SUMMARY
1.
Gu Yuanbai transmigrated into a BL novel into the weak body of a sickly Emperor. The Emperor was just a background character. The novel was about the love between the Prince Regent and the number one beauty in the capital.
The very ambitious Gu Yuanbai: Don't make me laugh
He is the emperor. How could he not take the reins of the country, open up new territories to expand his lands, and leave his name in the annals of history?
2.
On a certain day, Xue Yuan, the son of the current Great General and the future Prince Regent, who hid great ambitions, went into the palace with his father for the first time. From the back of the crowd, he looked up and caught a glimpse of the young Son of Heaven.
Xue Yuan, a rebel without a cause, sneered as he thought contemptuously, how can this young Emperor look even more beautiful than a lady?
His body is sickly and his face is too beautiful, how can he govern the Great Heng?
Isn't he weak?
3.
After Xue Yuan offended Gu Yuanbai, Gu Yuanbai made him kneel over broken porcelain pieces.
Gu Yuanbai coughed softly as thick snowflakes covered his shoulders. Xue Yuan looked gloomy as the blood on his knees dyed a section of the snowy ground red.
"We are in a bad mood," Gu Yuanbai glanced at the future Prince Regent with a soft smile, and he said in a low voice, "Don't make Us unhappy. Is that clear?"
Xue Yuan was like a mad dog.
However, Gu Yuanbai was not afraid of anything except of life not being exciting enough. Taming a mad dog into a loyal official in his sickly condition was just a different way of challenging himself.
Accidentally, he seemed to have tamed the dog a bit too much.
001 – His Majesty's First Recovery From Serious Illness
On the 2nd lunar month in the Capital City, the early spring weather was chilly.
Within the huge Emperor's resting place, the palace maids, who came and went with joy on their faces, flurriedly carried hot water and towels into the palace hall.
A white hand stretched out from the bright yellow dragon's bed. The little palace eunuch waiting on the side was terrified to see His Majesty about to go down with bare feet. Tian Fusheng, the Chief Steward Eunuch, was warming shoes for His Majesty outside. At this moment, no one could stop it. The Emperor, who had just recovered from his serious illness, was going to step on the ground barefoot!
The little eunuch didn't have time to think. Quivering, he rushed to the bed and lay down on the ground. The feet of the most honorable person in the country stepped on the little eunuch's back timely.
The little eunuch was sweating. He tried to relax his back muscles, for fear that the tautness would make His Majesty uncomfortable. He also reproached himself that his clothes were too rough, for fear of scuffing His Majesty's feet.
The Emperor laughed and derisively said, "Scram to the side."
The little eunuch didn't dare to disobey him, but neither did he dare to let him go to the ground like this. He bravely said, "Your Majesty can't. The ground is cold. The cold air will seep into the dragon's body from the sole of the feet."
As soon as Tian Fusheng came in, he heard these words of the little eunuch. He hastily approached and fell to his knees with the dragon boots in his hands. He cried falsely, "Your Majesty, this little one is here to serve you. Don't put your feet down. This little one's heart is about to jump out of the throat."
Gu Yuanbai broke into laughter, "Zhen1 thinks, yours can jump out for seventeen or eighteen times a day."
Tian Fusheng mischievously laughed. He carefully held Gu Yuanbai's feet and attentively put on the socks and boots for him.
Gu Yuanbai sighed in his heart as he sniffed the room full of incense and medicine.
AD
He was not the true Emperor but a positive and promising youth of the 21st century. In the instant when he passed through the clouds while skydiving, he woke up in this body as soon as he opened his eyes.
This dynasty was called Great Heng, which he recalled didn't exist, so it should be unfounded. Its production degree had reached the standard of the Northern Song Dynasty.
This body of Gu Yuanbai that was raised by the power of the whole country was truly fragile. It was too sick. As the emperor, he didn't even have much strength.
When Gu Yuanbai came, the eunuch dictatorship had already appeared. One should know that the emergence of the eunuch dictatorship often indicated that a dynasty had entered the middle and late periods. With the swell of powerful ministers and local forces, eunuchs also wanted to control the military and political affairs. Gu Yuanbai dragged the sickly body and lived in seclusion for three whole years. In one fell swoop, the powerful ministers and eunuchs were collectively disarmed, and the previous dynasty and the inner court were thoroughly cleaned up, temporarily balancing the three forces and restoring the imperial power to its prime.
Just when he was ready to make an all-out effort eagerly, his body couldn't withstand it. At the end of winter, strong cold weather ushered in.
On the days of his serious illness, Gu Yuanbai incidentally heard a few very familiar names that eventually made him recall something. He did not transmigrate into an unfounded world, he transmigrated into a book.
The young Emperor in the book would die within a few years. He would give up his throne to the famous Prince Regent, the gong2 male protagonist in the book. The shou3 male protagonist in the book was a capable minister that would assist the Prince Regent to rule, leaving behind a good name handed down from generation to generation.
Gu Yuanbai was a straight man – iron straight. He knew of this book because it was adapted into the court's political battle of socialist brotherhood web drama.
After knowing that he could not live for a few years, Gu Yuanbai then accepted [his fate]. His previous ambitions were all thrown aside. He had not even smelled the braised duck in soy sauce4.
The throne was destined not to be his. No matter how much he did now, it would all let the future emperor pick up a bargain5.
During this illness, Gu Yuanbai thought a lot about it and finally decided to go with the flow. He took care of himself in the past few years and enjoyed the last period of his enthronement life. In passing, he would pick up soy sauce6 and watch the socialist brotherhood of the two male protagonists in the book.
Gu Yuanbai had never seen such a socialist brotherhood.
"
"
"Your Majesty, it's done." Tian Fusheng put down Gu Yuanbai's feet cautiously, for fear of hurting the Emperor.
When Gu Yuanbai finally stood on the ground, the palace maids came to dress Gu Yuanbai in his informal clothes that had been well-smoked with incense.
Before the clothes had been properly changed, a eunuch came to inform him, "Your Majesty, He Qinwang7 together with Minister of Revenue and his son are waiting outside the palace hall."
"Let them in," said Gu Yuanbai.
The eunuch led three people in. The three people performed the courtesies toward Gu Yuanbai. Gu Yuanbai faintly responded, "Rise."
The son of the Minister of Revenue had not yet been capped8, exactly at the age of being fearless. He was told by his father ten to twenty times in the morning that he should not look directly at the emperor's face. However, he wanted to do what he was not allowed to do. At present, standing behind He Qinwang and his father, he secretly raised his eyes through the hidden corner.
The Lord of the country, as Gu Yuanbai said, was the most delicate person raised by the power of the whole country.
When the young gongzi9 raised his eyes, he saw that the palace maid carefully arranged the emperor's fine black hair behind him. Today, the emperor had recovered from his illness. To celebrate, he especially wore a red robe. A slight redness reflected on his jade face.
The young gongzi's breath got caught and his heart pounded. At once, he lowered his head frantically and did not dare to look up again.
"This is Tang-Daren's10 eldest son?"
Gu Yuanbai's tone was kind. Tang-Daren was flattered. He bowed in respect and said, "Your Majesty said to your servant11 previously that there were fewer young people in the palace. My son's aptitude is mediocre and his innate is imbecile, but he is better than his peers and usually quite noisy. If Your Majesty doesn't dislike him, your servant will let him enter the palace often to accompany Your Majesty to relieve boredom."
Gu Yuanbai wanted to sigh again.
AD
A few days ago, he had just made a major political change. The purpose of this suggestion was to let these ministers send their children to the palace, which was not only to use as a rope to restrain these ministers but also to show imperial favor. It was both to beat and dote on the few divided scholar-bureaucrat cliques. Thirdly, he wanted to see if there were any promising talents to cultivate loyalty for his use as soon as possible.
However, right now, he didn't have the heart.
"Come here, let Zhen has a good look," Gu Yuanbai beckoned the young gongzi. "Don't be modest, Tang-Daren. Zhen has heard of your reputation being skillful in teaching and able to provide guidance."
