Chapter 1
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February in the capital, spring was still cold.
Inside the imperial bedchamber, the passing palace maids carried hot water and towels with joy on their faces.
A pale hand reached out from the dragon bed. The little eunuch beside it watched in fear as the emperor, barefoot, was about to step onto the floor. Chief Steward Eunuch Tian Fusheng was warming the emperor’s shoes outside, and with no one to stop him, the recently recovered emperor was really about to step onto the cold ground!
Without thinking, the little eunuch hurriedly laid on the ground before the bed. The most revered feet in the world stepped onto the eunuch’s back just in time.
Sweating profusely, the little eunuch tried to relax his back muscles, fearing the emperor would feel uncomfortable. He also worried that his coarse clothes might scratch the emperor’s feet.
The emperor chuckled, scolding with a smile, “Get out of the way.”
The little eunuch didn’t dare disobey but also didn’t dare let him step onto the ground. Boldly, he said, “Your Majesty, you cannot, the floor is cold, and the chill will seep into your body.”
Tian Fusheng entered just then, hearing the little eunuch’s words. He hurriedly knelt, holding the emperor’s shoes, and pretended to cry, “Your Majesty, I am here to serve you. Please, do not put your feet on the ground; my heart will jump out of my throat.”
Gu Yuanbai laughed, “I think your heart jumps out seventeen or eighteen times a day.”
Tian Fusheng chuckled, carefully putting the emperor’s shoes and socks on.
Gu Yuanbai inhaled the room’s incense and medicine scent, sighing inwardly.
He wasn’t a real emperor but a promising young man from the 21st century. During a high-altitude skydiving session, he passed through the clouds and woke up in this body.
This dynasty was called Great Heng, unknown to him and seemingly fictional, with a development level akin to the Northern Song Dynasty.
Gu Yuanbai’s body was indeed pampered by the nation, extremely weak, with little real power.
When Gu Yuanbai arrived, eunuch dictatorship was emerging. Knowing that such corruption often marked a dynasty’s mid-to-late period, with powerful ministers and local forces expanding, even eunuchs wanted to control the military. Dragging his weak body, Gu Yuanbai laid low for three years, eventually toppling the powerful ministers and eunuchs, cleansing the court and palace, temporarily balancing the three forces, and restoring imperial authority.
Just as he was ready to accomplish great things, his body couldn’t take it, succumbing to a severe cold at the end of winter.
During his illness, Gu Yuanbai overheard a few familiar names and finally realized he hadn’t transmigrated into an alternat world but into a book.
The little emperor in the book wouldn’t live for a few more years, eventually dying and making way for the story’s main character gong, the famous regent. The protagonist’s love interest in the book is a capable minister who will assist the regent in leaving a legacy for generations.
Gu Yuanbai was a straight man, very straight. He knew about this book because it was adapted into a socialist brotherhood-themed court drama.
Knowing he wouldn’t live long, Gu Yuanbai became indifferent, setting aside his ambitions. At this point, even a braised duck seemed more appealing.
This throne was never destined to be his. No matter how much he accomplished now, it was all just setting things up for the future emperor to benefit from.
During this illness, Gu Yuanbai thought a lot and ultimately decided to go with the flow. He would manage his own affairs for these few years, enjoy the last period of his reign, and casually observe the socialist brotherhood of the two male protagonists in the book.
Gu Yuanbai had never witnessed such a socialist brotherhood before.
“Your Majesty, it’s done.” Tian Fusheng carefully put down Gu Yuanbai’s feet, handling him with the utmost care to avoid causing any pain.
Gu Yuanbai finally stood up. A palace maid brought over perfumed robes to dress him.
Before he had finished changing, an eunuch came to report: “Your Majesty, Qin Wang and the Minister of Revenue and the young master are waiting outside the hall.”
“Let them in,” Gu Yuanbai said.
The eunuch ushered in the three men, who bowed to Gu Yuanbai. He responded indifferently, “Rise.”
Minister of Revenue’s son, not yet of age, was fearless. Despite his father’s numerous warnings not to look directly at the emperor, the boy did exactly what he was told not to. Standing behind Qin Wang and his father, he stole a glance at the emperor.
The ruler of the world, as Gu Yuanbai had said, was the most pampered person in the nation.
The young master saw palace maids carefully arranging the emperor’s long hair behind him. The emperor, having just recovered, wore a red robe for a touch of festivity. His jade-like face was tinged with a faint red.
The boy’s breath caught, and his heart raced. He quickly lowered his head, not daring to look again.
“Is this the eldest young master of Minister Tang?”
Gu Yuanbai’s tone was kind. Minister Tang, flattered, bowed and said, “Your Majesty mentioned recently that the palace lacked young people. My son is simple and foolish but lively. If Your Majesty doesn’t mind, I can have him visit the palace often to keep you company.”
Gu Yuanbai wanted to sigh.
A few days ago, he had just accomplished a major task. This hint was to prompt these ministers to send their children to the palace. It served as a means to both restrain the ministers and to show favor, while also subtly warning and managing the favoritism to divide the scholarly and bureaucratic factions. Additionally, he wanted to see if there were any promising talents among them to cultivate early and ensure their loyalty for future use.
