Chapter 93 Since he cannot be a wise ruler

Are all those who can serve as chief eunuchs shrewd and capable? Upon hearing the emperor ask this question, one could tell that he was quite fond of the woman tonight.

She even reached the point where she felt she was too old and might be disliked by others. This surprised Grandpa Fuhai.

He immediately smiled and flattered, "Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, and your majesty is unmatched."

The Emperor was clearly not satisfied with this answer. After a moment's thought, he ordered, "Fuhai, go to the bedside compartment in my bedroom and fetch that bottle of top-grade elixir."

Upon hearing this, Fu Hai's eyes widened suddenly. He knew better than anyone the special properties of that bottle of pills. The alchemist had repeatedly warned His Majesty that just one pill from that jade bottle would make the Emperor exceptionally vigorous and energetic for several days.

However, there are some side effects; the body will be weak for several days afterward, so frequent use is not recommended. The Emperor also understands that it is harmful to the body, so since the sorcerer presented the elixir, the Emperor has never taken it even once.

Today, even that bottle of medicine is being used. Presumably, the Emperor is afraid that he is getting old and will not be able to perform well when he favors that woman, so he wants to use the medicine to make a good impression.

Given how much importance is placed on this woman tonight, it's likely that another favored concubine will soon be added to the harem.

Eunuch Fuhai dared not delay any longer and immediately went to the corridor. He summoned a nimble young eunuch and ordered him to quickly fetch the bottle of medicine from the Emperor's bedside.

The Emperor waited outside the courtyard, constantly adjusting his dragon robe, carefully smoothing out even the slightest wrinkle.

For a moment, he felt as if he had returned to the nervousness of his first experience with human relationships, thinking about what methods he would use to pamper Miss Zhao, making sure she experienced all the pleasure, and then willingly stay by his side.

A moment later, Fu Hai brought the pills. The Emperor hurriedly took one, tilted his head back, and swallowed it. He paused, then took out another pill and swallowed it again.

This time, Eunuch Fuhai was dumbfounded. He stared at the Emperor with his mouth slightly agape, and swallowed two pills.

Before he could even utter a word of advice, there was no need to. He could only hide his surprise, remain silent, and stand quietly to the side.

After taking the elixir, the Emperor stood outside the courtyard for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. He clearly felt the fiery energy surging within his body, filling him with boundless power. It was as if, in an instant, he had returned to the feeling of being eighteen years old, and he exclaimed in his heart, "What a wonderful elixir!"

He immediately rushed into the courtyard, pushed open the door, then turned around and closed it. By the faint moonlight, he reached for the bed.

During the meal, Gu Nanxiao and Shen Yixing drank two full jugs of wine and talked a lot about how they fought against foreign enemies together on the border. Only then did the two sit down at separate tables, having had a little more fun.

At this moment, Gu Nanxiao realized that Yunxi seemed to have been gone for quite some time, so he planned to go out and look for her. The Crown Prince noticed his intention and called out to Gu Nanxiao.

He said he was tired and needed to return to the East Palace to rest, and asked if the Crown Prince would go out with him. Gu Nanxiao felt that the Crown Prince seemed to have something to say to him.

He hesitated for a moment, then walked to the Crown Prince's seat. He reached out and helped the man up. Just as the two were very close, the Crown Prince whispered, "Cousin, come with me. Yunxi is also in the Eastern Palace right now."

Upon hearing this, Gu Nanxiao's expression changed drastically, his first thought being that something had happened to Yunxi. The Crown Prince seemed to sense his tension, tightening his grip on their clasped hands to reassure him.

Gu Nanxiao looked up towards the main seat and realized that the Emperor had left his seat sometime earlier, which made him feel even more uneasy. Although everyone knew about the Emperor's unusual preferences.

But Gu Nanxiao never imagined that his royal uncle would actually lay hands on his own nephew's woman.

The Crown Prince followed Gu Nanxiao's gaze and knew that he had guessed the truth. He sighed deeply, which was tantamount to admitting his guess.

