Chapter 48 Past Events: A trembling voice, "Gu Huizhou—"
Stared at by the man, Yao Ruyi seemed to be drawn into a whirlpool, unable to recover for a long time. Leaning forward, the already close distance between them became even more intimate, their breaths mingling and indistinguishable. Yao Ruyi swallowed nervously, moving closer as Gu Huizhou spoke.
"Okay, continue."
It's like imparting knowledge, teaching skills, and resolving doubts; one person patiently guides the other, while the other diligently follows the teachings.
"Um--"
Their lips met, their eyes locked, and a stirring of emotion was inevitable. Yao Ruyi slowly leaned in, the other's lips burning hot, and a fleeting image actually flashed through his mind. The man in his memory wore a red robe, also smiling gently in the candlelight, his deep, captivating eyes saying, "Yao Ruyi, come forward."
Then he actually leaned in and licked the emperor's lips, as if he were sipping fruit wine at a banquet.
They're all intoxicating.
He really did! He made a lewd advance on the emperor—
My mind went blank for a moment, and I lay there on the bed, completely stunned.
Their lips were still pressed together, and seeing the growing satisfaction on each other's faces, Yao Ruyi suddenly stepped back and swallowed hard. Her eyes were glazed over, unsure of where to look. After a long pause, she stammered out, "No, I didn't do anything inappropriate."
"Oh."
Gu Huizhou, who was sitting in the same spot, did not move. He looked Yao Ruyi up and down, who was flustered and at a loss, and raised an eyebrow. "I didn't realize that the upper level was no longer enough for the Nineteenth Lord. He also wants the lower level."
Her pupils widened. "I'm not!"
A lazy, contented laugh escaped the man's throat. Yao Ruyi hurriedly waved his hand, his heart pounding as he watched the man approach. He couldn't bring himself to be firm. "Then what does Your Majesty suggest?"
"Let me speak?"
"Why don't I speak for myself? If the emperor speaks, the outcome is uncertain." Mushroom thought for a long time, then hesitated, "I can speak for myself."
"Then tell me."
"I... haven't received my monthly allowance for last month or this month, so I don't want it."
The man, who had just been smiling, suddenly turned pale. His tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth, and the shadow cast by his humerus on his eye sockets made his features appear unusually deep. "Monthly allowance?"
"I don't need your monthly allowance."
"Well..." There's nothing he can do to offset this now; he still has six years and seven months of duty to complete. "Ten years?"
The man pondered, "Not enough."
Mushroom was at a loss. The two looked at each other in silence. Suddenly, something came to mind. Yao Ruyi frowned and immediately looked up, "Your Majesty also took liberties with me."
"Um?"
"Light-hearted?" He tapped his fingers lightly on the golden nanmu wood by the bedside, making muffled, crisp sounds one after another. "It's time to get Wang Qianshan back sooner rather than later."
To prevent this pure mushroom from learning obscene language all day long.
The accusations were fruitless, which only made people more annoyed.
The two were about to continue their discussion when they heard footsteps outside the door. Cui Xiangzhu knocked on the door, and his voice came through the door, "Your Majesty."
Gu Huizhou said impatiently, "Come in."
Cui Xiangzhu walked in with his head down, unaware that the two men were currently in bed.
As Cui Xiangzhu entered, Gu Huizhou stood up. "What is it?"
"Your Majesty, a man has just arrived outside the palace. He claims to be a former servant of Master Feng of the Feng family. Master Feng saved his life, and he dares not fail to repay the debt. He has come to seek Your Majesty's advice on some old matters."
The Feng family?
Yao Ruyi frowned. This was the first time he had ever heard of the Feng family, a family he had never heard of in the capital.
"Let him in."
"yes."
Yao Ruyi sat up straight. He was still wearing a white robe. At this moment, only the emperor was wearing his undergarments and was disheveled in the Yun Palace. He tidied up the bed and got up to follow the emperor, who had put on his robe.
"do what?"
"Follow His Majesty."
Gu Huizhou chuckled softly, "Go ahead and follow me if you want, but think more about how you'll compensate me."
"……oh."
