I Rely on Beauty to Stabilize the Country - Chap 47
Why does Gu Yuanbai look so charming when he smiles at him?
What does this mean?
When Xue Yuan left the Zhang family’s Bookstore, he was still dazed and couldn’t tell which way was which. However, as soon as he saw Chu Wei, who was elegant and outstanding in front of the bookstore, he instantly regained his clarity.
Chu Wei was accompanied by a young servant, presumably here to buy books. He appeared somewhat surprised upon seeing this group of people. When Gu Yuanbai walked out of the bookstore, Chu Wei hurriedly stepped forward, intending to pay his respects, but his arms were promptly supported by Gu Yuanbai.
“No need for such formalities,” Gu Yuanbai said with a smile. “I am dressed casually today, so let’s skip these ceremonial gestures.”
Chu Wei stood up straight and said, “May His Majesty be well.”
Gu Yuanbai smiled faintly and walked with him towards the street. “Chu Qing, are you here today to buy books?”
“I wanted to buy a copy of ‘Da Heng State Gazette’,” Chu Wei sighed. “But it’s unexpectedly selling like hotcakes. I heard that as soon as the bookstore opens each day, all copies are sold out within fifteen minutes.”
Since the emergence of the ‘Da Heng State Gazette,’ various government offices and mansions have had people voluntarily deliver newspapers to their doors. Although the quantity per person is limited, it is enough for colleagues to share and read throughout the day. Therefore, during regular duty, Chu Wei never imagined that it would be so difficult to buy a copy of the ‘Da Heng State Gazette.’
“Today is my day off, and my father and I have already made it a habit to read the ‘Da Heng State Gazette’ every day. If we skip it today, it feels like something is missing, and it’s quite uncomfortable. But who would have thought that it would be so hard to buy the ‘Da Heng State Gazette’? Among all the bookstores in the capital, only Zhang’s Bookstore has a meager hundred copies,” Xue Yuan said, raising an eyebrow.
Gu Yuanbai’s brow raised, and he called out, “Tian Fusheng.”
Tian Fusheng stepped forward and handed a copy of the ‘Da Heng State Gazette’ to Chu Wei, smiling. “Master Chu, here you go.”
Chu Wei was momentarily startled, then a smile bloomed on his lips. He expressed his gratitude to the Emperor and Tian Fusheng before passing the newspaper to his stiff book servant and accompanying the Emperor for a leisurely stroll.
On the other side, Xue Yuan wore a warm smile and asked the guards standing beside him, “Master Zhang, what do you think of Master Chu?”
The guard captain replied solemnly, “Master Chu is talented and handsome, a pillar of our nation.”
Xue Yuan’s smile deepened, and he nodded in agreement. “Master Chu’s talents are exceptional, no wonder His Majesty favors him so much.”
The guard captain responded, “His Majesty has always valued talents.”
“It also depends on whether the talent is worthy of His Majesty’s favor,” Xue Yuan narrowed his eyes and raised his chin, gesturing. “Take a look.”
The guard captain followed the direction and saw the way Master Chu looked at the Emperor, with a smiling gaze. Even on his cold face, there seemed to be ripples of warmth. As the most handsome man in the capital, his appearance was undoubtedly peerless. When his black eyes smiled at someone, it was as if he was looking at a beloved.
The guard captain was puzzled.
Xue Yuan’s voice sounded indifferent. “I happened to hear that Master Chu seems to have a preference for men.”
The guard captain’s face completely changed, and someone forcefully pushed him from behind. Xue Yuan pushed the guard captain directly in front of Gu Yuanbai. Gu Yuanbai stopped his conversation with Chu Wei and turned his head. “What’s going on?”
The guard captain struggled to find his words and finally said, “In just over ten days, the Lantern Festival will be held in the capital. Many families have already started making lanterns. Would His Majesty like to go and take a look?”
Gu Yuanbai didn’t sense anything amiss and instead became interested. “Is it on the day of Xiaoman?”
The guard captain secretly breathed a sigh of relief. “Indeed.”