The young gongzi held his breath as he walked to the front of the emperor. Tang-Daren's back was slightly wet. Ever since the emperor cleaned up the Imperial Court in one stroke, he was always nervous when facing the emperor. The prestige of the emperor in the Imperial Court had become more and more profound. He was worried that his son would be discourteous in front of the emperor.
Fortunately, the emperor ought to be in a good mood today, his questioning was also very harmonious. The young gongzi answered them one by one, and his stuttering from the beginning gradually relaxed.
Gu Yuanbai was about to take a cup of tea, but his hand suddenly shook due to a loss of strength. The cup fell to the ground with a piercing sound. Gu Yuanbai looked at the pieces on the ground only to feel a burst of anger attack his heart. His throat itched and he began to cough up.
The young gongzi was startled and subconsciously looked at the emperor. The emperor's white transparent fingers touched his chest, his eyebrows creased slightly, and his previously pale lips were red as if dyed with rouge.
The emperor had a beautiful appearance of infinite spring breeze and endless autumn moon, similar to the rare unique celadon porcelain, a luxury that people would not dare to touch or near.
"Your Majesty." The young gongzi mustered his courage. He reached out to support Gu Yuanbai and worriedly said, "Are (courteous) you alright?"
The broken teacup had been cleaned up. Gu Yuanbai stopped coughing and showed a smile, "Good boy, Zhen is fine."
He Qinwang, who had not spoken since entering the palace hall, sneered and said cooly, "Your Majesty should take good care of the dragon's body. When Father Emperor passed on the country to Your Majesty, Your Majesty was not as frail as now."
Gu Yuanbai sighed, "He Qinwang is right."
AD
Gu Yuanbai quickly adjusted his mood. He got up to go outside the palace hall and looked up at the sky, "Today's weather is really good."
"Your Majesty is in good health, thus the sky is clear," said the Minister of Revenue, following closely. "During the days when Your Majesty was ill, the people in the capital city were also grieving. Every day, they prayed for Your Majesty at home. Your Majesty governs the country by virtue, thus the people in the country willingly obey. The Heavens also cherish Your Majesty."
The Emperor laughed. The Minister of Revenue saw this and continued to exert himself, "These two days should be sunny. The spring rain is as precious as oil. With a little drizzle a few days ago, the grass and wildflowers in the countryside are in full bloom. My son even said that they will have a Cuju12 match tomorrow."
"Oh?" Gu Yuanbai was interested, "Cuju match?"
Nowadays, the emperor was fond of Cuju, which was known to all. The young gongzi blushed and said as he gave a salute, "Tomorrow is a Cuju match that the students in the school have arranged for. There are four student teams and the match will last for three hours."
Gu Yuanbai said, "Hearing it makes Zhen interested. When and where will the Cuju match be held tomorrow? Zhen is going to watch."
The young gongzi responded with a trembling voice, "Yes, yes."
Tian Fusheng sharply noticed the fatigue between the Emperor's eyebrows. He quickly stepped forward and asked the Minister of Revenue and his son to leave. He Qinwang, who stood aside like a block of wood, looked livid at this moment. He glared at Gu Yuanbai and left with a fling of his sleeve.
Looking at his ugly look, Gu Yuanbai laughed for a while and only stopped when his chest felt constricted. He said in a high spirit, "Tian Fusheng, go. Follow Zhen to take a stroll in the imperial garden."
"Yes."
As soon as Tang-Daren and his son left the palace, they hurriedly went their separate ways. One went to find the Minister of War to prepare for the Emperor's outing to watch the Cuju match tomorrow. The other returned to the school and went to talk about the Emperor's presence to the Headmaster.
AD
As expected, this news caused a tempestuous storm in the Guozijian14 gasped and supported each other. They looked at Tang Mian, the son of the Minister of Revenue, eagerly without their usual stern and reserved selves.
Tang Mian was equally excited, "The Emperor said he'll come to see the Cuju match of our school."
The Headmaster was a fifth rank official and had only ever seen the Emperor from afar. When he heard the news, he suddenly felt great joy in his chest. He walked around the room with a face shining with happiness, laughing from time to time, similar to being excited after drunk.
The teaching assistant and the Zhijiang had never seen the Emperor's face. One of them, the Zhijiang over 50 years old, involuntarily leaked two lines of tears and murmured to the person beside him, "I'd never thought that I could have a day to see His Majesty."
The teaching assistant managed to calm down with great difficulty, "Headmaster, the four of Cuju teams in our school are recruited randomly. There are good and bad abilities. If they play like this, they will certainly spoil His Majesty's mood to enjoy."
The Headmaster's footsteps paused before he nodded, "Right. Then, immediately re-assign the four teams playing Cuju with the amazing ones today. Hahaha. Those boys, I'm afraid that when they heard His Majesty is coming, all of them will swarm around."
The Headmaster thought of something. He turned his head and asked Tang Mian, "Does His Majesty say it's a private visit or with great fanfare?"
Tang Mian spoke falteringly, "His Majesty didn't say that, but my father has gone to the Ministry of War."
After mulling over it, the Headmaster stroked his beard and nodded. He no longer spoke much to Tang Mian, "You have to be on the field tomorrow, so have a good rest today. Win glory for our Guozijian tomorrow."
Tang Mian firmly said, "Student will!"
As long as he thought that the Emperor would come to see him play Cuju tomorrow, he felt energized. How he wished today was tomorrow so that the Emperor would know how amazing he was.
Note:
AD
Footnotes
I; we (imperial use)
Top in a same-sex relationship
Bottom in a same-same relationship
The Chinese medicinal science believes duck meat nourishes the yin of the five internal organs. In short, it's good for health
It means the future regent takes the throne when the country is flourishing and peaceful
It means a passerby that got nothing to do with others
Prince of He (harmony), a title given to the blood-related sons of the emperor, each with a different name attached.
capping ceremony once reach 20 years old
the son of the noble
Daren is the title of respect toward sb. with a very important official position; or toward superiors
I, your servant (used in addressing the sovereign)
ancient Chinese football (soccer)
Directorate of Education; school for the nobles[/efn-note]. The Headmaster dallied before standing up and said, "The emperor comes in person?"
The teaching assistant and the Zhijiang13Official name for the assistant academician who teaches classics.
002 – His Majesty Comes To Watch Cuju Match
There were two official schools in the Capital City: one was the Guozijian 1, and the other was Taixue 2. That night, the news within the Guozijian was somehow spread to the Taixue. The Headmaster of the Taixue brazenly sent out a one-sided invitation for collaboration. He also formed four Cuju teams to have a good match with the Guozijian in front of the emperor tomorrow.
What's fun for the people in your school to play by themselves? Take us with you! Our students are tall and strong, and they are good Cuju players!
The Taixue was very stubborn in finding unpleasantness for the Guozijian.
On the next day, the emperor graced his presence as expected. Adorned in informal clothes, the emperor sat in a covered pavilion. At this time, the early spring air was still chilly. None of the attendants and ministers of civil and military around the emperor dared to let the emperor get blown again by the cold wind.
There was only one side of the pavilion facing the field vacated with braziers piled on the side. At this time, the match had yet started, but the side of the field was already full of people who heard the news.
These people pushed and bumped into each other, wanting to catch a glimpse of the Emperor.
The noise outside the venue was so clamorous that it would break the sky3 when the excitement rose. Some people climbed up the trees, hugged the trunks, and stretched their necks to look at the field.
Tang Mian, the son of the Minister of Revenue, clenched his fists to the point of numbness. He only felt his chest tense to constriction. After a glance at the pavilion where the emperor was waiting in the distance, the tension turned into a fierce fighting spirit.
His good friend, Shizi4 of the Marquis of Pingchang, was talking to Tang Mian nervously at this time, "I feel like my calf is cramped."
Tang Mian was startled, "Massage it quickly! The match will begin in a moment! We must play beautifully for the Emperor!"
"I'm nervous because I know the Emperor is here," said the Shizi of the Marquis of Pingchang with a bitter face. "As soon as my father heard that I was going to play Cuju for the Emperor today, he called me up before dawn to practice boxing and running. I was tired to death."
