Chapter 32

Disclaimer: This is a translation of the Chinese novel 瞎娘娘 by 洗泥 > translator : @luxiufer

After several days, the large troops finally arrived at the Capital.

Xiao Bao was in the middle of feeding the two red-billed leiothrix birds when he suddenly heard voices passing by from the front gate. It was a kind of clamoring voice. His heart skipped a beat. Hurriedly he put down the birds' food in his hand, then with lightning speed, he ran over to eavesdrop.

On the corner of a certain place, several of the Palace's maidens gathered and talked in a whisper. Xiao Bao carefully inched closer as he cautiously walked along the wall's side while sticking his ears out for better listening.

"Did you know? His Majesty has come back to the Capital today."

"The guards on the gate duty said, they brought back the Blind Concubine who absconded from the Palace."

"You guys didn't see the Emperor's face color. It was so dark to the point of being similar with the bottom of the pot. Frightened the front Palace's servants, even they didn't dare to bring in the tea."

"So, how was the Blind Concubine punished??"

"The Blind Concubine has been thrown into the prison, severe punishment is impossible to be evaded."

The Palace's maidens one by one nodding their heads in agreement and sighed with sadness.

Upon hearing that, Xiao Bao gradually sank in sadness.

At the time when the Blind Concubine disappeared, The Emperor also came to him and interrogated him. He was totally anxious to the point of losing his sanity at that time. That kind of expression was not easy to be feigned. Therefore, he escaped the calamity of the interrogation. The guards on the gate duty couldn't be as fortunate as him and imitate his luck, they were tortured severely during the interrogation and by then they confessed the name of General Qi. General Qi also suffered the whip punishment, but he stubbornly didn't say a word all through the punishment. In the end, The Emperor caught that very day carriage driver; he could finally ascertain the Blind Concubine's whereabouts. Immediately he set out to search for him.

This time, The Blind Concubine returned to the Palace, he might have to endure the hardship.

His body was as weak as a cat. Even a gust of wind could blow him away. How could he endure any kind of punishment?

Upon these kinds of thoughts, Xiao Bao was on the verge of crying.

He had been taking very good care of the Blind Concubine. He would assist him for every little thing he needed thoroughly. The Blind Concubine couldn't see, so even the smallest chores he didn't want to let the Blind Concubine do. Scissors, sewing kits, he put them all in a far far away place, unreachable for the Blind Concubine. He even trimmed all the thorns on the flowers in the garden, Yu Li's nails were also clipped and pruned, he was afraid that if not being careful, all those things would hurt the Blind Concubine.

He had served the Blind Concubine for a very long time, the Blind Concubine despite being thin, there wasn't even a single scar on his body. The Blind Concubine was unable to see, even for the things in front of him, he could only grope wildly to feel it, therefore his hands could be easily injured. However, the Blind Concubine's hands, white and clean, his fingers also beautiful and well distributed, even the tiniest scraped mark couldn't be found.

But the Emperor, who only came not long ago, has the Blind Concubine's entire body already full of bruises and marks.

How could his heart not hurt?

How could he not be having a grudge?

The Blind Concubine was sitting in a dark and cold prison. The straw mattress under his body was wet. The iron shackles on his hands and legs were icy cold and difficult to bear. In front of his eyes forever would be the unlimited darkness. It was as if he was falling into a deep pond, a deep and quite icy cold lake. The water soaked him from his ankles, overflowed to his waist, drowned his neck, poured into his mouth, filling all his lungs. Little by little, the suffocating feeling tormented his body.

There was nobody that could help him and pull him out. He could only sink deeper and deeper. To the depths of darkness.

"Master!!"

There was a piercing anxious voice like a clap of thunder by his ear side, "Master, It's me, Xiao Bao!! Master, please wake up!!"

The Blind Concubine suddenly woke up with a start, he opened his mouth as if gasping for air. It was like he was just being saved from his drowning and being pulled to the land. Fresh cold air was gushing in and filled his lungs. Almost like hearing the calling.

Xiao Bao's voice was carrying the hint of sobs: "Master just now was spirited away. Only exhaled without inhaling. Your fingertips have also become white!!"

The Blind Concubine groped about to touch Xiao Bao's hand, once he touched it, he held his hand firmly: "How do you come here?"

Xiao Bao was answering him while crying: "I begged the Little Prince to bribe the prison guards, to let me enter and see you, Master."

The Blind Concubine gritted his teeth: "I am fine, it doesn't matter. You quickly leave!"

Xiao Bao was unwilling to go, "What are you going to do Master? The Emperor was enraged to the utmost. Even the pleading and begging from the Little Prince he didn't want to listen to anymore. If by any chance something happened to Master in this prison, even if I was crying to death, I would never be able to get you back."

The Blind Concubine shook his head repeatedly. His power seemingly had been exhausted, "What I am afraid the most at the moment, definitely is not about this."

Xiao Bao's voice had become hoarse: "What are you afraid of, Master?"

The Blind Concubine slowly sighed a mouthful air: "Empress Dowager."

"Empress Dowager?"

"Mmh!"

"But...." Xiao Bao was hesitant for a while, "The Empress Dowager had already been a vegetarian and prayed for Buddha for many years already, she didn't mingle herself in the Palace affairs anymore. Master, why are you wary of her?"

The Blind Concubine shut his eyes and shook his head, "Others affairs, The Empress Dowager wouldn't mind."My affairs, the Empress Dowager most definitely would want to mind."

Xiao Bao was totally at a loss as he didn't understand.

The Blind Concubine laughed with a saddened tone for a while, "Who do you think was the one who messed with my eyes and made me blind a long time ago ?"