Chapter 131
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A pair of large hands wiped away the tears from Gu Yuanbai’s face. Xue Yuan was sweating profusely, and his rough fingers were cautiously touching Gu Yuanbai’s face. “Why are you suddenly crying?”
Gu Yuanbai had never cried in front of anyone before.
But at this moment, he silently shed tears, without making a sound, quietly, until Xue Yuan noticed, he was taken aback, his heart gripped with shock.
Gu Yuanbai grabbed Xue Yuan’s collar, clutching his clothes tightly. The black robe wrinkled and bunched up in his hands until the sudden surge of emotion dissipated. Gu Yuanbai let go of his hand and murmured, “I actually cried huh.”
Xue Yuan wiped the corners of his eyes, and Gu Yuanbai closed his eyes involuntarily. The summer air was scorching, and when Xue Yuan’s hand touched him, the tears seemed to stop as if they were being burned.
Xue Yuan took a warm handkerchief from the palace attendant and wiped Gu Yuanbai’s face, unable to speak due to heartache. “Stop crying.”
The blurry vision gradually became clear, and Gu Yuanbai slowly closed his eyes. “It’s nothing.”
He suppressed the sudden surge of confusion and emotion, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw Xue Yuan’s collar had been loosened by him, a fleeting embarrassment crossing Gu Yuanbai’s face. He reached out to tidy up his collar slightly, picked up the handkerchief, “Hand.”
Xue Yuan’s hand was slightly damp, whether from sweat or Gu Yuanbai’s tears, Gu Yuanbai lowered his head and carefully wiped his hand, slipping through his fingers.
“The Emperor’s hands are so small,” as he wiped, Xue Yuan suddenly expressed concern, “and so thin, my two fingers can circle around your wrist.”
Gu Yuanbai’s sadness was shattered by this remark, “General Xue, that’s quite a humorous thing to say. My fingers are long, even larger than a woman’s delicate hand by more than two or three circles. Which eye of yours thinks my hands are small?”
Xue Yuan suddenly darkened, “So the Emperor even knows the size of a woman’s delicate hand.”
Gu Yuanbai: “I just think you’re talking nonsense with your eyes open.”
Xue Yuan noticed that his mood was still not very good, so he tried to find a way to cheer him up. He scratched the palm of the Emperor’s hand with his finger, half seriously and half jokingly frowned, “I don’t even know how big or small a woman’s delicate hand is.”
“Then go see for yourself, go look and touch,” Gu Yuanbai smiled faintly, tossing Xue Yuan’s hand away and throwing the handkerchief to the palace attendant, “Get up, don’t block my view.”
Xue Yuan stood up inexplicably, stood aside and looked at Gu Yuanbai’s back, unable to make head or tail of it.
Gu Yuanbai resumed looking over the materials handed to him by the Imperial Hospital. Flipping to the last page, the drawbacks subtly mentioned by the institute were also listed one by one.
Gu Yuanbai’s body had suffered too much damage; even if he were to recover, he would be unable to conceive offspring. His weakness was congenital, and he had missed the optimal time during his youth when his bones had not yet fully developed. Now, he could only do his best to nourish his body to ensure a long life, avoiding constant anxiety. However, he would likely never be as healthy as a normal person who could run and jump freely.
Unable to conceive a child is undoubtedly the biggest blow to an emperor, but Gu Yuanbai accepted it well. As long as things could be better, and his lifespan extended, Gu Yuanbai was already grateful to the heavens.
After Gu Yuanbai nodded, the Imperial Hospital began to follow the regimen.
Five days later, on a rainy day, someone came to report in the rain that Heqin Wangfei had experienced abdominal pain two days ago and had given birth to a girl that day. Both mother and daughter were safe and sound and were now in Heqin Wang’s mansion.
Gu Yuanbai was stunned and suddenly stood up, “A girl?”
The palace attendant said, “It’s a girl.”
Gu Yuanbai was lost in thought for a moment and murmured, “A girl is also good, very good.”
