Chapter 69
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Xue Yuan returned to his residence and immediately took off his clothes.
The blood from his wounds had already glued his clothes to his skin. Xue Yuan’s face remained expressionless as he forcefully tore the fabric away, causing the wounds that had barely stopped bleeding to reopen.
On the table in Xue Yuan’s room were medicinal herbs bestowed by the emperor. Of course, these herbs were given to his brother, Second Young Master Xue, by Gu Yuanbai.
Xue Yuan had never used these herbs; he merely left them there for display.
Breathing heavily, Xue Yuan ordered someone to call for a doctor. He glanced at his back, seeing a mass of bloody flesh, and almost laughed.
He had sustained serious injuries, then jumped into a lake, soaking in the water for so long that his wounds might be starting to rot.
But he was happy.
A thousand gold coins couldn’t buy his happiness.
After a while, the doctor arrived, accompanied by Xue Yuan’s mother, Madam Xue.
Madam Xue stood outside the door, angrily shouting, “Xue Jiuyao, what on earth do you have under your bed?”
Madam Xue was usually gentle and understanding, a unique presence in the Xue household. Now, raising her voice in anger, she startled the servants inside, nearly causing one to drop a bowl of medicine.
Xue Yuan lazily replied, “Jade pieces.”
Madam Xue retorted furiously, “Are those jade pieces?”
“I said they’re jade pieces, so they must be jade pieces,” Xue Yuan said. “Did you see them?”
Madam Xue snorted coldly. “I not only saw them, I threw them away. You can fool around all you want, and your father and I have never restrained you. But you are the eldest son of the Xue family. How can you behave like this? You’re not young anymore; it’s time for you to get married. I didn’t ask you to return from the northern border to marry. But now that you’re back, I believe you should get engaged. You’re too old to be learning bad habits.”
Xue Yuan replied, “You can’t throw them away.”
But Madam Xue didn’t hear these words. She continued to speak, her eyes filling with tears as she wiped them with a handkerchief. “My dear son, take care of yourself. I’ll find a good girl for you. Once you’re married and settle down, I’ll be at peace.”
Xue Yuan smiled slightly. “If you dare arrange a marriage for me, I’ll dare kill the bride.”
Madam Xue’s tears stopped instantly. She was so upset that she turned and left.
Xue Yuan raised his voice, “Remember to return what you took.”
Curious, the doctor couldn’t help but ask, “The eldest young master is already twenty-four. Why don’t you want to get married?”
If the eldest young master didn’t marry, the second young master naturally couldn’t either. Thanks to Xue Yuan’s influence, his reputation was stellar, but his little brother’s reputation had suffered so much that he might not find a bride.
Xue Yuan closed his eyes and didn’t respond.
When he smiled, his sharp wit was apparent; when he didn’t, he appeared deeply contemplative. His handsome features were unlike those of the other young men in the capital. Years of military life at the border had given him a wild, unrestrained aura mixed with a suppressed, somber energy, radiating a fierce and cutting edge.
A resolute man of iron, a fine warrior, wouldn’t lack for women eager to marry him.
Seeing that Xue Yuan wasn’t inclined to talk, the doctor stopped asking questions.
After a long while, Xue Yuan, as if speaking in his sleep, muttered, “As long as I can marry them.”
The doctor offered a kind word, “If Lord Xue wants to marry, I doubt there’s anyone he couldn’t.”
Xue Yuan laughed into his pillow, his shoulders shaking. Then he called out loudly, “Bring the reward. Such good words deserve a reward!”
Meanwhile, after returning from the emperor’s presence, Heqin Wang locked himself in his study, his face grim, and didn’t come out even by nightfall.
The next morning, Heqin Wangfei brought a bowl of nourishing soup, diligently coming to see him.
There were no guards at Heqin Wang’s door, as he had dismissed them. The Wangfei had her maid knock and call out, “Wangye?”
There was no response.
Worried, the Wangfei pushed the door open. A few rays of sunlight streamed through the crack, illuminating the study floor.
The study was dark, its windows tightly shut. The Wangfei took the soup from the maid and entered alone.
The study had an outer and inner section, and there was no one in the outer area. Turning to the inner room, Heqin Wangfei saw Heqin Wang sleeping on the bed.
She breathed a sigh of relief and was about to set the soup down when she noticed a painting on the wall opposite the bed, glowing faintly in the dim light. The paper was so translucent it seemed to emit light.
Curious, she walked over for a closer look and saw it was a portrait.
Who could be important enough for Heqin Wang to hang their portrait on his wall?
