The moment Jing Xuan kicked open the courtyard gate, only one word remained in his mind.
Because he didn’t even need to think, he could clearly imagine how this scene would appear to others.
A secluded courtyard in the dead of night.
A private chamber with all servants dismissed.
A young emperor, loosely dressed.
A tear-streaked servant wrapped in blankets.
And the bold declaration that had just spilled from his lips.
"I will just admit it I like men"
So...
Bang!
Jing Xuan, without hesitation, took a step back and shut the courtyard gate.
—He opened it again. Their gazes met once more.
Jing Xuan: "..."
He must have closed the door the wrong way. One more time!
—He opened it again. Once again, they locked eyes.
Jing Xuan: "..."
"Your Majesty’s beauty is indeed breathtaking, but there is no need for such repeated grand entrances. I fear I lack the fortune to bear it."
Gu Fang stood outside the gate, holding up a lantern, his expression composed and indifferent.
Jing Xuan, whose hands were still gripping the gate, preparing for yet another grand entrance: "....."
"Mind your own business!"
"I’ll open it! I’ll open it! I’ll—"
Crack
A century-old courtyard gate, opened and closed ten times, snapped cleanly in half.
Jing Xuan: "..."
Damn!
He threw down the broken gate and turned to flee, but just as he took a step, he was grabbed by the back of the neck and hauled back into place.
"..."
Fck
"Your Majesty intends to leave?"
"What else would I do?!" Seeing that escape was impossible, Jing Xuan decided to strike first and act aggrieved. He tilted his head back and snapped angrily, "Gu Fang, what exactly is your intention, sneaking into the Prime Minister Shi’s residence in the middle of the night?"
He was already an exceptionally striking figure. Sharp brows slanting into his temples, eyes like peach blossoms, lips thin and delicate, his pale skin like frost, yet contrasted by lips that bloomed with a vivid red. When he lifted his gaze in anger, his expression was all cold arrogance, yet tinged with the recklessness and naivety of youth.
So even as he gritted his teeth and tried to appear fierce, it was hard for anyone to take it seriously.
Gu Fang, however, was unbothered. He merely reached out, as if by habit, to smooth the wrinkles on Jing Xuan’s collar. "I have no intention of overstepping boundaries or bullying Your Majesty. However, there is still a question Your Majesty has yet to answer."
Jing Xuan: "?"
Gu Fang: "Does Your Majesty truly favor men?"
As he spoke, his gaze flickered.
His tone was lazy, his phoenix eyes indifferent, but his fingertips carried a certain heat, pressing through the fabric and seeping into Jing Xuan’s cool skin.
In that instant, all the fevered images from his dreams. Heated gazes, intertwined bodies came surging back like a tidal wave.
Jing Xuan: "....."
"Nonsense! Stay away from me!"
His ears burned red as he shoved Gu Fang away. "Insolence! I am the ruler of a nation, how could I possibly… mmph—!"
Before he could finish speaking, a sudden numbness struck his lower back, making his body go weak. He instinctively collapsed forward, only for Gu Fang to catch him smoothly by the waist.
"The Prime Minister Shi’s grandson is indeed a fitting match for Your Majesty."
Gu Fang’s fingertips, through the wide cloak, precisely pressed against Jing Xuan’s lower back. Even as he leaned in to whisper, his expression remained as indifferent and at ease as ever, yet his words were spoken just low enough for only the two of them to hear.
Ordinarily, this would have been nothing more than a normal whisper. But after that dream just now, the moment Gu Fang’s slightly warm breath brushed against Jing Xuan’s ear, he instinctively flushed red and pushed him away.
Yet halfway through pushing, he suddenly realized,
Wait. No.
What exactly did Gu Fang mean by saying that out of nowhere?
"?"
"……"
"!"
Jing Xuan caught sight of Prime Minister Hua Song behind Gu Fang, and in an instant, everything became clear.
No wonder Gu Fang appeared at the Prime Minister Shi’s residence in the middle of the night, it was all because of the matter of choosing an empress that had been raised in court this morning.
No wonder Gu Fang had been relentlessly pressing him on that sentence earlier, he had wanted him to play the villain in this.
Jing Xuan immediately glared at him, shooting a vicious, resentful look.
