I Rely on Beauty to Stabilize the Country - Chap 40

Seeing Xue Yuan’s attitude, it was clear he wasn’t afraid of being discovered.

As a matter of fact, a court official being humiliated right in front of the Imperial palace was a slap in the Emperor’s face. He sent the capital’s soldiers to patrol and arrest all those who disturbed public order.

However, even though a few evildoers were caught, they didn’t find any of the people who beat Chu Wei up that day.

Chu Wei was a scholar. Even if he often practiced martial arts to strengthen his body, he couldn’t compare with professionals, after all. He could feel that the people who had attacked him in the alley that day were obviously determined, fast and cruel, deliberately choosing spots where there’d be no permanent damage but would hurt the most.

His face was intact. He didn’t look hurt at all. It had been on purpose.

Besides Xue Yuan, Chu Wei couldn’t think of anyone else who could be behind it, but he hadn’t been able to catch his trail.

When Gu Yuanbai woke up, he’d see Xue Yuan waiting by the side. The future Regent was very thick skinned. The guards waited outside the palace, and he remembered his duties as Inspector in Chief and stood upright before Gu Yuanbai.

He was there when he changed his clothes, and he was there when his hair was getting tied up. Sometimes, when Gu Yuanbai wanted a glass of water, he’d bring it before Tian Fusheng could.

Xue Yuan didn’t know why, but he hated other people with evil intentions hanging around Gu Yuanbai. Normally, Xue Yuan and Chu Wei didn’t care about each other, but at the thought of Chu Wei having designs on the young Emperor, he couldn’t suppress his killing intent from rising from the bottom of his heart. Gu Yuanbai probably didn’t know how hard he had to suppress the idea of directly cutting at Chu Wei with a sword.

Soon, it was the day of the Spring Hunt.

Before dawn that day, a thousand cavalry and infantry rushed to the hunting grounds. The vast plain was explored by the cavalry, and the foot soldiers went into the steep forest. After the two teams had explored the hunting grounds completely, they would send someone to inform the Emperor.

The Emperor’s hunt was not only for entertainment, but also for many political and strategic purposes, which could be explained in one or two sentences.

Gu Yuanbai was wearing a neat riding and hunting outfit that day, very different from usual. It had inlaid accessories that jingled when he moved. He carried a bow and arrows, and a small crossbow that was easy to hide. His long hair was tied up in a high ponytail, cutting an impressive figure.

After a few days of rest and recuperation, he looked very good that day. A large group of people were waiting outside. Gu Yuanbai shooed away the palace attendant who wanted to tidy up his clothes once more and said loudly, “Let’s go!”

Red banners flew and the sound of horses’ hoofs started. Gu Yuanbai lifted up his robe and climbed on a docile, tall horse.

His riding clothes, with an embroidered dragon head in red and gold, waved with the banners.

Out of concern about Gu Yuanbai’s wellbeing, the horse had been equipped with all kinds of equipment and covered with a soft cushion. The horse walked neither fast nor slow towards the hunting grounds.

Princes and ministers accompanied the Emperor. The closer they were to the Emperor, the more they showed off his favor.

The horse moved very slowly, and there was a harness and cushion. Gu Yuanbai looked very comfortable. When they got to the hunting grounds, someone released the animals, and they hastily spread everywhere. At that time, it was necessary that the Emperor shoot the first arrow.

Gu Yuanbai wanted to show a good face. Ever since a few days earlier, he kept practicing to shoot this one arrow. He didn’t need to shoot multiple arrows and draw a full bow every time. He didn’t even need to catch a prey. Gu Yuanbai just needed to shoot. He couldn’t stand not being able to shoot.

Take the bow and arrow into his hand, draw the feather arrow from the back, place the arrow on the bow, aim and release.

With a whoosh, the feathered arrow flew forward rapidly and hit a stag amidst the running animals in the hind leg.

“Good!!!”

“His Majesty’s shooting skills are great!”

The princes and ministers, who had already planned to flatter him no matter what, cheered hard. They were so excited that their faces turned red and their voices became higher and higher, for fear that others would outdo them at it.

