Chapter 49 Heartbeat: Gu Huizhou could hear his heart pounding wildly, so loudly it hurt his eardrums.

His burning lips were pressed against Yao Ruyi's neck for almost the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. The two were close together, and Yao Ruyi could feel the emperor's burning heat, which only slowly subsided when he got up.

As he rose, he caught a fleeting glimpse of bloodlust in the emperor's eyes, but it vanished in an instant. His dark, unfathomable eyes glanced thoughtfully at the person lying on the dragon bed, and then he suddenly smiled.

"His Majesty……"

Yao Ruyi was puzzled; why was she laughing again?

Gu Huizhou glanced at himself, the cold sweat on his body subsiding. He rolled up the sleeves of his inner robe, the damp fabric clinging to his body, causing him to frown repeatedly, the disgust in his eyes almost tangible.

But the mushroom on the bed, like him, had just been soaked in his cold sweat. The wisps of hair on its forehead were messily stuck to its cheeks, and its eyes were clean and clear. When someone bit its neck, it didn't resist. Instead, it straightened its body and raised its head to let the bite go in deeper.

His eyes were dark and gloomy.

The white fabric of her clothing subtly revealed her fair skin. Years of martial arts training had created a thin layer of muscle on Yao Ruyi's chest, causing the man's eyes to darken further. That thin layer of muscle posed no threat to him; he wouldn't even glance at anyone else, but now, on Yao Ruyi…

The slightly raised curve, like a snake, darted into his mind, drawing his gaze back to that spot. The curve of her waist rose along her hip bones, then descended...

Are you feeling better?

Gentle words soothe and calm the night.

Gu Huizhou was stunned. He was healed? He had just emerged from the nightmare, just like before. He had experienced the torment all over again overnight, as if he had walked through purgatory. He should have stabbed himself with a longsword after waking up, then applied medicine to his wounds, using the excruciating pain to force the scenes from his memory to surface.

Blood flowed across the ground, and red once again filled the view.

But what was he thinking just now?

I wanted to grab that stupid mushroom in my hand, pin him down, and soak him in water, watching his clothes cling to his body, revealing glimpses of his two pink breasts. Then I'd reach out and tear off half of his clothes, letting it dangle from his body and brush against their chests with each movement…

His laughter was unrestrained. "Yes, I'm all better."

Yao Ruyi frowned, somewhat disbelieving. The emperor's deep and meaningful gaze kept looking at him, just like the farmers he had seen on the mountain after gaining his sentience, who held sickles and ruthlessly chopped down everything that could fill their stomachs.

They were going to stab him, but the farmer was stopped and left without looking back after learning that he was poisoned.

But the emperor didn't seem to be leaving.

I stared at him for a while, then decided to trust him this once and for all.

The brocade quilt beneath him was identical to his own. As Yao Ruyi turned to hug the quilt and prepare to fall asleep, he was completely unaware of anything amiss. The scent of sandalwood emanating from the emperor filled his nostrils. With his eyes closed, drowsiness washed over him in an instant, and he mumbled softly, "Your Majesty, I'll go to sleep now."

After saying that, he buried his head in the brocade quilt, with one leg sticking out of the quilt and pressing down on the other side of the quilt, falling into a state of half sleep and half wakefulness.

Gu Huizhou sat on the edge of the bed with a smile on his lips, watching the person lying on his dragon bed, hugging a dark red brocade quilt embroidered with gold dragon patterns. His dark eyes were gradually filled with peace.

After watching for about half an incense stick's time, the person had long since fallen asleep. Only then did the man leisurely reply, "Hmm."

Having said that, Gu Huizhou glanced at the gradually brightening sky, stood up, quickly removed his undergarment, and turned to leave. A short while later, footsteps sounded outside the hall. The emperor, alone, pushed open the door, dismissing the eunuchs and maids outside. He strode to the dragon bed, lying down with a chill emanating from him.

He pulled her into his arms.

He stayed awake until dawn, then rose to attend court.

"This! This! This is outrageous!"

"The people of the grasslands are barbaric and ignorant! Even if they now have a court, they are still savages from the wilderness! Humph!"

"Why--"

...

One after another, the ministers voiced their discontent.

After the court session, the officials walked in twos and threes along the official road towards the palace. Li Li followed beside Baili Yi. Neither of them showed any emotion on their faces. As they walked, Li Li observed Baili Yi's expression. He now knew the temperament of this official, and he was currently furious.

Just now in the court, a minor official claimed that on his way to court, he passed by the post station outside the palace and was stopped by the grassland saintess Yue Qingyou. The saintess claimed that last night when she was leaving the palace, she met a man with a dignified and handsome face and a rather masculine air.

