Chapter 3
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Gu Yuanbai finished half a pot of good tea. Outside, the cuju match was nearing its end. He slowly pushed himself up from the stone table, his pale, jade-like hands showing faint blue veins. He coughed lightly and waved away the attendants approaching him, “I’m fine.”
Marquis Pingchang worriedly said, “Your Majesty, you’ve just recovered. You shouldn’t be exposed to the wind. Please take care of yourself.”
Gu Yuanbai smiled. Though frail, his smile was as vibrant as blooming flowers, “Ginseng, deer antler, tortoise shell, and more – tiger bones, lingzhi, cordyceps… No one treasures their health more than me.”
“Marquis Pingchang, no one in the entire world cherishes their life more than I do,” Gu Yuanbai said with a sudden joyful smile. “Though the medicinal herbs are precious, I must admit their taste is quite unpleasant. Every time I take them, I want to throw in a basketful of licorice.”
Marquis Pingchang couldn’t help but sigh inwardly at the whims of fate. The emperor had endured in silence for so many years, with patience and composure far beyond the ordinary, and possessed a generous and cheerful disposition. Why did fate have to burden this young emperor with such a frail body?
He chuckled a few times, speaking softly to the emperor.
Soon, someone came to report the results of the match. Gu Yuanbai nodded, “Reward them.”
The chief guard glanced at the sky and then stepped forward, gently advising Gu Yuanbai to return to the palace. The Great Heng court held early morning sessions every other day, and today, without official duties, the emperor had come to watch the cuju match. Initially planning to take a stroll around the capital, Gu Yuanbai gave up on the idea after some persuasion. He left a few palace attendants there and, protected by his guards, boarded the carriage.
Marquis Pingchang respectfully saw the emperor off and was about to take his son home, only to find that his son had disappeared with the eldest son of the Minister of Revenue. Shocked and angered, he returned to the manor alone with a stern face.
***
As dusk fell, Marquis Pingchang’s Shizi finally returned. Marquis Pingchang had Li Yan summoned to the study as soon as he stepped through the door.
“I just learned that you left earlier after the emperor left today,” Marquis Pingchang fumed. “The emperor hadn’t left, yet you dared to leave first. You have some nerve!”
Hearing his father mention the emperor, Li Yan swallowed nervously, fearing discovery. Hastily, he said, “Father, guess what I saw today? While wandering the streets, I saw that scoundrel Xue Yuan riding recklessly through the market. He’s incredibly arrogant!”
Marquis Pingchang frowned, “Riding recklessly in the market? No, I must write a memorial to the emperor about this.”
Li Yan quietly left the study and only relaxed once he was back in his room. Dismissing his attendants, he closed the door, lit a candle, and spread out the warm painting he had hidden in his robes on the table.
Privately keeping a portrait of the emperor was a grave offense. The emperor’s visage should not be so casually stored in the room of a young student.
As the Shizi of Marquis Pingchang, Li Yan understood this well. But he couldn’t help himself; he felt an excited thrill. Facing the emperor directly was terrifying, but looking away, he felt reluctant.
He had no ill intentions and didn’t plan to use the portrait for any malicious purposes. He simply thought the emperor was exceptionally handsome and that it would be a waste not to capture that beauty in a painting.
Carefully examining the painting, it depicted a distinguished man. The eyebrows and eyes were described by Li Yan and drawn by the artist. The lower part of the face was faintly outlined, meant for concealment. Only he and Tang Mian knew that painting depicted the emperor.
The emperor’s eyebrows and eyes had a special charm, but the artist, having never seen the emperor, couldn’t fully capture it. After staring at it for a while, Li Yan sighed in frustration, “They claim to be the best artist in the capital, but this is awful. The likeness is there, but the spirit isn’t. My painting skills are better.”
After grumbling for a while, he carefully rolled up the painting and hid it in a secret compartment by his bed. Lying down, he replayed the scene of meeting the emperor in his mind.