AD
Tang Mian was speechless. He worriedly turned left and right, "Your Shenlong's5 wagging tail skill is good, you can't be missed."
The Shizi of the Marquis of Pingchang spontaneously felt highly flattered. He tried to swing his leg and hissed, "I'll massage it first."
Most of the people who played Cuju on the field were children who had not yet been capped6. Right now, the surrounding was full of people watching after hearing the emperor was coming. Although they had a bit of stage fright, excitement and exhilaration account for the majority.
"It's still a little cold outside, but these boys are not afraid." Gu Yuanbai had a fox-fur coat draped over his shoulder, and the white fur encircled his face. "Look, they are all wearing a thin garment."
Tian Fusheng was very distressed by the emperor. He gently and cautiously warmed a pot of tea for him. "They sweat when they run, but they can get cold easily after they sweat. But after all, they can bear it since they are young."
"Take the order: after the match is over, promptly give a bowl of ginger soup to the players, and let the people of the school pay attention. Don't save a little only to lose a lot."
"Yes." Tian Fusheng let people take the order.
The competition between the two schools naturally attracted people's attention. Cheers and boos spread far and wide until they reached another hill not far away.
Chu Wei and his schoolmate were on an outing in spring and saw this lively scene from a distance. The schoolmate said with a smile, "If I wasn't disinterested in Cuju, I'd like to go over and have fun too."
Chu Wei looked unenthusiastic, dressed in ordinary clothes. His appearance was graceful yet unshowy, with a dignified bearing. There was a sense of estrangement and coldness between his eyebrows. He was indeed a jade man and the famous number one beautiful man in the whole Capital City.
"Noisy." Chu Wei said, "Whatever the people in the upper ranks like, the people below will throw themselves into it."
AD
The schoolmate jokingly said, "You should be happy that the current Emperor is not that rare treasure. Otherwise, this would be another disaster for the people in the country."
Chu Wei faced the crowd not far away with indifference eyes. Seven years ago, after he passed the examination with a Jieyuan7, he went out to study away from home and saw many people who were miserable and couldn't afford to eat, so he became more disappointed with the people at the top. The current Emperor had neither merit nor fault and unsurprisingly mediocre. He let the powerful ministers bullied him for so many years. There was truly nothing worthy of him to get Chu Wei to view him in a new light.
As soon as the schoolmate saw his look, he knew what the other was thinking. He smiled and leisurely continued to tread the green.
Nowadays, although Great Heng seemed to be in peace, in the eyes of those who could see the form clearly, they knew that peace would not last long.
Once the frail and sickly young Emperor died, the country would suffer from internal trouble and outside aggression while being surrounded by awaiting wolves. At that time, they could casually pull out justification and fought with the military forces in their hands.
Even if the young Emperor didn't die, could he tame those hungry green-eyed vicious wolves?
Tame what, tame the weak?
During this hot and lively Cuju match, the players were sweating profusely, and the people watching were also sweating. More importantly, as soon as these youngsters got off the field, they were given a bowl of hot ginger soup by the palace attendants. After learning that it was specially ordered by the Emperor, many poor children from humble families couldn't refrain their eyes from getting red.
"Many thanks, Your Majesty." They held the ginger soup up and drank in one go. Their whole body and even the internal soon became warm. Some of the few tall youngsters even covered their thoroughly redden eyes as they spoke in a low muffled voice, "The ginger soup is very delicious."
"Gentlemen, quickly put on your clothes," the internal palace attendant was also very amiable, "after all, it's still early spring. You can't slack off."
People slowly dispersed. The Shizi of the Marquis of Pingchang, Li Yan, pinched his nose as he drank a bowl of ginger soup and then he gave a shout, "Refreshing!"
AD
He handed the bowl to the palace attendant. He put an arm over Tang Mian's shoulder and mischievously asked, "Mian-ger8, why don't you drink it? Are you reluctant to?"
Tang Mian's ears turned red and he hastily drank it up. "A mouth without a guard will spout nonsense."
As they were talking, the manservant of the Marquis of Pingchang came over, "Shizi, Master asked you to come quickly to meet the emperor."
The Shizi of the Marquis of Pingchang was taken aback, "Meet the Emperor?"
He was suddenly at a loss, "I, I, I, I am still wearing Cuju clothes."
The manservant said in a hurry, "You (courteous) can put on any clothes first. Master is in a hurry."
The Shizi of the Marquis of Pingchang quickly followed him and went to the pavilion with the Marquis of Pingchang to meet the Emperor.
Gu Yuanbai happened to have invited the Headmasters of the two schools to speak. After receiving the announcement, he said, "Come in."
Once Marquis of Pingchang and his son had performed the courtesies, he cautiously said, "Your Majesty's dragon body is beginning to recover. Your servant wants to come and have a look."
Gu Yuanbai laughed, "Why are you being overcautious with me? Sit down."
Marquis of Pingchang meticulously sat not far from him with his back kept straight, still nervous.
How could he not be nervous? Those who hadn't face the Emperor would never understand their feelings. In the beginning, they thought that these ten years had let them understand the character of the Emperor. Little did they knew, guessing was all a game of the Emperor. How old was the Emperor? He was capped last year!
AD
His father sat down, but the Shizi of the Marquis of Pingchang didn't dare to sit down. Gu Yuanbai glanced at the youngster who had been lowering his head and said, "This is Yan-ger, right. He's already this big."
Marquis of Pingchang said, "The boy is naughty and mischievous. He's giving more headache to (me) your servant."
"Youngsters ought to be like that," Gu Yuanbai said with a smile. "Yan-ger, come and sit by Zhen's side."
Li Yan sat uneasily beside the Emperor. Although he sat by the Emperor's side, they were separated by two people standing. It was unknown if it was an illusion, but after sitting down, Li Yan thought that he smelled a faint scent on the tip of his nose.
All the incense used in the palace was top-quality. The more one smelled it, the more one was intoxicated with it. Li Yan smelled it until his whole body limped and then heard the Emperor joking, "Zhen heard many Darens say that the Shizi of the Marquis of Pingchang is handsome. But it's a pity that they don't have a daughter suitable for marriage in their family. Otherwise, they'll strike first and gain the upper hand."
Marquis of Pingchang felt very proud, but Li Yan was fidgety with shyness. The Emperor felt good teasing him and deliberately said to him, "Yan-ger, look up and let Zhen see what you look like now."
Li Yan's head was rigid like a duck's as he raised it so ferociously. The embarrassed young face was flushed, his eyes forgot to dodge, and directly saw the Emperor's face.
The Emperor was slightly surprised to see him. Li Yan straightened up his neck, his chest up to his brain was a piece of blank space.
Marquis of Pingchang shouted, "LI YAN!"
Li Yan's heart leaped violently. His whole person nearly jumped up. He immediately lowered his head and said helplessly, "Your Majesty, I'm9 ill-mannered…"
Gu Yuanbai liked such a lively, young, and strong youngster. He smiled, "Marquis of Pingchang, it ain't necessarily so. Yan-ger's true temperament is a good boy."
The Emperor praised for a few more before Marquis of Pingchang let his son retreat. Li Yan stepped out of the pavilion in a daze. Outside, Tang Mian was constantly peering from the Imperial Bodyguard's post. When Li Yan came out, he quickly beckoned.
Li Yan walked over. The two boys looked at each other and walked silently towards the crowd. After a few steps, Li Yan suddenly stopped. He looked around, gulped, and then turned to follow Tang Mian as he said, "Say, did you see the Emperor's appearance when you entered the palace last time?"
Tang Mian gently nodded his head, "What's the matter? Did you see it this time? Don't you always listen to your father?"
Li Yan stroked his head and chuckled. Instead of answering this, he said, "How about we two cooperate to find a painter? I want to…" He pointed to the sky. Although he was afraid, he boldly felt the incomparable stimulation, "Draw that one down."
Tang Mian jolted in shock, "Are you crazy?"
"I'm not crazy," Li Yan winked at him. "We don't have to reflect all on a painting. The eyebrows and eyes are with me, while the nose and lips are with you. If we want to see the whole painting, we'll meet and put the paintings together. We'll hide the paintings in the bedroom on the days we're free. Who can find out?"
