I Rely On Beauty To Stabilize the Country Chapter 85

Chapter 85

The Emperor is in my embrace.

Emperor, in, my, embrace.

Gu Yuanbai sat in front of Xue Yuan’s desk, his mind shaken by this line of characters for quite a while.

After recovering his senses, the paper-crafted swallow kite was already destroyed in his hands.

Well, Xue Jiuyao.

How many things have you done that I don’t know about?

Gu Yuanbai thought that after giving Xue Yuan a good fifty hits, Xue Yuan would truly behave and follow the rules from then on. He seemed obedient and reasonable. But as it turns out, even during kite-flying, he could hold a kite with this line of characters written on it to show him. He even had the audacity to let the guards come forward and fly the kite for him.

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Ekvb pwnb yweynkvu, obu eked’v usw qzu uswa dsdpldpl jkvl sd y aykdu eyu?

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“Mkyd Wwpbldt.”

Mkyd Wwpbldt, obs oyp swvpkel, ldvlale okvb y uswdt lwdwnb. Qw Zwydcyk rskdvle wdela vbl cle yde pyke, “Jakdt swv vbl kvlx.”

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With a creaking sound, the wooden box was opened.

Gu Yuanbai looked at what was inside for a while and said, “Jade?”

Long and slender jade, tapering from thin to thick, with one end rounded and the other flattened. The quality seemed decent, but the shape was exceptionally strange.

Gu Yuanbai reached out to pick up a piece for closer inspection, but he was abruptly stopped by Tian Fusheng. Tian Fusheng was sweating profusely, his voice trembling, “Your Majesty, this jade has gathered dust, it’s not clean.”

Gu Yuanbai gave him a glance and calmly asked, “What is this thing?”

Tian Fusheng stammered and hesitated to speak, his mouth opening several times, but he couldn’t manage to say a word.

Xue Jiuyao had prepared this jade design in his room, hidden so deep. Its purpose was evident. Look, Your Majesty, Xue Jiuyao was prepared to endure imperial favor, even though you aren’t fond of him. This stalwart man, usually so strong, secretly using jade designs in his room, that could be overlooked. But if Your Majesty found out, would Xue Jiuyao still have the face to meet you?

However, when the Emperor asked, Tian Fusheng couldn’t avoid answering. Just as cold sweat ran down his temples, a servant from the Xue residence suddenly reported, “Your Majesty, the lady of the house has sent some tea. Would you like to have it now?”

Gu Yuanbai’s gaze flickered outside for a moment. Tian Fusheng hurriedly went out to receive the tea and brought it back, saying, “Your Majesty, Lord Xue’s room is rather small. Would you like to enjoy the refreshments outside?”

Gu Yuanbai hadn’t forgotten about the box of jade. He stared at Tian Fusheng for a while and snorted, “I’ll ask you about this later.” He ordered the box of jade to be taken away.

Whatever could make Tian Fusheng struggle to speak must be related to Xue Jiuyao. Gu Yuanbai had a strong feeling that this item wasn’t something that could be openly shown. He decided to take it back to the palace to investigate thoroughly.

Perhaps back in familiar territory, the two wolves that Xue Jiuyao had trained were extremely excited. After Gu Yuanbai left Xue Jiuyao’s room and before he could even taste the refreshments from the Xue residence, the wolves clung to his clothes. They dragged Gu Yuanbai all the way to the wolf enclosure.

The wolf enclosure was deep within the Xue residence. After the two wolves howled, a moment later, the wolves in the enclosure began to bark incessantly, their voices resounding through the sky. They even began to ram against the locked wooden door, making a banging sound. The guards around Gu Yuanbai’s body changed their expressions and began to move back, shielding Gu Yuanbai.

However, the farther Gu Yuanbai moved away, the more agitated the wolves inside the enclosure became. Their howls were filled with a ferocious nature, each one louder than the last.

Gu Yuanbai checked himself but found nothing that could excite them so much. Servants from the Xue residence hurried over upon hearing the commotion. When they saw the two adult wolves tugging at Gu Yuanbai’s sleeves, their eyes widened, and fear overcame them, “Yo-Your Majesty!”

A guard reassured them, “These are the two wolves that Lord Xue sent to accompany Your Majesty. Don’t worry. Come and see, what’s wrong with these wolves in the enclosure?”

The servants snapped back to reality and hurried to examine the situation of the wolf pack. Gu Yuanbai still remembered Xue Jiuyao’s words. He had spoken quite eloquently, claiming that he had disciplined all the wolves in the residence and that they would obey the Emperor’s commands. But now, upon closer inspection, each one of them was rebellious, not at all like what Xue Jiuyao had described.

In his heart, Gu Yuanbai mentally made another note about Xue Jiuyao.

After the servants approached, the Chief Guard whispered, “Your Majesty, we will protect you and leave first.”

Gu Yuanbai’s hands were behind his back, and the sleeves of his robe, which had fallen to his wrists, were each taken into the mouths of the two wolves, held by their sharp teeth. They wouldn’t let Gu Yuanbai leave. He showed the Chief Guard the two wolves at his feet and said, “These two persistent creatures are blocking my way. How can I leave?”

The wolves insisted on having Gu Yuanbai approach to see. So, Gu Yuanbai moved closer. The closer he got, the more excited the wolf pack became. By the time he reached the front, the wolves were already lying against the fence, their sharp claws scraping against it. Strangely, each wolf had a white porcelain bottle wrapped around its neck.