As he walked towards the Imperial Study, the servant was already waiting there. Upon seeing Gu Huizhou, he hurriedly knelt down, his eyes filled with a mixture of surprise and fear. "This humble subject, Chen Min, greets Your Majesty!"
"Come in."
The man's voice was deep as he turned and led Yao Ruyi into the imperial study.
It was almost midnight. The two of them hadn't felt tired before, but now, standing beside Gu Huizhou, the soreness and exhaustion in their legs suddenly surged up. Yao Ruyi couldn't help but yawn twice, and two clear tears fell from her red eyes.
"Go sit over there."
"good."
In front of the servant, Yao Ruyi sat down at a table by another window on the inner side of the Imperial Study. It was the same table where he had searched through dozens of ancient books for crops. Incense was placed on the table. The window was closed so that no cool breeze could come in. The incense had been lit during the day, and although it had been extinguished, a faint sandalwood scent could still be smelled.
It's like the scent of an emperor.
Lying on the table, Yao Ruyi blushed again at the thought. She silently plotted how to make amends for the emperor's recent humiliation…
"This humble subject was formerly a eunuch to the Crown Prince of Liao, and also a servant of Lord Feng Qi of the previous dynasty. Lord Feng saved my life, and I dare not fail to repay his kindness!"
"Although I have no evidence, there are indeed hidden stories about the persecution of the Feng family back then!" Chen Min said, tears streaming down his face, repeatedly kowtowing to the ground, afraid that Gu Huizhou would not investigate further.
"We urge Your Majesty to uphold justice for the Feng family!"
The emperor on his high throne remained silent, but Cui Xiangzhu, standing to the side, frowned. If it were an ordinary family, His Majesty might hand this matter over to the Grand Judge of the Court of Judicial Review for a thorough investigation, but if it were the Feng family, then this was His Majesty's maternal family.
Back then, the Feng family was found to be secretly possessing an imperial robe, and the entire family was executed. Only the insane Consort Wei and the young Emperor remained. If Consort Wei had treated the Emperor better back then, how could the Feng family's affairs have dragged on until now?
Cui Xiangzhu didn't show it on his face. He was quite young at the time, and he learned a lot from his godfather.
"You come to me with baseless accusations without any evidence?"
Chen Min panicked, "Your Majesty! Although I have no evidence, when I left the Feng residence, Lord Feng asked me to take away many letters, all between you and Miss, that is, Consort Wei!"
"There's more to the story than meets the eye when the Empress falls ill!"
Gu Huizhou frowned slightly. He leaned back in his chair, pressed his hand to his forehead, turned to look at Yao Ruyi, who was already dozing off, and said softly, "Mm."
Chen Min did not have any evidence, but Lord Feng was diligent, thrifty and caring towards the people. Many servants in his household had been rescued by Lord Feng, just like him.
If it weren't for Lord Feng, they wouldn't be where they are today. Seeing this, he was afraid the emperor wouldn't take it seriously, so he hurriedly reached into his sleeve.
Thirteen and Fourteen on the roof beam straightened their expressions, their daggers gripping their hands, ready to strike. If Chen Min were to pull out something other than a letter in the next instant, these two daggers would appear at his neck simultaneously.
"These! These are all of them!"
There were few words, almost only one or two sentences on each sheet, but the sheets stacked together formed a thick pile.
Cui Xiangzhu stepped forward and took the letter from his hand. He smiled and said, "These letters will stay in the palace for now. You can go back and wait." His words were ambiguous, after all, judging from His Majesty's expression, he might not care.
"His Majesty--"
Chen Min wanted to say more, but when he looked up, he saw the head eunuch wink at him, and he immediately swallowed the rest of his words, choking out, "This humble subject thanks Your Majesty!"
The door to the imperial study opened and closed repeatedly. Cui Xiangzhu placed a thick stack of letters on the table in front of the emperor and quietly withdrew.
The Imperial Study was completely silent.
"His Majesty."
Yao Ruyi woke up an hour later. The last time he opened his eyes was when Cui Xiangzhu left. He sat up groggily and noticed that the letter on the table seemed to have been moved. He wanted to take another look, but the emperor grabbed his wrist, and the two of them returned to the Cloud Palace together.
