Chapter 11
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After the imperial examination, Grand Tutor Li Bao visited the Emperor again, and this time the Emperor finally did not refuse him, finally summoning this renowned teacher who was known throughout the world.
After coming out of the palace, Grand Tutor Li Bao’s eyes were already filled with tears. He was supported back home, and when Li Huan heard he had returned, he had people bring him before his father.
“Father,” although he was half-dead from torture, Li Huan’s spirits were quite good. He stared at Grand Tutor Li Bao, eyes full of expectation. “What did the Emperor say?”
Grand Tutor Li Bao was angry when he saw him, but still felt sorry for his injuries. He coldly said, “What does it matter what this old man said to the Emperor?”
“Fine, your child won’t ask, then,” Li Huan changed the subject and asked, “Father, how was the Emperor’s complexion today?”
The Emperor had been angered by him that day, his lips and earlobes turning red from anger. Li Huan was worried about the Emperor’s health. The Emperor wasn’t as rough as him, so how could he not be worried?
Grand Tutor Li Bao said, “How can I look directly at the Emperor?”
Li Huan sighed, feeling pain all over his body. He turned his face away, and his fingers touched the sachet at his waist, which contained the Emperor’s hair. He had to take a step back and ask, “Father, you should at least know whether the Emperor coughed when speaking to you today?”
“He did not,” Grand Tutor Li Bao said, “Alright, stop asking. Go back and lie down.”
Li Huan was driven back to his room. He laid on the bed, sighing softly.
“Why is father so careless?”
The Emperor allowed his father into the palace, but his father didn’t even care about the Emperor’s health. Such a clueless father, it’s unbelievable that he’s Li Huan’s biological father.
Li Huan shook his head helplessly.
***
After seeing off the tearful Grand Tutor Li Bao, the palace welcomed the displeased Heqin Wang.
Gu Yuanbai met with him, and Heqin Wang stood stiffly in front of the Emperor, his tone as hard as a stone. “The tasks the Emperor assigned to me, I have completed.”
The second day of the imperial examination coincided with a cold spring rain. Coincidentally, Heqin Wang came to the palace to inquire about the matter of Wan Taifei. Gu Yuanbai saw his sarcastic expression and felt annoyed, so he ordered Heqin Wang to have someone prepare ginger soup and send it to the candidates in the examination hall for the next two days to keep them warm.
The Emperor smiled, his face as beautiful as jade. He reached out and took a porcelain cup to drink tea. “The tasks handled by Heqin Wang always put the Emperor at ease.”
Heqin Wang couldn’t help but sneer.
Heqin Wang was good at warfare and leading troops, and the title of Qin Wang was bestowed by the late Emperor for his military achievements. Now, a royal family who had fought on the battlefield was confined to the capital to handle such trivial matters. Gu Yuanbai knew that Heqin Wang probably hated him.
But how could military power be held by a royal prince, especially since this guy didn’t like his older brother, even though he didn’t use the title of the heir, he still occupied the position of the eldest.
Gu Yuanbai’s slender fingers held the white porcelain tea set, it was unclear which was whiter, and as Heqin Wang watched him slowly sipping tea, he felt extremely uncomfortable in his heart. When he was thirsty, he drank water in big gulps, when he was hungry, he ate meat in big bites, but the people in the capital were all so particular, Heqin Wang was like a cow drinking peonies.
Seeing that he didn’t speak, Gu Yuanbai raised his eyes to look at him and chuckled, “What expression is Heqin Wang making? If you’re thirsty, just say so. Can I not afford you a cup of tea? Tian Fusheng.”
Tian Fusheng hurriedly had someone bring over a chair and brought in fresh tea. Heqin Wang held the tea arrogantly and sat down, taking a sip and then throwing the tea to a palace maid on the side, saying sarcastically, “The two bowls of ginger tea the Emperor rewarded have moved those scholars to tears. Now the whole city is praising the Emperor’s kindness. If the Emperor were to tell them to die, they would probably sacrifice themselves generously.”
The Emperor furrowed his brow slightly.
Tian Fusheng and his little disciple stood on the side, the little disciple saw the Emperor frown and felt uncomfortable, whispering to his master, “Why does Heqin Wang always say such things that upset the Emperor?”
Tian Fusheng was also quite dissatisfied. He snorted, and still reprimanded his little disciple first, “The eyes watch the nose, can we criticize Heqin Wang?”