Tang Mian gulped. A glimpse of the Emperor's appearance on that day streaked across in his mind. When he looked at Li Yan again, they both knew that it was a done deal.
Note
Footnotes
Directorate of Education
Grand Academy
it's an exaggeration
Heir of a noble title
literally "god dragon" or "spirit dragon"
capping ceremony for a young man on reaching 20
lit. "top escorted examinee", the juren (a qualified graduate who passed the triennial provincial exam) who ranked first in the provincial exam.
哥儿 [gē ér] used to refer to the children of an official family or an address for a boy
He used 小子 [xiǎo zi] I (used by juniors to elders/betters)
003 – His Majesty Loses a Handkerchief
Gu Yuanbai finished half a pot of good tea when the Cuju match outside was about to end. Very slowly, he got up with the support of the stone table. The back of his hands, as white as jade, was covered with pale green veins. Gu Yuanbai coughed a few times and dismissed the attendant who wanted to come forward, "It's alright."
Marquis of Pingchang looked at him anxiously, "Your Majesty, your dragon's body has just recovered, it shouldn't get blown by the wind. You ought to take good care of yourself."
Gu Yuanbai raised the corners of his lips. Although he was ill, he had a blooming vitality when he smiled, "Ginseng, velvet antler, tortoiseshell, tiger bone, lingzhi1, caterpillar fungus2… The way Zhen sees it, no one in the country takes better care of himself than me."
"Marquis of Pingchang, there is no one in the world who cherishes his life more than me," Gu Yuanbai said before laughing happily. "Although those medicinal materials are precious, something has to be said; they don't taste very good. Zhen always wants to throw a basket of licorice root in [my mouth] every time I take the medicine."
Marquis of Pingchang couldn't help but lament at the fate ordained by the Will of Heaven. His Majesty has been dormant for so many years. His patience and sophistry are different from that of a normal person, and his vision is so optimistic and clear. Why do the Heavens insist on teasing the young Son of Heaven and give His Majesty such an inconvenient body?
Immediately afterward, he laughed and warmly exchanged a few words with His Majesty.
Soon, someone came to inform him which side won and lost. Gu Yuanbai nodded as he listened and said, "Reward."
The Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard took a look at the sky and went forward to persuade Gu Yuanbai to return to the palace in a low voice. The Imperial Court Session of the Great Heng Dynasty was only once every two days, and he came to see the Cuju match today because there was nothing to attend to. Gu Yuanbai originally wanted to take a stroll in the Capital City but gave up the idea after the persuasion. He left several palace attendants here as he was escorted to the carriage by the Imperial Bodyguards.
Marquis of Pingchang sent the Emperor away. When he wanted to take his son back home, he heard that his son had gone somewhere with the eldest gongzi of the Minister of Revenue. Marquis of Pingchang was startled and his anger rose again. He went back alone with a calm face.
Only when it was dark that the shizi walked into the residence of the Marquis of Pingchang. Marquis of Pingchang had asked someone to wait in the front yard. As soon as Li Yan stepped into the entrance, he was called to the study by his father.
"I only knew that you left ahead of time after His Majesty's departure today," Marquis of Pingchang said angrily. "You dare to leave before His Majesty even moves. You truly got some big nerves!"
Li Yan gulped when the Emperor was mentioned. Afraid that he would be found out, he said quickly, "Father, guess what I saw today? When I was strolling in the street, I saw that Xue Yuan guy3 galloping in the downtown area. He's too rampant!"
Marquis of Pingchang frowned, "Galloping in the downtown area? That's not good, I'll have to write a report to His Majesty."
Li Yan quietly withdrew from the study and returned to his room. He let everyone around him go out. As soon as the door was closed and the candle was lit, the warm painting scroll in his clothes was spread on the table.
It's a big treacherous thing to keep the Emperor's painting scroll in private. How could such a sacred face be kept hidden in a little student's bedroom at will?
As the son of the Marquis of Pingchang, Li Yan naturally knew this truth. However, he just couldn't control himself. His heart stirred and felt so excited. When he directly faced the Emperor, he was afraid and nervous, yet he was unwilling to move his eyes away from the Emperor.
He didn't have any bad thoughts nor intended to do anything bad with the portrait. He just felt that the Emperor was truly beautiful and that it would be a pity not to paint it down.
Li Yan's movement was very gentle and careful. In the painting scroll was a very honorable man. The man's eyebrows and eyes were painted according to Li Yan's description. The ink mark below the face was very light for concealment. No one could know that part of the painting was the Emperor except for him and Tang Mian.
The eyebrows and eyes of the Emperor had a special charm, but the painter had never seen it with his own eyes. Li Yan looked at it for a while and said in dismay, "Said to be the best painter in the Capital City, but what's this painting? Similar in form but not lifelike. Not as good as my painting skill."
After cursing for a while, he carefully put away the painting scroll and put it in the secret drawer at the head of the bed. Li Yan went to the bed and recalled the scene of him meeting the Emperor today.
He didn't know if the Emperor disliked him because of his discourteous, nor did he know what he looked like while playing Cuju today. He was surely reddened to the tip of his ears. The Emperor praised him for his good looks, but no matter how handsome he was, he could not look good when playing Cuju.
Thoughts came and went before Li Yan fell asleep in a daze.
AD
Gu Yuanbai had no idea what the boy was thinking. He had been washed and changed clothes by the attendants. At night, his complexion looked somewhat pale. Tian Fusheng asked in a low voice, "[May] This little one kneads Your Majesty's head?"
On the bright yellow dragon bed, three beautiful palace maids in thin clothes knelt beside Gu Yuanbai, quietly wiping the Emperor's damp black hair with towels.
"No need," Gu Yuanbai closed his eyes and endured the discomfort in his body. "Let your little apprentice come over and beat Zhen's legs."
Tian Fusheng called the little apprentice. The little eunuch knelt under the dragon bed and skillfully beat the legs. Inwardly, he could not help but be pleased with himself that the emperor liked his technique.
After the black hair was wiped dry, the three palace maids quietly got out of the bed and went out barefoot.
"Tian Fusheng," Gu Yuanbai spoke suddenly. His voice sounded languid, seemingly about to fall asleep, "How is the matter I asked you to do?"
Tian Fusheng: "Your Majesty, everything is going well."
"En," Gu Yuan said, "every one of those people who were sent out before was my painstaking efforts. Let them pay attention to their actions. Never mind the information, the most important thing is to stay alive."
"Yes, this little one will pass it to them tomorrow."
Three years ago, Gu Yuanbai secretly sent someone to adopt a group of orphans. They were fed, clothed, and housed. They were taught how to read, write, and kill enemies. After the continuous brainwashing education, they eventually became a sharp blade in Gu Yuanbai's hands.
They only listened to the Emperor's words and did what the Emperor asked them to do. A year ago, Gu Yuanbai singled out 400 of them with the highest loyalty, and let them infiltrated into the residences of various officials, as well as the frontier and the garrison in various regions. Not only that, but these people also hid within the Forbidden Army4 and the Imperial Bodyguards around him. This blade played an important role for him to be capable of pulling down the powerful minister, Lu Feng, at that time.
Gu Yuanbai secretly named it the Supervision Bureau. A huge net spread in the dark on the land of Great Heng. Among the people sent out by the Supervision Bureau, the excellent ones had already achieved military achievements, while the incompetents were still looking for opportunities for improvement in the ministers' residences. From the news they sent back, their skill had begun to have an alarming power.
It had only been a year, Gu Yuanbai was not in a hurry. Drowsiness crept over him: "Settle it."
The Ming Dynasty had the Embroidered Uniform Guard5 and the Qing Dynasty had the Imperial Guard of Honor. Gu Yuanbai also wanted to form an overt elite troop of strong and compelling soldiers who only listened to his words. The various ideas in his mind were endless. The Supervision Bureau and the overt elite troop could complement and supervise each other. He even thought of a good name, which called Eastern Feather Guard; the eagle with sharp eyes and sharp talons within his hands. Unfortunately, no matter how much he thought about it, he still lacked the capital of the revolution.
