Chapter 41 Chapter 40 What should I do with the poison in your body?
Mu Congmo was curious about why the boy had disappeared that day, what that thunderbolt was, and why Yunliang Qianchi had vanished without a trace. However, he was still immersed in the tenderness he had shared with the boy last night. These questions were no longer important. As long as the boy was back by his side, he would be able to return.
If Gu Shiyan knew what he was thinking, the usually aloof and reserved Yue Zun would probably lose his composure. When had the two of them ever been intimate, and when had he ever been by his side?
Hu Xian looked at his own emperor, his face filled with sneers, as if he had seen a ghost. He simply lowered his head in silence, fearing the emperor would silence him. He felt that the emperor was very strange today, and seemed in a much better mood than usual. During the court session, he did not embarrass the ministers. The faces of those officials showed a sense of joy after surviving a disaster, instead of the usual fear and trepidation.
It’s a pity that the emperor’s good mood won’t last long.
On the other side, the Duke of England’s Mansion.
Gu Cheng had taken leave early today to meet Gu Shiyan. After court, he skipped the Ministry of Revenue and returned directly to the Duke's Residence. It was because of the unique circumstances today; he would never have acted this way in the past. Not to mention the current emperor's suspicious and capricious nature, even morning court sessions usually took a long time. Factional strife was intensifying. If the emperor could handle the situation with the same clean and efficient hand that he had handled the Prince of Huai, there wouldn't be much to worry about.
He felt a pang of regret. He wondered what had happened three years ago. Ever since then, the emperor had lost interest in state affairs, simply approving memorials and paying no attention to the private dealings between factions. He should have been a wise and prudent ruler, but now he had let this matter go unchecked. If this continued, it would surely undermine the foundation of the nation.
Of course, Gu Cheng is a smart man. He knows how to protect himself, so he will only think about such words in his heart.
When he returned home, he asked where Liang Qiulan was, and was told she had taken Gu Shiyan to the old lady's house. He then sent a servant to pass the message. After a moment's wait, Liang Qiulan entered first, followed not far behind by a young man who bore a striking resemblance to her. Gu Cheng suddenly realized something: he saw Liang Qiulan himself in the young man. They were both equally proud, confident, and high-spirited. It was a pity that Liang Qiulan had been feeling depressed for years.
In fact, at this moment, he was already certain in his heart that this was his and Liang Qiulan's child. Sometimes family love is so wonderful that it can be recognized at a glance. He usually pretended to be majestic and sullen in front of his subordinates, but now that he was suddenly facing Gu Shiyan, he was still a little confused.
"Father." It was Gu Shiyan who spoke first and called him father.
At this time, Gu Cheng was still trying his best to change his expression and make himself look gentler, but he was obviously self-defeating. Liang Qiulan on the side couldn't stand it anymore. She stretched out a slender finger and poked Gu Cheng's waist. The latter felt a little pain and only then noticed Gu Shiyan's call of "father" just now.
He was naturally a little excited in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. He pretended to be profound, stretched out his hand to twist his beard, and hummed lightly.
When Liang Qiulan saw him like this, she instantly became furious. She first spoke to Gu Shiyan with a smile: "Yan'er, you got up too early today. Go back and rest first. Your mother and father have something to say." Her last sentence sounded a bit gritted.
Gu Shiyan was happy to see this happen. He was extremely sleepy at the moment and was only able to hold on by relying on his inner strength.
After Gu Shiyan left, Liang Qiulan pointed at Gu Cheng and cursed, completely disregarding his image. "Look at you, you acted like this the first time you met Yan'er. If you want to act like a Duke, go away."
Seeing his wife angry, Gu Cheng quickly grabbed her hand and coaxed her humbly: "How dare I show my displeasure to Yan'er? This is not the first time I've seen you, so I'm not used to it. Madam, please don't be angry."
Liang Qiulan snorted softly, "Fortunately, Yan'er didn't hold it against you. If you had hurt his feelings and caused him to run back to the sect overnight, I would have divorced you."
When Gu Cheng heard Liang Qiulan say that she wanted a divorce, her face immediately became panicked and she hurried to comfort her wife.
Liang Qiulan suddenly remembered that Yi Qinghua wanted to give the two jade rings to Gu Shiyan. In her eyes, this matter was obviously more important. She pulled Gu Cheng to sit on a chair beside her and leaned over to tell him what had happened.
After listening, Gu Cheng fell into deep thought, while Liang Qiulan looked at him anxiously. Gu Cheng was also a little puzzled. His mother was an extremely cautious person, not to mention in such an important matter. There was only one possibility, that is, Yi Qinghua was very satisfied with Gu Shiyan, even to the extent that she could entrust the future of the entire Gu family to him.
After he knew his mother's plan, he comforted his wife: "It's nothing serious, it's just that mother values Yan'er."