Actually, the person most dissatisfied with Heqin Wang was him, Tian Fusheng.
They treated the emperor as if he were to be held in the palm of their hands, fearing even the slightest breeze or drizzle might touch him. When the emperor drank tea, it was as if it were snow on plum blossoms or dew in the early morning. Among the ministers of the court, including the highly respected Grand Tutor Li Bao who had just entered the palace to pay respects, each one was a figure of great virtue and reputation. Only the temperament of Heqin Wang was so foul.
“How should we put it?” The Emperor’s tone was neither salty nor indifferent, “Heqin Wang, you’ve crossed the line.”
Heqin Wang smiled without smiling, “If Your Majesty doesn’t believe it, then come out with me and see for yourself. I’m afraid that by the time the scholars return home, the whole world will know about Your Majesty’s benevolent act of caring for scholars.”
Gu Yuanbai glanced outside, noticing the somewhat hesitant expression. Tian Fusheng stepped forward and reminded in a low voice, “Your Majesty, the people from the Imperial Observatory predicted rain today. It’s not advisable to leave the palace.”
Heqin Wang directly sneered, “With the sun shining so brightly outside, those people from the Imperial Observatory are probably talking nonsense.”
Gu Yuanbai glanced at Heqin Wang and simply stood up from behind the desk, “No problem, let’s go out and take a look as Heqin Wang suggested.”
***
Zhuangyuan Building.
Gu Yuanbai and Heqin Wang were led to sit by the window on the second floor. The inn was filled with scholars dressed in blue robes, and the literary atmosphere pervaded, making Gu Yuanbai feel a bit tired.
Occasionally, one could hear a few lines of poetry or prose. The surrounding guards had stern faces, standing guard around the tables like mountains, but they couldn’t block out these elegant voices.
The waiter stood nervously beside the table, “What would the two gentlemen like to order?”
Gu Yuanbai smiled and asked, “What do you have here?”
The waiter’s spirit lifted, reciting the menu like he was performing in a play. After some contemplation, Gu Yuanbai ordered three dishes and asked Heqin Wang, “Would elder brother like to order more?”
Heqin Wang was startled by the call and awkwardly squeezed out a sentence, “Bring two pots of good alcohol.”
Zhuangyuan Building had the most scholars, and as Heqin Wang had said, these scholars constantly praised the Emperor. Especially those who had safely exited the Imperial Examination because of the ginger soup. Hearing these praises, even Gu Yuanbai himself felt goosebumps.
Heqin Wang’s face turned green, his eyes emitting sparks of fire. The ginger soup was brewed by him, Heqin Wang, yet now hearing these words, Gu Yuanbai was sitting right across from him, he felt like he had become a joke. His expression became increasingly ugly, looking as if he wanted to beat up these scholars.
“Didn’t elder brother invite me out to hear these words?” Gu Yuanbai smirked wickedly, “These scholars were able to safely exit the Imperial Examination thanks to elder brother’s efforts, which cannot be ignored.”
Heqin Wang forced a smile and ignored him.
Gu Yuanbai chuckled, unable to hold back any longer. He leaned against the window frame, lowering his head to suppress his laughter. He didn’t burst into laughter to save Heqin Wang’s face. The black hair on his back trembled slightly, and his fingertips revealed a delightful blush.
Heqin Wang’s face fluctuated between green and purple, he lowered his head and gripped the porcelain cup tightly, emitting a cold snort.
Originally, when the two of them, accompanied by a group of guards, entered Zhuangyuan Building, they attracted a lot of attention. Many people, openly or secretly, cast their eyes on this table. Gu Yuanbai and Heqin Wang both exuded an aura of nobility and elegance. In a place like the capital, they could be a certain noble or influential figure. Now, with Gu Yuanbai’s laughter, even some young scholars couldn’t help but blush with embarrassment, feeling ashamed to sneak a peek, yet unable to look away.
This young gentleman wore blue clothes, dignified yet stable, but the blue couldn’t suppress his radiant appearance, shining brightly.
However, they had seen enough. Those sturdy guards glared over, sending those curious gazes back. Zhang Xu, the chief guard, maintained his extraordinary vigilance, scanning the surroundings, determined to protect the Emperor’s safety.
Gu Yuanbai finally stopped laughing, slowly standing up. He leaned against the window, resting his arm on the sill, supporting his face, exhausted from laughing. His chest rose and fell slightly as he tried to elongate his breath, trying to calm himself down.