Gu Yuanbai didn't know what he could do before he died, but if he didn't do anything, he felt very miserable.
Tian Fusheng put out the light and quietly retired. When he got outside the palace hall, he nodded to the Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard and said in a low voice, "His Majesty is tired today."
The Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard's surname was Zhang and named Zhang Xu. Besides looking outstandingly valiant, he was also endowed with extraordinary talents and became the Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard selected personally by the Emperor from the Forbidden Army. Zhang Xu was grateful for the Emperor's appreciation and decided to guard the safety of the Emperor. He was infinitely loyal to the Emperor to the point that it could be described as fully devoted.
The Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard sighed deeply and fondly said, "His Majesty is happy today."
Tian Fusheng couldn't help nodding, "If there's such a thing next time, this little one will beg His Majesty to go and see it. If His Majesty can be happy, even if this little one breaks [my] waist, [I] will be on the field and play Cuju to show His Majesty."
The Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard was silent for a while. The Imperial Bodyguards opposite him were busy winking and making signals at him. The Captain minced for a while before he said, "Us brothers are also good at playing Cuju."
Moreover, many of them even specially trained Cuju because the Emperor liked it. Each of them was an expert who played showily and impressively.
Tian Fusheng chuckled, which made his face wrinkled, "Since Bodyguard Zhang said that, this little one will remember it. When His Majesty asks later, this little one will tell him about it. Then this little one will be able to bask in the light6 of His Majesty and see the skill of you all, the Imperial Bodyguards."
The few of them were talking and laughing when Tian Fusheng heard a few meows in the corner of the wall. He trotted over without a change of expression. A moment later, he walked back with joy on his face, "Bodyguard Zhang, a famous doctor has entered the capital city!"
AD
According to the information from the Supervision Bureau, a traveling doctor came to the capital city from Huainan. He was skillful but never treated the influential officials. When Tian Fusheng told Gu Yuanbai the news, Gu Yuanbai didn't look happy; he squinted slightly. He was still wearing the heavy dragon robe when he attended the Imperial Court Session.
This dragon robe was cumbersome. His face was ruddy because he was encumbered by the heavyweight. It seemed that there was no time to be beautiful as his face looked conspicuously exhausted.
During the Imperial Court today, many people participated in the issue of General Xue's son, Xue Yuan, galloping in the downtown area. This matter was neither big nor small, but Gu Yuanbai was very upset.
This future Prince Regent was excessively rampant.
He penalized General Xue with a three-month salary cut and ordered him to discipline his son. Just because he remembered Xue Yuan, the male protagonist in this book, he was in a bad mood again.
However, he still had to see the famous doctor. Gu Yuanbai let the attendants change him into indigo casual clothes, and took a few people out of the palace in a low-key way.
In fact, Gu Yuanbai didn't have much hope in his heart. The imperial doctors in the palace were the best in the country, but they couldn't do anything about him. Could this traveling doctor be better than his imperial doctors?
"Gongzi, it's here," The Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard pointed to the wooden door at the front.
The corner of Gu Yuanbai's lips arched in a smile and let him knock on the door. Not a short while later, a child opened the door and looked at them through the crack of the door, "Are you here for treatment?"
The Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard said, "Yes."
The child asked, "Who needs the treatment?"
Gu Yuanbai came out from behind the Imperial Bodyguard. Dressed in normal clothes made his body as long as bamboo. He gave a wee smile to the child, "It's me."
AD
The child looked at him with his mouth wide open and asked foolishly, "An Immortal can get sick too?"
"I don't know if the Immortal will get sick or not," Gu Yuanbai said with a smile, "but I am sick."
The child led Gu Yuanbai in. There were many other people inside who came to see the doctor. Each of them was dressed in coarse clothing, with a yellow face and rough hands. They looked at his group of people curiously.
The Imperial Bodyguards were full of vigor and their momentum unlike that of the ordinary people, let alone Gu Yuanbai. He was carefully protected in the center as he walked at a leisurely pace. Even if his face was pale, he couldn't hide the gripping noble aura.
The traveling doctor took a look at them and knew that they must not be ordinary people, but he didn't expose them. Instead, he silently motioned Gu Yuanbai to sit down. Gu Yuanbai stretched out his hand with a small part of his wrist exposed. The famous doctor took a moment's time to read his pulse. His brows gradually creased.
When he moved his hand away, he said straightforwardly, "Can't cure it. [The illness] can only be suspended with tonic."
The faces of the following attendants secretly sunk to glum. Gu Yuanbai sighed deeply and asked someone to leave the money as he got up to leave.
Contrary to expectation, he didn't feel so bad.
The Emperor walked casually and slowly came to the river. He looked down and saw that the face reflected on the water had the color of peach blossom. This body was not good anywhere. Only this face was outstanding, but Gu Yuanbai didn't like it.
He looked at it for a moment. He reached the back and the attendant gave him a handkerchief. Gu Yuanbai wiped his wrists and hands. He saw that a mother bird was feeding the little birds in the tree. He was fascinated for a moment, and the handkerchief was blown into the river by the wind.
"Zhen's good handkerchief is wasted," Gu Yuanbai sighed deeply, "let's go back to the palace."
The water surface was tranquil. The handkerchief was carried away into the distance by the water. When the group of people disappeared, there was suddenly a movement under the water. A man dragged a woman onto the riverbank. They were soaked through and cut an extremely sorry figure, but the eyes of the man dressed up in satin were shining. He brushed away the water stains on his face, which appeared red as though he had a sweet dream.
AD
Note:
Footnotes
reishi mushroom; Ganoderma lucidum
Cordyceps sinensis
he used the pejorative word 厮
The Imperial Army that guards the palace and capital city
The imperial secret police that served the emperors of the Ming dynasty. It was founded by the Hongwu Emperor in 1368 to serve as his bodyguards.
to benefit from association with sb or sth; reflected glory
004 – His Majesty Catches A Flower Thief1
Above the river, a small boat drifted away with the waves.
Xue Yuan stood at the bow of the boat with a gloom look. At the back, Chang Yuyan, the son of the Deputy Chief of Dali Temple2 leisurely enjoyed a cup of wine all by himself. When he saw the other's atrocious appearance, he said with a laugh, "Turns out, your younger step-brother3 didn't catch a blight?"
The corner of Xue Yuan's lips rose as he gently laughed, "Yuyan, what do you call it? He played tricks on my mother's body. I4 nearly killed him when I went back to the house today."
Chang Yuyan laughed heartily, "Even implicated your father to be penalized by salary cut and let your father and you be scolded by the Emperor in front of all officials."
Xue Yuan smiled deeper, "You don't say! As soon as he went home, he spared me. He also told me to look for a chance to admit mistake with the little Emperor next time."
Chang Yuyan laughed silently.
This guy, Xue Yuan, looked human with the manner of a dog5, but his temper was even more brute than a dog. There was a smile of a gentleman on his face, but what he thought might be some kind of vicious and harmful things.
This person was even heaven-daring and had no rules and virtues. If General Xue hadn't paid close attention to him, Xue Yuan could seriously cut up his younger step-brother and throw him out to feed the wolves. He was not at all afraid of other people's criticism and moral scolding.
The son of a great general turned out to be a bandit leader.
Chang Yu Yan said, "You'd better simmer down a bit. There are many people in the capital keeping an eye on you."
"If I ride a horse in the downtown can be described as an act of crime," Xue Yuan said, "I'll pile up a Jingguan6 in front of their doors some other day, so that they know what is called a crime."
"You can't pile it up even if you want. It's not a battlefield. Where would you find so many heads to make a mountain?" Chang Yuyan poured himself another cup of wine. Half-reclined on the board, he recited a poem aloud, "Silk skirt with lotus-leave patterns of pure color and good cut, lotus flowers bloom on both sides of the picker's face. Randomly, they enter the pond and disappear from sight, only their singing tells that there are souls coming out7."
Xue Yuan said, "Where are the lotus leaves? And neither is this the lotus season."
