Chapter 128

When the emperor’s rage erupts, millions of corpses pile up.

Minister Wang’s heart trembled.

He looked into Gu Yuanbai’s eyes, seeing the towering hatred and fury within them. The Great Heng Emperor’s wrath had been thoroughly ignited, and he wanted to use all of Fusang as a sacrifice to honor the Concubine Wan’s spirit in heaven.

“You…” Minister Wang clenched his hands, suppressing his regret. “I was the one who killed Concubine Wan. If you want to kill someone, kill me.”

“Killing you wouldn’t be nearly enough,” Gu Yuanbai laughed softly. “What are you worth?”

His chest gradually calmed, but Minister Wang grew increasingly agitated. He was terrified by what Gu Yuanbai had said. Minister Wang didn’t want to see such a day come to pass, so he desperately threw himself toward the cold blade at his neck, hoping to die right then and there, clinging to the hope that his death might spare Fusang from bearing the Great Heng Emperor’s wrath.

But Gu Yuanbai withdrew the blade in time.

His Majesty looked down at him from above. “Minister Wang cannot die now. If you died, there would be no one left to celebrate the coastal navy’s victory with me.”

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“Prince Heping,” Gu Yuanbai said quietly, “look at this—this is the house guest from your residence.”

After awakening from his coma, Gu Yuanbai suddenly remembered the scent of incense he had smelled in Prince Heping’s study that day.

On the surface, Prince Heping was the late emperor’s son who had been fostered with relatives in his early years—he was the late emperor’s eldest son. If foreign enemies wanted to move against Gu Yuanbai, Prince Heping would indeed be the best candidate to take his place.

This was precisely why Gu Yuanbai would never give Prince Heping military power.

After Gu Yuanbai figured this out, he had people closely monitor Prince Heping’s residence, conducting investigations in all directions with the prince at the center. Minister Wang’s methods were careful, but ultimately couldn’t escape Gu Yuanbai’s eyes.

His every move was under surveillance. When Prince Heping requested permission to enter the palace, Gu Yuanbai’s people secretly approached him and gave him a chance to make amends.

In the end, Prince Heping found a secret poison in Minister Wang’s room, along with some evidence of Minister Wang’s secret collaboration with Great Heng officials.

This evidence had been kept by Minister Wang as leverage to prevent officials from betraying him, but in the end, it became proof for Gu Yuanbai to convict these officials.

As for the secret poison—after Concubine Wan’s death, a palace maid who had served her for over twenty years also committed suicide the next day. Her death bore no difference from the symptoms of someone who had taken the secret poison. What else did Gu Yuanbai need to understand?

His mother consort’s health had indeed been failing, and she truly wouldn’t have lived much longer.

But she shouldn’t have died by such underhanded means.

Prince Heping’s throat was dry and hoarse. “This subject requests punishment.”

“You should indeed request punishment,” Gu Yuanbai slowly blinked. “Now that Minister Wang has done what he’s done, no matter how I deal with you, it would make me seem petty-minded. Though you were rash and foolish, you at least knew right from wrong in important matters. I’ll give you two choices: either you obediently confine yourself to Prince Heping’s residence until death, or you go to the northern frontier to become a guard that no one wants to be—stationed permanently in the north.”

Gu Yuanbai was almost harsh: “I will not give you military power. You must forever remain subordinate to the commanding general, living and dying there. Without my imperial decree, you may not enter the capital.”

Prince Heping’s mouth was bitter, and his haggard, thin face showed signs of weariness. “This subject wishes to serve His Majesty and Great Heng one last time.”

Gu Yuanbai waved his sleeve. “Then first go quit your incense habit.”

A palace attendant led Prince Heping out of the hall. With no one else left in the hall, Gu Yuanbai sat in his chair. After a while, he felt he should find something to do.

He randomly pulled out a memorial from those stacked on the desk, picked up his brush and dipped it in ink, but couldn’t read a single word on the memorial, nor could his hand write a single stroke.

Concubine Wan’s death hadn’t dealt Gu Yuanbai a devastating blow, but it certainly wasn’t insignificant either.

He had long prepared himself for Concubine Wan’s death—she had lived more than half a year longer than the imperial physicians had predicted. But when that day truly arrived, after everything was settled, he still felt somewhat lonely.

Upon learning that Concubie Wan had been harmed by someone, Gu Yuanbai was nearly consumed with rage. After discovering the source was a house guest at Prince Heping’s residence, Gu Yuanbai almost came to hate even Prince Heping.

But hatred was something that consumed too much mental energy.

