Chapter 47
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Why does Gu Yuanbai’s smile look so good to him?
What does this mean?
When they left the Zhang family’s bookstore, Xue Yuan was still dizzy from being enchanted and almost couldn’t tell which way was which. But when he saw the handsome Chu Wei standing in front of the bookstore, he immediately snapped out of it.
Chu Wei was accompanied by a bookboy, presumably here to buy books. When he saw this group of people, his expression was also somewhat surprised. When Gu Yuanbai walked out of the bookstore, Chu Wei quickly stepped forward, about to bow, but his arms were promptly supported by Gu Yuanbai.
“No need for that,” Gu Yuanbai smiled, “I’m dressed casually today, so let’s skip the formalities.”
Chu Wei straightened up, saying, “Your Majesty, may you be well.”
Gu Yuanbai smiled slightly and walked with him towards the street. “Official Chu, are you here to buy books today?”
“I wanted to buy a copy of the ‘The Great Heng Daily,'” Chu Wei smiled wryly, “but I didn’t expect it to be so popular. I heard that every day when the bookstore opens, it sells out within a quarter of an hour.”
Since the emergence of the “The Great Heng Daily,” people from various government offices and mansions delivered newspapers to each other voluntarily every day. Although it was only a small amount, it was enough for colleagues to share with each other. Usually he was on duty, so Chu Wei never expected it to be so difficult to buy a copy of the “The Great Heng Daily.”
Today was a day off, and Chu family, father and son had already gotten used to reading the “The Great Heng Daily” every day. If they didn’t read it today, they felt like something was missing, making them extremely uncomfortable. But unexpectedly, the “The Great Heng Daily” was so hard to buy. Among all the bookstores in the capital, only Zhang’s bookstore had about a hundred copies.
Gu Yuanbai raised an eyebrow and called out, “Tian Fusheng.”
Tian Fusheng came forward, took out a copy of the “The Great Heng Daily,” and handed it to Chu Wei, smiling, “Lord Chu, please take it.”
Chu Wei’s expression froze for a moment, then a smile crept onto his lips, gentle as a spring breeze. He expressed his gratitude to the Emperor and Tian Fusheng, then handed the newspaper to his stiff servant at home. He then accompanied the Emperor for a stroll.
On the other side, Xue Yuan flashed a friendly smile and asked the Adjutant Chief Guard Zhang, “Lord Zhang, what do you think of Lord Chu?”
The Chief Guard said earnestly, “Lord Chu is talented and handsome, a pillar of the country.”
Xue Yuan’s smile deepened, and he nodded in agreement, saying, “Lord Chu is indeed very talented. It’s no wonder Your Majesty holds him in such high regard.”
The Chief Guard added, “Your Majesty has always valued talent.”
“It also depends on whether the talent is worthy of Your Majesty’s favor,” Xue Yuan squinted slightly, gesturing with his chin. “Look.”
The Chief Guard followed his gaze and saw Lord Chu looking at His Majesty with a smiling expression. Even his usually cold face seemed to ripple with warmth. As the most handsome man in the capital, Lord Chu’s appearance was undoubtedly unparalleled. When his smiling black eyes looked at people, it was as if he was looking at a lover.
The Chief Guard was puzzled.
Xue Yuan’s voice sounded indifferent. “I happened to hear that Lord Chu seems to have a preference for men.”
The Chief Guard’s expression changed completely, and someone pushed him from behind. Xue Yuan directly pushed the Chief Guard in front of Gu Yuanbai. Gu Yuanbai stopped his conversation with Lord Chu and asked, “What’s the matter?”
The Chief Guard struggled for a while before saying, “Your Majesty, in a little over ten days, the Lantern Festival will be held in the capital. Recently, many households have started making lanterns. Will Your Majesty attend?”
Gu Yuanbai didn’t sense anything wrong; instead, he became intrigued by the remark.
