In the dimly lit study,
Wen Liangyu stood with hands behind his back. When he saw the elderly man before him, whose temples were almost completely silvered, his emotions seemed somewhat stirred.
All the windows and doors in the room were tightly shut, and several people guarded the main entrance of the study to ensure that the conversation inside wouldn’t risk any leaks.
“Your Majesty!”
At the moment when that person saw Wen Liangyu, tears almost immediately welled up in his eyes. He promptly bowed with both hands, “Plop!” kneeling before him.
“Your Majesty! It’s the incompetence of this humble subject that couldn’t alleviate Your Majesty’s concerns, leading to the fall of the Great Wei’s state affairs into the hands of that treacherous person and causing Your Majesty’s humiliation.”
This person wore a ceremonial headdress and a crimson court robe. The embroidered crane in the center of the court robe symbolized his status as a high-ranking official, a pinnacle figure among the courtiers.
This man’s name was Bai Lishen, a three-time elder of the Great Wei. For generations, his ancestors had served in the court, devoting themselves to the Great Wei and remaining loyal to the royal family. When Wen Liangyu was still the Crown Prince, Bai Lishen served as his advisor.
After the passing of the late Emperor, he further assisted as the Crown Prince’s support, helping the young Wen Liangyu secure the throne.
Now, well into his seventies, his body bent and his hair turned snowy white, he wept profusely at the sight of Wen Liangyu.
“Sir, please rise.”
Wen Liangyu immediately approached, helping Bai Lishen up from the ground.
The relationship between an emperor and his subject is one of hierarchy, where the emperor usually addresses the subject with a simple title like “Lord”. However, when facing Bai Lishen , Wen Liangyu used the term “Sir,” undoubtedly highlighting his respect and reliance on Bai Lishen.
During the previous regime, surveillance on Wen Liangyu was exceptionally strict. Throughout a day, four consecutive shifts of personnel were assigned to stand guard, making it so that not even a mosquito could enter his sleeping quarters, let alone a person.
As a result, Bai Lishen never had the opportunity for private audiences with the Emperor, making it impossible to discuss any plans to overthrow He Heng.
Of course, the former ruler didn’t formally alter their positions, merely neutralizing their influence.
One was a puppet Prime Minister, the other a puppet Emperor.
However, since He Heng’s unexpected fall from his horse, resulting in “memory loss” he immediately removed all the personnel assigned to monitor Wenliang Yu.
Though He Heng still handled state affairs, this undeniably provided Wen Liangyu with an opportunity to seek redemption.
Today marked their first reunion since He Heng assumed power, and the emotions of both Wen Liangyu and Bai Lishen couldn’t help but be somewhat stirred.
After Wen Liangyu helped Bai Lishen to his feet, the latter’s emotions gradually settled.
“Cough, cough,” Bai Lishen cleared his throat and immediately began discussing official matters with Wen Liangyu.
“Your Majesty, during these days when traitors have been in power, I have been pondering day and night on strategies to break free from their control. However, as fate would have it, no matter how meticulous the plans, they pale in comparison to the opportune moment bestowed upon us by the heavens. It’s just…”
He paused suddenly, looking at Wen Liangyu with a heavily troubled expression.
Seeing this, Wen Liangyu approached him.
“Sir, what concerns you? Feel free to speak.”
Bai Lishen furrowed his brows and lowered his voice. “The key issue lies in our inability to ascertain whether Prince Jing’s amnesia is genuine or feigned.”
“In the past few days, nearly all the renowned physicians from the Royal Hospital have examined him at Prince Jing’s residence. However, while the physical ailments are relatively easy to diagnose, the same cannot be said for mental illnesses. Even the experienced old physicians couldn’t provide a definite conclusion.”
“I have considered your concerns, Sir,” Wen Liangyu responded.
Continuing his words, Wen Liangyu said, “I am not a renowned physician, nor do I understand pathology, but from my perspective, He Heng’s amnesia doesn’t seem feigned.”
As he spoke, he lowered his eyes slightly, and naturally, images of the moments spent with He Heng during these days flashed in his mind.
