How could a normal man possibly go through that for an entire night, do absolutely nothing afterward, and then inexplicably go through it again first thing the next morning?!
As soon as Jing Xuan thought of Gu Fang’s that, his own that began to ache faintly again.
His eyes widened instantly, and he froze, not daring to move.
Gu Fang saw his reaction and could no longer hold back, letting out a soft chuckle. “So, Your Majesty, do you think this minister is capable or not?”
What are you looking at?! No laughing allowed!
What kind of regent prince grins like a seductive fox spirit?!
Jing Xuan was thinking this in his heart, but what came out of his mouth, full of shame and fury, was: “I don’t care if you’re capable or not! Either way, I am very capable! Next time the Gu poison flares up, you have to be on the bottom! That’s only fair!”
Gu Fang: “Alright.”
“?”
Jing Xuan was momentarily stunned, not expecting Gu Fang to agree so readily.
Gu Fang continued, “Then let’s make a deal. Next time the Gu poison flares up, whoever wins the fight will be on top.”
Jing Xuan: “...”
Something felt off.
“So, if Your Majesty truly does not wish to be on the bottom, it would be best to practice riding and archery more often to build strength.” Gu Fang pushed the bowl of soup forward. “As for this soup, while it may not necessarily strengthen yang and replenish the kidneys. It does nourish the blood and energy. If Your Majesty drinks it daily, perhaps one day you’ll be able to surpass this minister in endurance.”
The bowl of soup was steaming slightly, its medicinal aroma wafting up, making it somewhat enticing.
Jing Xuan was skeptical. “Really?”
Gu Fang nodded. “Really. This minister drinks this every day, which is why I have the physique I do. If I speak falsehoods, may I be cursed with no descendants.”
Gu Fang spoke with absolute sincerity.
That oath was indeed rather vicious.
Jing Xuan was convinced. He took the bowl, drank it all in one go, and slammed it down heavily on the table. “Then it’s settled! Next time the Gu poison flares up, whoever wins will be on top!”
Gu Fang agreed, “Alright.”
Because he agreed too quickly, Jing Xuan felt like there was something suspicious hidden in it.
However, before he could think it through, an urgent report came from outside the door—one of Gu Fang’s subordinates hurriedly announced, “Your Highness, we interrogated Liu Chou’er all night, but he refuses to reveal the method to break the Gu poison or the mastermind behind it. He insists on seeing Your Majesty personally; otherwise, he will bite off his own tongue and commit suicide!”
“What?!”
Jing Xuan turned sharply to Gu Fang. “Did you torture him?”
Gu Fang scooped a bowl of soup for himself. “For attempting to assassinate the emperor, merely torturing him instead of executing him by slow slicing is already considered mercy.”
“But he…”
“So what if he has his own reasons? If everyone could disregard the law and harm others’ lives just because they had their own reasons, acting as if it were justified rebellion, then what would happen to the stability of this empire?”
As Gu Fang spoke, he never once lifted his head. He simply continued sipping his soup at his own pace.
Yet, within that seemingly unchanged calm expression, Jing Xuan clearly saw the same cold, indifferent strategist—the one who wielded life and death without joy or sorrow.
That was not the Gu Fang he knew.
That was Gu Lianzhi, the Gu Fang who belonged to the entire Great Yan.
Back when Gu Fang came of age and was granted his royal title, his father had bestowed upon him the name Lianzhi, meaning that from then on, he was to restrain his battlefield brilliance, conceal his sharpness, and scheme with patience, never revealing his depth.
Gu Fang had indeed lived up to this name.
And Jing Xuan had no way to refute him.
Because he knew Gu Fang was right.
But he still hated seeing Gu Fang like this.
So, without another word, he fiercely stomped down on Gu Fang’s foot. “Then what you did yesterday also counts as treason! The fact that I’m only stepping on you once is already merciful!”
With that, he hastily put on his shoes and rushed outside. “I’m going to interrogate Liu Chou’er myself!”
Behind him, Gu Fang inhaled sharply from the pain. Even his fingers gripping the spoon trembled for a moment. But in the end, all he could do was grit his teeth and squeeze out a single sentence:
“This foolish little thing.”
Still, at least he had managed to coax him into drinking some soup.
Otherwise, with that fragile little body of his, how could he possibly endure him in the future?
—
Jing Xuan’s frail little body truly couldn’t endure Gu Fang’s torment. With every step he took, pain followed; with every pain, he took another step. His backside felt like it was about to split open.
That bastard Gu Fang! He used to spank him all the time, and now he was doing that to his backside too. What had his royal behind ever done to deserve this?!
Jing Xuan couldn’t help but grit his teeth and curse under his breath as he hurried along.
Yet despite his complaints, he had to move fast—partly to avoid getting dragged back by Gu Fang for revenge, and partly because he needed to see Liu Chou’er immediately and get to the bottom of things.
Following Gu Fang’s subordinate, he swiftly made his way to the dungeon of the prince’s residence. The moment he stepped inside, he saw Liu Chou’er leaning weakly against the wall, his body covered in wounds, his face pale as a ghost.
