IRBSC 107

Chapter 107

It was becoming increasingly strange.

In the past, Xue Yuan had been the one trying to take advantage of the Emperor, while the Emperor had been the one punishing him. But now, with the Emperor’s words, Xue Yuan looked at the jade object in his hand, his face bewildered despite the heat in his heart.

Gu Yuanbai observed Xue Yuan’s expression and finally couldn’t hold back, bursting into laughter.

He picked up the jade object for a moment, then put it down again, laughing so hard that he forgot his own weak condition and couldn’t straighten up from leaning on Xue Yuan’s back.

Xue Yuan was dazed for a while before regaining his senses. His handsome face remained calm, but he couldn’t help the heat in his cheeks. “How is Your Majesty’s reaction?”

“Quite good,” Gu Yuanbai’s voice trembled with laughter, “Xue Qing, no one can match you in cooperating with me.”

Xue Yuan couldn’t help but turn around and pull the weakened Emperor into his embrace, seating him on his lap and helping him catch his breath. He wanted to say “You’re tricking me,” but instead muttered, “Your Majesty, it’s been three months since I’ve seen you. I’ve missed you so much.”

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Gu Yuanbai laughed again, resting his face in the crook of Xue Yuan’s neck, his body trembling. Xue Yuan inhaled the scent from the Emperor’s hair, caressing his back. “This desire is simply because I miss you. Dreaming of you at night has become a common occurrence. When I heard in the north that you were to take a consort, the news had even reached the northern border – do you know what I felt then?”

He murmured absentmindedly, “Your Majesty, I’m afraid I’ll be too late, and everything will be too late.”

Gu Yuanbai regained his strength and stood up, moving away from Xue Yuan. Xue Yuan stood up and followed him.

But as soon as Xue Yuan rose, the area where the Emperor had been sitting was now visible.

Gu Yuanbai caught a glimpse of it from the corner of his eye and paused. Xue Yuan spoke calmly, “Your Majesty, I’ve had too much tea and need to attend to a personal matter.”

The palace servants wanted to escort Xue Yuan to the restroom, but he refused without changing his expression, staying by the Emperor’s side.

“The people in the palace say Your Majesty has had a heated bed installed,” he hinted subtly, “I’ve truly never seen this item before and am quite curious. May I stay in the palace tonight to try out this heating device?”

Gu Yuanbai sat down and sipped his soup slowly. Seeing the Emperor silent, Xue Yuan changed the subject.

“I received the box of sweets Your Majesty bestowed upon me,” Xue Yuan couldn’t help but smile, his heart and mouth filled with sweetness, “I couldn’t bear to eat much on the journey, the flowers are sweet and the fragrance lingers.”

“Then Xue Qing should eat them slowly,” Gu Yuanbai glanced at him, “If you don’t eat them, will you feel anxious? Then eat a little more each day.”

Xue Yuan smiled, “Yes, I will remember that.”

As they were speaking, the two wolves that had been taken out to feed were approaching. They had caught Xue Yuan’s scent from afar and, once near, broke free from the servants, howling as they ran towards Xue Yuan.

Xue Yuan frowned and kicked them aside, “When I’m not around, do they act this way towards Your Majesty as well?”

“No, they’ve never been this enthusiastic,” Gu Yuanbai put down his soup and reached out a hand to the wolves, “Come here.”

The two wolves, whimpering after being kicked by Xue Yuan, immediately forgot their former master and scampered to the Emperor, affectionately licking his hand.

Their tongues, red as cinnabar, licked from the palm to the spaces between the delicate white fingers, as if savoring a tender bone with meat.

Xue Yuan’s brow furrowed, feeling displeased.

“Next month is the martial arts examination,” Gu Yuanbai, unaware of Xue Yuan’s expression, continued slowly, “If you have time, you should come and see if there are any promising candidates.”

“Yes,” Xue Yuan kept his eyes fixed on the wolves’ tongues, “Has Your Majesty been staying in the palace these past few days?”

Gu Yuanbai thought for a moment, “In a few days, I intend to go out and take a look. If I remember correctly, the Ministry of Revenue and the Secretariat are hosting a cuju match, are they not?”

Tian Fusheng quickly answered, “That is indeed the case. I’ve recently heard from the Secretariat that the Ministry of Revenue officials have been loudly challenging them for quite some time. The Secretariat head is holding in his anger and is determined to thoroughly defeat the officials in the cuju match.”

Gu Yuanbai chuckled, “Admirable spirit!”

“The two departments have set the cuju match on a rest day, just two days from now,” Tian Fusheng asked, “Your Majesty, will you be going to watch?”

“I will go,” Gu Yuanbai nodded, “but without much fanfare, just go in secret.”

Tian Fusheng acknowledged, and Gu Yuanbai glanced outside at the sky, saying to Xue Yuan, “You should head back.”

Xue Yuan tore his gaze away from the wolves. “Your Majesty, about that heated bed—”

“Xue Manor also has one,” Gu Yuanbai said unhurriedly, “And you have one in your own room.”

