The Sickly Beauty Official Faked His Death and Now the Tyrant Has Gone Mad - Chapter 12

Winter had finally cleared up completely. The heavy snow no longer fell day and night, and the sun seemed exceptionally bright. The wind beating against the window had softened considerably, no longer howling and raging.

Even so, when Lin Huaiyu awoke, he still felt cold. The pain in his body hadn’t lessened in the slightest. Though fully conscious, he was too weak to control his own body, lying on the bed like a corpse.

No, a corpse wouldn’t feel anything. But he, every inch of his skin and marrow, was protesting the absurdity of the previous night.

Lin Huaiyu lay in bed for a long time, so long that the morning court session was nearly over. Only then did he slowly move his fingertips, gathering a bit of strength to prop himself up and sit on the bed.

As soon as there was movement inside, a knock came from outside the door: “Prime Minister, your medicine has been brewed. May this servant bring it in for you?”

At the thought of that bitter medicinal taste, Lin Huaiyu frowned. The discomfort in his body made even the idea of drinking medicine repulsive. “No need.”

After all, this poison of his couldn’t be cured by such medicine anyway. Better not to drink it.

The eunuch outside, upon hearing this, broke into a cold sweat in panic. Before His Majesty left, he had specifically instructed that the medicine must be brewed and warmed to a suitable temperature for the Prime Minister to drink upon waking. Now that the medicine was at the perfect temperature, if it wasn’t drunk soon, it would grow cold.

So, he mustered his courage and knocked again, speaking cautiously: “Prime Minister, if the medicine sits too long, it will grow cold. It’s best to drink it now.”

Lin Huaiyu was in a foul mood and said coldly, “I said I won’t drink it. Can’t you understand words?”

The servant seemed to kneel down, hurriedly begging for mercy: “Prime Minister, please forgive me! But before His Majesty left, he ordered this servant to ensure you drink the medicine. Otherwise, he’ll have my head!”

The eunuch outside desperately kowtowed to Lin Huaiyu, whose brows furrowed even tighter. However, within a few breaths, the sound of kowtowing outside grew softer.

Lin Huaiyu warily looked toward the door. Sure enough, the door was pushed open directly. That tall, dark figure strode in, holding the bowl of brewed medicine in one hand, his expression grim. He closed the door behind him.

Lin Huaiyu half-propped himself up, his dark hair cascading down one side and spilling onto the bed. The white inner robe slipped slightly, revealing a patch of snow-white skin around his collarbone.

This was the scene Su Yang saw one that made his blood boil. He stared at Lin Huaiyu as he approached, his voice low as he asked, “Why aren’t you drinking the medicine?”

In truth, Su Yang already knew the answer without asking: Lin Huaiyu feared bitterness.

Lin Huaiyu appeared aloof and ethereal, like an immortal descended to earth, but in reality, he was quite delicate afraid of cold, heat, pain, and bitterness.

Yet Su Yang didn’t find Lin Huaiyu troublesome at all. On the contrary, he found him endearing. These were aspects of Lin Huaiyu unknown to others, known only to him.

Only to him.

Beneath Lin Huaiyu’s icy exterior lay a side of him the world could never see.

Seeing him, Lin Huaiyu’s anger flared even more. He glanced at the ink-like medicine and turned his head away. “I don’t want to drink it.”

Su Yang brought the medicine to Lin Huaiyu’s face. “If you don’t drink the medicine, how will you recover?”

Lin Huaiyu sneered. “If Your Majesty treats your subject like this, how could I possibly recover?”

Su Yang gazed intently at Lin Huaiyu, his brow lifting slightly. “So you’re angry. But no matter how upset you are, Teacher, you cannot refuse to take your medicine.”

As he spoke, he brought the medicine bowl to Lin Huaiyu’s lips. Lin Huaiyu raised his hand and knocked the bowl aside, splashing the dark liquid onto Su Yang’s clothes. Lin Huaiyu stared coldly at him. “Get out.”

Su Yang glanced at the stains on his robe, unbothered by the mess Lin Huaiyu had made. Instead, he chuckled softly and called out to the servant outside, “Bring in all the decoctions that have been prepared.”

“Yes,” De Fu, the servant outside, responded promptly.

Lin Huaiyu frowned as he watched Su Yang, who continued with a smile, “I was afraid the medicine might grow too hot or too cold while you slept, Teacher, so I had them prepare a fresh dose every quarter-hour. If you break this bowl, there are plenty more.”

Lin Huaiyu watched helplessly as palace attendants swiftly entered, carrying several bowls of medicine. Su Yang took one and approached him. Lin Huaiyu stared back, unmoving.

In the next moment, Su Yang seized Lin Huaiyu’s jaw, forcing his head up and his mouth open. Bitter medicine was poured down his throat before he could swallow, rushing straight into his esophagus.

