BLHO Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Kill Them All

Chapter 98: Kill Them All

Shen Tan had no leisure to discuss with Song Jiting whether his relationship with Li Yuliang was genuine or feigned.

The horse hooves shattered the night, the knuckles gripping the reins turned pale white. She had no other choice; this was the only way to rescue Princess Meng Ning. However slim the hope, she had to try.

She led the remaining shadow guards towards the imperial city at full speed. This time, if negotiations were possible, they would negotiate; if not, they would fight to the death.

With his hands and feet bound, Song Jiting’s face pressed against the cold saddle. The night scenery rushed past his eyes, gradually blurring into phantoms.

To this day, his short life had been filled with turbulence and displacement.

Only when a person reaches the end of their rope do they understand what compassion means.

“General Shen, you must not act rashly. Rescuing the princess requires careful planning.”

Shen Tan ignored him.

He continued to dissuade her, “Have you considered what would happen if you fail to rescue the princess after a reckless attack?”

“We will wash the imperial city with blood and die together.”

“Without a ruler, the country will be in turmoil. The Emperor deserves to die, but what have the people of Bei Sheng done to deserve this?”

The howling night wind drowned out his hoarse voice. Shen Tan’s scabbard gleamed coldly under the moonlight.

“This world is a man-eating furnace. Whether it is a prosperous era or a chaotic one, it’s just a different way of cooking people.”

Song Jiting struggled to raise his head, “Absurd.”

Shen Tan glanced back at him coldly, suddenly feeling pity for him.

For so many years, Song Jiting had been Li Yuliang’s plaything, a soulless shell.

But in fact, he was originally a young master from a noble family, full of passion and ambition.

Princess Meng Ning had promised him that when the matter was done, she would secure him a place in the court.

If that day ever came, he would surely use his power to bring blessings to the people.

Unfortunately, hardship tightly binds those with little fortune. Heaven wanted him to be a prisoner, and he couldn’t grasp a bright future.

The horse hooves scraped against the gravel, making harsh sounds. Shen Tan tightened the reins and sped forward.

“General Shen—”

Suddenly, urgent shouts came from behind. A scout, raising a dust cloud, galloped over with a secret letter.

Hearing the sound, Shen Tan reined in his horse and listened as the scout urgently reported, “General, this is a secret letter delivered by carrier pigeon half an hour ago.”

Shen Tan unfolded the plain paper. There was nothing else written on it, only a single, simple word: Wait.

“Who sent the letter?”

The subordinate shook his head, “Unknown.”

–

Deep within the imperial city, the glazed tiles were turning crab-shell white.

Gu Huan emerged from the dungeon, his brows and eyes clouded with coldness.

He walked silently at the front, while Li Yuliang followed behind him, carrying a palace lantern.

Nearing the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he stopped outside the hall door, turned around, and without saying a word, raised his hand and slapped Li Yuliang hard across the face.

Li Yuliang did not dodge, facing his anger head-on.

A red handprint appeared on his cheek. Gu Huan cursed him as a dog slave, but he remained expressionless, lifted his robe, and knelt down on the ground.

“Your Majesty, please calm your anger.”

Calm his anger? He was being so calm, but if he had no other intentions, why would he protect Princess Meng Ning?

Gu Huan grabbed his collar in anger, “Li Yuliang, are you making a fool of me?”

“This humble servant would not dare.”

He had already explained the reasons just now. Shen Tan was currently leading troops to surround the imperial city. In the open, they had thousands of men, and in the dark, who knew how many more were hidden. At the moment, the border army had not yet returned to court. If the princess were to die in the palace at this time, they would not let it go easily. They would take a single breath, even if it did not succeed, it would inevitably cause the court to suffer a great loss.

It was not urgent to strangle the rebels. He advised the Emperor not to act rashly.

Gu Huan still believed him in his heart, otherwise, he wouldn’t have stopped after such a rage and let Gu Meng Ning off the hook.

But Gu Huan knew him too well. Of course, he could see that the reasons he gave were true, but the hidden selfishness was also true.

Further discussion was useless. Gu Huan stopped wasting words and turned back to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The hall doors closed, and Li Yuliang knelt outside, guarding and not leaving.

Time passed as slowly as if it had stopped. The entire palace was filled with unrest.