Chang Yuyan: "Although there are no lotus leaves, I saw a lotus face."
He pointed to a handkerchief floating not far from the boat. "If I'm not wrong, the handkerchief should be embroidered with a portrayal of a beautiful lady."
Xue Yuan picked up the oar and fished up the handkerchief. It was silk-woven, soft and smooth, and didn't stick on the hand even wet. Xue Yuan squinted. After seeing the pattern on it, he smiled with a deep meaning.
Chang Yuyan curiously asked, "Is it a portrayal of a beautiful lady?"
"No," Xue Yuan laughed horrifyingly, "it's a portrayal of a dragon.
Gu Yuanbai, who was reading through the memorials8, suddenly felt cold on his back.
He frowned. The attendants had changed his handwarmer timely, brought hot tea, and made the fire in the brazier inside the palace hall more blazing. For people who were in good health, the temperature was already very hot. The palace maids and eunuchs were already sweating, but Gu Yuanbai felt that the temperature was just right.
He tightened the exquisitely carved handwarmer in his hand. With a wave of his brush, he got up after criticizing the last memorial and asked people to tidy up the table.
The young Emperor had a weak body and looked like he had not yet reached 20 years old. Gu Yuanbai tried several times to solve the physiological needs of men, but he lost his appetite every time he looked at that tender pink and sparse hair down there.
AD
The color and shape were very nice and smooth, which could even be called delicate. However, putting it on Gu Yuanbai himself was a glaring blow to his male self-esteem.
It was so delicate that it turned red with a rub and wilted no matter how it felt.
Gu Yuanbai stood at the window and sighed deeply.
Since Gu Yuanbai dispatched Tian Fusheng, he was attended by a little eunuch. The little eunuch said cautiously, "What's bothering Your Majesty?"
Gu Yuanbai was about to speak when he heard the noise outside the palace hall. He frowned, "What is happening outside?"
As soon as his voice fell, someone ran in and announced, "Your Majesty, an assassin has been caught outside."
Gu Yuanbai's complexion abruptly darkened. The Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard, who guarded him on the side, had even a darker complexion than his.
It was already dark when he finished criticizing the memorials. The assassin dressed in all black and his tracts were strange. If Gu Yuanbai had not thoroughly purged the imperial court long ago, and that the Forbidden Army and the Imperial Bodyguards worked diligently, they might not have discovered this person.
Gu Yuanbai sat high behind the official correspondences. His voice was like the cold wind on the twelfth lunar month, "Who sent you?"
The assassin was pressed to the ground and cried out for injustice, "Who will send a flower thief to be an assassin? Your Majesty is a good judge. This little one is blinded by lust and simply mustered the courage to enter the palace to have a look."
Gu Yuanbai: "A flower thief picking in Zhen's palace? Which flower do you like in Zhen's palace?"
"
"
The Emperor's tone was heavy. There weren't any imperial concubines in the Imperial Palace. The flowers could only befit the palace maids in the Imperial Palace.
The assassin exerted himself to look in the direction of the Emperor. The young Emperor was so angry that his lips were red, his tragus9 were filled with blood, and his eyes contained ice belted with anger. Everywhere was a sight to behold, which made anyone be dazzled and could not afford to miss any.
The assassin opened his mouth wide as he looked at the Emperor in shock. His face abruptly turned red. He lowered his head and did not reply.
Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard rushed forward and kicked the assassin. The assassin grunted. With a sudden burst of strength, he overturned several Imperial Bodyguards that suppressed him but was instantly pressed by more people.
Bright yellow dragon boots appear in front of his eyes. Gu Yuanbai raised his feet to lift the assassin's face. If there was no blood on this face, it would have look graceful but unshowy with those bright eyes. This was the face of a noble gongzi.
The assassin blinked away the blood at the side of his eye and looked up at the Emperor carefully. Close up, even the Emperor's slender wrists were within his sight. He earnestly and sincerely said, "Your Majesty, this commoner is truly only blinded by lust for a moment."
The corner of the Emperor's lips slightly rose, "You think Zhen believed it?"
Every place was like jade, and yet more honorable than jade. The sweat that flowed out of these skin and flesh that was nurtured with pampering probably smelled fragrant.
The assassin felt his heart itch. The boots that lifted his chin smelled fragrant. He explained, "This little one saw you outside the palace. Never expected you to enter the palace nor expected you are the Emperor."
Gu Yuanbai looked down at him and laughed grimly for quite a while before he spoke, "Throw him into the prison and properly interrogate."
The Imperial Bodyguards dragged the man out. The assassin was still smiling while his eyes wandered around inside the palace hall, yet his peripheral vision never left the Emperor.
Gu Yuanbai coughed a few times as he looked at his smiling face coldly.
After the man was dragged out, the Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard took the lead and knelt in front of Gu Yuanbai. Gu Yuanbai glanced at them and refused to let them get up. Only after a good while that he calmed down and said, "Never again."
Such a thief was let to rush to the front of the Xuanzheng10 Hall inside the Grand Imperial Palace.
Were all the guards in the palace useless?!
It was a shame that the assassin's mouth was full of nonsense. Gu Yuanbai thought hard about who could be sending him, but his head began to ache at this time.
He rubbed his forehead with a slight frown. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Zhang Xu was looking at him. Gu Yuanbai frowned, "What?"
The Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard bowed his head in shame, "Your Majesty, your servant [I] will not let such a thing happen again."
"Go and investigate where it went wrong," Gu Yuanbai said coldly, "Zhen wants to see who left him a doghole!"
After the Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard withdrawn, Tian Fusheng scrutinized the Emperor's complexion and persuaded, "Your Majesty, it's time to eat."
After a good while of persuasion, Gu Yuanbai reluctantly nodded and let him bring up the meal. A moment later, a table of exotic delicacies was placed in front of Gu Yuanbai.
However, no matter how delicious it was, a person would be tired of eating it for three years. Gu Yuanbai had no appetite. After he moved his chopsticks once, he didn't want to move them again. He couldn't help thinking of a series of delicious foods, such as a scrambled egg with tomato, hot pot barbecue, hamburger, and coke.
In particular, tomatoes. Gu Yuanbai used to be apathetic to tomatoes before, but in recent years, he almost became obsessive about tomatoes. He craved it when he thought of its sweet and sour taste. However, the tomato was introduced into China in the Ming Dynasty. He craved it so much now that he drooled since he couldn't eat this big red fruit.
Once he thought of food, it couldn't be stopped. Gu Yuanbai's anger dispersed and only craving was left now. There were no hot peppers in Great Heng Dynasty at present. Currently, the spiciness in dishes was mostly mixed with spicy seasonings such as Sichuan pepper, cornel, ginger, mustard, betel, and so on. This body was weak and could not eat spicy food, so Gu Yuanbai seldom encountered spicy taste in the past three years.
After thinking about all kinds of food in his mind, Gu Yuanbai pondered for a while. Then, he beckoned someone and carefully instructed him before letting him go to the Imperial Kitchen to make a bowl of fried noodles in soybean sauce11 as per his instruction.
A moment later, a bowl of noodles covered with soybean sauce was put in front of Gu Yuanbai, with scallions sprinkled on it. The aroma was lingering and the appearance was really good. Gu Yuanbai picked up the noodles, wrapped them in soybean sauce and meat, and fed it to his mouth. The appetizing aroma assailed his nostrils, which then raised his appetite.
Gu Yuanbai cleanly ate the bowl of noodles and was fully satisfied. Gu Yuanbai looked again at the delicacies on the table that had not been touched. He moved his finger and lazily instructed, "Let people make another bowl of noodles and give it to General Xue along with lotus-shaped duck slivers and golden tripe soup."
"Yes."
General Xue personally received the food from the palace. The eunuch sent to deliver the dishes said with a smile, "General Xue is in the heart of His Majesty. When eating, His Majesty remembered General. There is also a bowl of noodles in the food box, which is a new dish that His Majesty asked the Imperial Kitchen to work out tonight. He specially asked this small one to bring a bowl for General to try it fresh."
