IRBSC 114

Chapter 114

Until the Western Xia delegation left Great Heng, their every move would be closely monitored by the Surveillance Bureau and the Eastern Ling Guard.

Gu Yuanbai also questioned the emissaries who had delivered the ransom letter to Western Xia, asking about the Western Xia Emperor’s reaction upon receiving it.

The emissaries carefully chose their words. “After the letter was read aloud, the Western Xia Emperor was furious. He ordered his guards to detain us, but fortunately, his ministers intervened. We were deeply worried. However, a few days later, when the Emperor summoned us again, although his expression was still stern, he had already begun preparing the reparations.”

However, when asked where Western Xia had acquired such a large quantity of goods, the emissaries couldn’t answer. Only those privy to the state of their own treasury would know.

Gu Yuanbai was certain something was amiss with Western Xia, so covert surveillance and investigation were essential. In this matter, humanitarian concerns could be put aside. If necessary, Gu Yuanbai was even prepared to disregard diplomatic protocol and detain the entire Western Xia delegation.

Of course, unless absolutely necessary, Gu Yuanbai didn’t want to damage Great Heng’s reputation and credibility on the international stage.

February 25th, the Lantern Festival.

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Dwl Zwyd vakle vs yhlav bkp tygl cwv wzvkxyvlzu tyhl wr, xwaxwakdt, “R pyo Zswa Yyflpvu.”

Qw Zwydcyk rywple, tssplcwxrp akpkdt sd bkp pjkd.

Mbl Nydvlad Wlpvkhyz oyp cwpvzkdt, yde nyaakytlp nswzed’v ldvla vbl nasoele pvallvp, ps vblu bye vs cl ryajle sd lkvbla pkel. Ms yhske vaswczl, Qw Zwydcyk nbspl vs oyzj, pzsokdt bkp rynl obldlhla bl qlzv vkale.

Dwl Zwyd alxlxclale bkp ralhkswp osaep. “Pslp Zswa Yyflpvu pvkzz qllz olyjdlpp kd uswa zkxcp obld usw oyzj?”

Gu Yuanbai replied, “It’s alright for now.”

Before Xue Yuan could ask further, Gu Yuanbai reminded him, “We’re in disguise. Don’t slip up.”

Xue Yuan corrected himself, “Yuanbai.”

Gu Yuanbai: “…”

You’re certainly good at taking advantage of a situation.

After walking for a while, they reached the brightly lit Lantern Street. Lanterns of all shapes and sizes hung overhead, illuminating the sea of people. The sounds of laughter and chatter suddenly intensified, like water hitting hot oil. Gu Yuanbai and his entourage entered the street and were quickly swallowed by the crowd.

A gently flowing stream ran alongside Lantern Street, carrying flickering lotus lanterns on its surface. Young men and women stood on opposite banks of the river, separated by a considerable distance, shyly exchanging words from time to time.

Gu Yuanbai was looking at an ox-shaped lantern when someone suddenly grasped his hand, their fingers interlacing with his. Gu Yuanbai looked down at his hand, then up to see Xue Yuan’s nonchalant expression.

“Let go,” Gu Yuanbai said.

Xue Yuan stubbornly refused. “No.”

Gu Yuanbai narrowed his eyes. Catching his expression from the corner of his eye, Xue Yuan hastily added, “There are so many people here. I’m afraid you’ll get lost.”

Even after holding hands for just a short while, Xue Yuan’s palms were already sweating. The sticky sweat caused their pulses to throb against each other.

Gu Yuanbai was amused. “I’ll get lost?”

Xue Yuan said, “I misspoke. I’m the one who might get lost. You need to keep an eye on me.”

No matter what Gu Yuanbai said after that, Xue Yuan refused to let go, his grip like iron. He even quickened his pace, leaving the rest of the entourage struggling to keep up behind the dense crowd, shouting, “Master, wait for us!”

Xue Yuan pretended not to hear, weaving through the crowd with Gu Yuanbai in tow, quickly leaving the others ten paces behind.

He finally stopped abruptly upon seeing a sugar painting stall.

Gu Yuanbai nearly bumped into him, his face darkening. “Xue Jiuyao!”

Xue Yuan pointed at the sugar paintings. “Do you want one?”

Gu Yuanbai’s interest was piqued. He stepped forward and asked, “Old man, what kind of sugar paintings can you make?”

The white-haired old man replied proudly, “Young master, I can make many kinds. Even if I counted them on my fingers, I wouldn’t be able to list them all.”

Gu Yuanbai smiled and pointed at Xue Yuan. “Can you make one of him?”

The old man widened his eyes, scrutinized Xue Yuan from head to toe, and nodded confidently. “Yes!”

“Then make one of him,” Gu Yuanbai said, taking out a few copper coins. “Give him pig ears.”

Xue Yuan was taken aback, then couldn’t help but smile.

The old man took the money and began skillfully swirling the golden, fragrant sugar syrup around a bamboo stick. In a matter of moments, a sugar figure of a tall, imposing man with pig ears emerged.

Gu Yuanbai took the sugar painting, gave Xue Yuan a sinister smile, and then, snap, bit off the entire head of the figure. “Not bad.”

Xue Yuan felt a chill run down his neck.

As they left the stall, Xue Yuan listened to the crunching sound of Gu Yuanbai biting into the sugar figure, a shiver running down his spine. “Your Majesty, stop eating it. It’ll make your teeth ache.”

Gu Yuanbai asked, “What did you call me?”

Xue Yuan choked, then corrected himself, “Yuan—”

Gu Yuanbai looked at him with a smile.

Xue Yuan swallowed, leaning down to whisper in his ear, “Master Yuan, Master Bai, please listen to me, I beg you, don’t eat anymore.”

