Chapter 57 The Liar: "Thanks to the Nineteenth Prince's proper handling, I don't feel any pain at all."

The two were very familiar with that figure, and Gu Huizhou remained silent.

Yao Ruyi asked again, "Is it thirteen?"

"……yes."

"Thirteen's here? Then why didn't he come over earlier?"

The man remained silent as the two walked down the mountain in complete silence.

His steps suddenly halted, Yao Ruyi's eyes reddening. In an instant, he recalled all the details. Why did one of them laugh so forcedly, as if he were crying? And why did the first burly man he killed lie on the ground with a smile on his lips?

And there's Gu Huizhou.

He was the most skilled swordsman. When the two practiced swordsmanship, he often couldn't even touch the man's clothes, and the three men's fists and feet couldn't even get close to him.

Gu Huizhou felt the arm of the person beside him being pulled away. He frowned subconsciously and, ignoring the bloodstains seeping in front of him, tightly gripped Yao Ruyi's wrist. He saw the calm in Yao Ruyi's eyes suddenly turn into panic. He leaned forward and said softly, "Yao Ruyi, you did very well."

"You saved me."

Yao Ruyi forcefully broke free from the man's grasp, taking a large step back. His eyes were filled with confusion and anger, his fists clenched so tightly they trembled, and his body was still stained with the blood of those who had just left, including Gu Huizhou's. After a long silence, he only managed to utter one sentence, "Why?"

The voice was flat and lacked any inflection.

But Gu Huizhou suddenly felt a pang in his heart; he would rather this person have a big argument with him.

With his tongue pressed against his palate, Gu Huizhou listened to the commotion behind him. He raised his hand, and Thirteen, seeing this, stopped the carriage in place, waiting for the emperor's instructions.

Looking at the person in front of her, Gu Huizhou, with a serious expression, she frowned slightly and said, "Yao Ruyi, this is how you should be."

"Why should I be treated like this? I've never done anything bad since I gained sentience, and I never intended to hurt anyone after I took human form!" Mushroom's eyes grew increasingly red with anxiety, a thin mist welling up in them, which she quickly suppressed.

"Can't a dignified immortal lord distinguish between good and evil? Why are you sparing the life of such a heinous person? Are you waiting for him to turn around and stab you with his sword?" Gu Huizhou's face turned cold. He looked at He Yaoruyi's stubborn expression and remained silent. His tongue traced from his upper palate to his back teeth, and the taste of blood filled his nasal cavity.

The taste is nauseating.

Yao Ruyi remained silent.

"Since you're serving by my side, you must know how to kill." The man's eyes were deep and unfathomable, like a trapped beast from the depths of an abyss, relentlessly biting at someone.

The person he's holding onto right now is the one in front of him, and he's not going to let go no matter what.

“Then I can stay away from you.” Yao Ruyi said, turning her head away from the man.

Suddenly, a pair of hands reached out and grabbed his face, forcing him to look him in the eye. Yao Ruyi was startled by the fierce look in the man's eyes. "Gu Huizhou!"

"Where do you think you'll go if you leave my side?" The man panted heavily, his expression obsessive. "I've said it before, as long as you're within my borders, you belong to me. Whether you're a mushroom or a person, as long as you're on my land, you belong to me!"

"I won't let you leave, you can't go anywhere!"

Yao Ruyi had never seen Gu Huizhou like this before, and was momentarily stunned, but quickly broke free.

Red finger marks appeared on his face, as if the hand was still pinching his face.

Yao Ruyi met his gaze without saying a word, her eyes filled with an unusually strong stubbornness and anger.

Why should he—

In an instant, Yao Ruyi lunged forward, opened her mouth, and bit the man's hand. Her teeth pierced his wrist, and a drop of blood from her tongue silently seeped into the emperor's palm. Yao Ruyi bit hard, and a row of teeth marks with bloodstains appeared on the man's palm.

Yao Ruyi gripped the emperor's wrists tightly with both hands, refusing to let go for a long time.

The man groaned, "Hmm—"

The sword wounds on his body didn't even make him cry out in pain. Yao Ruyi didn't believe that a bite from him could cause him so much pain, but she still restrained her strength.

