Chapter 56.1 Chip Chip Chip…
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When it came to matters regarding his identity, Li Jinyu’s initial idea was to seek information from the black cat.
Previously, while the black cat was still recovering, he kept it in a cage— partly to provide a private space for the black cat and partly to alleviate his own anxieties and doubts.
However, recently the black cat protested and expressed dissatisfaction with the limited space in the cage.
Since their relationship had improved and the black cat no longer had any motives or intentions against Huo Caiyu, Li Jinyu decided to assign a separate small room for it.
With anticipation, Li Jinyu walked up to the entrance of the black cat’s room and overheard voices from inside.
“My dear Chonks, when I win the battle and become a high-ranking general, I’ll come back and request permission from His Majesty to bring you home, alright?”
“Meow.”
“Don’t look away. I’ve saved your cat bed and toys! How about I learn to sew and make you a fabric mouse?”
“Meow.”
“Chonky, you’ve been so distant towards me.”
Li Jinyu listened quietly and then pushed the door open. “Chi Zhongming, why have you come again?”
Does he think the palace is a cat’s den?
Chi Zhongming stood up casually, straightened his attire, and said, “Your Majesty personally appointed this official as the Imperial Cat Officer. Naturally, this official will dedicate himself wholeheartedly.”
Li Jinyu observed Chi Zhongming and the black cat sticking together. Feeling a tinge of envy for some reason, he deliberately huffed, “You won’t easily get Zhen’s beloved cat.”
The black cat gave a big, exaggerated eye-roll.
If only it could speak human language, it would have sarcastically taunted this increasingly bold and foolish hamster.
Chi Zhongming had always felt a natural fondness for Li Jinyu—not in a romantic way, but he thought this Brother Li naturally possessed a strong likeability, making it easy to grow close to him.
Even now knowing that Li Jinyu was the Emperor, it didn’t affect Chi Zhongming’s thoughts.
“Why has Your Majesty come over to Chonky’s place?”
Li Jinyu was aware that Chi Zhongming had seen the true form of the cat demon, but he didn’t want to reveal himself, so he coughed and said in a serious tone, “Zhen has some free time and wanted to spend quality time with Zhen’s beloved cat.”
Chi Zhongming knew about Li Jinyu’s previous fear of cats and almost couldn’t resist rolling his eyes.
He was also getting ready to depart and wanted to spend some more time with the black cat before leaving. He suggested, “Since the Regent Prince will be leaving soon, why don’t Your Majesty spend some time with him? YourMajesty should know that there won’t be as many opportunities in the future.”
In the past, Li Jinyu might not have felt much about this statement, but now he strangely felt a hint of guilt, as if Chi Zhongming was implying something. Trying to maintain his composure, he asked, “Why should Zhen spend time with him?”
“How can Your Majesty say such things?” Chi Zhongming responded firmly. “The Regent Prince has devoted himself entirely to Your Majesty, working tirelessly, and making great sacrifices. He has reformed the tax system, established the imperial examination, and eliminated corrupt officials. Your Majesty cannot overlook his accomplishments.”
Upon hearing “eliminated corrupt officials,” the black cat lifted its head and let out a warning “meow.”
Chi Zhongming quickly bent down and gave a kiss on top of the black cat’s head. “Not you, Chonks. I wasn’t talking about you.”
The black cat: “…”
Li Jinyu felt overwhelmed and confused by the situation.
Instinctively, he tried to recall and realized that, without his awareness, Huo Caiyu had accomplished so much.
But weren’t all those actions taken by Huo Caiyu for the sake of the nation and his own ascension to the throne?
This thought, hidden deep within, resurfaced, prompting Li Jinyu to reassess the situation and discover that something seemed amiss.
If Huo Caiyu truly had intentions of seizing the throne, why weren’t all those achievements attributed to him?
Surprisingly, as Huo Caiyu gradually purged the court, it seemed that Li Jinyu’s own reputation was improving.
Recalling Huo Caiyu’s recent inexplicable behavior and his restrained expressions…
Suddenly, a tremendous and deeply unsettling concern welled up within Li Jinyu.