The man accompanied the eunuch to escort the people from the grasslands back to the post station. The Holy Maiden pondered this all night and asked the minor official to convey her message to the Emperor.

"The Holy Maiden said that she knew the man was of noble birth, but she was very happy and asked His Majesty to allow her to bring the man back to the grasslands to get married."

Who is that person? That's none other than the Thirteenth Prince, who stands by His Majesty's side! A shadow guard.

How can you just leave like that? Wouldn't that be blatantly asking the emperor for people?

Li Li looked down at Baili Yi's increasingly rapid pace and hurried to catch up.

He knew that Minister Baili had conceived the idea of ​​marrying the grassland saintess last night. Although the saintess had brought him back to the grasslands, they were now family. The saintess's medical skills were immeasurable; in this way, wouldn't the eldest son's leg and the second son's injury finally be taken care of...?

If the Third Young Master goes to the grasslands, he can live a peaceful life.

"Minister, please rest assured, His Majesty would never agree. Those are people from the Shadow faction; how could His Majesty allow someone to go to the grasslands?"

Seeing that no one was around, Baili Yi suppressed his anger and let out a cold snort, "How could it not be? The grasslands are remote and the garrison changes several times a year. Unless you have someone in the know, it's easy to lose track of the grassland people. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had a trusted confidant by the Holy Maiden's side this time!"

The grassland people are so foolish, each one arrogant and conceited, actually trying to unite with the emperor's secret guards. If Shadow could be so easily captivated by women, he wouldn't be Shadow!

Li Li smiled.

"My lord, please don't think like that. The Holy Maiden of the Grasslands may know medicine, but there are quite a few people in the Le family who know poison. Although the people in the Shadows are resolute and loyal to His Majesty, they are still human after all. How could they withstand poison?"

Baili Yi suddenly stopped in his tracks; he had almost forgotten about this detail.

A scrutinizing gaze swept over Li Li's honest and unassuming face; this man had undergone a dramatic change in temperament since losing his beloved daughter. After a long pause, Baili Yi continued walking forward, "Hmph, then we'll see what His Majesty decides."

Feeling a little more at ease than before, Li Li saw that he was in a good mood, and the two talked about other things before leaving the palace.

Xue Qingping walked at the back, his steps slow. He glanced at the ministers in front of him, his expression solemn.

The situation in the court is becoming increasingly clear, with officials gradually dividing into three factions, standing behind the three powerful families in turn. The Baili family and the Han family are relatively friendly, and the officials behind both families often mingle together, making them, in a sense, His Majesty's subjects.

However, Liang Fu was surrounded by almost all the ministers in the court who were dissatisfied with the emperor. Although the number had decreased somewhat since Liang He's death, it was still quite large.

Why do they like the late emperor so much! Xue Qingping gritted his teeth. The late emperor was incompetent and foolish. This old man had waited so many years for the new emperor to take the throne! Now that things had finally gotten a little better, these people started again.

His aged, wrinkled face was full of determination. Even if he had to risk his old life, he would fight them to the very end with his old bones!

Reaching out to stroke his long beard, the old man turned around, his gaze fixed on the direction of the imperial study.

Inside the Imperial Study.

With a loud "thump," Thirteen knelt stiffly on the ground, causing Yao Ruyi to frown. He had been in the imperial study, helping the emperor review memorials, and had been dozing off at the desk. He was startled awake by Thirteen's action; kneeling like that must hurt so much.

But now the emperor remained silent, and the thirteenth prince made no attempt to rise. "Your Majesty! Your subordinate is unwilling!"

The emperor had changed into a red robe again today, and the green beads on his wrist seemed a bit out of place at this moment. The man looked at the thirteenth prince kneeling with his back straight below and carefully examined his appearance. He was indeed as handsome as Yue Qingyou had said, and had a very masculine appearance.

"I'm asking you, without any political implications. Are you willing?"

Thirteen was taken aback. It didn't involve any political matters? That meant it was between him and the Holy Maiden. He looked up to meet the Emperor's gaze. "This subordinate is unwilling."

He had dreamed of saving enough money to marry the woman he desired, but he had only met this holy maiden once; how could he possibly like her? And, putting aside politics…

After that day, His Majesty had nothing to do with him anymore. His voice became even more resolute, "Your Majesty, I am unwilling."

Gu Huizhou nodded. "I understand. You may leave."

Thirteen raised his eyes, glanced at the Emperor, then at the Nineteenth Prince beside the Emperor, and after a long while, said, "This subordinate takes his leave."

