Chapter 154
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When Xue Yuan left the capital, he left a big mess for Gu Yuanbai.
The day he left, Gu Yuanbai woke up an hour and a half later. The bed was tidy, and the surroundings were clean, with a fresh scent lingering from a bath, making him close his eyes again comfortably.
Xue Yuan’s bedroom skills and kissing were actually simple and rough, lacking any technique, only knowing how to forcefully charge ahead. However, even straightforward actions, when deliberately slowed down, became an agonizing delight. Gu Yuanbai didn’t know how he held back but knew that every time they finished, the bedding seemed soaked, mostly from Xue Yuan’s sweat.
Handsome, loyal, and meticulous in caring for Gu Yuanbai, waking up feeling fresh and clean after a night of pleasure was truly wonderful.
Gu Yuanbai savored the moment before leisurely getting out of bed. Upon rising, he noticed two wooden boxes placed at the bedside, each weighed down by a letter. Opening one, he saw it was written by Xue Yuan.
The letter stated that one box contained Xue Yuan’s salary since he started his duties, left for Gu Yuanbai to use. When it ran out, Xue Yuan would return. The other box contained pre-written letters for Gu Yuanbai to read daily.
After reading the letter, Gu Yuanbai couldn’t help but feel sweetly softened.
In a good mood, he had the two wooden boxes carried out discreetly from the Xue residence. However, as soon as he stepped outside, he saw Old General Xue kneeling at the gate.
Old General Xue’s face was stiff. He looked up at the Emperor, tears welling up in his eyes as he trembled, “Your Majesty—”
Old General Xue had been kneeling there for a long time, thinking deeply. Things he hadn’t noticed before flashed before his eyes. Finally, he recalled a question he had asked Xue Yuan in the northern borderlands.
“Did you force yourself on that girl?”
Xue Yuan had scoffed, smiling sardonically.
Thinking back now, Old General Xue felt a chill throughout his body, as if plunged into winter.
He knew his son’s nature well. As a child in the capital, Xue Yuan dared to involve himself in all sorts of trouble. At a young age, he could calmly threaten people with a knife, and among the children of civil and military officials, he was the one who dared to draw blood with his own hands. This cold-bloodedness and ferocity had alarmed Old General Xue, leading him to decide to keep Xue Yuan by his side and train him. On the battlefield, Xue Yuan’s cold-bloodedness gradually turned into a fanaticism for killing enemies.
He seemed to fear nothing, entering the battlefield like a dragon diving into the sea.
Not knowing fear meant he would cause great trouble. This was why Old General Xue treated him harshly time and again, hoping to instill a sense of humanity in him, to teach him the principles of ethics and morality, rather than letting him be driven by bloodlust.
This was no easy task. It took Old General Xue a long time to make Xue Yuan understand the suffering of border people and to make him angry over the death of soldiers. Once Xue Yuan started acting human, Old General Xue worried about how to instill loyalty to the monarch in him.
How did such a creature come from a family loyal for three generations?
Without understanding ethics or morality, it seemed Xue Yuan was inherently a bad seed. Growing up, he only barely learned to disguise his cold-bloodedness, to put on a facade that wasn’t so terrifying.
Because of this, Old General Xue was overjoyed when he learned that Xue Yuan had developed a sense of loyalty to the Emperor. He felt that the Xue family was saved and would not face confiscation of property. However, upon closer inspection, Xue Yuan’s attentiveness to the Emperor seemed excessive. Given Xue Yuan’s nature, how could he possibly be so devoted to anyone? The more Old General Xue thought about it, the more worried he became, suspecting that Xue Yuan was merely pretending to be loyal to the Emperor.
The better the Emperor treated Xue Yuan, the more anxious Old General Xue became. Now, what had he discovered? His son was actually coveting the Emperor!
Old General Xue cried, his face covered in snot and tears, his anger causing smoke to almost pour out of his seven orifices. “I deserve to die a thousand times over. I deserve to die a thousand times over.”
If he had known this, he should have had the heart to strangle Xue Yuan the day he was born.
If the ancestors of the Xue family knew, their graves would probably bleed.
