Chapter 31
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Fortunately, Great Heng’s pants weren’t crotchless. Underneath, Gu Yuanbai had someone sew four-cornered pants. Even if he lifted his robe, his pants remained securely in place.
This time, Xue Yuan gauged the situation well. Although he rubbed it a bit red, he probably hadn’t broken the skin.
Gu Yuanbai didn’t like being so delicate, but his skin and flesh were indeed finely cultivated. The more pampered one was, the more uncomfortable even a slight pain would feel. The palace attendants and the Imperial Hospital always kept various medicines on hand to prevent accidents.
Xue Yuan held the medicine and actually reached out his palm.
The medicine Tian Fusheng gave Xue Yuan felt excessively cool when applied.
In the shade, Xue Yuan, faced with the young emperor’s tender and smooth skin, did this kind of attending for only the second time in his life. His hands weren’t particularly gentle. After a heavy touch, the emperor kicked him, causing him to suck in a cold breath. “Be gentle.”
Getting kicked, Xue Yuan didn’t feel like arguing with him now. He brushed off the dust from his clothes, sweat breaking out on his forehead. He wasn’t sure if it was out of admiration or impatience. “Too heavy?”
Gu Yuanbai sneered, “Guard Xue’s hands are too rough. Touching me feels like being scraped by stones.”
Xue Yuan’s palms were covered with calluses and small wounds—a soldier’s hands, not known for their delicacy. He thought to himself, his whole body was rough; the only soft part should be his tongue, right?
But using his tongue to apply medicine to Gu Yuanbai? Forget it; Xue Yuan had no such fetish.
Using his gentlest finger, the pinky, with the lightest touch, Xue Yuan applied the medicine to the Emperor. Gu Yuanbai frowned, already regretting having called him over.
Once the medication was finally applied, both of them breathed a sigh of relief. The skin on Gu Yuanbai’s inner thigh was hot and burning, while the medicine was cool, creating a sensation of ice and fire. He felt completely weak. Gu Yuanbai said, “Are you not going to tidy up my clothes?”
Xue Yuan gave a stiff smile, unable to stand his displeased expression. “Your Majesty, can you smile for me?”
Gu Yuanbai chuckled, unable to hold back, “Audacious.”
At last, he smiled, his eyes curving. A person who wielded great power and commanded vast lands, when smiling, had a rare gentleness. This wasn’t his usual polite or superficial smile, but a genuine one brought about by Xue Yuan.
Xue Yuan watched his smile for a moment, feeling a tickle in his heart. He continued to quietly arrange Gu Yuanbai’s clothes. While lifting the clothes, he noticed the medicine hadn’t dried yet. He bent down, propped himself up, and blew gently on the freshly applied ointment between the Emperor’s thighs.
The warm breath over the cool ointment made Gu Yuanbai’s thigh twitch. He didn’t like being held down like this; he propped himself up with one hand and gripped Xue Yuan’s hair with the other, pressing him down firmly, lazily saying, “Hurry up.”
Xue Yuan, his scalp hurting from the tugging, almost laughed in exasperation. “The medicine was just applied, Your Majesty. I only have one mouth, one breath at a time. I can’t rush.”
In this secluded spot, with trees and flowers providing cover, no one could see them. Gu Yuanbai sat up and looked down, “It’s already red.”
It had originally been rubbed raw, and Xue Yuan’s rough hands had only made it worse.
Xue Yuan touched the delicate skin, enjoying its smoothness, not feeling at all responsible for the redness. Contentedly, he asked, “Does it still hurt?”
Gu Yuanbai frowned, “We’ll talk about it later.”
Once the medicine had dried enough, Xue Yuan finished arranging Gu Yuanbai’s clothes. Then, suddenly, he bent down, wrapped his arms around Gu Yuanbai, and with a strong lift, picked him up securely in his arms.
Gu Yuanbai’s face darkened, and he was about to break free when Xue Yuan freed up a hand and lightly patted him. Unfortunately, the pat landed on his buttocks. “Your Majesty, since you can’t walk or ride a horse now, if you don’t want it to hurt, you’ll have to let me carry you obediently.”
Gu Yuanbai sneered, “Dare to do it again?”
