BLHO Chapter 88

Chapter 88: Where Can I Go?

Chapter 88: Where Can I Go?

The atmosphere in the Golden Luan Hall was so oppressive, it was nearly suffocating.

Minister of War Chen Chang knelt in the hall, humbly prostrating himself, not daring to move, fearing that even the sound of his breathing would anger the Emperor and cost him his life.

Gu Huan, having played the role for so many years, finally ran out of patience to continue as a pure and innocent youth. A heavy, murderous aura floated in his eyes, and just staring at his subject caused the man to tremble all over.

The astrologer said his destiny had not changed, and he was unwilling to accept it. He wanted to confirm whether He Yuncheng was truly dead, and sent a letter to Han Mao, who had not yet returned to court.

However, the messenger never returned. Several days passed in the blink of an eye, and there was not a single reply from Han Mao’s side either.

Chen Chang was Han Mao’s brother-in-law. Since the man could not be found, all those related to him were naturally implicated.

“Han Mao colluded with rebellious subjects and led his troops in defection, Minister Chen, tell me, how should this be punished?”

Gu Huan’s voice echoed, and Chen Chang’s cold sweat fell to the ground in streams.

“Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly! General Han is wholeheartedly loyal to the court and would never collude with rebellious subjects!”

Gu Huan leaned forward, “Then tell me, what is the reason for his sudden disappearance?”

Chen Chang raised his head, and a look of sorrow appeared in his terrified eyes, “This subject is only worried that, since he cannot be found alive, could it be that he exposed his tracks and was killed by the He family rebels…”

Gu Huan said softly, “Exposed his tracks, so, in order to save his life, he betrayed me to the rebels?”

Chen Chang was shocked and quickly retorted, “That’s impossible, Your Majesty is overthinking it! Even if Han Mao dies, he would never betray Your Majesty!”

He could not, and dared not.

Gu Huan entrusted him with the task of killing He Yuncheng, not because his abilities were superior to He Yuncheng, but because his entire family was held hostage in the imperial city. If he made any mistakes, his entire clan would be buried with him.

Therefore, even at the cost of his life, Han Mao would try to perish together with He Yuncheng and would not disregard the fate of his family to collude with He Yuncheng in rebellion.

“Then why has the border garrison also lost contact!”

Gu Huan suddenly flew into a rage, shouting loudly, removing the Crown hair crown from his head and throwing it heavily at Chen Chang.

The gold crown struck Chen Chang’s cheekbone, and the broken skin oozed blood.

Chen Chang dared not explain further, lowered his head, his pale lips trembling slightly.

Gu Huan’s enraged appearance was frantic and wretched. He rushed down the high platform and grabbed Chen Chang’s collar.

“Hundreds of thousands of He family soldiers are gathered outside the pass. If they escape the control of the court, do you know what that means? Do you know what consequences I will face?!”

“This…” Chen Chang was also a little dumbfounded by the questioning, at a loss for words, his brain racing.

He said, “If the He family army knows that this matter was authorized by Your Majesty, they will definitely speak out against the injustice done to He Yuncheng, and in a fit of anger, they may indeed rebel against the court… but how would the He family know the inside story? This plan, besides Your Majesty, only Han Mao and I know, Han Mao would rather die than betray Your Majesty…”

“Yes.” Gu Huan stared at him with murderous eyes, “So, if it’s not him, it can only be you.”

“How is that possible!” Chen Chang excitedly defended himself, “Instigating the He family to rebel is of no benefit to me, why would I do that!”

“You’re asking me?” Gu Huan said absurdly.

Chen Chang continued to think. If it wasn’t Han Mao, not him, and even less likely the Emperor himself, could it be that the He family could predict the future and knew the plan without anyone leaking it…

That’s not right!

Chen Chang suddenly widened his eyes, staring straight at Gu Huan.

“This plan, besides Your Majesty, Han Mao, and this humble servant, only one person knows…”

As he spoke, he slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on the silent eunuch standing in the shadows.

Li Yuliang.

Compared to Li Yuliang, he and Han Mao could hardly be considered the Emperor’s close confidants.

What they knew, Li Yuliang knew, and what they didn’t know, Li Yuliang also knew.

Gu Huan followed Chen Chang’s gaze and saw Li Yuliang’s profile illuminated by the light and shadows, calm and indifferent, as if all the disputes had nothing to do with him.

But clearly, today’s situation was something he had personally pushed forward, step by step, over the years.

