All votes and comments are much appreciated :)
—————
Li Jianheng had a nightmare.
🌾🌾🌾
He dreamed of that rainy night at the Nanlin Hunting Grounds, where the branches slapped at his face harshly as he covered his head and dodged frantically.
The horse he rode galloped wildly onward. Li Jianheng wanted to clutch the reins in fear, but Xiao Chiye suddenly turned around and grabbed him by the collar to toss him off the horse.
“Ce’an, save me!” Li Jianheng pleaded on his knees after falling to the ground. “Ce’an, Ce’an! We are brothers! Don’t leave me here!”
Xiao Chiye’s expression was grave amidst the flashes of lightning and claps of thunder. He faced him and said callously, “Knock him out and hoist him away!”
Li Jianheng watched with his snot and tears flowing as Chen Yang approached him. He could not help but feel so frightened that he moved backward and brandished his arms as he bellowed, “I … I’m the Emperor! How can you treat me this way?”
Li Jianheng’s back bumped into someone. He turned his head and looked back to see Emperor Xiande stooping over to grab hold of his wrist. He immediately called out, “Imperial Brother, Imperial Brother, save me!”
Emperor Xiande tightened his grip, his fingers digging into Li Jianheng’s flesh. He coughed blood and said in a frosty voice, “He who saves you today can kill you tomorrow! Do you understand?”
Li Jianheng struggled painfully, but he could not free his arm no matter what he did. The rain from the above suddenly turned into drops of something sticky. Li Jianheng touched it. His palm came away full of blood. He looked up, and a head tumbled down from the darkness with a “thud”.
With an inscrutable burst of strength, Li Jianheng pushed and kicked himself free from Emperor Xiande’s hand. Gasping, he crawled up from the mud and trembled as he kicked the human head aside before crying and shouting at the black shadows around him, “I’m the Emperor. I—I’m the Son of Heaven! Who wants to kill me? Who?!”
🌾🌾🌾
“Your Majesty.” Someone called him softly. “Your Majesty.”
Li Jianheng abruptly opened his eyes. He stared at the golden roof absent-mindedly and murmured, “Who wants to kill me… Who wants to kill me…”
The Empress Dowager wiped away the sweat for Li Jianheng with a handkerchief and bent over to say, “Jianheng, Imperial Mother is here!”
Jianheng!
Sorrow overcame Li Jianheng. His mother had died early, and Emperor Guangcheng had never once looked at him in the eyes. In all the years he had indulged in carnal pleasures, no one had ever called him Jianheng.
“Imperial Mother…” Li Jianheng choked with sobs and cried out, “Mother!”
The Empress Dowager turned her head slightly, as though she was wiping away her tears, and said, “You’ve been out for the entire night. I was truly afraid. If you’re still in pain somewhere, you must tell me.”
Li Jianheng looked at the Empress Dowager and noticed that she was still wearing the ceremonial robe from last night. She must have been here watching over him the entire night. Li Jianheng immediately propped himself up and saw the gray hair on the Empress Dowager’s temples. Both her eyes were slightly red, and she looked so much more haggard.
Li Jianheng felt warm inside. He wiped his eyes, held the Empress Dowager’s arms, and said, “I’m sorry to have worried Mother. I’m fine.”
Hai Liangyi was kneeling outside, where he had also been keeping watch for the entire night. He knew that Li Jianheng had already woken up when he heard sounds of speaking inside and could not help but feel relieved.
YOU ARE READING
Qiang Jin Jiu (Author : Tang Jiuqing 唐酒卿)
Historical Fiction*Re-edited and intended for offline purpose only* The six prefectures of Zhongbo were surrendered to foreign enemies without resistance, and Shen Zechuan found himself apprehended in the capital, reduced to a state of utter disgrace, despised and co...
