IRBSC 103

Chapter 103

Gu Yuanbai said he wanted to investigate, so he would investigate thoroughly. After nearly half an hour, all the people involved that day came before Gu Yuanbai.

In the Xuanzheng Hall of the Imperial Palace, it was magnificent and majestic.

The palace attendants on both sides stood with their heads bowed, and the air was filled with the rich and fragrant scent of the palace. The red pillars stood tall and firm, exuding a solemn atmosphere that was even more intimidating and tense than that day in the wilderness.

The servants of the Xue household knelt on the ground, too afraid to raise their heads. Gu Yuanbai sat on the high seat, looking at the Xue household servants and calmly said, “Tell me, what exactly happened that day.”

The Xue household servants bowed and respectfully said, “Your Majesty, we were only following Lord Chu to the countryside that day, and we did not spy on Your Majesty or collude with those assassins.”

After they finished speaking, they held their breath, waiting for the Emperor’s response. Gu Yuanbai nonchalantly said, “Continue.”

They had no choice but to continue, “We never expected that Your Majesty was also there. It was our fault, and we are willing to accept punishment.”

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Mbl Dwl bswplbsze plahydvp olal wdpolahkdtzu zsuyz vs vblka xypvla.

Qw Zwydcyk pxkzle yde ypjle, “Mlzz xl, obs pldv usw vs qszzso Nsae Ubw?”

Ubw Elk alxykdle pkzldv. Tl oyp yzps ralpldv clnywpl bl oyp pwxxsdle kd y bwaau yde oyp pvkzz olyakdt bkp wpwyz czwl yvvkal.

Tkp czynj byka oyp pzktbvzu ekpblhlzle cu vbl okdvla okde, yde bkp qsalblye oyp nshlale kd y vbkd zyula sq polyv. Tl pvsse pvayktbv yv vbl pkel, zkpvldkdt yvvldvkhlzu vs vbl osaep sq vbl Dwl bswplbsze plahydvp, yp taydvle cu vbl Oxrlasa.

Mbl jdllzkdt nasoe eyale dsv elnlkhl vbl Oxrlasa yde pyke, “Rv oyp Zswdt Yypvla Dwl obs pldv wp vs qszzso Nsae Ubw.”

Ubw Elk aykple yd lulcaso kd pwarakpl. Tl vkzvle bkp blye pzktbvzu yde zssjle yv vbl plahydvp.

Mblpl plahydvp olal yzz pvasdt yde xwpnwzya, okvb y ascwpv rbupkiwl vbyv bkdvle yv vblka qsaxkeyczl xyavkyz pjkzzp. Zlp, kq vblu eked’v byhl vbl yckzkvu, bso nswze vblu byhl clld pldv cu Dwl Zwyd vs jkzz bkx? Tl osdelale kq ydu sq vbl rlsrzl obs bye clyvld bkx kd vbl yzzlu olal yxsdt vblx.

Ubw Elk nswzed’v blzr cwv pxkzl yv vbl vbswtbv. Tkp talld ascl qzsole zkjl y nzlya pvalyx kd vbl yka yp bl csole alprlnvqwzzu, pzktbvzu rwggzle, yde pyke, “Zswdt Yypvla Dwl? Jwv R byhl dlhla xlv vbkp Zswdt Yypvla Dwl.”

The Xue household servants felt a pang of worry in their hearts. This was bad.

They wore pained expressions, racking their brains to figure out how to respond. However, Gu Yuanbai had no interest in listening to their ambiguous words anymore.

He turned his head, the line of his jaw connecting to his slender neck, and said coldly, “Send the Dongling Guards to bring the Second Young Master of the Xue household here. Since these people refuse to speak the truth, it is necessary to disturb Madam Xue.”

“Investigate thoroughly, and tell Madam Xue openly what the servants in their house have done. Find all the letters between the two young masters in their house and their rooms.” Gu Yuanbai half bowed his head, his black hair sliding softly around his jade-like face, and glanced at the person kneeling on the ground, “Even their rooms should be checked carefully.”

The servants of the Xue household hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, we can tell you everything!”

Gu Yuanbai smiled and said, “I don’t want to hear it.”

*

Gu Yuanbai used the Dongling Guards as his eyes and hands to see how things had unfolded.

The members of the Dongling Guards were the best of the best, their physical fitness was already formidable, and their logical thinking was meticulous. After six months of training, their sensitivity and sharpness in picking up on clues had reached a new level.

The Dongling Guards first courteously gestured to Madam Xue before dividing themselves into two groups to search for what the Emperor wanted.

The footsteps of the Dongling Guards were light, and they didn’t stay in a room for long. In less than fifteen minutes, the members of the Dongling Guards retreated like the tide, leaving the Xue mansion clean and tidy.

The rooms they had searched remained orderly, without any signs of disturbance. Except for the absence of the second young master of the Xue household, there was hardly anything missing.

The second young master of the Xue household was now lying on the ground, crippled. If there was anyone in the capital with the most notorious reputation, no one could surpass the current second young master of the Xue household.

The Second Young Master of the Xue mansion was carried to the imperial palace by the Dongling Guards and presented before the Emperor.

