BLHO Chapter 59

“Get out.”

Li Yuliang stumbled to his feet, wanting to stop He Yuncheng from leaving.

But his injuries were severe, blood was still flowing, and he couldn’t even stand steadily, so he was no match for He Yuncheng at all.

He Yuncheng didn’t look at him again, threw the embroidered spring blade in his hand, and walked to Lin Shuangxu’s side.

His cold and stern gaze swept over him, confirming that Lin Shuangxu was not injured, then he took his hand and, under the gaze of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, left the Yangxin Hall.

Empress Dowager Duan ZhiQiu’s last breath was strangled in Gu Huan’s palm. As she approached death, she desperately opened her mouth.

But with all her strength, she could only make a weak wheezing sound.

Gu Huan’s crazed eyes stared at her unwilling gaze. He lowered his head, brought his ear closer, and suddenly became curious what her last words before death would be.

“Shuang…”

The fragmented sound didn’t form a sentence.

Gu Huan frowned, lost his patience, and snapped her neck.

A gust of wind suddenly arrived, blowing Lin Shuangxu’s hair.

The cold air drilled under his cloak, and he shivered, stopping.

“What’s wrong?” He Yuncheng asked him.

Lin Shuangxu turned his head and glanced at the gradually receding palace, shaking his head. “It’s nothing, let’s go.”

“Okay.”

In the carriage returning to the General’s Manor, He Yuncheng didn’t say a word, tightly gripping Lin Shuangxu’s hand, even more forcefully than when they had come.

He was angry, and Lin Shuangxu could clearly feel his rage.

His hand was stained with blood, splashed on him during the fight just now.

Lin Shuangxu didn’t say much, took a white handkerchief from his bosom, turned his wrist, and took his hand into his own palm, carefully wiping away the blood stains with the handkerchief.

He Yuncheng was expressionless, letting him do as he pleased.

After wiping it clean, Lin Shuangxu looked up and gave He Yuncheng a calm smile.

Then, he reached out to touch his face and pulled him into his arms.

His tense body slowly relaxed, and He Yuncheng withdrew from his battle-ready state.

He sheathed his claws, softened his fur, and was willing to reveal the grievances beneath his fierceness.

He leaned weakly on Lin Shuangxu’s shoulder, wearily closing his eyes.

It had been many days since he had properly rested.

“Do you blame me?” he asked Lin Shuangxu.

If he hadn’t insisted on opposing the imperial court, if from the beginning, when the Ministry of War’s troop deployment order came down, he had obediently complied…

Perhaps these subsequent troubles wouldn’t have happened.

Even worse, Lin Shuangxu wouldn’t have been implicated, his life threatened again and again because of him.

“I don’t blame you, it’s my fault for not doing better.” Lin Shuangxu stroked his back, saying to him, “I have failed the late General He’s entrustment, I didn’t protect you well.”

He wished he could be more selfish.

If he were more selfish, he would tell He Yuncheng that everything they now possessed – power, status, even the peace on the border, the greater good of the world… he didn’t care about any of it.

He only cared about He Yuncheng.

But what they sought was ultimately different.

A stable and mediocre life was not He Yuncheng’s destiny.

The blood of the He family would only be spilled on battlefields where they slaughtered enemies, never regretting dying nine times over, using their bodies to build cities.

–

The death knell rang seven times, the empty sound of the bell echoing in the imperial city, lingering for a long time.

The Empress Dowager, overseeing state affairs and working too hard, succumbed to a serious illness.

The Bei Sheng imperial palace, with the highest honors, mourned her passing.

The Emperor, grieving the loss of his mother, was extremely saddened, closed himself off, and refused to see anyone.

Only after nightfall did he summon Grand Eunuch Li Yuliang, the Palace Attendant, to serve him personally.

The Golden Luan Hall, which Gu Huan, the emperor who never attended court, had rarely set foot in.

But now, in the dim light, he sat alone on the high dragon throne, overlooking the empty, deserted hall.

He was finally like an emperor, high above, looking down on all living beings, no longer needing to show weakness or ingratiate himself to anyone.

Li Yuliang’s shadow grew closer and closer.

The knife wound was too severe, his face was pale, and his steps were heavy. He walked to the center of the hall and knelt on the ground.

He didn’t raise his head to look at Gu Huan, but one by one, he placed the things he had brought before him.

“Five thousand Imperial Guards, their military seal. Thirty thousand Feather Forest Guards, their military seal. The Ministry of Revenue’s secret treasury, the silver stored within is enough to rival two national treasuries, the key.”

As Li Yuliang spoke, he straightened the items, then opened the memorial beside him and continued, “On this list are the radical officials who have spoken out against you over the years. They have all been eliminated. The most recent addition is the Prime Minister.”

