Since the day He Heng returned and discovered Wen Liangyu was ill, every night he would sleep with the Little Emperor, helping him regulate his daily routine.
Although the political power has been returned to Wen Liangyu, he still holds control over the Tiger Elite Army, so both inside and outside the palace, no one dares to defy his orders.
Moreover, after the remark about eating the rabbit in the backyard that day, the Little Emperor did not show the delighted and joyful smile that He Heng had imagined. Instead, he almost hugged the rabbit and ran away.
It was then that He Heng understood – the Little Emperor’s apparent joy that day wasn’t about wanting to eat the rabbit; he simply wanted to play with it.
He Heng immediately laughed and said to the Little Emperor:
“If I catch you missing a meal on time one day, and you happen to skip one, I’ll add an extra dish to the next meal. And that dish will be chosen from my special menu:
“Spicy Rabbit Head,”
“Salt and Pepper Rabbit Leg,”
“Cold Tossed Rabbit Cubes,”
“Cold Rabbit,”
“Braised Rabbit Meat,”
“Sauce-braised Rabbit Meat,”
And several other dish names that He Heng made up, combined to form what he jokingly called the ‘Complete Rabbit Banquet’.
However, despite his threats, he ended up having the small rabbit, along with its cage and rabbit feed, sent to Wen Liangyu’s sleeping quarters.
Unbeknownst to them, the capital welcomed its first snowfall of the year. The first snowflake melting on the red brick and tile roofs marked the beginning of four winters in Wei Dynasty since the new emperor ascended the throne.
In the backyard of the Hall of Nurturing the Heart, a square courtyard adorned with numerous potted plants, greenery, and wooden carvings, now featured an enormous rabbit cage.
Surrounding the rabbit cage was a makeshift canopy, providing protection for the rabbits inside against the heavy snowfall outside.
This was something He Heng had arranged a few days ago specifically for Wen Liangyu. At first, when Liu Fuyuan saw the Emperor returning with a rabbit, he was a bit bewildered. However, that feeling dissipated when he noticed He Heng standing beside the Emperor, returning with him.
After all, nothing He Heng did nowadays was considered strange.
If the Emperor wanted to keep rabbits in the backyard of his sleeping quarters, especially when they were a gift from the current all-powerful Regent, who would dare to interfere?
However, people in the palace had little experience with this, so to avoid accidentally starving or overfeeding the rabbits, Wen Liangyu had to seek He Heng’s assistance.
Since the last realization that the current He Heng might not be the same person as the original owner, Wen Liangyu noticed that his resistance to him was gradually diminishing. In its place, however, arose another kind of indescribable and unclear sentiment.
Today, light snow fell in the capital.
Wen Liangyu, clad in a thick padded jacket, squatted behind the courtyard, feeding the rabbits with vegetable leaves. Liu Fuyuan stood nearby, holding a paper umbrella to shield him.
At that moment, a dark figure suddenly slid down the outer palace wall, silent and without leaving a trace of footsteps.
Suddenly, a man in a tight-fitting black long robe appeared before him. Wen Liangyu, however, didn’t even blink.
The man in black had a golden token tied to his waist, bearing the character “七” (seven).
This was one of Wen Liangyu’s secret guards, Luo Qi.
He originally had ten secret guards under his command, all well-trained and highly skilled. However, after the palace coup that day, “He Heng” captured nine of them, leaving only Luo Qi.
“Your Majesty,” Luo Qi approached Wen Liangyu, bowing with his hands clasped in salute, and reported:
“Subordinate has been steadfastly guarding the possible landing points for carrier pigeons day and night for these past few days. We’ve almost searched every corner of the imperial city, but have not intercepted any letters. Logically speaking, Vice General Li should have led the Forbidden Army to the outskirts of the capital by now.”
Upon hearing this, Wen Liangyu furrowed his brows slightly, a vague sense of unease settling in his heart.