The warm sensation of sleeping against the other’s chest remained vivid, and He Heng’s deep voice seemed to echo in his ears once again.
Sensing his own distraction, Wen Liangyu furrowed his brows, feeling an inexplicable sense of restlessness. He immediately pushed these thoughts out of his mind.
After a moment of silence, he spoke again, “However, until this matter is conclusively resolved, we should proceed with caution.”
Bai Lishen nodded, “Your Majesty’s words are wise. The views of this humble subject align with Your Majesty’s.”
“After much contemplation in these past days, this humble subject has finally devised a comprehensive plan.”
“Oh?” Wen Liangyu raised an eyebrow, “Please elaborate, Sir.”
“Now that the capital is still under He Heng’s control with his Tiger Elite Army, we can’t act recklessly for the time being. However, since the news of He Heng’s amnesia has spread, regional lords are all maneuvering under the pretext of supporting the royal cause. Consequently, He Heng is bound to face constraints. Moreover, the border conflicts have already subsided in recent days, and General Luo’s Imperial Guards are still stationed there.”
“So, my strategy is to…”
“To make preparations overtly while moving covertly.”
Upon hearing this, Wen Liangyu’s eyes brightened. “Are you suggesting, Sir, that we openly test the authenticity of He Heng’s ‘amnesia’ while covertly bringing back the Imperial Guards stationed at the border, taking advantage of the regional lords’ influence over him?”
“Your Majesty’s wisdom!” Bai Lishen immediately bowed again in acknowledgment of Wen Liangyu’s approval.
Wen Liangyu continued, “However, when it comes to testing He Heng, do you know who in the court is willing to take such a risk?”
While the idea sounded simple, the underlying risks were significant. If He Heng’s amnesia was genuine, then there was no harm. But if it was feigned, no matter how cautious the person testing him might be, He Heng would undoubtedly remember it. In case their plan failed or leaked prematurely, He Heng would undoubtedly seek retribution in the future.
“Your Majesty,” Bai Lishen bowed deeply, his gaze unwavering, “I am willing to take on this responsibility.”
“Sir, there’s no need for you to personally…”
“Your Majesty,” Bai Lishen interrupted him with a smile, then teasingly twirled his white beard, “I’m just an old man now, half of my body is already buried in the earth. Should I still fear those treacherous villains?”
As he spoke, the aged look in his eyes suddenly turned sharp, and his robust voice became resolute, “Since entering the court, I have served three generations of monarchs. As a loyal subject of Wei, receiving salary and emoluments, it is my duty to share Your Majesty’s concerns. This is my responsibility.”
Observing this, Wen Liangyu sighed and looked at him.
“Great Wei is fortunate to have a loyal subject like you, Sir.”
Within the luxurious Prince Jing’s mansion, treasures and rare items from various regions adorned the surroundings, creating a splendid and magnificent atmosphere that could easily dazzle one’s eyes.
In one corner of the mansion, there were numerous potted plants and wooden sculptures, creating a lush and environmentally friendly ambiance.
In modern terms, He Heng would describe this Prince Regent as someone who had clearly come into newfound wealth.
“Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!”
A canary from the Western Regions, enclosed in an intricately carved wooden cage, hopped up and down incessantly, chirping and tweeting.
The notorious and unflinching Lord of the Cold Yama, He Heng, was currently dressed in loose-fitting black robes, bending over to play with the bird by the cage.
He gently tapped on the edge of the cage with his finger, and the little bird immediately hopped towards the sound. He then fed it some grains from his hand.
“Honorable Lord He,” at that moment, a servant hurried into the courtyard, interrupting He Heng’s leisurely entertainment.
“Prime Minister Bai requests an audience.”
Upon hearing this, He Heng straightened up and followed the sound of the voice. He saw Bai Lishen, whose hair and beard had turned white, and whose back was slightly hunched.
He couldn’t help but ponder,
Bai Lishen is quite elderly, but he moves quite briskly. He’s already here to handle matters for the young emperor so soon?