After coming over, before assuming power, Gu Yuanbai had never left the palace. Even after taking power, he had been too busy to experience the lively scenes of ancient festivals. Therefore, he was somewhat eager: “But it’s Xiaoman that day?”
The Chief Guard breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. “Exactly.”
Lord Chu naturally added, “My family has already prepared materials for making lanterns. If Your Majesty is interested, you can accompany me back to my mansion to personally try it out.”
The Chief Guard looked at Lord Chu strangely, feeling wary.
Gu Yuanbai was indeed interested. He nodded and said, “In that case, I’ll go with Lord Chu to take a look.”
Lord Chu relaxed unconsciously. He smiled and accompanied His Majesty as a guide.
Xue Yuan approached with a cold smile and suddenly interjected, “Your Majesty, I heard that Lord Chu was injured a few days ago. I wonder if he has recovered.”
Lord Chu lowered his eyes, and a fleeting shadow passed over them. Just as he was about to speak, His Majesty suddenly smiled meaningfully, glanced at him and Xue Yuan, and joked, “I had no idea that you two were so familiar.”
One sentence made both of their faces look ugly.
It was unclear what Gu Yuanbai had thought of, but he raised an eyebrow, smiled, and turned his head without saying a word.
Seeing his expression, Xue Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. “Your Majesty, I’m not familiar with Lord Chu.”
Gu Yuanbai smiled and said, “I understand. No need to say more.”
What do you understand?
Xue Yuan’s head was throbbing.
In the midst of this awkward atmosphere, the group arrived at the gate of the Chu residence. Chu Wei’s young servant had finally regained some agility. He shook himself, ran forward, and knocked on the door urgently. When the gatekeeper opened the door, he hurriedly whispered, “The Emperor has arrived, quickly inform the master and madam!”
The gatekeeper was stunned. “Ah?”
The young servant pushed him anxiously. “Hurry up!”
As the gates swung open wide, Gu Yuanbai had just set foot inside when Chu Xun, dressed in ordinary attire with a slightly disheveled headpiece, hurried over. When he saw that Gu Yuanbai had indeed come, his eyes widened, and he quickly bowed.
“No need for formalities,” Gu Yuanbai smiled. “I heard that Madam Chu has been making lanterns recently, and I was curious, so I came uninvited.”
Chu Xun hurriedly expressed his humility, then sent someone to invite his wife. A screen was set up, and inside, the madam, with a tense voice, explained everything to Gu Yuanbai.
Gu Yuanbai sat calmly at the table. He followed Madam Chu’s instructions slowly and leisurely. After a while, Madam Chu also became much calmer.
The tools for making lanterns had been checked by the people around him, so Gu Yuanbai didn’t pay much attention when he used them. However, when he picked up a slender bamboo strip and rubbed it in his palm, he couldn’t help but frown. There was a small thorn on the bamboo strip that had already pricked his palm.
The guards’ hands were calloused, and even the palace attendants’ hands, though delicate, were used to work. They had checked carefully, but this tiny thorn, almost invisible, might have been produced by the new grinding process while their hands were being checked.
Xue Yuan noticed his discomfort immediately. He strode forward, his robe fluttering, and grabbed Gu Yuanbai’s hand, bending down to take a closer look. After seeing it clearly, his voice sank, “Get a needle.”
Someone brought a needle, but no one dared to use it to pick out the tiny thorn. They all looked at Xue Yuan with hope and encouragement.
Xue Yuan thought to himself, how many people had he killed and how much blood had he seen? He wasn’t afraid of picking out a thorn.
But his hand couldn’t move. In the end, Xue Yuan looked up at Your Majesty, “Does it hurt, Your Majesty?”
Gu Yuanbai was about to say it didn’t hurt when he felt a prick in his palm. Xue Yuan had already picked out the tiny thorn.
Xue Yuan looked at the thorn and sneered twice, crushed it with his finger, and then smiled at Gu Yuanbai, saying in a heavy tone, “Your Majesty, I’ve avenged you.”