Upon seeing him, Liu Chou’er let out a mocking laugh filled with twisted amusement. “Well, well. So it is an incestuous affair between uncle and nephew. The only question now is who’s the one getting fucked?”
“Insolence!”
Jing Xuan, who had initially felt a slight trace of pity for him, instantly delivered a sharp kick to his chest. “How could such a vile, despicable creature like you exist in this world?!”
Liu Chou’er was knocked to the ground but didn’t seem the least bit angry. Instead, he glanced at the sweat beading on Jing Xuan’s forehead, curled his lips into a smirk, and sneered, “Judging by that look on your face, I’d say you were the one getting fucked.”
“You—!”
Jing Xuan was momentarily furious, but since Gu Fang wasn’t around, he quickly reined in his emotions. Standing over Liu Chou’er, he asked coldly, “If you had hatred, if you had grievances, there must have been a hundred different ways to seek revenge. Why did you choose this completely unrelated Gu poison? What good does it do you?”
“Good?” Liu Chou’er chuckled darkly. “The benefit is that only this type of Gu poison forces two completely unrelated people—perhaps even enemies—to be bound together. Because if he dies and you don’t have the antidote, you die too. And if you die, the Gu parasite, having tasted his essence and blood, will return to him—he won’t survive either.”
“So no matter how much you despise each other, no matter how much hatred there is between you, no matter how conflicting your interests, you must first join forces. Only then will you have any chance of obtaining the antidote from me. And what I ask for…”
Liu Chou’er’s lips curled in a sneer, his eyes filled with mockery.
“…is nothing more than for Your Majesty and Prince Xiangding to redress the grievances of the countless refugees of Qianzhong and to bring justice for my Liu family, who were slaughtered in vain. After all, in this world, who could wield greater power than the two of you together?”
Jing Xuan’s expression turned icy. “But what if the mastermind behind all this truly is Prince Xiangding? You already possess a secret letter implicating him why don’t you suspect him?”
Liu Chou’er countered, “Then let me ask you, since you know about the secret letter, why are you still sleeping with him? Do you not suspect him?”
Jing Xuan crouched down, his gaze sharp. “Who said I don’t suspect him?”
He did. Of course he did.
The way the dream had come true seemed to be telling him that fate could not be changed, that everything he had seen in his dream, including Gu Fang’s eventual rebellion was destined to happen.
But at the same time, the dream’s fulfillment had also made him realize—what he saw was not necessarily the whole truth. The events in the dream might not be without deeper reasons behind them.
So he didn’t trust Gu Fang completely.
But he also wouldn’t allow a mere outsider to drive a wedge between them.
He could hate Gu Fang. But the matters between him and Gu Fang were not for others to interfere with.
Gripping Liu Chou’er’s chin, he forced him to meet his cold gaze. “Even if I doubt him, I know that if he were truly planning a rebellion, he wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave behind such an obvious piece of evidence. So tell me the truth where did this so-called secret letter really come from?”
His expression remained calm, but his fingers tightened, making Liu Chou’er break out in a cold sweat.
This Liu Chou'er fool… why does he seem just as difficult to deal with as Prince Xiangding?
Liu Chou’er, in pain, quickly said, “That secret letter was from Prince Rui to my father. It said that Prince Xiangding wanted to join forces with him for a great undertaking, but since Prince Rui was of the Jing bloodline, he would never commit such disloyal and unrighteous acts. However, Prince Xiangding commanded 400,000 troops in the northern border. If he didn’t find a way to stop him, the entire Great Yan would be plunged into disaster. So he specially asked my father to develop a Gu poison that could be used against a strong enemy.
“My father believed him. He packed up his things and followed Prince Rui into the mountains. I never saw him again.
“My mother was pregnant at the time. She worried day and night, tirelessly sending people to inquire, but they all returned empty-handed. She waited for half a year, but my father never came back.
“Until the day my mother went into labor, when news suddenly arrived saying that my father had secretly been researching sinister sorcery, leading to a mine collapse that killed tens of thousands of miners. The governor of Qianzhong Province at the time who is now Minister Zuo, used this as an excuse to execute my entire family. My mother and my newborn sister were just killed like that. Killed!
Liu Chou’er’s eyes were already bloodshot.
“Even if my father had sinned, my mother was kind-hearted all her life. My sister hadn’t even opened her eyes to see the world, what did they do wrong? Why did they have to die?! If my father hadn’t entrusted me with all the documents related to Prince Rui before his death, if I hadn’t possessed these sinister arts that made me useful to Minister Zuo, I would have been dead long ago!
“So you call me despicable. But tell me if you were in my place, how could you not be despicable?!”
Liu Chou’er’s face twisted with fury, pain, and hatred.
Jing Xuan’s breathing grew heavy. “But in these past eight years, you could have found another way to bring your grievances before the throne.”
“Another way?” Liu Chou’er let out a bitter laugh. “You think I didn’t try?
“At first, I thought Minister Zuo spared me because he was a good man. I begged him every day to seek justice for my family, and each time, he agreed, only to exchange my help in controlling other high-ranking officials with sorcery. But in the end, I discovered that every blood-written appeal I gave him was burned to ashes!