Yao Ruyi watched Thirteen leave and breathed a sigh of relief, "Luckily, Thirteen didn't want to."

The man beside her suddenly stopped reading the document, frowned, and turned his head. "You don't want him to leave?"

How come he's unwilling?

Yao Ruyi blinked; he couldn't quite grasp the emperor's thoughts again. But following the man's line of thought, he realized he truly didn't want Thirteen to go to the grasslands, "a little."

The man's brows furrowed even deeper. "What if I were to leave the capital?"

Yao Ruyi was stunned. "How can this be!"

"Why not?"

Yao Ruyi murmured, her low spirits about the thirteenth prince going to the grasslands instantly vanished by the emperor's words. His tone was firm: "How can Your Majesty leave the capital?"

The man unconsciously curled the corners of his mouth into a smile. "You don't want me to leave?"

"I don't want to." Her little face hardened, and even without her saying it, anyone could see Yao Ruyi's displeasure.

The emperor smiled, reached out and pushed the teacup beside him toward Mushroom, and asked softly, "Why are you unwilling for Thirteen to leave?"

Yao Ruyi reached out and picked up the teacup. "Le Qingyou knows how to use medicine and poison. If Thirteen goes, I'm afraid she will gradually lose her mind, just like Consort Wei."

"bite--"

The beads hit the teacup, and Gu Huizhou's expression instantly changed. He stared blankly at Yao Ruyi, "What do you mean?"

That woman had always been a taboo word in his heart. He knew that Yao Ruyi had appeared in his dream last night, but he did not expect that this person would dare to mention that woman in front of him. Gu Huizhou stared coldly into Yao Ruyi's eyes.

What happened to the emperor?

Ignoring his cold expression, Yao Ruyi said softly, "When Your Majesty was a child, Consort Wei was gentle and charming, but her personality changed drastically two years later, and she eventually died in the palace from madness." He said in a calm voice, "Although I only saw that bowl of medicine in my dream, it was poisoned and could damage a person's mind."

As a poisonous mushroom, he is ineffective against other types of poison, but he can immediately recognize the poison in front of him.

His fist clenched tightly, and he remained motionless for a long time.

Yao Ruyi looked up and stared at the emperor's cold face. After a while, he saw the man leaning back in his chair as usual, the beads in his hand being played with.

"How long has it been since you last practiced your sword?"

Yao Ruyi thought about it and realized that it had been a long time since she had practiced since she went to Jiangzhou City.

Gu Huizhou covered his eyes with his hand, and everything went dark. "Go and practice with Thirteen. If you can't even beat him, you can forget about your monthly salary."

Why are you bringing up his monthly allowance again!

Mushroom hurriedly got up, glanced at the emperor reclining on the back of the dragon throne, paused for a moment, and then turned and left.

"Thirteen!"

Thirteen jumped down from the roof. "What is it?"

"I've come to practice swordsmanship with you."

Thirteen was taken aback. "Now?" He was already annoyed. If he accidentally hurt Little Nineteen, it would be a big problem. If that happened, His Majesty would be so angry that he would send him away for a political marriage.

"Um."

Yao Ruyi had always had Shuangyue by his side, and he was eager to have a match with Thirteen. He hadn't fought since he fought someone in Deng Zeyu's courtyard in Jiangzhou City, and now he was itching to get his hands dirty.

"Okay, come on."

Thirteen smiled faintly, raised her sword, and distanced herself from the other person. The two were outside the Imperial Study. The place was not small, but it was not as large as the Cloud Palace. The two did not complain and prepared to start their fight after maintaining their distance.

"Clang—"

"Whoosh—"

Gu Huizhou was plunged into darkness. A dull pain shot through his eyes as he pressed his arm against them. The sounds of clashing swords outside the door gradually pulled him back from his reverie, and he gasped for breath.

"call--"

The crazy woman who had always been cold-faced and abusive towards him appeared in his dream for the first time with a smiling face. She smiled and called him Zhou'er.

"Bang!"

A large bead of sweat hit the ground, shattering the teacup. The man's hand trembled as he gripped the beaded bracelet on his wrist, slowly calming himself. His eyes were completely black.

"Awesome!" Thirteen instantly blocked Yao Ruyi's attack with his sword, but it was just a test from the other party. He couldn't react in time and let the other party succeed. He staggered back several steps and finally bumped into a tree.

Thirteen's eyes shone with an alarming light. "Truly a genius!"

He had studied swordsmanship for over a decade, but Xiao Shijiu learned it in just a few months and even fought him to a draw!