Instead, a soft chuckle was heard, "Heh, continue."

Is Gu Huizhou sick? What's the point of continuing this?

Yao Ruyi swallowed the blood-tinged saliva, her face stern as she silently confronted the person.

Gu Huizhou smiled faintly. He reached out to hug her, ignoring the teeth marks on his hand. His gaze softened as he fixed on Yao Ruyi's cold, brows. "Yao—"

Just as he was about to speak, Gu Huizhou suddenly staggered back two steps, looking astonished.

He leaned against the tree trunk, blood gushing from the sword wound in his chest again. Thinking of the sharp pain in his hand just now, he suddenly laughed. He struggled to look up and meet Yao Ruyi's gaze, who was standing a step away. His strength was waning, and his eyes were about to close.

"Hmm—" With a muffled groan, the man slammed his fist against the tree trunk, pushed himself forward, and fell silently into Yao Ruyi's arms.

"Gu Huizhou!"

Holding the unconscious man tightly in her arms, Yao Ruyi frowned slightly in displeasure.

He held the emperor firmly in his arms, his resentment still choking him, but seeing the man arguing with him while bleeding from his chest made him feel annoyed and gave him a headache.

I don't want to listen to him anymore.

“Thirteen!” he shouted.

Thirteen turned around and, seeing the situation, quickly ran to the two of them. Thirteen looked at the emperor, who had fainted and was unconscious on the ground, with a worried expression, "Your Majesty, what happened!"

"I was poisoned and knocked unconscious."

"Nineteen!" Thirteen said coldly. He hadn't expected that the Nineteenth would admit his identity to him, nor had he expected him to so openly admit that he had poisoned His Majesty. His expression was serious. "What are you going to do!"

"He's bleeding!" Yao Ruyi shouted. "If we don't get back to the capital soon, he'll bleed out!"

Thirteen was startled by the shout, and concealing his unease, he helped Gu Huizhou onto the carriage. "Nineteen, keep an eye on His Majesty."

Yao Ruyi mumbled, "Mmm."

"drive--"

Thirteen rode his horse at breakneck speed back to the capital. No one knew how he sent a message to the palace, but Wang Ran and Cui Xiangzhu were already waiting at the entrance of the Yun Palace.

Before the carriage came to a steady stop, Yao Ruyi exhaled a breath of turbid air. The white light dissipated, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat, but the original ferocity of the emperor's wounds was no longer visible.

Cui Xiangzhu cried out urgently, "Your Majesty!"

"Quickly! Physician Wang, go and take a look!"

Thirteen and Fourteen carried the emperor to the bed. Yao Ruyi stood outside and watched coldly. After a while, he looked down at the bloodstains on his body in the early morning light and silently pursed his lips.

"Is the Nineteenth Prince injured?" Cui Xiangzhu rushed out to check on Yao Ruyi after hearing that the emperor was alright. Compared to the emperor's injuries, the bloodstains on the Nineteenth Prince's white robe were even more frightening!

"I'm fine."

"Really? Your clothes are soaked through! You'd better change quickly, it's quite chilly in the morning, don't catch a cold."

Mushroom nodded, and as it turned to leave, it seemed about to speak, but after a moment's thought, it turned and walked away.

Forget it, he didn't want to hear Gu Huizhou speak right now.

While laughing, Cui Xiangzhu explained, "Hey! Then please go quickly, my lord. I've asked Xiao Dezi to prepare hot water in the side hall. His Majesty is currently receiving acupuncture treatments from Imperial Physician Wang in the Yun Hall, so it will be more convenient for you to rest in the side hall."

"good."

Yao Ruyi turned and went to the side hall, where new clothes and robes had already been prepared. After washing up, Yao Ruyi sat blankly by the window, thinking for a long time.

"Never mind, I'm so sleepy." Yao Ruyi pulled the blanket that Cui Xiangzhu had brought her and lay down on her side.

She fell asleep quickly.

