13

Jing Xuan’s ten fingers clutched tightly onto Gu Fang’s shoulders, frozen stiff in place, his face flushed red with indignation, not daring to move a muscle.

Gu Fang simply watched as that vivid crimson spread from his cheeks, creeping up to the tips of his ears, then slowly trailing down his neck and collarbones before finally disappearing beneath the light-colored robes like spring light, tantalizing, wavering between concealment and revelation.

Fortunately, he still considered himself somewhat of a gentleman.

Otherwise, with how his little Emperor looked right now, there wouldn’t be many men with a taste for such things who could resist.

But in the end, this was the Emperor he had personally raised.

Even if in the future he would hate him, would want to kill him, would constantly seek to eradicate him at all costs, Gu Fang did not wish for history to remember them only in tales of scandalous indulgence.

His Emperor was destined to become a ruler.

Still, before he ascended to such greatness, teasing him a little wouldn’t hurt.

And so, Gu Fang spoke in all seriousness: “But there is one thing Your Majesty was right about.”

Jing Xuan: “?”

Gu Fang: “This minister only seizes men, never women. Only steals husbands, never wives. So… Your Majesty, tread carefully.”

Your Majesty, tread carefully?

Your Majesty, tread carefully....

Your Majesty, tread carefully!

“Gu Fang! I am the emperor, I am your nephew! You—you—you…”

Jing Xuan never could have imagined that Gu Fang, who always carried himself with such an air of loftiness and reserve, wouldn’t even bother pretending anymore. Just like that, he spoke such audacious words so freely.

And yet, this wasn’t even the boldest thing he said.

“So if Your Majesty does not wish to one day truly become my beloved concubine, it would be best to govern diligently and firmly secure your throne. Otherwise… the ones slipping out of this carriage tonight may not just be the Silver Crane Guards.”

Gu Fang’s arm curled around Jing Xuan’s waist, his gaze slightly lifted and his words utterly treasonous were spoken with an unhurried ease. The look in his eyes remained as unreadable as ever, making it impossible to tell whether he was issuing a threat or simply offering advice.

Jing Xuan was momentarily stunned.

Then, the carriage suddenly jolted violently.

Completely off balance, Jing Xuan was thrown forward.

Gu Fang’s arm instinctively tightened.

And the last sliver of distance between them vanished entirely.

Big.

So big.

Hard.

So very hard.

Hot.

Scorchingly hot.

The last one wasn’t something Jing Xuan felt from Gu Fang.

But from the heat surging through his own body.

Jing Xuan: “…”

Fck

At that moment, he inexplicably experienced a strange reaction himself.

But he was certain though he had never engaged in any carnal affairs, he absolutely did not like men. Since childhood, he had never harbored any improper thoughts toward any man.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so furious and shocked when he dreamed of Gu Fang doing such things to him.

So all of this was undoubtedly because of Gu Fang and that Xiangyin Gu. Perhaps Gu Fang’s current imposing state was merely the Gu’s final burst of energy before death!

Jing Xuan, though comforting himself with this thought, still found his hands uncontrollably shoving Gu Fang away.

He didn’t remember how exactly he scrambled out of the carriage, nor how he and Hua Ting fled back to Zichen Hall in a disheveled panic.

All he remembered was that as he bolted away, he heard Gu Fang chuckle softly behind him. So faint, yet it made his ears burn unbearably hot.

Fortunately, after leaving Gu Fang, that tingling numbness all over his body completely disappeared. 

Clearly, Gu Fang is the problem.

Jing Xuan was furious from shame, utterly convinced.

But now, should he go find that damn scoundrel Liu Chou’er for the antidote or not?

He sat on the jade steps of Zichen Hall, clutching his head, violently ruffling his own hair into a frenzied little bird’s nest. Adorable yet enraged.

On one hand, considering Gu Fang’s size and endurance, if he didn’t find a way to prevent that dream from becoming reality, he was practically digging his own grave.

On the other hand, if Liu Chou’er’s medicine was actually effective, he might really end up making Gu Fang waste away and die prematurely.

"So how the hell did that bug from xiangyin gu just randomly crawl out?!"

Jing Xuan was furious and powerless.

Beside him, Hua Ting was utterly confused. "Well, since the gu has already been used on Prince Xiangding, and Your Majesty can’t help him for the time being, why not look at it another way? If Prince Xiangding falls, won’t you be able to rightfully take full control of the court? Why would you still need that antidote?"

Jing Xuan: "…"

That did make sense.

"But if he dies too soon, who will suppress the aristocratic clans and those old ministers for me? I’m at the peak of my youth, handsome and in my prime. Am I supposed to waste my best years dealing with state affairs and a bunch of old geezers?"

Jing Xuan spoke with absolute conviction, righteousness blazing in his tone, as if prepared to defend his dignity to the bitter end.

Hua Ting found his reasoning quite valid. "Oh, that’s true. If Your Majesty takes full control, you won’t be able to sneak out and have fun with us anymore. Prince Xiangding staying alive is better. He’s more capable, hardworking, and physically robust."

As he spoke, Hua Ting pursed his lips and gave a serious nod, even raising his thumb in wholehearted admiration for this diligent, toiling prince.

Jing Xuan: "…"

He absolutely could not hear another word about “capable,” “hardworking,” or “robust” right now.

So why was he still hesitating?

He had already dreamed countless times of Gu Fang seizing power, ruling with an iron grip, even confining him in a palace and ruthlessly humiliating him.