Yao Ruyi couldn't help but smile. He declined Thirteen's invitation to another match and quickly turned to walk towards the Imperial Study. "I'll go find His Majesty now!"

Thirteen reluctantly agreed.

After a long period of darkness, the sudden brightness of daylight made the man squint uncomfortably, his gaze unfocused as he stared into the air.

Suddenly, a door was pushed open, and a white figure walked in cheerfully. Even though he tried to suppress his joy, Yao Ruyi couldn't help but quicken his pace. He raised his lips high, and the excitement in his eyes was dazzling.

Gu Huizhou stared blankly at the person, then subconsciously responded, "Hmm?"

The man's joyful tone touched his heart. Gu Huizhou could hear his heart pounding wildly, making his eardrums ache.

"I defeated Thirteen! Is there a reward?"

After a long pause, Gu Huizhou smiled faintly.

His eyes gradually warmed as he watched Yao Ruyi move. He leisurely raised his hand and swept the remaining crumbs on the table to the floor. "What do you want?"

This left Yao Ruyi completely bewildered. What did he want?

"I have no idea."

"Hmm," the man reached down and pulled a bag of silver from his waist, shaking it to produce a dull "clinking" sound. He raised an eyebrow. "How about we pay this month's wages to the Nineteenth Lord first?"

The man's eyes were red-rimmed, and as he spoke, he seemed like a fox with raised eyebrows, already having devised a trap for his prey.

Yao Ruyi was delighted, "That's fine too!"

With a flick of his wrist, the money pouch was in Yao Ruyi's hand. Gu Huizhou, seeing the woman beaming with joy, opened the pouch to examine it closely and chuckled, "Greedy for money."

Mushroom wasn't annoyed. His gaze swept over the broken teacup on the ground, and he looked up with a smile, "Your Majesty, would you like to have a meal at Yun Palace? I'm hungry."

"good."

Having said that, the man stood up. The two walked out of the imperial study together. Cui Xiangzhu breathed a sigh of relief, thankful for the presence of the Nineteenth Prince. "Your Majesty! Lunch has been prepared in the Yun Palace. Please, Your Majesty!"

Gu Huizhou nodded, signaling the two to leave first. He turned and beckoned Thirteen and Fourteen down from the roof, coldly saying, "I have very little evidence about the Feng family. I'll leave the Feng family matter to Fifteen and Sixteen to keep an eye on, and you two go investigate Le Wuyou."

Carefree and without worry?

Thirteen was taken aback.

Le Wuyou, the elder sister of the original Consort Le Wujin, and the first Holy Maiden to enter the palace from the grasslands, both nodded solemnly, "Yes!"

"Um."

Fourteenth Prince had a plan in mind. His Majesty's sudden change of direction must mean he had found a new clue. Moreover, he had heard that Le Wuyou had not wanted to enter the palace back then, but was forced to submit because of the survival of the grasslands. Very few people knew about what happened back then, so it would take a lot of effort to investigate from the beginning.

The two exchanged a brief glance, chuckled, and nodded. "Investigate?"

"Let's go."

A day passes in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Yao Ruyi finally saw Wang Qianshan return to the capital. The old gentleman seized the opportunity to test him, and seeing that Yao Ruyi could answer every question, he finally smiled.

The Imperial Study.

Cui Xiangzhu greeted Yuan Liao with his standard smile and led the way, saying, "Your Highness, His Majesty is already waiting in the Imperial Study."

"Thank you, Eunuch Cui."

The two smiled and fell silent. Cui Xiangzhu led the man into the imperial study. "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince of Yuan Liao has arrived." After saying this, he bowed to Gu Huizhou and turned to instruct Xiao Dezi to pour tea.

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Emperor of Dayun."

Yuan Liao had changed into the robes of the capital during his stay in the past few days. His light white scholar's attire made him look less exotic. If he tied up his curly hair, he would really look like a commoner from the Great Yun territory from behind.

"Prince Liao, please sit."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Yuan Liao picked up the tea that Cui Xiangzhu had served him and took two sips. It was slightly bitter at first but had a sweet aftertaste, much better than the tea from their grasslands. He put down the teacup and silently pursed his lips.

"Your Majesty, Yuan Liao has come to pay homage to Your Majesty to discuss the matter of annual tribute."

Gu Huizhou raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, "Your Highness, please tell me."

With a soft laugh, he said, "Although there have been many more cattle and sheep on the grasslands in recent years, food is still a problem. Now that Your Majesty is sending people to cultivate the wasteland in the southern part of the grasslands, it is naturally a good thing. However, the annual tribute of grain has increased to 70%, so I came to discuss with Your Majesty the possibility of reducing the amount of gold, silver, cattle and sheep as annual tribute."

