Gu Ran was mature beyond his years, having understood many things clearly since childhood.
His biological father was the youngest son of Rui Wangye. Rui Wangye was old, with a house full of children and grandchildren, and had no energy to discipline his youngest son, who grew up indulging in frivolities. Gu Ran’s father became a good-for-nothing, spending his days in debauchery.
Gu Ran was clever from a young age and initially wanted to be close to his father. However, his father’s repeated disgraceful behaviors left his young heart cold. His mother died giving birth to him, and his father did not value him, leading Gu Ran to become silent and develop a personality that avoided standing out.
Despite not being favored, Gu Ran was not unhappy. He enjoyed reading. The tutors in the household were highly talented. Although they didn’t teach the children in-depth material, Gu Ran seemed to have a natural ability to read. He memorized the “Thousand Character Classic” after just two readings, but he didn’t tell anyone and began to read some simple books on his own.
Once, two tutors came together, looking excited: “Great victory in the northern border… The general returns in triumph…”
Gu Ran was curious. He silently listened by the window to the conversation between the tutors in the corridor. It was the first time he heard about the emperor’s achievements. The emperor was entirely different from his father, having gained imperial prestige at a young age. The tutors spoke of the emperor with respect, fear, and admiration, making Gu Ran think, “The emperor is amazing.”
Gu Ran slowly finished his studies and began to look forward to hearing more stories about the emperor’s grand achievements the next day.
But such opportunities were rare, so he took the initiative to find the tutors. Surprised by his appearance, the tutors listened as he asked, “Sir, the emperor…”
The tutors then talked at length.
That year, Gu Ran became much more lively. Impressive people always inspire others, and even as a child, Gu Ran couldn’t help but long to see the emperor’s heroic demeanor in person.
This opportunity came soon.
Eunuchs were sent from the palace to select children from various noble families to serve Wan Taifei. Gu Ran usually avoided such attention-seeking opportunities, but upon learning that Wan Taifei was the emperor’s mother, he stepped forward without hesitation, running to the eunuch and saying earnestly, “I can make tea, dress properly, and read. I can read to the Taifei.”
The eunuch looked at him in surprise and then truly brought a book for him. Gu Ran read each word aloud and said calmly when he encountered an unfamiliar character, “I won’t forget it once I’ve seen it.”
Rui Wangye took another look at this grandson, seemingly recognizing him for the first time.
Usually low-key, Gu Ran seemed almost invisible in the vast Rui Wang mansion. But he was also extremely bold, pursuing what he wanted without hesitation, whether it meant asking the tutors or facing the palace eunuchs. There was no hint of fear or shyness in him.
He only knew to act, and his composure was unmatched.
Gu Ran was indeed taken to Wan Taifei’s side, along with five other children. Wan Taifei, being the emperor’s mother, was someone Gu Ran respected and admired. Since he was there to take care of her, he naturally intended to fulfill his duties.
He read to Wan Taifei, a talent unmatched by the other children. While they were all clever, none had Gu Ran’s almost photographic memory, earning him the Taifei’s recognition. She often looked at him, smiling, and said to her close maid, “The emperor also loves to read. Years ago, the candles in Xuan Zheng Hall never went out, and I had to remind him to take a break.”
Gu Ran quietly listened.
The maid smiled and said, “The emperor’s love for books makes him knowledgeable. He has governed the empire so splendidly, a testament to his dedication.”
Wan Taifei’s expression showed longing, and Gu Ran thought, if the Taifei misses the emperor, why doesn’t she see him?
Wan Taifei also said, “I wish to see the emperor.”
The maid looked troubled and whispered something in Wan Taifei’s ear. Wan Taifei was momentarily stunned before she smiled, “You are right.”
She put away her longing, but her expression became more sorrowful, though she didn’t speak of it. Gu Ran glanced at the maid and continued reading.
Day by day, it became apparent that Wan Taifei’s spirits had completely faded, and her body exuded a sense of decay and withering. When she finally took to her bed, the maid sent a panicked message to notify the emperor.
Wan Taifei sternly ordered, “No!”
But her voice was too weak, and only Gu Ran heard it. Seeing the commotion, he calmly said, “The Taifei said not to send for anyone.”
The room fell silent. The maid tried to persuade, “Taifei, don’t you want to see the emperor?”