Chu Wei naturally continued, “In my family, my mother has already prepared materials for making lanterns. If Your Majesty is interested, you can accompany me to my residence to personally try making one.”
The guard captain glanced strangely at Chu Wei, his vigilance rising.
Gu Yuanbai’s interest was piqued, and he nodded. “In that case, I will go with Chu Qing to take a look.”
Chu Wei’s unintentional tension dissipated, and he smiled, accompanying the Emperor as a guide.
Xue Yuan stepped forward with a cold smile and suddenly interjected, “Your Majesty, a few days ago, wasn’t Master Chu injured? I wonder if he has recovered.”
Chu Wei lowered his gaze, a shadow fleeting across his eyes. Just as he was about to reply, the Emperor suddenly smiled, his gaze profound as he glanced at both Chu Wei and Xue Yuan, jokingly saying, “Oh, I didn’t know that you two were already so familiar.”
With a single sentence, both of their expressions turned unsightly.
However, Gu Yuanbai didn’t say anything when he saw that expression. He raised his eyebrows slightly and turned his head with a smile.
Seeing his demeanor, Xue Yuan’s heart jolted. “Your Majesty, I am not familiar with Master Chu.”
Gu Yuanbai smiled and said, “I understand, no need to say more.”
What do you understand?
Xue Yuan had a headache.
In this awkward atmosphere, the group arrived outside the Chu residence. Chu Wei’s page boy finally regained some agility. He shivered and hurriedly ran forward to knock on the door. When the gatekeeper opened the door, he anxiously whispered, “The Emperor has arrived, quickly inform Master and Madam!”
The gatekeeper was dumbfounded. “Ah?”
The page boy pushed him in a hurry. “Go quickly!”
The gates opened wide, and just as Gu Yuanbai was about to step into the residence, Chu Xun, dressed in casual attire with a slightly disheveled hairpiece, rushed over. When he saw that Gu Yuanbai had truly come, his eyes widened, and he immediately saluted Gu Yuanbai.
“No need for formalities,” Gu Yuanbai smiled and said, “I heard that Madam has been making lanterns recently, and I was curious, so I came uninvited.”
Chu Xun hurriedly expressed his humility and immediately sent someone to summon Madam. A folding screen was set up, and Madam explained everything to Gu Yuanbai in a tense voice from behind it.
Gu Yuanbai sat at the table, calmly and leisurely. Following Madam Chu’s instructions, he moved his hands slowly. After a while, Madam Chu also became much calmer.
The lantern-making materials had been thoroughly inspected by the people around him, so Gu Yuanbai didn’t pay too much attention when using them. However, when he picked up a slender bamboo strip and rubbed it in his palm, he couldn’t help but feel a sudden pain. Furrowing his brow, he took a closer look and found a tiny thorn on the bamboo strip that had pricked his palm.
The guards’ hands were calloused, and even the palace attendants’ hands were accustomed to delicate work. They had checked everything carefully. Yet, this almost invisible thorn seemed to have been newly sharpened and escaped their inspection.
Xue Yuan was the first to notice something amiss. He strode forward, his robe fluttering, and reached out to hold Gu Yuanbai’s hand. After taking a close look, his voice sank. “Bring a needle.”
Someone brought a needle, but no one dared to use it to pick out the tiny thorn. They all looked at Xue Yuan with anticipation and encouragement.
Xue Yuan thought to himself, “I’ve killed so many people and seen so much blood. Am I afraid of picking out a thorn?”
But his hand remained frozen, unable to move downward. Finally, Xue Yuan looked up at the Emperor and said, “Your Majesty, are you afraid of pain?”
Gu Yuanbai was about to say that he wasn’t afraid, but then he felt a prick in his palm as Xue Yuan successfully picked out the tiny thorn.
Xue Yuan looked at the thorn and chuckled coldly. He crushed it between his fingertips, then smiled at Gu Yuanbai with a heavy air. “Your Majesty, I have avenged you.”
Gu Yuanbai laughed. “This small thorn couldn’t possibly harm Captain Xue’s hand.”