Gu Fang lowered his gaze indifferently, returning a calm and leisurely one.
Jing Xuan was already cursing him in the filthiest of terms in his heart, but there was nothing he could do.
Because judging by how those old ministers in court were practically ready to force aphrodisiacs on him to push for marriage, if not for the intense factional struggle between the two sides and Gu Fang’s constant opposition, he would probably already be a father of ten by now despite his young age.
And now, for Gu Fang to show up at the Prime Minister’s residence at this hour, it could only mean that even he alone could no longer withstand the pressure from the noble families—he was at his limit.
After all, the aristocratic clans had long since embedded themselves deeply in the court’s structure; corruption ran rampant. Otherwise, Jing Xuan’s father wouldn’t have specifically left Gu Fang behind to keep them in check.
In the end, it all still depended on him being useless enough, disappointing enough.
Jing Xuan didn’t mind shouldering another label on top of being incompetent and incapable even if that label was favoring men.
But the problem was,
The one asking him this question was Gu Fang.
—Gu Fang, who had just done all sorts of things to him in that dream.
If he admitted to Gu Fang’s face that he liked men, wouldn’t that be the same as a little white rabbit cleaning itself up and jumping straight into the pot?
Stuck between a wolf and a tiger—why was it so hard to protect his purity?!
Jing Xuan gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly.
His ears and neck were so red that even Prime Minister Hua Song couldn’t bear to watch any longer. He quickly stepped forward and advised, “Your Highness! His Majesty is still young and impulsive, speaking recklessly is only natural please do not take it seriously…”
"Who said I was young and impulsive, speaking recklessly?!"
"?"
Hua Song hadn’t even finished saying "take it seriously" before Jing Xuan, his exquisite face already flushed bright red, turned to Gu Fang and declared, enunciating each word clearly:
"Yes! I like men!"
"??"
"And I especially like the big, burly kind, full beards, rough skin, thick muscles, dark complexion, big eyes and thick brows, yet gentle and considerate, sweet-talking, kind and virtuous, skilled in singing and dancing—basically, the exact opposite of my imperial uncle in every possible way! So, Uncle, do you have any objections?"
Jing Xuan shouted at Gu Fang with the air of a martyr, righteous and unyielding, his face burning red but his spirit unshaken, like an indomitable overlord flower refusing to bow its head even in death.
The entire scene fell into stunned silence.
Only Gu Fang, being glared at so fiercely, raised a single brow slightly and asked in an even voice, “Your Majesty is certain?”
“A gentleman’s word is as good as gold, impossible to take back! Of course I’m certain!”
Jing Xuan’s mind flashed repeatedly with scenes from that dream, making his ears burn an even deeper shade of red.
But Gu Fang simply lowered his gaze and studied him for a long moment. Then, he straightened, holding his lantern lightly, and said with composed ease:
“Since that is the case, then I shall fulfill my duty as a mentor.”
Jing Xuan: "...."
Gu Fang: "As Your Majesty’s subject and imperial mentor, I have regrettably failed in my duty, having never realized the true desires within Your Majesty’s heart all these years. In order to make amends, I shall forfeit a year’s salary and personally select ten strong men to enter the palace, so as to relieve Your Majesty’s distress and worries."
After speaking, he bowed calmly.
Dead silence filled the hall.
Jing Xuan: "...."
Hua Ting: "...."
Hua Song: "...."
???
—
"So not only did His Majesty secretly meet Prime Minister Shi’s grandson in the dead of night, but he also publicly admitted that he likes men? And Prince Xiangding not only failed to stop him but merely gave a perfunctory punishment before sending ten men into the palace overnight?!"
As the sun rose and the roosters crowed, the scandalous events of the previous night at Prime Minister Shi’s residence quickly spread throughout the various official mansions of Chang’an, especially with today's court session being suspended.
"Outrageous! How did our great Yan end up with such an absurd emperor?!"
"His Majesty is still young and ignorant, which is somewhat understandable. But Prince Xiangding has always been known for his wisdom and integrity. How could he abet such wrongdoing and allow it to happen?"
"Isn't it obvious? If His Majesty successfully marries and assumes full authority, Prince Xiangding will lose his overwhelming power!"
"Then why didn’t Prime Minister Shi intervene?"
