Chapter 57.2 Chip Chip…
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Li Jinyu returned to the palace and contemplated the poisoning incident that had befallen the original Emperor. He had agreed to visit Huo Caiyu’s mother every seven days.
Having spent a considerable amount of time with Huo Caiyu, he had grown beyond his initial naivety and gained a deeper understanding of the court and the harem.
Emperor Jingchang’s infertility not only deprived him of producing an heir but also caused his temperament to become volatile and irritable. It struck at the very core of Di Dynasty.
Among the Late Emperor’s many sons, Emperor Jingchang was the only one who survived to adulthood. This “infertility” wasn’t limited to Emperor Jingchang alone but affected the entire Di Dynasty.
This raised the question… Who would have such a motive?
………
“Me?”
The black cat looked at Li Jinyu in surprise and ground its teeth. “Do you want to die?”
“I didn’t mean you. I was referring to Prime Minister Ye,” Li Jinyu explained. “You have glimpsed some of Prime Minister Ye’s memories. Do they contain any relevant information? I’ll arrange some fish treats for you.”
“…No need.” The black cat huffed, reluctantly tilting its head to recall. “In Prime Minister Ye’s memories, there isn’t much information about Emperor Jingchang, and there are no specific memories of poisoning the Emperor.”
Li Jinyu furrowed his brow and scratched his ear, lost in deep thought. “It’s not Prime Minister Ye…”
“But I do remember a small detail,” the black cat added suddenly. “It seems Prime Minister Ye had some kind of leverage over the Emperor.”
“Leverage?”
“Yes. Initially, Prime Minister Ye was just an ordinary official without any significant backing. How could he have gained such excessive favor from the Emperor?” The black cat had more experience in this matter than Li Jinyu. “He must have possessed a secret about the Emperor, using it to manipulate and gain complete control over him.”
Li Jinyu couldn’t help but raise an important question, “What kind of secret?”
The black cat stretched its paws. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“I haven’t seen all of his memories, so I wouldn’t know the exact nature of the secret,” the black cat retorted, rolling its eyes. “Remembering these details is already quite something.”
Disappointed, Li Jinyu redirected his gaze.
As Emperor Jingchang now, if there was something that could be used to threaten him, it might also have an impact on him.
However, now that both individuals involved are deceased, if no one else knew about the leverage against Emperor Jingchang, perhaps that leverage no longer existed.
Li Jinyu entertained an optimistic thought, “Maybe Prime Minister Ye’s leverage was Emperor Jingchang’s infertility and inability to have children?”
But that brough him back to the initial question… Who caused Emperor Jingchang to become infertile?
To find out, it was necessary to determine when Emperor Jingchang was poisoned.
Li Jinyu pondered and had Chief Kang fetch Concubine Wei.
As far as he knew, Concubine Wei was still among the imperial concubines, the eldest and the one who had entered the palace a long time ago.
Concubine Wei herself was cautious and discreet, with a modest appearance and fewer rumors surrounding her.
Li Jinyu gazed at Concubine Wei, his expression momentarily frozen.
It had been several months since he last encountered the imperial concubines, and he hadn’t expected Concubine Wei to have undergone such a transformation.
Her complexion had noticeably darkened, and her clothing had changed from the elegant, trailing skirts of a concubine to a more practical knee-length ruffled skirt. On closer inspection, there were even traces of grass stems clinging to her attire.
Concubine Wei’s face appeared slightly gaunt compared to before, but her eyes were much brighter, no longer filled with fear. She had undergone a significant transformation in her overall aura.
Li Jinyu remained dazed for a moment before finally managing to speak, “Concubine Wei, it has been a long time since we last met.”
“Your Majesty, it has been quite a while,” Concubine Wei curtsied and adjusted her attire, “May this concubine know the reason for summoning her?”
Li Jinyu asked Concubine Wei to prepare tea and engaged in some indirect conversation for a while before gently asking, “Concubine Wei, how many years have you been in the palace?”
Concubine Wei took a moment to recall and answered, “This concubine has been in the palace for four years and seven months.”
Wow, that’s indeed quite a long time.
“It has been that long…” Li Jinyu coughed and found a subtle approach, “And until now, you have not been able to conceive. Have you consulted the imperial physician?”
Accusing a concubine of being infertile within the harem was considered a grave accusation.
Concubine Wei had gained some courage over the past six months, but her hand still trembled with fear. If it weren’t for His Majesty’s relatively gentle tone, she might have knelt down immediately.
She made an effort to avert her gaze and whispered softly, “This concubine is incapable. She begs Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”
“Zhen understands, it’s not your fault,” Li Jinyu fixed his gaze on Concubine Wei’s face and deliberately spoke, “Zhen has never shown you favor, and that’s Zhen’s mistake.”
Throughout history, Emperors have admitted fault so that those around them could quickly respond with “Your Majesty is blameless.”
Concubine Wei, naturally, followed suit and hastily replied, “It’s because of this concubine’s inadequate beauty and character. Why would Your Majesty say such things?”