But now, he had lost that drive.
“Come, let me take a good look,” Gu Yuanbai beckoned the boy. “Minister Tang, you are too modest. Zhen has heard of your reputation for excellent teaching.”
The young master held his breath as he approached the emperor, and Minister Tang’s back was damp with sweat. Since the emperor had cleansed the court, facing him had become increasingly nerve-wracking. Minister Tang feared his son might make a faux pas.
Luckily, the emperor seemed in a good mood, asking amicable questions. The young master, initially stammering, gradually relaxed.
Just as Gu Yuanbai was about to take a sip of tea, his hand suddenly weakened, and the cup fell, shattering on the ground with a sharp sound. Looking at the fragments, Gu Yuanbai felt a surge of anger. His throat itched, and he began to cough.
Startled, the boy instinctively looked at the emperor. Gu Yuanbai’s pale fingers touched his chest, his long eyebrows furrowed. His lips, already pale, were now tinged with a color as if stained by rouge from the coughing.
The emperor possessed a supremely exquisite appearance, as if he were a priceless porcelain piece, too precious to be touched.
“Your Majesty,” the young master boldly reached out to support Gu Yuanbai, concerned, “Are you alright?”
The broken teacup had been cleaned up. Gu Yuanbai stopped coughing and smiled, “Good child, Zhen is fine.”
Qin Wang, who had been silent, sneered, “Your Majesty must take good care of yourself. When Royal Father passed the throne to you, you weren’t this frail.”
Gu Yuanbai sighed, “Qin Wang is right.”
Quickly regaining his composure, Gu Yuanbai stepped outside and looked at the sky. “The weather is really nice today.”
“The heavens are kind since Your Majesty has recovered,” the Minister of Revenue followed, “When Your Majesty was ill, the people in the city were worried, praying for your health daily. With your virtue, you have the people’s support and even the heavens’ favor.”
The emperor smiled, and the minister continued, “These days should be sunny. The spring rain is as precious as oil, and the recent light rain has made the flowers and grass outside the city bloom. My son said there’s a cuju match tomorrow.”
“Oh?” Gu Yuanbai’s interest was piqued, “A cuju match?”
The emperor’s fondness for cuju was well known. The young master blushed and bowed, “Tomorrow, some students from the academy have organized a match. There will be four teams, lasting for an hour and a half.”
Gu Yuanbai said, “Zhen is intrigued. When and where is this match? Zhen might join to watch.”
The young master, his voice trembling, replied, “Yes, yes.”
Tian Fusheng, noticing the emperor’s fatigue, quickly escorted the Minister of Revenue and his son out. Qin Wang, having stood silently, glared at Gu Yuanbai before storming off.
Seeing the his sour expression, Gu Yuanbai laughed heartily until he felt a tightness in his chest. He then said energetically, “Tian Fusheng, let’s take a walk in the imperial garden.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
***
After leaving the palace, Minister Tang and his son hurriedly went their separate ways. One went to inform the Ministry of War’s Shangshu to prepare for the emperor’s outing tomorrow, and the other rushed to the academy to inform the headmaster of the emperor’s visit.
This news caused a stir at the academy. The headmaster shot to his feet, “The emperor is coming?”
The assistant professors and lecturers gasped, supporting each other, and looked at Tang Mian, the son of the Minister of Revenue, with great eagerness, completely different from their usual strict and reserved demeanor.
Tang Mian was equally excited, “His Majesty said he will come to watch our academy’s cuju match.”
The headmaster, a fifth-rank official, had only seen the emperor from a distance. Upon hearing this news, he was filled with immense joy, pacing around the room with a beaming smile, laughing heartily like a drunk.
The assistant professors and lecturers had never seen the emperor. One of them, Lecturer Zhong, over fifty years old, couldn’t help but shed tears, murmuring to his colleague, “I never thought I would live to see the emperor.”
The assistant professor tried to remain calm, “Headmaster, the four cuju teams in our academy were hastily assembled, with varying skill levels. If they play like this, it will surely disappoint His Majesty.”
The headmaster abruptly stopped and nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, we must quickly reorganize the four best cuju groups today. Hahaha, those boys will surely give their all knowing the emperor is coming.”
The headmaster suddenly remembered something and turned to Tang Mian, “Did His Majesty say whether he will come incognito or with great fanfare?”
Tang Mian stammered, “His Majesty did not say, but my father has already gone to see the Minister of War.”
The headmaster thought for a moment, stroked his beard, and nodded. He turned to Tang Mian and said, “You must be on the field tomorrow. Rest well today and make our academy proud tomorrow.”
Tang Mian firmly replied, “This student will!”
Just the thought of the emperor coming to watch him play cuju filled him with energy. He wished it were already tomorrow so he could show the emperor how skilled he was.
Author’s Note: [CP Xue Yuan, the gong is very much a mad dog]
1. Brain-off feel-good story, set in an alternate universe, don’t scrutinize too much, there are bugs.
2. The protagonist is written as a Mary Sue in the early chapters, with a mix of charm and exaggerated qualities. After chapter 20, their personal charisma becomes more prominent, and it gets much better.
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