Gu Yuanbai smiled happily and listened to the praise around him with a smile. When they were almost finished, he said, “Well, let’s go hunting. Gather here in two hours. Then, We will see which of you hunted the most prey. There will be grand rewards then!”

The courtiers were modest, and Prince He rode his horse ahead. He took a look at Gu Yuanbai, who was wearing a strong red color that flattered his face. Prince He frowned, then took the lead, driving out like the wind.

After Prince He left, the members of the Imperial family and the officials went, lastly followed by the sons of courtiers and officials.

Smoke and dust were raised in the air. After Gu Yuanbai ordered the servants to prepare tools for cooking the prey there, he also rode slowly into the grounds with his guards.

He didn’t want to steal the limelight from his officials. Hunting was not so much a pleasure activity for the Emperor as an opportunity to allow them to show off. As he had said before to Qin Sheng, he had to be strict as well as lenient, and now as the superior he couldn’t take his subordinates’ credit.

The hunting grounds looked brightly green at a glance, producing a refreshed, pleasant sensation. A few prey ran across the vast plain from time to time. Gu Yuanbai told the guards to shoot their arrows at will. Similarly, whoever hunted the most would be rewarded. As soon as he said this, most of the men were ready to move. The captain of the guard asked calmly, “Your Majesty, is the winner decided by the size of the prey, or by the number?”

Gu Yuanbai pondered for a while and said with a smile, “It depends on which one is harder to capture.”

In order to win, rabbits and pheasants wouldn’t cut it. The guards looked at each other, and many of them glanced at Xue Yuan.

The story of how the Inspector in Chief had suppressed the bandits had spread all over the capital, and naturally they knew of it. They had heard stories from fellow soldiers who fought the enemy alongside Xue Yuan, and they knew Xue Yuan was really crazy and very capable of killing people. The last time they lost the cuju match with the guard captain, Zhang, they were humiliated enough. If they lost to Xue Yuan, then they as the Imperial guard would be doomed.

Xue Yuan looked at their glances and he smiled, looking outwardly polite, but, in reality, he was excited.

His arrogant appearance made the other guards sneer at him for a long minute.

One person alone couldn’t compare to Xue Yuan, but they didn’t believe three or four of them couldn’t compare.

The guards were energized, and Gu Yuanbai was happy to see it happen as he rode slowly and leisurely. Even in the riding and shooting competition, these guards couldn’t leave Gu Yuanbai’s side. They could only seize the opportunity and shoot arrows in time when there were animals around.

The sound of feather arrows breaking through the air came from time to time, and the guards couldn’t suppress their excitement. Gu Yuanbai couldn’t help laughing, feeling his pride rise in his heart. He also took a feather arrow out of the quiver, pulled the bow and aimed at a fox with fur red like fire.

With a whoosh, the red fox was startled by the sound of his arrow and jumped out of the way.

Gu Yuanbai raised an eyebrow, and he was about to shoot again when he saw another arrow fly by quickly, striking the red fox in the neck and pulling it to the ground.

Gu Yuanbai looked to the side. Xue Yuan had already put back his bow and arrow. He dismounted his horse, came forward to pull up the arrow, took the red fox from the neck and carefully said, “This wild fox has no common sense. The Emperor himself is shooting at it, how dare it hide?”

Gu Yuanbai was amused, and he deliberately aimed at Xue Yuan. “Why don’t you hold it yourself, guard Xue, and then We can shoot it again?”

“The wild fox’s fur is soft and bright, and it’s an even red color.” Xue Yuan stepped forward, shook the wild fox and said with a smile, “Your Majesty, it’d be a pity to shoot it dead, and it’d be bad for the fur.”

Xue Yuan handed the wild fox to Gu Yuanbai. The wild fox’s eyes looked pitifully at Gu Yuanbai. Gu Yuanbai couldn’t help reaching out and stroking the head of the wild fox.

The fur was smooth and soft. It was a good fox.

The Emperor touched the fox, and the fox’s red fur brushed his hand. Xue Yuan looked at his clean and pink fingernails. His scalp was numb, as if he had a strange disease.

No, I have to pretend to be good to take a look inside his pants.

Without looking again, Xue Yuan felt that he wouldn’t be able to live in peace.

Xue Yuan, a man who had grown up in military camps, felt suspicious.

