I Rely on Beauty to Stabilize the Country - Chap 22
Until things calmed down, the high-ranking officials and powerful people in the entire capital stayed behind closed doors, unusually well behaved.
Meanwhile, ordinary civilians weren’t affected. After all, the residences of the Imperial relatives and nobles were far away from the regular people, and Gu Yuanbai deliberately tried not to create a big disturbance. His actions intended, at most, to scare those few streets full of powerful people and the courtiers and officials close to them.
The smart people knew that this was both a crackdown and a show.
The Emperor had known what was going on. He used this chance to make the Imperial army sneak around to curtail it and to tell others, “We have the ability to decide whether you live or die. Do not try to provoke Us. The only thing you should do is behave and follow Our orders.”
This Emperor was completely different from the late Emperor. He said, he did it, and he did it with great fanfare. In the eyes of the noblemen, it was chilling, but in the eyes of his fanboys, the Emperor was really dashing!
In the palace, Gu Yuanbai, who had just finished listening to General Cheng’s report, was presented with the poems that Chang Yuyan and Tang Mian, the son of the Minister of Revenue, had composed for him. When he received them, he couldn’t help but laugh.
Both Chang Yuyan and Tang Mian were smart people. They had different styles of poetry and writing, and each had its own good points. Now with these two poems, one wanted to announce the Emperor’s Imperial might, and the other wanted to promote the Emperor’s love for the people. The two poems were excellent and easy to read and remember. At this point in time, using something like that to present a false image of peace and prosperity and calm the hearts of the officials, it seemed that the two of them had spontaneously developed a talent for public opinion.
The literati circle worked like that, one person would lead others. After Chang Yuyan and Tang Mian took the lead, since they started from above, the bottom naturally followed. The Emperor sending the Imperial army and spilling blood from the clan seemed to have been forgotten by everyone.
Gu Yuanbai thought for a while, smiled and set the poems aside. He asked Tian Fusheng, “Why aren’t you lying down and resting?”
“This one wanted to rest for two days,” Tian Fusheng said with a worried expression, “but, Your Highness, after I was away for half a day, so many things have happened. The day has been really long, long enough that my old waist has stopped hurting.”
Gu Yuanbai thought, it hadn’t been just half a day.
However, Gu Yuanbai was very satisfied with how efficient it was. In half a day, everything that had to be solved was solved, and all possible trouble that might have arisen from that had been nipped in the bud.
“Didn’t Princess Wan say that she missed me and wanted to see me?” Gu Yuanbai smiled. “In a few days, when there’s no morning court, tell the people from the Weather Bureau to see what the sky looks like. We remember that there’s an Imperial family temple outside of the capital that was conferred by the late Emperor, it’ll be good to take Grand Imperial Concubine there and relax.”
Tian Fusheng respectfully replied ‘yes’. Gu Yuanbai glanced at him and said, “You don’t need to go, just rest in the palace.”
“…” The Emperor’s compassion made Tian Fusheng’s eyes fill with tears, but his heart was full of worry thinking that something might happen when he wasn’t around. He felt so torn for a while that he couldn’t speak.
Xue Yuan, who had already finished cleaning himself at the side, said just at the right moment, “I will also be by His Highness’s side at that time.”
He smiled gracefully. “Eunuch, don’t worry anymore. This official is strong and energetic, I’m very useful.”
Tian Fusheng said politely, “With Master Xue and Master Zhang together, what would I have to worry about?”
Xue Yuan felt excited all over.
He smiled slightly at Tian Fusheng, and the excitement hidden deep in his eyes made his smile seem a little off.
In fact, Xue Yuan was almost going crazy with excitement over the Emperor’s actions.
Xue Yuan was bloodthirsty and, when he was eleven or twelve, he already had the courage to kill deserters running away from the battlefield. He enjoyed the battlefield, enjoyed killing, and enjoyed making people subservient.
The most noble person in the world was undoubtedly the Emperor before him. However, right before his eyes, the sick and weak Emperor had used methods as loud as thunder. Wild enough and with enough fanfare to make Xue Yuan’s breathing become heavy, as he saw the group of black armored imperial troops running out of the Imperial city in formation after he came out of the bath.
The most noble person in the world also had the ruthlessness proper of the lord of the world.
Between subjugating a large plot and subjugating the Emperor, at this moment, the latter made Xue Yuan feel even more invigorated.
Ever since the start all the way to the present, besides the times being ill, Xue Yuan had never seen other expressions on the face of the young Emperor. Gu Yuanbai seemed to be calm and composed all the time. When being ruthless, he was ruthless, when he was cold, he was cold. Despite his obviously weak body, he never showed a vulnerable look.
What would it be like for him to look vulnerable?
Xue Yuan didn’t know.
But Xue Yuan’s provocation that day hadn’t been fully in vain. He at least discovered that the young Emperor disliked being touched. The more intimate the touch, the more disgusted the young Emperor felt.
This was a really invaluable discovery.
Gu Yuanbai suddenly raised his head to look at the color of the horizon. “Is it time to change shifts?”
The guard captain, Zhang Xu, said, “Your Highness, it is indeed time for the shift change.”
