CH 13

Chapter 13 Chip Chip Chip Chip Chip Chip Chip

The next day, Prime Minister Ye sent a pile of memorials again, and Li Jinyu eagerly brought them to Huo Chaiyu.

This time, it was about taxation.

As Huo Caiyu flipped through a few of them, his expression became heavy and confused.

Li Jinyu sat on the side, quietly munching on peanuts, playing the role of a background prop.

He had a hundred percent trust in Huo Caiyu, the main protagonist. He believed that no problem could stump him.

After devouring half a plate of peanuts, Li Jinyu wiped his mouth and looked at Huo Caiyu, who had been immersed in the memorials, and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Huo Caiyu snapped out of his trance, looked up at Li Jinyu's innocent eyes, and loosened his grip on the memorials, saying, "Your Majesty, forgive this lowly commoner. His mind wandered, forgetting to teach Your Majesty how to read."

No, just let your mind wander.

Huo Caiyu suddenly showed a strong sense of responsibility, and really brought paper and pen to teach Li Jinyu how to read the memorials.

Li Jinyu couldn't push back the excuse he had made up and had to tough it out.

In this era, they still used a brush, ink, and inkstone for writing, and the brushes used in the palace were even more exquisite and easier to hold.

But no matter how convenient the brush was, it was like climbing a mountain for Li Jinyu, who had never touched a brush before.

Huo Caiyu corrected his grip on the brush several times, furrowing his brow tightly. "Your Majesty has never learned how to write before?"

It was like dealing with a child who had just started using a brush.

Li Jinyu felt a little guilty. Despite the fact that Emperor Jingchang was lackluster, the handwriting and notes in his diary were still very beautiful. However, when it came to him, he even embarrassed the original Emperor.

If it weren't for Emperor Jingchang's neglect of politics and not having to approve the memorials, he would have been exposed.

But then he thought, wouldn't this increase Huo Caiyu's disgust? He gave himself a reason to be ignorant!

Li Jinyu immediately justified himself, "Yes, that's right, Zhen doesn't know how to write at all!"

Huo Caiyu looked at him with a complicated expression. Suddenly, he reached out to hold Li Jinyu's right hand, adjusting his grip on the brush and helping him write a character. Being so close, the pressure from the imperial Ziwei aura made Li Jinyu's face turn red that he could hardly speak.

Huo Caiyu felt the strength of Li Jinyu's writing and confirmed that this Emperor was not pretending and really didn't know how to write. People who have written before tend to have their own habits and subconsciously exert their own strength when someone guides them in writing. But this Emperor had no traces of his own, like a blank sheet of paper.

In that case, who wrote the government orders and signed them with the imperial seal?

Huo Caiyu looked up slightly and met Li Jinyu's flushed face. The Emperor's mouth was partly parted, breathing quickly, with a bewildered look in his eyes.

Huo Caiyu quickly let go of his hand, stepped back, and his brown eyes flickered slightly. "This lowly commoner begs Your Majesty's pardon for overstepping."

Once the source of the imperial Ziwei aura left, Li Jinyu took a few deep breaths and weakly propped himself up on the edge of the jade table with both hands.

"Zhen... Zhen doesn't feel well. You handle those papers."

With that, he covered his face and fled from Jiaolan Palace, leaving behind a stunned Huo Caiyu.

When Li Jinyu returned to his own quarters and crawled into bed, his face was still hot. Part of it was because he had not fully recovered from the pressure of the Ziwei aura, and part of it was because he felt embarrassed.

What a shame to waste a perfect opportunity to increase hatred points!

If only he could be a little less ignorant and a little more willful...

But every time Huo Caiyu got close, his head started spinning and all his attention went towards resisting the Ziwei aura.

This is not going to work!

Every time he tried to improve his character, it was like taking one step forward and two steps back. How long would it take to complete the story at this rate?

Li Jinyu poked his head out of the covers and ran his fingers through his disheveled hair. He strongly wished he could go and shake Huo Caiyu by the neck and yell, "JUST USURP THE THRONE ALREADYYYYYYY!"

What did Emperor Jingchang do in the novel that made Huo Caiyu think that a change of dynasty was necessary?

Li Jinyu tried hard to recall the original plot and realized that most of his past misdeeds were reflected in the government's mistreatment of the people— something he couldn't have known while in the palace.

The only thing he could imitate was the indiscriminate killing.

Li Jinyu's hands trembled slightly. Did that mean he had to kill someone?

He shrunk his head back.

After a while, Li Jinyu popped his head out again, his eyes shining brightly. "Who said indiscriminate killing necessarily involves actually killing someone?

Why not just act it out for Huo Caiyu to see?

"Someone, come!" When the eunuch came in, he was startled by Li Jinyu's messy hair. "Your Majesty?"

Li Jinyu called him over, his eyes somewhat excited. "Zhen wants you to do something."

"What are Your Majesty's orders?"

"Zhen wants you to be beaten to death in front of Huo Caiyu."

The eunuch collapsed on the spot.

.........

Li Jinyu had to explain several times before the little eunuch named Ping'an understood that it was only a playacting.

After performing the "beating with a stick" in front of Huo Caiyu, Ping'an would be transferred to the Imperial Kitchen.

Li Jinyu knew that these eunuchs probably did not want to serve by the side of a tyrant. Since Ping'an seemed to have come from the Imperial Kitchen, it was appropriate to send him back.