Could it be possible that he… was undermining Huo Caiyu’s abilities?
Seeing Li Jinyu lose his focus and leave in a bewildered state, Chi Zhongming smirked, then bent down to give a gentle kiss on the little black cat’s head. “His Majesty seems unaware… The Regent still has much to endure.”
The black cat, observing from the sidelines these past few days, had already understood the connection between the foolish hamster and that cursed Huo Caiyu. It merely chuckled silently, withholding its words.
Well, it served Huo Caiyu right for reverting him back with a single sword strike!
It was only fair for them to face more challenges!
Just as it found delight in their misfortune, Chi Zhongming unexpectedly released his grasp, gently placing him back on the ground with his hands.
The little black cat blinked, lifting its head.
Chi Zhongming, with his youthful face still radiant with a smile, lightly tapped its forehead. “I’m leaving, Chonky. Take good care of yourself.”
He stood up, lightly scratched his head, and lowered his gaze to the aloof little black cat. After a moment of hesitation, he softly said, “If I can return, I will surely bring you back.”
After saying those words, Chi Zhongming suddenly lifted his head. His figure vanished in an instant, as if he had never been there. Swinging his folding fan, he turned around and exited the room.
………
“Zhen thought you would take it with you now,” Li Jinyu cradled Dumpling and looked at the array of cat toys and scratching posts brought by Chi Zhongming. He felt puzzled and asked, “Aren’t you attached to it? Why not bring it along?”
“Your Majesty is joking. The borderlands are harsh, how could this official bear to subject it to hardship?” Chi Zhongming felt more at ease with Li Jinyu and spoke openly, “Besides, there’s no guarantee this official will return alive—if this official falls in battle at the frontier, Your Majesty must take good care of Chonky.”
The thought of Chi Zhongming and Huo Caiyu, important characters from the novel, dying had never crossed Li Jinyu’s mind. He instinctively asked, “How could you meet such a fate?”
“Death is inevitable for everyone.” Chi Zhongming responded, interpreting it as the Emperor trying to console him. He smiled and gestured with his hand, “To die in battle at the frontier is to honor my foster father’s teachings and the recognition from the court.”
He reached into his sleeve and took out a small yellow-white furball. “By the way, this is a kitten that Chonky and I raised together. May Your Majesty take care of it.”
How did another cat come into the picture?
Li Jinyu retreated cautiously, using Dumpling’s cage as a shield.
Chi Zhongming chuckled, “Your Majesty, it’s just a small cat. There’s no need to be so alarmed.”
“But it’s still a cat.” Li Jinyu waved his hand and called out, “Chief Kang, Chief Kang! Send this cat to Concubine Lan!”
Concubine Lan already had a multitude of cats, so one more wouldn’t make a significant difference.
Concubine Lan truly adored cats. She could even recognize the face of each individual feline.
Holding Chief Kang, who had brought the kitten specifically, Concubine Lan observed it closely for a while and suddenly exclaimed, “Isn’t this the cat that Lady Ye took away by force before?”
Initially, when Noble Concubine Xian was still a Consort, she forcefully took the cat from Concubine Lan, hoping to gain favor with the Emperor. Knowing Lady Ye’s and the Emperor’s temperaments, Consort Lan secretly shed a few tears for the poor kitten.
Later, when her attempts to please failed, the kitten was taken away by Prime Minister Ye and casually handed over to Chi Zhongming.
And now, after going through twists and turns, the kitten had returned to Concubine Lan’s hands.
Chi Zhongming also requested Li Jinyu’s help in taking good care of the black cat before bidding farewell and leaving.
Li Jinyu fell silent for a moment, then turned and headed to the room where the black cat resided. He found the black cat looking weak, lying on the cat bed.
He empathetically connected with the black cat, understanding its emotions. “You don’t want to part with him either, do you?”
“Hah, how could that be?” The black cat twitched its tail, its tone and demeanor sharply contrasting, “He’s just a cat litter officer. What’s special about him?”
“Your expression tells me that you’re extremely worried.”
“Shut up,” the black cat turned over and gave him a glare, “You have so much free time, why not worry about Huo Caiyu?”