Well, this works out perfectly. I can take advantage of his visit to get things done directly.
During this period, as He Heng relaxed his confinement of Wen Liangyu, his blackening value had dropped from around 95 to about 80. To further decrease his blackening value, he needed to gradually return the things he had taken from the original host to Wen Liangyu.
Today, with Bai Lishen’s visit, he saw a ready-made opportunity before him. It saved him the trouble of running errands through intermediaries.
Thinking about this, He Heng looked at Bai Lishen with an expression of innocent confusion, playing out the role of a pitiable person affected by “amnesia”.
“Oh, Mr. Bai, is it?”
As he spoke, a scent of white lotus filled the room.
Sure enough, Bai Lishen, upon seeing He Heng’s confused expression, also hesitated for a moment. He then turned to seek assistance from a nearby young servant.
“Uh, our lord, a few days ago, he, um…” The young servant lowered his voice and gestured awkwardly to convey the situation to Bai Lishen.
However, the moment he caught He Heng’s gaze directed at them, he immediately turned away and respectfully addressed He Heng, “Lord He, this is Prime Minister Bai. He is the chief minister of the cabinet, but due to his age, he spends most of his time at home and rarely appears in the palace. You haven’t had many interactions with him since your fall from the horse.”
“Oh, I see. No wonder this gentleman seemed unfamiliar,” He Heng immediately took over the young servant’s explanation. “I didn’t recognize you just now. Please don’t be offended. The blame lies on me; I fell off my horse a few days ago.”
As he spoke, He Heng pointed to his temple and laughed, “Some things slip my mind.”
With this performance, most of Bai Lishen’s doubts about the authenticity of He Heng’s amnesia were dispelled.
It seems the Emperor was right. He Heng’s amnesia is likely genuine. After all, his current appearance is quite different from his previous role as the Prince Regent. They seem unrelated.
But his plan had to proceed as planned.
Thinking of this, Bai Lishen twirled his beard and smiled. “Lord He, you truly embarrassed this old man. There’s no need to feel offended. Forgetting things is a common human experience. As I’ve aged, I too often forget trivial matters.”
After saying this, he noticed that He Heng was still playing with the bird. Bai Lishen suddenly raised his voice and his expression became more serious.
“However, some things can be forgotten, while others cannot.”
“Do you still remember the words you spoke at the late Emperor’s bedside before his death, Prince Jing?”
The next moment, He Heng stopped feeding the bird and shook his head.
This old man clearly wanted to remind him of his identity as a traitor and a villain. Then, he would speak about “loyalty to the monarch and love for the country,” “benevolence, righteousness, and integrity,” and finally, after going around in circles, he would present his own demands.
He had long seen through these tactics.
As expected, Bai Lishen squinted his eyes slightly and spoke in a questioning tone, “Since Lord He doesn’t remember today, let this old servant remind you then.”
“Before the late Emperor’s death, you swore at his bedside, vowing to engrave the words ‘loyalty’ and ‘righteousness’ in your heart and dutifully assist His Majesty in ascending the throne.”
“However,” at this point, he shifted the direction of his words, looking directly at He Heng,
“I wonder if Lord He still remembers how to write the word ‘sincerity’?”
The next moment, the entire mansion fell silent.
Servants ceased their activities, standing still with bated breath. Even if they weren’t well-educated, it was not difficult to sense the condemnation in Bai Lishen’s words. It was evident that he was not giving any face to their lord and was determined to reprimand him.
Just when they expected their lord to erupt in anger,
“Oh, I know,” He Heng, however, displayed an “innocent” smile toward Bai Lishen.
“Sincerity, isn’t it?”
He then proceeded to demonstrate, saying, “Dot, horizontal, slant, lift, horizontal.1he’s writing the character for the word sincerity”
At that moment, everyone in the room stared wide-eyed, looking at the Prince Regent at the other end who was earnestly teaching the Prime Minister how to write.
Meanwhile, Bai Lishen’s face turned dark.
If he were currently bedridden due to a severe illness and heard He Heng’s words, he would likely be so infuriated that he’d jump out of bed.
