Chapter 146
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In the carriage returning to the capital.
Outside, the dense forest intertwined, casting shadows. The carriage occasionally jolted, causing the horses to snort.
Inside the carriage, white sleeves covered the back and head of the person within. As the arms moved away, the sleeves slipped off Xue Yuan. Xue Yuan’s bony fingers pressed against the wall, while beneath him, the Emperor’s face was flushed.
Gu Yuanbai’s eyes were filled with satisfaction, a moist glow shimmering in them. He looked up at Xue Yuan from below, his lips, flushed with blood, spreading like an ink wash painting. Xue Yuan paused his breathing, then bent down to touch those moist lips again.
Gu Yuanbai’s fingers slipped under Xue Yuan’s collar from behind, feeling a few uneven scabs. His fingers hesitated, then gently brushed back and forth twice. “There’s still a scar.”
Xue Yuan grasped his forearm. “It doesn’t hurt.”
“It’s a bit irritating,” Gu Yuanbai said softly. “There used to be nothing there.”
“A scar from protecting Your Majesty can last a lifetime,” Xue Yuan replied sincerely, feeling happy. “Not everyone can have such an honor.”
But the emperor pursed his lips, unable to smile.
Xue Yuan thought, how adorable.
He cherished the moment, lowering his head to cover the emperor’s face with kisses. Gu Yuanbai closed his eyes under the assault, and Xue Yuan couldn’t help but think again, how adorable.
“Your Majesty,” he couldn’t help but drawl, “what stage have we reached now?”
The emperor opened his mouth to speak, but Xue Yuan couldn’t resist sliding in to kiss him again. The emperor’s lips were so thin that they would bleed if sucked too hard. Xue Yuan sucked on the emperor’s tongue.
Gu Yuanbai, in pain from the sucking, pushed him away for a while before Xue Yuan reluctantly let go.
“Every time I try to speak, you stop me,” Gu Yuanbai hissed, pinching Xue Yuan’s chin and biting it lightly, scolding, “Are you a dog?”
Xue Yuan stared at Gu Yuanbai’s collar without speaking. Gu Yuanbai frowned and looked down, discovering his collar was wrinkled from being rubbed and had slightly opened, revealing fair skin below.
Raising an eyebrow, he tightened the collar with his fingers. “What stage do you think we’ve reached?”
Xue Yuan came back to his senses, feeling uncharacteristically uneasy. He clenched his fists, coughed several times, and though his expression remained calm, his ears had turned bright red in the sunlight streaming through the carriage gaps. Gu Yuanbai, seeing his awkward demeanor, couldn’t help but smile a little.
After a long moment of hesitation, Xue Yuan finally squatted down, holding Gu Yuanbai’s hands firmly. “To the stage of discussing marriage,” he declared.
His eyes were bright and full of determination.
The carriage fell silent. This statement seemed to echo endlessly, spanning thousands of miles.
Gu Yuanbai felt something inside him beating faster and faster.
He understood what this meant. His lips pressed into a straighter line, yet a different kind of redness appeared. He turned his head to restrain himself, feeling the heat rise.
His face, tight and tense, was already flushed.
Xue Yuan, feeling nervous, thought the emperor was angry and hurriedly explained, “We don’t really need to discuss marriage.”
He laid his head on Gu Yuanbai’s lap, cushioning it with his hands, offering up his sincere heart. “I don’t want any rumors about us, nor do I want others to imagine things about you behind my back. Just seeing you like this now, I don’t want anyone else to see.”
Xue Yuan suddenly felt grateful. Grateful that Gu Yuanbai was the emperor, someone he couldn’t easily control. Otherwise, with such possessive thoughts, he might have confined Gu Yuanbai to his own domain. Worse, he might have erased Gu Yuanbai’s name from history books, preventing future generations from knowing anything about him.
How terrifying. He had even thought about whether he could keep Gu Yuanbai in the Xue mansion forever.