Is there really a man who can be so delicate and beautiful?

Aren’t we all men? How is it so different?

Gu Yuanbai took back his hand and looked back at him. Xue Yuan seemed to be in a trance, so he bent his fingers and knocked on Xue Yuan’s head and said with a smile, “Guard Xue, come back.”

Xue Yuan returned to his senses and looked at the fox in his hand. “Your Majesty, do I take the fox?”

The Emperor replied, “Count it in your score.”

Xue Yuan picked up the fox and got on the horse. The group continued forward for a while. After a moment, someone came forward and informed them that a wild bear had been found.

In the paddock, if fierce animals such as wild bears and tigers were found, the Emperor would be notified. The Emperor would then go and take some people to hunt and kill it with great interest. Sometimes, a group of five or six guards would be able to catch the beasts alive.

Gu Yuanbai led the men to the wild bear’s location. The guards, remembering the competition, got even more excited. When they arrived, they found a strong, enormous wild bear with fiery fangs.

The wild bear was eating, and it was surrounded by a strong scent of blood. The guards scattered to encircle it. However, when they were about to rush in, a loud thunder echoed in the distance.

The sound startled the bear, and it raised its head to look for the source of the sound. Turning its head around, it exposed its jugular to Xue Yuan’s eyes.

Xue Yuan was impetuous, but he clearly knew how to spot an opportunity. He jumped in at the right time without even hesitating. He rushed at the wild bear with a big knife and cut into its neck quickly and accurately.

When the blood sprayed, the wild bear roared wildly, fought back, struggled violently, and finally fell to the ground.

Xue Yuan dodged it as the guards around him stared in shock and astonishment. Xue Yuan grinned, cut off the bear’s paw and said, “Your Majesty, does this also count towards my score?”

Gu Yuanbai glanced at the dead bear with surprise. He said with a big smile, “It’s yours!”

That time, everyone realized that they were no match for Xue Yuan.

The wild bear was too big to carry. The guards came forward and dragged the wild bear, sending some of them to drag it back to the camp ahead.

Xue Yuan wiped off the blood on his body and thought about what reward he would get after winning the hunt. While placing the bear’s paw on his horse, he looked up at the horizon in the distance and frowned. “Your Majesty, I’m afraid it is going to start raining in a while.”

For the Spring Hunt day, the weather bureau had made several calculations, and none had warned about rain. Gu Yuanbai frowned, remembering the thunder from a moment ago. He thought that, if it really rained, he should get rid of the weather bureau’s officials.

The captain of the guard, looking worried, said, “If we want to go back, I’m afraid we won’t be able to catch up.”

Moreover, how could the Emperor ride faster?

Xue Yuan suddenly said, “Here it is.”

When they heard a sound and looked in the direction, they saw a dark rain cloud extending in the distance, oppressively dimming the sky and dyeing the earth black.

However, the young Emperor couldn’t endure a drop of rain.

Gu Yuanbai turned his horse around and said, “Go!”

Black clouds chased after him. The sound of heavy rain falling branches and leaves on the grass became louder and louder. The strong wind blew, and the whole heaven and earth seemed to be about to split in two.

Before the heavy rain could reach Gu Yuanbai blown over by the strong wind, Xue Yuan, who was one step behind him, suddenly loosened the reins, moved his foot, stood on the horse’s back and jumped down, landing behind Gu Yuanbai.

The docile horse suddenly took on another man’s weight, and it was so frightened that his steps went out of sync for a moment.

Xue Yuan took the reins from Gu Yuanbai’s pale hand, raised his head and yelled, “Go!”

Gu Yuanbai wanted to ask him what he was doing. However, before he could turn his head, an iron-like arm encircled his waist and, with force, turned him around on top of the horse. Xue Yuan pressed the young Emperor’s head into his chest and raised his cloak, protecting him completely from the wind and rain.

“Your Majesty.” Gu Yuanbai could feel Xue Yuan’s chest move as he spoke. “A big storm is coming, please bear with this official.”

The horses galloped, and the wind kept blowing their garments. Under the cloak, Gu Yuanbai’s expression gradually became strange as the horse jostled him around.