Yet why couldn’t he make up his mind to ruin Gu Fang for good?!

"Did Gu Fang save my life in a past life or something?!"

Jing Xuan finally snapped, despairing, his voice full of frustration.

And just then, Grand Consort who had happened to arrive at the gates of Zichen Hall froze for a moment before hesitantly speaking:

"But… didn’t Prince Xiangding already save your life in this life?"

Jing Xuan: "…"

Good answer.

So all his struggles and hesitation were merely because he valued emotions deeply, repaid kindness dutifully, and was too kind and merciful. Definitely not for any other reason.

Understanding this, Jing Xuan swiftly made his decision: "Hua Ting, go out of the palace at once and find Liu Chou’er. Tell him exactly what happened between me and Gu Fang, word for word, and have him quickly come up with a solution for me! Also, send out a decree. Gu Fang is to be strictly confined and forbidden from entering the palace for an audience for one month. If he violates this, he shall be charged with treason!"

As long as he didn’t see Gu Fang, all those filthy thoughts would never have a chance to materialize. This was truly an airtight and foolproof plan.

Jing Xuan felt he was nothing short of a genius.

He clenched his fists, once again invigorated.

Hua Ting immediately responded, "Understood!"

As long as he didn’t have to clean latrines, he was happy to do anything.

And so, the young grandson of the Prime Minister Shi’s family, dressed in worn-out, tattered clothing, excitedly trotted out of the palace.

Grand Consort watched his departing figure, her expression one of hesitation, wanting to speak but stopping herself until she finally let out a single word: "Forget it."

It wasn’t a bad thing for His Majesty to be surrounded by this carefree fool.

"So, Your Majesty, what exactly is going on between you and Gu Fang?"

Grand Consort didn’t care that the emperor of the realm was sitting on the floor in an undignified manner. Instead, she casually sat beside him at the table and started cracking open melon seeds.

Jing Xuan and his stepmother weren’t exactly mother and son, but at the very least, they had a bond akin to siblings. He didn’t bother with formalities and snapped irritably, "What could possibly be going on? It’s simple. Either I live and he dies or he lives and I die."

"Impossible!" Grand Consort declared firmly. "The whole palace and the common folk have been talking, saying you and Prince Xiangding have long had mutual affections, that you pine for each other and even find substitutes for one another. Even the palace maids and eunuchs have started placing bets on whether you two will rekindle your past love or meet a tragic end. The wagers are quite high."

"Did you bet?"

"Of course. I bet on you two rekindling your old love. Even wagered half a year of Jing Yi’s salary on it."

After saying this, Grand Consort suddenly paused in cracking her melon seeds.

Jing Xuan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them and gritted his teeth, "I’ve told you countless times to stop reading those scandalous storybooks, stop playing with strays, stop indulging in drinking, gambling, and brothels. As a Grand Consort, you should at least act like one!"

"What’s so improper about what I do?" Grand Consort scoffed. "Don’t think I don’t know that you and Gu Fang actually put on a live erotic performance in the back hall! If it weren’t for Jiang Yingxue being discreet and me being observant, do you really think you could have fooled Jiang Yue?"

Jing Xuan was so enraged he almost spat blood. "What live erotic performance?! There were ten male beauties in the back hall, what could we possibly have done?!"

"And you have the nerve to say that! You’re only twenty, yet you keep ten male beauties in your palace. If you drain yourself dry, what am I supposed to tell your mother when I die?!"

"I’ll give you all ten male beauties!"

"Fine! I happen to like strong men."

Jing Xuan: "???"

"I’m serious," Grand Consort said as she resumed cracking melon seeds. "I don’t meddle in court affairs, nor do I know what happened between you and Gu Fang. But I’m older than you, and I’ve watched you two for years. I just want to say one thing. His Late Majesty and your mother wouldn’t have chosen Gu Fang as your regent unless they were certain he would be loyal to you for life. So why do you despise him so much?"

Jing Xuan fell silent.

There were too many reasons. Too complex, too entangled.

Even he himself had never truly sorted them out.

So how could he give anyone an answer?

Grand Consort saw his expression and didn’t ask further. "Forget it. I didn’t come to talk to you about this today. I just wanted to ask you, this corruption case has caused an uproar throughout the city. In two days, are you still holding the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet or not?"

"If you hold it, there are twenty thousand refugees outside the city who still cannot be guaranteed a safe winter, yet the palace will be filled with music and dancing. It would be truly ironic."

"But if you don’t, those old officials who were determined to use this banquet as a chance to showcase their sons and daughters will definitely be upset. If they start arguing, it’ll be another big commotion."

But he had already made his decision.

"Of course, we’ll hold it. Not only that, but we’ll do it exactly as we planned before. And make sure to invite Minister Jiang Yue’s daughter and the Prime Minister Shi’s grandson. Bring them all in."

"Alright, leave it to me," Grand Consort said. "After all these years in the palace, I’ve done nothing but organize banquets, so this is second nature to me. But, Your Majesty, there is a small problem."

"Speak."

"Many in court still doubt the authenticity of this 'Beauty Fang' of yours. Most believe that Your Majesty fabricated this to avoid taking an empress. So if you don’t bring the first titled beauty to the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet, people will definitely cause trouble. If the truth is exposed, it’ll be difficult to manage. But if you do bring him..."

Grand Consort let out a chuckle.

"Then tell me, would our dear Prince Xiangding still be considered treasonous?"

"...."

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