Xue Yuan nonchalantly raised his hand and patted again, grinning with a sinister smile, “Your Majesty seems to enjoy being patted by others.”
“When we return to the palace, if you want me to pat you a few times, I’ll do it,” Xue Yuan said patiently and calmly, “but for now, be patient. I still need both hands to hold you.”
Gu Yuanbai was furious.
There weren’t many people around now, and Xue Yuan’s two hands were like iron clasps, restraining him. With only one body and strength, Gu Yuanbai couldn’t budge Xue Yuan. Xue Yuan probably thought so; that’s why he was so bold now.
Did he think he couldn’t punish him now?
Gu Yuanbai reached out, grabbed Xue Yuan’s collar, and forcefully pulled him down, so Xue Yuan lowered his head and looked at the young emperor from above.
His hand lacked strength, unable to hold Xue Yuan’s neck. Gu Yuanbai pulled Xue Yuan closer, lifted his body, grabbed Xue Yuan’s neck, and fiercely bit into it.
His teeth sank into Xue Yuan’s neck, drawing blood instantly. Xue Yuan grimaced in pain, his veins bulging, and involuntarily exerted force.
D*mn, it hurt.
As he gripped the emperor’s flesh, Gu Yuanbai felt the pain, so he bit harder. Blood flowed from Xue Yuan’s neck to the collar of his guard uniform, staining the white fabric red.
With a mouth full of blood, Gu Yuanbai felt relieved. He released his bite, licked the still warm blood from his lips, and coldly smirked, “Dare to do it again?”
The blood on the emperor’s lips was Xue Yuan’s, and what his tongue licked away was still Xue Yuan’s blood. Xue Yuan’s neck hurt so much that his veins almost burst. His eyelids twitched, and upon hearing Gu Yuanbai’s words, he delivered another slap, feigning a smile, “Your Majesty, feeling comfortable?”
Gu Yuanbai bit him again.
Xue Yuan: “Ah—”
Gu Yuanbai had the weight of an entire country on his shoulders. Dealing with foolish people and matters daily, he couldn’t deny feeling annoyed and irritable at times. Sometimes, he envied Xue Yuan. Why did this person have better health and dare to be crazier than him?
He put all his strength into this bite, releasing all the pent-up frustration and anger. As blood filled his mouth, Gu Yuanbai felt a significant relief.
High pressure could be released on Xue Yuan.
Because Xue Yuan could endure it.
Gu Yuanbai wiped his mouth, pinched Xue Yuan’s chin, and turned his face forward. “Walk properly and behave. When I tell you to obey, you don’t listen. But now, you’re more obedient than a dog.”
Xue Yuan chuckled, bearing two tooth marks still oozing blood on his neck. “I just wanted to carry Your Majesty back to the palace.”
Gu Yuanbai raised an eyebrow, poking the wound on Xue Yuan’s neck. “Does it hurt?”
Xue Yuan honestly replied, “Yes.”
“If it hurts, behave yourself,” Gu Yuanbai said, “be a bit smarter.”
Xue Yuan remained silent for a while before saying, “Am I not obedient enough?”
Gu Yuanbai poked his wound again, and Xue Yuan changed his tone. “I’m already very obedient, Your Majesty.”
“Be even more obedient,” Gu Yuanbai smiled, “I like obedient people.”
Xue Yuan’s expression turned gloomy.
So, he liked people like Chu Wei?
So, that’s why he smiled at him as soon as he saw him?
Doesn’t he know that he’s up to no good for you?
Xue Yuan suppressed his thoughts, using his arm to carry Gu Yuanbai back to the sleeping quarters. The attendants waiting there were frightened by the bloodstains on Xue Yuan’s neck, and Tian Fusheng was about to rush to find the imperial physician but was stopped by Gu Yuanbai. “I’m fine.”
Tian Fusheng then looked at Xue Yuan, whose neck was still bleeding and whose complexion was not good. He stiffly replied, “No need.”
The guards, seeing Xue Yuan injured, originally wanted to step forward to take Gu Yuanbai from him. But Xue Yuan bypassed them, carrying Gu Yuanbai and placing him on the bed.