His legs were still broken, rendering him crippled. If there was anyone in the capital with the most notorious reputation, it could not compare to the current situation of the Second Young Master of the Xue mansion.

Gu Yuanbai lifted the teacup and took a sip, his gaze fixed on the memorial without moving, continuing to review the state affairs. “So, this is the Second Young Master of the Xue family? We still remember you.”

Being remembered by the Emperor was not a good thing. The Second Young Master of the Xue family lay on the ground, even more nervous than the person kneeling beside him, trembling as he spoke, “Your Majesty, this humble Xue Lin is grateful that Your Majesty still remembers this humble one.”

Gu Yuanbai raised an eyebrow and glanced at him. “You are not like your elder brother.”

The Second Young Master of the Xue family replied, “This humble one cannot compare to my elder brother.”

Gu Yuanbai fell silent and wrote the character “可” on the memorial, placing it aside. He then began to examine the evidence presented by the Dongling Guards in front of him, with the most prominent being a torn letter that had been ripped into four or five pieces.

The Dongling Guards displayed their impressive investigative skills, diligently searching for these fragments in every corner of the Xue mansion. However, some had already dissipated in the wind and rain, never to be found again.

Qin Sheng, the leader of the Dongling Guards, spoke in a deep voice, “Your Majesty, Madam Xue only said that everything is for Your Majesty to decide.”

Gu Yuanbai’s expression softened slightly. “I understand.”

He sat for a while before extending his hand, his slender fingers adorned with a white jade ring, and began to examine the torn piece of paper.

***

A verbal message traveled from the northern frontier to the capital, carrying with it numerous uncertainties and risks.

Xue Yuan couldn’t be certain if this message would truly reach the capital, or if it would reach Gu Yuanbai’s ears.

And if it did reach the capital, after passing through the relay stations, how would the message be distorted?

If there were people with poor memory or those who didn’t take this matter seriously, or perhaps even people who held grudges against Xue Yuan, the message would be completely twisted.

During the days when he couldn’t do anything in the northern frontier, Xue Yuan had considered every possible scenario, and the more he thought about it, the more he envisioned the situation worsening. His mental state was apparent to those around him, as he became irritable, like a lion whose tail had been stepped on, unable to sleep.

The recent Khitan tribes had already penetrated deep into the grasslands, and there was no more war to report. Xue Yuan brooded for several days, realizing that only by dealing with the nomads as soon as possible could he return to the capital sooner.

He requested permission from General Xue to lead a group of men to investigate the situation of the Pichi and Tuliu tribes, hidden beneath the ice and snow. He discovered that these two tribes had already established contact and showed signs of forming an alliance.

The tens of thousands of Da Heng soldiers stationed at the border had made these tribes uneasy. They had originally expected the Da Heng soldiers to withdraw before the new year, but judging by their stance, it seemed they would remain until after the new year.

Why would they stay until after the new year? Anyone with a brain could tell that it was not a good sign for the Da Heng soldiers to remain stationed at the border for so long.

When Xue Yuan brought this news back for discussion, in the capital, the Emperor had already finished reviewing what the Dongling Guards had found.

Including the reconstructed letter that Xue Yuan had written to Xue Lin.

The Xue family servants believed that the letter ordered the execution of Chu Wei, and their faces turned pale. However, Xue Er knew the contents of the letter, and he felt somewhat gleeful, thinking that he hadn’t done anything and that Xue Yuan had written the letter himself, so let him take the blame.

After reading it, Gu Yuanbai raised his head, his expression changing unpredictably.

“Chu Qing, this no longer concerns you,” the Emperor suppressed the anger in his tone. “You’ve made an extra trip, so you may go back.”

Countless thoughts flashed through Chu Wei’s mind.

Did the Emperor no longer consider him relevant after discovering the reasons? Or did they find evidence that Xue Yuan wanted to kill him but couldn’t say it directly?

But Xue Yuan’s men had no shame in distorting the truth right in front of him, turning assassination into protection. Now that Chu Wei was leaving, they would likely be even more reckless with their lies.

Nevertheless, Chu Wei maintained his composure and gracefully exited the Xuanzheng Hall.

There was no need to contend with such petty people for such trivial gains. How the Emperor regarded them was the most important thing.

In the hall, only the Xue family members remained. Gu Yuanbai leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. The palace was so silent that even their breathing seemed audible.

Silence was an invisible executioner, weighing down their spines, causing uneasiness and anxiety in their hearts.

“Speak up, is there anything else you haven’t told me?” Gu Yuanbai said in a low voice. “I asked you to tell me the truth.”

Xue Er had intended to be the first to speak the truth, so that the blame could be shifted onto him by the servants behind him. But he didn’t expect the servants behind him to be even more direct, speaking faster than him. “Your Majesty, it was the eldest young master who sent a letter back from the border to the second young master, and after reading it, the second young master sent us to keep an eye on Lord Chu.”

It was the torn letter.

Several pieces were missing, and some of the words were unclear, but the tone in Xue Yuan’s words about monitoring Chu Wei was far from friendly. Gu Yuanbai’s gaze shifted to Xue Lin. Xue Lin was scared and hesitantly recited the exact words from the letter.

