CH 29.2

The torrential rain in the Imperial City washed everything away.

Lin Bozhou dropped his horsewhip and stood outside the Longzong Gate, his clothes drenched with rain. The eunuch knelt on the ground to change his clothes, remove his shoes and socks, and wipe his hair clean.

Lin Bozhou asked, “How is His Majesty?”

The Bingbi Eunuch* of the Ceremonial Supervisor, Pei Xiyi, was a clean and gentle-looking eunuch, over thirty years old, and looked like a little white face*. He brought new shoes and socks for Lin Bozhou and knelt to lift his feet. “Replying to Your Highness, His Majesty is hiding in bed and refuses to see anyone else, only waiting for Your Highness.”

*Bingbi Eunuch (pen-holding eunuch) was a post in the eunuch system of the Ming Dynasty, whose rank was second only to the Zhangyin Eunuch (seal-keeping eunuch), having the power to approve documents after being reviewed by the emperor.

*Little white face: a pretty boy.

Lin Bozhou finally changed his clothes. His lips were a bit pale because of the cold, but his gaze was quiet and dark. After giving a muffled reply, he pushed the group of people away and walked into the Yangxin Hall.

No one was in the hall.

Only a gale blew through the hall, and the wind rolled up the curtain.

A small child’s figure sat on the bed, slightly trembling from the breeze. Emperor Xuan He’s face was pale when he heard a voice at the door, “Your Majesty, this official is here.”

He jumped out of bed. “Imperial Brother! You’re finally here!”

Lin Bozhou walked into the hall and gazed at the spilled medicine bowl on the ground. The liquid remnants had dried up, but he didn’t let anyone clean it.

“Imperial Brother, We have a headache, stomachache, and diarrhea. Those servants must have drugged Us, trying to poison Us!” Emperor Xuan He had tears in his eyes. “Imperial Brother, find out the murderer behind it and bring justice to Us!”

Lin Bozhou looked down at the residual liquid in the bowl.

It was an extremely common medicine for a cold.

Lin Bozhou approached again and raised his hand to touch Emperor Xuan He’s forehead.

It was hot. He appeared to have a fever.

“Imperial Brother……” Emperor Xuan He’s eyes were glazed with frost. “Our stomach hurts. Are We going to be poisoned to death?”

Lin Bozhou gently patted his shoulder. “Your Majesty is overly worried.”

Emperor Xuan He’s voice began to tremble. “We had that nightmare again……”

The Great Zong fell from its prime about twenty or thirty years ago. Nowadays, the Great Zong was financially strained, the bureaucracy was rigid, and the officials only thought about factional struggles and attacking each other. The imperial power’s ability to restrain the ministers was getting weaker each day, and chief ministers or eunuchs began to appear with power over the court.

Back then, Lin Bozhou’s father, Lin Luan, as the crown prince, wasn’t liked by Xu Ye, the chief minister of the cabinet. He was singled out for mistakes and deposed as a vassal king, shocking the world.

After the new crown prince succeeded the throne, the dynasty was controlled by Xu Ye. It took him ten years to fight off the powerful minister Xu Ye through the eunuchs, but at this time…… the eunuchs’ power started to rise again.

The new crown prince worked night and day, working his heart out, and his health fell apart. The dynasty began to leave the political power to the eunuchs, and the youth who slayed the dragon became the evil dragon…… Later, the emperor passed away, leaving only the seven-year-old crown prince.

On the day of the late emperor’s death, the violent struggle for the crown prince could be described as universally shocking. Whoever got the crown prince would have the merit of supporting and following the dragon. And the crown prince, how fortunate…… he was only seven years old.

At this age, he could be easily manipulated— the most perfect puppet.

In the middle of the night, eunuchs, the cabinet, the empress, the marquis, and several forces blocked the East Palace. Whoever could take the new emperor away first would become the new dynasty’s ruler. They fiercely fought each other, turning the initial ritual discernment into a savage tug of war.

At the age of seven, Emperor Xuan He saw countless killings, shouts, and roars that night. His arm hurt from being dragged by his empress mother, but he saw her head get cut off, splattering blood on the spot.

He cried out in pain and pissed his pants in fear. Everyone said they were doing him a favor, but none of them really cared about his fear.

After that, Emperor Xuan He’s personality became sensitive and gloomy, realizing that everyone wanted to use him and manipulate him.

Only…… that day, the cabinet transferred one of his brothers from Kuzhou, known as the supervising prince regent, saying that this was the son of the abolished crown prince of the previous dynasty: Lin Bozhou.

The first day he came, he accompanied him to play Go.

On the second day, he played Go with him.

On the third day, he played Go with him.

Lin Bozhou was very smart and had an excellent memory. There was a way to play Go called “blind chess.” Lin Bozhou’s eyes were covered with a black armband, and he couldn’t see the chessboard, but he could still beat him.

Lin Bozhou had no requirements for him except to learn to govern, study, and be a calm and mature emperor. Otherwise, he took care of the affairs of the court in an orderly manner and never let Emperor Xuan He worry.

Emperor Xuan He’s fears finally subsided, and he found that this older brother— who was intelligent, capable, and closest to his blood— was loyal to him.

He began to rely on Lin Bozhou and finally found his sense of security.

But those nightmares recurred occasionally, causing him to wake up screaming.