He knew Luo Qi’s competence all too well; the man never made mistakes in such crucial matters. This made the situation even more complicated—either Vice General Li encountered a problem, preventing the letters from being sent on time, or…
“Your Majesty, do you think these letters might have been intercepted?”
Luo Qi directly voiced what was on Wen Liangyu’s mind.
If the letters were intercepted, the consequences would be unimaginable. Especially if they fell into the hands of He Heng, their entire plan would be exposed.
“How is Prince Jing’s residence? Have you noticed any unusual activities?” Wen Liangyu asked while handing a piece of rabbit grass to the rabbit cage.
Although the current He Heng gave him a sense of being detached from the world, seemingly uninvolved in worldly matters, Wen Liangyu couldn’t rule out the possibility of the letters being intercepted by Prince Jing’s residence.
With these thoughts, a complex expression flickered in Wen Liangyu’s eyes.
If it were the original “He Heng” he wouldn’t hesitate at all. Given even a slim chance, he would spare no effort to eliminate the threat. But now…
Wen Liangyu couldn’t help but feel a hint of hesitation when he recalled the gentle eyes and warm touch of the current He Heng. There was a certain unease settling in his heart, as if he were falling ill—palpitations mixed with a slight ache in some obscure place. Ultimately, no matter what, he could hear the deafening sound of his own heartbeat.
“Your Majesty, there haven’t been any abnormalities in that regard,” Luo Qi’s voice brought him back to the present.
“But I’ve noticed something during this time…”
With a hint of confusion, he continued, “The guards around He Heng have been reduced by almost half. Whenever he goes out, there’s hardly anyone accompanying him.”
“And the guards outside Prince Jing’s residence are practically nonexistent now…”
“So, what are you implying?” Wen Liangyu interrupted him abruptly, though he didn’t stop feeding the rabbits.
“Your Majesty, I am now about seventy percent certain that I can sneak into Prince Jing’s residence without anyone noticing and deal with him…”
In the next moment, Luo Qi made a gesture of cutting his own throat.
Almost in the instant of hearing those words, Wen Liangyu’s eyes darkened, his lips pressed tightly together, and he forgot to continue feeding the rabbits.
Unaware, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his fingertip. Lowering his gaze, he saw that the rabbit had bitten him deeply, breaking the skin. Fresh blood was dripping steadily down the finger.
Seeing blood was an ominous sign, and Wen Liangyu, being the supreme ruler, made the attendants nearby panic even more.
“Your Majesty! Let me quickly fetch the imperial physician to take a look,” Liu Fuyuan exclaimed, handing him a handkerchief he carried with him, his expression filled with anxiety.
“No need,” Wen Liangyu stood up from the ground, taking the handkerchief from Liu Fuyuan and pressing it firmly against the wound. His face became even more somber.
Approaching Luo Qi, he spoke each word deliberately, “Did I instruct you to act against him?”
There was unmistakable anger in his tone.
“Your Majesty, forgive me. I didn’t think it through!” Luo Qi immediately knelt down before him, offering a quick apology.
It was unclear which part of his words had touched a nerve in Wen Liangyu.
For some reason, upon hearing that someone intended to harm He Heng, even in the cold winter season, a strong anger ignited within Wen Liangyu’s heart, as if there were a fire burning.
He then looked at the kneeling secret guard and said, “Listen carefully, without my orders, none of you are allowed to touch him.”
“Understood,” Luo Qi repeatedly acknowledged, though inwardly, he felt extremely frustrated. Just a few months ago, the Emperor and the Regent were at odds, wishing to eliminate each other as soon as possible. How come, after a period of no contact with Wen Liangyu, his attitude had changed so suddenly?
Could it be…
Was it because the Little Emperor had been tormented by He Heng for some time, and now he harbored an even more profound hatred, a twisted hatred that required He Heng’s removal by Wen Liangyu’s own hands?
Yes…
Thinking about it this way, Luo Qi felt like he had finally found a plausible explanation.
