Chapter 59 Unconventional Tale: "I will teach you little by little."
Li Wenjing remained silent. He was the only person during the late emperor's reign to achieve the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations. Back then, he was barely thirty years old, full of ambition, and went to the capital to participate in the palace examination. But…
The corruption in the capital made it impossible for him to maintain his position; a single misstep could lead to his demise. Unwilling to accept this, he resigned and became a recluse shortly after the results were announced. The court was corrupt to the core; he would rather spend his life as a teacher than live a life of idleness and complacency in the court!
He withdrew for thirty years.
The current emperor, on the surface, is decisive and ruthless, holding imperial power firmly in his own hands, but... he actually sees the future of the Great Yun in him.
The old man's face was etched with wrinkles, a testament to his long and arduous life. After a long while...
Li Wenjing knelt down abruptly, the article about the students in the capital during this period weighing heavily on his hands, making it hard to breathe. He thought that if he educated the world's students well, the court would improve day by day, but he never expected it! He never expected that these people would be so ignorant of right and wrong!
The grief on his face rendered him speechless, and he lowered his head. Li Wenjing's voice was old but steady, "This humble subject thanks Your Majesty for sparing my life. I will obey Your Majesty's orders from now on."
The man's voice chuckled, "With Lord Li's attitude, I am relieved."
-
When Yao Ruyi woke up early in the morning, no one was beside him. He lay on the dragon bed, looking at his own golden nanmu bed opposite him. After thinking for a while, he took his blanket and went to lie down on his own bed. The bed was next to the window, so the light was a bit brighter. Even though he had just woken up, Yao Ruyi had the illusion that he was about to take a nap.
He fell asleep again without realizing it. He didn't need to ask Wang Qianshan to read to him today. When he woke up again, he took the book out from under his pillow and started reading.
Mushroom's eyes sparkled; he still didn't know what had become of the fox and the prince. Sunlight streamed into the quiet, peaceful chamber, and Yao Ru was mesmerized.
The further you read, the more pictures appeared in the book, sometimes even more than the text. Yao Ruyi blushed as he read. There was one picture he recognized: a fox, after transforming into human form, still retained its ears and tail, lying on the bed with its back arched, letting the prince lie beneath it.
Yao Ruyi slammed the book shut, his mind still replaying the image of Gu Huizhou bending down last night. His face flushed, he muttered, "Could Gu Huizhou also be a fox in human form?"
A man's talent in that area is even greater than that of a demon.
Yao Ruyi's face grew redder as he thought about it. "Never mind, never mind." He decided to stop thinking about it and finish reading the rest of the story first.
Having missed lunch while reading, Yao Ruyi closed the book, her cheeks and eyes flushed. "It truly is a beautiful story."
Yao Ruyi carefully laid the book flat, intending to return it soon. He had only just realized that the palace library actually had such picture books; perhaps he could find a couple more to look at when he returned it.
Yao Ruyi ate some snacks, then picked up his book and walked towards the library, lost in thought.
The illustrations on the last few pages of the storybook were explicit and daring. Thinking about Gu Huizhou's actions these past few days, he pondered, "Perhaps I should ask Twelve later; he should know something about it..."
After returning the book, Yao Ruyi didn't rush to find other books to read. He planned to go to the brothel to find Twelve first, and then go to the library after returning to the palace.
Otherwise, if he were to leave the palace carrying these two books, he would feel like everyone is watching him.
The streets of the capital have become increasingly deserted these past few days. Yao Ruyi hasn't seen the auntie selling steamed buns at all. He sighed with relief, knowing she hadn't come out. It's safer to stay at home these days.
There were few people coming and going in the city, and not many shops were open. Yao Ruyi followed the path she had taken last time to the back of the brothel, where she found the same few maids and servants as before.
The group chatted as they worked, appearing much more relaxed than last time.
They didn't care when Yao Ruyi arrived; it was none of their business anyway, as long as she wasn't a beggar trying to steal or rob.
Yao Ruyi went up the stairs to the second floor. Before he could knock, the door opened and a voice slowly spoke, "Why hasn't Little Nineteen come for so long?"
When no one was around, Twelve's voice sounded like that of a gentle young master, but seeing him dressed in bright red and purple clothes, Yao Ruyi always felt awkward. He stepped into the house with the scent of plum blossoms in his mouth and said to people with a smile, "I was studying and practicing swordsmanship in the palace, so I didn't come out."
Twelve chuckled. Their Emperor really had kept her so fair-skinned. Look at her! He felt that Little Nineteen was even more handsome than when she last came. He sat down in the chair opposite Yao Ruyi and pointed to the pastries on the table. "Want to try some?"