Lin Huaiyu immediately choked, wanting to cough, but Su Yang held him firmly in place. He grabbed Su Yang’s wrist, but lacked the strength to pry it away, forced to accept every drop of the medicine.

Dark liquid spilled from the corners of Lin Huaiyu’s mouth, unable to be swallowed in time. Su Yang wiped it away with a handkerchief, then picked up a second bowl. “Teacher, you’ve spilled half of it. Since the dose is insufficient, you’ll have to drink another.”

Without waiting for a reaction, he gripped Lin Huaiyu’s jaw again and poured the second bowl forcefully into his mouth.

Lin Huaiyu felt as if he were being held underwater, a suffocating sensation washing over him. The medicine flooded his mouth and even seeped into his nasal passages, making it unbearable to breathe.

He clutched Su Yang’s hand tightly, but no matter how he struggled, he could only tilt his head back and endure the relentless pouring.

Tears welled in Lin Huaiyu’s slightly reddened eyes, glistening droplets tracing down from the corners and disappearing into his dark hair.

Only after the two bowls were emptied did Su Yang wave a hand, dismissing the attendants.

Freed from the restraint, Lin Huaiyu immediately leaned over the edge of the bed, coughing violently.

Su Yang remarked coolly from the side, “If you cough up all the medicine you just drank, Teacher, I won’t mind helping you take it again.”

Lin Huaiyu braced himself against the bed, his knuckles white and veins prominent from the strain. It took him a long while to stop coughing, gasping for breath like a fish returned to water, as if granted a new lease on life.

Without a word, he backhanded Su Yang across the face. “You keep calling me Teacher, but do you truly hold me in any regard?”

Su Yang lightly touched the side of his face where he had been struck, letting out a cold laugh. “Teacher, you almost made me forget you are nothing more than my male consort now. Since that is all you are, know your place and stop trying to seduce others.”

At this, Lin Huaiyu was reminded of the humiliation Su Yang had inflicted upon him in a fit of rage the previous night. Yet he found himself unable to explain away these baseless accusations.

Having long occupied a position of authority, he had forgotten what it felt like to justify himself to others. Those who trusted him would believe him without explanation; those who did not would remain unconvinced no matter what he said.

Moreover, Su Yang’s intentions were clear he merely sought to humiliate him.

Su Yang saw Lin Huaiyu’s cold, silent expression, yet yesterday he had been smiling at Bai Jianqing. He let out a light, disdainful snort. “Do you really like her?”

Lin Huaiyu frowned, his gaze toward Su Yang tinged with weariness. “I am not close with Miss Bai.”

Hearing this, the corners of Su Yang’s lips slowly lifted, the gloom in his eyes fading somewhat. But in the very next moment, the shadow returned to his face.

He heard Lin Huaiyu say to him, “Since Your Majesty likes Miss Bai and intends to establish an empress, you should be in the imperial garden selecting consorts, spending more time with them.”

Su Yang immediately fixed his eyes on Lin Huaiyu, not a trace of a smile remaining on his face.

Lin Huaiyu, however, seemed utterly unaware and continued, “Or perhaps Your Majesty prefers someone like Wang Xiangyu coquettish and clingy. He is quite fond of Your Majesty. You could go to him as well. I do not oppose Your Majesty establishing a male empress, but if Wang Xiangyu were to occupy the empress’s position, it would be somewhat inappropriate. If Your Majesty likes him, you could simply take him as a consort.”

Su Yang felt that Lin Huaiyu was chattering on, saying nothing but things he didn’t want to hear. He leaned down, pulling Lin Huaiyu closer, and pressed a kiss to the other’s lips, silencing all those words.

Lin Huaiyu nearly suffocated, tugging at Su Yang’s clothes until his collar was disheveled. Only when he was almost out of breath did Su Yang finally release him.

Su Yang glanced at his own disheveled robes and deliberately remarked, “In broad daylight, is Teacher already so impatient?”

Lin Huaiyu couldn’t respond, gasping for air. His eyes, already slightly reddened from the forced medicine, grew even redder, a mist of moisture spreading across them once more.

Su Yang pinched Lin Huaiyu’s chin, forcing him to look at him with that expression, and smirked maliciously. “Wasn’t Teacher just pushing me away a moment ago? Didn’t you want me to go to the imperial garden? Why are you being so proactive now?”

Lin Huaiyu knew Su Yang enjoyed twisting his words, so he closed his eyes, preferring not to see.

But Su Yang wouldn’t allow him to hide. He whispered in Lin Huaiyu’s ear, “Teacher just said you don’t oppose me establishing a male empress, yet you won’t allow Wang Xiangyu to take that position. Could it be that Teacher truly wishes to become my empress?”

