Chapter 135
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After the morning court session, Chu Wei requested an audience in the Xuanzheng Hall.
He was dressed in official attire, holding a scroll containing a painting wrapped in a cloth belt. Accompanying him was an official from the Imperial Censorate who was deeply fascinated by Li Qingyun’s paintings and quite knowledgeable about them. He had been invited by Tian Fusheng to ascertain whether the two paintings—one from above and one from below—were authentic works and if they could be joined together.
It was rainy today, and the paintings might have some dampness, causing the paper to wrinkle slightly. The painting from the Imperial Storage had already been placed on the desk. The official from the Imperial Censorate’s eyes lit up as he eagerly examined the painting.
Gu Yuanbai chuckled, teasing, “With that look, you might as well burn Li Qingyun’s paintings.”
The official smiled respectfully and, together with Chu Wei, bowed. After standing up, Chu Wei handed the cloth belt to the eunuch.
The two volumes of the “Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” were finally brought together.
Glancing over, Gu Yuanbai couldn’t help but laugh, “Minister Chu, your painting must be fake.”
Although he didn’t understand paintings, he could at least see the difference in their age. While each painting might seem fine individually, placing them together highlighted the stark contrast in their age.
Chu Wei’s lips twitched, eventually straightening them and lowering his gaze to the painting on the table.
He seemed somewhat disappointed.
Suddenly, Lord Wan exclaimed, leaning in to examine Chu Wei’s painting, “Your Majesty, this is truly strange. Although the age differs, the brushstrokes in this painting still follow the style of Li Qingyun, both in the landscape and the flow. Regardless of the age, just looking at the painting, it seems truly like the work of Li Qingyun.”
Gu Yuanbai was taken aback, his nose slightly wrinkling, “Really?”
Lord Wan didn’t dare to make a full statement about the painting, “I’ll take another look.”
On this rainy day, with no sunlight, the more Lord Wan looked, the more peculiar it seemed. He connected the two halves of the picture, and there wasn’t a single gap at the seam. Every part matched seamlessly, as if they were one piece. How could someone make a forgery so perfectly?
Could it be that with just the lower half of the painting, one could match it perfectly with the upper half without any mistakes?
“Too similar,” Lord Wan sighed, “Even if I know this is a forgery, I dare not say what’s different in the painting.”
Gu Yuanbai’s eyes lit up, “Interesting.”
He walked over, and Lord Wan stepped aside. The Emperor bent down, looking at the painting Chu Wei had presented.
Chu Wei looked back at the Emperor.
Gu Yuanbai’s black hair threatened to fall down his back with every slight movement, perilously close to touching Chu Wei’s painting.
If it fell, would it brush against Chu Wei’s painting?
If it did, it might smudge some of the ink that had already been dampened by the rain.
Just as Chu Wei was pondering, the Emperor’s hair slipped from both sides. Chu Wei instinctively stepped forward and caught it before it touched the painting.
The Emperor’s gaze fell on him, and Chu Wei, calm as ever, said, “This painting has passed through many hands. It’s better not to touch it, Your Majesty.”
Gu Yuanbai smiled, straightening up and patting Chu Wei’s arm, “Minister Chu, you’re attentive.”
The black hair slid away from Chu Wei’s hand.
Chu Wei withdrew his hand, a subtle smile in his eyes, “I dare not.”
***
Though the painting was fake, its contents seemed real. Gu Yuanbai was intrigued and asked Chu Wei to leave the painting behind. If they encountered the person who sold the painting again, Chu Wei was to report it promptly.
Not long after, Old General Xue returned to the capital.
He first went to the palace to discuss official matters with Gu Yuanbai. The trade at the border had gone smoothly, and the Zhang family had long prepared for the opening of trade routes. They were seasoned traders, and the mutual trade they established was so successful that it greatly aroused the interest and enthusiasm of the nomads.
The enthusiasm was evident in the influx of horses from the northern border into the army. Some of the cattle and sheep from the northern border were sold to the southern regions, while some were used to supplement the soldiers’ diet.
With the addition of the horses previously sent by Xixia, the army could now add another ten thousand cavalry. Among the cavalry, the equipment and training methods of the heavy cavalry were continuously improving. With an ample supply of food, the soldiers could maintain strong and robust bodies.
With so many cattle and sheep added to the army, the soldiers’ admiration and affection for Gu Yuanbai soared. They knew the difference between good and bad times, and the life they now had, with meat and rice, was something they had never experienced before joining the army.
Throughout the world, only Great Heng could make life better for its soldiers after they joined the army.
The army was too important. After inquiring about the cattle, sheep, and horses, Gu Yuanbai asked about the border defenses. Old General Xue sighed with emotion, unable to help but say, “When I was stationed in the northern border, the soldiers there were as thin as twigs, and the people of the northern border were restless, unable to sleep soundly. But when I returned to the capital this time,” he couldn’t help but smile, “The people lined the streets to see us off, tears streaming for miles. They gave us so many gifts that we couldn’t even carry them all.”
“And the soldiers of the northern border,” Old General Xue’s eyes couldn’t help but well up, “During the continuous heavy snow last year, several houses collapsed in the northern border, and the soldiers went out to rescue people and clear snow overnight. It snowed heavily for dozens of days, and the roads were blocked, but not a single soldier from the northern border froze to death.”
“We drank old duck soup and wrapped ourselves in the cotton clothes you gave us, and we spent the entire winter safely.”