General Xue was moved and said in a deep voice, "The benevolence from His Majesty is vast. Your servant thanks His Majesty for the thought."
The eunuch smiled with satisfaction and then left.
That night in Xue Residence.
The two dishes bestowed by the Emperor were placed in the center, while the bowl of noodles was placed in front of General Xue himself. General Xue carefully mixed the noodles and took the first bite respectfully.
The old madam looked at him with a smile, "What His Majesty has given us can't be wasted. Today, don't be reserved. Lin-ger can also drink some wine."
Second-gongzi Xue responded affirmatively. Seeing General Xue's chopsticks lifted, he also raised his chopsticks and reached out to the bestowed dish in the middle. Halfway, Xue Yuan's chopsticks hit him on the back of his hand with a forced smile, "Did I let you eat?"
"
"
In an instant, there was a red mark on the backhand of Second-gongzi Xue. He looked at the elders with a grievance. However, both the old madam and General Xue seemed not to have seen it. Second-gongzi Xue had to let go of that dish and turned to a dish of vegetables nearby.
Xue Yuan changed to a new pair of chopsticks. He looked at the two dishes in the middle, took a bite, and said, "After hitting with a stick, give jujube12. General Xue, the Emperor treats you like a dog in training."
"Then you are the son of a dog," General Xue loudly said.
Xue Yuan was too lazy to argue with him. He concentrated on eating the imperial food from the palace. When he had eaten half, he suddenly spoke, "It'll be the Lantern Festival Palace Banquet in a few days. I'll go into the palace with you then."
General Xue looked at him suspiciously and warned, "Don't you think of doing anything to disgrace me."
Xue Yuan drew up a gentle smile. He fished out the Emperor's handkerchief to wipe the dirty dust on his shoes. Then, he threw it on the ground and trampled it a few times. He said, "Why would I?"
That sick and weak Emperor scolded him so hard in front of all the officials. Could he still dare to do any outrageous thing?
Note:
Footnotes
a person who forcibly enter a house and commit rape
A government office, equivalent to the modern Supreme Court, in charge of the trial of criminal cases
born of a concubine
he used arrogant I (Laozi)
(idiom)pretending to be what one is not
From author's note: Jingguan: in ancient time, to show off one's martial arts, one gathered the enemy's corpses into heaps which then turned into burial mound. It is a mountain built of the enemy's heads.
Lotus Picking Song by Wang Changling (Tang Poet) translated by Fan Jinghua
a statement of facts, especially as the basis of a petition to the emperor
a small pointed eminence of the external ear, situated in front of the concha
lit. announce political. The place where the emperor handles official affairs
Zhajiangmian or (KR) jajangmyeon
same meaning as carrot-and-stick approach
005 – His Majesty Is Angry
The early second lunar month was bitterly cold. The imperial doctor in the palace tried every means to keep the emperor's physical condition in a stable state. Gu Yuanbai also cooperated very well. Fortunately, nothing happened afterward besides the wind chill that was going to kill him.
In his spare time, he tried his best to recall the plot of the drama Powerful Minister. Powerful Minister was the adaptation of the BL novel Jade in The Regent's Palm, in which Gu Yuanbai did not at all understand the specific plot.
He only knew that the drama was very popular. However, what was more popular than the plot was the socialist brotherhood in it.
Gu Yuanbai was in a state of "having heard, familiar with, but not understanding" toward this kind of socialist brotherhood. He also felt very strange toward the two protagonists in the book. After he sent someone to inquire about it, he found out that so far, the two protagonists did not like men.
Gu Yuanbai washed his face and took the face towel to wipe off the water. He asked casually, "Is there a Southern Wind1 Building in the capital?"
Tian Fusheng took the towel in the emperor's and replied, "Yes, [I] heard there are many."
Gu Yuanbai smiled. It was no wonder Xue Yuan became a Prince Regent only after he died.
The two protagonists in the book were both men. Neither of them was a man who could serve as mermaid meat in the Southern Wind Building. Xue Yuan couldn't leave any heir, and there wasn't an heir to pass that fart of a position.
Presumably, after his death, the future Prince Regent could only support a puppet emperor among his clan relatives. As long as the successor was smart enough and could endure, there might be a chance to free himself.
Tian Fusheng stood on the side and saw the corner of the emperor's lips hinted with a smile. A myriad of speculation emerged in his mind.
His Majesty suddenly asked about the Southern Wind Building. Could it be that His Majesty wants to have a male pet?
AD
But in the whole capital, who can be worthy of receiving His Majesty's favor?
His Majesty is so honorable that the people of the Southern Wind Building can never face His Majesty.
Tian Fusheng's brain wandered around and suddenly decided to dwell on a man with an immortal aura that could shed off the dirt.
Chu Wei, the son of the fifth rank Secretary Chu of the Ministry of Rites.
The palace was heavily guarded as the Lantern Festival Banquet approached. The thief, who claimed to be a flower thief, was severely interrogated and finally spoke two days later. The interrogator came to report the matter to Gu Yuanbai.
"The thief is willing to say, but he wants to meet Your Majesty again."
The interrogator said, "Your servant [I] suspect that this man harbors vicious intention. You Majesty decides whether to meet him or not."
Today, the emperor changed into a thinner indigo cloak. The dark color draped on his body made his skin white as snow. Upon hearing this, he nodded and permitted, "Bring him up. Zhen wants to know what he has to say."
After a while, the assassin was brought up. Since the assassin had to be in the presence of the emperor, they specially washed away the bloodstain on him. His prison clothes were neat and tidy, but there was still a strong smell of blood.
Gu Yuanbai stepped forward and stood not far away, "What do you want to tell Zhen?"
The assassin was interrogated for two days. His face was covered with hair and looked pale due to blood loss. His lips were dry and the whites of his eyes covered in blood streak. There were bruises on his exposed fingers, next to each other, and yet his pair of eyes were particularly spirited.
AD
He said feebly, "If this commoner said it, can Your Majesty let me go?"
The assassin strenuously looked in the direction of Gu Yuanbai. After seeing the emperor, his haggard face gradually reddened.
Upon hearing that, Gu Yuanbai smiled, "If you said it, Zhen will let the people behind the scene accompany you to the netherworld together."
The assassin felt chagrin and said, "Your Majesty has a clear judgment. There is no one behind me."
Gu Yuanbai was about to speak when a tickling sensation rose in his throat. He slightly leaned sideways and pressed his lips as he coughed.
For a while, the whole palace had only the sound of his low cough. The assassin looked up and saw the young emperor coughed until the corners of his eyes moistened.
The emperor, who could torture him for two days, and the Lord of the country, who could look at him with such a miserable appearance, would tear up because of his little cough. At this thought, the assassin felt a deeper itch in his heart, as if feathers were tickling it.
The assassin said sincerely, "Your Majesty, you truly need to let me go quickly."
Gu Yuanbai sneered. His voice sounded hoarse because of the cough, "Still dare to threaten Zhen?"
The assassin shook his head. "No, but if you don't let go of me, my father is going to break my legs."
Tian Fusheng pressed his throat as he snorted coldly, "Who is your father?"
The assassin grinned, "My father is Li Bao. I'm the youngest in the family. My surname's Li and name's Huan."
AD
There was silence in the palace hall. Gu Yuanbai suddenly stepped forward and walked to the assassin with an ugly face. He crouched down and grabbed the assassin's chin, "It turns out to be my Imperial Preceptor's youngest son?"
Tian Fusheng couldn't hide his surprise and looked at the assassin in shock. He was actually… He was actually the son of Li Bao, the Imperial Preceptor of the once Crown Prince?
The assassin was beaten up almost half to death. He lowered his eyes and saw the fingers of the emperor holding his chin. The fingertips turned white. One could see how much strength he exerted and the anger he bore. The assassin said with a wry smile, "I made the big mistake myself, so I was punished by Your Majesty for two days. The injuries on this body can't heal without lying in bed for a year or so. If Your Majesty is angry, I beg Your Majesty for the sake of the information I told on my own accord to spare this cheap life of mine."
Gu Yuanbai released him. His expression looked gloomy and uncertain.
