Chapter 27
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While sweeping horse manure and hoofprints, Xue Yuan considered having the palace servants do it for him. However, Gu Yuanbai’s authority was absolute within the palace, and the palace servants avoided Xue Yuan, leading their horses away whenever they saw him.
The dignified son of a great general had to obediently clean up horse manure under the emperor’s command.
Apart from the smell and the hassle, Xue Yuan felt nothing in particular.
Having crawled through mountains of corpses, Xue Yuan had even soaked in putrid blood. His expression was indifferent, seemingly lost in other thoughts, appearing somewhat absent-minded.
When Gu Yuanbai brought Chu Wei over, Chu Wei realized that the emperor’s stroll was to see Xue Yuan.
Knowing Xue Yuan harbored ill intentions towards the emperor, Chu Wei wished to minimize their contact. But without concrete evidence, he could only try to prevent Xue Yuan from getting too close to the emperor.
Gu Yuanbai found great amusement in watching the future regent shovel manure, a smile playing on his lips the entire time. Chu Wei, noticing the emperor’s smile out of the corner of his eye, discreetly pursed his lips and said, “Your Majesty, this place is dirty and not suitable for a prolonged stay.”
Chu Wei, pure and clear like the moon, seemed to dislike the smell, so Gu Yuanbai said, “In that case, let’s go to a more fragrant place, Zhangyuan.”
The injury site, now wrapped in soft cotton, caused no pain as Gu Yuanbai walked slowly.
The emperor turned and left, with Chu Wei following behind. The sound of their footsteps echoed in the empty palace corridor, catching Xue Yuan’s attention.
Sensing something, Chu Wei glanced back at Xue Yuan indifferently, then subtly raised his hand. From a distance, it appeared as if he was encircling the emperor’s waist.
“Your Majesty,” Chu Wei whispered, “am I interrupting your enjoyment?”
Gu Yuanbai laughed at his words, looking at Chu Wei with amusement. “Do you think watching Xue Yuan shovel manure is something I’d find enjoyable?”
Chu Wei’s lips curved slightly, and he too smiled lightly.
Both men had such handsome appearances, it was as if they were stepping out of a painting. But to Xue Yuan, it looked like Chu Wei’s hand was on the emperor’s waist, and the emperor was smiling at Chu Wei.
Xue Yuan’s eyes turned cold.
What is this?
***
When Xue Yuan returned home from his duties, the crescent moon was already high in the sky.
He went straight to his study and sent for his household retainers. Though it was late and they should have been in bed, none dared refuse his summons.
There weren’t many retainers in the Xue household, but they were all skilled and knowledgeable. They came for the general’s reputation but soon found themselves under Xue Yuan’s command. This man was fierce, and few weren’t afraid of him. Upon hearing his call, they quickly gathered before him.
Under the dim candlelight, Xue Yuan’s smile was eerily sinister. “Investigate that new top scholar.”
A retainer cautiously asked, “What does the master wish to know about him?”
“Everything bad,” Xue Yuan said darkly. “Whether he likes men, any misdeeds he’s done, this Laozi wants to know it all.”
“Understood,” the retainer replied.
Xue Yuan continued, “And tomorrow, find some good gifts.”
The retainers exchanged glances. One bravely asked, “Young Master, who are the gifts for?”
Xue Yuan grinned, “Of course, they’re for the emperor.”
The retainers assumed he wanted to curry favor with the emperor. “Rest assured, we will prepare fine gifts for you.”
“If they’re for the emperor, they must not be ordinary,” another added. “We should select refined or rare items to avoid any mistakes.”
“Indeed,” said a retainer. “Master, do you have any ideas?”
Xue Yuan stroked his chin and squinted.
His idea?
Suddenly, Xue Yuan moved his right hand and said, “Something with soft skin, pleasant to touch.”
Retainer: “Huh?”
***
In the palace, Gu Yuanbai was reviewing the suspicious items the imperial guards had unearthed from Qi Wang’s residence.
There were others backing Qi Wang, but they hadn’t expected Gu Yuanbai to act so decisively. They failed to use Wan Taifei to gauge Gu Yuanbai’s health, instead exposing themselves and getting caught.