Gu Yuanbai felt warm hearing this. He smiled and then spoke sincerely, “This is the scene I most wanted to see in my lifetime.”
“When the houses are vast and spacious,” the Emperor spoke softly, “All the poor people under heaven will rejoice.”
At this, Old General Xue burst into tears.
***
Old General Xue left the capital with tears in his eyes, and the Emperor specifically asked Xue Yuan to accompany him back home. Xue Yuan glanced at Old General Xue, feeling a headache coming on, “General Xue, could you stop crying?”
The cuff of General Xue’s sleeve was already damp from tears, “The Emperor is truly too good, too good.”
A smile spread across Xue Yuan’s face, “Naturally, His Majesty is good.”
Old General Xue’s chest was still filled with emotions even after returning home. He felt a bit embarrassed to have cried so much in front of his son and cleared his throat, “In a few days, you’ll be twenty-five, nearly at the age of maturity. Xue Yuan, when will you give your old man a daughter-in-law?”
Xue Yuan thought seriously for a moment, “Difficult.”
“Your mother and I both know you already have someone in your heart,” Old General Xue sighed, thinking his son didn’t want to say too much, “I became a father at twenty, and two years later, your Lin Ger was born. Now that I’m past middle age, I haven’t even held a grandchild.”
“Simple,” Xue Yuan said lazily, “Tomorrow, I’ll find a few girls willing to have children with the second son of the Xue family and lock them up with him. When they conceive, they can come out of the room.”
“You already have someone in your heart. Why hasn’t your sweetheart given birth to a grandchild for me?” General Xue’s face darkened, showing his great dissatisfaction, “Are you still useless, not having persuaded her to marry you?”
“She can’t conceive,” Xue Yuan said frankly, “And she hasn’t agreed to marry me yet.”
Maybe she will never agree to marry him, and it seems like the Xue family… can’t afford to raise the Emperor.
Old General Xue’s face darkened, “Since she doesn’t want to marry you, stop thinking about it! When we get back home, I’ll have your mother arrange your marriage.”
Xue Yuan remained unchanged, “General Xue, I refuse.”
Old General Xue couldn’t contain his anger anymore and exploded, “You refuse? Then how do you explain spending half a month washing your pants in the North? Xue Jiuyao, now that you’ve grown up, for a woman who doesn’t like you and can’t even bear children for you, you dare to say such nonsense!”
This roar startled the servants welcoming the respected lord back home.
Madam Xue arrived just in time to hear this sentence. Her face changed abruptly. After dismissing the servants, she stepped forward, “What’s going on?”
“Look at your good son,” Old General Xue’s hands trembled with anger, “For the sake of a woman, he can utter such confused words!”
Madam Xue was taken aback, then looked at Xue Yuan.
Xue Yuan grinned, “Father, who said it was a woman?”
Old General Xue was stunned.
Xue Yuan stretched, thinking about which family laws he could use later and if they could protect his back, “My sweetheart is a man, so naturally, he can’t give you grandchildren. I think Second Xue is good enough. Don’t you want grandchildren? Let Second Xue have ten or eight, he can afford it.”
Old General Xue looked at him solemnly, suppressing his anger, “Say that again.”
This kind of expression from the old general was the true sign of his anger.
Madam Xue’s eyes filled with tears, looking worriedly at her son.
The last time Old General Xue was so angry, he almost beat Young Master Xue half to death.
Xue Yuan clicked his tongue.
He said leisurely, “General Xue, I’ll say it one last time, listen carefully.”
Raising his eyes, he continued, “I fell in love with a man. No one but him can do. Apart from him, I can’t raise anyone else.”
***
The next day, Xue Yuan indeed did not go to the palace.
Although Gu Yuanbai had expected it, he still subconsciously called out, “Xue Yuan,” occasionally when summoning someone.
At noon, Tian Fusheng assisted the Emperor in resting. After hesitating for a long time, he finally whispered, “Your Majesty, the night before last, when I sent the imperial physician away, I happened to meet Lord Xue on my way back. I overheard a few words exchanged between Lord Xue and the imperial physicians at the corner.”
Gu Yuanbai closed his eyes, breathing evenly, “Hmm?”
“Lord Xue was asking the imperial physicians,” Tian Fusheng struggled to lower his voice, “When Your Majesty will be able to engage in intimate activities.”
He expected the Emperor to furrow his brow or even get angry, but to his surprise, the Emperor just chuckled and asked, “What did the imperial physicians say?”
Tian Fusheng choked for a moment before obediently saying, “The imperial physicians said that it would be possible after half a month.”
“Half a month,” Gu Yuanbai chuckled, “I’ll remember that.”
Tian Fusheng’s expression was strange, “Lord Xue said the same thing.”
How did the Emperor and Lord Xue seem to be on the same wavelength?
Gu Yuanbai burst into laughter.
He fell asleep with this pleasant feeling, but when he woke up, Tian Fusheng informed him that a spy planted in the Xue residence reported that last night Xue Yuan had been disciplined by the old General Xue using family law and had been confined in the ancestral hall, injured, for the entire night.
As soon as Tian Fusheng finished speaking, Gu Yuanbai’s face turned cold. His expression was grim, his eyes dark. Tian Fusheng trembled, “Your Majesty?”
“Prepare the horse,” Gu Yuanbai said coldly after a while, “We’re going to the Xue residence.”
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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! For the updates!
I feel really blessed!
I can’t wait to see what happens with these two.
Besides the romance, this one also has fun plot. And the two main characters are an absolute treat!