This couldn’t possibly be the Emperor’s fault. If Xue Yuan was unwilling, no one, not even the King of Heaven, could force him to do something he didn’t want to do. It must have been Xue Yuan’s covetous heart that led to this, and somehow, this wretched son succeeded.
Old General Xue felt an icy chill in his heart, almost afraid to think deeply about what Xue Yuan had done to the Emperor. Whenever he did think about it, he felt faint.
“It is my fault for not properly teaching my son. It is my sin,” Old General Xue choked, a mixture of despair and shame, “I am willing to die to atone for my sins. Even after death, I should not be reborn.”
It was his moment of negligence that led to the Emperor suffering such a fate, being seduced by such a vile person.
Gu Yuanbai instantly understood why Old General Xue was in such a state.
He raised his eyebrows in slight surprise, looking back and forth at Old General Xue. Could it be that Old General Xue hadn’t understood the harsh hints he had given last time he visited the Xue residence?
“Minister Xue,” he said calmly and gently, “stand up.”
Though it was still early, Old General Xue’s clothes were soaked with morning dew, indicating he had been kneeling for a long time. Gu Yuanbai turned to Zhang Xu, who said softly, “I told the General to rise, but he refused and insisted on kneeling here. Since you had not yet risen, we dared not report.”
Gu Yuanbai sighed.
Technically, Old General Xue was still the “State Zhang” of the Great Heng. Gu Yuanbai personally bent down to help this loyal minister up, and the emerald green jade ring on his hand caught Old General Xue’s eye.
Old General Xue shivered, recalling that Xue Yuan had worn a similar jade ring when they were in the northern borderlands.
Just as he was about to stand, his knees buckled again, and he knelt heavily back to the ground.
Gu Yuanbai led his people back to Xue Yuan’s courtyard. The stone table was damp, with dew from the leaves dripping down.
The Emperor, unhurried and gentle, spoke at length, and seeing that Old General Xue was listening, he finally allowed him to leave. Old General Xue didn’t know how he made it back to his own room. When he returned, Madam Xue was having her hair combed by a maid. Seeing Old General Xue in a daze, she asked curiously, “What’s the matter?”
Old General Xue’s teeth chattered, unable to utter a word.
Madam Xue dismissed the maid and sat beside her husband, starting to cry, “Are you blaming our son again?”
This time, Old General Xue remained silent.
“If our son likes men, then let him like men. Are you going to beat him to death?” Madam Xue cried even harder. “Xue Ping, tell me, what does our son have to do for you to be satisfied? As long as he doesn’t harm others or force anyone, isn’t that enough?”
“Harm, harm,” Old General Xue’s fingers trembled, and tears streamed down his face, “Wife, he…”
Is it merely harm?
It’s an act that could destroy our family.
Wiping his tears, Old General Xue shifted his tone, “He’d better be single-minded. If I find out he has ulterior motives, I’ll be the first to kill him!”
Madam Xue was stunned, “You approve?”
Old General Xue remained silent, but Madam Xue knew he had given up his opposition. She was overjoyed, standing up and pacing to express her joy, murmuring, “We can be reasonable, but what about Madam Chu?”
General Xue frowned, “Madam Chu?”
Madam Xue couldn’t help but laugh, sitting down beside him again, “You don’t even know which man our son fancies. Xue Yuan is picky. Even if he likes men, he wouldn’t like an ordinary person. Do you know the top scholar of the Chu family?”
A sense of foreboding arose in Old General Xue’s heart. Sure enough, Madam Xue laughed, “Chu Wei, the top scholar in the three imperial examinations, the Emperor’s favorite. Isn’t he the one our son likes?”
With a thunderous crash, Old General Xue’s vision went black.
Old General Xue almost spat out a mouthful of blood. This wretched son! After seducing the Emperor, he dared to have divided loyalties!
His crime was indeed deserving of death!
***
Xue Yuan was unaware that in his father’s eyes, he had already become a disloyal rake.
Rushing to the capital, he bought many local trinkets along the way, intending to present them to the Emperor to win favor. By the time he hurriedly returned to the capital, it was just a few days before the palace examination.
Now, with spring in full bloom, Xue Yuan was physically tired but mentally invigorated. Handing his horse to a palace servant, he first went to see the Emperor.
He was eager.