He wondered if today’s impropriety would make the emperor dislike him. He didn’t know how he looked playing cuju, but he must have been red-faced and sweaty. The emperor praised his looks, but he doubted he looked good playing cuju.
Thinking about it over and over, Li Yan eventually fell asleep.
***
Gu Yuanbai, naturally, was unaware of the young man’s thoughts. After being attended to for a bath and a change of clothes, his complexion turned pale in the evening. Tian Fusheng softly asked, “Shall I massage Your Majesty’s head?”
On the imperial dragon bed, three beautiful palace maids in thin clothes knelt beside Gu Yuanbai, silently wiping his wet black hair with towels.
“No need,” Gu Yuanbai closed his eyes, enduring the discomfort, “call your little apprentice to massage my legs.”
Tian Fusheng quickly summoned his apprentice, who knelt by the dragon bed and skillfully began massaging the emperor’s legs, feeling pleased that the emperor liked his technique.
Once the black hair was dry, the three palace maids quietly left the bed, retreating barefoot.
“Tian Fusheng,” Gu Yuanbai suddenly spoke, his voice lazy as if he was about to fall asleep, “how is the task I assigned you?”
Tian Fusheng replied, “Your Majesty, everything is going smoothly.”
“Mmm,” Gu Yuanbai said, “the people I sent out earlier are my most trusted. Tell them to be careful in their actions. Information is important, but staying alive is crucial.”
“Yes, I will remind them again tomorrow.”
Three years ago, Gu Yuanbai secretly adopted a group of orphans, providing them with food, clothing, and shelter, teaching them to read, write, and fight. Continuous indoctrination made them his sharpest tool.
They only obeyed the emperor, doing whatever he commanded. A year ago, Gu Yuanbai selected 400 of the most loyal ones to infiltrate various officials’ households, border areas, and local garrisons. Even the imperial guards and his own bodyguards had some of these people. This hidden force played a critical role in overthrowing the power of Lu Feng, a former minister.
Gu Yuanbai named this secret organization the “Supervision Bureau,” a vast network slowly spreading across Great Heng. The information they gathered had already shown impressive power in just one year.
But this was just the beginning. Gu Yuanbai was in no hurry. Feeling drowsy, he murmured, “Arrange it.”
In the Ming Dynasty, there was the Jinyiwei, and in the Qing Dynasty, the Luanyiwei. Gu Yuanbai also wanted to form an elite force that operated openly, soldiers who were strong and only answered to him. His mind was brimming with ideas. The Supervision Bureau and this elite force could complement each other and provide mutual supervision. He had even thought of a name for this force: Donglingwei. They would be his sharp-eyed and sharp-clawed eagles. Unfortunately, no matter how many ideas he had, he ultimately lacked the revolutionary capital to bring them to life.
Gu Yuanbai didn’t know how far he could go before his death, but doing nothing made him particularly uncomfortable.
Tian Fusheng extinguished the lamp and quietly withdrew. When he reached the hall’s entrance, he nodded to the chief guard and whispered, “His Majesty is tired today.”
The chief guard, named Zhang Xu, was an exceptionally talented and impressive man. Personally selected by the emperor from the imperial guards, Zhang Xu was deeply grateful for the emperor’s recognition and was determined to protect him with unwavering loyalty.
The Chief Imperial Bodyguard sighed with concern, “His Majesty was happy today.”
Tian Fusheng couldn’t help but nod, “If there’s another opportunity like this, I’ll do my best to persuade His Majesty to attend. If it makes him happy, I’d even break my back playing cuju for him.”
The chief guard fell silent for a moment. The other guards on duty exchanged glances and made suggestive gestures towards him. After some hesitation, Zhang Xu said, “Our brothers are also good at cuju.”
Many of them had practiced specifically because the emperor liked it, becoming quite skillful, performing eye-catching tricks.