Time seemed to freeze. After being stared at for a long time, Li Yuliang finally turned his head and met Gu Huan’s gaze.

The Emperor was very clever, he knew that.

So he should also know that every word he had just used to accuse Chen Chang was actually meant for him.

Gu Huan released Chen Chang’s collar, turned and walked up the steps, returning to the Dragon Throne.

“Grand Eunuch Li.”

Li Yuliang slowly walked to the center of the hall, straightened his back, and looked up at Gu Huan.

“Kneel.” Gu Huan commanded.

Li Yuliang remained unmoved.

“I told you to kneel!” Gu Huan slammed the armrest of the Dragon Throne. In an instant, a hidden dart flew out from the side of the hall, hitting Li Yuliang’s hamstring with a whoosh.

He grunted in pain, one leg directly kneeling on the ground.

His face turned pale with pain, but the corner of his lips curved into a sorrowful smile.

The hidden weapon on this Dragon Throne was something he had personally set up for the Emperor.

At that time, the Emperor was young, unable to wield a pen in literary arts, and unable to defend himself in martial arts. This mechanism was for him to protect himself in critical moments.

He never expected that in the end, the Emperor would use it to harm him.

“Grand Eunuch Li, you have been kind to me for many years, are you really going to betray me?”

Li Yuliang raised his eyes, and a deep chill burned away Gu Huan’s anger.

“Why don’t you explain?”

“Your Majesty, what does this servant need to explain?”

Gu Huan remained expressionless, but the palms of his hands under his wide sleeves gradually lost their warmth, “The last time I questioned you, you did not deny it, and this time is the same. With this attitude of yours, how can I trust you?”

Li Yuliang lowered his eyes, tired and estranged, seemingly too lazy to even look at Gu Huan again.

“This servant has said it, if Your Majesty is not at ease, then kill this servant.”

“Grand Eunuch Li, you know that even if you did it, I couldn’t bring myself to kill you, why do you have to force me with this attitude?”

He stood up, and step by step, walked down the high steps, “Do you have to force me to go back on my word and capture your beloved back, and dismember him piece by piece in front of you before you are willing to bow your head to me…”

Gu Huan deliberately slowed down his speech, giving Li Yuliang enough time to imagine such a cruel scene.

Li Yuliang must know clearly that Gu Huan could say it, and he could do it.

The same tactics were repeated, and Gu Huan waited for Li Yuliang to once again be submissive and subservient to him.

But in the next instant, the eunuch with the injured leg rose without warning. Gu Huan barely saw his figure before he had already stepped up the steps and moved in front of Gu Huan.

Pale fingers harshly strangled Gu Huan’s throat, and the instant suffocation made Gu Huan widen his eyes in horror.

Li Yuliang pressed him against the Dragon Throne, and he clearly saw the killing intent in Li Yuliang’s eyes.

He instinctively raised his hands, wanting to pry open Li Yuliang’s hand, but the disparity in strength was too great, and no matter how hard he tried, it was futile.

“Li Yuliang…” he gasped out, speaking in broken sentences, “You want to… kill me…”

“If I wanted to harm Your Majesty, or seize the world in your hands, why would I go to the trouble of colluding with the He family?” He drew closer to Gu Huan’s contorted face, “If I wanted you dead, would you have lived until now?”

Gu Huan was on the verge of suffocation, unable to say a single word.

Chen Chang, on the side, was also completely dumbfounded. He repeatedly shouted “Guards!” “Protect the Emperor!” but the imperial guards, apart from the Emperor, only obeyed the command of Grand Eunuch Li. He shouted for a long time, but not a single reinforcement came.

He trembled as he got up, wanting to go out to find someone. Just as he reached the entrance of the hall, a sharp object flew past his scalp and was nailed to the door of the hall.

He touched his head, uninjured, only his hair bun had been scattered.

It was the dart that Gu Huan had shot into Li Yuliang earlier, he had returned it.

Turning back, Li Yuliang was coercing the Emperor on the high platform, like a life-reaping Asura. Chen Chang stood in place, not daring to act rashly.

Li Yuliang slowly released his hand. The explanation that Gu Huan wanted, he still didn’t give a single word. Finally, he coldly glanced at Gu Huan and turned to leave.

Gu Huan coughed violently a few times before regaining his breath, anxiously saying to Li Yuliang’s back, “Stop!”

Li Yuliang seemed not to hear, striding outwards.

“Li Yuliang! I told you to stop!”

