Chapter 76
After his classmate finished speaking, he couldn’t help but laugh. “I used to laugh at you for taking the imperial examination, and now I find myself in the same situation. I just hope not to embarrass myself. You become the top scholar, and I won’t compare myself to you. I’ll be content with just being among the top performers.”
Chu Wei chuckled softly, “You won’t embarrass yourself.”
The classmate laughed heartily, “I accept the auspicious words from the top scholar!”
As the two walked past the Zhuangyuan building, the classmate happened to look up and glanced at the window of the building. Something came to his mind, and he pointed at the window, saying, “I still remember when we were sightseeing together before. We saw a strikingly handsome man through that window, with red lips and white teeth. You said that beauty is just an outer shell, and the appearance is merely a vessel. Do you remember?”
Red lips and white teeth? Chu Wei looked up at the window and thought of the emperor. He couldn’t help but suppress a smile, and his expression softened a bit. “I do remember.”
Before they could continue, a clamor erupted on the street. They turned around and saw a group of people and horses charging into the bustling market. They were dressed in golden flowered robes with long belts hanging down to the ground. The group carried an arrogant and imposing demeanor, their tall stature and deep facial features marking them as foreigners.
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Ubw Elk’p lmralppksd eyajldle, yde bkp lmiwkpkvlzu clywvkqwz qynl vwadle tzssxu.
Mbl qsalktdlap zywtble y qlo xsal vkxlp yde pllxle vs oydv vs pyu psxlvbkdt lzpl. Tsolhla, Py Tldt pszeklap sd ryvasz bye yzalyeu yaakhle sd vbl pvallv. Mblu pwaaswdele vbl nyhyzau okvb vblka olyrsdp yde pbklzep aykple. Mbl zlyela yxsdt vbl pszeklap bye y pvlad lmralppksd yde eked’v zssj vss jkdezu. “Mbl ldhsup qasx Elpvlad Dky, rzlypl rasnlle vs vbl Ykdt Fbldt Rdd qkapv. Nyvla, swa sqqknkyzp okzz nsxl vs ekpnwpp vbl xyvvla sq nywpkdt ekpvwacydnlp obkzl akekdt.”
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The Western Xia envoys were forced to dismount their horses, and the gloom on Chu Wei’s face slightly eased as he and his classmate looked coldly at them.
The man who spoke to him earlier still seemed intrigued and pointed at Chu Wei, asking the patrol soldiers, “Who is this person?”
The leader of the patrol soldiers looked at Chu Wei without responding to the man and nodded instead. “Master Chu, with us here, you can handle this as you see fit.”
Chu Wei nodded back at him, the tendons on the back of his hand already showing. His classmate whispered, “Look at their attire, they should be Western Xia nobles. Zihu, don’t act impulsively. Let’s leave first.”
Chu Wei restrained himself and said, “Let’s go.”
*
Early the next morning, the incident with the Western Xia envoys causing disturbances while riding was presented to Gu Yuanbai.
This matter seemed familiar; if he recalled correctly, Xue Yuan had once left his name because of a similar incident. Gu Yuanbai remained expressionless, tapping the table with a heavy voice. “Since the Western Xia envoys have come to Da Heng, they should be dealt with according to Da Heng’s laws. If they are dissatisfied, let their emperor personally write to me to express their grievances.”
“Yes,” the Governor of the Capital replied, then bowed and left.
Gu Yuanbai’s birthday was at the end of September, and in mid-September, the Dali Temple stopped accepting criminal cases. Before halting his work in the Dali Temple, Gu Yuanbai took the time to investigate the cases handled during this period. After leaving the place, it was still early, and the carriage slowly made its way to the imperial palace.
Passing by a teahouse, Gu Yuanbai heard a familiar voice from outside the carriage, “What do you want, sir?”
The voice was cold and icy, like spitting ice. Then, another thick and lingering voice with a hint of an exotic accent sounded, “I want to talk to the Da Heng officials.”