Originally, he thought he could return in a month, or two at the latest. He had only prepared enough letters for two months. By now, the Emperor hadn’t seen his heartfelt words for a month.
He just hoped that during this month, the Emperor had thought of him occasionally, even without the letters.
Sighing, Xue Yuan quickened his pace. His robes billowed like waves. Tian Fusheng had heard that Lord Xue had entered the palace and quickly came to greet him, “Lord Xue, you’re finally back.”
Xue Yuan’s first question was, “Where is the Emperor?”
Tian Fusheng replied familiarly, “The Emperor is resting in his sleeping quarters. Would you like to see him now?”
Xue Yuan nodded, “I’ll freshen up first, then go see him.”
The officials behind Xue Yuan were increasingly surprised by each statement, exchanging astonished glances.
Shortly after, Xue Yuan entered the Emperor’s sleeping quarters, still damp from the outside.
There was a person lying on the bed. Xue Yuan quietly approached and, seeing the Emperor, couldn’t help but touch his hair, hands, and face. He sat by the bed, intertwining his fingers with the sleeping Gu Yuanbai’s.
Glancing around, he noticed a letter on the pillow. Recognizing his own handwriting, Xue Yuan smiled silently and kissed the letter.
His heart was full, swelling with emotions he couldn’t express. He could only look at Gu Yuanbai, gently smoothing his black hair.
Gu Yuanbai frowned in his sleep and slowly opened his eyes. His vision blurred, but he saw a familiar figure leaning by the bed.
Dressed in black, still smiling.
Gu Yuanbai lazily stretched out his hand, and the figure bent down, skillfully embracing him. Too tired to lift his arms, Gu Yuanbai thought he was dreaming, smelling Xue Yuan’s scent and feeling at ease again.
Xue Yuan stroked his back, wanting to whisper sweet nothings but instead chuckled, “Why do you sleep so much?”
He planned to ask Tian Fusheng later about when the Emperor went to bed last night. It was already an hour after dinner, yet the Emperor still seemed so sleepy.
Half an hour later, Gu Yuanbai finally woke up fully.
Realizing something was off, he tried to get up, but Xue Yuan’s hand pressed against his back, holding him down. Gu Yuanbai carefully turned his head to see Xue Yuan, eyes closed, fast asleep.
He had returned.
Gu Yuanbai blinked, “Xue Yuan?”
Xue Yuan slept soundly, even snoring softly.
Gu Yuanbai raised his voice, “Xue Jiuyao.”
Xue Yuan didn’t wake. Gu Yuanbai looked around, seeing everything quiet. He wondered if he was dreaming and that Xue Yuan hadn’t really returned.
He considered pinching himself but feared the pain if it wasn’t a dream. Instead, he mischievously slipped his hand into Xue Yuan’s pants, feeling a thrill. Suddenly, he yanked out a hair.
Xue Yuan’s eyes shot open, and he yelped in pain, “Ow!” The sound echoed, waking Gu Yuanbai completely, “My ears…”
Xue Yuan’s face twisted in pain, sucking in breaths. Despite tidying up before seeing Gu Yuanbai, it was now pointless. He wanted to jump up from the pain, but the Emperor sat on him, hand still in his pants. He could only plead, “Your Majesty, please let go. Have mercy, please.”
Gu Yuanbai blinked, “Does it hurt?”
Xue Yuan sniffed, “Hurts like h*ll.”
“Shh,” Gu Yuanbai felt a bit guilty, “Stop shouting. I’ll rub it for you.”
Xue Yuan nodded, feeling wronged.
After rubbing for a while and talking a bit, they finally emerged.
The officials who had traveled with Xue Yuan to Huainan looked even worse, clearly exhausted. Reporting with dull eyes and weak voices, Gu Yuanbai dismissed them to rest but noticed Xue Yuan’s energetic demeanor, realizing the civil officials’ physical weakness.
Frequent travel often led to various ailments, such as water and soil incompatibility or fatigue-induced colds, making it difficult for them to perform their duties.
Gu Yuanbai pondered, considering the implementation of regular exercise and perhaps a national sports event.
Given his physical condition, he knew he couldn’t sit at his desk every day. The officials from various departments should be even more mindful. After all, it would be a waste for such carefully selected talents to falter due to poor health.
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