The Prime Minister had always been dissatisfied with Gu Huan. Over the years, he had caused him no end of trouble and even attempted to have the Empress Dowager issue an edict to make his daughter Gu Huan’s empress.

He was a thorn in Gu Huan’s side.

Therefore, Li Yuliang had framed his son, accusing him of embezzlement and executing his entire family.

And now, the one accumulating wealth and embezzling funds was the treacherous official Li Yuliang, the one plotting against loyal officials was the treacherous official Li Yuliang, the one who murdered the princess and poisoned the Empress Dowager was also Li Yuliang.

All the sins, whether he actively shouldered them or passively bore them, were on this universally reviled eunuch.

The Emperor, on the other hand, was completely innocent. Without lifting a finger, he consolidated power and purged the court.

Li Yuliang was willing to do all of this.

He should have known that no matter how much he did, he would never win over the heart of an emperor.

He was a useful knife, but a sharp blade could point outward or inward.

The power given to him would be taken back.

Song Jiting was the perfect opportunity.

Li Yuliang raised his head, looking up at Gu Huan.

“If these aren’t enough, adding my life, can it exchange for him?”

The dragon throne was too high, and he couldn’t see Gu Huan’s face clearly.

But he knew that he hadn’t yet satisfied the Emperor. He hadn’t eliminated the He family, this major threat, for him.

Gu Huan stood up, slowly walking down the steps and coming before him.

When he looked at him, it was still as before, with those innocent and harmless eyes.

He smiled, saying to Li Yuliang, “Is his life worth so much? If you want I to let him go, it’s easy. Just answer I one question. Answer correctly, and I will agree.”

Li Yuliang’s hollow eyes looked at Gu Huan, hearing him ask, “Is your affection for him genuine?”

Li Yuliang didn’t hesitate, numbly opening his mouth, “This servant…”

“Shh—” Gu Huan put a finger to his lips. “Let’s change the venue to answer I’s question.”

–

Separated by a wall, Song Jiting was right there. Gu Huan did this intentionally, and Li Yuliang knew it clearly.

“Eunuch Li.”

Gu Huan called him, his plain voice making it difficult for people to breathe.

“I will give you two choices. First, you take off this embroidered python robe, and I will let you and him leave the palace together, fulfilling your wish to stay together. From now on, you two must never set foot in Fengdu City again, and you can only be commoners for the rest of your lives.”

“Second…”

With a clang, Gu Huan threw a long knife at Li Yuliang’s feet. “You continue to be your Grand Eunuch, but you must personally destroy that face of his that bewitches people’s hearts, lest one day he has ulterior motives and uses his beauty to collude with the people around I again.”

Li Yuliang’s pale lips trembled. Gu Huan was giving him two choices, just to teach him a lesson.

He had no choice at all.

“The mechanism is over there, go.”

Li Yuliang walked in the direction Gu Huan pointed, lightly twisting the lamp on the wall. With a rumble, the wooden frame flipped over, revealing a hidden door.

Song Jiting was right there.

Li Yuliang, without revealing his emotions, walked into the man-eating darkness, seeing the man who was chained like a dog, so thin he was almost unrecognizable.

Song Jiting’s eyes were completely red, not knowing if he had been crying or if it was because his hatred was too deep.

Every word Gu Huan had said just now, he had heard clearly here.

He stared straight at Li Yuliang, not seeing a trace of guilt on his face.

He saw the wound on his chest, miserable and wretched.

He also saw the knife he was holding in his hand, fierce and ruthless.

The blade reflected the light, stinging people’s eyes. When he came over, Song Jiting didn’t have the strength to dodge. Li Yuliang moved extremely quickly, without hesitation. He didn’t even see how the knife was slashed down.

It was the right cheek. Song Jiting first felt an itch, then a surge of heat. He didn’t know how deep the wound was. Blood flowed like a waterfall, dripping down his neck.

His mind went blank.

Excruciating pain followed, spreading from the wound to his entire body.

Li Yuliang squatted down and moved closer to him, taking out the key and unlocking his chains.

His movements were very slow, very slow.

During the process, Song Jiting looked for his eyes to meet, but he refused to look up.

Anger drove people crazy.

With a slap, Song Jiting used all his strength to slap him across the face.

Li Yuliang paused, not reacting in any way, continuing to help him unlock the chains.

Then, with the same force, Song Jiting slapped him again.

Li Yuliang’s breathing became heavier, finally willing to look at him.

He saw Song Jiting’s eyes filled with hatred.

But it seemed like there was more than just hatred…

What else?

It didn’t matter now.

Li Yuliang’s face was filled with ruthlessness, throwing the unlocked chains aside, coldly tossing him a word: “Get out.”