Li Jinyu carefully observed Concubine Wei’s expression and gained some insight.
At least in Concubine Wei’s case, Emperor Jingchang had never truly favored her.
Considering Emperor Jingchang’s years on the throne and the multitude of concubines in the harem, it was surprising that no one had conceived. Even Noble Concubine Xian had resorted to using aphrodisiacs in her desperate attempts to conceive an heir…
It seemed that Emperor Jingchang’s “infertility” had occurred a long time ago.
Having gathered enough information, Li Jinyu gestured for Concubine Wei to leave, furrowing his brow as he pondered.
Could there be a plot to usurp the throne by someone from the imperial family? Or was there a long-standing scheme brewing in Jiao Kingdom?
However, if they were capable of causing Emperor Jingchang to become “infertile,” why didn’t they simply use a more lethal poison?
Was there any need to spare Emperor Jingchang’s life if they didn’t want him to have an heir?
After pondering for a while, Li Jinyu suddenly had a realization: Why was he taking it all so seriously? Eventually, when Huo Caiyu seized the throne, his existence would become unnecessary. He could simply take a sip of poisoned wine and peacefully depart, leaving the vast mountains and seas for Huo Caiyu to conquer. Why should he worry about who caused his infertility?
Perhaps it was because Huo Caiyu had mentioned the poison to him with such a serious expression that he couldn’t help but get caught up in the moment.
As thoughts of Huo Caiyu crossed his mind, Li Jinyu’s action of cracking melon seeds gradually slowed down.
It had been over half a month since Huo Caiyu’s departure.
During these days, he had made an effort to avoid thinking about Huo Caiyu, but thoughts of him still slipped into his mind unintentionally.
They had once reclined together on the dragon throne, sat together on the wooden square chair, and even shared baths in the fragrant orchid tub…
Ever since Huo Caiyu left, Li Jinyu couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
The palace meals no longer tasted as delightful as before, the tea lacked its previous satisfying flavor, and even the melon seeds had lost their fragrance.
It was only after Huo Caiyu’s departure that Li Jinyu realized that the exceptionally delicious tea he had enjoyed daily was personally prepared by Huo Caiyu to suit his taste.
Compared to humans, he had a more sensitive palate, finding even the most popular teas too strong for his taste. Huo Caiyu gradually adjusted the tea ingredients according to his preferences, creating a blend that not only cooled his temperament but also suited his liking.
With Huo Caiyu absent, even if Chief Kang followed Huo Caiyu’s tea recipe, he couldn’t recreate the same sensation Huo Caiyu provided.
Reflecting on Huo Caiyu’s heartfelt confession before departing, Li Jinyu absentmindedly touched his ear, feeling a slight sense of confusion.
How did Huo Caiyu change his stance so abruptly?
Weren’t they supposed to be sworn enemies, locked in an unrelenting struggle?
What did Huo Caiyu find appealing about him?
Had he misinterpreted their previous animosity?
He was nothing more than an ignorant and inexperienced little hamster, lacking any noteworthy skills besides eating and running on his hamster wheel. Even his personality had gradually formed after he transmigrated.
Huo Caiyu possessed remarkable talent and foresight, encompassing the world within his vision. Why would he develop an interest in someone like him?
More importantly… what should he do?
Despite his limited understanding of human love, he knew that if Huo Caiyu truly loved him, he would never contemplate murdering him to seize power.
Should he reject him? Or should he…
Li Jinyu’s mind was filled with a mix of emotions, and the melon seeds in his hand became tasteless. He dropped them back into the jade plate, feeling a growing sense of frustration.
He was uncertain whether his restlessness stemmed from Huo Caiyu’s heartfelt confession or his fear of the potential disruption their relationship might face after making a choice.
It suddenly dawned on Li Jinyu that Huo Caiyu possessed a hint of cunning.
After Huo Caiyu confessed, he swiftly departed to fulfill his duty at the border, denying him any opportunity to refuse!
Li Jinyu picked up a walnut, recalling how Huo Caiyu insisted on cracking the walnuts for him, leading to a period of secret toothache.
Nowadays, no one was as attentive, and even the walnuts didn’t have the same aroma as before.
Moreover, for some unknown reason, whenever Li Jinyu recalled Huo Caiyu’s resolute and radiant expression during his confession, he felt a tightness in his chest. No matter how many peanuts or melon seeds he ate, he couldn’t relieve that stifling feeling.
Setting the walnut aside, Li Jinyu unconsciously pressed his lips together, mimicking Huo Caiyu’s gesture.
Now, all he wished for was that Huo Caiyu had spoken impulsively and without a clear mind, merely uttering nonsensical words.
Determined to put the matter of Huo Caiyu behind him, Li Jinyu resolved to block any affairs related to him and allow himself some time to calm down.
However, during the morning court assembly the next day, Zhou Wenyan presented a memorial that compelled him to take it seriously. “Your Majesty, the military reserves at Beiyue Pass are insufficient, and there may be impending dangers.”
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