The man remained silent with a stern face, a stark contrast to his demeanor when he was in her bed earlier. Perhaps he had learned something unpleasant, Yao Ruyi didn't inquire further. The Cloud Palace was utterly silent; the candlelight was quickly extinguished, plunging the room into darkness.
He had just slept for an hour in the Imperial Study, and now he wasn't sleepy anymore. Thinking of the gloom on the man's face earlier, Yao Ruyi sat on the bed without moving. He was wearing a white undergarment, and the quilt covering his legs made him feel so soft that he didn't want to move. His lips were slightly pursed. He sat like this for half an hour, but Yao Ruyi still couldn't fall asleep.
Is Gu Huizhou unhappy again?
The dragon bed and his golden nanmu bed faced each other. Most of the decorations in the Cloud Palace were made of mahogany and jade. The whole palace was dignified and rich. The two were separated by a white jade gauze, which swayed slightly as people moved.
The closer she got, the more she could hear the emperor's rapid, disordered breathing. Yao Ruyi frowned and quietly walked to the man's side.
His forehead was covered in cold sweat, his brows were tightly furrowed, and his breathing was sometimes rapid and sometimes long. "A nightmare?"
Yao Ruyi frowned. In his dream last time, he had seen scenes of bloodshed and cruelty. The emperor's childhood experiences were beyond what ordinary people could endure, and he was afraid that they were the same now.
Without much thought, he climbed onto the bed and sat on the emperor's chest as before, placing his hand on the emperor's heart. A white halo, like a thin white veil, enveloped the two of them, isolating them from everything.
In the emperor's dream, he appeared semi-transparent, as an observer.
"Zhou'er!"
The surrounding scenery should be within the palace, but Yao Ruyi had never been there before; it was the inner palace. He watched as a delicate woman dressed in light blue walked out of the house. She had exquisite and pretty features, deep-set eyes, and slightly red lips. Her eyes were curved like crescent moons as she searched for someone in the courtyard.
Yao Ruyi was taken aback.
She looks a lot like Gu Huizhou.
The light blue dress made her look even more delicate. Her eyes lit up and she quickened her pace. The palace maid who had just followed her out of the palace carrying a winter coat said helplessly, "Your Highness! It's chilly in winter, remember to wear a coat."
Just as they were about to reach their destination, someone stopped them to get dressed. Feng Lingxue urged, "Hurry up, hurry up!"
The palace maid busied herself tying a pretty plum blossom knot at the collar of the man's coat and smoothed out the warm pink winter coat embroidered with plum blossoms.
Upon seeing this, Feng Lingxue burst into laughter. She immediately ran over, half-squatted down by the flowerbed, and smiled affectionately at the child in the wet nurse's arms, "Zhou'er! Come here and let your mother hug you!"
The wet nurse smiled gently. Consort Wei was the only daughter of the Feng family and had been pampered since childhood. After entering the palace, she was also favored by the emperor. In less than a year, she became a concubine, and now that the seventeenth prince had been born, she was directly promoted to imperial concubine.
At just nineteen years old, such an honor is unique in the harem!
"Your Highness, please be careful, the little prince has gained weight again recently!"
Upon hearing this, Feng Lingxue raised her eyebrows with delight, "Is what the wet nurse said true? That's wonderful! Has our Zhou'er grown up again recently?" The woman held a pink and tender little dumpling in her arms. The little dumpling had big eyes that looked exactly like Feng Lingxue's. Even at such a young age, it was clear that she would grow up to be a beauty.
"It's a good thing our Zhou'er is a boy. If it were a girl, Mother would have to worry about not finding a good family for her in the future, and that someone would bully our Zhou'er."
Her tone was one of relief as she spoke, but after she finished speaking, the woman pondered for a moment, "Whether Zhou'er is a boy or a girl, Mother will love him either way," she whispered into the little dumpling's ear, "There's still a pink jacket that the princess wears in the closet by Mother's window."
