Two months.
Gu Yuanbai was stunned for a long time. So long that Tian Fusheng had to step forward, he suddenly raised his hand, “Stay where you are.”
Tian Fusheng stopped.
At the end of June, the weather had already turned hot, and while Jiangnan was more humid, the heat was still present.
A sudden heat rose in Gu Yuanbai’s head.
For the past three years, Gu Yuanbai had lived a very fulfilling life.
Letters from Xue Yuan flew back and forth from the front lines. Due to the long travel time, each batch of letters Gu Yuanbai received contained at least twenty.
Little trinkets from various places arrived one after another. In his letters, Xue Yuan reported only good news, but Jiang Jin mentioned, “Lord Xue never smiles these days.”
“When Lord Zeng and I go out drinking, Lord Xue locks himself in his room. The next day, wood shavings are swept out; Lord Xue has been carving many wooden pieces.”
“He’s nothing like the cheerful figure he is in front of Your Majesty.”
Jiang Jin’s words were subtle but clear. When Gu Yuanbai first read his letter, he felt like he had been caught exchanging love letters, but he soon indulged Jiang Jin’s reports.
A minor official from the Supervision Bureau kept a constant eye on Xue Yuan, let alone Jiang Jin, the head of the Supervision Bureau. Since Xue Yuan didn’t intend to tell the truth, Gu Yuanbai shamelessly gathered information from Jiang Jin, reading each piece with great interest.
Xue Yuan, after drinking alone, would embrace his long sword and howl Gu Yuanbai’s name at the sky. He would curl up with his quilt, treating it as Gu Yuanbai, and kiss it affectionately. By day, he was unsmiling, but at night, he would silently watch the moon for long periods.
There were countless small incidents too. For instance, when he tasted delicious food, he would suddenly say, “His Majesty would like this.” Then he would freeze, losing his appetite, despite his initial enthusiasm.
Xue Yuan had gone hungry for a long time in the northern frontier. Since then, he took meals very seriously, always eating to full capacity. He had initially lost a lot of weight due to separation, and later couldn’t eat properly. If Gu Yuanbai hadn’t seen it himself, he wouldn’t have believed he was so important to Xue Yuan that he no longer prioritized food.
Reading these accounts made Gu Yuanbai want to laugh, feeling a mix of sweetness and bitterness. Jiang Jin’s writing was so vivid it felt as if Xue Yuan was right in front of him. Jiang Jin would occasionally include drawings of Xue Yuan and had asked Gu Yuanbai if he could send some pictures over.
Gu Yuanbai had no objections. When the pictures were sent, he realized Jiang Jin used them to motivate Xue Yuan to work. As long as Xue Yuan accomplished enough, Jiang Jin would give him a picture to ease his longing. Xue Yuan, driven by these pictures, worked tirelessly. One night, when Jiang Jin forgot to give him a picture after a night out drinking with Lord Zeng, Xue Yuan barged into his room with a sword, waking him up instantly.
Jiang Jin had never seen Xue Yuan look so terrifying, all his usual pretense gone, replaced by a ghostly, frightening visage.
These scattered stories showed Gu Yuanbai a side of Xue Yuan he had never displayed before.
In ancient times, when travel was inconvenient, these letters became extremely precious. The pain of longing lessened, replaced by frequent chuckles over these small anecdotes.
Now, it had been two months since they had started their return journey from the Kang Kingdom.
Gu Yuanbai wondered: Would Xue Yuan be rushing back day and night?
The thought made him cough lightly, and the fragrance in the room suddenly seemed more intense.
He had been too busy with state affairs to dwell on it, but now that he did, the longing spread through his body like ants from his heart to his limbs.
Even he could feel the rising heat.
Summer truly was unsettling, making one restless.
Xue Yuan would definitely hurry back.
But leading 5,000 soldiers, it wasn’t as if he could travel as quickly as he would alone. By the time he reached the capital, Gu Yuanbai might have already returned from Fujian.
The thought made Gu Yuanbai smile.
Though convoluted, the idea of Xue Yuan arriving in the capital only to find him gone was amusing enough to make him laugh.
Seeing the change in his expression, Tian Fusheng knew it was about Xue Yuan and felt at ease, though he couldn’t help but sigh: How lucky Xue Yuan was to still be in His Majesty’s thoughts after three years of separation.
The emperor, supreme as he was, had such deep feelings. This made Tian Fusheng critical of Xue Yuan, sometimes thinking he was too bold and unruly, other times finding him not handsome enough, too tall, and imposing. The more he looked, the more faults he saw, fearing Xue Yuan might hurt the emperor if he wasn’t careful.
But he couldn’t deny that Xue Yuan’s genuine affection for the emperor was evident, like a golden light, unmistakable.
