Chapter 56: Then Just Grind Him Into Powder!

Huo Renli had just discovered the disappearance of Eunuch Liu and was feeling suspicious when he was suddenly summoned by the Emperor.

His heart tightened, and he began to wonder if Eunuch Liu had been sent by the Emperor to keep an eye on him, growing quite uneasy inside.

Before leaving, he went to push open the Fourth Prince's chamber door, only to find it tightly shut.

Unwilling to give up, he called out from outside, "Your Highness, Your Highness!"

Unfortunately, no one paid him any attention at all. The messenger accompanying him said with displeasure, "Head Eunuch Huo, the Emperor wishes to see you."

Huo Renli followed along reluctantly, a surge of viciousness breeding in his heart. Why did the Fourth Prince have to become unavailable precisely when he needed him most?

Was he truly asleep, or was he just afraid of making trouble?

What a useless coward; it was a waste of all the effort he had spent on teaching him.

Just after Huo Renli left with lingering resentment, the Fourth Prince, who had supposedly been asleep, suddenly opened his eyes. He curved the corners of his mouth in a contemptuous sneer, then got up and left through the window.

...

In the side hall of the Diligent Government Palace, Huo Renli was brought before the throne.

The Emperor sat on the high seat, with Zhou Dahai and Liu Jian standing to the side. At a single glance, Huo Renli knew what was happening and quickly knelt to pay his respects.

The Emperor said coldly, "Huo Renli!"

Huo Renli hurriedly replied, "This slave is here!"

The Emperor sneered, instinctively wanting to touch his own face. The next moment, feeling his skin was smooth and elastic, he couldn't help but feel a brief wave of amusement.

To Huo Renli, this meant the Emperor must have uncovered something, causing his heart to tighten instantly.

Seeing the guilt-ridden Huo Renli, the Emperor's good mood vanished in an instant.

If this dog-like wretch hadn't previously worn a mask to deceive people, how could he have been beaten into the shape of a pig's head by his sister-in-law?

Although he had recovered now, his nasal bone had almost been broken just earlier!

Knowing that his own handsome visage would have been a matter of universal outrage if it had been disfigured,

the Emperor immediately declared, "Liu Jian accuses you of plotting treason. Do you plead guilty?"

Liu Jian: "..." ? ? He did not! He only suspected that Huo Renli was no good?

Huo Renli turned pale with fright and stammered, "May the Emperor judge with clear eyes! How could this old servant dare, and how could this old servant possess such capability?"

"Eunuch Liu, I have no grievances or enmities with you. Why do you wish to harm me?"

Stared at by those vicious and gloomy eyes, Liu Jian initially felt a guilty pang, but it soon hardened into a desperate, cut-throat malice.

This person was clearly no good; if he didn't seize the chance to finish him off, the counterattack would be fatal.

Liu Jian immediately stated, "Every single palace maid who served the Fourth Prince is dead. Before dying, they all mentioned your name in terror and trembling. Do you dare claim you did not kill them?"

Huo Renli righteousness blazed as he retorted, "I dare!"

He then prostrated himself before the Emperor again: "Your Highness, these slaves were not killed by this servant. As the head eunuch of the Fourth Prince's palace, I was responsible for managing the other eunuchs and maids. Being strict with them was merely out of the hope that they would serve Your Highness well. This servant harbors no rebellious heart whatsoever!"

The Emperor rolled his eyes, too impatient to listen any further, and directly commanded Zhou Dahai, "Drag him down. Give him a hundred heavy board strikes first. If he still refuses to confess, let Liu Jian take him back to continue the interrogation!"

Though suspicious, Zhou Dahai obeyed.

Liu Jian was somewhat surprised. Had the Emperor come to value him this much?

He was actually being assigned to interrogate Huo Renli?

"Your Highness, shouldn't the position of head eunuch in the Fourth Prince's palace be replaced?"

Hearing this, the Emperor knew Liu Jian was seizing the chance to climb higher, so he said, "It's yours."

Liu Jian hurriedly knelt and kowtowed. Looking at his beaming expression, he had completely forgotten that just days ago, he was merely Eunuch Liu, the Emperor's favored favorite.

Seeing himself betrayed by such a petty villain who was successfully rising to power, Huo Renli immediately protested with dissatisfaction, "Your Highness, Liu Jian is single-mindedly driven by ambition. With such a mercenary nature, he is utterly incapable of serving the Fourth Prince."

"Though this servant is foolish, I know that Your Highness requires reliable people by his side. I beg the Emperor to reconsider and summon the Fourth Prince here for inquiry."

A light flashed in Liu Jian's eyes. If the Fourth Prince were summoned, given his protectiveness over Huo Renli, where would that leave him?