The light was too dim for her to see clearly until she was almost touching the painting.
Finally, she recognized the person in the portrait.
The moment Heqin Wangfei recognized the figure in the portrait, her hands trembled, and the bowl of nourishing soup she was holding crashed to the ground with a loud thud.
The sound of the shattering porcelain brought her back to her senses. She took a few hurried steps back and turned to find herself staring directly into Heqin Wang’s eyes.
Heqin Wang, with dark circles under his eyes, sat up in bed, wrapped in his quilt, and looked at her intently.
Heqin Wangfei felt a sudden chill in her heart. The spilled soup on the floor splattered onto the hem of her skirt, the meat chunks in the soup squished into a mess, dirty and sticky.
Heqin Wang’s gaze shifted past her to the portrait on the wall. “Wangfei entering, was there no one to communicate it from outside?”
Heqin Wangfei’s voice trembled as she clutched the hem of her skirt. “There was no one outside, Wangye.”
Indeed, after returning from his audience with Gu Yuanbai the previous day, Heqin Wang had dismissed his attendants and secluded himself in the study.
Feeling guilty, he had even sent the guards far away from the study’s entrance.
Then, he took out that portrait.
This was not one of the dubious paintings obtained from the sons of the Marquis Pingchang or the Shangshu of the Ministry of Revenue. This was a newly commissioned portrait.
The painting was so well done that he usually didn’t dare to look at it much. After returning from Gu Yuanbai’s place, Heqin Wang had initially wanted to tear it apart in his anger. But upon seeing it, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
In the end, he hung it where he could see it just by lifting his eyes, and staring at the portrait, he didn’t know when he had fallen asleep.
The study remained dark and silent.
Heqin Wangfei felt a deep, inexplicable fear. She sensed that she had stumbled upon an extraordinary secret, but it was so unbelievable that she instinctively dismissed the thought.
Yet, deep inside, she was trembling with fear.
“Wangye,” Heqin Wangfei struggled to steady herself, “I…”
Heqin Wang spoke slowly, “Wangfei, next time, do not enter the study without my permission.”
Heqin Wangfei responded quickly, “I understand, Wangye.”
“Leave now,” Heqin Wang commanded darkly.
Heqin Wangfei hurriedly left the inner chamber, her footsteps leaving greasy marks on the floor. She walked faster and faster, eventually lifting her skirt and running in fright.
The door opened and closed, shutting out the sunlight. Alone in the dim room, Heqin Wang wrapped himself in his quilt, covered his head, and closed his eyes.
At dinner, Heqin Wang finally emerged from the study.
He had changed his clothes, but the dark circles under his eyes revealed his lack of sleep.
No one dared to speak at the table, and only the sounds of bowls and chopsticks clinking could be heard. After a while, Heqin Wang suddenly said, “The Emperor’s birthday is at the end of September. The Heqin Mansion should start preparing the birthday tribute now.”
Heqin Wangfei cautiously replied, “I’ve been preparing since two months ago. I’ve had a hundred embroiderers residing in the palace, working on a ‘Splendid Rivers and Mountains’ tapestry.”
When the previous Emperor was alive, Heqin Wang personally handled the birthday preparations every year. But after the previous Emperor died and Gu Yuanbai ascended the throne, Heqin Wang lost interest in such matters. Gradually, the responsibility for preparing the birthday tributes fell entirely to Heqin Wangfei.
Heqin Wang listened and found no mistakes but also nothing particularly outstanding. He frowned. “Is that all?”
Heqin Wangfei, recalling the portrait she had seen in his study, trembled slightly. “Does Wangye think anything is missing?”
She longed to ask why he had hung a portrait of the Emperor in his study. Was it out of respect or brotherly affection?
But considering the content of the portrait, it was certainly not something a brother should be looking at!
She was too frightened to ask.
Heqin Wang hesitated. “Forget it, that’s enough. What does the Emperor lack? Why would he care about a small tribute from me, a mere Heqin Wang?”
As he spoke, his anger began to rise. “Even the Xue family probably pleases him more than the Heqin Mansion!”
When the master was angry, no one dared to make a sound. After a moment of silence, Heqin Wang suppressed his fury. “Someone, go and find out about the eldest young master of the Xue family.”
How could the Emperor go astray?
Gu Yuanbai couldn’t possibly like men. If he did, it must be because someone was seducing him.
But if…
If Gu Yuanbai really liked men?
Gu Yuanbai couldn’t like men. How could he?
If he really did, then what was Gu Zhao to him?
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