The only one whose shift was ending here was Xue Yuan.
Xue Yuan stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Gu Yuanbai. “This official retires.”
Gu Yuanbai stared at Xue Yuan’s back as he left. Tian Fusheng followed suit and exclaimed, “This one remembers the first time I saw Young Master Xue, when he was completely drunk and smelled of alcohol. Isn’t he talented when he doesn’t drink? He’s handsome and brave, the son of General Xue, as the saying goes a tiger father doesn’t have dogs for sons. This one has heard that Young Master Xue isn’t afraid of killing enemies in the battlefield, and that he’s very good at leading soldiers.”
Gu Yuanbai said, “He has some military merits. General Xue is the one suppressing his son’s military pursuits now to make him go back to being calm and steady.”
“Yes,” Tian Fusheng said with a smile. “It is also an honor for Master Xue to be an imperial guard by Your Highness’ side now. With time, he will become a capable general of Great Heng.”
In his heart, Gu Yuanbai said he will indeed become a capable general, to the point of threatening the throne.
Xue Yuan looked very obedient nowadays, but, when looking closely at him, he was actually full of rebellious spirit. If it weren’t for his role as the future protagonist and his future work for the country, Gu Yuanbai would have made him learn what Imperial power was.
But a mad dog being a mad dog, it was interesting to tame him like this. If he were scared and obedient, it would make Gu Yuanbai look down on him.
After dinner, Gu Yuanbai met again the two generals in charge of overseeing the Imperial Army in the side hall from the Xuanzheng Hall building.
General Cheng said, “Your Highness, among the people working for Lu Feng that we arrested in Prince Qi’s Mansion, there have been several who have offered to trade secret information in exchange for their lives.”
Gu Yuanbai laughed and said, “No deal. What I want is their lives.”
No one in the world could have more information than Gu Yuanbai. These people had been thrown into the capital, and they could only survive through subterfuge. Gu Yuanbai didn’t believe that they could have any sort of valuable information in their hands. Rather than anything like that, what he needed were their heads, displayed in the mansions of a number of ministers and noblemen, so as to scare away the people working under Lu Feng that hadn’t been discovered yet.
After this battle, Gu Yuanbai believed that the prince’s mansion and the ministers of each clan would cooperate.
After the hidden malignant tumor became visible and their misdeeds were revealed, Gu Yuanbai would personally send those people who had been left behind in the capital to Jinghunan and Jiangnan, to send them to meet with the remnants of Lu Feng’s forces.
At that time, he’d get a good show of dog-eat-dog.
So, no matter how one looked at it, their heads would have the best effect. After these heads were done terrorizing a number of official residences, Gu Yuanbai could also give them as a gift to the remaining forces.
After bearing such a benevolent gift from the Emperor, hopefully they would feel inspired, getting scared and fearful quicker. Then, they’d fight with the powerful magnates in the two locations and take their wealth, farmers and fertile lands.
Stamp them out, and then wait to be stamped out by Gu Yuanbai.
The Emperor had caught a cold and, on top of that, he had coughed up blood. All the doctors in the Imperial hospital were busy. After taking his pulse many times, they finally came to the conclusion that the Emperor was vomiting blood because of his anxiety attacking his heart. In order to take care of his body, he should not think too much.
He followed the advice of doctors and set aside a working time for himself every day. He would do as much work as possible within those hours, and he would spend the rest of the time strolling around the Imperial gardens, reading books, and writing down some modern knowledge he remembered, so as not to forget it before he needed it.
After a few days of this, his cold gradually healed. After sending the Weather Bureau Supervisor to predict the weather, Gu Yuanbai added the matter of going with Grand Imperial Concubine Wan to the Imperial family temple to his agenda.
Early the next morning, the carriage drove out of the palace.
Xue Yuan followed next to the window with his horse. He was full of energy and handsome. When he saw Gu Yuanbai open the window of the carriage, he smiled slowly and asked, “Does Your Highness feel cold?”
Since it was April, the morning was no longer cold. Gu Yuanbai took off his heavy clothes and, wearing a green crown on his head and a soft smile on his face, he gave the feeling of a beautiful and valuable jade.
A white butterfly flew by the carriage, and the Emperor’s gaze followed the butterfly unconsciously. Suddenly, a big hand stretched out and quickly and accurately took the butterfly into his hand.
Xue Yuan smiled and placed his clenched fist in front of Gu Yuanbai’s eyes. “Your Highness, are you interested in this thing?”
Gu Yuanbai had some interest in his eyes. “So what?”
Was Xue Yuan going to dedicate this butterfly to him?
Xue Yuan smiled slightly, and slowly opened his hand. There was a bloody butterfly in the middle of his palm. The white butterfly wings were stained with yellow blood. The butterfly that had just been flying around a moment earlier had been crushed to death by Xue Yuan.
“I can’t believe it died,” Xue Yuan said with pity, taking the blame. “It’s this official’s fault for using too much force. Asking Your Highness for forgiveness.”
Gu Yuanbai said lightly, “Throw it away.”
