Chapter 58 Chapter 57 Come and review the memorials for me
This was the first time Gu Shiyan had seen an emperor like this. Mu Congmo looked completely different from when he was in Jiangnan. This majestic aura must have been his true self. As for his thoughtfulness and consideration in Jiangnan, it was just a facade after assessing the situation. Thinking about it this way, it really was difficult for him to put on such a hard-earned facade that day.
Mu Congmo spoke, and Gu Shiyan followed his lead and stood up. His knees had given way, but he'd used his inner strength to relieve the strain. Mu Congmo didn't speak, so Gu Shiyan stood still. After all, he was an official under the emperor, and he had to give the emperor some respect.
But after saying that, Mu Congmo lowered his head again, his gaze fixed on the memorials. After he had marked one with his imperial crest, he raised his hand to take another, only to notice the young man still standing there. While taking the memorials, he took a few glances at Gu Shiyan. The young man had a slender figure, and his blue robe made his complexion look even more pale.
His gaze shifted upward, catching sight of the youth's meticulously sculpted face. Gu Shiyan's brows were relaxed, yet a hidden edge clung to his features. His face was expressionless, neither fear nor dissatisfaction. Seeing this, Mu Congmo piqued his interest. "Sit down! Are you just going to stand there like an idiot until I tell you something?"
On any other day, Gu Shiyan wouldn't bother to pay attention to him, but today was different. Mu Congmo only heard the young man, with a proud expression that showed he cared nothing for anyone, whisper, "Your Majesty, without your permission, I naturally wouldn't dare act on my own."
Mu Congmo remained silent, merely lowering his head to continue reading the memorial. Gu Shiyan sat quietly on a mahogany chair beside him. He couldn't help but internally complain. If he remembered correctly, he was supposed to be working, right? At least he held an official position. He wondered what the emperor was thinking, but it was fine this way. He was content and at ease, though a little bored.
Mu Congmo didn't mean to leave the other party out in the cold, but Shangguan Jing suddenly brought up this matter, and he agreed. For a moment, he really hadn't figured out what to let Gu Shiyan do.
What's more, Mu Congmo vaguely remembered that Gu Cheng said that Gu Shiyan had been raised in the countryside in his early years. Although he didn't know whether this was true or not, he was still in trouble.
Just having someone sit here all the time isn't a long-term solution; today is only the first day. Mu Congmo was reviewing memorials while pondering, until he noticed the ink in the inkstone was almost empty. Normally, Hu Xian would grind the ink for him, so from now on, Gu Shiyan would do it. He couldn't just keep collecting a salary without doing anything.
"Come here and grind ink for me." Mu Congmo said without raising his head.
Gu Shiyan looked at Hu Xian, who had been standing behind Mu Congmo, and saw that he had withdrawn at some point. He then realized that the words were directed at him. He stood up and walked to Mu Congmo's side. He noticed the emerald green stone and smooth texture of the inkstone on the red sandalwood imperial desk. It seemed that this was a Tao inkstone.
The ink in the emerald green inkstone had already run out. Just as the emperor had said, Gu Shiyan picked up a piece of fine pine soot ink and examined it in his hand. He then put the ink down and poured a spoonful of water into the inkstone. The black ink gradually faded with the addition of this spoonful of water.
Gu Shiyan then picked up the rosin inkstone. He rolled up his sleeves slightly, revealing his bony wrist. Against the backdrop of the black inkstone, Gu Shiyan's once fair skin seemed tinged with a hint of holiness. The three middle fingers of his right hand tightly grasped the inkstone, while the other, shorter fingers rested on the ink. Under his control, the inkstone spun back and forth within the emerald inkstone, its color gradually deepening.
Gu Shiyan's movements were not fast and looked quite pleasing to the eye. As his movements continued, the fragrance of pine wood gradually wafted through the hall, and the inkstone, which was almost empty, was gradually filled with ink.
There was a crisp "bang" as the ink block collided with the inkstone, startling the emperor who was processing memorials. Mu Congmo's gaze shifted upward, and what came into view was Gu Shiyan's bony fingers and protruding wrists. The man before him had skin as white as snow.
Then he noticed the inkstone that was already filled with ink. The ink in the inkstone had a shiny black luster. Just with one glance, Mu Congmo could tell that this ink was comparable to the one that Hu Xian usually ground.
As for the noise, it was naturally Gu Shiyan who deliberately made it. He was just trying to attract Mu Congmo's attention, so that the emperor would know that he had completed the task and let him go as soon as possible. Unfortunately, it was not as one wishes. Seeing this, Mu Congmo thought of Gu Cheng's words, "This child has been raised in the countryside since he was young."
From the way Gu Shiyan grinds the ink, it's clear he practices calligraphy regularly. If compared to the young masters of the capital, the latter would probably be ashamed of themselves. I wonder where in the countryside this child was raised? Could it really be a blessed place?
"Do you practice calligraphy on weekdays?" Mu Congmo asked without any reason.