Gu Yuanbai quickly calmed down.

Reason usually prevailed, but occasionally he would think of Concubine Wan, remember that she had passed away, and sometimes fall into a state of emptiness, repeatedly blaming himself for not discovering the problem sooner.

If he had discovered it, could Concubine Wan have lived a little longer?

Xue Yuan suddenly said, “Your Majesty?”

Gu Yuanbai came back to his senses and pretended nothing was wrong as he set down his brush. “I’m feeling a bit listless.”

Xue Yuan didn’t expose his pretense. “Rest for a few more days. The imperial physician said you mustn’t overexert yourself.”

Gu Yuanbai softly hummed in acknowledgment and simply closed the memorial as well. “When will Concubine Wan’s coffin reach the capital?”

“After Concubine Wan left the traveling palace, she encountered a group of monks returning to Hebei from the capital on the road,” Tian Fusheng said carefully. “Those monks chanted sutras for Concubine Wan for three days and followed the procession back to the capital. According to their pace, they should arrive in the next day or two.”

Gu Yuanbai nodded and said wearily, “The monks showed kindness. Concubine Wan, like the late emperor, enjoyed burning incense and worshipping Buddha during her lifetime. These monks were destined to meet her. When they arrive, settle them properly. On the day Concubine Wan enters the mausoleum, invite them to chant sutras together with the monks from Chengbao Temple.”

Tian Fusheng said, “This servant will remember.”

Gu Yuanbai still had many, many things left undone. His mind went blank when he picked up his brush, but when he set it down, he felt uneasy. “Prepare ink—I’m going to write a letter to the Xixia Emperor.”

Xue Yuan frowned. “What kind of letter does Your Majesty want to write?”

Kong Yilin happened to request an audience just then. Upon entering, he heard His Majesty’s words and asked curiously, “This subject has the same question.”

“The second prince of Xixia sent me such a great gift—I must return the courtesy,” Gu Yuanbai lifted his chin. “Since you’re here, you can write it.”

Kong Yilin bowed and agreed. Tian Fusheng had someone bring him a chair and desk, complete with writing materials. Kong Yilin took up his brush and asked, “Your Majesty, how should this subject write it?”

“Praise him,” Gu Yuanbai curved his lips. “Praise Li Angyi to the skies, and praise the tribute from Xixia with thirty percent added. Make sure the Xixia Emperor believes that if Li Angyi doesn’t ascend to the throne, I will be displeased with them.”

Kong Yilin’s mind worked quickly, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “This subject understands.”

He dipped his brush in ink, pondered for a moment, then began writing with flowing strokes.

Watching his movements, Gu Yuanbai sighed and said, “Lord Kong, your marriage to Lord Mi will have to be delayed by three months.”

“This subject is in no hurry,” Kong Yilin continued writing without pause, saying casually, “Lord Mi isn’t in a hurry either.”

Once the announcement of Concubine Wan’s death was issued, all women with official ranks would have to attend court and observe mourning for a month. All noble families would be prohibited from hosting banquets or music for a year, and marriages would be suspended for officials for one hundred days.

Kong Yilin’s marriage to Lord Mi’s daughter would inevitably have to be postponed. Not just them—commoner families would also be forbidden from marrying for three months.

Gu Yuanbai felt mentally fatigued. He stood up and said, “Continue writing. I’m going to rest for a while.”

Kong Yilin responded and respectfully saw His Majesty off.

In the bedchamber, Gu Yuanbai sat on the edge of the bed. The palace attendants had all withdrawn, leaving only Xue Yuan inside.

Xue Yuan was removing His Majesty’s shoes and socks.

Gu Yuanbai looked down at him, studying his features carefully.

Since awakening, Gu Yuanbai hadn’t had the leisure to examine him so closely.

In the past, when Xue Yuan looked disheveled, he was afraid of Gu Yuanbai seeing him. But these past few days, though he was disheveled, he kept his eyes fixed on Gu Yuanbai, feeling that even the time spent shaving was wasted.

His beard was scruffy, his lips were dry and peeling. Gu Yuanbai suddenly reached out and pried open Xue Yuan’s mouth for a look. Sure enough, there were several blisters inside that were about to burst.

Xue Yuan stopped what he was doing and looked up at Gu Yuanbai.

Gu Yuanbai pinched his face and said, “You woke up startled twice last night. Each time you woke up, you had to run to my side to hold me and squeeze my hand. That would have been fine, but you also insisted on calling my name softly in my ear several times until I drowsily responded, and only then were you satisfied enough to leave.”