A thought crossed Xue Yuan’s mind. He lifted the Emperor’s hand that he was still holding and blew on the palm before saying, “Your Majesty’s hand is quite advantageous.”
Gu Yuanbai asked, “What do you mean?”
“Good… good to touch, good to look at, just good in every way.”
Xue Yuan recalled the kick he had received earlier that had hit him hard. His expression twisted slightly for a moment, but then he thought that if the Emperor wanted to kick him again, he would endure it. He suppressed his discomfort.
So he honestly said, “As soft and touchable as jade.”
“Your Majesty!” Chu Wei suddenly spoke up, his voice louder than Xue Yuan’s words. He smiled and said gently, “Shall I recheck the remaining bamboo and wood?”
While Chu Wei was speaking, he had already reached out his hand. This pair of scholarly hands wasn’t delicate and tender; Chu Wei was never a weak person. Gu Yuanbai glanced at those beautiful hands that resembled jade and shook his head. “That’s not necessary. I’ve already done half of it. I just need to be more careful.”
This was the first time in both of his lives that Gu Yuanbai was making lanterns, and now he felt the excitement of a young person. He restrained himself and followed Madam Chu’s guidance, steadily and calmly shaping the outlines and then pasting on the lantern paper.
When the Emperor was in court, he was imposing and intimidating. But now, in this exceedingly serious appearance, he seemed approachable. His fingers danced on the lantern, looking like an exquisite painting.
Chu Wei was captivated for a moment. When the lantern was finished, he took the initiative and said, “Your Majesty, would you like me to paint several branches of red plum blossoms on the lantern’s surface?”
“Sure,” Gu Yuanbai readily agreed.
The two of them were enjoying themselves, occasionally exchanging smiles. Xue Yuan watched them and gradually became expressionless. After some time passed, he suddenly laughed silently and let out a soundless “ha” towards the sky.
The hand gripping the large sword trembled with anger.
***
After dispersing, Xue Yuan returned to Xue Mansion with an expressionless face. His intimidating aura made everyone in the mansion hesitant to approach him.
General Xue was urged by Lady Xue to come forward. With his hands behind his back, he sternly said, “Who are you trying to show your displeasure to in the mansion?”
Xue Yuan swung his sword, splitting a wooden stand into two halves. Without stopping his movements, he continued wielding the large sword with an emotionless expression.
Finally, he threw the sword aside and fiercely kicked the nearby weapon rack, causing it to crash loudly onto the ground.
A servant who heard the noise cautiously peeked over and saw Xue Yuan’s darkened expression. He immediately shrunk his head and hastily retreated.
General Xue shouted in anger, “Xue Yuan!”
“You said last time that my loyalty to the Emperor is unwavering,” Xue Yuan suddenly spoke up, but he didn’t look at General Xue, as if lost in thought, his face looking grim. “Are you certain that this is loyalty?”
General Xue asked, “What else could it be?”
Xue Yuan’s back tensed, his breathing becoming heavier. The answer was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t seem to say it. Finally, he unbuttoned his collar and said in a heavy tone, “The Emperor intends to launch an attack against the nomadic tribes.”
General Xue was taken aback.
Xue Yuan turned around to face him, his collar in disarray, bloodshot eyes. “I will join the battle.”In the imperial court.
Gu Yuanbai was reading the confidential report sent by the Supervisory Office.
It was a letter from an official named Sun Shan in the Supervisory Office. It provided information about the situation in Lizhou. The governor of Lizhou was indeed involved in corruption, though the extent and methods were discreet. Initially, Gu Yuanbai thought it was related to factional disputes, but after days of investigation by the Supervisory Office, they discovered some hidden clues.
Following the trail, they eventually uncovered something utterly repugnant.
To put it in simpler terms, the governor of Lizhou had a circle of friends.
Those who could join this circle were powerful leaders of bandit gangs with many subordinates.
The Governor of Lizhou embezzled local funds, but the amount wasn’t significant. His favorite activity was taking advantage of his official position to gather information about the routes of silver, grain, and provisions transported by the court to various locations, as well as the routes of money and grain sent from local areas to the court. He would then report specific details such as the timing, routes, and number of personnel of these passing convoys to his circle of friends in the criminal underworld of Lizhou. The criminal dens in the circle would evaluate the convoy’s strength and select several alliances of bandit gangs to intercept and seize these goods.
