BLHO Chapter 52

Chapter 52: He Loves You to Death

Chapter 52: He Loves You to Death

Chen Chang failed to deliver Lin Shuangxu as promised before dawn. He Yuncheng kept his word. When the sun rose, he led the He family army into the city.

The high city walls could not resist the surging rebel army. As the army approached the city, the inactive Emperor finally realized that he had created a disaster.

He hid in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, afraid to go out and question the audacious rebel. He only dared to interrogate Li Yuliang beside him, “Did you really arrest Lin Shuangxu?”

Li Yuliang was helpless and comforted him, “Your Majesty, don’t worry. The Imperial City has the Imperial Guards and the Feathered Forest Guards defending it strictly. He Yuncheng cannot rebel.”

–

Outside the palace, He Yuncheng only brought a few thousand soldiers. The main force was still stationed in the military camp outside the city.

The Imperial Guards held shields and formed a human wall to protect the palace firmly.

The archers of the Feathered Forest Guards lined up neatly on the city tower, ready to draw their bows at any time.

The two sides confronted each other, swords drawn and bows strung.

If war broke out, apart from the suffering of the people, it would not benefit anyone.

Li Yuliang ascended the city tower and looked down at He Yuncheng.

“General He, has it finally come to this day.”

Since ancient times, emperors have been wary of military generals. There are countless precedents of armed forces rebelling.

He Yuncheng had never had the intention of rebellion.

But after the war subsided, hundreds of thousands of He family troops became his original sin.

The court would not allow someone with the power to overthrow the country to be at ease.

He looked at the Imperial Guards on the city tower. The gray and white sky flickered in his eyes, making him feel a little dazed.

He had no intention of seizing power at all. How did the situation come to this point?

In the dark, it seemed that someone was pushing him forward, forcing him to the final outcome of rebellion.

Who was it?

Li Yuliang?

Li Yuliang wanted him dead. He had opportunities to do so in the Imperial Prison.

Why did he drag it out until now?

Or rather, it wasn’t that he didn’t act, but that someone was protecting the He family in the dark.

He Yuncheng said to Li Yuliang, “I’ll ask one last time, where is he?”

“General He, since you’ve already rebelled, why not be brave and take responsibility? What reason does the court have to hide a wanted criminal? I think you yourself are crying ‘stop thief,’ abducting the prisoner and then framing the court, using such a clumsy excuse to give yourself a pretext to send troops!”

The two men were like lightning and flint, checking and balancing each other, also testing each other.

Everyone knew in their hearts that once this war broke out, it would be irreversible.

–

Lin Shuangxu didn’t know how he fell unconscious. His memory stopped on the road where the Embroidered Uniform Guard was escorting him back to the Imperial Prison.

His head was heavy and dizzy. He opened his eyes with difficulty, and the surrounding scenery was very unfamiliar.

A spacious and clean room. He wasn’t in prison, and this wasn’t the General’s Manor/Residence.

“You’re awake.”

A woman’s voice.

Somewhat familiar.

Lin Shuangxu followed the voice and saw the figure projected on the screen.

He narrowed his eyes and looked closely at the silhouette.

“Who are you?”

The other party deliberately kept him in suspense, giving him enough time to guess.

He recalled the last clear picture. Shen Tan, on the orders of the Empress Dowager, escorted him back to the Imperial Prison. On the way, she gave him a drink of water.

After drinking it, he knew nothing.

Why would Shen Tan do this?

Where was this?

What was the purpose of bringing him here?

Lin Shuangxu stared at the figure on the screen, and countless virtual and real fragments were quickly pieced together in his mind.

The truth was close at hand, but such a truth was too unreasonable.

Lin Shuangxu said to the person behind the screen, “Since you’ve captured me, you might as well state your purpose clearly. There’s no need to be mysterious.”

A delicate voice came, “Oh, the word ‘capture’ is not used correctly.”

A graceful figure stood up. As the woman spoke, she walked out from behind the screen.

“You are my honored guest. I specially invited you here.”

A face as beautiful as peach blossoms, a smile, as bright as yesterday.

“Princess Meng Ning?”

Lin Shuangxu had guessed it, but he was still extremely surprised to see the face in front of him clearly.

“You… are still alive?”

Princess Meng Ning lightly waved her fan, looking in a good mood. “What’s that expression? How should I put it? He Yuncheng and I were only one step away from becoming husband and wife. We were almost family. Am I not alive, is Shuangxu brother unhappy?”

Lin Shuangxu naturally hoped that she was alive more than anyone else.

“What exactly is going on? Since you are safe and sound, why hide and refuse to show yourself? Who was the woman who died in the General’s Manor/Residence that night?”

Princess Meng Ning only smiled and said nothing.

The closer he got to the truth, the more Lin Shuangxu felt chills down his spine.