Gu Nanxiao was immediately enraged and helped the Crown Prince walk quickly towards the palace gate. Knowing what he was thinking, the Crown Prince tried his best to adjust his breathing and keep pace with Gu Nanxiao's steps.

The two arrived outside the palace, and the Crown Prince boarded the sedan chair he usually used when traveling within the palace. Gu Nanxiao followed beside the sedan chair, urging him on as they headed towards the East Palace.

Upon arriving at the East Palace, the Crown Princess was already standing at the palace gate to greet him. She smiled and exchanged greetings with Gu Nanxiao, then personally helped the Crown Prince down from his sedan chair. While it appeared she was reporting to the Crown Prince, she was actually speaking to Gu Nanxiao.

"Your Highness, I was just passing by the side hall when I found Miss Zhao lying there, drunk. She seemed quite unwell and had no one to care for her. So I took it upon myself to bring her back to the East Palace. I hope Your Highness will not blame me."

Everyone here is intelligent; who could fail to understand the Crown Princess's implied meaning? She was clearly saying that Yunxi had been tricked into going to the side hall, and that her condition was very strange.

The Crown Prince also noticed Gu Nanxiao's anxiety, so he said to the Crown Princess, "My dear consort, you have done very well. I have a very close relationship with my cousin, and seeing that his wife is unwell, it is only right that the Crown Prince should take care of her."

There's nothing we can do to help right now, so we might as well have my cousin take the person back to avoid delaying our departure from the palace.

The Crown Princess, presumably the Empress, sent a palace maid to lead Gu Nanxiao to the guest hall. As soon as the maid opened the door, Yunxi rushed out and crashed straight into Gu Nanxiao's arms.

Then, disregarding the occasion, she began tearing at his clothes, shouting, "It's so hot, it's so uncomfortable."

Seeing Yunxi like this, Gu Nanxiao felt a pang of pain in his heart. He had actually used such a potent aphrodisiac on her; no matter who was behind it, he was determined to get revenge.

He immediately picked the person up and carried them outside. When they arrived at the outer hall, they saw only a palace maid holding a cloak, but the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were nowhere to be seen.

The palace maid handed over the cloak and relayed, "The Crown Princess asked me to tell the Marquis that His Highness the Crown Prince is unwell and will not see you off. Please, Marquis and Miss Zhao, return to your residence to rest as soon as possible."

With gratitude in his eyes, Gu Nanxiao said, "Tell my cousin, the Crown Prince, that I will definitely come to thank you in person another day for what happened today."

Gu Nanxiao took the cloak and draped it over Yunxi's head. Then, he strode quickly out of the hall.

Upon arriving at the palace gate, he instructed Mo Yu, who was coming to greet him, "Quickly, take the carriage back to the manor immediately."

Mo Yu glanced at the writhing body under the cloak and heard Zhao's occasional nagging, and immediately guessed that something must have happened.

He immediately drove the carriage over, and after the two masters were seated, he cracked the whip and spurred the carriage to gallop away.

After entering the carriage, Gu Nanxiao pulled the cloak covering Yunxi's head down a little, revealing her dazed eyes and flushed cheeks. The thought of this little girl falling into the Emperor's hands...

Before Gu Nanxiao could think further, he gritted his teeth, his eyes turning icy cold. Thinking of the incompetent emperor, he realized his grandfather's judgment of people was indeed quite insightful.

However, it's not too late to realize this now. Since he can't be a wise ruler, let's return the throne to his father.

Inside the main hall

When the Empress saw that Gu Nanxiao had not returned after leaving the banquet with the Crown Prince, she felt uneasy and took her maids to the side hall to catch them in the act.

However, when she barged into the side hall as usual, she found the emperor embracing his newly favored concubine from the Western Regions and tormenting her violently.

Confused, she immediately called out in bewilderment, "Your Majesty..."

The Emperor recognized the Empress as soon as she entered the palace. He immediately pulled away from the concubine and got out of bed, venting all his anger at not being able to sleep with Yunxi on the Empress.

He raised his hand and slapped the Empress hard across the face, roaring as he commanded, "Kneel down by the bed and serve me in my favor with my concubines!"