"I've already eaten."
That's what they said, but Twelve pushed the pastries in front of him, and Yao Ruyi gladly accepted them, saying, "Thank you."
"Pfft—" Twelve laughed, "It's different from the ones in the palace, eat more."
"Hmm—okay."
Twelve couldn't help but scrutinize the person, having heard that His Majesty had already imprisoned him and that there had been a big commotion a few days ago.
He could hardly believe, based on what Thirteen and Fourteen had said, that Nineteen, with his quiet and unassuming nature, could actually kick His Majesty into the hot springs and slap him.
The two sat together and ate for a while. Twelve took a sip of tea and asked, "Is there something you need from me today?"
Yao Ruyi nodded. "There is something I need to discuss."
"Hmm." Twelve seemed to think he could solve the problem with anything. "Tell me, is it related to His Majesty?"
"How could he guess so accurately?" Yao Ruyi was taken aback, but immediately nodded, "Yes, it's about His Majesty."
Yao Ruyi spoke seriously, causing Twelve to feel uncertain for a moment, unsure whether His Majesty truly had something to do or if it was something concerning the Nineteenth Prince himself. He hesitated, "What is it?"
Yao Ruyi, still holding the pastry in his mouth, looked at the empty plate with slight surprise. The two of them had actually finished the whole plate. He took a sip of tea, his cheeks slightly flushed. "I wanted to ask, between men... how... how..."
He didn't know what to say. Meeting Twelve's amused yet gradually smiling gaze, Yao Ruyi suddenly raised her hand and moved her two hands slightly, mimicking the pose of the fox and the prince in the sketchbook she had drawn that day.
I understood in twelve instants.
"Hahahaha," he laughed, slapping his thigh. "Pfft—Little Nineteen, you actually came to ask me about this?"
Twelve laughed heartily. He never expected that his younger brother, Nineteen, would come to ask him this. Shouldn't this matter be asked of His Majesty? But since his brother had come, he couldn't let him come for nothing. He confidently patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, you've come to the right person."
Yao Ruyi's eyes lit up. He had only thought that since Twelve worked in a brothel, he would know more about this matter, but he hadn't expected that he would actually find an expert. "Thank you!"
Twelve waved his hand, unable to suppress the smile on his lips. He rubbed his hands together. "Why did you come to ask me? Why didn't you ask His Majesty?"
Yao Ruyi's face flushed bright red, even the tips of his ears turned pink. He stammered, "Ask His Majesty... I don't want to ask His Majesty."
"Alright, then you can ask me too." Twelve stood up, told Yao Ruyi to sit for a while, walked to the door, opened it, and called out. Soon, a handsome young male prostitute wearing a semi-transparent gauze robe came down from upstairs. Seeing Twelve, his face lit up with joy, and he quickly came over, "Greetings, young master!"
The male prostitutes were very fond of Twelve. The young master who listened to music only entertained elegant guests. Even though he was so handsome, he always stayed in the brothel. Which male prostitute wouldn't want to meet such a handsome young master?
Even just catching a glimpse of her in a brothel can bring me joy for a long time.
"What are your orders, young master?"
Twelve smiled and nodded to the man, then leaned down and whispered something in the male prostitute's ear. A hint of shyness flashed in the male prostitute's eyes, and he pursed his lips and nodded to Twelve, "Yes."
"Thank you very much. I will never refuse to help you if you need it in the future."
The young male prostitute blushed and said, "Young Master Tingqin, you're too kind. I'll go and get you the storybook right away."
The door closed, and Twelve turned to wink at Yao Ruyi. "Take the scripture back to the palace and have a good look at it after it's delivered." He said as he walked back to his chair. "Don't let His Majesty see it."
Twelfth Brother's smile was meaningful. It's hard to say whether His Majesty will punish him when he finds out, but Little Nineteen... might not have a good time.
Thank you!
"We're all brothers, no need for thanks."
Yao Ruyi nodded hurriedly.
Worried that he hadn't eaten enough, Twelve asked again, "Would you like some more snacks?"
"No, no, I really have already eaten." She had just smelled it and wanted to eat it again, but she really couldn't eat it now. Yao Ruyi smiled embarrassedly.
"Alright, I'll tell you about the second young master of the Baili family."
Yao Ruyi was curious. Last time they came, they happened to run into Baili Wenhan in the next room. Could it be that he came again?
"good."