Aside from the share given to the leaders of the bandit gangs, the Governor of Lizhou personally received thirty percent of the seized items.
Thirty percent! With a hundred taels of silver, he could embezzle thirty taels; with a million taels of silver, he could embezzle three hundred thousand taels!
Moreover, the Governor of Lizhou also provided information about the routes of convoys carrying tax revenues from Lizhou to the court, guiding the bandits to rob the locally collected silver and grain. If there was an excess of grain, it would be resold locally and elsewhere. This was even more despicable than mere embezzlement of state funds!
The Governor of Lizhou was well aware that this circle of friends had to be hidden from outsiders, making it unsearchable and untraceable. He ensured that members within the circle couldn’t add each other as friends, and he strictly prohibited the dissemination of any records from the group. He had safeguarded this circle of friends like an impenetrable fortress.
The reason the officials from the Supervisory Office became aware of this “circle of friends” was due to a bandit leader in one of the dens taking a woman as his concubine against her will. The woman harbored deep hatred and had been searching for an opportunity to expose the case to the authorities. One night during the distribution of spoils, she noticed something amiss with the silver being brought back to the bandit stronghold. She cleverly extracted the information about the governor from the bandit leader’s mouth.
Devastated, the woman lost all hope. When the lower-ranking bandits took her down the mountain for treatment, she encountered the officials from the Supervisory Office.
The officials from the Supervisory Office have since provided shelter for the woman. However, after discovering that her family had been killed by wicked bandits, she has completely lost her will to live and might choose to end her own life once they leave.
Gu Yuanbai, who had been expressionless while reading the confidential report, furrowed his brows and sighed softly.
In any era, women always faced more difficulties than men.
Corrupt officials always found ways to indulge their greed, and Gu Yuanbai had no desire to comment on the actions of the governor of Lizhou. However, he felt sorry for the woman.
Even when abducted to the mountains, she didn’t lose herself, never gave up hope of returning, and continued to find ways to inform the authorities. Her courage alone was enough to be praised as a remarkable woman. Moreover, she displayed intelligence by noticing the unfair distribution of spoils and learning about the collusion between officials and criminals from the bandit leader.
It was a great loss to see such a woman forced to her death by wicked individuals.
Gu Yuanbai replied in the letter, expressing his willingness to bring her back to the Supervisory Office if possible.
After sending the reply, someone took care of mailing the letter.
Gu Yuanbai stood up and walked towards the inner chamber. The palace attendants helped him remove his clothes and prepared water for him. Gu Yuanbai looked up at the carved beams and painted rafters in the hall, silently thinking to himself that capturing only the Governor of Lizhou would be too easy. He needed to make good use of his circle of friends and capture the entire network of corrupt officials and criminals.
He let out a long sigh, dismissed the attendants, and stood by the window.
The flower lantern he had made during the day was placed on the table. Gu Yuanbai caught a glimpse of it and walked over to light the lantern.
As the warm yellow light illuminated the room, the shadow of a simple and vivid plum blossom appeared on the table. Gu Yuanbai touched the flower lantern, his face reflecting both bright and dim light, but his mood improved somewhat.
What a peaceful and prosperous era.
Only when everyone had enough to eat and wear, when the granaries were full and people understood etiquette, and when they were well-fed and knew the difference between honor and disgrace, could it be considered a true era of peace and prosperity.
Xue Yuan had sat by the bedside all night.
Sitting there like a mounted soldier, his leg muscles tense.
His gaze was heavy, carrying a sense of wind and rain.
His madness only subsided in front of Gu Yuanbai. Why did it subside? Because he was afraid that Gu Yuanbai couldn’t handle his madness, afraid that he would harm him.
But this stifled and suppressed state, on the verge of erupting, was not suitable to remain by Gu Yuanbai’s side.
But as soon as he thought about leaving Gu Yuanbai…
Xue Yuan’s hand clenched tightly, blood vessels appearing on his skin.