In the backyard of Prince Jing’s residence, a delightful aroma of barbecue wafted through the air. It was the magical combination of roasted meat fat and cumin.
The aroma was so enticing that it permeated into the mansion, disrupting He Heng’s attempt to take a nap on his bed. After the 10,086th time swallowing his saliva, he impatiently got up from the bed and called Tian Lianghan in.
“What’s going on outside? What’s that smell? Don’t tell me there’s a fire.”
As he thought about it, a sudden “thud” echoed in He Heng’s mind. He hoped it wasn’t an actual fire in the backyard, roasting all the little animals he had there.
If that were the case…
Thinking about it, He Heng lowered his head, appearing somewhat melancholic. How could he be without that rabbit? He had been longing to taste roasted rabbit meat.
“Master, I’ll go check right away.”
Tian Lianghan was completely unaware of He Heng’s rich internal monologue. Fearing something had happened in the backyard, he quickly gathered a few servants and hurried to the backyard.
And there they saw, in a corner of the garden, Xie Chong had grabbed a handful of dry straw, crouched on the ground, and was using wood to start a fire to roast pigeons.
Xie Chong was deeply immersed in the joy of grilling, completely unaware of the heads peeking out from the wall corner.
The pile of dry straw on the ground was now successfully ignited, with two gutted pigeons neatly placed on top. Xie Chong was diligently basting them with oil and sprinkling cumin.
Next to it, on a clean bamboo board, there were neatly arranged one, two, three, four, five pigeons.
Seeing that the two pigeons currently grilling were on the right track, Xie Chong grabbed another one from the bamboo board, preparing to process it. However, at this moment, he noticed a small bamboo tube tied to the pigeon’s foot.
“Huh, is environmental pollution this bad nowadays? Why are these pigeons all tangled up with trash on their feet?”
Thinking this, Xie Chong sighed, swiftly removed the bamboo tube from the pigeon’s foot, and thoughtlessly tossed it into the nearby bushes.
Some time ago, when he unintentionally passed by the southern pavilion of the palace wall, he saw an exceptionally plump pigeon flapping its wings and colliding with a pillar. So, Xie Chong roasted it. However, the next day, another pigeon came, and the same happened on the third, fourth, and fifth days…
So, now he would go there every day before noon, waiting for pigeons. As soon as he spotted a flying pigeon, he would use a slingshot to shoot them down, leading to the scene of him roasting pigeons today.
“Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!”
The pungent aroma wafted from the pile of dry straw, and the skins of the two pigeons turned a crispy brown.
Xie Chong used chopsticks to peel open the pigeon’s skin, revealing tender meat inside with a faint pink hue, indicating that the pigeon was perfectly roasted.
A minute more, and the meat would become tough; a minute less, and it wouldn’t be fully cooked. But now, with the perfect balance of crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, Xie Chong was about to enjoy the roasted pigeon.
“Smack!”
Suddenly, the back of his hand received a solid hit, startling him so much that he dropped the pigeon he was holding.
In surprise, Xie Chong looked up and met the stern face of Tian Lianghan.
“This… this…” Tian Lianghan was so angered that he couldn’t speak properly, “These are carrier pigeons! Not meant for you to roast and eat.”
“Quick, where’s the stuff inside the bamboo tube?”
Having said that, he quickly instructed the servants to retrieve the bamboo tubes from the legs of the pigeons that hadn’t been roasted yet.
Carrier pigeons were only used for urgent messages when it was impossible to convey the information through normal means. Even without knowing the specific content of these messages, Tian Lianghan could guess their importance.
“Master, here you go.” One of the servants respectfully handed Tian Lianghan a small scroll of paper.
After reading the words on the paper, Tian Lianghan frowned, his expression becoming even more serious. He glanced down at Xie Chong, who was still squatting on the ground in confusion.