They clearly knew Gu Yuanbai had caught a cold that day but still dared not act. In the end, they only spread false information as a test, proving themselves to be a bunch of mediocrities and cowards.
They underestimated Gu Yuanbai and overestimated themselves.
The imperial guards had been searching Qi Wang’s residence for days and finally uncovered some deeply hidden intelligence.
“Your Majesty,” General Cheng said, “this letter was discovered by one of the soldiers I command. It was hidden inside a hollow jade piece. The soldier is meticulous and daring. When he threw the jade pendant to the ground, he gave me quite a scare.”
General Cheng had been eager to recommend the soldier he valued when he heard that the emperor intended to select an elite unit from the imperial guards. This soldier had shown great courage and intelligence, even though he couldn’t read or understand military texts, his natural instincts for such matters were incredibly sharp.
The great general of Shu-Han, Wang Ping, could not write and recognized only a few characters in his lifetime. Yet, he had a natural intuition for military affairs and often achieved great victories without reading military texts. General Cheng dared not compare his soldier to Wang Ping but was equally unwilling to let talent go to waste.
Gu Yuanbai was more interested in talent than the secret letter. He asked, “Where is this man now?”
General Cheng chuckled twice, apologized to Gu Yuanbai, and personally escorted someone into the hall. As soon as the person entered from behind, Gu Yuanbai’s gaze fell on him. This person had well-defined muscles all over his body, was very tall, with long and powerful limbs neatly arranged, showing both vigor and restraint, giving off a scholarly and martial air.
“Qin Sheng at your service, Your Majesty.” His voice was clear and bright, neither servile nor overbearing.
Gu Yuanbai asked, “How did you discover this secret letter?”
Qin Sheng bowed and explained the sequence of events clearly and logically. Gu Yuanbai nodded slowly and said, “You may withdraw.”
Qin Sheng left silently. General Cheng, curious about the emperor’s impression of Qin Sheng, dared not inquire and remained silent.
Gu Yuanbai, ever mischievous, noticed General Cheng’s anxiety but pretended not to see it. After the eunuch checked the jade pendant’s contents and found no harm, Gu Yuanbai took the letter.
However, when Gu Yuanbai opened it, there was not a single word on it.
General Cheng frowned and said, “How can this be?”
Gu Yuanbai inspected both sides of the letter, confirming there were no scratches or hidden layers. After pondering for a moment, he said, “Bring some water.”
A palace servant brought water, and Gu Yuanbai soaked the letter in it. Gradually, words began to appear.
General Cheng exclaimed, “—This?!”
Writing with alum water leaves no trace when dry. If Gu Yuanbai remembered correctly, alum had been used since the Song dynasty, which aligned with the current era of the Great Heng dynasty. The alum itself wasn’t surprising, but the person communicating with Qi Wang knew this technique.
An intelligent person indeed, but why would someone so smart ally with the foolish Qi Wang?
Everyone in the court was an adult seeking personal gain. Gu Yuanbai pulled the letter from the water and wiped his hands dry, asking Tian Fusheng, “Who is the mother of Qi Wang’s youngest son?”
Tian Fusheng thought for a moment and said, “It seems she is the daughter of the Deputy Censor-in-Chief.”
The Great Heng dynasty’s Censorate acted as the central supervisory body, overseeing both central and local officials for any violations of national laws and dereliction of duty, as well as monitoring the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice.
The Deputy Censor-in-Chief was the second in command at the Censorate, just below the Censor-in-Chief, who was nearing retirement. Gu Yuanbai was currently considering his successor.
Logically, the Deputy should be next in line.
Gu Yuanbai, holding a cloth, spread the letter out. The tiny writing advised Qi Wang against impulsiveness.
“Look,” Gu Yuanbai said, “Qi Wang doesn’t listen to advice.”
At the bottom of the letter was a small note instructing Qi Wang to destroy the letter after reading it. But Qi Wang, not believing anyone else knew how to reveal the writing, had displayed it smugly.
Most royal family members were as mediocre as Qi Wang, indulging in luxury.
However, some were obedient and sensible. After witnessing Gu Yuanbai surround Qi Wang’s residence with troops, they became as docile as skinned lambs.
But even with such obedience, Gu Yuanbai decided to implement a system of hereditary titles and ranks in the future.