Tian Fusheng burst into laughter, his face blooming like a chrysanthemum. “Since Guard Zhang says so, I’ll remember it. When the Emperor asks about it later, I’ll mention this to him. That way, I can also share in the Emperor’s favor and see the skills of all you esteemed guards.”
As they joked, Tian Fusheng heard a few meows from the corner. Keeping a straight face, he ran over and returned shortly after with a look of delight. “Guard Zhang, a renowned physician has arrived in the capital!”
***
The Supervision Bureau reported that a traveling doctor from Huainan had entered the capital. This doctor was renowned for his medical skills but had a lifelong principle of not treating nobility. When Tian Fusheng relayed this news to Gu Yuanbai, Gu Yuanbai did not seem pleased. He narrowed his eyes slightly, still dressed in the heavy dragon robe worn for court.
The intricate dragon robe added complexity, and his face had a slight flush from the weight’s burden, resembling the flawless beauty of fine jade. However, his expression showed a hint of fatigue.
In court today, many had accused General Xue’s son, Xue Yuan, of recklessly riding through the market. While the incident was neither major nor minor, it had irked Gu Yuanbai greatly.
This future regent was too arrogant.
He fined General Xue three months’ salary and ordered him to properly discipline his son. Remembering the protagonist of the novel, Xue Yuan, further soured his mood.
Despite his displeasure, the renowned physician had to be seen. Gu Yuanbai changed into a plain indigo robe and discreetly left the palace with a small entourage.
Gu Yuanbai held little hope. The imperial physicians in the palace were the best in the land. If they couldn’t help, how could this wandering physician?
“Sir, here it is,” the chief guard said, pointing to a wooden door.
Gu Yuanbai smiled faintly and motioned for him to knock. Shortly, a young boy opened the door, scrutinizing them from the gap. “Are you here for treatment?”
“Yes,” the chief guard replied.
The boy asked, “For whom?”
Gu Yuanbai stepped forward, his blue robe accentuating his tall, bamboo-like figure. He smiled at the boy, “For me.”
The boy gaped at him, dumbfounded. “Do immortals get sick?”
“I don’t know about immortals,” Gu Yuanbai chuckled, “but I am certainly ill.”
The boy led Gu Yuanbai inside. The room was filled with other patients in coarse clothes, who curiously observed the distinguished visitors.
The guards were full of vigor, their entire being exuding an aura unlike ordinary people, not to mention Gu Yuanbai. He was carefully guarded in the center, his steps leisurely and unhurried. Even though his complexion was pale, it couldn’t diminish the imposing air that surrounded him.
The physician glanced at them, understanding they were not ordinary people, but said nothing. He motioned for Gu Yuanbai to sit and extended his hand. Gu Yuanbai revealed a portion of his wrist. The physician felt his pulse for a long moment, his frown deepening.
Finally, he removed his hand and decisively said, “I can’t cure you. You can only rely on tonics to sustain yourself.”
The attendants’ faces darkened. Gu Yuanbai sighed, left some money, and rose to leave.
He didn’t feel particularly upset.
The emperor walked slowly to the riverbank, looking down at his reflection. The water mirrored his face, touched with a peachy hue. Though his body was frail, his face was strikingly handsome, which he didn’t appreciate.
He stared at his reflection for a while, then extended his hand behind him. An attendant handed him a handkerchief, and Gu Yuanbai wiped his wrist and hands. Noticing a mother bird feeding her chicks in a nearby tree, he was momentarily entranced. A gust of wind blew the handkerchief into the river.
“I wasted a good handkerchief,” Gu Yuanbai remarked, “Let’s go back to the palace.”
The water remained calm, carrying the handkerchief away. After the group disappeared, there was sudden movement in the water. A man and a woman climbed ashore, drenched and disheveled. Despite their state, the man’s eyes shone brightly. Wiping the water from his face, he blushed as if waking from a pleasant dream.
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