He asked Princess Meng Ning, “Are you setting up this scheme?”

“Not so.” Princess Meng Ning said, “I’m just taking advantage of the situation.”

“What do you mean? You knew someone was going to harm you?”

“Of course. That servant girl was making small moves under my nose every day. Did she really think she was being secretive?”

Princess Meng Ning had discovered that the palace maid who accused them during the joint trial by the three judicial offices was strange a long time ago.

So she had found a substitute in advance.

The bride who worshiped heaven and earth with He Yuncheng and died tragically in the bridal chamber was a fake Princess Meng Ning.

“Since you were aware of it, why did you let things develop? Do you know what kind of predicament the General’s Manor/Residence has fallen into because of this?”

“Of course, I know.” Princess Meng Ning’s smile did not diminish, and her face was filled with satisfaction. “I just want to force the He family into a desperate situation. Otherwise, how could our loyal General He raise troops to besiege the Imperial City?”

Princess Meng Ning walked to the window and opened the window lattice.

The snow had stopped. It was a rare sunny day, and the dazzling light shook people’s eyes.

She held her hand over her brow and looked into the distance. Her deep eyes were filled with arrogance and ambition.

She said to herself with pleasure, “The brave and good at war He family army, at this time, should have killed their way into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, right?”

Lin Shuangxu’s breathing became heavier, and his nervous emotions were difficult to conceal.

What Princess Meng Ning was doing would kill He Yuncheng.

“If you want to take revenge, you can discuss it with the He family. The He family will not sit idly by and watch the treacherous officials run rampant. Why do you have to stir up the court and put Yuncheng in a situation of eternal doom?”

“Revenge?” Princess Meng Ning was amused by him and shook her head. “They are all chess pieces, all in the game, each operating on their own. I have no enemies, so I don’t need to take revenge.”

“If it’s not for revenge, then what is the purpose of everything you’ve done?”

Princess Meng Ning took a deep breath, pretended to think, and then walked to Lin Shuangxu and said to him word by word, “I want to be the Emperor.”

These few light words sent a chill down Lin Shuangxu’s back.

This was something he had never expected. Princess Meng Ning’s ambition had reached this point.

She said, “I want Bei Sheng’s land. I want to be the ruler of the world.”

“You’re thinking too easily.” Lin Shuangxu said in a deep voice, “If you think that by controlling me, you can make He Yuncheng do whatever you want and seize power for you, then you are very wrong. To him, I am not that important.”

“Then you are wrong, Shuangxu brother.” Princess Meng Ning raised her eyebrows and teased, “He loves you to death.”

–

Lin Shuangxu knew better than anyone what He Yuncheng would do for him.

But at the same time, he also firmly believed that He Yuncheng was not a careless person. For major decisions, he would think again and again.

As long as he paid attention to those details, he would definitely notice something strange.

And in fact, He Yuncheng did notice someone.

Shen Tan.

After the incident, she disappeared along with Lin Shuangxu.

If Li Yuliang really didn’t do it, finding Shen Tan might lead to the answer.

At the foot of the Imperial City, the two armies were still in tense confrontation.

No one acted rashly.

When He Yuncheng discovered that Shen Tan had disappeared, Li Yuliang naturally also discovered that something was wrong.

The subordinates they secretly sent out were all searching with all their strength.

They had to get ahead of the other party.

Whoever found the person first would be able to see the overall situation and seize the initiative first.

The door to the Hall of Mental Cultivation was tightly closed, and outside were layers of Imperial Guards guarding it, protecting the Emperor’s safety in all directions.

From daybreak to nightfall, the conflict had not broken out.

The more He Yuncheng remained still, the more restless the people in the palace became.

Li Yuliang did not dare to relax and stayed on the city tower, personally overseeing the situation.

Footsteps hurried through the streets and forests, and a carpet search spread silently from the city all the way to the outskirts.

The Imperial Guards led scent-sensitive hounds, running all the way into the barren forest.

When night fell again, Li Yuliang’s subordinates hurried up to the city tower, returning to report first.

“Master Attendant, we found her!”

The scent of the life-sustaining balm was imperceptible to ordinary people, but it could not escape the tracking of the hounds.

Li Yuliang valued Shen Tan so much, how could he let her escape his control.

To the ends of the earth, where could she hide?

On the other side, in the carriage, He Yuncheng closed his eyes and meditated, waiting quietly for news.

The subordinate outside the window whispered to him, “General, villagers outside the city have seen suspicious activity.”

He Yuncheng suddenly opened his eyes and pushed open the car door, getting out of the carriage.

Under the round moon, the north wind howled, the banners on the towering city walls swayed, and the situation was unpredictable.

Li Yuliang stood on the city tower, looking at him with his eyes meeting.

Both of them knew that the other was about to take action. Neither of them spoke, and at the same time, they turned and left.