Xue Yuan could not hide the disappointment on his face.

Gu Yuanbai thought to himself, no matter how disappointed you are, a gentleman’s word is as good as his bond – I’ve already said I won’t visit you, so I won’t.

Just as he thought that, Xue Yuan spoke again, “Your Servant would like to request a favor.”

Gu Yuanbai studied him, “What is it?”

Xue Yuan lowered his voice, “On the rest day in two days, I would also like to participate. I hope Your Majesty will keep your eyes on me and watch my valor.” He grinned, his back slightly bent like a frivolous rogue, “If I win, would you be willing to stay the night at my manor?”

He spoke softly, only for Gu Yuanbai to hear. Gu Yuanbai couldn’t help but wonder, is he trying to seduce me?

The Emperor looked at Xue Yuan for a while, from his handsome face to his neck, the prominent Adam’s apple visibly moving up and down greedily under Gu Yuanbai’s gaze.

Gu Yuanbai pondered deeply, various lewd thoughts crossing his mind, before finally looking at Xue Yuan meaningfully and asking, “And what if you lose?”

What a crafty move, Xue Jiu Yao.

This was an attempt to lure him to the manor, and when the night was deep, serve him until Gu Yuanbai was body and soul satisfied, then bend him to his will.

The wise and mighty Emperor contemplated much, his gaze on Xue Yuan growing ever more profound.

Under that gaze, Xue Yuan swallowed hard before dropping the wolf-like demeanor, speaking politely, “But how could I possibly lose?”

He licked his lips, a few trickles of blood seeping from the cracked skin, and smiled ever more pleasantly, savoring the taste of blood. “Then Your Majesty should prepare the clothes for your overnight stay.”

*

Two days later, it was a rest day.

The cuju match between the Ministry of Revenue and the Secretariat was about to begin. These two groups were normally desk-bound officials. Throwing Xue Yuan into the mix would be like a wolf dropped into a sheep pen.

To avoid demoralizing the officials and ensure an engaging match, Gu Yuanbai had selected a team from the Dongling Guard to compete alongside Xue Yuan, pitting them against another team composed of the Palace Guards.

The two teams were all tall and burly men. The match was to take place at the same location where Gu Yuanbai had previously watched the contests between the Imperial College and the National University. Since the Emperor’s visit, this had become a fixed cuju venue, with enthusiastic commoners often passing by to catch any exciting matches.

As the Dongling Guard and Palace Guard teams took the field, their high spirits and imposing figures instantly drew the attention of many curious onlookers. Even before the match began, enthusiastic cheers and whistles had already whipped up the atmosphere.

Gu Yuanbai’s people had already prepared everything in the pavilion. He was dressed in casual attire, gazing out at the bustling crowd on the street.

The harsh winter had just passed, and springtime was gently peeking out. Though the cold lingered, the bright sun generously showered down increasingly warm rays. It was now midday, and the bustling pedestrians on the market streets were casually haggling with the merchants. There were also groups gathered around the cuju field, excitedly cheering on the players.

The lively, vibrant scene.

Gu Yuanbai was wearing a deep blue cloak, his slender jade-like fingers peeking out, holding a golden hand warmer. An occasional gust of wind would blow his loose black hair across his shoulders.

The heavy clothing nearly covered half his face. Tian Fusheng quietly said, “Your Majesty, this is a windy spot, shall we move?”

“Wait a moment,” Gu Yuanbai said, “I want to watch a bit longer.”

The two teams on the cuju field were warming up, eyeing each other with intensity and fire. The more they did so, the more the watching crowd grew, some laughing and shouting, “Young man, play well and I’ll introduce you to a nice girl!”

Triggering bursts of laughter.

The Dongling Guard and Palace Guard members were turning red in the face, pretending not to hear the bold teasing from the commoners.

Gu Yuanbai chuckled, “I don’t recall there being this many people when I came here last year.”

“Yes,” Tian Fusheng said, “Before Your Majesty started coming to watch the cuju matches, this place was quite spacious but didn’t have many visitors. But after Your Majesty came, gradually, any major cuju matches held by officials or commoners would be hosted here. Merchants have also followed, and the crowds have grown larger and larger.”

“Zhang’s family deserves some credit for that,” Gu Yuanbai said calmly, “They have returned to the capital, and a large number of out-of-town merchants have followed suit. This year, the number of registered merchants in the capital is 20% more than last year.”

Mentioning merchants inevitably led to thoughts about the neglected maritime domain.

Lin Zhicheng had already hastened to his maritime military post after the new year, but Gu Yuanbai had asked him to leave behind an essay on maritime trade strategies. After thoroughly researching historical records and considering the current circumstances, Gu Yuanbai felt that essay contained viable proposals.

There was always more work to be done. Gu Yuanbai was pulled from his thoughts by the cheers of the commoners, looking down to see the cuju match was about to begin.

He stepped forward, focusing his attention on the upcoming match between the two teams.