This was the main reason Gu Yuanbai felt he had traumatized Xue Yuan.

Gu Yuanbai had thought he was the one sleeping restlessly, but his body wouldn’t cooperate—no matter how depressed or uncomfortable he felt, he still needed to sleep five or six hours a day. The more uncomfortable he was, the longer he slept. On the contrary, it was Xue Yuan who kept waking up startled in the night.

Whenever he couldn’t see Gu Yuanbai or when Gu Yuanbai remained silent for too long, Xue Yuan would panic, involuntarily wondering if Gu Yuanbai was still alive.

Death was such a swift thing, but with Gu Yuanbai, it had become pure torture.

Xue Yuan wanted to block Gu Yuanbai’s path to the underworld, but how? What if Gu Yuanbai died while he was sleeping at night? His body remembered this bone-deep anxiety, and whenever he went an hour or two without seeing Gu Yuanbai, Xue Yuan’s instincts would force him awake to carefully check Gu Yuanbai’s breathing.

His Majesty only thought Xue Yuan woke up startled twice a night, but that wasn’t the case—Xue Yuan woke and slept multiple times throughout the night. He would watch Gu Yuanbai, observe the rise and fall of his chest, the beating of his pulse. Sometimes when the little emperor’s breathing was too shallow, he became too frightened and couldn’t help but softly call Gu Yuanbai’s name, listening for his quiet, soft response.

Those were the only two moments of peace in the entire night.

Xue Yuan didn’t say any of this. He gripped Gu Yuanbai’s fingers, his throat working several times before he said quietly, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Gu Yuanbai’s fingertips moved slightly, and he sighed inwardly. “Stop taking off my boots. Get a small blade—I’ll shave you.”

Xue Yuan left the inner chamber and returned carrying a basin of hot water and towels, with a delicate small blade in his hand.

Gu Yuanbai had him sit down, used the towel to wipe his chin, then carefully shaved away the stubble along his jawline.

“Don’t talk,” His Majesty said seriously, his brow furrowed. His slender, pale, cool fingers moved here and there on Xue Yuan’s face as if performing some important task. “If I accidentally cut off a piece of your flesh, you can’t blame me.”

Hearing this, Xue Yuan immediately tensed up.

After all, he relied entirely on his looks to serve his lord.

Seeing him like this, Gu Yuanbai was amused. His movements were slow, and after the inner chamber had been quiet for a while, His Majesty said softly, “Xue Yuan, I need to thank you. You let me see Concubine Wan one last time.”

Xue Yuan’s heart warmed, and he couldn’t help but want to grin widely. But as soon as he smiled, he hissed and a drop of blood appeared on his chin.

Gu Yuanbai startled, wiped away the blood drop, and darkened his face. “I told you not to move!”

“My lord, I didn’t want to move either,” Xue Yuan lowered his voice. He tried hard to press down his lips, but just couldn’t suppress them. “I just couldn’t help smiling.”

Gu Yuanbai said coolly, “If you can’t help it again, by the time your beard is gone, this handsome face of yours will be ruined by my hands too.”

Xue Yuan’s smile froze, and he composed himself. After a moment, he humbly demurred, “Your Majesty flatters me. This subject’s face doesn’t deserve to be called handsome. The most handsome face in the capital belongs to Lord Chu Wei.”

“Indeed,” Gu Yuanbai said absently, moving to Xue Yuan’s left side and bending down. “Lord Chu’s face is truly handsome.”

Xue Yuan’s lips pressed together in displeasure.

Gu Yuanbai carefully cleaned all the stubble from Xue Yuan’s face, and General Xue looked dashing and handsome again. Gu Yuanbai set down the blade, moistened the towel, and wiped the bits of stubble from his face, saying slowly, “Xue Jiuyao, why do you always bring up Chu Wei?”

Xue Yuan answered honestly, “This subject isn’t as handsome as him. This subject worries that Your Majesty likes him.”

Gu Yuanbai blinked, then after a long moment said, “Ridiculous.”

Not ridiculous at all—Chu Wei clearly harbored improper thoughts toward His Majesty.

But Xue Yuan couldn’t say this. He took the shaving implements outside to hand to the palace attendants, then returned to remove His Majesty’s shoes and socks again. Gu Yuanbai lay down on the bed, facing the wall and covering himself with the blanket.

Xue Yuan arranged the bedding behind him, the rustling sounds intermittent. At this time of year, the charcoal in the heated bed platform had long since gone out. Gu Yuanbai only felt the cold bedding, and he half-drooped his eyelids. “Xue Yuan, come up.”