Heqin Wang said coldly, “Sir, it’s better not to laugh.”
Gu Yuanbai’s lips curled into a smile, but he didn’t care. Although he was currently weak, he didn’t want others to see it. Men had their pride, and if Gu Yuanbai had to be cautious because of his physical condition, it wouldn’t be good.
“Elder brother, don’t worry,” Gu Yuanbai said, “This body of mine can handle a laugh or two.”
After a while, the waiter brought food. Gu Yuanbai wasn’t very hungry, so he sipped his tea and looked out the window.
The capital under the Emperor’s rule was prosperous and stable. The Great Heng Dynasty had open-minded people, and women had a high status, so one could see groups of women walking together on the streets.
Gu Yuanbai liked this peaceful scene. He leaned against the wall, holding his teacup, and seemed lost in thought for a moment.
Chu Wei was invited by classmates to go to the academy. Passing by Zhuangyuan Building, he saw many people looking up. He followed their gazes and frowned.
On the second floor window sat a young man dressed in indigo robes, his black hair tied up high, gazing into the distance with a white porcelain cup in hand. This drew the attention of both men and women, making them unable to stop looking. Unexpectedly, this elegant young man was the current Emperor.
Everyone appreciated beauty, and it was hard to divert one’s eyes from such beauty. But Chu Wei despised those men and women who stared at him, and despised those ordinary people who only cared about beauty.
Wouldn’t the Emperor feel uncomfortable being stared at like this?
Chu Wei’s classmates also looked over and joked, “Zi Hu, it seems that your title as the most beautiful man in the capital is threatened.”
Chu Wei said coldly, “Who cares about it.”
His classmates laughed heartily and dragged Chu Wei to a good spot under Zhuangyuan Building. They looked up at the elegant young man by the window and sighed, “In the past, there was Pan An throwing fruits to fill a carriage, and there was the ceremony of watching Wei Jie kill. We thought your appearance was already the pinnacle of men, but we didn’t expect there to be such a graceful young man.”
Chu Wei replied, “Just a superficial appearance.”
His classmate smiled and said, “I know you don’t like beauty, and you don’t like others looking at you. But Zi Hu, for a young master like this, do you really think it’s just superficial appearance?”
Chu Wei raised his eyebrows, his long eyebrows touching his temples. He looked at the Emperor, his black eyes unmoved, standing straight like a pine, cold as snow. “What else could it be?”
Gu Yuanbai seemed to sense his gaze, and as he looked away into the distance, his eyes met Chu Wei’s, who stood in front of a shop across the street, selling red string knots.
Beside Chu Wei stood as a charming and elegant scholar. Gu Yuanbai narrowed his eyes slightly, calmly withdrew his gaze, and took a sip of the warm tea, holding the teaware delicately.
The hand holding the cup was as white as transparent, and Chu Wei couldn’t help but think of the scene where the Emperor painfully clenched the bright yellow bedsheets, the satin wrinkled, warm candlelight, and the pale and powerless fingertips. He lowered his eyes, his Adam’s apple moved slightly, and without a word, he discreetly led his classmate away.
Heqin Wang noticed that Gu Yuanbai kept looking out the window, so he followed his gaze and glanced outside. Seeing many people sneakily trying to look upstairs, he immediately frowned and suppressed the corner of his lips, “Who dares to sneak a peek at the Emperor’s face?”
Regardless of his feelings towards Gu Yuanbai, Heqin Wang would unhesitatingly defend the dignity of the royal family.
“Ignorance is not a crime,” Gu Yuanbai smiled and changed the subject, “Elder Brother, how do you find the dishes here?”
Heqin Wang wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and replied indifferently, “Just so-so.”
Whether it was the food or the people, everything was just average. The conversations of these scholars in Zhuangyuan Building were also superficial. They were good at empty talk, but upon closer examination, they had nothing substantial to say. They dared to talk nonsense without even touching the ground.
Originally intending to tease Gu Yuanbai a bit and let him know the level of the scholars who admired him, in the end, he was the one who felt uncomfortable.
Gu Yuanbai’s mind was divided, and he also listened to many scholars’ lofty discussions. Disappointment was inevitable, but this was also one of the drawbacks of the imperial examination. For the Emperor, the first drawback of the imperial examination was factionalism, and the second was that it didn’t necessarily bring in talents beneficial to the country.