He smiled, “Send someone to inform Heqin Wang, and bestow rewards. Whatever Heqin Wangfei needs, just say it. I will make the decisions for them, and no one should slack off.”
After saying that, Gu Yuanbai paced back and forth in the hall. He couldn’t explain whether he was hoping for a boy or a girl from Heqin Wangfei. If it were a boy, he would undoubtedly have to be raised under Gu Yuanbai’s care. Heqin Wangfei wouldn’t be able to raise him personally.
Now that a girl had been born, Gu Yuanbai would need to find some other children in the imperial clan.
He sighed, but his heart relaxed imperceptibly. If the children Gu Zhao raised were regarded as his adopted sons, they would eventually ascend to the throne. He was… somewhat uncomfortable with that.
But a girl was different. Because it was a girl, Heqin Wangfei would be more relaxed. If she wanted to raise her daughter herself, she could. If she didn’t like this daughter, then she could send her to the palace. Gu Yuanbai would recognize her as his daughter and give her the prestigious status of a princess.
However, Heqin Wangfei had always been resilient, and she would probably choose without hesitation to raise her daughter alone.
If that was the case, Gu Yuanbai would compensate them as much as possible, replacing Heqin Wang as their support.
Gu Yuanbai allowing Heqin Wang to go to the northern frontier was already the kindness of an emperor, considering how far Heqin Wang had been pushed. But since Heqin Wang had chosen this path, he shouldn’t harbor any illusions about returning to the capital.
Even if Heqin Wangfei pleaded, Gu Yuanbai wouldn’t allow it. He had already stepped back and wouldn’t step back any further.
On a sunny day during the holiday, Gu Yuanbai secretly went to Heqin Wang’s residence to visit the newly born baby.
The midwife carried the little girl out, “Your Majesty, take a look. This is the first young lady of our Heqin Wang mansion.”
The baby was still asleep, with sparse hair and little fists clenched on either side of her ears, so small that she seemed unable to withstand even a gust of wind. Gu Yuanbai didn’t look much and asked someone to send her back quickly.
Heqin Wangfei couldn’t see anyone now, so she sent her attendant to pass on the message. She asked how Heqin Wang was to be handled and whether she could raise her daughter herself.
Gu Yuanbai asked in return, “Does your mistress want to see or not see Heqin Wang? Does she want to raise her daughter herself?”
The attendant ran back to ask Heqin Wangfei. Holding her daughter, Heqin Wangfei gently kissed her daughter’s little hand and then turned back, “I don’t want to see Heqin Wang. I just want to raise my daughter peacefully.”
No one knew Heqin Wangfei’s joy when she found out she had given birth to a daughter.
She knew how this child came about. If it were a boy, he would undoubtedly have to be raised by the Emperor’s side. But the weight and filth of such a heavy and dirty guilt, even she shuddered at the thought of it. How could the Emperor not be concerned about her child when he looked at her child all the time?
The more Heqin Wang Wan wanted a son because Gu Yuanbai wanted a son, the more pleased Heqin Wangfei was to have a daughter.
Her daughter didn’t have to endure the twisted emotions from her father like that. She was pure and clean, and as Heqin Wangfei looked at her tiny self, her heart softened, and happiness rose within her. She didn’t want this peaceful and warm life to be disturbed by Heqin Wang anymore.
After hearing Heqin Wangfei’s answer, Gu Yuanbai nodded and said, “I understand.”
After the rewards were given, Gu Yuanbai got up and left Heqin Wang’s mansion with his entourage. Along the way, under the scorching sun, amidst the bustling streets, Xue Yuan suddenly asked, “Does Your Majesty like infants?”
Gu Yuanbai glanced at him, and Xue Yuan casually asked, his gaze wandering around the stalls as if he didn’t care about Gu Yuanbai’s answer.
Following Xue Yuan’s lead, Gu Yuanbai forced a polite smile, “I like infants to the same extent that General Xue likes a woman’s delicate hands.”