Gu Yuanbai frowned, lifted half of the carriage curtain, and looked outside. In front of Zhang’s Bookstore, a man dressed in Western Xia attire was blocking Chu Wei.
Chu Wei’s face looked unpleasant, and his fingers made many imprints in his palm, but he still suppressed his anger. As diplomatic relations had been established between the two countries, as an official of the court, he couldn’t act impulsively. He coldly replied, “I won’t accompany you.”
Li Angshun had a dignified appearance, with deep facial features and a high nose bridge, extraordinarily handsome, but his behavior was barbaric. Seeing Chu Wei about to leave, he stepped to the side, still interested, and said, “Is this how Da Heng treats guests? Quite impolite, isn’t it?”
Who was really impolite? Chu Wei’s temples throbbed, and he loathed men like the Western Xia prince the most. Being entangled by him, Chu Wei was struggling to maintain his composure and etiquette.
At that moment, a discreet carriage passed by on the street. The curtain at the window was lifted slightly, and a voice sounded, “Master Chu, come over.”
Chu Wei’s expression momentarily froze as he turned to look at the carriage, snapping back to his senses. His face relaxed, mixed with a hint of annoyance, and he quickly stepped forward to bow in a low voice, “Your Majesty.”
The Prince of Western Xia, who was trying to catch up with Chu Wei, was intercepted by his guards. The curtain at the carriage window was slightly lifted, revealing the Emperor’s lips tightly pursed with suppressed anger. As Chu Wei glanced at the Emperor, the faint shadows that arose from the Emperor’s previous observation dissipated slowly.
“Such audacity, prince,” the Emperor’s temper was unpredictable, his tone imposing, “On the land of my Da Heng, at the feet of my throne, you dare to humiliate my Da Heng officials.”
Each word he spoke was slow and drawn out, and the straight line of his lips felt chillingly severe.
The prince, being held back from afar, had an instinctual feeling that this person was not someone to provoke. He bent down, trying to catch a glimpse of the person’s full face from within the carriage. However, all he could see was a slender and tense jaw line and pale lips. The Western Xia prince asked, “May I ask who you are?”
In the carriage, a cold sneer emerged as the person continued, “My Da Heng is a country of propriety and etiquette. Since the Western Xia envoys have entered Da Heng, they should learn our customs. If they don’t know proper etiquette, they should stay at Ming Sheng Inn and learn it thoroughly before coming out again.”
With abundant reserves in the treasury, ample provisions, and strong and capable soldiers, Gu Yuanbai was full of confidence and could easily display his elder brother demeanor towards the declining Western Xia, who had been on a path of extravagance.
The guard who stopped the Western Xia prince said in a stern voice, “You may leave now.”
The Western Xia prince watched as Chu Wei boarded the carriage, and the horse’s hooves lifted as the well-bred steed slowly walked away under the protection of numerous guards.
The Western Xia prince’s face turned dark as he felt deeply humiliated. He secretly signaled to his people among the crowd.
His people nodded in understanding and followed the carriage, keeping a low profile.
*
Inside the carriage, the light was dim.
Chu Wei sat to the side, head hanging low, remaining silent. He looked deeply distressed and repressed.
Gu Yuanbai’s expression wasn’t much better as he observed Chu Wei in this state. He sighed and softly comforted, “Chu Qing, are you alright?”
Chu Wei whispered, “I caused trouble for Your Majesty.”
Gu Yuanbai coldly snorted and said in a gentle tone, “How can you be considered causing trouble? Those Western Xia people are insolent and disrespectful, acting like wild monkeys and horses. They don’t show any restraint on Da Heng’s land; it’s clear they don’t regard Da Heng highly.”
As he spoke, his eyes deepened in expression. It was precisely because of this that he believed Da Heng needed a great victory to demonstrate its strength to both domestic and foreign audiences.
