Blindness
"Yuexuan, what are you doing with so many pear blossom branches?"
"This is for the Prime Minister," the little maidservant said, looking at the food box in the other person's hand. "Is your Excellency not having dinner today?"
"Of course," Zhu Wei curled his lips and whispered in her ear, "If it were me, I wouldn't be in the mood to eat either. My parents just died in battle, and the whole Ling family is in jail. Now General Qi is far away in Nanling, his life or death unknown. Who knows if he will be left alone tomorrow?"
"Alas..." Yuexuan lowered her head and sighed at the pear blossom branch in her arms: "Such a talented and handsome man, really..."
Before she could finish her words, she heard a voice approaching from behind her: "Yuexuan, where are the pear blossom branches you picked for me?"
Both of them were startled and quickly stood in a row and bowed to the newcomer: "Greetings, Prime Minister."
Ling Jiang Han was wearing a red robe and a crown, and he didn't look like the "lonely man" that Zhu Wei had just described. Only his handsome face had a slightly sickly look.
"It's all here." Yuexuan said as she handed over the pear blossom branch in her hand.
Ling Jianghan stared at the pear blossom branches for a long time, then pulled out a branch, held it in his hand, and walked back on his own.
Yuexuan hurriedly followed with the rest of the branches in her arms. Zhu Wei waited until the two of them turned around and left before she stood up and sighed at Ling Jianghan's back from afar.
What's the point of looking at pear blossoms all day without eating? Can looking at flowers satisfy your hunger?
On the other side, Ling Jianghan had just reached the door of the bedroom and was about to turn around and leave when the palace maid guarding outside called out to him in time: "Sir Ling, the Emperor has been waiting inside for a long time."
Jiang Han paused, turned his head and coughed twice before pushing the door open with the pear blossom branch.
Yuexuan held the remaining pear blossom branch and stood guard outside the palace with another palace maid. After a while, they heard the sound of teacups breaking from inside.
Inside the palace, Ling Jianghan stared down at the mess on the ground, and said calmly to the young man in the dragon robe in front of him, "Your Majesty, be careful of your dragon body."
Cheng Yu turned around and grabbed Ling Jianghan's hand that was holding the pear blossom branch. He stared at him with gritted teeth and said, "Prime Minister Ling, your brothers and sisters were imprisoned two days ago, but I have imprisoned you alone in this palace. Don't you really know what I want?"
Ling Jianghan let Cheng Yu hold his hand, not even bothering to glance at him: "I am stupid and don't know what your majesty wants."
After hearing this, Cheng Yu pushed the man against the wall, causing the pear branch in Jiang Han's hand to fall to the ground.
"Prime Minister Ling, the late emperor who treated you like his own son is dead, and your parents are also dead! If you don't think about yourself, you should think about your brothers and sisters!"
"My dear aunt was hacked to death by your men a few days ago. Ling Yu poisoned Ling Xuan and then committed suicide last night. I am the only one left in the entire Ling Mansion now. Who else can Your Majesty use to threaten me?" Ling Jianghan still didn't look up at him. He smiled and continued, "Forgive me for speaking frankly, but if Your Majesty truly wants to secure the throne, you shouldn't be pressuring me so hard. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider."
"Okay, okay!" Cheng Yu seemed to have not expected Ling Jianghan to know about Ling Yu's death. After a moment's hesitation, he fiercely lifted the other's chin and forced him to look at him. The cruelty in his tone was unprecedented in the past few days: "I won't force you, but I will make you suffer."
"Come here!" Cheng Yu ordered the guards who pushed the door open behind him, "Since Prime Minister Ling is unwilling to look up at me, there is no point in keeping these affectionate eyes. I will simply let you dig them out for me."
…
It was three days later that Jiang Han gradually regained consciousness from the pain.
Seeing that he woke up, Yuexuan first carefully put the crown on him, and then carefully adjusted the veil on his face.
After carefully sorting them out, Ling Jianghan suddenly asked, "Does the pear blossom branch I picked that day still have fragrance?"
"Yes, yes!" Yue Xuan placed the pear blossom branches on the table into Ling Jianghan's hands, and looked up at him with a worried look on her face: "Master Ling, you..."
Ling Jianghan took out a pear blossom and touched his nose with it, then calmly interrupted, "The blood in the palace is thick. You don't need to come in to serve in the future. Just stay outside."
Yuexuan stared straight at his profile and said hesitantly, "But your eyes..."
"You'll get used to it after a few days." Ling Jianghan tilted his head towards her and asked, "Were you the one who changed my clothes?"
"No, no!" Yue Xuan suddenly met Jiang Han's face and was a little panicked: "It was Eunuch Yan who changed it for you through the curtain. I was just standing by."
Ling Jianghan said "hmm" and stood up. Yuexuan was so scared that she quickly reached out to help him, but she saw Ling Jianghan passing by her and slowly walking towards the edge of the collapse. He didn't look like someone had just gouged out his eyes.