Thick-skinned and still quite childish. Gu Yuanbai chuckled. “These little barbs can’t trouble Guard Xue’s hand.”
Xue Yuan’s heart stirred. He raised the hand he was still holding and blew on the palm, saying, “Your Majesty’s hand is also very delicate.”
Gu Yuanbai asked, “What do you mean?”
“Good…” good to touch, good-looking, everything is good.
Xue Yuan recalled the kick to his groin earlier, his expression briefly contorting, but then he thought, if His Majesty were to kick him again, so be it, he’d endure it.
So he spoke honestly, “As soft and smooth as jade, Your Majesty.”
“Your Majesty!” Chu Wei suddenly interjected, his voice rising to drown out Xue Yuan’s words. He smiled gently and suggested, “Shall I double-check the remaining bamboo and wood?”
As Chu Wei spoke, he extended his hand. Though it was the hand of a scholar, it wasn’t delicate; Chu Wei was not without strength. Glancing at his beautiful, jade-like hand, Gu Yuanbai shook his head. “There’s no need, I’ve completed half already. Just be more cautious.”
In both lives, Gu Yuanbai was making lanterns for the first time. At this moment, he was excited like a young man, but he kept it restrained. He followed Madam Chu’s instructions carefully and calmly, outlining the contours and then pasting on the lantern paper.
When he was in court, His Majesty was awe-inspiring and intimidating. Now, with this extremely serious look, he seemed approachable. His fingers danced on the lantern, and it looked as beautiful as a painting.
For a moment, Lord Chu was mesmerized. When the lantern was finished, he took the initiative to ask, “Your Majesty, would you like me to paint some red plum blossoms on the lantern?”
“Sure,” Gu Yuanbai agreed readily.
The two of them got along harmoniously, exchanging smiles from time to time. Xue Yuan, watching them, became expressionless. After a while, he suddenly laughed silently, then exhaled heavily.
His hand holding the big blade trembled with anger.
After dispersing.
Xue Yuan returned to the Xue mansion expressionlessly. He exuded a dark and oppressive aura, and no one dared to approach him in the mansion.
General Xue was urged over by Madam Xue, his hands behind his back, his face solemn. “Who are you showing that expression to in the mansion?”
Xue Yuan swung his blade, and a wooden frame was split in half. He didn’t stop for a moment, continuing to wield the blade expressionlessly.
Finally, he threw the blade away and kicked the nearby rack where weapons were placed. The weapon rack crashed down with a loud bang.
A servant who had come over at the sound saw Xue Yuan’s dark expression and immediately shrank his head, hurrying to flee.
General Xue angrily shouted, “Xue Yuan!”
“You said last time that I have a loyal heart towards the emperor,” Xue Yuan suddenly spoke up, but he didn’t look at General Xue, as if lost in thought, his expression grim. “Are you sure this is loyalty to the emperor?”
General Xue said, “What else could it be?”
Xue Yuan straightened his back, his breathing becoming heavier and heavier. The answer was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t say it no matter how hard he tried. Finally, he loosened his collar, his voice heavy. “His Majesty is planning to attack the nomads.”
General Xue was stunned.
Xue Yuan turned around to face him, his collar disheveled, bloodshot eyes. “I will join the battle.”
In the palace.
Gu Yuanbai was looking at the confidential report sent by the Supervision Bureau.
It was a letter sent back by an official named Sun Shan from the Supervision Bureau. It reported on the situation in Lizhou. The governor of Lizhou was corrupt, but not excessively so, and his methods were covert. Initially, Gu Yuanbai thought it was related to factional struggles, but after the Supervision Bureau investigated for many days, they discovered some hidden clues.
Following the trail, they eventually uncovered something utterly disgusting.
In simple terms, the governor of Lizhou had a “friend circle.”
Those who could join this “friend circle” were all leaders of bandits with many followers.