Although Gu Shiyan didn't understand what the other party was up to, he still answered sincerely: "Occasionally."
This wasn't a perfunctory remark. Apart from reading storybooks, he usually did whatever he felt like doing. Sometimes, when he got tired of reading, he'd practice calligraphy, or practice swordsmanship, or play a tune, just to pass the time.
After hearing his affirmative answer, Mu Congmo ordered, "Since that's the case, come and help me review the memorials."
This idea suddenly popped up in Mu Congmo's mind. He just wanted to see what the other party's handwriting looked like, and by the way, see what other hidden abilities the other party had.
Gu Shiyan couldn't control his expression for a moment. After three years of not seeing him, he really didn't know what Mu Congmo was thinking. Generally speaking, memorials were mostly about urgent matters, considered to be the most confidential of secrets. If he remembered correctly, this should be his first meeting with Mu Congmo in this capacity.
How had it suddenly escalated to the point where he was reviewing the memorials? Countless possibilities flashed through Gu Shiyan's mind. Could it be that Mu Congmo was planning to take action against the Gu family? But Gu Cheng had only just joined his army. Even the emperor, no matter how capricious, wouldn't act so soon? If he knew Mu Congmo was merely curious about his calligraphy, the emperor's life would probably be in danger by now.
Seeing Gu Shiyan standing there in a daze, Mu Congmo urged, "Don't you understand what I'm saying?"
Gu Shiyan felt speechless for a while, and he said hesitantly: "These memorials contain confidential matters. I am a low-ranking official and my words carry little weight, so I am afraid it is not convenient for me to review them." Gu Shiyan tried to call the other party's attention. Besides, he really didn't want to review these memorials.
Not to mention the pile of memorials piled up like a mountain. If anything went wrong, wouldn't he be handing the handle to the other party? If he was alone, it would be fine, but now he represented the Gu family, so he had to be more cautious in his words and actions.
"Who in this world has a status nobler than mine? Just do what I ask you to do." Mu Congmo's tone was filled with an unyielding majesty.
Gu Shiyan had no choice but to reach for the memorial on the other side. His hand accidentally touched the emperor's clothing. The next second, the entire hall felt as if a cold wind blew through it, and it instantly became cold.
Gu Shiyan noticed that Mu Congmo's mood seemed to have worsened a lot. Just as he was wondering what had happened, the emperor suddenly stood up and left, leaving him alone in the hall.
He stood there in confusion. After thinking for a moment, he decided to pick up a few ordinary-looking letters of greeting. He took a brush and some rice paper from the emperor's desk and returned to his original position.
Gu Shiyan flipped through one of the memorials. This memorial was written in several thousand words. The owner of the memorial was probably a bold and unrestrained person who did not care about details, so the words were a little crooked. Gu Shiyan took a lot of effort to understand what was said in it.
In the end, he found that it was all nonsense wishing the Holy Body good health. Fortunately, he was worried that he would miss something important, so he read the whole memorial without missing a word. After reading the memorial carefully, Gu Shiyan even felt a little sorry for Mu Congmo.
These memorials were dull, full of flowery rhetoric and somewhat difficult to read. Furthermore, Gu Shiyan had rarely gotten up so early today, and he was already feeling drowsy. He glanced around and saw that Mu Congmo showed no signs of returning, so he decided to take a nap.
This meant that the first thing Mu Congmo saw when he came back was Gu Shiyan holding a memorial in his hand, his hands on his knees, his whole body leaning forward, and his eyes closed.
Mu Congmo didn't know what to say for a moment. Even though he had experienced many things, he had never met someone who could fall asleep while reading memorials. Gu Shiyan in front of him was the first one.
Hu Xian, who was following behind him, was about to step forward to wake the man up, but was stopped by Mu Congmo. He just shook his head and motioned Hu Xian to leave.
Gu Shiyan's behavior was considered a breach of etiquette in front of the palace, and Hu Xian was terrified by it. However, when he remembered the purse of silver Gu Cheng had given him, he was ready to step forward and wake him up. However, the emperor stopped him, which made him a little confused.
He retreated in accordance with the emperor's order, silently praying for Gu Shiyan in his heart.
But after he left, Mu Congmo simply picked up the memorial in his hand and took away the memorials on the table that Gu Shiyan had already read. After picking up the memorials, he found several pieces of rice paper with ink stains. At first, he thought they were secrets recorded by Gu Shiyan. He thought, is the person Gu Cheng hired so capable? How could he reveal his true colors so early?
But when he picked up the rice paper, he found that it was filled with comments written by Gu Shiyan. The handwriting on the top was fresh and beautiful at first, but the words at the bottom had all stuck together, becoming a little blurry. Mu Congmo glanced at the sleeping boy and thought that Gu Shiyan must have been drowsy since then.
Although the handwriting on the rice paper looks beautiful, if you look closely you will find its sharpness. Mu Congmo finished reading the words on a piece of rice paper, and unknowingly a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
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