"They say he tried to, but the young emperor immediately declared that he would make Hua Ting his empress. Prime Minister Shi was so enraged that he fainted on the spot and has been bedridden ever since. Otherwise, why else would court be suspended for five days and the empress selection delayed?"
"A foolish young ruler, a treacherous prince! Our Great Yan is in grave danger"
"But gentlemen, don’t you find it strange? We've had spies planted in Prime Minister Shi’s residence for days. So why was it only last night that we suddenly received this information? Information that just so happens to be unfavorable to the empress selection?"
"Minister Zuo, you mean..."
"Investigate again. Report again. Every spy within Weiyang Palace must look into this matter!"
—
Inside Weiyang Palace, within Zichen Hall, Jing Xuan was buried behind a mountain of memorials, his expression furious. Gritting his teeth, he wrote with forceful strokes until he could no longer bear it, finally throwing his brush down in rage.
"Why should that beast Gu Fang have the right to punish me with a month of confinement and a hundred copied texts? Is I am the emperor or is he?!"
The ink-drenched brush cut through the air, carrying wet ink as it struck the ground, splattering into furious ink stains.
Fu Chang hurriedly picked up the brush. "Oh my ancestor, of course you are the emperor! But sneaking out of the palace at night, skipping court, and even angering Prime Minister Shi to the point of falling ill... if Prince Xiangding does not show some form of response, how can he explain it to the court officials?"
Jing Xuan was livid. "I am the emperor! Why should I have to explain anything to them?!"
"Yes, yes, of course," Fu Chang immediately soothed him. "Your Majesty is the emperor naturally, you do not need to explain anything. But Your Majesty is also a wise ruler, and how could a wise ruler ignore the words of his ministers?"
That was true.
He was a wise ruler.
He endured it.
Fu Chang added, "Besides, if Your Majesty feels wronged, just think about Young Master Hua Ting who is still scrubbing chamber pots in the guards’ quarters. Isn’t his punishment far harsher than Yours?"
Jing Xuan thought of Hua Ting’s blank and despairing expression before he was taken away.
"..."
"So, he is deliberately targeting me!"
At this, Jing Xuan exploded in fury.
"What did Hua Ting do wrong? I woke him up in the middle of the night, and he didn’t complain at all. He even helped me devise plans. Even when I out of spite said I would make him my male consort, he still held back his tears and refused for the sake of my great cause. A loyal and patriotic man like him. Gu Fang actually sent him to scrub chamber pots?! He clearly wants to isolate me, leave me without allies, and make me powerless!"
"And if Gu Fang hadn’t forced my hand, why would I have had to sneak out of the palace at night to find medicine for Hua Ting?"
"If I hadn’t snuck out, I wouldn’t have been caught by Gu Fang and Prime Minister Shi."
"If I hadn’t been caught, I wouldn’t have been forced to admit my fondness for men!"
"In the end, Gu Fang got everything he wanted, he delayed the empress selection, maintained his power, and now, he still dares to punish me? Ruthless!"
The more Jing Xuan thought about it, the angrier he became. Finally, he grabbed the sword from the desk. "Fine! Today, I will kill Gu Fang and cleanse Great Yan of this scourge once and for all!"
With that, he stormed toward the hall’s exit.
Fu Chang was so startled that he tripped, then lunged forward, clutching Jing Xuan’s leg. "Your Majesty, you must not act recklessly! Prince Xiangding is loyal! Heaven and earth can bear witness to it!"
Jing Xuan gritted his teeth. "He is nothing but a treacherous wolf! Even the gods despise him!"
"But if it weren’t for Prince Xiangding shielding you with his life back then, Your Majesty would have already perished at the hands of the traitors! And now, autumn has barely begun, yet he is already wearing a crane-embroidered robe. Does Your Majesty truly not remember what that means?"
Fu Chang clung to Jing Xuan’s leg, his voice trembling with sorrow.
Jing Xuan’s steps faltered.
His grip on the sword unconsciously tightened, turning his fingers bloodless and pale.
He had not forgotten.
He still remembered how that year, the northern lands were buried under heavy snow.
He remembered how, when he was only a child, his father had used his last strength to carry him, step by step, through that bitter night until exhaustion claimed the entire army.