He wanted the Western Xia people to know that on this land, Da Heng was once an elder brother, and it remained their elder brother, but this elder brother’s temper had changed. No longer would he tolerate the antics and unruly behavior of younger siblings.
Chu Wei wanted to say something else, but suddenly, the sound of approaching horses could be heard from outside, accompanied by muffled whispers. Gu Yuanbai lifted the curtain and found himself face to face with Xue Yuan, who was leaning down.
Xue Yuan seemed surprised by Gu Yuanbai lifting the curtain, his eyes revealing a hint of astonishment. His arched eyebrows and rakish demeanor almost seemed to reach Gu Yuanbai’s face. But he quickly recovered, flashing a smile mixed with a touch of warmth.
Gu Yuanbai glanced at him and then took several looks at the horse beneath Xue Yuan’s crotch. “Why is Hongyun (red cloud) here with you?”
Xue Yuan, still bending over, holding the reins with one hand and stabilizing himself by pressing the top of the carriage with the other, smiled at Gu Yuanbai. “Take another look.”
Gu Yuanbai lowered his head and carefully examined the horse. It was then that he noticed a ring of dark hair above the horse’s hooves, resembling a black circlet. This horse was vigorous and untamed, locking its fierce gaze onto Gu Yuanbai.
The carriage continued to move at a slow pace, and the horse under Xue Yuan’s seat also slowed down considerably. The horse let out a dissatisfied neigh and received a harsh scolding from Xue Yuan.
“Another good one,” Gu Yuanbai was fascinated by the sight of such a fine horse, unable to take his eyes off it, “How did you get this one?”
“More and more foreign people have come to congratulate Your Majesty in the capital,” Xue Yuan leisurely explained, “I exchanged three fine horses and two young wolves for this horse.”
Seeing that Gu Yuanbai was still looking at the steed beneath him, Xue Yuan leaned in and said in a hushed tone, “Your Majesty, care to guess whether this horse is male or female?”
Stallions were taller, more majestic, and more powerful than mares. With just one glance, Gu Yuanbai knew it was a stallion. He didn’t hesitate to say, “Whether it’s male or female, this horse has caught my attention.”
Xue Yuan couldn’t help but laugh, pretending to be distressed, he said, “But the Prince of the Allied Kingdom has invited me to his residence. If I don’t have a horse, I’m afraid I won’t make it in time.”
“Prince He invited you to his residence?” Gu Yuanbai frowned.
“Yes,” Xue Yuan straightened his back, glancing at Gu Yuanbai from the corner of his eye. He suddenly frowned and said, “Your Majesty’s lips seem a bit red. Did the tea scald you, or did someone upset you?”
Gu Yuanbai was taken aback and couldn’t help but touch his lips.
Xue Yuan’s gaze instantly became somewhat restrained, and he discreetly shifted his eyes to meet the gaze of the chief guard on the other side.
The chief guard looked anxious and silently mouthed, “Guard Xue, pay attention to Master Chu.”
Xue Yuan understood his message, raised an eyebrow, and maintained a composed expression, nodding slightly. The chief guard relaxed slightly, his expression showing a hidden sense of relief.
Gu Yuanbai withdrew his hand and continued with the previous topic, “When did Prince He invite you to his residence?”
“It was on the day I returned from the Summer Palace to the capital,” Xue Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled politely, “The prince sent someone to invite me for a meeting. I don’t know the reason, but with his orders, I dare not refuse.”
After saying that, Xue Yuan pondered for a moment, feeling that his words weren’t appropriate. So, he casually changed his words, “I am greatly honored, and I felt it was necessary to go.”
“Coincidentally,” Gu Yuanbai pondered for a moment, then suddenly laughed, “It has been quite some time since I last visited Prince He. Since I’m finally out, it’s a good opportunity to go and see him.”
Prince He and Xue Yuan.
What connection could there be between them?
**************
they’re both whipped for you