Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The courier stripped off his upper garments, revealing bruised skin that made both Yang Jishan and Yuan Shibin feel a twinge of regret. They had thought they were helping a brother out, but it turned out they had made a grave mistake. Instead of receiving praise before the Empress, they were met with the Emperor's punishment first.
Seeing this, Dou Dan fell silent, and Dugu Kaiyuan, maintaining a stern expression, took the whip and stepped out of the Guard Room. Li Jian Cheng bowed toward the direction of the Emperor's palace in front of the eunuchs, saying, "I was young and foolish, defying your command. I deserve death for my crimes. This punishment serves as a lesson. I humbly ask Your Majesty to consider the Dragon Body and temper your anger for the sake of your health. Li Jian Cheng bows deeply!"
Yang Jishan took a gold belt buckle from his waist and handed it to the eunuch. "Please convey Lord Li's words properly to His Majesty."
The eunuch nodded quickly. "I understand, I only hope that you Lords do not make things difficult for me; I will handle the rest with discretion."
Li Jian Cheng rose and stepped outside the Guard Room. The area beneath the city gate was quite empty, but there were many people on the City Wall, including his uncle Li An, who was watching with cold eyes.
Leaning against a pillar of the City Gate Tower, Dugu Kaiyuan stood not far behind him. After a few breaths, the whip cracked loudly. Li Jian Cheng shuddered and couldn't help but let out a pained scream, feeling as if a red-hot knife had sliced through his back.
Dugu Kaiyuan knew that this whip was specially made; no matter how skillfully it struck him, it would leave a bloody mark. A few lashes would surely tear open his skin, and the longer it dragged on, the more he would suffer. With a determined heart, he unleashed the whip like rain.
After finishing, he felt his hands and feet grow weak as if he were holding a hot iron and dropped the whip. Bowing his head, he lost himself in thought.
The crowd on the City Wall dispersed, and Dou Dan along with Yuan Shibin hurried forward. Yang Jishan found Gold Ointment in the Guard Room; it was a secret recipe from his family that required Dragon Bone, Musk, Benzoin, Borneol, Lard, and other potent herbs specifically used for stopping bleeding and healing wounds.
Li Jian Cheng had already fainted at some point. The others dragged him back to the Guard Room, applied Gold Ointment to stop the bleeding, wrapped him in silk cloth, and then instructed someone to fetch a cart.
Eternal Alley was at the center of both the former dynasty and the imperial harem; even princes could not drive here but had to be pushed out of the palace before being transferred to a horse-drawn carriage back home.
Dugu Kaiyuan called two guards to push the cart and said after placing Li Jian Cheng carefully inside, "You two keep watch here; I will take Jian Cheng home to recuperate."
Dou Dan stopped him. "This is not something I should dispute with you; however, His Majesty is furious and has ordered your execution for deeper reasons. At this moment, we must heed His Holy Heart."
After arranging everything, Dou Dan escorted Li Jian Cheng out of the palace. At the entrance waited servants from the Li Family for him to finish his duties. Dou Dan hurriedly gave them some instructions before rushing back.
Several servants from the Li Family found an ox cart and carefully lifted their Lord from the cart into its interior. As they swayed during transport, Li Jian Cheng awakened from a sharp stinging pain in his back and quickly assessed his situation.
The Li Family estate was not far from the palace; they soon entered through their gates where the steward awaited with a physician at the entrance. Upon seeing him, Li Jian Cheng commanded firmly, "Not a word of this must reach Villa; my grandmother is elderly and my mother is in confinement—neither can be startled."
The steward glanced at Lord's wounded back with concern before replying, "Rest assured, my Lord; I have already instructed everyone below and sent Li Si to watch over Villa. We will not disturb Old Matriarch or Madam."
"Is it really you, Your Majesty?"
Li Jian Cheng felt much more at ease upon hearing this. To be the Steward of the Duke's Residence meant that he was someone very trustworthy.
"Yes, I know what to do."