It wasn’t completely dark under the cloak, just slightly dim. In the dim light, Gu Yuanbai’s eyes landed on what was in front of him, which was an extremely embarrassing spot.

Xue Yuan had placed Gu Yuanbai’s head before his chest and he could only look down. He had a very awkward visual in full sight.

Gu Yuanbai closed his eyes in embarrassment.

He thought of work to stop thinking about the awkwardness, and his brain was immediately filled with memorials about fighting corruption and building trade routes, one after another for the upcoming months.

Gu Yuanbai devoted himself and Xue Yuan continued to gallop.

The black clouds looked slow, but they were actually really fast. Soon, the storm was threatening to reach the group. Xue Yuan subconsciously hugged Gu Yuanbai tighter. Gu Yuanbai was tightly imprisoned by this hold, his hands holding onto the horse for support. He wanted to stand up to see what was going outside.

Xue Yuan grunted, his expression twisting with pain.

Gu Yuanbai poked his head out of the cloak and spotted Xue Yuan’s pained expression. He wondered about the cause and, when he looked down, he saw that his palm had grabbed Xue Yuan’s thigh. Unfortunately, he was about to meet Xue Yuan’s dick.

Gu Yuanbai calmly withdrew his hand. “Are you alright, guard Xue?”

After Xue Yuan’s pain passed, seeing Gu Yuanbai’s expression, that itchy feeling rushed to his heart. His throat was also itching. He was about to raise his head to scratch his Adam’s apple, but he felt something wrong under his body.

He looked down and his little brother looked up.

It had, inexplicably, raised its head.

Gu Yuanbai saw the whole process of it going up with his own two eyes.

He looked up with a dark expression, wanting to ask Xue Yuan what was going on with his head. “Guard Xue, you’re all fired up.”

As soon as he looked up, he saw the impatient look on Xue Yuan’s face. He directly pressed his dick down harshly and said respectfully, “Your Majesty, don’t worry about it.”

Gu Yuanbai said, “…We don’t want to worry about it.”

The Emperor’s red riding and hunting outfit reflected the flushed color of his lips. Xue Yuan glanced at his lips and felt his throat itching again.

He frowned and scratched his neck twice. Gu Yuanbai was still facing him. A spirited little brother was sandwiched between the two of them. Even if it was pressed down by its owner, there was still a cannon pointing towards Gu Yuanbai.

Xue Yuan was impatient.

Gu Yuan said expressionlessly, “Guard Xue, calm down.”

When the horse bumped, Gu Yuanbai pushed Xue Yuan’s chest open and looked up at the rain clouds behind him. The strong wind rolled towards his face. Xue Yuan protected Gu Yuanbai in his arms again, making the horse gallop faster and faster. His eyes kept checking the surrounding terrain until he finally found a cave, not far away.

“Your Majesty, don’t care about that thing,” Xue Yuan said faintly. “After a while, it will lose its spirit.”

What a fierce man, Xue Yuan turned out to be such a fierce man. Gu Yuanbai felt like he had to be more respectful. Gu Yuanbai’s weak body should be able to have such a bright reaction too, but could this fellow possibly be hard all the time?

A jade-like man, guarding himself too much. Probably hasn’t even used his own hand.

Gu Yuanbai sighed and patted Xue Yuan on the shoulder. Then he said with a straight face, “Guard Xue, We can’t stand the cold. At this important period of the anti-corruption campaign, if We fall ill, the supervisors will lack Our support, and if things get delayed then the campaign will be useless.”

Xue Yuan replied briefly, “I know.”

With that, Xue Yuan pressed Gu Yuanbai under his cloak again. His voice was hoarse and he joked, “Your Majesty, I will take you into the cave. If even a drop of rain falls on you, I will pay for it with my life.”

Finally, as Xue Yuan said, the moment before wind and rain could fall on Gu Yuanbai, Xue Yuan rushed into the cave with him.

Almost as soon as they went in, it started to rain like a waterfall outside. In the blink of an eye, the bodyguards at their back became drowned chickens. Xue Yuan got off his horse and helped Gu Yuanbai down. When he turned to look at the group of soaked chickens, the corners of his mouth went up mercilessly in sarcastic mockery.

The bodyguards glared angrily, but as soon as they put their eyes on Xue Yuan, they felt strange.