Twelve rubbed his hands together. "Ever since Baili Wenhan tried it with Ning Yuan and found that he really couldn't do it, he has become more and more extreme in his actions. Besides, even if he is stupid, he can see that Baili Yi has now put all his attention on Baili Qingxiao."
"Recently, the famous doctor invited by the Baili family was supposed to treat Baili Wenhan's injuries, but he turned around and treated Baili Qingxiao instead."
Twelve sneered, "I think Baili Yi also knows that Baili Wenhan's illness is incurable. But Baili Qingxiao's leg, if he finds a reliable and famous doctor, might actually get better."
Yao Ruyi nodded, "The eldest son of the Baili family is much better than the second son."
"That's right. Back then, it was Baili Qingxiao's name that spread first when the 'Twins of the Capital' were mentioned. Baili Wenhan was just there to make up the numbers."
Feeling restless with nothing to play with, he picked up a fake plum blossom from the table and played with it for a while. The fragrance of the flower between the two grew stronger and stronger. "When Baili Qingxiao first appeared in front of everyone, Baili Wenhan was still friendly and respectful to others, but now it's different."
"Bai Li Qingxiao runs the Wanyou Chamber of Commerce and has close ties with Miss Han's Siyun Chamber of Commerce. The two have become friends, which makes someone envious."
Yao Ruyi understood. The position of the head of the Baili family was likely to be held by Baili Qingxiao. Moreover, Baili Wenhan admired Miss Han and couldn't stand his brother getting close to her. He was pleased to hear this, saying, "He only has himself to blame."
“Hmm! Little Nineteen is right, he has only himself to blame!” Twelve broke the fake plum blossom branch into several pieces. “Just yesterday, Baili Qingxiao and Miss Han met at the Chamber of Commerce, and then ran into Baili Wenhan. The Second Young Master got angry when he saw the two of them chatting and laughing together.”
"They almost overturned the eldest son's wheelchair, making quite a scene."
Yao Ruyi didn't understand what Baili Wenhan was thinking either. If he had stayed in the court and worked properly, he could have had an official position, but he was acting like this now... "It seems that Baili Yi asked His Majesty for permission to resign on Baili Wenhan's behalf?"
"Yes, it happened a few days ago. A few days ago, Baili Wenhan had a quarrel with Lord Xue in the morning court, which made Baili Yi lose face. The next day, he submitted a memorial to His Majesty."
Yao Ruyi nodded, "That's fine too."
Nodding at twelve o'clock, his gaze shifted slightly. Hearing the faint footsteps outside the door, he raised an eyebrow at Yao Ruyi and said, "Wait here, I'll go get you the storybook."
"good."
Just as Twelve reached the door, there was a knock. It was the same male prostitute's voice outside, "Young Master Tingqin, it's Ruoruo. I've come to deliver a message—"
Before she could finish speaking, the door in front of her was suddenly opened. Twelve's handsome face appeared before her, leaving Ruoruo speechless. He smiled and said, "Young Master."
There were six or seven books, a thick stack of them, which surprised Twelve. "Thank you for your trouble, Ruoruo." As Twelve spoke, he lowered his head slightly and gave the young man a handsome smile.
Her heart skipped a beat. Ruoruo hadn't expected him to remember her name, and she couldn't suppress her smile. "Young master, you flatter me."
"If there is ever a need to listen to the zither in the future, I will never refuse."
After exchanging a few polite words with the person, Twelve closed the door and waved the storybook in his hand at Yao Ruyi, saying, "This should be enough for you to read."
"so much!"
When Yao Ruyi came, he didn't expect to bring back so many storybooks. He didn't bring any luggage either. Was he supposed to just carry them back like this? Wouldn't that mean everyone in the capital would know that he had read these kinds of storybooks? The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this wouldn't work. Yao Ruyi frowned, "Too many."
He could only take two books back at most, and with two books tucked into his clothes, they wouldn't be easily noticed.
Twelve also felt it was too much, but since it was already here, there was no point in keeping it. He thought for a moment, "Wait."
After saying that, Twelve opened the door and called to someone else.
After a while, the man brought over a food box. When he opened it, there were two plates of pastries inside. He took out the pastries from the bottom layer and put seven storybooks inside.
I put it horizontally, vertically... and finally it was finally put down.
Twelve proudly raised his head, "How about that?" Then he put the top layer of pastries on top, and no one could tell what was underneath.
The aroma of the pastries tempted Yao Ruyi, and he reached out to pick one up, nodding as he ate, "Very good!"
"That's right, if you just carry it back to the palace like that, even His Majesty won't notice."
Thank you!
Twelve ate with him, "No need to thank me." He couldn't help but laugh as he thought about the few pages of the storybook he had just flipped through. The young male prostitute looked shy, but the things he brought out were quite daring.