She said many things, and Wan Taifei’s desire surged. She nodded involuntarily, and some color returned to her pale face.
Gu Ran, however, felt a bit sad.
The emperor quickly arrived. It was Gu Ran’s first time seeing him. The emperor, travel-worn and weary, made Gu Ran excited, and he shouted, “Royal Uncle is here!”
The emperor glanced at him briefly before rushing into the room.
There were cries, sorrow, death, and panic.
Those days were dim and seemed endless.
Gu Ran was taken back to Rui Wangye’s mansion. Rui Wangye asked about the emperor’s condition. Gu Ran saw the emperor faint, but he calmly replied, “I don’t know, grandfather.”
The emperor’s current state couldn’t be revealed.
Rui Wangye said nothing, only giving Gu Ran a probing look. Gu Ran’s expression remained unchanged, but he was anxious inside. After a long pause, Rui Wangye waved him away, and as Gu Ran left, he heard Rui Wangye murmur to someone, “This child is extraordinary…”
In the mansion, Gu Ran was unaware of outside news. Some boys in the household were jealous of his privilege to serve Wan Taifei and repeatedly used petty tricks to bother him. Gu Ran didn’t care about these things; he was only worried about the emperor.
Has the Emperor Woken Up? Has Wan Taifei Been Buried?
After more than ten days, the oppressive clouds were suddenly dispersed by the blazing sun. Rui Wangye sent someone to fetch Gu Ran. When Gu Ran arrived, Rui Wangye laughed heartily, slapping his thigh in delight, “Wang Liqing, oh Wang Liqing, you’re finally dead!”
Gu Ran listened quietly.
Rui Wangye stared at him intently, “Did you know that the Emperor was in a coma for several days?”
Gu Ran paused, lowering his eyes and speaking in the same calm tone, “Grandson guessed it.”
Rui Wangye watched him for a long time before telling Gu Ran about the Emperor’s plan to use his coma to draw out the hidden enemies. Hearing this, Gu Ran couldn’t help but smile. This was indeed the Emperor.
Gu Ran never considered himself special nor thought he was likable. But when he and others were led into the palace, vaguely aware of the Emperor’s plans, he regretted not being more likable.
The palace rules were strict, but the Emperor was lenient towards the children. Gu Ran even spoke with General Xue Yuan, renowned for his victory in the northern border. Though intimidating in appearance, General Xue was approachable in conversation. When talking about the Emperor, the pride and joy in his eyes were unmistakable. Gu Ran admired those who admired the Emperor and respected the General, though he felt there was some deeper meaning in Xue’s words that he couldn’t understand.
Then, as if in a dream, Gu Ran was taken into the palace by the Emperor.
Gu Ran felt dizzy, not because he was chosen by the Emperor for himself, but because he was chosen by the Emperor. His heart leapt with joy: was the most powerful person in the world about to become his father?
This person was about to become his father!
From then on, the Emperor became his Royal Father, and Royal Father treated Gu Ran very well. Gu Ran, never having properly acted as a son, now learned to be a good one. The Emperor, learning to be a good Royal Father, taught Gu Ran to be a good son.
One night, Gu Ran dreamt again. He saw himself back at the summer palace in Hebei, witnessing the scene where the senior maid persuaded Wan Taifei to suppress her longing. He approached them, ears perked, and heard the maid’s words.
The senior maid said, “The Emperor is extremely busy. The summer palace is only a few days’ journey from the capital. If the Emperor truly missed you, he would come. But if he doesn’t, your longing will only burden him. If you don’t speak of it, he won’t be exhausted.”
Wan Taifei silently suppressed her thoughts.
Anger surged in Gu Ran’s heart, and he shouted at the maid, “How dare you!”
But as soon as he spoke, he woke from his dream. Frightened, he rushed to his Royal Father, recounting the dream and the strange behavior of the senior maid.
The Emperor’s expression slowly changed, his fists clenched in suppressed pain and sorrow. “Ran Er, Royal Father knows.”
But Gu Ran felt that his Royal Father had known all along.
He was escorted out of the palace by attendants. General Xue Yuan accompanied him, speaking coldly, “You have saddened him.”
Gu Ran looked up at him, bewildered.
General Xue lowered his head, his deep eyes seeming to swallow one’s soul, warning, “Don’t let it happen again.”
