Everyone Wants To Harm Me - Chapter 74

“Since the Grand Tutor can present a plaque to him, is it strange that the Prime Minister comes to seek medical treatment after hearing about his reputation?”
Li Minghai laughed and said, “Not strange, not strange.”

I didn’t speak to him again along the way. The more I talked, the more mistakes I made. Besides, no matter what I said, in his eyes, it was just an attempt to cover up the truth.

Li Minghai probably wouldn’t tell the Emperor about this, but he would definitely tell Prince Xin.

If Prince Xin found out, would it impact Yu Chongrui? I didn’t want to implicate him again.

I didn’t even try to provoke him, so why had he come here himself? It had been a coincidence when I met him while climbing over the wall at Lan Garden last time, but this time, it was too far-fetched. He must have heard the apprentice who delivered the medicine mention it, or Deng Zishe might have deliberately sent him a message. Was he here to remind me to take better care of my illness and not act rashly?

If he didn’t like me, then why give me hope? Did he know that by doing this, I couldn’t help but think about it?

In the past, I might have guessed and hoped that Yu Chongrui might like me a little; but now, I just hoped that he would have nothing to do with me anymore.

We returned from the side door and got off the carriage in front of the palace gate. Zhang Sanquan drove the carriage away alone.

Not long after the three of us walked into the palace gate, we saw Liang Lu and a few others waiting in the corridor inside the gate.

Liang Lu was in charge of the key to the palace gate, but he didn’t need to be in charge of this side door for carriages and goods, and it wasn’t time to close the gate yet.

Li Minghai had never liked Liang Lu. He smiled insincerely and said, “Oh? Chief Steward Liang, who are you waiting for?”

Liang Lu glared and shouted, “Waiting for you!” The guards around him rushed up and pressed Li Minghai and Li Sibao to the ground.

I couldn’t help but step back.

Liang Lu saluted me and said, “By the Emperor’s order, we are to arrest the traitor Li Minghai. Forgive me for alarming you, County Princess. Please accompany this humble servant to see the Emperor.”

Traitor? Could it be that Li Minghai’s departure from the palace was exposed, and the Emperor discovered that he had secretly helped Prince Xin? Then what about me and Prince Xin? Were we all exposed? But why didn’t they arrest me too?

Li Minghai seemed to understand what was happening, and his face turned ashen. Li Sibao, on the other hand, trembled uncontrollably in fear.

Liang Lu escorted Li Minghai to the front of Xuanzheng Hall. The guards stepped aside as the two were brought forward. From a distance, I saw the Emperor sitting at the imperial desk, the lights in the hall already turned on.

Liang Lu led the way into the hall. Li Minghai walked to the highest stone steps, suddenly turned his head, looked at the dragon-shaped stone pillar on the side of the hall, and shouted, “Zhaoyi! This old servant can no longer be loyal!” Then he threw himself at the pillar, slamming his head into the protruding dragon tail.

He had used all his strength this time, and the sharp corner of the dragon tail broke. Li Minghai’s head was bleeding, but he didn’t fall. He struggled to climb over the railing in front of the hall and jumped off the high platform.

Everyone in front and behind was caught off guard. When they reacted, they rushed to the railing to look down. The base of the front hall was more than two stories high.
Li Minghai fell headfirst onto the bluestone floor below, his body twisted into an unnatural shape like a scarecrow, blood pooling around his head.

The Emperor heard the noise and rushed out, ordering Liang Lu to check. Liang Lu hurried over, checked for a pulse, and confirmed he was already dead.

This was the first time I saw someone die in front of me, and in such a tragic way. I had seen many people kill others in my mind, raising their hands and bringing down knives, with blood splattering everywhere—but those were all illusions created by Mojin Gu and I knew they weren’t real.

As the evening breeze blew, I smelled a strong fishy scent, stronger than the smell of blood.

A quarter of an hour ago, I had been angry at how this person played tricks on me, and I had worried about how to deal with him next. Now, in the blink of an eye, all his schemes were wiped away, and he had become a corpse that would never speak again.

The Emperor stood behind me and sighed. “Was that really necessary? Li Minghai served the late Emperor, the Fengtian Emperor, and Me for over thirty years. If he had truly repented, I would have spared his life.”

Spare him? To force more confessions out of him? Force him to betray his former master? Trade someone else’s life for his own? And that’s considered sparing him?

Did the Emperor still believe he had done right by my aunt? That he had given her a way out, offered her wealth and status, and she had just been too foolish to appreciate it?

Li Sibao fell to the ground, shaking with fear. “Your Majesty, please have mercy! Your Majesty, please spare my life! Master—no, the old traitor—he always made me wait outside and keep watch when we left the palace. I thought he was just sneaking out treasures to sell! I didn’t know he was involved in treason! Oh, right—Zhang Sanquan—the old thief trusted him and often sent him to run errands. He must know who else the old thief worked with!”

His Majesty waved his hand impatiently and ordered someone to pull him down. Liang Lu sent two others to cover Li Minghai’s body with a sheet and carry it away on a stretcher.

His Majesty turned to me and asked, “What did Li Minghai say before he died?”

Was he asking me? I didn’t believe that Li Minghai had shouted for him to hear, so loudly that he hadn’t heard it.

Liang Lu stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, Li Minghai said, ‘Zhaoyi, I can’t be loyal to you anymore.'”

“Zhaoyi,” His Majesty turned and asked me, “What do you think?”

I answered, “He lied.”

“Then who was he really loyal to?”

I lowered my eyes and said, “It happened suddenly, and I didn’t have time to figure it out.”

Now that Li Minghai was dead, the best I could do was shift all blame onto him. I couldn’t sell out anyone still alive. If the Emperor now suspected me, punished me, even wanted to kill me—then let him. I no longer had any strong desire to live.