The governor of Lizhou didn’t embezzle much of the local money; what he liked to do the most was to use the convenience of his official position to find out the specific routes of the money and food supplies sent by the court to various places or the routes of the money and food sent from local areas to the court. He then reported all this specific information, such as when the caravans would pass through Lizhou, which road they would take, how many people there were, etc., to this “friend circle.” Then the bandit dens in the vicinity of Lizhou would choose several alliances of bandit dens based on the scale of the transporting caravan and intercept these goods.
From the intercepted goods, apart from the shares of the various bandit leaders, only the governor of Lizhou could get thirty percent.
Thirty percent! With just one hundred taels of silver, he could embezzle thirty taels, and with one million taels, he could embezzle three hundred thousand taels!
Moreover, the governor of Lizhou also once sent the routes of the money sent by Lizhou to the court to the “friend circle,” guiding these bandits to rob the money and food collected in Lizhou for the court. If there was too much food, they would resell it locally or elsewhere. This was even more despicable than simply embezzling national funds!
The governor of Lizhou even knew that this “friend circle” had to be set up so that outsiders could not search for it or find it, and that friends within the circle could not add each other as friends, and that the records within the group had to be kept confidential, thoroughly maintaining this “friend circle” like an iron barrel.
The reason why the people from the Supervision Bureau knew about this “friend circle” was because a leader of a bandit den once abducted a woman to be his concubine on the mountain. The woman hated it so much that she had been looking for an opportunity to report to the officials. As a result, one night when they were dividing the spoils, she noticed that the silver brought back to the mountain didn’t match, and she left a mark in her heart. When she found out that the caravan sent back to the mountain didn’t match, she had already extracted the information about the governor from the bandit leader.
The woman was desperate and had lost all hope. When she was sent down the mountain to seek treatment by the little lackeys in the mountains, she happened to meet the people from the Supervision Bureau.
The officials from the Supervision Bureau have now arranged for this woman’s placement. However, the woman found herself completely devoid of vitality after discovering that her family had been killed by bandits, fearing that she might lose all hope after they leave.
Gu Yuanbai, who had been expressionless while reading the confidential letter, now furrowed his brow and sighed softly.
Women, no matter the era, always have it tougher than men.
Corrupt officials always find a way to be corrupt if they wish. Gu Yuanbai had no desire to comment on the actions of the magistrate of Lizhou, but he felt sorry for this woman.
Even though she was kidnapped and faced with death, she didn’t lose hope of returning. She continued to find ways to inform the authorities, showing immense courage. Just this bravery alone could be considered as good as any man’s. And she was not only brave; she also noticed the unequal distribution of loot and learned about the collusion between bandits and officials, which showed exceptional intelligence.
Such a woman being forced to death by evil people was too much of a loss.
Gu Yuanbai replied, stating that if possible, she should be brought back to the Supervision Bureau.
After sending the reply, someone else would take care of sending the letter.
Gu Yuanbai stood up and walked towards the inner hall. The palace attendants helped him remove his clothes and prepared clean water. Gu Yuanbai looked up at the carvings on the pillars and beams of the hall, silently thinking, “Just capturing the magistrate of Lizhou alone is too easy. I should make good use of his network of friends and take down this group of corrupt officials and bandits in one fell swoop.”
He took a deep breath, dismissed the attendants, and stood by the window.
The lantern he had lit during the daytime was still on the table. Gu Yuanbai caught sight of it out of the corner of his eye and walked over to light it again.
The warm yellow light illuminated, casting the simple yet vivid shadows of plum blossoms on the table. Gu Yuanbai lit the lantern, his face lit up brightly and dimly, but his mood improved somewhat.
The era of peace and prosperity.
When everyone was well-fed and clothed, when the granaries were full and people understood etiquette, only then could it be considered a true era of peace and prosperity.
Xue Yuan sat by the bed all night.
Sitting upright like a statue, his leg muscles tensed.
His gaze heavy, as if carrying the weight of the world.
