BLHO Chapter 64

Chapter 64: I’ll Go With You

Li Yuliang lay motionless on the ground, blood seeping continuously from his back.

He seemed unable to hear Gu Huan’s words, offering not a single response.

Only the silent tears sliding from the corners of his eyes indicated that he was still alive.

He didn’t feel the pain. Such punishments, since his youth, he had endured countless times, and he had long lost count.

The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was not a place for the living.

Newly arrived eunuchs in the palace were worse off than the livestock raised in the imperial kitchens.

Beatings and scoldings were minor. There was nowhere to escape. How long one lived depended entirely on luck. The lucky ones grew to adulthood, while the unlucky were bullied to death, their bodies buried anywhere, unknown to anyone.

Li Yuliang met Song Jiting at a palace banquet fifteen years ago. At that time, he had made a mistake, but he had forgotten what he had done wrong.

The chief eunuch had punished him by forbidding him food for three whole days. He was so hungry that he took advantage of the crowded banquet to hide a piece of osmanthus cake, hoping to eat it, but he was caught after running so far.

Those eunuchs of higher rank surrounded him, kicking and punching him, crushing his osmanthus cake, tying him up, and throwing him into the back mountain, saying they would deal with him after the banquet.

He lay in the dim mountain cave, recalling his days after entering the palace, feeling that dying might be better.

In a daze, he let his consciousness drift.

He thought it was a hallucination before death. He heard someone calling him, Eunuch Yu.

He struggled to open his eyes and, under the moonlight, saw the handsome face of a young man.

How could it be him?

The son of Song Lian, the Minister of Revenue.

He had seen him at the banquet earlier. When he was pouring wine, he was too weak, and his hand trembled, spilling some wine next to this young Master Song.

He was afraid that the chief eunuch would find out and punish him, so he ran away in fright.

Had he come to demand compensation for the clothes?

Li Yuliang had no strength to speak, nor did he have the money to pay for such expensive clothes. If the young Master Song couldn’t bear it, let him kill him to vent his anger.

Anyway, he wouldn’t survive after the banquet ended.

But clearly, Young Master Song had not come to collect debts. Seeing that he was awake, he handed him the osmanthus cake wrapped in a silk handkerchief.

“Are you hungry? Eat it quickly.”

Li Yuliang stared at him fixedly. The confused young master realized that his hands were tied, and he couldn’t eat it himself.

So he squatted next to Li Yuliang, pinched a piece of osmanthus cake, and fed it to him.

But Li Yuliang just stared blankly, not opening his mouth. The young master persuaded him, “Just now, I heard them call you Eunuch Yu. Is Yu your surname? Then I’ll call you Brother Yu. Were you punished for making a mistake? What mistake did you make to be punished so severely? Take a bite first. No matter what, get through this first. Admit your mistakes and correct them. Don’t do bad things in the future.”

Li Yuliang didn’t taste anything from that osmanthus cake.

But he survived.

The first thing he did afterward was to kneel outside the chief eunuch’s door, begging the chief eunuch to recognize him as his son. He was willing to care for his adopted father until his death.

For a whole day and night, the chief eunuch didn’t even look at him once, until he had bloodied his head from kowtowing. Only then did the chief eunuch ask him carelessly, “There are many people who want to care for me until my death. How are you different from others?”

He said, “I am not afraid of death, and I dare to kill.”

So later, he became the chief eunuch’s confidant, rising all the way up to become a powerful and influential traitor.

And that Young Master Song, if he knew that his one act of kindness had created a complete villain, he would probably regret it immensely.

Fortunately, he didn’t remember.

When Li Yuliang, as the chief eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, appeared before him again, Young Master Song had long forgotten that he had once given a piece of osmanthus cake to that dying person.

He said, “Thank you for your kindness, Chief Eunuch, but I am a normal man and cannot accept this.”

He said, “I really don’t remember what you’re talking about, Chief Eunuch. Even if it did happen, it was just a small favor. There’s no need to mention it again.”

He said, “Just pretend that I did save you. You should know that I would throw a bone to a stray dog on the road. It doesn’t mean anything.”

He said, “Li Yuliang, can you stay away from me? It’s disgusting that a rootless eunuch is so filthy.”

Later, when the Song family fell into decline, he used Song Lian as a threat to finally get him to submit willingly.

In countless moments, Li Yuliang wallowed in his own fantasies, deludedly believing that he was willing to be with him.

Was it just wishful thinking?

Clearly, he was pretending too well.

Li Yuliang was deceived and self-deceived, forgetting what means he had used to get him, stupidly thinking that it was love.

So he couldn’t accept Song Jiting’s betrayal.

It was that time he suddenly disappeared. Li Yuliang knew better than anyone that he had probably found a way to escape.

The fear of losing him turned into rage. He forced him to kneel in the snow, almost taking his life…

Years of entanglement flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern, each picture, each scroll, filled with Song Jiting’s face – angry, affectionate, painful.

Where he was now, what kind of danger he faced, all seemed illusory, unrelated to him.

“Chief Eunuch Li.”

Gu Huan’s voice pulled him back to reality.

He opened the medicine bottle in his hand and personally sprinkled the powder on Li Yuliang’s scarred back.