He suddenly stood up, striding towards the wolf den. Loyalty to the emperor, loyalty to the emperor. Was this what loyalty to the emperor looked like?
Was this the kind of heart that would rage at the sight of the emperor smiling at another man who liked him?
The emperor’s smile, the emperor’s touch.
The emperor wanted wolf cubs.
The next day, when Xue Yuan was carrying two wolf cubs on duty, he heard that Gu Yuanbai had fallen ill.
This was the first illness Gu Yuanbai experienced since the day he coughed up blood. It came suddenly and fiercely, and Gu Yuanbai had no idea what was happening.
Caught off guard, everyone in the palace became busy. The people from the Imperial Medical Bureau hurriedly went about their tasks. When Xue Yuan arrived at the palace, the scent of medicine permeated the air. Gu Yuanbai had already taken his medicine and was resting.
Xue Yuan handed the two wolf cubs in his arms to a eunuch in charge of caring for animals in the palace and entered the inner chamber. Gu Yuanbai was huddled in bed, coughing softly.
Headaches, coughing fits, and chills plagued him.
Tian Fusheng stood by his side, and when Xue Yuan entered, he learned that Gu Yuanbai was speaking softly with a hoarse voice, “…The current anti-corruption efforts don’t need us to watch over them all the time. You should instruct the officials in the Ministry of State Affairs and the Supervisory Council to pay more attention. Regarding the Governor of Lizhou, do as I just instructed.”
Tian Fusheng responded continuously, “Your Majesty, please rest assured.”
The medicine contained something to aid sleep. Gu Yuanbai’s eyes were either closed or half-opened; he felt a bit lightheaded. In these two months of illness-free days, Gu Yuanbai had almost forgotten how frail he had become.
The bed was cold, despite all the measures taken. The warmth would always be dissipated by Gu Yuanbai’s icy hands and feet.
He was extremely tired, so tired that he didn’t want to mention the coldness of the bed anymore. He thought to himself that it would gradually warm up.
The dragon bed remained silent. The Emperor disliked being disturbed while sleeping. Tian Fusheng led his people out, and Xue Yuan stood by the dragon bed like a door god. Tian Fusheng softly called his name for a long time before he hoarsely replied, “I’ll stay here and keep watch.”
Tian Fusheng’s voice was as soft as a mosquito. “Captain Xue, His Majesty doesn’t like…”
“Manager Tian,” Xue Yuan gently interrupted, “I feel hot all over, like a furnace. Can I hold His Majesty’s hand to cool down?”
Tian Fusheng fell silent and glanced at the Emperor on the bed. Seeing no objections from the Emperor, he led the others to withdraw.
However, in reality, Gu Yuanbai was just too uncomfortable to hear their conversation.
The doors to the inner chamber were closed, and the scent of incense filled the air. Xue Yuan took a deep breath and glanced at the beams above, wondering how Gu Yuanbai could fall ill so easily.
He steadied his trembling hand and suppressed the burning anger in his heart. Kneeling beside the bed with one knee, he reached his hand into the covers and ended up touching an icy hand.
Gu Yuanbai coughed softly, and the next moment, the blanket was lifted, and a scorching body pressed against his back.
Xue Yuan took off his coat and boots, climbed onto the dragon bed, and embraced Gu Yuanbai from behind. Before Gu Yuanbai could even furrow his brows, Xue Yuan whispered softly in his ear, “Just warming you up.”
He was like a large furnace, pressing close to the icy cold Gu Yuanbai. His words were low, and his breath was scorching hot. “Your Majesty, just this once, after this, you can hit me, scold me, make me kneel on porcelain shards, or even drown me in water. Anything is permissible.”
As Xue Yuan spoke, he reached out his hand without giving Gu Yuanbai a chance to refuse, encircling him from behind and gripping his equally cold and intimidating hand.
The warmth was incredibly comfortable. Gu Yuanbai’s mind felt hazy and swollen, but he suddenly remembered that Xue Yuan was the male lead of a danmei novel, and men like him would inevitably develop feelings for other men.