His madness was only restrained in front of Gu Yuanbai. Why restrain it? He feared he couldn’t control his madness and might hurt him.
But this kind of stifling, almost bursting state was not suitable to stay by Gu Yuanbai’s side.
But just the thought of leaving Gu Yuanbai…
Xue Yuan’s hand clenched, bloodshot veins bulging.
He suddenly stood up, striding towards the wolf cage. Loyalty to the emperor, loyalty to the emperor, was his loyalty to the emperor like this?
Was his heart like this, ready to explode at the thought of the little emperor smiling at another man who resembled him?
The little emperor’s smile, the little emperor’s touch.
The little emperor wanted wolf cubs.
The next day, when Xue Yuan was carrying two wolf cubs, he heard that Gu Yuanbai was sick.
This was the first time he had fallen ill since the day he coughed up blood, and it came fiercely. Gu Yuanbai didn’t know what was going on; he just suddenly fell ill like this.
Unexpectedly, everyone in the palace became busy. The doctors from the Imperial Hospital hurried around, and when Xue Yuan arrived at the palace, the smell of medicine was strong, and Gu Yuanbai had already taken medicine and was resting.
Xue Yuan handed the two wolf cubs in his arms to the eunuch responsible for taking care of animals in the palace, then entered the inner chamber. Gu Yuanbai was nestled in bed, coughing softly.
Headache, coughing, feeling cold all over.
Tian Fusheng was by his side. When Xue Yuan entered, he learned that Gu Yuanbai was still speaking in a hoarse voice, “…Nowadays, anti-corruption doesn’t need me to watch over it all the time. You let the people in the Ministry of State Affairs and the Grand Council pay more attention. As for the matter of the governor of Lizhou, do it as I just said.”
Tian Fusheng kept nodding, “Your Majesty, rest assured.”
The medicine contained sleeping aids. Gu Yuanbai’s eyes were either closed or open; he felt a bit dizzy. The two months of not falling ill made Gu Yuanbai forget how weak he was.
The bed was icy cold, despite all efforts, the warmth would always be dispersed by Gu Yuanbai’s cold hands and feet.
He was extremely exhausted, so much so that he was too mentally tired to say any more cold words from under the covers. He thought to himself, “It will gradually warm up eventually.”
There was no movement on the dragon bed. The emperor didn’t like being disturbed while sleeping. Tian Fusheng led the others to retreat, and Xue Yuan stood by the dragon bed like a door god. Tian Fusheng called out to him softly for a long time before he hoarsely said, “I’ll stay here and watch.”
Tian Fusheng’s voice was as soft as a mosquito, “Guard Xue, His Majesty doesn’t like…”
“Steward Tian,” Xue Yuan softly interrupted, “I’m burning up all over, like a furnace. It’s fine if I keep His Majesty’s hands warm.”
Tian Fusheng fell silent. After glancing at the emperor on the bed and seeing no objection, he led the others away.
But in fact, Gu Yuanbai didn’t hear their conversation at all.
The door to the inner chamber was closed, and the scent of incense was heavy. Xue Yuan took a deep breath, looking at the beams above, wondering why he fell ill so easily?
He steadied his trembling hand, suppressed the burning anger in his heart. Kneeling beside the bed, he reached into the bed, only to touch a cold hand.
Gu Yuanbai coughed softly, and the next moment, the blanket was lifted, and a hot body pressed against him from behind.
Xue Yuan took off his coat and boots, got on the dragon bed, and hugged Gu Yuanbai from behind. Gu Yuanbai hadn’t even frowned yet when he heard Xue Yuan whispering in his ear, “Just warming you up.”
He was like a large furnace, warming up the completely cold Gu Yuanbai. His words were soft, his breath hot, “Your Majesty, just this once. After you warm up, you can punish me however you want, beat me, make me kneel on broken porcelain, or drown me in water, anything.”