Given He Heng’s current abilities,
He could probably anger the dead back to life or infuriate the living to death.
On the other side, He Heng continued,
“Horizontal, slant, horizontal, lift, horizontal hook, diagonal hook, slant, dot.”
“Is it written like this?”
Finally, noticing the dark and gloomy expression on Bai Lishen’s face, He Heng added,
“Mr. Bai, was what I just said incorrect? Did I miss any strokes?”
“Oh, this.”
After a brief pause, Bai Lishen cleared his throat. “What I meant by ‘write’ was not actually asking Lord He to tell me how to write characters.”
Upon hearing this, He Heng looked at him squarely, “Then, Mr. Bai, what do you mean?”
Feeling a bit uneasy under the intense gaze, Bai Lishen had no choice but to speak bluntly,
“I thought Lord He should honor the promise made at the late Emperor’s bedside, step back, fulfill the duties of a courtier, and return the power to His Majesty. I wonder, what does Lord He think about this?”
As soon as he finished speaking, an awkward silence engulfed the room. He Heng also abruptly stopped feeding the bird, letting the grains fall into the cage with a “whoosh!” Then, he turned around, clapped his hands, and took measured steps toward Bai Lishen.
As he looked at the other party’s ambiguous expression, Bai Lishen suddenly felt a chilling sensation on his back. He even unconsciously took a half-step backward, feeling as if cold sweat was dripping from his forehead.
At this moment, Bai Lishen felt like a prisoner awaiting execution on the chopping block.
However, the next moment, he heard the other party laughing and saying,
“Oh, Mr. Bai, I understand what you mean.”
“Are you saying that Madam doesn’t want me to always be in the limelight?”
Bai Lishen: “…”
The rest of the people present: “…”
What the heck, “doesn’t want to be in the limelight”?
Truly a hall-of-fame level of understanding from the Prince Regent after losing his memory.
“In fact, I understand too,” He Heng said. In the midst of his words, he placed a hand on Bai Lishen’s shoulder, looking down at him,
“After all,”
“I stand out too much outside.”
“…”
Bai Lishen swallowed hard, momentarily at a loss for words. How was he supposed to respond to that?
The highly renowned and knowledgeable Prime Minister, often hailed as the “Saint of Debate,” found himself stumped for the first time.
After a pause, he stammered, “So, so, Lord He, does that mean you’ve agreed to it?”
“Yep.” He Heng nodded decisively.
“He is my wife, and both of us standing out together, what’s the difference? Besides, if he wants something, why shouldn’t I give it to him?”
“Since he doesn’t want me to be in the limelight, I’ll just stay in the mansion.”
Under the successive “bombardment” from He Heng, Bai Lishen’s legs had already begun to tremble. He nervously wiped the sweat from his forehead, and even speaking became difficult, “Then, I’ll take my leave.”
“You’re in such a hurry to leave, Mr. Bai?” He Heng raised an eyebrow with interest, and the hand on his shoulder exerted a bit more force. “You’ve only just arrived. Won’t you stay for dinner? It seems like I haven’t been a good host.”
Hearing that He Heng wanted him to stay for dinner, Bai Lishen’s eyebrows tightened, and he couldn’t even straighten his tongue.
He Heng said, “Mr. Bai, do you have something on your mind? I can see that your complexion doesn’t look great. Why don’t you share it with me? Helping others relieve their worries is something I’m quite good at.”
Upon hearing this, Bai Lishen’s back was immediately drenched in sweat, and even his clothes seemed to be getting soaked. He was afraid that if he stayed in Prince Jing’s mansion for a moment longer, his people might leave without him. Hastily, he shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum.
“No, no need. I suddenly remembered there’s an urgent matter at home; I have to hurry back.”
In this way, He Heng became even more curious, “What urgent matter? Perhaps I can help.”
“The backyard is on fire.”
Bai Lishen bit his teeth, directly interrupting He Heng’s words.
Author’s Note: Shocking! Why did the backyard catch fire for this seventy-year-old man?