Several days passed, and rumors still circulated in the capital that something had happened to the emperor. The mere one-day suspension of court had caused widespread panic in the capital, and even though court sessions resumed as usual afterward, it did not silence the gossips of some.

Liang Chengfeng emerged from the back gate of the Liang residence, a purse tucked in his pocket, his face grim as he walked down the street. Next month was Liang Pingxia's coming-of-age ceremony, and their hasty preparations now seemed rushed and haphazard, but so what?

Liang Chengfeng sneered inwardly. If things went well, his younger sister's coming-of-age ceremony would be the biggest joyous occasion in the capital.

A smile gradually spread through Liang Chengfeng's heart, but he didn't show it on his face. He walked from one end of the street to the other, neither picking and choosing nor haggling over prices. If he saw something suitable, he had it delivered to his residence. The only thing Liang Chengfeng bought along the way was a hairpin, with orange-yellow gemstones edged with white lotus flowers.

It looks exactly like the hairpin Baili Rou wore at her coming-of-age ceremony.

Upon seeing it, he immediately gave it silver and carried it with him ever since.

The streets were nearly deserted. A few people saw Liang Chengfeng and looked at him with curiosity, but then, remembering something, they lowered their heads timidly and kept their distance from him.

Ha! Let's wait and see if these people still have the same attitude towards him after a few days.

Liang Chengfeng watched coldly, then strode to the entrance of an alley. Seeing that no one was around, he quickly walked into the alley and disappeared in an instant.

In a secluded courtyard in the capital, with only a few servants and maids around, Liang Pingxia, dressed in a pale yellow gauze dress, danced in the courtyard. Her smile exuded elegance and poise, but her eyes held a seductive charm that captivated all who beheld her.

A person was sitting in a rocking chair opposite Liang Pingxia.

He looked to be over thirty, thin and with lifeless eyes. His droopy eyes looked at the graceful young woman with a satisfied smile. When he laughed, his cheekbones bulged up, making his already small eyes look even smaller. The man chuckled, "Good!"

He stood up, stepped forward, and embraced the girl. He leaned in to smell the floral fragrance on Liang Pingxia, revealing a look of infatuation. "Xia'er still smells so good."

"Your Highness—" Liang Pingxia smiled sweetly, her body going limp as she leaned into the man's arms. Gu Huai'an was much taller than her, and the man affectionately ruffled the top of her head as the two snuggled together.

"Your Highness—"

Wearing only light summer clothes, a pair of rough, large hands slid up the girl's fair legs.

"cough--"

A soft cough.

Liang Chengfeng frowned as he walked in through the door. He seemed not to have noticed what the two had just done. He handed the hairpin to Liang Pingxia and said softly, "Brother and His Highness the Crown Prince have some things to discuss. You can go and wait here for now."

Liang Pingxia was taken aback when she saw the hairpin, then overjoyed. She immediately took it, turned around, and bowed to Gu Huai'an with a smile, saying, "Pingxia takes her leave."

The girl's departure also took away the ease of the area. Gu Huai'an's smile faded, and he raised his hand to Liang Chengfeng, "Young Master Liang, please sit."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

The two sat facing each other under the lush shade of the trees. Liang Chengfeng dismissed the people around them, and the two smiled at each other.

Liang Chengfeng said, "Everything in the capital has been arranged; only the final step remains in the military."

Gu Huai'an was taken aback, then said righteously, "Then I thank Young Master Liang for helping me and my father reclaim the Gu family's empire. How can we be at ease now that the empire is still in that bastard's hands? How can my father be at ease!"

Liang Chengfeng chuckled, “Your Highness, rest assured, this matter will not go wrong. Although Pang Qiying cannot compare to my second uncle’s power in the army, he is still a general in his own right.”

"Whoever holds the Tiger Tally is the general; His Highness the Crown Prince understands this as well."

Gu Huai'an met Liang Chengfeng's gaze, and the two smiled silently. His smile grew increasingly maniacal, and the greed in his eyes was almost impossible to conceal. "That's for sure. Young Master Liang is a key minister who will help me achieve great things. If things succeed, the Liang family will naturally benefit after I become emperor."