So he spoke in a hoarse voice, “Get away.”
However, Xue Yuan almost completely enclosed Gu Yuanbai in his embrace.
Apart from the words “daring and presumptuous,” no other words could describe Xue Yuan.
But it was precisely because of this that Xue Yuan had the opportunity to hold the young emperor in his arms.
He tightened his embrace around Gu Yuanbai. “Your Majesty, I’ve said it. Once you’ve warmed up, you can punish me however you like.”
“Just consider sparing my life for the sake of my unwavering loyalty to you,” Xue Yuan chuckled softly, sighed, and said, “Even if you break my legs.”
The scorching heat emanated from behind, warming the entire dragon bed as soon as Xue Yuan climbed onto it. Gu Yuanbai’s head grew increasingly dizzy, and before falling into a deep slumber, he said, “I’m allowing you to climb the dragon bed once.”
Nothing could compare to his own comfort.
Accustomed to a life of luxury and being dominant in personality, it took Gu Yuanbai merely three seconds to decide that regardless of Xue Yuan’s preferences—whether he liked men or women—nothing was more important than his own comfort.
If he could provide him with warmth in bed, then it should be rewarded.
Xue Yuan was momentarily stunned.
After a while, his chest felt stifled, and he muttered, “Damn.”
He grabbed Gu Yuanbai’s hand and couldn’t help but feel excited and uncomfortable because of his words. His whole body tensed up, afraid of causing discomfort to the young emperor, so he discreetly moved backward.
Sensing the warmth slightly receding, Gu Yuanbai furrowed his brows and leaned back, pressing against him.
The young emperor’s willingness to embrace him made Xue Yuan’s loyal heart race erratically. The entire inner chamber fell silent, and only this disturbing sound filled the air. Xue Yuan glanced at the top of Gu Yuanbai’s head and then at his own chest. He held his hand beneath Gu Yuanbai’s head, afraid that the annoying sound would disrupt their tranquility.
Gradually, warmth spread through Gu Yuanbai’s body, and the fingers Xue Yuan held in his hand began to warm up as well. Gu Yuanbai rested his head on Xue Yuan’s body, and since Xue Yuan couldn’t move too much, he simply lifted his body slightly to observe Gu Yuanbai’s current state.
Upon looking, he saw Gu Yuanbai sleeping soundly.
Just his sleeping face alone had Xue Yuan utterly captivated. Xue Yuan stared for a long time, only snapping out of his daze once his whole body had gone numb. His eyes constantly wandered to the young emperor’s lips, which had a faint color to them, but were warmed by Xue Yuan’s body temperature, making them soft and adorable.
It was strange. Why did other handsome men appear effeminate in Xue Yuan’s eyes, yet Gu Yuanbai did not?
Oh, wait. When Xue Yuan first laid eyes on Gu Yuanbai, he also thought he was more beautiful than any woman, lacking a masculine demeanor.
Holding Gu Yuanbai felt as though he was holding a precious treasure. All the heavy resentment from the previous day dissipated in an instant. Even when faced with punishment, Xue Yuan felt cheerful and willing, believing that he was seriously ill.
His heart throbbed increasingly, and Xue Yuan wondered if he had become weak enough for Gu Yuanbai to infect him with his ailment.
Finally, feeling uncomfortable with a dry mouth, Xue Yuan reluctantly released Gu Yuanbai and got off the bed to find some water to drink.
As soon as the warmth left, Gu Yuanbai uncomfortably struggled to wake up from his slumber. When he opened his eyes, he saw Xue Yuan slowly approaching the bedside with a glass of water. His head buzzed uncomfortably. Gu Yuanbai half propped himself up, snatched the cup from Xue Yuan’s hand, and gulped down a large sip before immediately burying his head and falling back asleep.
Xue Yuan looked at the now empty glass, then glanced at the water droplets trailing from the corner of Gu Yuanbai’s lips down his chin.
His adam’s apple bobbed, and he felt the discomfort as he tugged at his collar.
Did he actually consider licking the water off Gu Yuanbai’s chin?!