Titles that could be passed down through generations would be lowered by one rank every other generation. This way, if descendants were not successful, a family would quickly fade away.
The letters on the table gradually dried up, the writing disappearing again. General Cheng asked, “Your Majesty, what should we do now?”
Gu Yuanbai smiled, “Leave the rest to me, General Cheng. I have another task for you: select two thousand elite soldiers from the imperial guards in collaboration with the Grand Council.”
General Cheng’s expression turned serious, “Yes, Your Majesty!”
After discussing state affairs, Tian Fusheng assisted the emperor in changing and washing up. Since being punished for binding Chu Wei to the emperor’s bed without permission, he dared not speculate on the emperor’s intentions. He didn’t understand why the emperor had stopped at this point but didn’t dare ask. Serving the emperor well was the most important task.
Since coughing up blood and catching a cold a while ago, Gu Yuanbai hadn’t shown any signs of illness. The deepening spring and the warming weather likely contributed to his improved health.
“Your Majesty,” Tian Fusheng’s young disciple massaged the emperor’s arm, weary from a day of reviewing memorials, “is this pressure alright?”
Gu Yuanbai, eyes closed, nodded slightly.
Those serving the emperor had long mastered reading his expressions. Seeing the emperor’s relaxed face and seemingly good mood, the young apprentice began to share some amusing stories.
One story involved the newly crowned top scholar.
“The newly crowned top scholar has not yet been married. On the day of the palace examination results, he was almost caught by someone as a husband. It is said that on that day, the servants of various families rushed to him, and they ended up fighting each other.”
Gu Yuanbai’s lips curved into a smile, thinking that these people shouldn’t bother. Chu Wei was destined to be Xue Yuan’s future brother-in-arms.
After a while, the emperor grew weary, and Tian Fusheng quietly extinguished the candles and withdrew with the attendants.
***
The next day, Xue Yuan brought generous gifts as he reported for duty. The gifts, tucked in his arms, lay motionless, feigning death after being teased by Xue Yuan earlier that morning.
His guard uniform was pristine and straight, devoid of any tears, dust, or horse manure stains. However, upon arriving at the palace, the chief of the guards told him, “His Majesty wants you to take care of the Ferghana horse.”
The Ferghana horse had been dragged into the stables, but it was so wild that the palace servants tasked with feeding and grooming it dared not approach. That morning, Gu Yuanbai directly ordered the task to be assigned to Xue Yuan, who had tamed the horse.
Xue Yuan: “…”
Really, just use and discard.
Lazily, Xue Yuan turned and followed the palace servant toward the stables. After a few steps, he suddenly stopped and asked, “What’s the horse’s name?”
The chief of the guards was taken aback, “His Majesty hasn’t named it yet.”
Xue Yuan smirked, “Then I’ll give it a nickname. A humble name is easier to raise. Let’s call it ‘Little Ingrate’.”
The Chief Guard didn’t catch the words clearly but noted the matter. After the emperor finished his morning meal following the court session, he brought it up, “Your Majesty, you haven’t named the Ferghana horse yet.”
Gu Yuanbai thought for a moment and said plainly, “Call it Hongyun (Red Cloud).”
“That’s a great name,” Tian Fusheng praised, “It combines elegance and commonality, succinctly capturing the horse’s color and speed. Your Majesty is wise.”
Gu Yuanbai rubbed his temples, “Quiet.”
Today, the emperor planned to visit the Ministry of State Affairs and the Grand Council, and then the Hanlin Academy, particularly to observe the new bangyan lang with Xixia heritage. A person capable of causing Xixia to wage war against the Great Heng, capturing five or six cities, could not be ignored.
However, before he could leave after breakfast, a report came that Qi Wang had begun a hunger strike.
Gu Yuanbai frowned, “When did he start?”
The messenger awkwardly bowed his head, “Your Majesty, Qi Wang refused his meal this morning and has been shouting about his hunger strike in prison.”
“Then let him,” Gu Yuanbai sneered, his head pounding, “Starting today, don’t send him any food for three days. If he doesn’t want to eat, don’t waste my food.”
Bold indeed, thinking that suffering a bit is enough to atone, enough to placate Gu Yuanbai’s anger?
Gu Yuanbai understood now.
Mental torment wasn’t as effective as physical suffering.
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