Gu Yuanbai didn’t want to eat any more either. He glanced at the sugar figure. “There’s still half left.”

Without a word, Xue Yuan took the remaining half and popped it into his mouth. After finishing it, he tossed the bamboo stick aside, finally freeing his hand. He didn’t forget to switch hands and take Gu Yuanbai’s other hand. “Why is this hand so cold?”

Gu Yuanbai struggled to free his hand, but failing to do so, he simply used Xue Yuan as a hand warmer. “Your hand is too hot.”

Xue Yuan chuckled. “Let me warm you up some more.”

After the sugar painting, they continued their stroll, encountering fried goose meat, scallion tea, deep-fried dough sticks in soup, and all sorts of enticing snacks. This was Gu Yuanbai’s first true experience of an ancient night market. His appetite was whetted, and he went on to try spring pancakes, Granny Li’s meat pies, and soup dumplings. He ate the soup dumplings carefully, their thin skin filled with flavorful broth. He lifted one gently, sucked out the broth, and savored the delicious filling, enjoying two in total.

He only took a bite or two of each snack, afraid of getting full and being unable to continue eating. Fortunately, Xue Yuan had an enormous appetite. Along the way, he devoured eighty percent of the food, yet his expression remained unchanged, showing no signs of being full.

After eating a four-colored steamed bun the size of a baby’s palm, Gu Yuanbai admitted defeat. “One last cake, and then I can’t eat anything else.”

Xue Yuan couldn’t help but look slightly disappointed. Now that the Emperor was full, he wouldn’t be able to taste the things the Emperor had tried.

They went to buy cakes. Standing at the stall, Gu Yuanbai looked towards the end of the street and couldn’t help but be amazed. They had been walking for half an hour, yet it seemed they hadn’t even covered a third of the street.

Xue Yuan received two cakes. Each cake was about the size of a finger, as soft as rice cakes, with a bright red date in the center, adding a touch of sweetness without being overly cloying. They served as a refreshing contrast to the other rich snacks they had eaten.

As Gu Yuanbai slowly ate, he finally tore his gaze away from the food and looked at the toys and trinkets being sold.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted Chu Yi not far ahead. The boy was being carried on someone’s back, his face rosy and cheerful as he looked around excitedly. He had a gap in his baby teeth. His eyes suddenly widened in surprise as he met Gu Yuanbai’s gaze.

“Nephew,” Chu Yi tugged at the sleeve of the person carrying him. “Nephew!”

Chu Wei looked back at him, his eyes gentle. “What is it?”

Chu Yi whispered incredulously, “I saw His Majesty! Just behind us!”

Chu Wei’s heart skipped a beat. He instinctively turned to look.

But with the crowds surging back and forth and lanterns hanging everywhere, he couldn’t see the Emperor among the throng.

In a dark alley, the aroma of cakes filled the air.

The street outside was incredibly noisy, with occasional bursts of shouting directed at Xue Yuan from the palace guards. But inside the alley, just a few steps away, it was quiet and dark, with only the sounds of breathing and flowing water.

Gu Yuanbai suddenly found himself pulled into the alley by Xue Yuan. Xue Yuan stood before him and shushed him. “Your Majesty, don’t go to Minister Chu.”

Gu Yuanbai’s voice was laced with irritation. “When did I say I was going to him?!”

“Calm down,” Xue Yuan lowered his head, unable to resist moving closer to Gu Yuanbai’s neck, his voice a low murmur. “Getting angry after eating is bad for your health.”

Gu Yuanbai tilted his head. In the darkness, he felt a warmth on his neck as a hand reached up to touch his right ear. Gu Yuanbai knew he was touching the red mark.

The irritation flared up again. Gu Yuanbai kicked him, scoffing, “I calmed down a long time ago.”

Xue Yuan paused after the kick. “Your Majesty knew it was me?”

Gu Yuanbai’s eyelids twitched. “I know now.”

Xue Yuan didn’t doubt him and didn’t have time to think further. His mind was full of Gu Yuanbai, captivated from the moment he first saw him that day.

“The mark has faded. Can I make a new one now?” His breathing grew heavier, his hot breath against Gu Yuanbai’s neck sending shivers down his spine. “No one’s here. It’s quiet and peaceful.”

Gu Yuanbai raised his neck, seemingly caught by the suppressed desire and panting in Xue Yuan’s voice, his own breath growing hot.

The stars above formed a brilliant tapestry, each one indistinguishable in brightness from the next. Such a starry sky was rare in modern times. Gu Yuanbai remembered seeing a similar night sky once, on a voyage to the Arctic. He had lain on the deck, the waves rocking him back and forth, gazing at the stars that seemed large enough to fall and crush him.

Reaching for the stars. Anyone who had seen such a sky would never forget it.

“…” Gu Yuanbai’s eyes suddenly widened.

His earlobe was sucked gently, and a husky voice pleaded beside him, “Your Majesty, I want to kiss you.”

The deck had been cold that night, the chill penetrating even his thermal jacket. Gu Yuanbai remembered the sensation, the waves beneath him making him feel like he was flying, the weightless rising and falling, the stars appearing close then distant, the air thick with moisture, like a dream from a fairytale.

Hot lips rained kisses on his neck and ear, the sweet scent of cakes filling his nostrils. Gu Yuanbai’s throat moved, and he uttered a short, sharp word: “Get lost!”

In the darkness, Xue Yuan found his lips. “Gu Lian, Yuanbai, Master Bai.”

Even though he held Gu Yuanbai’s wrists, trapping him between the wall and his chest, he pleaded pathetically, “Master Bai.”

Master Bai glanced at the bright stars above and curled his lips into a sneer. “Just do it. Why so much talk?”