He remembered how, in the final moments, his father wrapped him in a thick fur coat and left him by a half-broken Buddha statue for shelter.
Back then, he had been very young.
Just a small child, clutching a lukewarm pouch in his arms, waiting endlessly waiting.
At that time, he didn’t understand anything.
He just sat alone, hugging a warm flatbread, in front of the Bodhisattva statue, waiting and waiting.
He thought he would definitely wait for his father.
Because his father had said that as long as he obediently finished the flatbread, he would come and take him home.
But he waited until the flatbread turned cold,
Waited until the wind and snow grew heavier,
Waited until everything outside was completely obscured,
Yet still, he did not see his father’s return.
He was so cold, so cold that his fingers were about to freeze off.
He was also so sleepy, so sleepy that he didn’t even have the strength to blink.
He tried to force himself to eat, but the flatbread, once cold, truly became unbearable.
At that moment, he wondered,
Was he going to fall asleep?
Like those armored elder brothers lying in the snow, bleeding red, never to wake again.
So perhaps he should just sleep first.
If he slept, he wouldn’t burden his father and those uncles and elder brothers.
Perhaps then, they could finish the battle earlier and go home sooner,
To sleep a warm and peaceful sleep.
At five years old, he thought this,
Hugging the flatbread, curling up into a small ball beside the Bodhisattva statue, ready to obediently fall asleep.
Then, he heard the neighing of a horse.
He opened his eyes,
And through the raging blizzard, amidst the ice and flying sand,
A thirteen-year-old youth, wielding a silver spear, charged in atop a white horse.
Like a distant ray of light, covered in blood, he tore through the snowstorm, fighting his way forward.
The moment he saw him, it was as if he had found something long lost.
Without hesitation, he thrust his spear into the enemy before him, then with one motion, pulled him into his arms.
His voice, still youthful and trembling, yet firm,
"Ah-Sui, don’t be afraid. Uncle will take you home."
At that time, he was too young to understand.
He didn’t understand why his father had left him behind,
Didn’t understand why it was only thirteen-year-old Gu Fang who had come to rescue him.
He only remembered that Gu Fang, back then, was covered in blood, carrying the sharp scent of snow and battle.
The horse’s back was rough and jolting,
Far less broad and warm than his father’s shoulders.
Yet, it made him feel incomparably at ease.
So, he wiped the bloodstains from the young man’s face and earnestly said,
"Uncle, you’re even prettier than the Bodhisattva, so Ah-Sui is not afraid."
Later on, how Gu Fang, at thirteen, fought his way out with him,
How he took an arrow to the shoulder and collapsed in exhaustion,
All of it blurred within the long years of political struggle and power shifts.
So much so that he almost forgot,
That once, in his youth, he had trusted Gu Fang so completely.
And that Gu Fang had once risked his life to protect him.
How did things end up like this?
Perhaps he and Gu Fang didn’t have to fight to the death.
Perhaps they weren’t doomed to be enemies forever.
Jing Xuan slowly lowered the sword in his hand.
At that moment, a child's innocent voice called from outside,
"Imperial Brother! Something bad happened! Our Imperial Uncle is leading an elite force and charging here!"
"Mm, I know..."
"?"
"??"
"???"
Before Jing Xuan could even react, the ground beneath him shook violently.
The tremors were so intense that it felt like thousands of troops were storming toward them.
Jing Xuan looked up in shock,
The heavy doors of the Zichen Hall had already been flung wide open under Chang’an’s scorching sunlight.
And then,
Ten burly men, broad-shouldered and thickly bearded, with dark skin, deep-set eyes, and bushy brows, strode inside.
Each one of them exuded a formidable aura, capable of crushing Jing Xuan with a single blow.
So this was…
"By the order of Prince Xiangding, we have come to serve His Majesty. We hope Your Majesty will show us some kindness and not be too harsh on us."
The ten men bowed in unison.
With bashful expressions, they cast flirtatious glances, their eyes full of coy charm.
Jing Xuan: "...."
His breathing grew heavy.
His grip on the sword tightened.
His teeth clenched.
His rage boiled over.
"Today, I will kill Gu Fang. No one. Not even a single one of you is allowed to stop me!!!"
- Minister Zuo → Minister Jiang Yue
- Prime Minister Shi → Hua Song