Xue Yuan stood in front of them openly, and the wrongness below his waist was more conspicuous than his handsome face. As soon as it was spotted the guard’s face changed and he strode forward to block the Emperor’s body, giving Xue Yuan a warning look.

Xue Yuan was still smiling and seemed to have no reaction to his hostility. In reality, Xue Yuan was also wondering. Even though he could get rid of it, simply riding a horse with Gu Yuanbai had made him become more and more energetic.

The more he saw the young Emperor, the more spirited he felt. It was strange.

Xue Yuan was going to calm down and think for a while. Suddenly he heard someone say, “…Your Majesty, allow me to check if you’re injured…”

Xue Yuan suddenly turned his head and saw the captain of the bodyguard kneeling in front of Gu Yuanbai on one knee. Xue Yuan’s face became ugly. He got up and strode towards Gu Yuanbai. He also knelt next to the guard on one knee.

“I still have the medicine bottle from the last time I applied medicine on Your Highness,” Xue Yuan said. “It’s good that I brought it here so as to not let the guard captain tire himself out.” He turned his head to the guard and cordially raised his lips. “Right now, official Zhang, you might as well take a few more guards to try and get a fire going. After all, it doesn’t seem like the rain is going to stop soon, and His Highness cannot endure the cold.”

Gu Yuanbai said, “Is it possible to make a fire now?”

Xue Yuan’s expression when facing him was much softer. “There’s dry firewood.”

Gu Yuanbai nodded. “Then go.”

The guard was silent for a moment before he got up and left. Xue Yuan sneered in his heart and his gaze wasn’t calm.

Although Gu Yuanbai didn’t get caught in the rain, he was weak and the blowing cold wind had chilled him. Xue Yuan didn’t dare to move too much when he checked whether there were wounds left by the harsh ride.

When the people that had been nearby went away, Xue Yuan leaned over to Gu Yuanbai and whispered, “Your Majesty, are there any other places injured?”

Gu Yuanbai said, “Nothing else.”

Xue Yuan looked down at Gu Yuanbai’s pants.

No matter how long he wore a mask, his essence was still rebellious. Xue Yuan curled his lips in a smile. His left hand suddenly touched Gu Yuanbai’s pants and respectfully said, “I’m worried that Your Majesty got a friction burn again.

“I will just take a look,” the loyal official pretended. “I’m worried about Your Majesty, so I will only take one look. If I take more than one look, I’ll gouge out these eyes of mine and give them to Your Majesty.”

They were all men. He was just curious to know whether his eyes had been wrong or if men could actually look so different.

Gu Yuanbai didn’t understand that idea.

He had given Xue Yuan service tasks, and he hadn’t seen him resist. Now seeing his concern and consideration, Gu Yuanbai felt he was getting better and better at it.

But the more he thought about it, the more he suspected that Xue Yuan’s purposes were impure. Was it to look at Gu Yuanbai’s dick and make sure he cannot have children?

Perhaps it was to attack his self-esteem or use it to show his own ‘ability’, so as to suggest that, compared to Gu Yuanbai, Xue Yuan’s energy was so strong that his offspring would certainly flourish in the future.

Even if Gu Yuanbai didn’t bother to manage the matter as of late, he had also noticed that Xue Yuan and Chu Wei didn’t seem to have any intention of producing any sparking love. Until that moment, they didn’t want to follow the lines of socialist brotherhood. After that, if Gu Yuanbai really made Xue Yuan and Chu Wei into ministers, how long could their loyalty be maintained?

When they looked at the next generation’s young Emperor, would their hearts change?

Gu Yuanbai thought more and more and more deeply, but no matter what Xue Yuan was thinking, Gu Yuanbai knew that he couldn’t agree to the terms offered by that mad dog.

So he asked calmly, “Why don’t you show Us if you were hurt, guard Xue?”

Xue Yuan’s eyelid twitched violently and he didn’t reply.

Gu Yuanbai thought about it and tasted it. “Why, guard Xue, are you really hurt?”

As soon as this sentence left his lips, Xue Yuan suddenly stood up, neatly untied his trouser waist and exposed himself.

Gu Yuanbai saw an exuberant bush right before his eyes.

Our… eyes.