Gu Yuanbai stared at one of these white bottles. Suddenly, he reached out and plucked one from the neck of the nearest wolf. Amidst the astonished cries of those around him, he firmly removed the cap from the bottle, revealing a rolled-up piece of paper inside.

The bottle’s opening was quite narrow, making it difficult to retrieve the paper. Gu Yuanbai simply threw the porcelain bottle on the ground. A palace attendant picked up the note from the broken pieces and respectfully handed it over. The Emperor accepted it and carefully unfolded the paper.

“Your Majesty, coming to my home to see the wolves, is it because the teeth of those two wolves broke, or is it because Your Majesty misses me?”

Gu Yuanbai abruptly closed the note, his fingers clenched, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

Xue Jiuyao.

*

Xue Jiuyao led his troops day and night, carrying a bag of bath water that had turned sour, which he couldn’t bear to discard.

Enduring the elements and hardships, scaling mountains and crossing rivers. The only time for rest was before sleeping. Sometimes, the various officers gathered together, discussing their wives and daughters in their conversations.

As they chatted, someone asked Xue Jiuyao, “General, you must be reluctant to leave your wife and daughters behind on this journey to the northern frontier.”

Sitting by the campfire, Xue Jiuyao, tall and imposing, was bathed in the fire’s light, casting both clear and shadowy areas on his figure.

Upon hearing this, the typically stern expression of the commander softened slightly, showing signs of easing, “I am not married, nor do I have children.”

Those around him were surprised, “You haven’t married?”

“If I’m not mistaken, General, you are already twenty-four, right?”

Xue Jiuyao showed a bit more patience now, “Even His Majesty isn’t married.”

“His Majesty…” someone chuckled, “His Majesty is still young.”

“The Emperor is young, and I’m not old either. As a loyal subject, it’s only natural to have the Emperor in my thoughts,” Xue Jiuyao couldn’t help but curl his lips, feigning sincerity, “Since the Emperor isn’t married, I should accompany him.”

“If Your Majesty were to marry, would the General also marry?” someone nearby burst into laughter, “Old General Xue has something to worry about!”

Xue Jiuyao’s lips twitched, his demeanor radiating a chilling aura.

The others didn’t notice his expression and continued to laugh, one of them asking, “General, don’t you have someone you care for?”

Xue Jiuyao thought to himself, how could he not?

He had kissed and touched that person, feeling envious, perhaps? But envy was useless; that person didn’t acknowledge their connection.

The more Xue Jiuyao thought about it, the more he felt frustrated. Just as he was feeling stifled, his ears perked up. He quickly looked up to see scattered sentries riding toward him on fast horses, torches waving. When they spotted Xue Jiuyao, they shouted, “General! Locusts are attacking!”

The officers immediately stopped their playful banter, got up, and skillfully began arranging their formations. Xue Jiuyao held his weapons and led his horse to join them, “Send someone to check our provisions. We’re getting closer and closer to the northern frontier. The locusts are growing in number rapidly. We must not let any food be lost!”

The Vice General responded with a respectful fist salute, “Understood!”

Mounted on his horse, Xue Jiuyao spurred his horse forward like a gust of wind. He suppressed his emotions regarding having children and his face stiffened, as he focused on his duties. His rough beard scratched his cheeks, and the reins in his hand formed callouses from gripping them tightly.

As he raced into the darkness, he suddenly, quite inappropriately, thought about whether his elaborate plan to make Gu Yuanbai remember him had worked, and whether it would be effective.

*

It was incredibly effective.

Xue Jiuyao’s actions left Gu Yuanbai so furious that he couldn’t sleep most of the night.

He had forgotten to investigate the mysterious box of jade pieces brought by Xue Jiuyao. Instead, in front of him were twenty-three small porcelain bottles, all pure white. These bottles were adorned with various patterns, made from ordinary materials. Some of the bottles even had faint cracks.

Gu Yuanbai stared at these bottles, knowing that Xue Jiuyao couldn’t produce ivory from his dog’s mouth, but he still smashed each bottle and extracted rolled-up strips of paper from inside.

The content on these strips of paper was vague, repeatedly testing the boundaries of what was acceptable. Twenty-three of these paper strips, plus the one Gu Yuanbai had smashed out at the Xue residence during the day, almost formed an alternative kind of love letter.

However, the person writing these “love letters” wasn’t inherently a refined scholar. As the words progressed, they became increasingly invasive, the superficial submission more hypocritical. Finally, the person even reminisced about bittersweet memories, recounting the night they spent in the cave and that kiss.

“The Emperor’s jade-like root is as warm as jade itself,” the words on the paper were shockingly bold, “I delight in touching it immensely, and it must look incredibly appealing as well.”

The following sentences made Gu Yuanbai feel something.

Having led a life of simple desires for many years, the last time he’d indulged had been five or six months ago. Gu Yuanbai read through the notes without a change in expression, his fingers slipping under the covers. However, just as he was about to act, he found himself hesitating.

Not a hint of annoyance, not a hint of discomfort.

Things that never used to bother him suddenly felt extremely dull.

Gu Yuanbai swept the notes to the side of the pillow and pulled the covers over his head.

After a while, he let out a deep sigh.

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