The assassin said in distress, "If Your Majesty is still angry, please allow me to go home and report to my father. My father is already 70 years old. He can't get a shock. After I reported home, Your Majesty can punish me however you want."
It was exactly because of this that Gu Yuanbai couldn't summon Li Bao to the palace to plead guilty.
It was only proper to let him plead guilty. However, in case he died, he mustn't die under the fury of the emperor. The old gentleman had high virtue and a glorious name. His disciples were all over the country.
Gu Yuanbai was so angry that he laughed. His chest burned with suppressed anger. Tian Fusheng cried out in alarm as he staggered over and consoled him to sit down.
A scene of chaos took place in the palace hall. The assassin hadn't expected this. With eyes wide opened, he watched a group of people surrounded the emperor.
"He knows that Zhen will not tell Li Bao," Gu Yuanbai clenched his hands until they turned pale. "He knows Zhen has to spare his life for his father's sake."
Tian Fusheng said in a hurry, "He tried to assassinate Your Majesty. This can put his whole clan to death!"
"That is Zhen's Imperial Preceptor!" Gu Yuanbai clenched his teeth. Li Bao's help was indispensable for the young emperor to ascend the throne. The young emperor was also close to Li Bao. Moreover, this boy was very clever and courageous. From the beginning to the end, he only said that he was a flower thief. Where did the assassination come from when he didn't even get close?
AD
A quarter of an hour later, the imperial doctor came to check the emperor's pulse. The assassin lay on the stretcher and looked at the crowd with earnest worry.
He couldn't move. His whole body was in pain. At this time, when he saw this scene, his heart couldn't help but feel apprehensive. He truly felt a bit regretful.
The assassin gathered his strength and said in a loud voice, "If Your Majesty is still angry, you can continue to punish me. I, Li Huan, have a cheap life. No matter how much punishment, I can endure it all!"
Someone kicked him hard and shouted angrily, "Shut up!"
After a stick of incense burnt, the pale-faced Gu Yuanbai dismissed the crowd with a wave of his hand.
Li Huan looked at his expression and swallowed the blood in his throat.
That day, Li Huan took a brothel girl to the riverside for an outing. While playing with the girl, they both fell into the water. There were reeds in the water that could prolong underwater breath. The feeling of flirting underwater was exciting, so Li Huan did not rush to take the girl ashore. When he pulled his head out of the water to breathe, he happened to catch a sight of the emperor coming toward the river.
Li Huan spontaneously sunk to the bottom of the water. The river was muddy. He grabbed the brothel girl and got into the reeds. The dense reeds concealed them. Afraid that the woman next to him would make any noise, he covered her lips and locked her limbs, while he watched the person on the riverbank from between the gap.
The person on the riverbank looked down at the water while not knowing people were watching him from within the reeds.
Undoubtedly, Li Huan was not at the bottom of the water, and yet he held his breath like he was suffocated. After the emperor left, he took the girl ashore. He almost killed a person because of the insensibility within the tension.
Who would have known that the man on that day was the emperor? What he was looking at was a sacred face?
Gu Yuanbai calmed down for a while. The look in his eyes was heavy as he asked coldly, "Who let you into the palace?"
Li Huan opened his mouth wide, but uncommunicative.
"Whatever you say, Zhen doesn't care," said Gu Yuanbai. "Who knows if what you're saying is true or false. Zhen will personally investigate it. After checking the source, Zhen will invite Youngest Gongzi Li into the palace to see if Zhen has caught the right person or not."
The emperor said it word by word gently and without any stress, but Li Huan felt chill on his back.
Gu Yuanbai said with a smile, "Come, send Gongzi Li to Imperial Preceptor's house. Bring the best medicinal materials and let one hundred palace servants follow. Send him to Li Residence with great fanfare and enthusiasm!"
Captain of the Imperial Bodyguard's expression was solemn as he responded, "Your servant obeys the order."
"If Imperial Preceptor asked," Gu Yuanbai said, "just tell the truth. If Imperial Preceptor wants to enter the palace to plead guilty, tell him to wait for his son to recover first."
"Yes."
Li Huan was carried out of the palace with a wry smile. He supposed that this procession was more extravagant than when the emperor went out of the palace.
The emperor might feel that two days of punishment was not enough to vent his anger, and thus planned to do something like this. He had thought that the emperor would not tell his father lest his father died under exasperation.
Yet, he didn't expect the emperor had a mutual affection with his father. Nevertheless, even if his father was angered to death, it couldn't be compared with letting the emperor's cool his temper.
At this time, even if his father was angered to death, the people in the country would say that he died because of this unfilial son of his. Not only that, they would be grateful for the emperor's benevolence and grateful for the emperor's grace toward the Li Residence.
From then on, his father could no longer speak brazenly about his mutual affection with the emperor.
AD
"Ai," Li Huan sighed and chatted with the person beside him, "Big brother bodyguard, if my father doesn't ask, please don't take the initiative to tell him."
The Imperial Bodyguard's face was expressionless, but there was faint anger.
Li Huan was silent for a while. Suddenly, he opened his fist which had been clenched. There was green silk wrapped in his fist. He put the green silk into his clothes with difficulty and looked at the horizon as his mind wandered.
He had the position of an emperor and the appearance of a celestial being.
Status, power, and the country were all in the hand of that person. The emperor raised by the whole territory of Great Heng even had hair as smooth as satin.
The next time he wanted to see the emperor, he had to wait until this body healed.
After Li Huan was sent back, Imperial Preceptor Li Bao wanted to go to the palace to plead guilty. However, Gu Yuanbai did not want to see him and let people sent him back to his residence. After three days of going back and forth like that, Li Bao's spirit withered. His whole person seemed to have a 70-year-old man's lethargy in an instant.
All the people who should know about Li Bao's three days of going to the palace yet not entering was aware of it. Except for some well-informed people, outsiders did not know why Li Bao could not get the emperor's favor overnight.
Two days later, a few of the Imperial Bodyguards in the palace were executed. The bloody corpses were transported to Li Residence at night. Li Bao was horrified and directly fainted.
Li Bao sat in the ancestral hall once he gained consciousness. After dawn, he wrote a thousand-word apology letter to the emperor.
After the letter was submitted, Li Bao anxiously waited for news from the palace. His eldest son had become an official in the Imperial Court, but his qualifications were mediocre. Now, he only wandered in the bottom, but he still had the chance to advance.
AD
However, right now, their whole family from the elders to the children knew it had been spoiled.
The eldest son's face looked grim. Everyone had an unsightly expression.
Li Huan was placed in the room to recuperate. The family could not criticize him at this time, but they were still resentful.
Why is he so bold as to break into the palace?
That's the Imperial Palace! The Forbidden City! It's the place where the emperor lives! How dare Li Huan?!
Li Bao looked haggard. He had never had such an experience in his whole life. Nowadays, the emperor treated his ministers well and he was even closer to him. But now, when he wanted to see the emperor, he couldn't even enter the palace gate.
After some unknown time passed, the palace finally sent someone to his door.
The messenger's face was indifferent. After politely greeting Imperial Preceptor Li Bao, who came with a cane, he spoke bluntly, "His Majesty sympathizes with Imperial Preceptor's health. Currently, Youngest Gongzi Li is seriously injured. The whole of Li Family should be busy taking care of Youngest Gongzi Li. In this case, there is no need to participate in the Lantern Festival Palace Banquet."
Those who could attend the palace banquet could be said to be the people who were part of the center of the political right in the whole Great Heng Dynasty. Now that they couldn't attend the palace banquet, they were excluded from the center of the political right?
Hearing this, everyone's expression turned rigid. Li Bao's hands fiercely shook. He knelt on the ground and sobbed, "Many thanks to His Majesty for His compassionate kindness."
The emperor was truly angry.
For the first time, the people of Li Residence kneeling on the ground recognized the facts in front of them.
AD
Was there any future for them and Li Residence after they had infuriated the emperor?
Footnotes
Change the 南 (nan) in 南风 (nanfeng=southern wind) to 男 (nan) and you will get 男风 (male homosexuality). So you get the gist of what type of place it is.