If society really wanted to develop, it had to focus on economic construction. Compared to ancient foreign civilizations, China actually had the advantage before the Industrial Revolution in Britain, but just one industrial revolution opened up a hundredfold gap between the two sides. In the end, science and technology were the primary driving forces for development. Merchants and craftsmen could promote natural economic development, but in this era, farmers and food were the foundation of the country.
If there were potatoes, corn, hybrid rice, etc., it could liberate the manpower at the grassroots level, ensure full granaries, and then proceed with other major initiatives.
Gu Yuanbai suddenly stood up, and the palace attendants quickly stepped forward to support him, straightening out the wrinkles on his clothes and adjusting the jade belt around his waist. Gu Yuanbai slowly said, “Elder Brother, accompany me for a walk.”
Heqin Wang silently stood up and followed half a step behind the Emperor out of Zhuangyuan Building.
The streets were bustling but not chaotic, the ground was clean and tidy. Heqin Wang’s face was solemn, more intimidating than the guards beside him.
“Where does Your Majesty want to go?”
“If I remember correctly, Heqin Wang owns several acres of good land in the capital and even a villa with hot springs for planting fruits and vegetables?” Gu Yuanbai said, “When I confiscated Lu Feng’s property earlier, I remember rewarding Heqin Wang with a villa.”
Heqin Wang said stiffly, “That villa is far from the city center. If Your Majesty wants to go, it may not be convenient today.”
The chief guard protecting the Emperor glared at Heqin Wang secretly, wishing the Emperor would give the order soon so they could teach Heqin Wang a lesson.
Who dared to speak to the Emperor like this?!
Gu Yuanbai remained unchanged in his demeanor. He waved his hand behind him, and the guards and palace servants obediently took two steps back, leaving space for the two most noble royal figures in the world to converse.
“Heqin Wang,” Gu Yuanbai slowly said, “If you give me face, I can give you face.”
Heqin Wang’s face turned ugly, but he endured and didn’t storm off.
“Before, I asked for your help to completely eliminate Lu Feng,” the Emperor’s tone was indifferent, “Even royal relatives and powerful ministers have to bow to authority. The imperial power and you royals are interconnected. If I weaken, you weaken too. I thought you were a smart person, but it turns out you’re just a fool. You now blame me for trapping you in the capital, where you can only seek pleasure day and night. I ask you, when I gave you the opportunity, who failed to seize it?”
Heqin Wang’s temples throbbed, and he gritted his teeth, “—I’m here now!”
“You’re late!” Gu Yuanbai angrily rebuked, “I’ve already killed him. What use is it for you to come now?! By the time you arrived, the food is cold!”
Heqin Wang was startled by the sudden outburst, and his momentum weakened for a moment.
Gu Yuanbai’s chest rose and fell rapidly. After a while, he calmed down, “Heqin Wang, the late Emperor once said something related to you, but you probably don’t know.”
Heqin Wang’s breathing paused, and he turned his head to glare at Gu Yuanbai, “What did the late Emperor say?”
A faint smirk appeared at the corner of Gu Yuanbai’s pale lips, and he said maliciously, “I won’t tell you.”
Heqin Wang: “…”
A loud rumble suddenly echoed from the sky.
The sky instantly darkened, and a flash split it in half. After the sudden brightness, there was a sudden darkness accompanied by a gust of wind.
Tian Fusheng panicked and stepped forward, “Your Majesty, it’s going to rain!”
Before the torrential rain arrived, a violent wind had already risen. Gu Yuanbai’s clothes were blown up, his hair scattered, some covering his face obstructing his vision. Gu Yuanbai frowned, brushing away the obstructing hair, “Zhang Xu, is there any nearby place to take shelter from the rain?”
Zhang Xu was equally anxious. He held the sword at his waist tightly and forced himself to stay calm, “Your Majesty, we are close to General Xue’s mansion. We can go there to seek shelter from the rain.”
Xue’s mansion?
Gu Yuanbai pondered for a moment, “Let’s go, hurry to Xue’s mansion before the rain falls.”
Author’s note: This sentence was originally spoken by Professor Jin Canrong in the speech “The Great Changes in a Hundred Years and China’s Opportunities”.
The Emperor’s power is so imposing.
Gu Yuanbai: This rain is so unfortunate. I haven’t finished being malicious yet.
Xue Yuan: What’s so fun about Heqin Wang?
Xue Yuan: Does he have my interesting and mischievous side?
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