“Your choice was not wrong. In this palace, in this court, you cannot survive without being ruthless. You are like this, and so am I.” He spoke to Li Yuliang as if talking to himself, “Do you think despicable people are born that way?”

Are despicable people born despicable?

Li Yuliang suddenly remembered why he had been punished at the palace banquet fifteen years ago.

At that time, his adopted father had another favored adopted son, who accidentally fell into the water one day. He was nearby, but because he couldn’t swim, he couldn’t save him, which was why his adopted father blamed and punished him.

That adopted son drowned, and only then did he have the opportunity to replace him.

But Li Yuliang, born by the water, knew how to swim from the moment he could walk.

No one knew.

“Chief Eunuch Li, you and I are the same kind of person. That is why you can stand here today.”

–

He Yuncheng returned to the military camp later that evening.

With the expedition imminent, fearful of any further mishaps, Advisor Guo had been waiting anxiously at the camp gate.

Seeing He Yuncheng return, he hurried forward to ask, “How was it? Did you see the Emperor?”

“Yes.” He Yuncheng said, “Summon the generals. In a quarter of an hour, we will discuss the details in my tent.”

Seeing that his expression was good, Advisor Guo was slightly relieved.

“Is he awake?” He Yuncheng asked as he walked towards the camp.

“Awake.” Advisor Guo said, “I instructed the cook to send food to the young master. It seems he was harmed by the strong liquor last night and is still weak. I wanted to ask the military doctor to take a look at him, but the young master said he was fine and didn’t want to trouble the military doctor.”

“I understand.” He Yuncheng said, reaching the outside of the tent, “I’ll go in and see him. Advisor Guo, please go and attend to other matters.”

“Yes.”

The tent wasn’t large, and the bed could be seen immediately upon entering.

Lin Shuangxu was leaning against the headboard, his lips a little dry, looking indeed as weak as Advisor Guo had described.

His originally calm expression changed instantly when he saw He Yuncheng enter, becoming unnatural.

After a glance, he instinctively averted his gaze, looking elsewhere.

“You’re back.” He tried to speak to He Yuncheng naturally.

He Yuncheng’s face, however, showed neither redness nor pallor, staring straight at him, as if he hadn’t seen enough of him last night, even though he had seen him naked.

He walked to the bedside, with his hands behind his back, and leaned closer to Lin Shuangxu.

This left Lin Shuangxu with nowhere to hide. To appear open and aboveboard, he could only meet his gaze. To avoid embarrassment, he took the initiative to speak, “Advisor Guo said you went to see the Emperor. What did he say?”

He Yuncheng went straight to the point, “The Emperor agreed to give me military pay.”

“But what?” Lin Shuangxu asked.

He Yuncheng smiled, “But, the Ministry of War is not under his control. As a temporary measure, Han Mao will accompany us on this expedition as a supervisor.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Shuangxu’s brows furrowed.

He didn’t know much about Han Mao. If he was just awan ku zi di (good-for-nothing playboy) who used his background to compete for power, it would be easy to deal with. But he feared that he was a treacherous and cunning man who would secretly set obstacles for He Yuncheng.

Or perhaps…

Lin Shuangxu remembered Gu Mengning’s earlier reminder.

Who in the Bei Sheng court feared He Yuncheng the most?

Who would only be at ease if He Yuncheng was put to death?

Afraid that he was overthinking, He Yuncheng stopped talking about these things with him, sat by the bed, and tentatively asked him, “Are you, not feeling well?”

Lin Shuangxu was half-lying on the bed, and even the slightest movement caused a visibly painful expression. He Yuncheng saw it all.

“It was too dark last night, and I couldn’t see anything clearly.” He asked Lin Shuangxu guiltily, “Did I… break you?”

Last night’s intensity was certainly something Lin Shuangxu couldn’t handle.

But He Yuncheng’s question was too direct, making him want to disappear.

“Let me see.”

He Yuncheng wasn’t ashamed at all, ignoring Lin Shuangxu’s red face and reaching out to lift the covers.

“See what… no need.” Lin Shuangxu pushed him away in a panic, “I’m fine.”

He Yuncheng certainly didn’t dare to force him, and like a rogue, buried his head in his arms.

“I’m sorry.”

I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable.

I’m also sorry for breaking my promise to you.

I can’t go with you.

The ambiguous atmosphere was tinged with a hint of sorrow.

“Yuncheng.” Soft fingers stroked He Yuncheng’s hair, Lin Shuangxu said softly, “This time, when you go out, I’ll go with you.”

He Yuncheng froze for a moment and looked up.

“You, want to accompany me to war?”

Lin Shuangxu looked at him, his eyes like water, calm and firm.

He Yuncheng had never thought of taking him into danger, and he was certain to reject such a proposal.

But at this moment, he couldn’t say the word “no.”

Excessive infatuation aroused his selfish nature. He confessed that he was overjoyed to hear Lin Shuangxu say this.

“Are you, afraid that I’ll die on the battlefield with no one to collect my corpse?”

Lin Shuangxu considered seriously. If he had to answer, it didn’t seem to be a matter of life or death.

Whether alive or dead… He lowered his eyes, his voice very soft, and said to He Yuncheng, “I think, I can’t leave you.”