He instructed the Servants to carry the Lord into the inner courtyard, and the Steward followed closely, saying, "My Lord, this matter is serious. I can keep it from the Madam, but we must inform the Master."
"Alright, I will also write a letter to my father. Have someone deliver it together."
"Understood."
Li Jian Cheng returned to his chamber and lay down. After examining him, the Physician stated that it was merely a superficial injury and had not affected his bones. He gave a few instructions on what to pay attention to, which the Servants in the room carefully noted.
How should he comfort Lord Li Yan, who was far away in a remote area? Li Jian Cheng was not worried about his current situation; without paying a price or demonstrating loyalty, how could he expect to gain opportunities?
However, others might find it hard to understand. Most would think he was foolish for provoking the Emperor right after starting his position.
Li An was of a higher generation but was merely a branch of the family, while he was the Eldest Son of the Legitimate Lineage and would be the future head of the Li Family. They could scold him in front of others, but they truly had no right to control him.
But Li Yan was different; he could easily ruin all of Li Jian Cheng's plans.
It seemed he could only pull some strings for now. If he could hold on for a few months, perhaps there would be significant changes in the situation, and by then he would have results to stabilize the family.
With these thoughts in mind, he had a maid fetch paper and ink. Since what he needed to write was rather sensitive, he could only endure the pain of writing it himself. By the time he finished, he was drenched in cold sweat as he tossed aside his brush and watched the Servant seal the letter with wax.
Then he fell into a drowsy sleep again. In the night, he was awakened to eat some mutton porridge and after changing his bandages, he fell asleep once more.
The following days were filled with difficulty in getting up, and it seemed as if everyone had forgotten about him. No one came to visit, and there were no rewards or punishments from the palace.
The Steward came with some trepidation to ask if they should send someone outside or to relatives to inquire about news. However, Li Jian Cheng remained calm and focused on resting and recovering without being arrogant or anxious.
After all, being a young man accustomed to riding horses and archery, his injuries had improved significantly in less than half a month; at least they no longer hindered his movements.
Early that day, he looked up to see clear skies and the sun high above, so he boarded a carriage and set off towards the palace.
This time, there was no one to lead him, and the guards at the city gate had changed their demeanor, treating him with cold words and a businesslike attitude. They searched him thoroughly before allowing him to enter the palace.
He went to collect a set of official attire, which was not particularly flattering. It did not enhance his appearance like the armor of the Bodyguard of the Thousand Cattle would have. However, there was no choice; he had fallen from a sixth-rank military officer to an eighth-rank minor official. Even a few of the well-dressed eunuchs and female officials in the palace would likely hold higher status than him.
Returning to Eternal Alley, the guards of the Bodyguard of the Thousand Cattle recognized him but were not very familiar with him. In their youth, they had inevitably formed cliques. Upon seeing Li Jian Cheng arrive, their expressions were somewhat strange, but Gao Rui, grandson of Duke of Qi Gao Shan, stepped forward and said, “Jian Cheng, since you have been demoted to reserve duty, you must stand guard at the city gate. Go over there and keep watch.”
“Yes.”
Gao Rui pointed to a spot where sunlight poured down. Li Jian Cheng felt puzzled but still responded appropriately on the surface. He took up his spear and stood straight in that spot.
Gao Rui and the others returned to the Guard Room to sit down while Li Jian Cheng remained somewhat bewildered. The emperor could not be this petty; even if he was displeased, he could simply continue to hinder their father-son duo's official positions without resorting to such small-minded tactics.
To be honest, it was merely venting his anger. Even if he hadn’t been there to block it, the Wei Chi Clan would have faced certain death. The Queen would never allow such a person to live; after all, the emperor had arrived later and had merely watched.
If it wasn’t the emperor, then it must be the crown prince? No, it should be the Queen.
Li Jian Cheng slightly shifted his shoulders. He had already demonstrated his loyalty through action; what needed testing now was his mental fortitude—whether he could be trusted with significant responsibilities.
Comment 0 Comment Count