"Do you understand now? If you do, let's rehearse it."

Trembling, Ping'an said, "This slave understands."

"Good." Li Jinyu stood up and coughed, then said with authority, "Bring him down and beat him with a stick!"

Ping'an instantly fell to the ground, tears streaming down his face pale as he begged for mercy, "Your Majesty, spare this slave! Your Majesty, spare this slave!"

Li Jinyu lauded, "Very good."

It seemed that there was no need to rehearse. The performance was already flawless and natural.

For a moment, Ping'an had truly recalled the fear of being controlled by Emperor Jingchang. He was young and had previously followed behind other eunuchs to assist them. Several times, while carrying a tray past the Emperor's bedroom, he saw guards carrying out stick punishments outside.

Some were palace attendants, some were imperial concubines, and even some high-ranking officials summoned to the court.

Many of those who were beaten to death did not even commit any serious crimes, and some were punished simply because the Emperor was in a bad mood.

These bloody scenes always frightened him.

But holding the food tray in his hand, he could only force himself to finish what he had to do, otherwise the next one to be beaten might be him.

Later, he was "promoted" to serve by the Emperor's side, and he thought he would not survive for long, but His Majesty seemed to have changed...

He stopped criticizing the palace staff without reason and ceased to indulge in various pleasures. He became more relaxed and easy to work with.

All these changes started from the time when the Emperor took a liking to Young Master Huo.

Ping'an was illiterate, but he heard a lot of gossip in the palace and couldn't help but marvel at how the Emperor was able to change so much for Young Master Huo...

Was this what they called love in those stories?

At first, Ping'an felt sorry for Young Master Huo being chosen by the Emperor, but now, as he saw Li Jinyu frowning and thinking hard, a selfish thought flashed through his mind...

If Young Huo could stay by His Majesty's side forever, would he always be so amiable?

.........

The next day, it was again a day of rest for the palace staff, and Li Jinyu followed the usual practice of first paying respects to the Empress Dowager.

This time, the Empress Dowager did not turn him away, but received him normally.

Li Jinyu sat nervously on the crimson dragon chair, careful not to utter a word.

Across from him was the Emperor's birth mother. He was really afraid that she would see through him.

The Empress Dowager appeared to be around forty to fifty years old, with a few white hairs at her temples. She was dressed simply, with only a few scattered jade hairpins adorning her hair bun. She wore dark blue monk's robes, looking as if she had already seen through the world.

The Empress Dowager maintained a calm tone that matched her neutral expression. She inquired briefly about Li Jinyu's daily routine, and then held her forehead, saying, "Aijia feels a bit dizzy. The Emperor may leave first."

Li Jinyu blinked his eyes, clearly feeling the Empress Dowager's rejection and indifference.

Did the relationship between the Emperor and his mother really deteriorate?

But then again, with a son like Emperor Jingchang, it was a miracle that the Empress Dowager had not been driven to madness. No wonder she spent all her time in the palace eating vegetarian food and reciting Buddhist sutras...

Li Jinyu felt a bit sorry for the Empress Dowager, but also a bit confused.

He didn't think much about it when he was reading the novel before, but now that he was actually in the body of Emperor Jingchang, all the flat characters in the novel had become living people around him, making it even harder for him to understand.

What led Emperor Jingchang to act recklessly and ruin the ancestral legacy, resulting in being deserted by family and subjects?

He didn't understand. Humans were too complicated. He was just a little hamster who didn't understand anything.

.........

Putting aside his chaotic emotions, Li Jinyu ran to Jiaolan Palace again.

As soon as he entered, he flopped down on the phoenix bed with a powerful momentum and slapped the jade table in front of him with a loud "crack".

Damn, it hurts.

Huo Caiyu looked over with some vigilance.

"Why does the Empress Dowager treat Zhen so coldly when we should have had a close mother-son relationship?" Li Jinyu came up with an impromptu excuse and looked indignant while secretly signaling to the nearby eunuch.

The eunuch, who was following the Emperor to do this kind of thing for the first time, was still a little uneasy and cooperated cautiously. "Your Majesty, please calm down. This slave thinks the Empress Dowager has been feeling unwell and just a little tired these days."

Li Jinyu suddenly became furious. "How dare you curse the Empress Dowager? Guards, drag him out and beat him to death!"

Ping'an knelt down with a "swish" and begged in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, have mercy! Your Majesty, have mercy!"

Two guards quickly walked in and dragged Ping'an out.

Li Jinyu raised his head and glanced at Huo Caiyu with the corner of his eye—— how about it, didn't he seem very unreasonable and cruel?

... Actually, he had even prepared a plan to retort fiercely if Huo Caiyu pleaded for the eunuch's life, however, he didn't need to use it in the end.

Huo Caiyu's expression was somewhat subtle.

Just now, for a moment, Huo Caiyu really thought that Li Jinyu was going to execute the little eunuch.

But after careful observation, Huo Caiyu noticed that although the eunuch was trembling on the ground, his eyes were dry, his fingers were still, and his voice was strong. The two guards who took him away were also gentle, a far cry from when they took him away.

What is His Majesty playing at?

Adapting to changing circumstances, Huo Caiyu calmly looked at Li Jinyu and said, "Your Majesty, today's calligraphy class should begin."

Li Jinyu blinked, looking a bit foolish.

Why was Huo Caiyu still going to teach him after showing off his tyranny?

Shouldn't he respond with anger and disappointment?