Within these words, the possessiveness and hidden thoughts towards Gu Yuanbai were faintly discernible, causing Tian Fusheng, who knew the truth, to tremble in fear.

“Shut up,” Gu Yuanbai suddenly interrupted.

Xue Er obediently fell silent, noticing that the Emperor’s expression grew even darker.

“You previously told me that you were sent to protect Lord Chu,” Gu Yuanbai suppressed his anger. “Is this how you deceive your Emperor?”

The crime of deceiving the Emperor was overwhelming, and these people couldn’t bear it. They would be punished severely, from execution to implicating their entire families. The Xue family servants were immediately ordered to be dealt with by the Dongling Guards. After everyone had left, the Emperor looked at the objects on the table and rubbed his forehead.

Xue Yuan didn’t deceive him, not even once.

Each of these objects was connected to Gu Yuanbai, and the secret hidden within them had nothing to do with Chu Wei. But Xue Yuan was so daring, his desire to possess the Emperor clearly filling his mind. Xue Er couldn’t hear it, and neither could the others, but Gu Yuanbai, as the person involved, how could he not hear the underlying meaning of the surging proclamation of sovereignty?

Xue Yuan closely followed Gu Yuanbai, not afraid of others discovering his intentions. But under such openness, under such shocking audacity, everyone instinctively dismissed that idea.

The fact that he wasn’t deceived caused Gu Yuanbai’s anger to subside significantly, and he became more calm and composed. But at the same time, with a letter like this, with such excessive things, what did he ultimately see the Emperor as?

Did he see him as his possession, as something he owned?

In front of him, he claimed to be his master, but secretly, he had already developed a strong desire to control his master.

At times, he felt self-reflection and guilt for misunderstanding Xue Yuan’s intentions in his anger. At other times, he felt offended and engaged in an unspoken contest due to Xue Yuan’s thoughts towards him.

Did he really see Us as a possession?

How audacious could he be, and how far could he go?

Mixed with complex emotions, Gu Yuanbai couldn’t clearly articulate his final feelings.

After thinking for a while, he felt a faint soreness in his throat, a reminder of the previous days’ irritation.

Setting aside everything else, he thought about the letter Xue Yuan wrote to Xue Lin. Xue Yuan instructed Xue Lin to jot down the names of those who had close contact with Gu Yuanbai, and then wait for his return. But what did he plan to do when he returned?

Was he really planning to come and cause a scene?

Kissing, touching, twice now.

And that one moment of weakness.

Gu Yuanbai pinched his brow, closed his eyes, and pursed his lips. His lips turned pale from the pressure, a mix of flavors. At times, his anger gained the upper hand, and at other times, his guilt for misunderstanding others due to his anger prevailed.

He remained silent, but the chief guard nearby spoke nervously, “Your Majesty, actually, a month ago, Lord Xue also wrote a letter to me.”

Gu Yuanbai was taken aback and looked up at him.

The chief guard’s expression was strange, as if he couldn’t quite grasp Xue Yuan’s true intentions. “Lord Xue said he has a strange illness, his heart feels uneasy, and he has to occasionally eat flower petals to calm it down. But there are no flowers in the northern frontier, so he asked me to send him some dried flower petals.”

Gu Yuanbai asked curiously, “Why are you telling me this?”

Can’t someone from the Xue residence deliver it? And why does this sound off in every way?

The chief guard struggled to speak, his face turning red. “Lord Xue said he’s afraid that he might have a serious and incurable illness. He wanted to seek Your Majesty’s blessing and protection. Therefore, he begged me to scoop out the flower petals used by Your Majesty during bathing, dry them, and send them to him.”

Gu Yuanbai: “…” When did he ever use flower petals?

The guilt in his heart instantly vanished, followed by the anger that became incomprehensible.

It was both laughable and exasperating.

Gu Yuanbai suddenly snapped out of it.

Why bother worrying?

Right is right, wrong is wrong. Gu Yuanbai made a mistake, he admitted it. Xue Yuan dared to have these thoughts, but Gu Yuanbai couldn’t stop someone’s thoughts. As long as he didn’t take any concrete actions to threaten others, Gu Yuanbai shouldn’t let these matters disturb him before they even happened.

In comparison, it seemed that Gu Yuanbai’s thinking was already constrained by the ancient context.

He wanted to integrate into the current environment, but he also needed to stay alert at all times. Gu Yuanbai felt that the most valuable thing about him was the mindset cultivated by future generations, which told him that no one could control other people’s thoughts.

After some introspection, he temporarily set aside everything else and focused on his own mistakes.

Gu Yuanbai had promised to compensate Xue Yuan, but was it really about flower petals?

Gu Yuanbai turned his head and said to Tian Fusheng, “Go and find all the precious flowers in the capital city and dry them.”

He couldn’t send the flower petals he used himself, but he could send all the flowers that should and shouldn’t bloom in this season.

Since the first snowflake in the northern frontier had been returned, he would compensate for all the famous flowers in the capital city.