As he spoke, Xue Yuan reached out his hand almost irresistibly and circled around Gu Yuanbai from behind, holding his equally frightening cold hand.
This warmth was so comfortable. Gu Yuanbai’s head became increasingly dizzy, but he suddenly remembered that Xue Yuan was the male lead of a danmei novel, and such men sooner or later would fall in love with men.
So he hoarsely said, “Get down.”
But Xue Yuan wrapped Gu Yuanbai up in his arms.
Apart from being reckless, there were no other words to describe Xue Yuan.
But precisely because of this, Xue Yuan had the chance to embrace the little emperor in his arms.
He hugged Gu Yuanbai tightly, “Your Majesty, I’ve said it. When you’re warm, you can punish me however you want.”
“It’s just that I hope you’ll spare my life in consideration of my loyalty to you,” Xue Yuan chuckled softly, sighing, “You can even break my legs.”
The scorching temperature came from behind, and Xue Yuan had warmed up the entire dragon bed as soon as he got on it. Gu Yuanbai’s head became increasingly dizzy. Before falling into a deep sleep, he said, “You can climb onto the dragon bed this once.”
Nothing could compare to his comfort.
Accustomed to a life of luxury and dominance, Gu Yuanbai only thought for three seconds. Regardless of whether he liked men or women, nothing was more important than his comfort.
If he could warm his bed, it was worthy of reward.
Xue Yuan was taken aback.
After a while, his chest felt stuffy, “D&mn it.”
He grabbed Gu Yuanbai’s hand, feeling uncomfortable with excitement because of these words. His whole body tensed, afraid of hurting the little emperor, so he secretly moved back a bit.
Feeling the warmth slightly recede, Gu Yuanbai frowned, leaning back and pressing against him.
The little emperor’s embrace made Xue Yuan’s loyal heart beat wildly. The entire inner chamber was silent, and this sound was too disturbing. Xue Yuan glanced at Gu Yuanbai’s head and then at his own chest. He held his hand under Gu Yuanbai’s head, afraid that this annoying sound would disturb him.
Gradually, Gu Yuanbai also felt warmth on his body, and the fingers held by Xue Yuan began to warm up as well. Gu Yuanbai leaned on Xue Yuan, who couldn’t move much and could only slightly lift himself to check on Gu Yuanbai.
At a glance, he saw Gu Yuanbai sleeping soundly.
Just seeing his sleeping face confused Xue Yuan. He stared for a long time until he snapped out of it when his whole body felt numb. His eyes kept drifting to the emperor’s lips; they were pale, but warmed by Xue Yuan’s body temperature, they turned red and soft, adorable.
Strange, why did other handsome men look effeminate to Xue Yuan, but not Gu Yuanbai?
Oh, wait, when Xue Yuan first saw Gu Yuanbai, he also thought he was more beautiful than a woman, lacking in manly spirit.
Holding Gu Yuanbai was like holding a treasure, and all the hostility from yesterday dissipated in an instant. Even if he were punished, Xue Yuan would willingly accept it, feeling that he was seriously ill.
His heart pounded harder and harder, Xue Yuan wondered, could it be that he was infecting Gu Yuanbai with his illness because he was also weak?
Finally, feeling extremely uncomfortable with dryness in his mouth and throat, Xue Yuan reluctantly let go of Gu Yuanbai and got off the bed to find water.
As soon as the warmth left, Gu Yuanbai struggled uncomfortably, waking up from his sleep. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Xue Yuan slowly approaching the bed with a cup of water. His head was buzzing, feeling uncomfortable. Gu Yuanbai half propped himself up and snatched the cup from Xue Yuan’s hand, gulping down a large mouthful before burying his head to sleep again.
Xue Yuan looked at the now-empty cup, then at the water droplets trailing down Gu Yuanbai’s chin.
His Adam’s apple rolled, feeling uncomfortable, he tugged at his collar.
Did he actually want to lick the water off Gu Yuanbai’s chin?!
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