He looked towards the courtyard behind him and thought, "The Empress's position belongs to Xia'er without a doubt."

"Now I can rest assured."

Liang Chengfeng's lips curled into a perfectly timed smile. He bowed his head and clasped his hands in greeting, a fleeting look of contempt and disdain flashing in his eyes.

“Your Highness, it’s getting late, so I’ll take Pingxia back to the residence first. Her coming-of-age ceremony is coming up soon. It’s an important event for Pingxia.”

"Xia'er will be my empress sooner or later, so why bother, Young Master Liang?"

Undisguised in his lust, Liang Chengfeng almost sneered. He chuckled and said, "I know that Pingxia and His Highness the Crown Prince are in love, but Pingxia and His Highness have not yet married, which is unreasonable."

"And Pingxia's coming-of-age ceremony will be held a month later."

The meaning is self-evident: his younger sister is not yet of marriageable age, and keeping her here like this is hardly taking her seriously.

Gu Huai'an raised an eyebrow, wanting to say something in rebuttal, but in the end he frowned, waved his hand, and said impatiently, "Let's go."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Inside the carriage, Liang Chengfeng held the drowsy Liang Pingxia in his arms. Neither of them spoke until the carriage swayed and came to a stop at the back gate of the Liang residence. Only then did Liang Pingxia slowly get up from Liang Chengfeng's shoulder. There was no smile on her face. The wisps of hair that had been framing her forehead were now combed back, and her lips were stained with red rouge. Compared to a few months ago, Liang Chengfeng could hardly recognize the sister in front of him.

"Brother, will anyone come to my coming-of-age ceremony?"

Liang Chengfeng nodded, "Don't worry, no one in the capital has a more lively coming-of-age ceremony than Pingxia."

Liang Pingxia was delighted to hear this. She quickly got off the carriage and said, "Brother, go and have your meal. I'm going to find my mother to learn to dance." With that, the little girl walked away with graceful steps.

I don't know when, but she stopped jumping around in front of people. If you look at her from behind, she does look a bit like Baili Rou.

Her personality changed from charming and lovely to dignified and composed. Liang Chengfeng watched her for a while until her figure disappeared around the corner. The man got off the carriage and beckoned several guards to go to the study.

As dusk settled, Liang Chengfeng looked up from his study; it was past lunchtime, but no one had come to call him. His face darkened abruptly, the paper on the table was stained with ink, and Liang Chengfeng's eyes revealed a sinister glint.

He gazed into the sky, deep in thought. Once the army was ready, they could find a good opportunity to capture the capital. So what if Gu Huizhou had more troops than them? Could he be transferred back from the border in a single day?

At that time, Liang Chengfeng will be the one calling the shots in the capital. "Hehehehe..."

The laughter was low and deep, tinged with an indescribable joy.

"Knock knock knock!"

The door to the Imperial Study was banged on loudly, interrupting Liang Chengfeng's laughter. He looked displeased and said, "Get in here!"

The door to the imperial study was pushed open, and a young guard rushed in. He looked up and was startled to see Liang Chengfeng's gloomy face. "Master, Master..."

"What is it? Speak quickly!"

"Master! The Crown Prince...Young Master Gu has been arrested!"

"What!" Liang Chengfeng shouted, "Who?! They were just talking to Gu Huai'an a moment ago, how could they be arrested now?!" His heart pounded, and he grabbed the guard's shoulder with his large hand. "Explain yourself!"

The dull pain in his shoulder made the young guard frown. "Yes, it happened after the master left. Suddenly, a group of soldiers surrounded Young Master Gu's residence. It was the Thirteenth Lord who led the men there. They said that Young Master Gu was originally a person who had been demoted from the capital and was not allowed to enter the capital without an imperial edict."

"They just...they just arrested them."

Liang Chengfeng abruptly released the man, a surge of anger rising within him. "Damn it! Gu Huizhou!"

When exactly was it discovered?

Where are you now?

"It should be... the prison."

"Crack!" The teacup shattered on the ground, startling the guard who retreated. Liang Chengfeng went berserk and began smashing things in the study, cursing and resentment almost constantly coming out of his mouth.