“Be clear,” Xue Yuan’s handsome face turned serious, his brows furrowing. When he didn’t smile, an eerie aura emanated from his features. He looked frightening, but in the bustling market, he secretly held Gu Yuanbai’s hand under the cover of his sleeve robe.”When did I ever say I like a woman’s hands?”
“If I have to like,” he wanted to insert his fingers into the gaps between Gu Yuanbai’s fingers, somewhat frivolous, “I only like hands like these.”
His knuckles were always sharp, rough, and clearly defined. The tingling sensation when his fingers were inserted into Gu Yuanbai’s palm would not disappear in a short time. Gu Yuanbai didn’t like being held by him; it hurt. He also didn’t like being kissed by him; it was uncomfortable.
Even during the mourning period, he could still taste a bit of goodness, but now? It would be a good thing if Gu Yuanbai didn’t kick him in public.
Frowning, he tried to pull his hand away, but Xue Yuan seemed oblivious and held on tighter.
The sleeves concealed the movements of both hands, and Xue Yuan gripped tightly for a while before softening, “Your Majesty, you haven’t let me get close for a month…”
He lowered his voice, “You won’t even let me hold your hand.”
Having just experienced the taste of kissing and caressing, Xue Yuan understood that now was a period of national mourning and that Gu Yuanbai did not want to do anything inappropriate. He didn’t want to either. He just wanted to occasionally hold Gu Yuanbai’s hand to calm his still uneasy heart.
It was simply to stabilize his mind.
He sighed and sincerely said, “I will only hold your hand, and I will be very proper.”
However, to Gu Yuanbai’s ears, this sounded no different from the infamous “just rubbing, not going in.”
Gu Yuanbai’s eyelids twitched. Without mercy, he shook off Xue Yuan’s hand and turned around, signaling Tian Fusheng to come forward and wipe his sweat.
Under Lord Xue’s glare, Tian Fusheng cheerfully wiped the Emperor’s sweat, his face bright with happiness. “Your Majesty, you seem to have grown a bit taller. I’m almost unable to reach you.”
Gu Yuanbai showed a slight smile, “Really?”
“How would this humble one dare to tell lies?” Tian Fusheng really thought that His Majesty had grown taller and seemed to have slimmed down as well. He fanned His Majesty, and His Majesty’s hair danced in the air, illuminated by the sun, emitting a few golden rays. Suddenly, Tian Fusheng remembered, “This humble one still remembers that Your Majesty had a fan painted beautifully, with landscapes vividly depicted on it. Your Majesty had it with you when you went to the palace last year, but I don’t know when it was, this humble one couldn’t find it anymore.”
Due to the death of Wan Taifei, His Majesty’s birthday and the palace banquet were not held this year. Thinking of the summer palace reminded Gu Yuanbai of Wan Taifei, and he was not willing to go there either.
Now it was already August, and Gu Yuanbai had already planned to endure the hot summer in the capital.
When Tian Fusheng mentioned it, Gu Yuanbai pondered, “Wasn’t it the folding fan that Minister Chu presented?”
Tian Fusheng nodded repeatedly, “That fan from Lord Chu is indeed exquisite, crafted with utmost care. Even now, wealthy families would be willing to spend a fortune to buy one. Moreover, Lord Chu’s reputation is renowned, his mastery of the six arts, and his exceptional painting skills. This is something known throughout the entire capital.”
An ink treasure worth a thousand gold coins, it was indeed the case. Gu Yuanbai sighed repeatedly, feeling regretful, “When that fan was given to me, I liked it very much. But it’s a pity that it’s been lost for some time now.”
Anything belonging to the Emperor would be properly kept by the palace attendants. This fan was most likely lost by Gu Yuanbai himself, and besides regret, there was nothing he could do about it.
Xue Yuan remained silent on the side, his smile insidious.
***
While His Majesty was reigning in the capital, far away on the coast, the Fujian Navy was engaged in a fierce battle with the Fusang Navy at sea.
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