Xue Yuan threw the butterfly on the ground, took out a handkerchief and wiped his hand. As soon as the blood was wiped off, he showed his clean palm to the Emperor, and smiled. “Your Highness, how does it look?”
Gu Yuanbai raised his eyes lightly. “Not good.”
“This official thinks it’s clean.” Xue Yuan withdrew his hand. “It’s easy to clean the blood with just wiping it. After that, except for Your Highness, who else would know that this official accidentally crushed a butterfly?”
“We are not interested in butterflies.” Gu Yuanbai raised his eyebrows, thinking it was interesting to chat with Xue Yuan. “We are interested in the horse you have under.”
The corner of Xue Yuan’s mouth went up. “This official has also carried Your Highness, steady as can be. Compared with the horse, aren’t I better?”
Gu Yuanbai said, “Always more communicative than a beast.”
The corners of Xue Yuan’s mouth stiffened. When his eyebrows were pressed down, his entire face looked gloomy and sharp, but soon again he laughed and said, “If your Highness is interested in the horse below me, wouldn’t it be better to get out of the carriage and ride this official’s horse?”
Gu Yuanbai lost interest, said “No”, and closed the window.
Xue Yuan glanced at the carriage and smiled darkly.
He hadn’t been really planning to invite Gu Yuanbai to ride a horse, but, now that the young Emperor had refused, Xue Yuan felt that he had to get him out of the carriage and make him do it.
Gu Yuanbai opened a book, and the young eunuch next to him asked, “What kind of tea does Your Highness want to drink today?”
“A pot of Shuangjing Green,” Gu Yuanbai said, “brew it light.”
The young eunuch carefully took out the tea, saying, “Yes.”
Shuangjing Green was a tea that the Emperor enjoyed drinking lately. When brewed in water, the color was clear and translucent, the flavor mellow, and the lingering fragrance remained in the mouth for a long time. The young eunuch was making tea cautiously, and, just as the Emperor next to him turned a page of the book, the carriage suddenly became unstable, and the entire thing shook.
Gu Yuanbai held onto the wall of the carriage and asked sharply, “What happened?!”
The tea in the carriage got spilled all over, and the layers of soft blankets were soaked completely. It was impossible to find a clean place to sit, nor stand straight, the carriage was simply unusable.
A noise came from the outside, and Gu Yuanbai stepped out of the carriage right away, holding onto his robe, going to take a look with his eyebrows furrowed. It turned out that a deep sharp stone had been plunged into the leg of the horse leading the carriage, and the horse had knelt on the ground, howling.
Gu Yuanbai’s eyelid twitched and he turned to look around.
There were indeed a lot of fine stones along the roadside, and some of them were sharp. But it was just quite a coincidence that one of the stones would be inserted in the horse’s leg at such a tricky angle, and for the entire carriage to be covered in tea.
Gu Yuanbai smiled coldly. “Zhang Xu.”
The guard strode over and said, “Your Highness, I will send someone to transport the injured horse away. It’s not possible to ride the carriage anymore. Your Highness, why don’t you ride this official’s horse, while I walk in the front?”
“No,” Gu Yuanbai said, “that’s too slow, Grand Imperial Concubine Wan is still waiting for Us.”
At this moment, Xue Yuan walked over, leading his horse. He stroked the mane of his mount and asked leisurely, “Your Highness, why not try riding this official’s horse?”
The guard captain frowned, and, as he was about to refute, he heard Xue Yuan speak slowly. “The owner of this horse is a little more communicative than a beast, so the horse must be more clever than some people.
“This official carries Your Highness,” Xue Yuan said sarcastically, “and this official’s horse will also carry Your Highness.”
Gu Yuanbai looked between the two, squinted, then said, “Xue Yuan will ride with Us. Zhang Xu, you take Our eunuch.”
Xue Yuan respectfully turned sideways and said, “Your Highness, if you please.”
Gu Yuanbai gave him a meaningful look, stepped on the stirrups and straddled the horse. Although his body wasn’t in good condition, it didn’t mean that he wasn’t able to ride and shoot. His endurance was poor, but his basic skills weren’t shameful.
After he mounted the horse so smoothly, Xue Yuan, still holding the reins, was about to jump on the horse as well. However, unexpectedly, Gu Yuanbai suddenly clamped his legs and raised his whip. “Move!”
The horse began to run, and Xue Yuan was dragged on the ground for more than ten meters. Then, relying on the strength of his arms, he mounted over the horse, sitting behind the young Emperor.
His entire body was covered in dust, and he had blood stains on his hands. Half of his body felt as if it was on fire, and he cut a sorry figure. Xue Yuan’s eyes were full of fury, and, tasting blood in his mouth, he asked, “Your Highness, what are you running for?”
“Xue Yuan,” Gu Yuanbai whispered, “Do We look easy to fool?”
Xue Yuan stretched a hand past the young Emperor’s waist and held tight onto the reins in the young Emperor’s hand. His hand was bloody and bruised because of getting entangled and dragged, but it was still very vigorous, without shaking in the slightest.
“I1 ruin one of your horses,” Xue Yuan said with a bloody breath in Gu Yuanbai’s ear, “and you’d let me die?
Your Highness, how can you be so cruel?”