The baby boy in her arms may or may not understand, but when he sees the woman laughing, he laughs along. The mother and son laugh happily in the winter, and even the palace maids' faces are filled with joy.
Feng Lingxue held her child in her arms. When the wet nurse tried to take the child, Feng Lingxue waved her hand and refused, saying with a smile, "It's alright, no matter how heavy Zhou'er is, Mother Consort can still carry him."
"Isn't that right, Zhou'er?"
While holding the child in her arms, Feng Lingxue admired the snow by the flower bed, saying non-stop, "When Zhou'er grows up, Mother can take him to Jiangnan to see the world. It's so beautiful there. Even in winter, it's warm enough to wear a thin veil."
The wet nurse chuckled beside her, "Your Highness speaks so lightly now, but how will you be able to carry the little prince when he grows up?"
“It’s alright, I can hold Zhou’er and sit in the carriage together.” She smiled. “But Zhou’er will be about six or seven years old then, which is the most fun time for a boy, and he’ll be asking to ride a horse.”
"Your Majesty is right."
Feng Lingxue laughed heartily. She reached out and pinched the little dumpling's cheek, and the little dumpling laughed along. The mother and son laughed together, beaming with joy.
After a while, a woman's voice was heard saying, "You must spend more time with your mother when Zhou'er is young. If he grows up and has someone he likes, he won't play with his mother anymore."
"If Zhou'er has found someone he likes, Mother will have to take a good look at him. Whether he is a daughter of a wealthy family or a commoner, Mother will not be picky." After saying that, the woman remembered something else, "In Jiangnan, homosexuality is prevalent. If Zhou'er falls for a young master, he must bring him back for Mother to see."
"Your Highness, Consort Wei!" The wet nurse hurriedly stepped forward and frowned, "How can Your Highness say such things! Homosexuality is not a good thing. If others hear it and it gets back to His Majesty's ears, it will be disastrous!"
Feng Lingxue smiled indifferently, "It's alright, wet nurse, don't panic, you'll frighten Zhou'er."
Yao Ruyi couldn't help but smile as he watched from the side. He was standing next to Feng Lingxue, but no one could see him. He looked at the childhood Gu Huizhou and couldn't help but reach out to touch the soft flesh on his face, but he couldn't touch it. He could only pretend to put his hand on it and wave it.
Suddenly, a sharp, piercing sound echoed throughout the hall.
"ah--"
"ah--"
"Get out, all of you get out—"
"Didn't you hear me say get out! Get out—"
The laughter from the previous scene vanished, replaced by the sound of teacups shattering on the floor.
The child's cries echoed throughout the palace, further irritating the woman. Her eyes were filled with conflicting emotions, a mixture of love and hatred, with hatred ultimately prevailing. For a moment, only Feng Lingxue and the seventeenth prince, Gu Huizhou, remained in the bedchamber.
Little Gu Huizhou was only four years old, but you could already see the features he would have when he grew up. Tears welled up in his eyes; he had been crying for a long time, his eyes red and swollen. He stood shakily on the ground, not knowing what was wrong with his mother. She had just been holding him and eating tea and snacks. "Mother, it's me, Zhou'er."
The child's soft, tearful voice startled Feng Lingxue, but her expression hardened the next second. Her once charming and lovely appearance became terrifying, her eyebrows raised in resentment. She looked at the child on the ground expressionlessly and suddenly laughed, "You're still crying!"
"Why are you crying!" She turned and smashed another teacup on the ground. "What do you have to cry about? I'm the one who should be crying!" Her hysterical shouts were painful to the ears.
The woman suddenly crouched down, her beautiful eyes magnified before Xiao Gu Huizhou. His mother's eyes were red as she glared at him, startling him into silence. Yet, he still reached out to the woman for a hug, "Mother, hug me—"
"Get out! Didn't you hear me telling you to get out?!"
Feng Lingxue roared loudly. Although she wasn't crying, two tears streamed down her face. Her face was now extremely thin, with her cheeks sunken in, a stark contrast to four years ago. She had become like this two years ago.
The Feng family was executed for illegally possessing a dragon robe; her father wasn't even allowed to utter a single word! He was killed right there in the Feng mansion! And her mother was beheaded...