"It can also be considered as a chance for us to catch our breath in the grassland reclamation."

After saying that, he quickly pledged his loyalty, saying, "The grasslands will always be Your Majesty's vassal state, and that will never change."

Gu Huizhou smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes; instead, it was tinged with coldness. "Is the Crown Prince of Yuan Liao joking with me?"

"Isn't it the Crown Prince himself who said that 70% of the annual tribute would be paid?"

Yuan Liao was speechless. He frowned and said, "Even so, seventy percent is still quite a lot. After I returned and thought about it, I realized that the grasslands really cannot afford such a huge annual tribute."

Gu Huizhou tapped his fingers lightly. "Then let it be. We can discuss the reclamation later. Does the young master have anything else to say?"

"His Majesty!"

"The reclamation work must not be delayed!"

Liao Yuan realized he had acted rashly as soon as he finished speaking. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. It was my rudeness."

The man in the high position scoffed at this, "Reclaim 70%. The young master, choose one?"

"The amount of cattle, sheep, gold, and silver..."

The man fell silent. Yuan Liao gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty! We people of the grasslands have not been doing well in recent years. We beg Your Majesty to give us a chance. If this reclamation yields a bountiful harvest, it will be a good thing for both countries."

Gu Huizhou glanced at him indifferently, then casually picked up the folded document beside him and began to read it.

The victor is king, the loser is villain—that's always been the way of things. Ever since they were defeated by the Great Cloud, paid annual tribute, and accepted the Great Cloud's protection, this has continued to this day. But if things continue like this, how will the grasslands ever have the opportunity to grow and develop!

"If Your Majesty insists on this course of action, then the matter of land reclamation will be discussed later. Since the two holy maidens perished in the palace, we, the people of the grasslands, have felt deeply for Your Majesty..."

The rest is self-evident.

Yuan Liao tentatively uttered this sentence, secretly observing the expression of the person in charge.

Sure enough, the man's eyes suddenly sharpened; he knew he had made the right bet.

"Your Majesty—"

Suddenly a gust of wind blew, and Yuan Liao's eyes widened. His breath caught in his mouth, and it took him a long time to remember to exhale. His heart was pounding. A long sword was pressed against his neck, leaving a bloody gash.

"Your Majesty the Emperor——"

Yuan Liao stared in horror at the man in front of him. One second he was smiling and talking to you, and the next second he could raise his sword and slash your neck!

He barely spoke Liao dialect, and swallowed hard. He met Gu Huizhou's dark eyes, and the other was still smiling! But the force in his hand showed no sign of abating.

"Does Your Highness mean those two holy maidens who poisoned my Great Yun's harem?"

Yuan Liao felt a sudden shock in his heart. He couldn't believe it. "Poisoning?"

Gu Huizhou stared into the other person's eyes; this was merely a guess. Thirteen and Fourteen hadn't found anything useful yet, but judging from this young prince, he seemed to know nothing.

"What? What else does Your Highness wish to do?"

The man asked coldly, but Yuan Liao couldn't remember anything at the moment. He had originally only tentatively brought up the deaths of the two holy maidens, but he hadn't expected to be outmaneuvered. He slowly calmed down and said, "Your Majesty is only talking about it. Is there any evidence? How can you make baseless accusations that the two holy maidens poisoned the capital?"

"Wouldn't this needlessly damage the friendship between the two countries?"

Gu Huizhou nodded, "What the young master says makes sense."

"So the Crown Prince is still standing here speaking to me." The man's deep eyes were like an abyss in the dead of night. "If I find the evidence, things will be hard to say."

"His Majesty--"

Yuan Liao stared intently, his eyes bulging. "The grasslands are His Majesty's vassal state, and that will never change!"

The man didn't know whether to agree or not, but said, "Therefore, you must obey my orders."

Yuan Liao felt his blood freeze all over his body, and it took him a long time to feel the pain in his neck. He felt the longsword being withdrawn, let out a muffled groan, and knelt on the ground. Bloodstains soaked through the collar of his warm white robe, which looked like plum blossoms embroidered from a distance. He closed his eyes and said, "I beg Your Majesty to send people to cultivate the southern wasteland."

"Seventy percent of the annual tribute, as well as cattle, sheep, gold, and silver, will be delivered to Dayun by the grasslands without any shortage."

A man in a long black robe sat leisurely on the high dragon throne. He was handsome and nodded when he heard this, his smile captivating.