“As for you, I don’t know what to say this time. Even though you’re a fool, you’ve inadvertently done something commendable. You’ve managed to catch something when a blind cat stumbled upon a dead mouse.”
With that, he took the proclamation and hurriedly walked back into the mansion.
Inside Prince Jing’s residence, He Heng sat at his desk, looking at several notes placed on the table, his brows furrowed.
These messages probably conveyed the news that the Forbidden Army, originally stationed at the border, had quietly reached the outpost in the northern suburbs of the capital. They were waiting for further instructions from Wen Liangyu, planning to coordinate with the palace insiders for a surprise attack, catching him off guard.
This was indeed a significant threat to He Heng, the strength lying in the element of surprise. If they executed the lightning-fast assault according to the plan, even the mighty Tiger Elite Army might not immediately react and withstand their offensive.
However, due to Xie Chong’s mistake of confusing carrier pigeons for squab, their plans inadvertently gained an advantage. The content of these messages troubled He Heng not because he feared the power of the Forbidden Army—once exposed, those troops on the outskirts of the capital posed no real threat to him. What truly concerned him was not the allure of wealth, fame, or power.
It was Wen Liangyu.
“I understand.” After a while, He Heng raised his head and looked at Tian Lianghan. “After dinner, have Xie Chong and Wen Shao come here to see me together.”
The person referred to as Wen Shao was the current commander of the Tiger Elite Guards.
Tian Lianghan nodded and was about to withdraw when He Heng stopped him.
“Wait.”
He Heng suddenly called him back. Tian Lianghan turned around, thinking that there might be an important matter to attend to. He listened as He Heng spoke again.
“Uh, that… those pigeons he roasted, where are they?”
Tian Lianghan replied, “They are still in the backyard. I’ll have someone clean up those pigeons right away.”
“No, wait a moment,” He Heng motioned to stop him.
“Bring them in. Let me taste…”
Inside the room, He Heng, while picking at the roasted pigeons, asked the system, “How much did his blackening value drop to?”
996: [65]
Having experienced another world, He Heng was quite familiar with the mechanism of reducing the protagonist’s blackening value.
Usually, the protagonist’s blackening value could only decrease gradually by addressing the traumas inflicted by the original owner. In this world, after lifting the restrictions on Wen Liangyu’s personal freedom and returning political power, his blackening value had dropped by about twenty points.
The next step would be to remove his influence over the capital, returning military authority and even the entire Wei Dynasty gradually to him. For He Heng, if returning military authority could lower Wen Liangyu’s blackening value, then that would be the way to go.
However, he was still unsure about the little emperor’s current attitude towards him. So, if he had to return the military authority token, he needed to do it voluntarily rather than falling into the passive situation they were in before.
In the next moment, a mechanical electronic sound rang out:
996: [So, what’s your plan?]
Seeing this, He Heng extended his index finger to rub his chin, ‘I’ve already thought of a seamless plan in my heart.’
Speaking of this, he raised the corner of his mouth, quite confident, and said:
‘As long as I return the military token to him without him noticing, his level of blackening will undoubtedly plummet.’
On that night, He Heng changed into an all-black fitted long robe, resembling the attire often worn by those small thieves sneaking into people’s residences in martial arts films during the night.
After changing into his clothes and carrying the military token in his arms, he swiftly descended from the corner of the wall. Subsequently, in the silent darkness of the palace during the late night, he stealthily moved like a mysterious bat.
996: [Is this what you call a seamless plan? Pretending to be a thief and forcefully stuffing the military token into someone’s room?]
He Heng flipped over another palace wall and finally approached the Emperor’s sleeping quarters. He scoffed, ‘You understand nothing.’
‘The strongest martial artists often appear in the simplest guise. Think about those superheroes who save the city—Batman, Spider-Man, Superman. Aren’t they all dressed in tight suits, stealthily moving in the night?’
996: […]
For a moment, 996 didn’t know what to say to He Heng’s analogy.