He noticed that one of the pages contained a picture of two people holding... jade dildos?
Stopping her thoughts abruptly, Twelve said to Yao Ruyi, "It's getting late. We should go back early so His Majesty won't worry. The situation in the capital has become increasingly urgent these past few days. I think it will be over in the next couple of days."
"Okay, you should be careful too."
"Don't worry, I've never lost when it comes to protecting myself."
Hearing this, Yao Ruyi felt relieved. He carried the food box and hurried back to the palace along the side path. Even though he was carrying a food box, he still felt that someone was watching what he was carrying. Yao Ruyi walked faster and faster, and what used to be an hour's journey was covered in half an hour.
Panting as he walked along the long corridor of the Cloud Palace, Yao Ruyi even felt that the little eunuchs on both sides, with their heads bowed, were eyeing the food box in his hand. He felt guilty, and the way he walked became strange, as if he had done something shameful.
Gu Huizhou saw the mushroom's hesitant and cautious appearance from afar. He hadn't seen the person all day and didn't know what this person had done, but he recognized the food box in Yao Ruyi's hand.
Cui Xiangzhu squinted and looked into the distance. "Your Majesty, it seems that the Nineteenth Prince has just returned to the palace. The food box he is carrying must be from the brothel." He smiled broadly. "I've heard that while the brothel may not be as good as the palace in other dishes, its green tea pastry is exceptionally good. Many young ladies in the capital order their servants to buy it from the brothel!"
"I don't know where the Nineteenth Prince heard this from, but this food box might be for His Majesty."
Cui Xiangzhu glanced at the darkening sky, his eyes darting around. "It's getting late. This servant will go and check on how the imperial kitchen is preparing. This old servant will take his leave now."
Gu Huizhou's mood improved even more after hearing what he said. Although the pure mushroom looked suspicious, he actually had a strong urge to try the green tea pastry.
Following the long corridor, the emperor strode toward his bedchamber.
The candles inside the hall had already been lit. Yao Ruyi closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief. He had felt uneasy the whole way. Even though he had only brought back a few booklets, he acted as if he had done something wrong. Yao Ruyi secretly despised himself. How could he have such a small amount of courage every day?
He muttered a slow, involuntary complaint in his mind, but his hands moved with astonishing speed. He quickly placed the green tea pastries from the first layer of the food box on the table, and then picked up seven storybooks and placed them under his pillow.
Previously, it was easy to put one book out, but it's hard to tell the difference after seven.
Yao Ruyi moved around and around, but in the end she could only put down three books.
He was troubled for a long time and didn't have time to pay attention to the green tea pastries on the table. Finally, listening to his heart pounding, he carefully hid the remaining four books in his original brocade quilt.
These past few days, he's been sleeping on the dragon bed and forgot to take his own brocade quilt with him, so he's just kept it neatly folded and placed on the golden nanmu bed.
The quilt was quite large, more than enough to hide four storybooks. Yao Ruyi looked at it from afar and up close many times, and finally breathed a sigh of relief when he felt that everything was in order.
The sweltering summer heat had caused him to sweat profusely, and only now that his nerves had relaxed did he realize how unbearably hot the bedchamber was. "I need to have some ice brought over."
"squeak--"
The sudden sound from the door startled Yao Ruyi. He flailed his hand, knocking the lid of the food box off the table with a clatter.
Yao Ruyi's heart, which had just calmed down, started pounding wildly again. She looked at the food box on the ground and wanted to pick it up, but then she looked at the emperor, knelt down several times, and didn't pick it up or say anything. She was very busy.
"……His Majesty."
Gu Huizhou stood there with a smile on his lips. He watched the mushroom bustling around for a while, fiddling with something. He smiled and stepped forward, his handsome face getting closer and closer to Yao Ruyi, as if he could see the answer in her face if he got that close. "Yao Ruyi, what have you done that you've been up to?"
His breath brushed against Yao Ruyi's neck, causing him to tremble slightly. Upon hearing this, his eyes were filled with astonishment and disbelief. "I didn't."
The person with a guilty conscience was still saying he didn't. Gu Huizhou couldn't help but pinch the earlobe of the person in front of him. "Green tea pastry from the brothel?"
How did he even know that? "Yes."
"Is this for me?"
As he spoke, the man picked up a piece and brought it to his mouth, but he didn't bite it. It seemed that he would only eat it if Yao Ruyi said it was him. His eyes were full of questions, and he beckoned Yao Ruyi to give an affirmative answer.