"Gu Huizhou, you despicable scoundrel! One day I'll make you kneel at my feet and lick the soles of my shoes!"

"Damn it! Go to hell!"

"You little bastard!"

...

The sound continued for half an hour before a hoarse voice finally came, "Someone, bring tea."

Prison.

Guided by Xu Yi, Gu Huizhou slowly walked into the small door. The dampness and musty smell of the prison made him frown. This prison seemed to have been built only for Gu Huai'an. It was empty and cramped, and the candlelight was dim, only illuminating a small area.

Wearing a blue outer robe soaked with blood during the day, Gu Huai'an's hair was disheveled and stuck to his face. He had just been beaten unconscious and was now slowly opening his eyes upon hearing the sound.

"ah--"

As if seeing a vengeful ghost descending from hell, Gu Huai'an shrank back in fright, but there was a wall behind him, and he had nowhere to escape. "Gu...Gu Huizhou..."

Gu Huizhou hadn't seen his elder brother, the Crown Prince, for a long time. The Crown Prince was ten years older than him, but he was the one who loved to come and play with him most when they were children.

“Your Highness, do you still remember when you stripped me naked and threw me into the pond, locked me in the horse stable that was on fire, and…” He paced slowly in front of the iron bars, “and you also liked to crush my fingers.”

"Does Your Highness, the Crown Prince, still remember?"

"Ah—Gu, Gu Huizhou!" Gu Huai'an stared in terror at the vengeful ghost before him. It had come to claim his life! Gu Huizhou had come to take his life!

He knelt down and begged for mercy, "I was wrong! My brother was wrong! My brother was young and didn't understand things back then. My brother just wanted to play with you!"

Gu Huai'an's nose and tears streamed down his face as he curled up in the corner, trembling and barely daring to look at the face of the person outside the iron cage. He kept swallowing and covering his eyes with his hands.

"Yes, that's right." Gu Huizhou slowly sat down in the chair, which Fourteen had just moved into.

"So I was just joking with you, my brother. Why have you been avoiding me ever since?" Gu Huizhou's voice was cold, and his words instantly brought Gu Huai'an back to the night of his twenty-sixth birthday banquet.

He was praised by his father in front of the entire court and drank quite a bit of wine. He was helped back to the East Palace, and in his half-awake state, he felt someone cutting his flesh.

He was tied to the bed, and the eunuchs and guards outside the palace had all been poisoned unconscious by Gu Huizhou. His mouth was gagged, and he struggled like a piece of meat on a chopping board, at the mercy of others.

Sixteen-year-old Gu Huizhou already resembled a grown man; his still somewhat immature face was taut, his eyes filled with ruthlessness. The memory of stabbing Gu Huai'an in the lower abdomen still made Gu Huai'an tremble.

The man took a knife and disemboweled him for about an hour.

Gu Huai'an suffered a fate worse than death for an hour. His mouth was stuffed with cloth strips, and he watched as his stomach was slashed open. They poured some kind of powder on him, which stopped the bleeding, but the burning pain spread throughout his body from the wound. He wished he could bite his tongue and kill himself!

But he dared not tell anyone. Gu Huizhou told him that if he did, he would come again in the future!

"No! I didn't tell anyone, I didn't tell anyone!"

Hahahahaha.

Gu Huizhou smiled, "I know my brother didn't say it. I just missed him. He should stay outside the capital. Why did he come to the capital? Is it because he missed me?"

Gu Huai'an froze, stammering as he tried to laugh, "I...I...miss the Emperor."

"That's perfect, today I'll catch up with my brother."

What old times could the two of them possibly reminisce about...?

With trembling hands, Gu Huai'an pulled a gold medal from his pocket and clutched it tightly. He looked up and saw Gu Huizhou fiddling with a medicine bottle. He recognized the bottle; it was the powder Gu Huizhou had sprinkled on him that day!

No, no! He can't let Gu Huizhou catch him, he can't!

"Your Majesty! I was wrong! Please spare my life!" Gu Huai'an instantly climbed to the railing and presented the pardon as if offering a treasure.

