Chapter 4
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On the river, a small boat drifted with the current.
Xue Yuan stood at the bow, his expression dark. Behind him, Chang Yuyan, the son of the Dali Temple’s Shaoqing, leisurely poured himself a drink. Seeing Xue Yuan’s fierce demeanor, he laughed, “Your Shu* brother wasn’t actually sick with the plague?”
* born of a concubine
Xue Yuan’s lips curled into a gentle smile, “Yuyan, what do you make of this? He tried to manipulate my mother, and I nearly killed him when I got home.”
Chang Yuyan laughed heartily, “And he got your father fined and scolded by the emperor in front of the officials.”
Xue Yuan’s smile deepened, “Exactly. When I got home, my father sparred with me and told me to find a chance to apologize to the little emperor.”
Chang Yuyan snickered.
Xue Yuan appeared refined but had a temperament fiercer than a beast. Despite his gentlemanly facade, his mind was filled with ruthless, sinister thoughts.
This person was audacious and lacked both rules and virtue. If General Xue hadn’t kept a tight watch, Xue Yuan would truly have cut down his half-brother and fed him to the wolves, without fearing anyone’s criticism or moral condemnation.
A general’s son turned into a bandit leader.
Chang Yuyan said, “You should be more restrained. Many in the capital are watching you closely.”
“I can’t even ride a horse without being accused of wreaking havoc in the market,” Xue Yuan retorted. “One day, I’ll pile up a heap of heads at their gates so they understand what real havoc looks like.”
“Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t. This isn’t a battlefield; where would you get so many heads to pile up?” Chang Yuyan poured himself another cup of wine, half-lying on the wooden deck, and recited a poem aloud, “Lotus skirts cut from the same cloth, hibiscus blossoms frame the face. Blended with the pond’s disorder, one only notices when a song is sung.”
Xue Yuan said, “Where are the lotus leaves? Lotus leaves don’t bloom at this time.”
Chang Yuyan replied, “There are no lotus leaves, but I see a face like hibiscus.”
He pointed to a handkerchief floating not far from the boat. “If I’m not mistaken, that handkerchief has a lady’s portrait embroidered on it.”
Xue Yuan used a paddle to retrieve the handkerchief. It was made of smooth silk and didn’t stick to the hand even when wet. Xue Yuan squinted at the design, then smiled meaningfully.
Chang Yuyan asked curiously, “Is it a lady’s portrait?”
“No,” Xue Yuan’s smile was chilling, “It’s a dragon pattern.”
***
Gu Yuanbai, reviewing memorials, suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
He frowned, and an attendant quickly replaced his hand warmer and brought him hot tea, stoking the brazier to a higher flame. For a healthy person, the temperature would be uncomfortably hot, and the palace maids and eunuchs had a thin sheen of sweat on their foreheads. But for Gu Yuanbai, the temperature was just right.
He tightened his grip on the intricately carved hand warmer. After finishing the last memorial with a brushstroke, he stood and asked someone to clean the table.
The young emperor had a weak body and looked like he hadn’t reached adulthood. Gu Yuanbai often considered indulging in some physical intimacy to address his needs, but every time he saw the soft, sparse hair down there, he lost his appetite.
It looked good, clean and even exquisite. But on Gu Yuanbai’s body, it was a blatant hit to his masculine pride.
It would redden with a single touch, and even if he felt aroused, he’d soon lose interest.
Gu Yuanbai stood by the window and sighed deeply.
Tian Fusheng had been sent on an errand, and the attendant by his side, a young eunuch, cautiously asked, “Is something troubling Your Majesty?”
Before Gu Yuanbai could respond, there was a commotion outside the palace. He frowned, “What’s happening outside?”
Just as he spoke, someone rushed in to report, “Your Majesty, an assassin has been captured outside.”
Gu Yuanbai’s expression darkened, even more so than the chief guard standing by.
***
It was already dark by the time he finished reviewing the memorials. The assassin, dressed in black, had moved stealthily. If not for Gu Yuanbai having thoroughly cleansed the inner court and the diligence of the imperial guards, they might not have caught him.
Gu Yuanbai sat high behind the desk, his voice like a cold winter wind, “Who sent you?”
The assassin, face pressed to the ground, wailed, “Who would send a flower thief as an assassin? Your Majesty, I was merely overwhelmed by lust and dared to sneak into the palace.”
Gu Yuanbai said, “A flower thief in my palace? Which flower in my palace caught your eye?”
The emperor’s tone was cold. The palace had no concubines; the only flowers here were the palace maids.
The assassin cast a glance towards the direction of the emperor. The young sovereign’s lips were blood-red with anger, his ears flushed, and his eyes filled with icy fury. Every aspect of him was striking, making it a dazzling sight not to be missed.
The assassin’s mouth hung open in shock as he stared at the emperor. His face suddenly flushed, and he lowered his head, remaining silent.
The chief guard stepped forward and kicked the assassin hard. The assassin groaned, suddenly overpowering several guards holding him down, only to be pressed down by more men immediately.
Golden dragon-embroidered boots appeared in front of him. Gu Yuanbai lifted the assassin’s face with his foot. Without the blood, it was a handsome face, with bright eyes and a noble air, clearly a face of someone from a wealthy family.