“Tian Fusheng.”
Tian Fusheng snapped back to reality and stepped forward, “Yes, Your Majesty?”
Gu Yuanbai put away the paper. “Prepare the ink.”
“Yes.” Tian Fusheng quickly prepared the writing tools.
Gu Yuanbai wrote a letter to the capital, informing them of Jiang Jin’s return and arranging their reception. Just as he finished, it was time for the evening banquet prepared in Longxing Prefecture to welcome him.
The emperor stayed in Longxing Prefecture for four or five days, handling state affairs sent from the capital and sending people to investigate the local situation. Once he had a good understanding of the area, he went to inspect the farmlands.
The lush green fields contrasted with the distant white cotton. Looking at the ratio of cotton to grain, Gu Yuanbai smiled, “Longxing Prefecture hasn’t exceeded the imperial guidelines for cotton planting. Very good.”
The local officials followed respectfully. The prefect replied, “Your Majesty, rest assured, we strictly follow the guidelines and dare not overstep.”
“That’s good,” Gu Yuanbai nodded. “When I traveled along the Yellow River, I saw some places planting as much cotton as grain. While it’s fine in good weather, any disaster could leave the granaries empty and the people in trouble. Cotton planting has increased, making it less valuable. Farmers have started replanting grains, but they mustn’t become complacent.”
The officials replied, “We will remember, Your Majesty.”
As they returned from the fields, children gathered, singing a poem in their clear voices: “Guarding the frontier against the nomads, triumphant from the west, a prosperous land rises, joy for the people spreads…”
Their innocent voices echoed across the fields.
The emperor and his ministers stopped, smiling at them.
Though not the founding emperor, Gu Yuanbai’s literary and military achievements were no less. He had brought Great Heng to a time of great prosperity, with rapid economic and cultural development. Poetry and songs flourished, reflecting the undeniable golden age he had created.
Gu Yuanbai’s focus on agriculture, military, and economy, coupled with his generous policies towards the people, ensured they were well-fed and began to seek higher pursuits. Praise for him and the current prosperity came from all directions daily. Initially, Gu Yuanbai thought the poems were exaggerated, but after this tour, he realized they were not.
Patriotic poets, witnessing the peaceful days, could only express their pride and joy through their work, striving to convey to future generations the happiness and beauty of their current lives.
From the Emperor, down to the lotus-picking maidens and woodcutting men, all were written into their poems.
The poems created during this prosperous era were mostly cheerful and uplifting, like the exuberance of young people eagerly awaiting the day when their ships would ride the wind and waves.
With so many poems, not to mention other works, even just the kang bed saw the creation of many masterpieces. From Gu Yuanbai’s perspective, many of these could easily be included in future Chinese literature textbooks. Sometimes, he half-jokingly wondered if there would be a “300 Poems of the Heng Dynasty” alongside the “300 Poems of the Tang Dynasty” in the future.
This thought grew stronger as he listened to the children recite poetry.
After the children finished reciting, Gu Yuanbai smiled and gave Tian Fusheng some instructions. Tian Fusheng, along with a few young eunuchs, stepped forward to distribute beautifully crafted, sweet-tasting pastries.
The children exclaimed in surprise, “Wow—”
They opened their eyes wide with delight, cautiously reaching out their hands and revealing toothy smiles. Their eyes, filled with undisguised joy and excitement, met each other secretly. Tian Fusheng, smiling, said, “Go on.”
The children, with flushed cheeks, ran off.
Gu Yuanbai stayed in Longxing Prefecture until early July, then traveled south along the river to Jiangnan. Before heading to the Zhejiang region, he visited Hunan to inspect gold and iron mines and to reassure the people who had experienced the rebel army’s uprising.
Gu Yuanbai approached matters methodically, without hurry, meeting with local officials one by one, reviewing their achievements, punishing the guilty, and rewarding the meritorious.
As he had announced before his southern tour that there was no need for lavish receptions, the local officials, aware of his steadfast manner, did not engage in superficial welcoming ceremonies.
After spending half a month in Hunan, the imperial procession headed towards Zhejiang. When passing near the Jiangnan border, Chu Wei came to pay his respects, “Your Majesty, not far from here is the secluded residence of a gentleman I know. He is fond of painting and has many collections. Would Your Majesty like to summon him for a meeting?”
Gu Yuanbai had little interest in paintings themselves; it was their value that intrigued him. Seeing the anticipation in Chu Wei’s expression, he asked, “Is it far?”
Chu Wei smiled, “Not far, the gentleman lives within ten li.”
“With such a short distance, why disturb a recluse?” Gu Yuanbai chuckled. “It’s better to go see his paintings ourselves. Prepare to depart, I will go myself.”
It would also be a chance to enjoy the scenery and rest his eyes.