She could never forget the scene she witnessed that day. Feng Lingxue was in a daze. She looked around frantically and saw the child on the ground with outstretched arms, wanting to hug her. "Zhou'er!"
"Zhou'er! It's all Mother's fault! Zhou'er, come here, let Mother hug you!" Despite the painful tears streaming down his face, young Gu Huizhou was not afraid. He reached out to wipe the blood from the corner of the woman's eyes and slowly smiled.
"Your Highness, Consort Wei..." The palace maids only came in after the shouting in the room subsided. They replaced the teacups with a new set and then hurriedly swept up the crumbs on the floor. They were all used to it by now.
Two years ago, Consort Wei lost the support of the Feng family and also fell insane, so her title was changed from "Wei" to "Wei".
Even now, her madness is getting worse and worse. Another palace maid came in from outside, carrying a bowl of dark medicine. She looked at Consort Wei holding the little prince in her arms and knew that she had regained her senses.
"Your Majesty, it's time to take your medicine."
Yao Ruyi frowned. He had just tried to change the dream so that Xiao Gu Huizhou could not see the woman's hysterical appearance, but he could not change it. He frowned and looked at his hand. The white light in his hand seemed to be imprisoned by something, and could only linger around him.
"Hmm—" A muffled groan.
Yao Ruyi was startled; the surrounding scenery had changed again.
Little Gu Huizhou had grown quite a bit, looking about eight or nine years old. His eyes had lost their childhood innocence, now appearing sinister and ruthless. He gritted his teeth, not uttering a sound. He endured the woman behind him whipping him, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but he merely frowned, his eyes filled with hatred as he glared at the woman who had raised her hand.
Yao Ruyi didn't dare to recognize her for a moment; this was actually Consort Wei!
Her hair was a disheveled mess, and the courtyard didn't resemble a concubine's palace at all. Scattered flowers and debris were everywhere, making it impossible to find a place to step. With no palace maids in sight, Feng Lingxue gritted her teeth and brandished her whip, ordering the two eunuchs to restrain Gu Huizhou. The whip lashed out again and again…
"Ugh—" Xiao Gu Huizhou groaned, then "Pfft—" spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Hahahaha—" The woman laughed wildly, her eyes drooping, her lips pale, still wearing the same pink and blue robe she had worn before, yet she was a completely different person. Yao Ruyi felt a pang of heartache watching her. The white light in his hand could do nothing; he knew this was something that had happened to the emperor in his childhood, and he couldn't change anything.
"It's good to let him get a good night's sleep."
Yao Ruyi's eyes were firm as he tried again to use his magic to change the nightmare. However, he failed several times and his strength was getting weaker and weaker. If he continued to try, he would not even be able to stay in the dream.
Gritting her teeth, Yao Ruyi's eyes reddened. She stood there blankly, watching Xiao Gu Huizhou being beaten and scolded.
"Gu Huizhou—" he couldn't help but call out, but only he could hear it.
Not satisfied with just pounding snow, Feng Lingxue hurriedly ran to the side, grabbed a handful of snow, and stuffed it into the boy's thin clothes while laughing loudly. The woman saw that Gu Huizhou's expression had finally changed, and she burst into maniacal laughter.
The two eunuchs shook their heads helplessly. It was no one's fault but that the prince had fallen to such a low position.
I heard that Consort Wei hasn't woken up for four years. The last time she woke up was when the little prince was four years old. Back then, she could still recognize the child as her own son, but now... *tsk*.
Gu Huizhou was covered in welts. Seeing that Consort Wei was tired, the two eunuchs smiled and stepped forward to take the whip, saying, "This servant will do it for Your Highness."
Having said that, the eunuch struck even more ruthlessly than Consort Wei, leaving her mangled and bloody in just a few blows. Gu Huizhou nearly fainted from the pain. When she awoke again, she was awakened by the excruciating pain in her back. Two eunuchs laughed shrilly as they poured boiling water mixed with chili peppers directly onto her bloodied back.
Consort Wei clapped and cheered.