Xu Yi, watching from the side, frowned. The late emperor's crown prince had such a personality.

Thirteen and Fourteen exchanged a glance, both seeing disdain in each other's eyes. The late Crown Prince? He doesn't even look as good as a beggar in the capital.

Their emperor hadn't even used his methods yet, and they'd already handed over the gold medal.

That's way too easy.

"This is a gold medal that the late Emperor gave to my elder brother, the Crown Prince. Is it appropriate to give it to me?"

"Perfect! Perfect!" Gu Huai'an couldn't be happier to be taken back by Gu Huizhou. If he didn't, how could he possibly save his life!

"Thirteen."

Thirteen stepped forward and helped Gu Huizhou accept the gold medal. He stepped back and looked down at it. There was a lot of blood on the gold medal. He frowned and winked at Fourteen.

It's so dirty, no wonder His Majesty didn't want to take it.

"If that's how it is, then we'll have someone escort my brother out of the palace later." Gu Huizhou stood up and sighed. "We're already in the capital, there's no need for him to leave."

"Your Majesty, please remember to take good care of yourself after you leave the palace."

"Thank you! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Gu Huai'an finally let out a long breath, his chest heaving. He collapsed to the ground with a half-smile, curling up and hugging himself.

The stairs were pitch black. Gu Huizhou, his face cold, reached the top floor. Cui Xiangzhu was waiting outside. Seeing him come out, he hurried forward and said, "Your Majesty, this old servant just went to inquire. The Nineteenth Prince has already eaten dinner and is practicing his sword in the Warm Jade Pavilion!"

The man asked as he walked, "Warm Jade Pavilion?"

Cui Xiangzhu replied, "Yes, the Nineteenth Prince said he wanted to soak in the hot spring, so I ordered people to boil water. But the hot spring is not ready yet, and the Nineteenth Prince has already started practicing his sword."

"Oh."

"If I remember correctly, the Warm Jade Pavilion is my hot spring." Although he said this, the man didn't seem angry at all. "You do listen to him."

Cui Xiangzhu smiled and followed behind. At this point, he could just listen; there was nothing to say. It had been quite a while since the two of them returned from outside the capital. Although they were still sleeping in the same room, they rarely spoke to each other during the day.

The 19th Party Congress leader either practices swordsmanship or reads books, and doesn't return to the Cloud Palace until nightfall.

He was worried for His Majesty.

"Your Majesty, where are we going now?" Cui Xiangzhu understood the road just by looking at it, but he still insisted on asking.

"Warm Jade Pavilion".

"Then this servant will prepare tea and snacks for Your Majesty."

"Um."

They soon arrived at Nuanyu Pavilion. Gu Huizhou could hear the sound of a long sword cutting through the air from a distance, and the closer he got, the more pleasing it was to the eye.

Even though he raised the mushroom himself, after half a year, it has learned to get angry with him.

He frowned and pondered for a moment.

He glanced down at his red robe, raised an eyebrow slightly, and reached out to loosen his belt, tearing the fabric at his chest into a tangled mess. His full pectoral muscles were now blatantly exposed to the air.

Yao Ruyi had already seen the person arrive, but he pretended not to see them.

He was still angry and didn't want to talk to this person.

Gu Huizhou stepped forward, drew his sword, and leaped to meet the man's sword. The wound on his chest was still wrapped in bandages. The opening on his chest was not very large and could not be seen, but with the casual man's movements, his collar slid down his shoulder, revealing the white cloth on his body.

"Whoosh—"

After their swords clashed, the two stepped back. Yao Ruyi frowned and remained silent, but the meaning in her eyes was obvious.

Don't you know you're injured?

Gu Huizhou chuckled, "I really don't remember. I've been busy with state affairs these past few days, and no one has come to call me for meals." Her tone was like that of a resentful concubine in the deep palace. "I've even forgotten about the injuries on my body."

He walked closer and closer to Yao Ruyi, his smile so sweet it could drown a person. "Thanks to the Nineteenth Prince's proper handling, I don't feel any pain at all."

Yao Ruyi: "Liar."