A thought struck him, and Yao Ruyi's eyes sparkled, a stark contrast to his earlier stunned and bewildered expression. He quickly said, "Yes, I found it delicious, so I brought some back for Your Majesty."
But these were two food boxes. Raising an eyebrow at the empty box below, the man thought that this must be the reason why the mushroom was hiding. A calculating glint flashed in his eyes. He took a bite of the green tea pastry. There wasn't much icing on it, and it wasn't too sweet. Gu Huizhou ate a piece, which was rare for him.
"It tastes good," he said, looking somewhat troubled. "Why is there only one plate?"
Yao Ruyi looked away, "..."
"Hmm? The Nineteenth Prince brought back only one plate from such a large food box?" the Emperor said displeased. "Did he get tricked by the Twelfth Prince again? I'll avenge the Nineteenth Prince and deduct two months' salary from his pay."
"No!" Yao Ruyi exclaimed angrily, then turned to Gu Huizhou's probing eyes and felt guilty, stammering, "He didn't lie to me. I was hungry on my way back and ate the other plate."
After saying that, Yao Ruyi nodded to Gu Huizhou, indicating that he would eat it himself.
"You ate all the plates?"
"..."
Yao Ruyi's eyes widened for a moment. He looked at the food box the man was pointing to, then at Gu Huizhou's smiling eyes, and he understood. Gu Huizhou didn't believe him at all, so he didn't explain further. He simply snorted and stuffed a piece of green tea pastry into his mouth.
I'm ignoring him.
Gu Huizhou pressed the tip of his tongue against his palate. He hadn't missed the blush on Yao Ruyi's face when she first entered the room. She only showed that expression when he kissed her. So what was he doing going to find Twelve?
Based on his understanding of Twelve, he wouldn't be up to anything serious.
The food box couldn't hold much, so the man's gaze swept over the golden nanmu bed.
The brocade quilt was neatly folded and hadn't been used for several days; how could it suddenly look different? He leisurely rose and slowly circled around Yao Ruyi. Yao Ruyi, chewing on a green tea pastry, looked up, puzzled as to what the emperor was going to do next.
Suddenly, Gu Huizhou sat down on the edge of the bed. He leaned back on the brocade quilt and casually reached behind him, saying, "What is that lying on me?"
Before Yao Ruyi could react, the man reached out and took out two of the storybooks.
His storybooks!
Before he could even swallow the tea and snacks in his mouth, a sudden surge of heat washed over him. His cheeks, earlobes, and collarbone flushed pink.
Gu Huizhou's eyes grew increasingly playful. He looked silently at Yao Ruyi, who had stood up but remained frozen in place, then looked down at the storybook in his hand. The cover depicted two men entwined in an extremely unrestrained and explicit manner. He reached out and turned the page...
The albums were filled with pictures of two men having intercourse, and each page contained accompanying text...
Yao Ruyi no longer dared to look the man in the eye; she was unsure whether to stand or sit.
I suddenly want to turn into a mushroom.
Gu Huizhou glanced through it briefly, then suddenly pressed himself against Yao Ruyi and pulled her into his arms. He looked like a male fox in human form, and chuckled as he looked at Yao Ruyi, “If you have any questions, just ask me. When have I ever not told you?”
"I……"
Yao Ruyi's face grew hotter and hotter, but looking at the person in front of him, the only thought that came to his mind was to kiss him. Thinking this, he did just that, and their lips met. Yao Ruyi heard Gu Huizhou laugh.
He tried to back away, but the hand on his lower back seemed to be shackled, holding him down. Their foreheads were pressed together, and Gu Huizhou bumped his nose against Yao Ruyi's. His voice was hoarse as he said, "No rush, take your time."
...
It was terribly hot.
"I'll teach you little by little." Gu Huizhou pressed his lips to Yao Ruyi's lips again and again, still holding the storybook in his hand for some reason. "Once you've learned it, I'll take you through all the stories in the book, okay?"
"Hmm—"
Yao Ruyi wished he could disappear into a hole. He turned his face away, not wanting to look at Gu Huizhou, but the man stubbornly held him in his arms, asking again and again, "Are you alright?"
Yao Ruyi's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, "Okay."
Gu Huizhou was satisfied. "Good."
After he finished speaking, he pressed his lips against the person in his arms again, licking them gently, and then took the other person's hand and reached inside through their outer robe.
There were hurried footsteps outside the door. Gu Huizhou paused in his action of reaching for his belt. Thirteen's voice came from outside the hall, urgent but not flustered.
"Your Majesty, Liang Chengfeng has rebelled!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com