Gu Ran’s insight wasn’t baseless. From that day on, he vaguely sensed something between his Royal Father and General Xue. When they returned from their prolonged campaign against the Xixia, this feeling became more apparent.
To the Emperor, General Xue was special.
To General Xue, the Emperor was unique.
Over time, their relationship grew even more profound. Once Gu Ran understood this, he followed his Royal Father’s wishes, treating General Xue as a motherly figure.
However, General Xue’s expression always twisted slightly whenever he saw Gu Ran’s filial demeanor.
“Your Highness,” his young companion ran over, his fair face smeared with pastry crumbs, “What are you thinking about again?”
Gu Ran returned to his senses, calmly saying, “Yi Ger, why do you eat so much?”
Chu Yi obediently put down his snack and wiped his hands and face with a handkerchief, “Your Highness, today my nephew came to study, and I was afraid he might be hungry, so I brought him some pastries. Since he didn’t eat them, I ate them myself.”
Gu Ran sighed helplessly, looking past Chu Yi to see Chu Wei, the scholar, meeting his gaze.
Chu Wei saluted him, and Gu Ran nodded politely.
Chu Yi, like a little adult, sighed, “My nephew is becoming less talkative.”
Gu Ran pondered.
Children grow up so fast. By the time General Xue returned from retracing the Silk Road, Gu Ran had shot up like a green willow. When sweet potatoes and corn spread across the Great Heng Empire, Gu Ran was about to come of age.
His companions grew up too, entering officialdom. Throughout this journey, there were many temptations and challenges, but the Emperor protected Gu Ran well, and Gu Ran’s determination was unwavering. In the imperial family, there was no true kinship, but this was only because they were not his Royal Father.
But it was excessive. After he came of age, he was sent to supervise the government, watching helplessly as General Xue took his Royal Father to the northern border.
Royal Father and General Xue stayed in the northern border for three months. When they returned to the capital, the Emperor had a faint smile, while General Xue’s face was grim and stiff.
During an audience, Gu Ran overheard a conversation between his Royal Father and General Xue.
“Xue Jiuyao, where is the grand gift you mentioned?”
“…”
The Emperor chuckled, his tone teasing, “You can’t even find what you buried. On such a vast grassland, didn’t you think when you buried it?”
General Xue muttered, “Anyway, that area is now under the Emperor’s domain. The gift is buried beneath the Emperor’s land.”
The Emperor laughed.
Outside, General Xue was the inscrutable Grand Chancellor. Facing the Emperor, he was always like a young boy. Gu Ran smiled and left the palace.
This time, the trip to the northern border was not for leisure but because of an internal rebellion among the Khitans. The Emperor had been waiting for this turmoil for a long time, establishing academies on nomadic lands to teach the Great Heng language and using the prosperity of the trade markets to provide the nomads with everything they wanted. All of this predetermined the fate of the nomadic tribes today.
The Great Heng Empire dispatched troops to quell the chaotic skirmishes at the border caused by internal strife. The cavalry of the Great Heng swept through, erasing past humiliations and demonstrating to the nomads the growth of the Empire over the years. With continuous victories, some nomadic tribes began to surrender.
The Emperor’s plans were coming to fruition one by one, but his pace never slowed. He once told Gu Ran, “I have many things I wish to accomplish, but I won’t be able to finish them all. These tasks will fall to you, Ran Er. I hope you won’t disappoint me.”
Gu Ran bowed solemnly, “I understand, Royal Father.”
The Emperor had once declared that Fusang must pay the price.
Fusang must speak the language of the Great Heng, believe themselves to be its people, and make Mr. Wang regret, becoming a despised traitor among his own.
Gu Ran remembered this well. If his Royal Father couldn’t achieve it, he would continue the effort.
***
After Gu Ran married and had children, Gu Yuanbai began contemplating abdication.
Reigning as Emperor for too long was detrimental to anyone. Gu Yuanbai’s health was failing, and in his old age, he needed to take better care of himself. Gu Ran had already earned a reputation for wisdom and was a suitable successor.
However, deciding to abdicate was not easy.
Having stood at the pinnacle of power for decades, accustomed to absolute authority, Gu Yuanbai felt a sense of reluctance and melancholy at the thought of handing over his position to a younger man.
But he had wielded power long enough, and it was time to let go.