But the next moment, it was as if something happened. Ling Jianghan fumbled for a long time on the small cabinet beside the couch before he found the small box on it. Yuexuan walked over, looked at the box curiously, and asked, "Master Ling, what is this?"
"It helps you sleep." Ling Jianghan covered his mouth and coughed a few times, then followed the sound and handed the box to her: "Next time when you light incense, ask Zhu Wei to put some in."
"Oh..." Yuexuan lowered her head and looked at the box in her hand.
She had seen this box before; it was something Ling Jianghan had brought back to the Ling Mansion some time ago. At the time, Ling Jianghan had threatened the Emperor with death in order to return home. She had thought it contained some treasure, but it turned out to be just a box of sleeping aid...powder?
No wonder the emperor summoned the imperial physician and invited the perfumer after Jiang Han returned to the palace. It turned out that he was afraid that the powder was poisonous.
Yuexuan was lost in thought when she suddenly heard Ling Jianghan call her: "Yuexuan, you and Zhuwei seem quite different."
Yuexuan was stunned by these incoherent words: "Huh?"
"Nothing." Ling Jianghan didn't explain, but said in her direction: "From now on, you don't have to come in to tie my hair and put on a crown. Just ask Zhu Wei to deliver the meal on time."
Yuexuan understood immediately after hearing this and knelt down anxiously to explain: "Sir! This servant approached you intentionally not for any other purpose, but simply to..."
"Go away," Ling Jianghan said with a faint smile towards her. "No matter what your reasons are, I thank you for your care during this period."
Yuexuan was silent for a long time after listening to this. Finally, she stood up and bowed to leave: "...I will take my leave."
At night, Zhu Wei, who had just finished lighting incense, was about to leave when he heard the door being pushed open. Cheng Yu's voice gradually approached from afar: "Are you used to it, Master?"
Ling Jianghan ate his snacks without replying, so Zhu Wei bowed respectfully to Cheng Yu and replied on his behalf: "Your Majesty, your Excellency has a good appetite today. I guess it's just a habit."
"Yeah." Cheng Yu nodded with satisfaction, and also picked up a piece of dessert and stuffed it into his mouth: "You can leave."
Zhu Wei took his leave. Cheng Yu suddenly frowned and stared at Ling Jianghan: "Master Ling, now that you have lost your eyes, your tongue is no longer working."
Jiang Han looked up at the sound, and Cheng Yu spat out the snack in his mouth in disgust: "How can you eat something so salty?"
"There's tea on the table, Your Majesty, pour it yourself." Ling Jianghan said as he stood up to leave. Cheng Yu was amused by his attitude and grabbed his hand, pulling him back, coldly ordering, "Pour me some tea."
Jiang Han was blinded and was frightened by the sudden pull. After he calmed down a little, he broke free from Cheng Yu's hand and walked to the table to slowly pour tea.
Perhaps because he couldn't see, Jiang Han poured the teapot and cups completely before placing them back on the table. Cheng Yu stared at the cup of tea that was almost overflowing for a long time, and finally drank it in one gulp as if it were a drink.
But even after finishing his cup of tea, he still didn't intend to let anyone off the hook. "Prime Minister, you're so clever, you must have guessed something. If that's the case, why didn't you submit to me sooner?"
Ling Jianghan sat down beside the couch and replied calmly, "I only guess that General Qi will return to the capital in triumph soon."
"Forget it. I don't have time for verbal battles with you." Jiang Han had just recovered from a serious illness the day his eyes were gouged out, and now with the veil on his eyes, he looked even more frail. Cheng Yu didn't bother to argue with him. "Let me ask you, what should be done with the Minister of Works who embezzled the money?"
"Behead him and display his head in public as a punishment." Ling Jianghan said this firmly, then added, "Your Majesty, you can let Guo Yan, the third son of the Guo family, take his place."
"Then let's do as you say." Cheng Yu had never doubted Ling Jianghan in political affairs, so he agreed without hesitation after hearing what he said.
He was about to say something else, but for no apparent reason he felt a little tired, so he changed his words and said, "Show up at court tomorrow morning, so I don't have to worry about those civil and military officials yelling at me all day long."
Most civil officials followed the Ling family, while most military generals followed the Qi family. The marriage between the Qi and Ling families was known to everyone. If it weren't for the useless Ling Xuan, Cheng Yu would never have had the opportunity to wipe out the Ling family.
It just so happened that Jiang Han was young but very capable, and half of Da Ling's life depended on him, so that the ministers were afraid that he would make a mistake in the palace.
Just as Cheng Yu was about to push the door open and leave, he suddenly paused as if remembering something. He turned to Ling Jianghan, who was sitting beside the couch, and warned him, "Prime Minister Ling, you lost both eyes due to overuse a few days ago. I advise you to rest early."
After saying this, Cheng Yu walked away without waiting for Ling Jiang Han to respond.
"Heh." Ling Jianghan stroked the white jade bracelet on his left wrist and laughed coldly, "You're getting carried away."
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