Li Yuliang stopped at the doorway, turned his head, and saw Gu Huan with his eyes red with anger.

He had given the Emperor a chance, to kill or flay him, as he pleased.

But the Emperor wouldn’t kill him, he had to provoke him until he lost control.

He silently looked at Gu Huan, waiting for him to say something else.

“Where are you going?”

Li Yuliang didn’t answer.

Gu Huan questioned, “The He family army may rebel at any time, are you planning to abandon the safety of Bei Sheng by leaving at this time?”

“I am just a lowly servant, what does the safety of Bei Sheng have to do with me?”

“Does my safety have nothing to do with you either?”

Li Yuliang had nothing more to say, pushed open the door of the hall, and left into the night.

Gu Huan had given him absolute power under imperial authority, and no one in the palace dared to stop him from going wherever he wanted.

The actions he had just taken against the Emperor, in fact, he had lost his mind.

At this moment, his mind was still not completely clear.

He shouldn’t be like this, just because Song Jiting was mentioned, he lost control to the point of wanting to assassinate the monarch.

Song Jiting…

He should have found a place to settle down and start a new life.

Go far away, hide well, and live well.

The wound on his leg was still bleeding, staining his entire trouser leg red.

The warm blood was submerged in the night, and Li Yuliang only felt numb, completely unable to feel the pain.

He also didn’t know what direction he was walking in after leaving the palace.

He just kept walking, and walking.

When he came to his senses, he was already in that familiar flower field.

Spring had arrived, but the flowering season had not yet, and large patches of tender green gently swayed in the moonlight.

Song Jiting didn’t like flowers.

When the Song family had not yet fallen, Grand Eunuch Li gave the young master of the Song family flower branches as a token of love, but was mercilessly humiliated by the other party.

The young master Song said that he was vulgar, and the things he gave were also vulgar, each flower delicate and enchanting, disturbing the mind, and were not things for a gentleman to appreciate.

Grand Eunuch Li naturally understood that young master Song did not hate flowers, but hated the person giving them.

So later, when Song Jiting voluntarily submitted to him, the first thing he did was give him a large flower field.

The tokens he refused to accept, he insisted on forcing him to accept.

The person who was unwilling to accept, in the end, could only accept with a smile.

Looking back, Song Jiting had spent most of his time these past few years with him, retaliating.

He forced him to do whatever would make him uncomfortable.

Every word, every action, was making Song Jiting hate him even more.

So how could he blame him for really hating him to death.

A rustling sound, seemed to be the night wind.

The moonlight shone on Li Yuliang’s back, the luxurious Python Robe, the tall and straight figure, the Grand Eunuch who was second only to one and above ten thousand, what troubles had he encountered tonight, why did he look so lonely?

A vague gaze swayed with the flower branches, gently enveloping Li Yuliang’s lonely figure.

Not daring to turn his head, Li Yuliang stood still among the bushes, afraid that if he turned his head, the illusion would be shattered in an instant.

Until the trees were still and the wind stopped, he held his breath, no longer hearing any sound around him.

Only then did he dare to turn around inch by inch, looking back.

When their eyes met, Li Yuliang’s scalp tingled, and he felt that all things in the world had disappeared.

Living until now, he knew for the first time that he could also be pitied by Heaven.

Song Jiting had become so thin that he was almost emaciated, his face without a trace of color, even more pale in the moonlight.

He had a light gauze covering the side of his face, vaguely revealing a scar.

His gaze was numb and empty, faintly looking at Li Yuliang, not expecting Grand Eunuch Li to appear here, but he didn’t have enough emotion to express his surprise.

Li Yuliang also didn’t know how to face the suddenly appearing person.

“You…” He frowned, as always with the disgust and impatience he showed every time he humiliated him, he asked Song Jiting, “Why are you here?”

Song Jiting was exhausted, as if he would break if touched, without the strength to answer.

Li Yuliang pushed aside the flower bushes in front of him, and anxiously walked in front of him, “I’m asking you why are you here!”

His attitude was fierce, as if he was condemning his mistakes.

But Song Jiting didn’t need to admit his mistakes to him anymore.

They were no longer related.

“Where should I be?” he asked Li Yuliang calmly, the scar on his cheek was close at hand, becoming clearer.

Li Yuliang secretly curled his fingers, unable to speak.

Song Jiting stubbornly stared into his eyes, as if he hated him to the extreme, and as if he was wronged, “I don’t know where to go, Grand Eunuch, please tell me, where can I go.”