Finally, as if it remembered something, it added:
[Then why don’t you wear a mask? People who wear such stealthy attire do so to avoid being recognized. What’s the point if you don’t conceal your face?]
‘I initially thought about wearing one,’ He Heng replied. As he spoke, he swiftly flipped onto the eaves of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, deftly knocked out the two small guards at the door, and then agilely climbed in through the paper window.
‘But…’
[But?]
He Heng: ‘But wearing a mask feels too stuffy. It’s a bit hard to breathe with it on.’
[…]
The Emperor’s sleeping chamber was shrouded in darkness. The moment that He Heng entered, he could hear the person lying on the bed stirring, accompanied by continuous murmuring, as if muttering something in his sleep.
Just as He Heng stealthily approached, holding the military token and preparing to slip it under the little emperor’s pillow, the young emperor suddenly let out a sleepy mumble.
“Mmm~ can’t.”
When Wen Liangyu talked in his sleep, his long hair cascaded down, spreading across the bed. He lay slightly on his side, revealing the delicate and soft curve of his neck from this angle. In his embrace, he clutched a large, plush pillow.
Rarely encountering such a gentle side of the young emperor, He Heng couldn’t help but slow down his movements, coming to a halt for a moment.
The next second, he observed the young emperor pout in his sleep and suddenly kicked the pillow, saying, “You can’t eat my bunny!”
Hearing this, He Heng couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.
Damn!
Once he realized the noise he made, he quickly covered his mouth with his hand, but it was already too late.
The young emperor, startled by the noise, was immediately awakened.
“Who’s there?!”
Wen Liangyu sat up abruptly, looking around.
The next moment, He Heng saw him reaching for the bedside oil lamp.
If Wen Liangyu discovered him, his stealth plan would be ruined, and it might bring unnecessary trouble. He absolutely couldn’t let Wen Liangyu find out that the intruder in his bedroom was him.
With this in mind, He Heng quickly searched for objects in the room that could conceal his identity.
At that critical moment, with a sudden “snap!”, the pitch-black room was illuminated by a glaring light, and Wen Liangyu lit the oil lamp behind him.
In this life-threatening moment, He Heng suddenly noticed a light blue vase with a bouquet of daffodils on the desk. The vase seemed to have a wide opening.
Without hesitation, he threw away the flowers inside, put the vase over his head, perfectly covering his entire face and the back of his head.
Even the water remaining in the vase spilled all over him.
As Wen Liangyu lit the oil lamp, the scene that unfolded before him was quite unexpected. There stood a tall man in a black long gown with a light blue vase on his head.
If it weren’t for recognizing He Heng by his back, Wen Liangyu might have thought a monster from a fantasy novel had appeared in the palace.
Even though the sudden entrance of a person into the bedroom at this late hour was somewhat frightening, upon witnessing the man continuously reaching to support the wobbly vase, attempting to prevent it from falling, Wen Liangyu went from surprise to amusement. Suppressing his laughter, he spoke in a mysterious tone, “Who are you? And what brings you here?”
He Heng originally wanted to run, but he found it challenging to run with a vase on his head because he couldn’t see the path clearly, and there was a high chance of colliding with something.
At this moment, he felt like a monster trapped inside the gourd of the Silver Horn King1Silver Horn King, also known as General Silver Trident, is an ancient demon and enemy of the Monkey King. He is the brother of Golden Horn King.
, hitting walls everywhere.
When Wen Liangyu asked that question, the air around them immediately fell silent.
Seeing that the other person didn’t respond, he decided to go over and find out for himself.
Listening to the footsteps approaching him step by step, He Heng felt a bit anxious.
In that instant, his brain started working frantically.
Anything will do, just don’t let the other person recognize him.
“Who are you?”
The questioning voice behind him was getting closer.
At this moment, He Heng’s gaze fell on the bouquet of narcissus that he had thrown.
In a moment of desperation, he pinched his own throat and said, “I am the flower-stealing bandit.”
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