On the bright yellow dragon-patterned bedsheet lay a pale beauty. Xue Yuan glanced at Gu Yuanbai, then stepped back, lifting his robe to wipe the blood from his neck.
As he wiped, the bloodstains on his robe grew more colorful. Xue Yuan thought to himself, these teeth are sharp indeed.
After the emperor was taken care of, someone wanted to apply medicine to Xue Yuan, but he waved his hand and refused. Standing by the dragon bed, he looked as if he had just emerged from a pool of blood.
Gu Yuanbai raised his eyelids to look at him, surprised by the sight. “Why are you still bleeding?”
Xue Yuan didn’t care. He just wanted to say, “Can’t you give me a little better attitude?”
Everyone around them was busy, but this corner of the dragon bed was quiet, undisturbed. Gu Yuanbai gradually furrowed his brows.
The joke Xue Yuan made earlier that made him laugh, and now this remark—what did they mean?
Did he really treat Xue Yuan with a bad attitude usually?
Seeing him remain silent, Xue Yuan turned his head to look at the sky outside. It was almost time for the court to adjourn.
Just pretending to be obedient; if it could make the young emperor show him a better attitude, and make the young emperor happy, it wouldn’t hurt.
He twisted his body, and the wound on his neck began to bleed again. Gu Yuanbai reminded him, “Stop the bleeding on your neck first.”
Xue Yuan wiped it absentmindedly, then looked at the people in the palace. Seeing no one paying attention, he suddenly knelt at the bedside, leaned close to the young emperor’s ear, and whispered with a bloody face, “Your Majesty, give me one more smile, hm?”
Gu Yuanbai couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Guard Xue, you’ve crossed the line.”
“I grew up in the military camp since I was young,” Xue Yuan said leisurely, “rough, ignorant, without manners, not versed in the six arts of a gentleman. I even handle serving the emperor without any delicacy. But my loyalty to Your Majesty is undeniable.”
As he spoke, he held the emperor’s hand and touched his neck. With the emperor’s hand under his, he could feel the pulse, “Your Majesty, how about showing me a little better attitude?”
The mad dog willingly raised its neck for Gu Yuanbai to grasp. Suddenly, Gu Yuanbai felt a sense of trembling conquest being fulfilled. He narrowed his eyes and rubbed Xue Yuan’s Adam’s apple with his fingers.
After a long while, Gu Yuanbai let go of his hand and said lightly, “Guard Xue, you’ve had a hard day. You may leave now.”
Xue Yuan responded with a deep grunt, then glanced sideways and saw the blood from his neck smeared onto Gu Yuanbai’s hand. He reached out and wiped the blood off Gu Yuanbai’s hand before straightening up and respectfully saying, “I’ll take my leave then.”
Watching his brisk departure, Gu Yuanbai breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had almost been tempted.
Even the mad dog learned to behave?
***
When Xue Yuan returned home covered in blood, Madam Xue almost fainted from shock.
Servants handed her a handkerchief and rushed to call the doctor. Xue Yuan sat silently in his seat, his eyes flickering.
After the blood was wiped away, two deep bite marks were revealed. General Xue’s face turned cold as he asked sternly, “What happened?!”
Xue Yuan lifted his eyelids to look at him as if looking at a fool. “I was bitten.”
General Xue was furious. “Can’t I see that you were bitten?! I’m asking how you were bitten!”
Xue Yuan couldn’t be bothered to speak, angering General Xue even further.
Madam Xue ignored the confrontation between father and son and approached to inspect Xue Yuan’s wound, sighing, “Look at you. How can you continue serving by the Emperor’s side like this?”
“The Emperor won’t blame me,” Xue Yuan smirked, “he might even be pleased.”
Madam Xue didn’t hear his whispered words. “What?”
Xue Yuan said nothing more, but covered his neck and stood up, casually saying, “Tell the doctor to come to my room.” Then he left in large strides.
***
When the temple lands were finally handed over to the court after three refusals and three rejections, hundreds of acres of land were immediately put to use for spring planting and experimental cotton fields by the court.
The abbot of the temple breathed a sigh of relief, no longer having to live in fear. Meanwhile, other temples who had seen the article written by the abbot of the temple were cursing the temple’s shamelessness.
