BLHO Chapter 58

Chapter 58: Achilles’ Heel

Those eyes were still so naive, just like when he held his hand as a child and led him back home.

But such innocence, after learning the truth of everything, only made one’s hair stand on end.

The Empress Dowager looked at the child she had personally raised, trembling with fear.

Gu Huan smiled harmlessly and continued, “That year, I was five years old, and my father Emperor adopted me to you, recognizing you as my mother… Mother, how dare you raise me? Do you really think that a five-year-old child understands nothing?”

He recalled his childhood memories, a manic red tint rising in his eyes.

“I watched her being pushed into the pond with my own eyes, drowning to death alive under the blooming lotus field. The one who harmed her was your subordinate.”

He looked disdainfully at the dying Empress Dowager, asking her, “Weren’t you the best of sisters? Just because her rank was low and no one cared, she could be arbitrarily killed? Mother, Mother…”

Gu Huan sneered and asked her, “You can’t give birth to a son yourself, so you go and snatch someone else’s son, comfortably sitting in this esteemed position of Empress Dowager. All these years, have you really never had nightmares at night?”

She was not his mother.

He had a mother.

Killed by the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager recognized him as her imperial son, supported him to ascend the throne, but never gave him any real power as an emperor.

He was just a puppet of hers.

Just a tool for her to control power.

“Let me tell you another secret.” Gu Huan smiled at the Empress Dowager, “It was I who killed Imperial Sister.”

The Empress Dowager’s eyeballs bulged out terrifyingly, gasping for breath, unable to say a word.

“What’s with the excitement?” Gu Huan said amusedly, “When she was alive, I didn’t see you feeling much heartache for her. To you, a biological daughter is just something to be used. You wanted to use her to consolidate your military power, but I just wouldn’t let you have your way… The He family, Mother wants to protect, but I will definitely weaken them.”

The Empress Dowager’s emotions were out of control, her body began to convulse, and the sound from her throat made one’s scalp tingle.

Gu Huan enjoyed it very much.

On the other side of the wall, He Yuncheng and Lin Shuangxu were in dire straits, completely unaware of what was happening here.

Li Yuliang still gave He Yuncheng a chance to choose.

“General He, the military power, and Lin Shuangxu, which one do you want to protect? Decide now.”

He Yuncheng’s fists clenched tightly, his eyes already filled with killing intent.

“I choose to send you to hell first.”

The worst outcome was just death. Continuing to be at someone’s mercy would not bring about a turning point.

He Yuncheng no longer hesitated, blocking Lin Shuangxu behind him, and kicked a porcelain vase next to him, smashing it towards Li Yuliang.

Li Yuliang dodged, shouting for people to come. The palace door opened, and the Embroidered Uniform Guards entered in response.

He Yuncheng did not expect that the hidden weapons he had concealed before coming would actually come in handy.

With a flick of his hand, a hidden dart was thrown out, hitting the vitals of several people in the front row.

Before those people could react, they fell to the ground with wide eyes.

The people behind were unprepared. Seeing the corpses of their colleagues falling down one after another, they were immediately thrown into disarray.

Li Yuliang frowned displeased, his gloomy gaze observing the battle situation.

He Yuncheng was actually fighting against many opponents alone, not allowing the Embroidered Uniform Guards to get close.

With He Yuncheng’s skills, it would not be easy for the Embroidered Uniform Guards to capture him.

Moreover, he had prepared hidden weapons on his body when he entered the palace today. No one could guarantee whether he had arranged manpower outside the palace like last time.

If he was pushed too hard and raised troops against them, it would be difficult to end.

If they wanted to subdue him, they still needed to target his weakness.

Without wasting time, Li Yuliang drew his long sword and attacked Lin Shuangxu in the midst of the melee.

Lin Shuangxu watched as the blade pointed directly at him.

But before it got close, He Yuncheng pulled himself out of the crowd, snatched a xiuchundao and blocked Li Yuliang’s sword.

Iron clashed, sparks flew everywhere.

He Yuncheng realized Li Yuliang’s purpose, and his anger was completely ignited. He was no longer willing to show any mercy and launched a counterattack.

Every step was a killing move. Even though Li Yuliang’s skills were extraordinary, he was facing He Yuncheng, the Yama who had fought his way out of the battlefield, and he was provoking the Lin Shuangxu, whom he held in his heart and would not allow anyone to touch.

Naturally, He Yuncheng would not give up until he took his life.

With another slash, Li Yuliang was unable to dodge and was cut in the chest.

The deep wound was bleeding non-stop, and his clothes were instantly stained red.

Li Yuliang fell to the ground, unable to get up. He Yuncheng had no intention of letting him go. The murderous general, having seen blood, would not give up until he crushed his bones.

“General He! Stop! Don’t you want him to live?”

Someone behind him shouted at He Yuncheng.

He Yuncheng turned around and saw that the Embroidered Uniform Guards had surrounded Lin Shuangxu, with knives held to his neck, ready to fall at any moment.

Li Yuliang’s chest wound was gurgling with blood, his face pale, but he was unwilling to bow his head. His hoarse voice threatened He Yuncheng, “Hand over the military seal, and I’ll let you take him away.”

The military seal…

Reason slowly returned. He Yuncheng raised his head, looking at the dark ceiling of the main hall, the tip of the knife in his hand pointing downwards, dripping blood incessantly.

He was confident that he could save Lin Shuangxu.

He was also confident that he could kill everyone present today.

What would be the consequences of doing so?

He turned his head and looked at Lin Shuangxu.

The always thoughtful person did not have an answer in his eyes at this moment.

Only heartache for He Yuncheng remained.

He Yuncheng sighed softly, feeling that the world was truly ridiculous, having been forced to a dead end.

He raised his hand and slowly reached into his lapel.

All the Embroidered Uniform Guards tensed up.

No one was sure whether He Yuncheng would take out the military seal next, or a killing weapon.

His movements were slow, unhurried.

Everyone hoped that he would take out the military seal.

However, before the result could be seen, someone came from outside the hall.

It was a female official from the Cishou Palace.

“The Empress Dowager’s decree has arrived—”

The female official entered and stood still, her aura no less imposing despite being alone. She opened the scroll in her hand and announced to the kneeling crowd: “Regarding the case of the princess, this palace has already sent people to verify that it was not the doing of Lin Shuangxu, the young master of the He family. From today onwards, no institution in the court shall detain him for no reason under the pretext of investigating the case. If there are any other clues in the future, no one shall summon him again without a personal order from this palace.”

After reading the decree, the female official closed the scroll and glanced coldly at the dazed Embroidered Uniform Guards, “Aren’t you going to release him?”

It was beyond everyone’s expectations.

No one understood why the Empress Dowager would issue a special decree to save Lin Shuangxu’s life.

While the Embroidered Uniform Guards were confused but could only release him, the female official’s voice passed through the walls, and every word fell clearly into Gu Huan’s ears.

The smile on his face gradually disappeared.

The Empress Dowager had been unable to get out of bed or speak for several days.

In other words, before she completely lost her ability to act, this decree had been drafted long ago.

Lin Shuangxu’s crime was cleared, so there was nothing to threaten He Yuncheng anymore.

In extreme anger, the corners of Gu Huan’s mouth twitched slightly.

Then he suddenly reached out and Pinch.

“You really deserve to die…”