“Li Minghai had no dealings with Consort Chu. If he was going to shift blame, he should’ve chosen someone more plausible.” The Emperor sighed. “It’s not hard to guess. From beginning to end, the only one he’d lay down his life for was the Fengtian Emperor.”

His Majesty walked back to Xuanzheng Hall, then dismissed Liang Lu and the others, and said to me, “Yaoyao, you have done a great deed today.”

I lowered my head and stood beside the imperial desk, silent.

His Majesty continued, “If you hadn’t gone to South Market to seek medical treatment as a cover, how could Li Minghai have revealed his true nature and allowed me to uncover their hideout?”

I had thought I was being clever, outsmarting His Majesty, but in reality, the mantis stalks the cicada, and there’s always an oriole behind. I had been the one played, used as a chess piece.

His Majesty had already found the contact point of Prince Xin in South Market. Would he follow the clues and find more people? Would Prince Xin’s rebellion be confirmed? Was this the Emperor’s way to finally find a reason to kill his nephew?

And what about me? Did he know that I had contact with Prince Xin? I had left the palace with Li Minghai, but I hadn’t reported him. I couldn’t escape the crime of harboring him.

“You are just like your aunt, too soft-hearted and easily exploited. This Li Minghai has been with me for twenty years, used to keeping his tail between his legs. Even your aunt was deceived by him. He’s always been close to me, and probably saw some of your aunt’s secrets, pretending to act in front of her. I shouldn’t have sent his apprentice to test you last time, letting him figure out that you’re just like your aunt.”

I looked up at him, confused. Was the Emperor offering me a way to explain myself? Giving me an excuse?

His Majesty smiled confidently again. “Last time in Shoukang Palace, you stared at Prince Xin for a long time, but didn’t see anything, did you?”

I knelt and said, “This is the first time I haven’t been able to see through someone’s thoughts. I was panicked, afraid that Your Majesty would think I was useless, so I made up a story that Prince Xin was afraid of death. Please forgive me for deceiving the king.”

“When Prince Xin was ten years old, I asked the Imperial Consort if he had any other intentions. The Imperial Consort apologized, saying that Prince Xin was young, and I had repeatedly praised him, so he did have some arrogant and complacent thoughts. However, she had warned and reprimanded him, and Prince Xin no longer dared to entertain such thoughts.” His Majesty sighed. “At that time, your aunt was so frank with me. We were open and honest with each other, and we would never lie to each other about anything.”

“Later, I asked several more times, and the Imperial Consort assured me that Prince Xin no longer had any ulterior motives. As the emperor, my sacred thoughts cannot be easily guessed by others, but I also knew your aunt’s ability. Even so, I couldn’t completely avoid showing my true thoughts in front of her. A teenager, who is stubborn, timid, lazy, greedy, spoiled, and willful—how could he have nothing in his heart? By the way, Prince Xin’s greed and weight gain also began when he was a teenager. A person may not say what they truly desire, and their actions can often be misleading, just a façade to deceive you.”

Similar words had been spoken by Yu Chongrui as well. He had warned me to maintain my own judgment and not be blinded by the Mojin Gu.

His Majesty looked up at the dim night sky outside the palace. “Many people feel sorry for the Fengtian Emperor, born with extraordinary talent, who married a renowned and talented woman from Luoyang as his concubine. How could his only son turn out to be an obese fool? I too feel regret. If Prince Xin could simply pretend and be content living as a dandy prince—indulging in wine and women—I would be willing to support him, let him live a comfortable and leisurely life, marry, have children, and fulfill his brother’s legacy.” His gaze turned sharp as he retracted his thoughts. “But unfortunately, he stopped pretending when he turned 18. He inherited the legacy of his ancestors. Would such a thing remain a secret? No, it would spread everywhere! I’ve never been praised like that!” He paused before continuing. “Thus, it’s useless to hide one’s flaws and play the fool in the presence of tigers and wolves. Even if you are truly a fool, once suspicion arises, the truth will always be uncovered.”

His Majesty then asked, “I have said all this to you. Do you understand what I mean?”

I lowered my head, kneeling, and replied, “I understand.”

“No,” Your Majesty answered gently. 

“You don’t understand. You are too young. Your aunt spoiled you since childhood. You know too little and have too little experience. The first thing I want to tell you is that even though you share your aunt’s extraordinary abilities, your judgment is still shallow. Don’t be complacent and think you can control others. I have been emperor for twenty years, and I dare not claim that all my ministers are under my control. What about you? Second,” he continued, sitting up straighter behind the imperial desk with a dignified expression, “I want you to know who is truly worthy of your loyalty and reliance.”

By the time I left Xuanzheng Hall, it was already dark. The wind blew coldly at night, the chill seeping through my clothes. It truly felt like autumn.

Yu Chongrui might not have known my situation, but his judgment had been correct. The Emperor wouldn’t easily kill me, but in that palace filled with schemes and power struggles, I had to tread carefully and find any sliver of hope.

Two eunuchs held lanterns and brushes, scrubbing the stone slab where Li Minghai had fallen, but the blood stains were too heavy, and after repeated washing, the ground still gleamed bright red. They covered their noses, complaining quietly, though fear still lingered in their hearts.

The night wind carried a faint smell of blood. By the time the sun rose the next day, the stains would likely be cleaned away, just as every corner of the palace, where countless lives had been lost, would be scrubbed. After the cleaning, the palace would return to its grandeur, its jade buildings and towering structures that everyone coveted.

I gripped the railing behind Xuanzheng Hall, and the cough I had been suppressing all day returned with full force, forcing me to spit a mouthful of blood onto the white jade pillars.

Deng Zishe’s panacea could not cure me.

As long as I remained in that imperial city, I would never recover.