"well--"
Yao Ruyi's eyes were bloodshot, and he clenched his fists, but he could do nothing. He looked at the flesh and blood on Xiao Gu Huizhou's back, which was completely different from the current emperor.
Gu Huizhou woke up. He was too weak to struggle, but his gaze was like that of a damp, venomous snake, sweeping over the three people present.
Sudden.
"stop!"
A sharp, angry shout rang out, followed by a loud bang. The courtyard gate was kicked open, and a woman dressed in colorful exotic attire strode in with a cold expression, followed by three or four eunuchs. Upon hearing this, she immediately stepped forward and kicked aside the two junior eunuchs behind Gu Huizhou.
The woman coldly observed everything in the hall, finally fixing her gaze on Consort Wei.
She coldly stared at the woman opposite her, whose pink robe was filthy and sour. Her eyes were unfocused and her hair was a mess. Yue Wujin stepped forward to face her, "Your Highness Consort Wei, this younger sister greets her elder sister."
He said he was going to pay his respects, but he just stood there in place.
Le Wuyou's aloof and cold eyes sent a shiver down one's spine. She waved her hand, and a young eunuch stepped forward with medicine behind her. "Your Highness, it's time to take your medicine."
The woman, who had just been laughing, panicked the moment she saw the bowl of dark, medicinal soup. "I won't drink it! I won't drink it—"
"Hmm—"
The two men forced the medicine down her throat, not caring whether it soaked the woman's clothes.
The two eunuchs who had just been arrested also came to their senses. "This lady is..." They had served in the palace for many years and had only been assigned to this mad concubine's side this year. Although they didn't receive any rewards, they were fortunate enough to have all the jewelry in the palace.
They had never seen this lady before...
"Our Empress is the apple of His Majesty's eye, why don't you pay your respects to Consort Jin!"
"This humble servant was blind and did not recognize Your Highness. I pay my respects to Consort Jin!"
Le Wujin didn't glance at him again. She turned to stare at Gu Huizhou, who was sprawled on the ground, her eyes resolute and ruthless. He was a promising talent. Moreover, despite his young age, he had a handsome appearance, but he was emaciated.
Le Wujin expressed slight dissatisfaction, "This prince will be raised by me from now on. I'm taking him away today. If you have any questions, go talk to the Emperor."
After saying that, he told the two men to carry the bloodied and mangled Gu Huizhou onto the boat, then turned and left, afraid of getting his hands on something unclean.
"Your Highness, this..."
The woman's face was cold and indifferent, and she wouldn't listen to her. "I told you, go and argue with the Emperor."
The scene froze at that moment, and Yao Ruyi was suddenly jolted out of the dream. He stared blankly at Gu Huizhou, who was covered in cold sweat. He couldn't suppress the heartache in his eyes and hurriedly wiped the cold sweat from Gu Huizhou's forehead with a handkerchief.
"Gu Huizhou—"
He didn't know why his magic couldn't appease the emperor in his dreams, but now that he was out in the open, he wanted to give it another try.
"call--"
It's done!
With delight, Yao Ruyi raised her eyes and repeatedly placed her hands on the emperor's forehead and chest, the white aura gradually calming the panic on his face. His breathing gradually became even, and Yao Ruyi stopped what she was doing.
Another hour has passed, and a faint, hazy light is beginning to appear on the horizon.
He unconsciously pursed his lips, his eyes filled with heartache.
Gu Huizhou, how could his childhood have turned out like this...
"Hmm—" A muffled groan.
Startled, I looked up to see the man had woken up sometime earlier, lying on the bed, breathing heavily. His eyes were as sinister and ruthless as the whipped boy in my dream; his dark gaze was fixed on the person beside me, without uttering a word.
Her voice trembled slightly, "Gu Huizhou—"
The man suddenly exerted force, and the man who was lying on the bed flipped over and covered Yao Ruyi. He was surrounded by a fierce aura, and it took a long time to calm him down, but it was to no avail.
As Yao Ruyi faced the man, the emperor leaned down and pressed his burning lips against his neck once more.
It was even hotter than in the evening.
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