“If you want to donate, just donate, why drag us down?!”
Many people were watching the court’s actions. Every time the temple lands were returned, the abbots and monks of many temples were furious. They were returned, why are you still giving them away? Giving them away!
Now that the dust had settled, no amount of rage could change the fact. At this point, facing the polite court when it came to the temple, they did something ruthless.
They praised Chengbao Temple’s actions extensively and widely publicized the article written by the abbot of Chengbao Temple.
Public opinion was mobilized, and Chang Yuyan, whom Gu Yuanbai favored, consciously praised the abbot of the temple in public, saying that this was the compassion of Buddhist disciples and represented the selflessness of monks.
Chang Yuyan’s tongue was sharp. He dared to offend the powerful and the emperor with thirteen poems in the past. Now, he dared to use his talents to show off for the emperor. Hearing his words, the people in other temples who heard them were almost driven to madness.
Does donating make you a Buddhist disciple? What if you don’t donate?
Although there were genuine Buddhists in the Great Heng Dynasty, every dynasty had its rules. Worshiping Buddha in the past was the Emperor’s business. Now, one had to follow Gu Yuanbai’s rules.
No matter how big the temple was, how many monks there were, how much land there was, each rule was followed one after another, and those who didn’t follow the rules were just waiting for trouble.
For opponents like this who occupied the moral high ground, it was best to use public opinion to force them to surrender.
In the palace, Chu Wei accompanied him, and Kong Yilin was reporting to the Shangshu of the Ministry of Works about planting white cotton.
Kong Yilin came prepared and naturally wouldn’t come unaware. When he first saw white cotton and learned about its uses in the borderlands of Western Xia, he inquired extensively about its characteristics, including soil, humidity, and the season suitable for planting.
With him present, the Ministry of Works wouldn’t be clueless. So after the two of them finished reporting, the Shilang of the Ministry of Works praised Kong Yilin.
Although Kong Yilin’s eyes looked a bit repulsive, this person was capable, had a good temper, and was steady yet not trying to steal the limelight. Getting along with him for a long time would make people appreciate him.
“…If it really can be planted successfully, it will be Lord Kong’s great achievement,” the Shilang of the Ministry of Works smiled, “Lord Kong personally takes care of everything, and with Lord Kong here, it’s a blessing for the people.”
Kong Yilin humbly said, “Yilin dare not.”
Gu Yuanbai smiled and said, “Both of you are pillars of the country, there’s no need to be so modest. On another note, as Lord Kong said, if both the cotton and the seeds are kept together in the white cotton, it might be a bit troublesome to separate them. I was thinking, after the planting is successful, before harvesting, could we make a machine to remove the seeds from the cotton?”
The Shilang of the Ministry of Works was momentarily stunned, then said, “I’ll discuss it with the Shangshu when I return.”
Gu Yuanbai nodded slightly.
After these two ministers left, Chu Wei looked at Kong Yilin’s departing figure and became slightly lost in thought.
The Hanlin Academy was too idle. Originally, when Kong Yilin was as idle as him, there wasn’t much to be felt. But these days, the other party had become busy, going out early and returning late. Although he didn’t say anything, there was a smile on his face. This kind of busyness made Chu Wei feel like he was being left far behind by the other party, which made him feel extremely resentful.
The second-ranked scholar had already started to become busy, while he was idle all day long.
This feeling of being gradually left behind made Chu Wei feel extremely uncomfortable.
Gu Yuanbai noticed Chu Wei’s gaze at Kong Yilin and smiled slightly, opening up the state affairs document to continue handling government affairs.
Outside the imperial city.
Lord Chu Xun, covered in dust and exhaustion, presented his identification to the gate guards. Despite the weariness evident on his face, his eyes gleamed with intensity.
Accompanied by over ten officials who couldn’t withstand the days of exhaustion, had already returned to their residences to rest, preparing to report back to the office the next day.
Lord Chu Xun gripped the memorial in his arms, looking at the solemn expression of the gate guards. Excitement filled his heart, causing his hands to tremble.
He had not failed his mission; he had successfully returned to see the Emperor!
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