Li Jinyu immediately felt a bit deflated. “He’s doing well, why should I worry?”
“Chi Zhongming said that Huo Caiyu is leaving the capital tonight,” the black cat cast a glance with its emerald eyes and let out a soft snort, “Just in case he doesn’t come back, you should go and see him one last time.”
Li Jinyu was caught off guard, “Leaving tonight?”
How come nobody told him?
Even Huo Caiyu didn’t mention it!
However, Li Jinyu couldn’t bear to hear the black cat say that Huo Caiyu “won’t come back” and furrowed his brow. “Huo Caiyu is blessed with a predetermined destiny. He won’t die.”
“You don’t really believe that destiny can’t change anything, do you?” the black cat sneered, “Have you even noticed how little of the Ziwei imperial aura remains in Huo Caiyu?”
Li Jinyu had noticed that the Ziwei imperial aura in Huo Caiyu had significantly weakened when the black cat had attempted to harm him in Wuyi Lane.
Later, when he brought the black cat back, Li Jinyu had asked the cat what had happened, if it had done something suspicious. At that time, the black cat had only rolled its eyes and said, “Ask yourself, once you’re dead, he will return to his original state.”
Anyway, he was going to pretend to die, so Li Jinyu didn’t pay much attention to it later.
Now that it was brought up again, Li Jinyu suddenly felt worried.
“Chonky, tell me honestly, what’s the deal with the Ziwei imperial aura in Huo Caiyu?”
The black cat ground its teeth, initially wanting to argue with Li Jinyu. However, when it saw the genuine panic in Li Jinyu’s eyes, it swallowed the snarky comment and rolled its eyes instead. “Have you ever looked at yourself?”
“Huh?”
“Just take a look at yourself, and you’ll understand.”
Puzzled, Li Jinyu used a bit of his spiritual power and began to observe himself.
Soon, he froze in place.
There were faint purple specks of light swirling around him, like tiny fireflies, creating a beautiful halo.
These lights were all too familiar… they were the remnants of the Ziwei imperial aura from Huo Caiyu!
How did it end up on him?!
The black cat noticed his reaction and stood up. “Do you know why I initially allowed you to implement those favorable policies? By implementing those policies successfully and gaining public support, the Ziwei imperial aura naturally transferred to you, the Emperor… As long as Huo Caiyu doesn’t have enough Ziwei imperial aura, I can easily eliminate him.”
Although it underestimated Huo Caiyu’s own strength, which resulted in being defeated, the black cat was still satisfied with its plan. “Now that the Prime Minister had lost power, you have even more Ziwei imperial aura… Huo Caiyu’s defense is probably futile at this point.”
In other words, Huo Caiyu won’t effortlessly turn bad situations into good ones or escape danger, as he did in the novel.
Li Jinyu realized this fact and suddenly felt an indescribable fear.
He was no longer in a fictional novel but in a living, real world.
Everyone around him was a living human being. They could experience happiness, joy, anger, and pain. They could suffer, get hurt, and die.
Even during his time in Qingshui Prefecture, he had recognized that the common people were not just symbols. So why did he forget this crucial fact when it came to someone important?
Huo Caiyu was indeed the male protagonist in the novel.
But he was also a person with emotions, susceptible to harm and death.
Will Huo Caiyu die?
Even if he didn’t die, would he get hurt?
Even if his physical wounds could heal, what about the scars within his heart?
In the novel, every war seemed like a game of numbers, where fallen heroes became ordinary digits, ultimately establishing a new order.
But behind these simple descriptions, how heart-wrenching, painful, and arduous were the experiences?
Those who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield, those who witnessed the sacrifice of soldiers, and those who had to make decisions leading to sacrifices.
When Huo Caiyu bid him farewell earlier, there was an indescribable heaviness and sadness on his face that he couldn’t comprehend.
However, a voice within him told him that he couldn’t let Huo Caiyu leave the capital city like that.
Huo Caiyu should be vibrant, singing happily, fearlessly traversing the world. Those feelings of burden, sorrow, and despair should not be visible on Huo Caiyu’s face.
Suddenly, Li Jinyu felt an urgent desire to meet Huo Caiyu.
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