The moment these words left his mouth, in an instant Xue Yuan had already removed his belt, taken off his robes, and gotten onto the dragon bed. Warmth pressed against him from behind, and a pair of hands tentatively touched his waist, then boldly pulled Gu Yuanbai into his embrace.

Gu Yuanbai sighed with satisfaction, leaning back completely and entrusting himself entirely to Xue Yuan, closing his eyes comfortably.

After his illness, his body was even more sensitive to cold than before. Even in late June weather, he still needed Xue Yuan to share thick blankets with him. He couldn’t help but murmur, “I’m troubling you.”

“No trouble at all,” Xue Yuan couldn’t help but lean forward to kiss the back of his neck—just once before forcing himself to stop and pull away. “If this is trouble, Your Majesty, I beg you to trouble me for a lifetime.”

Gu Yuanbai laughed softly, trembling slightly.

Because they were in mourning, everyone behaved properly, not crossing any lines. After laughing for a while, Gu Yuanbai said, “My lifetime might be rather short.”

Xue Yuan’s brow darkened, sinister shadows faintly emerging, his expression briefly turning fierce.

“General Xue had better not say such things,” Gu Yuanbai said, his back to Xue Yuan, not seeing his expression. “I told you once before—know when to stop. I’m not trying to harm you, Xue Jiuyao. Do you know why Concubine Wan deliberately reduced her meetings with me these past few years?”

As he spoke, he thought again of the letter Concubine Wan had written him during New Year’s. At the time, every sentence seemed ordinary, but now thinking back, each line could make one’s eyes red with tears: “As the weather grows colder, my son must not forget to add layers,” “Today I heard a child say something playful, Mother Consort writes it here—can my son read it with joy?”…

Gu Yuanbai’s eyes reddened. He clenched his fist, took several deep breaths to calm his emotions, then continued, “Even Concubine Wan’s death affects me this way. Did you think I was joking when I said those things to you before?”

“Then does Your Majesty think this subject was just paying lip service when I responded?” Xue Yuan’s neck veins bulged as he forced the words through his teeth. “Have you so easily forgotten what I said to you?!”

Gu Yuanbai suddenly turned to look at him.

The ferocity hadn’t yet faded from Xue Yuan’s face. Gu Yuanbai could almost hear his grinding teeth, each sound vicious, as if he wanted to devour him whole. “Your Majesty, say something.”

Gu Yuanbai said, “I was just informing you one last time, so you won’t be heartbroken later.”

He shifted back slightly, studying Xue Yuan. Xue Yuan was tall and broad, with sword-like brows extending to his temples, sharp features that could carry refinement but showed a roguish air when he smiled ambiguously. These alone were enough to capture hearts. Moreover, Xue Yuan had much more—an excellent physique, bright prospects. How could such a person not find a kindred spirit to spend his life with?

Xue Yuan’s expression softened slightly, but he was still frighteningly fierce. He pressed Gu Yuanbai’s head against his chest and said menacingly, “Sleep.”

Gu Yuanbai thought, alright then, sleep.

As soon as he closed his eyes, Xue Yuan asked quietly above his head, “Gu Yuanbai, do you truly have no feelings for me at all?”

Gu Yuanbai blurted out, “I want to sleep with you.” But don’t want to take responsibility.

As soon as he said this, his expression changed drastically.

Xue Yuan was startled, then his eyes and brows filled with irrepressible joy. The laughter in his throat was deep, his chest shaking constantly, his mouth stretched wide in a grin. Finally, he even pretended to be serious and patted Gu Yuanbai’s back, acting as if he’d heard nothing. “Sleep, sleep.”

Gu Yuanbai fell asleep with an ugly expression.

Before falling asleep, he seemed to hear Xue Yuan making strange sounds trying to suppress his laughter.

Xue Yuan clenched his fist and pounded the blanket heavily, excited enough to want to get up and run several laps or practice with his sword.

His heartbeat grew faster and faster, his whole body trembling with excitement. Gu Yuanbai wanted to sleep with him—he actually wanted to sleep with him? He had truly succeeded in using his looks to serve his lord!

His eyes bright, he held Gu Yuanbai tightly, forcing himself to contain his excitement and wait for His Majesty to wake up. After a while, the excitement subsided and panic emerged again. Xue Yuan carefully checked His Majesty’s breathing once more—shallow breaths, but steady.

Xue Yuan took a deep breath, pressed against the top of Gu Yuanbai’s head, and closed his eyes as well.