Everyone was nervous and tormented. Gu Huan faced the sundial alone, counting the water droplets, one drop, two drops, three drops…

When the morning bell broke through the solidified twilight, good news finally came from the palace.

The messenger entered the hall and reported, “Reporting to Your Majesty, the border army has entered Fengdu City!”

Gu Huan lifted his bloodshot eyes, and a smile finally appeared on his weary face.

“Good, I will personally go to welcome General Han!”

The vermilion palace doors opened, startling the copper bells on the eaves. Li Yuliang was still kneeling outside the hall, his brows and eyes filled with thick inkiness.

Gu Huan glanced at him coldly as he passed by, “The army has already returned to court. Now, can I execute the rebels? Grand Eunuch Li?”

After he finished speaking, he left. Li Yuliang lowered his eyes, and the blood he coughed up stained his collar.

–

Civil and military officials were summoned to the palace to welcome General Han back to court outside the Xuanwu Gate with the Emperor.

The nine-layered palace walls gradually awakened in the morning light, and the sound of colliding black iron armor became clearer and clearer.

As the officials shouted in unison, “Our army is mighty!” the black mass of soldiers approached in neat steps.

At the moment when the sunlight pierced through the clouds, Gu Huan’s smile suddenly changed emotion.

He saw Han Mao walking at the front, looking a little strange. The armor reflected a bluish-grey light, and his body was stiff and expressionless.

A vague sense of unease rose in his heart, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what was wrong.

A moment later, Han Mao rode his horse to a few yards away, and a subtle, sticky sound came from the gaps in his armor.

“General Han…”

Gu Huan called out to him, but before he could see the details clearly, a gust of wind suddenly lifted Han Mao’s cloak.

In an instant, Gu Huan saw that there were centipede-like stitches on Han Mao’s neck – traces of sewing the broken flesh together with thread.

“Your Majesty, be careful!”

Li Yuliang’s roar exploded, and at the same time, Han Mao’s body burst open.

Dried bones and rotten flesh scattered with the armor, falling on the blue brick ground, a shocking sight.

None of the officials in the court had ever seen such a disgusting scene. They were all frightened and panicked, and several of them even turned around and vomited.

Immediately afterwards, the person who had been blocked behind the corpse after the corpse fell apart also appeared in front of everyone.

The man’s silver armor covered his face, and he held the He family’s military seal in his hand.

Gu Huan narrowed his eyes, carefully staring at the man’s face.

With nothing to hide his identity, the man raised his hand and slowly took off his silver mask.

Gu Huan frowned, “It’s you?”

The sound of air being torn apart suddenly arose.

Shen Tan drew his bow like a moon from the shadows, the arrow aimed straight at Gu Huan’s throat.

Li Yuliang’s python robe billowed like a blood wave, unable to take Gu Huan away in time, he used his body to firmly block the attack.

The sound of the shoulder blade being pierced was clearly audible. Gu Huan raised his head and saw his bloodless face as he winced in pain. His arm was shaking, but he was still protecting him tightly.

Li Yuliang had never for a moment entertained the thought of betraying him.

“Protect the Emperor!” He roared angrily, enduring the severe pain of the wound, and a group of Embroidered Uniform Guards held shields and formed a formation to protect Gu Huan’s body.

Song Jiting watched everything from the shadows. Li Yuliang’s actions were just as he had expected, but a dark hatred still grew wildly in his heart.

“Lin Shuangxu.”

Gu Huan called out the name that he had never cared about without missing a word.

Where did the courage come from for a shoulder could not carry the orphaned adopted son, to lead the He family army and fight against the imperial court?

“Bold commoner!”

The situation spiraled out of control again without warning. This time, the enemy was numerous and we were few, and heaven did not protect us.

Gu Huan’s spirit had reached the verge of collapse. He was extremely angry and extremely desperate, and even his breathing began to tremble.

Lin Shuangxu was high above, so indifferent that he could not see a trace of emotion.

His calm gaze lingered slightly on the faces of Gu Huan and Li Yuliang, and then looked at the court officials behind them one by one.

Faces he knew and faces he didn’t know.

He wondered who had participated in the conspiracy to kill He Yuncheng.

He looked ahead and lightly ordered: “Kill them all.”