Liang Qiulan felt relieved after hearing this. Suddenly, she remembered another thing and changed the subject: "According to what that knight said, we announced to the outside world that Yan'er was a stillborn. Now that Yan'er is back, we can't let him stay in the mansion without any status and let others look down on him." Liang Qiulan's tone was full of heartache, as if she was about to cry in the next second.
After thinking for a moment, Gu Cheng said, "Madam is right. Now that our child has returned, he should do so with dignity and honor." Then he said hesitantly, "It's just that...back then, we announced Yan'er's death. There were rumors in the capital that Yan'er was born with the destiny of a phoenix. Wouldn't that have made us guilty of deceiving the emperor?"
Liang Qiulan's expression changed instantly. She wasn't afraid of the so-called crime of deceiving the emperor, but she simply felt sorry for Gu Shiyan. Seeing his wife so heartbroken, Gu Cheng's face was also filled with distress. He comforted her, "There will always be a day when Yan'er's identity will be revealed. It's better for us to reveal it ourselves. However, this matter still needs to be carefully considered."
"How can we make a long-term plan? Yan'er can wait, but I can't. He's my son, Liang Qiulan, and the legitimate heir of the Duke of Yingguo's mansion. It was fine when he wasn't in the capital before, but now that he's back, the position of heir should be decided." Liang Qiulan's tone was a little excited. She glanced at Gu Cheng, who looked approving, and said with finality, "Tomorrow I will go to the palace to ask the Queen Mother for help."
Seeing his wife's determination, Gu Cheng couldn't persuade her any further. However, this matter was of grave importance, and since the Queen Mother and the current Emperor were not biological mother and son, her words might not necessarily carry the day. He knew that if he wanted to truly accomplish this, he needed the approval of the one sitting on the throne. However, the Emperor's thoughts were deep and cunning, and he was unable to fathom them. Regardless, he had to give it a try, no matter the cost.
Gu Shiyan, who had already left at this time, had no idea what Gu Cheng and Liang Qiulan were planning. He was just about to go back to his room to have a good sleep.
Hua Ling had been following him half a step, but suddenly leaned in close to his ear and asked, "Master, did you find that thing last night? Why did you come back so late?"
"No, something happened last night. Besides, that pavilion doesn't contain the world's treasures and is not guarded by countless palace masters as rumored in the martial arts world." Gu Shiyan knew that the other party was worried about him. After all, the imperial palace was like a den of dragons and tigers in the eyes of most people. It was normal for Hua Ling to be a little worried.
But he had misjudged Hua Ling's thoughts. After Hua Ling guessed that Gu Shiyan had some unusual feelings for the emperor, she had kept this in mind. So when she heard Gu Shiyan say that he had been delayed last night, she immediately thought of the emperor. As for the so-called imperial masters, in Gu Shiyan's eyes, they were probably not even a nuisance.
But what happened between the young master and the emperor last night that made the young master, who usually went to bed early, stay up all night for the first time in his life? Could it be that the two of them... Hua Ling was frightened by her own guess. The progress of the two of them should not be so fast, she comforted herself in her heart.
But once this thought came to her mind, it was like an unstoppable flood. She couldn't help but wonder who would win in bed between the young master and His Majesty. The picture in her mind was a little too erotic, so much so that her cheeks were already red. After realizing what she was thinking, she quickly shook her head, trying to calm herself down.
The culprit of all this can be traced back to those picture books. She originally thought it was just an ordinary story, but who would have thought that after opening it, it turned out to be a sexual affair between two men. Fortunately, she was the only one who saw this picture book, otherwise she would never have the face to see anyone again.
Although she forced herself not to think about such things, the seeds of curiosity still took root in her heart. She made a lot of noise, so she secretly looked in the direction of Gu Shiyan and found that he was concentrating on walking forward and didn't notice the movement from her side. She instantly breathed a sigh of relief.
Gu Shiyan in front of her suddenly turned around and looked at her. Although she was a little scared, she still pretended to be calm on the surface. She only heard the young man say in a gentle voice: "My mother's illness is not the same as the poison I was infected with."
Gu Shiyan's words were shocking. Who could have imagined that this now-number-one venerable figure in the world was actually suffering from a severe poison? But Hua Ling wasn't surprised. "The doctor said before that Madam has no internal energy. If she had been poisoned like you, young master, she wouldn't be alive today."
"What is the cause of Madam's illness? Is there any way to cure it?" Hua Ling asked with concern. She had a good impression of Liang Qiulan, and the other party loved Gu Shiyan sincerely. Naturally, she couldn't bear to let Gu Shiyan face his mother's serious illness after experiencing such a happy event as family reunion.
"It's just that she has been ill due to overwork and is depressed. I have secretly used my internal energy to help her clear her meridians. After a few more times, she will be back to normal." Gu Shiyan said in a light tone.
Hearing this, Hua Ling's face showed a hint of joy, but then this joy turned into worry, "That's good, of course, but what should we do about the poison in your body, sir?"
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