Martial Cultivator

The path was quiet, with few eunuchs in sight. Thus, no one discovered this chief eunuch. Before long, Li Heng arrived in front of the Imperial Kitchen.

According to the rules, the Imperial Kitchen required someone on duty at all hours, lest His Majesty should suddenly crave a late-night meal. However, since the Emperor had no consorts and previously only had the Empress alone, the Imperial Kitchen typically kept just one person on duty after dinner.

When Li Heng stepped into the kitchen, the eunuch on duty that night was currently dozing by the stove.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, the plump eunuch, who had been serving as the chef for the Great Liang Emperor for several years, rubbed his eyes and asked casually, “What does His Majesty feel like eating tonight?”

When no response came, the plump eunuch opened his eyes to look. Immediately, he stood up and said respectfully, “Eunuch Li, how is it that you're personally here to deliver the request tonight?!”

Li Heng set the lantern aside and smiled. “It's not to deliver an order. His Majesty went to bed early. You won't be needed tonight. But I, on the other hand, am feeling a bit hungry. Could you make me a bowl of dumpling soup?”

The plump eunuch hesitated, glancing at Li Heng with some difficulty. “Eunuch Li, the palace rules... This servant is only allowed to prepare food for His Majesty...”

Even as he spoke, he felt somewhat perplexed. Li Heng had been in the palace for years and was certainly not one to misunderstand the rules. So why would he make such a request?

Li Heng smiled and asked, “Is it that difficult?”

The plump eunuch gritted his teeth, then shook his head. “If it were anyone else, this servant wouldn't dare set this precedent. But since it's you, Eunuch Li, this servant will risk losing my head to make Eunuch Li a bowl?”

Li Heng chuckled and said casually, “How is it something so risky? Even back when Her Majesty the Empress was managing the inner palace, if she heard about this, she'd have merely scolded a bit.”

The plump eunuch nodded and got to work. “That's true. Her Majesty was a very kind person.”

Watching the plump eunuch busy himself, Li Heng seemed to recall some past memories and said with a smile, “Zhao Sanbao, I remember your specialty was dumpling soup. The first time you cooked when you joined the palace, Her Majesty praised it highly and even rewarded you with a jade pendant, didn't she?”

The plump eunuch, Zhao Sanbao, lifted his robe to reveal the jade pendant, grinning. “I've kept it with me ever since. A reward from Her Majesty, I'll feel uneasy placing it anywhere else.”

Li Heng smiled faintly and said nothing more.

When Zhao Sanbao finally served the steaming bowl of dumpling soup, looking at the rising steam, Li Heng smiled and said, “Over the years, I've received many rewards from His Majesty. How about this: I'll trade you for that jade pendant. Go to my place, and you can choose anything you like. What do you think?”

Zhao Sanbao immediately clutched the pendant at his waist when he heard this and said hastily, “Eunuch Li, you've received so many rewards over the years. Please don't set your sights on this servant's jade pendant.”

Li Heng used his chopsticks to pick up a dumpling. After taking a bite, he asked with his mouth half-full, “Really... not exchanging? I've got things from Her Majesty too.”

Zhao Sanbao quickly shook his head, looking flustered. "That was a reward from Her Majesty to Eunuch Li, not to this servant. How could it be the same?"

Li Heng made a faint sound of acknowledgment. "Really won't trade? You care that much about the jade pendant given by Her Majesty?"

Zhao Sanbao nodded earnestly. "Her Majesty’s reward is more important than this servant's life."

Hearing this, Li Heng placed his chopsticks on the edge of the bowl and lamented wistfully, "If that's the case, why did you poison Her Majesty?"

When the word 'poison' was mentioned, Zhao Sanbao's expression instantly changed. "Eunuch Li... what are you saying?"

Li Heng turned to look at Zhao Sanbao and was in no hurry to speak.

Leaning against the stove, Zhao Sanbao muttered to himself, "Eunuch Li... how could I possibly harm someone as kind as Her Majesty..."

Li Heng tapped his fingers slowly on the stove, saying calmly, "Exactly. Someone as kind as Her Majesty, and yet you chose to harm her. Are you even human?"

Zhao Sanbao shook his head frantically and fell to his knees, weeping bitterly. "Eunuch Li, this is slander..."

"Slander... Have I ever slandered anyone in all these years?"

Li Heng stared at Zhao Sanbao and said calmly, "Without solid evidence, would I have come to you?"

Zhao Sanbao froze for a moment, then suddenly erupted into action, frantically lunging at Li Heng. Yet, before he could take even half a step, he was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the stove.

Coughing up a mouthful of blood, Zhao Sanbao collapsed in front of the stove, unable to get up for some time.

Li Heng stared at Zhao Sanbao calmly. "His Majesty is such a formidable figure that you dared not strike at him, so you turned your hand against Her Majesty instead. But Her Majesty was frail, just an ordinary person, what did she have to do with any of this? Why did you harm her?"

Zhao Sanbao widened his eyes as he looked at Li Heng, blood continuously dripping from the corner of his mouth. After a moment, he gave a bitter laugh. "Since she's His Majesty's Empress, how can you say she had nothing to do with it? She was the only one in this world who could move His Majesty's heart... She was too important..."

Zhao Sanbao muttered to himself, "But she truly was a good person."

Li Heng's gaze was already full of iciness.

"You and I serve different masters, what's the point of asking such questions?"

Zhao Sanbao let out a sorrowful laugh and attempted to bite down on the poison hidden in his mouth. However, before he could exert strength, Li Heng swiftly grabbed his jaw, reached his hand in, and pried out the tooth in his mouth with indifference.

Li Heng said calmly, "I know you won’t say anything, and I'm not interested in hearing it because I already know everything."

Zhao Sanbao was unable to move, he just continued coughing up blood as he muttered, "Since that's the case, why waste your effort?"

Li Heng shook his head. "How could I let you die so easily?"

As he said this, several expressionless eunuchs squeezed into the doorway.

Li Heng's entire life had been marked by early loss; his parents died when he was young. The only people he held dear were His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress, with the Empress even more so.

Now that he knew someone had harmed her, he could never let that person off so easily.

No, not easily.

He would never let them off.

Li Heng released Zhao Sanbao and slowly walked to the doorway. Looking up at the moon in the sky, he said calmly, "Take him away. I want to personally carve the flesh from his body, piece by piece. Before he dies, I'll make sure he experiences the greatest agony this world has to offer. I'll make him regret ever coming into this world. And I'll ensure that even in hell, he will never forget what happened tonight."