The assassin blinked away blood from his eye and looked up at the emperor intently. Being closer now, he could see even the delicate wrists of the emperor. He sincerely said, “Your Majesty, I was truly blinded by lust for just a moment.”
The emperor smirked, “Do you think I would believe that?”
Every inch of the emperor was more precious than jade, even the sweat from his body must be fragrant.
The assassin’s heart itched. Even the emperor’s dragon-embroidered boot lifting his chin smelled good. He pleaded, “I saw you outside the palace. I didn’t know you entered the palace, and I didn’t expect you to be the emperor.”
Gu Yuanbai looked down at him, coldly chuckled after a moment, and said, “Throw him in the dungeon and interrogate him thoroughly.”
The guards dragged the assassin out, still smiling, his eyes roving around the hall but never leaving the emperor.
Gu Yuanbai coughed a few times, glaring coldly at the smiling face.
As the man was dragged away, the chief guard led the guards to kneel before Gu Yuanbai. Gu Yuanbai glanced at them and didn’t let them rise. After a moment, he said, still angry, “This must not happen again.”
How could an intruder reach the front of the Xuanzheng Hall in the grand inner court?
Were the palace guards all useless?
The assassin’s slanderous words humiliated him. Gu Yuanbai pondered who might have sent him, but his head started to ache.
He rubbed his forehead, frowning, and saw Zhang Xu, the chief guard, looking at him. Gu Yuanbai asked, “What is it?”
The chief guard lowered his head in shame, “Your Majesty, I will ensure this does not happen again.”
“Find out where the breach occurred,” Gu Yuanbai said coldly. “I want to see who left a dog hole for him to crawl through!”
The chief guard withdrew, and Tian Fusheng, observing the emperor’s complexion, advised, “Your Majesty, it’s time for your meal.”
After some persuasion, Gu Yuanbai reluctantly nodded and allowed the meal to be served. Shortly after, a table full of sumptuous delicacies was laid out before him.
However, no matter how delicious the food was, eating the same thing for three years would make anyone tired of it. Gu Yuanbai had little appetite and lost interest after taking a few bites. His thoughts drifted to simpler dishes like tomato and egg stir-fry, hotpot, barbecue, hamburgers, and cola.
Especially tomatoes. Gu Yuanbai had never been particularly fond of them before, but over the years, he had developed a craving for the sweet and sour taste. Unfortunately, tomatoes wouldn’t be introduced to China until the Ming Dynasty, leaving him drooling over something he couldn’t have.
Thinking about food dissipated his anger, leaving only hunger. In the Great Heng Dynasty, there were no chili peppers; the spiciness in dishes came from peppercorns, zhuyu, ginger, mustard, and similar spices. Because of his weak constitution, Gu Yuanbai could rarely eat spicy food, which he missed dearly.
After contemplating various dishes, Gu Yuanbai called someone over and carefully instructed them to have the imperial kitchen prepare a bowl of zhajiangmian according to his specifications.
Shortly after, a bowl of noodles covered in sauce, garnished with green onions, was placed before Gu Yuanbai. The aroma was enticing, and the presentation was excellent. Gu Yuanbai took a bite, and the flavor was delightful, stimulating his appetite.
He finished the bowl of noodles cleanly and looked at the untouched table of delicacies. Lazily, he ordered, “Have another bowl of noodles made and send it along with the lotus duck skewers and golden thread stomach soup to General Xue.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
***
General Xue personally received the food sent from the palace. The eunuch delivering the dishes smiled and said, “General Xue, His Majesty holds you in high regard, even thinking of you during his meals. There is also a bowl of noodles, a new dish the imperial kitchen created tonight, which His Majesty specially sent for you to try.”
General Xue, moved, replied solemnly, “I am deeply grateful for His Majesty’s kindness.”
The eunuch smiled with satisfaction before taking his leave.
That evening, at the Xue residence.
The emperor’s gifted dishes were placed in the center, with the bowl of noodles prominently in front of General Xue. He carefully untangled the clumped noodles and respectfully took the first bite.
The old lady watched him with a smile. “His Majesty’s gifts must not be wasted. Today, everyone can relax a little. Lin Ger, you may have some wine.”
Second Young Master Xue timidly acknowledged and reached for the food, only to have his hand slapped by Xue Yuan, who smirked, “Did I say you could eat?”
Second Young Master Xue’s hand swelled with a red mark. Humiliated, he looked towards the elders, but the old Madam and General Xue acted as if they hadn’t seen anything. Swallowing his anger, he reached for a plate of vegetables instead.
Xue Yuan switched chopsticks and sampled the palace dishes. After a taste, he remarked, “A stick and a carrot. General Xue, the emperor is treating you like a dog.”
“And you are the son of a dog,” General Xue retorted loudly.
Xue Yuan couldn’t be bothered to argue, focusing on the palace food. Halfway through, he suddenly said, “The Lantern Festival banquet is in a few days. I want to accompany you to the palace.”
General Xue glanced at him suspiciously and warned, “Don’t do anything to disgrace me.”
Xue Yuan flashed a falsely genteel smile, using the emperor’s handkerchief to wipe dirt off his shoes before throwing it to the ground and grinding it underfoot. “Of course not.”
After all, the sickly emperor had scolded him so harshly in front of the officials. How could he do anything out of line?
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