Lin Huaiyu opened his eyes. The mist in them had vanished, leaving only the lingering flush around his eyes. He met Su Yang’s gaze and asked, “Will Your Majesty grant it?”

Su Yang stared at Lin Huaiyu for a few seconds before letting out a derisive laugh. “I think Teacher is more suited to be a captive.”

An empress was merely a pawn, a polite ornament.

The late emperor and empress had been like that. Though the empress had borne children, they were nothing more than tools for her to vie for power. In the end, the late emperor even grew suspicious of his own bedmate. Their entire lives had been spent in suspicion and strife.

The position of empress was not a good one. Su Yang didn’t want to contend with Lin Huaiyu, nor did he want to maintain a polite, distant relationship with him. He only wanted to drag Lin Huaiyu down from the clouds and sink together with him into the mire.

He wanted to see different expressions on Lin Huaiyu’s face, expressions meant only for him. He wanted to indulge in all sorts of absurdities with Lin Huaiyu.

The position of empress was not good. He didn’t want Lin Huaiyu to occupy it.

It seemed that if Lin Huaiyu took that seat, it would be no different from him remaining as the prime minister.

That wasn’t what he wanted.

But as soon as he finished speaking, Lin Huaiyu closed his eyes again, weary, no longer willing to look at him.

A surge of anger rose in Su Yang’s heart as he questioned Lin Huaiyu, “Earlier, you wanted to push me toward others, and now you won’t even spare me a glance. Do you truly despise me so much?”

Lin Huaiyu did not respond, his expression unchanged. A flicker of disappointment flashed in Su Yang’s eyes before he coldly declared, “Fine. If you won’t acknowledge me, I’ll go to the imperial gardens to those selected maidens and youths!”

Lin Huaiyu’s lashes trembled slightly, but he still did not open his eyes, merely uttering, “I bid Your Majesty farewell.”

Su Yang let out a cold laugh. “I am in no mood for selecting consorts. I have decided to execute all those who came for the selection.”

Only then did Lin Huaiyu open his eyes, fixing a frosty gaze directly on Su Yang. “Does Your Majesty understand what you are saying?”

Seeing that Lin Huaiyu had finally deigned to look at him even if the gaze was far from satisfying Su Yang felt a wave of pleasure. “Of course I understand. I said I will execute those who came for the selection. If not for them, you and I would not have quarreled like this.”

Lin Huaiyu could not help but sneer. “Is the discord between us truly because of them?”

With a faint smile, Su Yang replied, “If I say it is, then it is.”

Lin Huaiyu glared at him, rebuking, “Have you gone mad? Every one of those selected maidens and youths is the child of a court official. If you kill them, are you trying to incite a rebellion?”

Su Yang lowered his gaze, watching Lin Huaiyu’s anger and hearing his reprimands, feeling as though he had returned to the days when Lin Huaiyu had taught and cared for him. Instead of anger, he smiled. “Rebellion? What do I have to fear?”

Lin Huaiyu looked at Su Yang with disappointment, finding it hard to believe. “I taught Your Majesty that all the people of this land are your subjects. Whether they are the children of officials or commoners, they are the foundation of the nation. You must not treat them lightly. Remember, water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it. This was the very first lesson I taught you. Have you forgotten?”

Su Yang did not miss the disappointment in Lin Huaiyu’s eyes. He clenched his jaw tightly and retorted, “I have not forgotten! But in your heart, aside from the nation, the people, and your duties, what else is there? Is there any place for me? You have never once thought of me!”

Lin Huaiyu stared at him in disbelief. “So you would casually execute those who came for the selection and cast aside everything I taught you?”

Su Yang gritted his teeth, his anger rising. “What if I do? You are no longer my teacher. Who are you to lecture me now?”

This time, Lin Huaiyu did not respond immediately. He gazed at Su Yang in silence for a long moment before finally saying, “You are right. I am no longer your teacher, Su Yang. I never had a student as willful and heedless as you.”

Look at the fine student he had taught!

Lin Huaiyu was truly enraged and could not suppress a violent fit of coughing. He pushed Su Yang away, leaning against the edge of the bed. Though they were only a foot apart, it felt as though an unbridgeable chasm lay between them.

Su Yang’s arms suddenly felt empty. Seeing the profound disappointment in Lin Huaiyu’s eyes, his heart tightened. Lin Huaiyu’s gaze felt like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.

Before he could speak, Lin Huaiyu added, “I never taught Your Majesty to treat lives as worthless. From now on, there is no need for you to call me teacher. What I wished to teach was a wise ruler, not a tyrant.”

Su Yang looked at Lin Huaiyu’s earnest expression, then listened to the other’s cold tone, and suddenly felt an overwhelming panic rise from the depths of his heart.