Gu Yuanbai began preparations. He trusted himself, but not entirely Gu Ran. Before abdicating, he needed to weaken imperial power and elevate the authority of the civil and military officials, ensuring a balance between the three. If a future Emperor was not competent, overly centralized power would spell disaster for the Great Heng.
He needed to reform the Ministry of State Affairs, the Grand Council, and the Supervision Bureau. The principle of checks and balances was ingrained in Gu Yuanbai’s bones, as natural as breathing and eating.
He had much to consider. The change of a nation’s ruler was a monumental event. By the time everything was settled, two years had passed.
Gu Yuanbai was no longer young.
But he was like a fine, aged wine, still captivating and gentle. His long tenure in a high position gave him an indescribable dignity and majesty.
This grandeur in his every move did not diminish with time.
One day, as Gu Ran and Xue Yuan approached from outside, they saw the study’s door tightly shut, and Tian Fusheng waiting outside with a strange expression.
Xue Yuan stepped forward, hearing the Emperor inside coldly say, “Get out!”
Tian Fusheng whispered, “It’s the new top scholar.”
Xue Yuan quietly raised a finger to his lips, and Tian Fusheng fell silent.
Tian Fusheng was old and couldn’t hear the study’s contents, but Xue Yuan could.
Listening closely, his temples tinged with white, Xue Yuan’s usually impassive face showed no reaction. After a while, he suddenly sighed.
He pushed the study door open, light streaming through the crack, dust floating in the beam.
The top scholar, using the excuse of reporting secret matters, was anxiously expressing his deep feelings to the Emperor. His intense love made him forget about life and death until the sound of the door opening behind him brought him back to reality.
Xue Yuan entered the study through the crack and gently closed the door.
Gu Yuanbai sat behind his desk, anger evident on his face. Xue Yuan’s eyes scanned him carefully, ensuring he was unharmed before shifting to the top scholar.
The top scholar, eyes red, glared at him with a mix of jealousy and fury, snarling, “Traitor!”
If the Emperor could favor Xue Yuan, why not him?
The top scholar, young and handsome, believed himself no lesser than Xue Yuan, apart from official rank. After the Emperor’s abdication, he would travel with this esteemed Grand Chancellor. This could be his last chance to see the Emperor, and he couldn’t suppress his overflowing love, willing to die for just one glance from the Emperor.
Xue Yuan hadn’t responded to being called a traitor when the Emperor’s teacup flew out, smashing into the top scholar, “Get out!”
The top scholar’s face contorted in pain, glaring at Xue Yuan with hatred.
Xue Yuan seldom acted personally anymore.
In the officialdom, he had perfected a calm, smiling demeanor, appearing as a gentleman. But the inherent violence never left him. He could still rage and use cruel methods to vent his anger.
In front of the Emperor, Xue Yuan did not touch the top scholar, watching him be escorted away by palace attendants. After finishing his duties, he returned home, sitting in his study and summoning the top scholar.
When the top scholar arrived, Xue Yuan sipped his tea and pointed to the seat opposite, “Sit.”
In the dim light, his white hair at the temples was hidden. Only his towering figure remained, like an imposing mountain.
Once the top scholar sat, Xue Yuan smiled, walked behind him, and slammed his head into the desk corner.
Again and again, the top scholar’s screams went unanswered, blood splattering the desk and dripping to the floor.
After a long time, Xue Yuan sighed, murmuring, “You should be glad you didn’t meet me a few years ago.”
That day, the top scholar, covered in blood, was carried out the back door and sent home in a carriage.
Xue Yuan’s actions left no trace, but this time he deliberately left some clues, warning those who coveted the Emperor.
No one had ever bypassed Xue Yuan to reach the Emperor.
Hearing the news, Gu Yuanbai laughed. That night, holding Xue Yuan, he teased, “How old are you, still acting so jealous?”
Xue Yuan gently kissed his head, holding him peacefully, “I already have white hair.”
Though Gu Yuanbai was favored by time, he couldn’t avoid a few silver strands.
Xue Yuan twined a silver strand of Gu Yuanbai’s with his own, “After all this time together, how could anyone else come between us?”
Gu Yuanbai’s eyes curved into a smile, leaving his words ambiguous.
In his heart, he thought wistfully.
A lifetime, spent in the Great Heng, was indeed quite good.
Author’s Note: The ancient chapters are complete! Next up, modern times!