But the emperor was destined to be remembered in history. Given that, Xue Yuan only wanted Gu Yuanbai to remain pure. He didn’t want him to be ogled or talked about lightly by others.
“…” Gu Yuanbai’s lips stuck together, sweet to the point of being cloying. “Is that why you always tidy my hair and clothes after kissing me?”
Xue Yuan replied with a muffled “Mm.”
Gu Yuanbai’s jaw tightened, his elegant Adam’s apple moving up and down. He felt the heat on his face, needing to clench his teeth tightly.
His neck was long and a bit stiff.
If Xue Yuan were to look up now, he would see the emperor’s flushed face.
“Discussing marriage,” Gu Yuanbai finally spoke, attempting to conceal his embarrassment. “Hmm, it’s true that we can’t discuss marriage.”
Gu Yuanbai.
Why does it feel so shameful even after sleeping with him?
A confession is a confession.
Why say it so sincerely?
Gu Yuanbai tried to suppress his awkwardness. Sweat seeped out, soaking the black hair at his temples, his disheveled state undeniable.
Xue Yuan, still lying on his lap, continued, “We don’t need to discuss marriage. But since we’ve reached this point, I asked Master Kong Xing. His Majesty’s body is too weak to bear children. Neither of us will marry. We’ll spend our lives together like this, okay?”
A lifetime.
He dares to say anything.
Gu Yuanbai suddenly asked, “What if your parents force you to start a family?”
Xue Yuan laughed deeply. “They wouldn’t dare.”
Gu Yuanbai thought of Xue Yuan’s wild nature. He hadn’t acted out in front of him for a long time, making him forget Xue Yuan’s inherent defiance. If he said they wouldn’t dare, then General Xue and his wife truly couldn’t control him. Gu Yuanbai moved his legs. “Get up, you’re making me uncomfortable.”
Xue Yuan obediently got up, noticing the emperor’s flushed face. He worriedly reached out to touch him. “Are you hot?”
Gu Yuanbai swatted his hand away, muttering, “It’s nothing.”
Xue Yuan still looked concerned. Gu Yuanbai licked his lips; even the touch of his tongue on his lips felt hot.
He frowned, thinking he was too affected, and used his hand to fan himself. Xue Yuan immediately understood, taking out a fan from his waist to cool Gu Yuanbai down.
“Open the window,” Gu Yuanbai ordered.
Xue Yuan opened the window with one hand. Outside, the chief guard glanced in, nodding with a smile.
Cool air flowed in from both sides, swiftly dispelling the heated atmosphere. Gu Yuanbai’s mind gradually cleared. He looked out at the green landscape, every tree lush and vibrant. With the breeze, all the leaves began to sway.
“I’ve told you many times,” Gu Yuanbai murmured, “reminded you to stop when it’s enough. Since you keep coming at me, I won’t hold back anymore.”
Xue Yuan came up behind him. “Your Majesty.”
“If I didn’t see hope for life, I wouldn’t have personally led the army,” the emperor smiled. “Nor would I want to waste anyone’s time. But your repeated disobedience truly troubled me back then.”
Xue Yuan couldn’t bear to hear these words, but he held back and listened until the end.
“I never stopped secretly searching for famous doctors. Heaven doesn’t cut off all paths. Since I’ve come this far, there must be a sliver of hope for me,” Gu Yuanbai said. “But I’m also human. Humans get disappointed. I want to live, but the world is so vast, and hope is so slim. If I die without finding a way to survive, would I be content?”
“Time is short, fleeting like a white steed passing a crack. I can’t afford to spend those precious moments indulging in love.” The carriage suddenly jolted, and Gu Yuanbai leaned back into Xue Yuan’s arms. “I want to live, very much so. I’ve tried every possible way to find a chance to survive. Now, finally, there is hope. But even after victory, there’s still a void of rootless duckweed.”