Thus, Liu Jian lunged forward, fiercely kicking Huo Renli to the ground, and stepped on his head as he cursed, "You malicious traitor! You're still trying to sow discord at a time like this? You ask why I want to become the head eunuch? It's because of a dog-like wretch like you! With your murderous intent, how could you possibly be allowed to stay by the Fourth Prince's side?"

Pinned to the ground and unable to move, Huo Renli's vicious gaze was filled with bloodthirsty hatred. However, he was dealing with Liu Jian—someone cut from the very same cloth.

If he failed to destroy the person beneath him, the consequences were unthinkable.

With a grim sneer, Liu Jian increased the pressure of his foot.

Suddenly realizing that Liu Jian was no ordinary opponent, Huo Renli altered his expression, shifting it to one of pitiful innocence while blood even began to trickle from the corner of his mouth.

He was waiting. Waiting for an opportunity.

As long as he didn't die, Liu Jian would...

The Emperor had no interest in watching their internal struggles and ordered Liu Jian to take the prisoner away.

Soon, the sounds of execution echoed from outside. Supervised personally by Liu Jian, the hundred heavy boards left Huo Renli practically crippled.

His back was a bloody, mangled mess. Yet, when Liu Jian stepped forward to check on him, Huo Renli suddenly raised his head, his pitch-black pupils filled with piercing coldness.

Startled into falling backward onto his seat, Liu Jian shrieked in terror, "You... you're not dead yet?!"

Huo Renli rasped, "Were you hoping to extract a confession through torture?"

A flash of murderous intent crossed Liu Jian's eyes. Just as he stepped forward, intending to strangle Huo Renli in secret, a flurry of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded.

"Uncle..."

The Fourth Prince rushed to Huo Renli's side, his expression full of concern and his eyes heavy with grief. "Who did this to you?"

Liu Jian was frozen completely stiff, staring at the scene in absolute disbelief as he stammered, "Un... Uncle... But he's just a eunuch..."

The Fourth Prince whipped his head around, delivered a fierce slap across Liu Jian's face, and roared, "You bastard! Who gave you permission to hit him?"

"I'll settle accounts with you back at the palace!"

With that, he ordered men to carry Huo Renli away.

A biting cold wind swept past, leaving Liu Jian shivering in place as if his soul had left his body.

Nobody had ever told him that Huo Renli was the Fourth Prince's uncle!

Just then, the weakened Huo Renli turned his head back, glaring at him with a malevolent, chilling gaze.

Liu Jian swallowed so hard he choked, thinking to himself: I am finished.

Little did he know that after the Fourth Prince had his men rescue Huo Renli, he didn't even go to check on him.

Instead, right in front of Liu Jian, the Fourth Prince instructed the summoned imperial physician, "The wound on his back is too severe; the flesh is completely rotted. Just apply some medication and see if it heals."

"Also, the five fingers of his right hand were broken two days ago. They need to be properly bandaged as well."

Liu Jian's mind blanked momentarily. All five fingers broken? Wasn't that the exact person the Prince of Ding's Consort was looking for?!

Just as he excitedly looked toward the Fourth Prince, he heard him speaking politely to the imperial physician: "Then I leave it in your hands, Physician Wang. Please apply some fine wound ointment, and I will send someone with a token of gratitude shortly."

Physician Wang nodded and promptly took his leave.

Simultaneously, Liu Jian felt a basin of cold water douse his heart.

The Fourth Prince knew full well that Huo Renli was the head eunuch who had made a move in the imperial garden, and yet he was shielding him.

In that case, he would have to take this matter privately to the Prince of Ding's Consort or the Crown Prince; otherwise, he feared he wouldn't even keep his own little life.

As he was deep in thought, the Fourth Prince's cold voice rang out: "Remember your place! You are my person now!"

Shuddering, Liu Jian hurriedly nodded.

Yet in his heart, he thought: I was the Emperor's person just a moment ago, ha!

Even after I've caught you in the act, you're still acting this arrogant? Just wait and see!

Once he finished interrogating Huo Renli, he would report back to the Emperor anyway. Who would dare stop him then?

If someone with all five fingers broken still refused to confess, he would just grind those bones into dust!

As Liu Jian departed, the Fourth Prince watched his sinister-looking back and hooked the corner of his lips into a cold sneer. He suddenly understood why his Imperial Father had handed Liu Jian over to him: once these two fools developed a grudge, they would slaughter each other endlessly until only one remained!

And conveniently, this bought him the free time to handle other matters. Recalling the intelligence gathered from the Eastern Palace, the Fourth Prince's gaze grew steadily resolute.