuch was unhappy, he could kill him at any time. If the Grand Eunuch was happy, he could be spared from a death sentence.
Li Yuliang’s anger had completely dissipated, and his eyes held undisguised tenderness.
But Song Jiting felt only fear and disgust.
“Say it again,” Li Yuliang ordered.
“Say what?”
“What do you think?”
The doctor lowered his head, not daring to look around. After taking his pulse, he quickly got up and stepped aside. “Grand Eunuch, the young master’s body is fine. He doesn’t need medicine. He just needs to rest well for a few days to recover.”
Li Yuliang didn’t even look at him and waved his hand.
The doctor quickly retreated.
Then, Li Yuliang, regardless of the madam still being present, continued to act badly. “Say it.”
“Someone’s here…”
The madam was very perceptive. Hearing this, she quickly excused herself and left.
Time was running out. Li Yuliang was capricious, and Song Jiting didn’t dare to keep him in suspense.
He obediently lowered his head to Li Yuliang and called out, “Brother Yu…”
Li Yuliang smiled in satisfaction and covered his thin lips with his own.
Song Jiting was very obedient. By this point, he was already numb to his own wretchedness.
“Who’s the bastard?” Li Yuliang questioned him. “Who’s the damned eunuch?”
Song Jiting blushed and refused to answer.
“You even want to wait for me in hell. How much do you hate me?” Li Yuliang pinched his chin. “Tell me, who did you collude with to harm me?”
“No, no collusion…” Song Jiting hugged him, trying to get away with it.
Li Yuliang didn’t fall for it. “Still lying?”
The corners of Song Jiting’s eyes turned red. “I’m not lying. I really went to the mountains to see my mother. I miss her so much.”
Seeing the tenderness in Li Yuliang’s eyes, Song Jiting took the opportunity to ask, “Brother Yu, how is my father now?”
Li Yuliang kissed him passionately, not answering.
Song Jiting responded to him and continued to ask, “How has he been lately? How is his health? Where is he now? Can I…”
Li Yuliang’s movements stopped abruptly.
The threads of affection were emptied, and his expression darkened.
He ran his fingers through Song Jiting’s hair, gripping the strands, from stroking to pulling hard.
“Don’t provoke me anymore, okay?”
–
He Yuncheng only slept for two hours last night. Before dawn, he left the military camp and rushed to the Imperial Palace.
Although this little brat Gu Huan was timid, he was, after all, the Emperor of Bei Sheng. Now that the court was beset by internal and external troubles, it was time for him to come out and take charge.
The atmosphere in the Imperial Palace was as oppressive as ever.
Since Gu Huan ascended the throne, the ministers had not attended the morning court for many years.
Most of the memorials submitted by local officials were reviewed by the Directorate of Ceremonial, and many newly appointed officials had never even seen the Emperor’s face.
Presumably, the Emperor Gu Huan also didn’t know how many subjects he had.
The imperial power, which was so lofty in the eyes of the common people, was actually so absurd.
When He Yuncheng arrived outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he found that the atmosphere in the palace was unusual today.
A group of eunuchs stood at the door, each of them trembling, anxious about something.
He Yuncheng quickly scanned around and didn’t see Li Yuliang’s figure.
He stepped forward and asked the head eunuch, “Is the Emperor in?”
“General He,” the eunuch greeted him with a bow. “The general has come at an inopportune time. The Emperor is in a temper right now, and he won’t let anyone in. If you have anything to say, please come back another day.”
As soon as he finished speaking, they heard a loud crash.
Gu Huan must have thrown something against the door panel, shattering it into pieces.
He Yuncheng frowned and asked in confusion, “Why is the Emperor angry?”
The eunuch replied, “This humble servant doesn’t know. The Emperor went to the Cishou Palace yesterday. I don’t know what he talked about with the Empress Dowager, but he came back unhappy, locked himself in the hall, refused to eat, and has been throwing things…”
As he was speaking, he saw another young eunuch rushing back, so he had no time to pay attention to He Yuncheng. He quickly went up to meet him and asked, “How is it? Has the Grand Eunuch returned?”
The young eunuch wiped his sweat and gasped for breath. “He’s back, he’s back! He’s already outside the palace gate!”
The eunuch slapped his thigh and said happily, “He’s finally back!”
He Yuncheng listened from the side. After waiting for a moment, he stepped forward again and said, “Please inform the Emperor that He Yuncheng requests an audience.”
The eunuch looked troubled. “I’m really sorry, General He, but the Emperor said he wouldn’t see anyone. This humble servant doesn’t dare to go in. How about this? You wait here for a while. The Grand Eunuch will be back soon. You can tell him whatever you need to.”
He Yuncheng looked at the tightly closed hall door.
He didn’t know what was going on with Gu Huan. This probably wasn’t a good time to discuss serious matters with him. If Li Yuliang were to interfere again, the situation would be even more unfavorable.
He thought for a moment and said, “In that case, I won’t bother the Emperor. I’ll come back another day.”
“Thank you, General.”
On the long palace road, He Yuncheng met Li Yuliang head-on as he was leaving.
The two of them each stared at their own path ahead, and their eyes didn’t meet as they brushed past each other.
He Yuncheng’s attitude was normal. He had always despised eunuchs.
But Li Yuliang was usually hypocritical. When he saw officials of the court, he would still pretend to be polite.
Today, he didn’t even want to pretend, as he was distracted by other things.
The servants outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation were anxiously waiting.
Seeing that the Grand Eunuch had finally returned, they hurriedly crowded forward.
“Grand Eunuch, you’re finally back! The Emperor hasn’t eaten or drunk anything since yesterday, and he’s locked himself in the hall, not even letting us in to serve him. What are we going to do!”
“I know,” Li Yuliang said, not stopping his steps as he walked straight towards the hall door. “You may all leave.”
“Yes.”
The crowd scattered and retreated. Li Yuliang listened carefully to the movements inside through the door.
There was no sound.
He gently pushed the door open, and sunlight streamed into the dull bedchamber through the crack in the door.
Torn memorials lay at his feet, and shattered jade ornaments were scattered all over the floor.
As Li Yuliang walked inside, he bent down to clean up the mess on the ground.
He pieced together the fragments of the memorials and saw that the signature was the Prime Minister’s name.
The fragments of sentences on the memorials were all criticisms and condemnations of the Emperor.
He continued to walk inside and saw the thin figure lying on the dragon bed.
After cleaning up the fallen objects, he knelt before the bed, awaiting orders.
“Your Majesty.”
The little Emperor was no longer a naive child, but his innocent face was still ignorant of the world.
His voice was extremely tired. “Grand Eunuch Li, where did you go?”