Xue Yuan hugged Gu Yuanbai tightly.
Gu Yuanbai looked at the blue sky and white clouds.
He murmured, “So you must find a way to keep me firmly grounded.”
Grounded on this land.
***
Officials outside the imperial city respectfully welcomed the emperor back to the capital.
Gu Yuanbai stepped off the carriage, and a eunuch called out. Immediately, the officials knelt, shouting “Long live the emperor” three times.
The officials were emotional, tears in their eyes, putting all their strength into each shout and bow. Tian Fusheng followed Gu Ran forward. Gu Ran clasped his hands together and bowed, his small stature not much taller, yet his voice was clear and strong, “Congratulations on your triumphant return, Royal Father!”
Gu Yuanbai patted his head, gazing towards the imperial city, suddenly smiling and commanding, “Rise, all of you.”
He held Gu Ran’s hand and walked slowly through the ranks of officials.
The officials bowed respectfully, the elderly ministers trembling, the younger ones excited and passionate. This smooth path led straight to the emperor’s palace.
Gu Ran looked up at the officials on either side, then at Gu Yuanbai.
His father’s attire was simple, his steps slow and steady. Each step seemed to tread a thousand miles of peace into the mountains and rivers of the empire.
Gu Ran gripped his father’s hand tightly.
He blinked calmly, mimicking his father’s posture, looking straight ahead as he walked. He didn’t glance sideways, only forward.
Would he look as elegant as his father?
***
After the emperor’s return to the capital, the city buzzed with excitement, which slowly calmed down by the end of the month.
Gu Yuanbai’s life returned to its usual rhythm. He entrusted the establishment of schools and the propagation of education in Fusang and the pastoral lands entirely to the Ministry of State Affairs and the Grand Council, only needing to stay informed of the progress.
Reforms and establishment of schools in various parts of Xixia gradually took shape, with many officials being reassigned to Xixia. The large quantities of salt from the two Zhejiang provinces flooded the market, reducing salt prices. Coupled with the state’s crackdown on illegal salt trade, the Minister of Revenue beamed with joy these days as gold and silver flowed into the national treasury. Each time Gu Yuanbai checked the treasury funds, he was in a very good mood.
And so, the days gently moved into September.
At the beginning of September, Gu Yuanbai took Gu Ran to visit the daughter of Heqin Wangfei and the young princess Gu An Er.
When An Er turned three months old, Gu Yuanbai granted her a title, showing his favor multiple times. The emperor’s protection made Heqin Wangfei’s life quite comfortable. Her complexion had improved, and she enjoyed playing with her daughter daily. When the weather was good, she would climb mountains and offer incense with her daughter, always finding joy in it.
The young princess was well cared for, chubby and fair, with a little dimple when pressed.
Gu Ran watched as his little sister drooled happily upon seeing their royal father. He furrowed his brows, secretly tugging at his royal father’s robe.
Gu Yuanbai didn’t notice his small gesture. Although he liked to tease little boys to tears, he was exceedingly gentle with soft little girls, pampering them in every way possible. He gently wiped the drool from the young princess and held her for a long time.
The young princess had seen Gu Yuanbai only a few times and at such a young age couldn’t remember people well, but she was extremely fond of him, leaving sticky drool marks on his face as she nuzzled against him.
Gu Yuanbai chuckled, handing the young princess back. He called Gu Ran over, ruffling his hair. “Ran Er, come and meet your little sister An.”
Gu Ran looked at the little princess in the nurse’s arms, who was reaching out energetically towards Gu Yuanbai, and solemnly said, “Hello, little sister An.”
Half an hour later, the group finally left Heqin Wang’s residence.
With a clear sky, Gu Yuanbai pondered and then asked Gu Ran, “Would you like to climb the mountain and offer incense with me?”
Gu Ran’s previous dejection vanished instantly. He looked up eagerly, eyes shining, and nodded vigorously.
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