“I then tried to file a petition with the imperial court, but every time I got near the Drum of Appeals, I was beaten half to death. Each time, I had to lie in bed for half a year just to cling to life.
“And do you think I was born this ugly? Let me tell you—I wasn’t! My face ended up like this because the last time I tried to strike the Drum of Appeals, they burned down my house with me inside it!
“I was just a child at the time. A criminal’s orphan. No evidence, no backing, and I didn’t even know who my real enemy was. Tell me, in the face of such an all-powerful force what was I supposed to do?!
“Give up my life? I would have! But my life is as insignificant as an ant’s. Even if I died, the uproar wouldn’t be as loud as a single paper cut on someone like you.”
His voice trembled with emotion, eyes blazing with madness.
“That’s why I gambled because the gambling houses had the most rich and powerful men, and I had the highest chance of finding an opportunity.”
“That’s why I entered the brothel because that’s where the noble lords gathered, and I had the best chance of gathering information.”
“That’s why I knew from the start that Hua Ting was your trusted aide. So I deliberately let him discover me because with your notorious reputation, I knew you’d seek me out eventually. And sure enough, you did.”
“My life is worthless. But your life is valuable. Prince Xiangding’s life is valuable. So even if I die here today, I will not lift the Gu poison unless you can give my Liu family the truth and justice we have waited eight years for.”
“If not… then even if I’m just a lowly ant, in my dying breath, I will drag this already rotten, stinking aristocracy down with me!”
Liu Chou’er’s bloodshot eyes were filled with hysteria. Tears streamed down his face.
Jing Xuan’s heart felt as if it had been stabbed by a blade.
If he were an ordinary man, he should have loathed Liu Chou’er, condemned him, and rightfully accused him of harming innocent lives for his personal revenge.
But he wasn’t just a man.
He was the emperor.
And he was a failed emperor.
For eight whole years, he had never known about the Qianzhong Province massacre.
At the time, he had only been twelve. When he heard about the mining disaster, he immediately ordered relief efforts to aid the victims’ families. Beyond that, the court officials had told him nothing. Not a single word. He never heard anything else about the matter.
How could he have known that behind it lay a massacre?
To be an emperor so utterly in the dark, could he truly claim to be innocent?
For eight years, he had endured humiliation, swallowed his pride, and painstakingly stabilized the court.
But in those eight years… how many more innocent lives had been lost in places beyond his reach?
Jing Xuan had never desired power.
But now, he understood if he could not grasp power in his own hands, he would never be able to protect those he wished to protect.
“I said I would give you an answer, and I will not kill you. But according to our bet, your contract still belongs to me. From now on, your sorcery will serve me alone. That is your only chance to achieve your goal.”
With that, Jing Xuan let go of Liu Chou’er and stood up without waiting for a response. He turned coldly to the guards and ordered, “Treat his injuries well. I want him alive. I want him to live long enough to regret everything he has done to me today.”
Killing him a hundred times over would not be as effective as crushing his spirit.
Jing Xuan would make Liu Chou’er and all the countless others like him understand that their emperor would fight for his people.
He stepped out of the dungeon, his golden dragon-embroidered robe catching the candlelight, gleaming brilliantly.
—
“So, Your Majesty is certain about this?”
Inside the study, Gu Fang looked at him.
Jing Xuan stood by the window, his expression unreadable. “Yes. If you are certain that your intention behind writing that letter was truly as you claim and not as Liu Chou’er says, then we will proceed with this plan.”
—
“What did you say? Prince Xiangding's consort died and now he is demanding His Majesty to hand over the Jinlin Guards' Commanding Envoy, Zhao Wei to exchange life for life? He’s outside the Zhuque Gate right now standing by a coffin and forcing a confrontation?!”
The capital’s officials, who had just emptied their purses at the Mid-Autumn banquet and thought they could finally enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep, were jolted awake at these words.
“Has Gu Fang gone mad?! Since when has the life of a court official ever been used to atone for the death of a prince’s concubine? No matter how arrogant he may be, how could he dare commit such treasonous defiance?”
The Prime Minister Shi known for being rigid and conservative, immediately gathered his civil officials and rushed to the scene.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Minister Zuo who had just received news from the palace early that morning. It was said that Jing Xuan had shown signs of Gu poison flaring up last night, yet he had neither summoned Jiang Yingxue nor even granted her an audience. Instead, he had spent the entire night indulging in the company of that so-called Beauty Fang in Zichen Hall.
This infuriated Jiang Yue. He had wanted to seize Liu Chou’er for questioning, to confirm whether the Gu parasite had taken effect but not only did he come up empty-handed, he also heard that Liu Chou’er had been captured at Nanfeng Pavilion by Gu Fang, seemingly in an attempt to use the Gu to prolong the life of his consort.
Yet now, the consort was dead.
The flood of conflicting reports, real and false, tangled together in an incomprehensible mess. Something felt deeply off, but Jiang Yue couldn’t make sense of it.
Meanwhile, Prince Rui, ever the restless one, had secretly sent letters from the southwest, requesting permission to return to the capital next month for ancestral rites. What exactly was he plotting?
Jiang Yue had originally planned to marry his eldest illegitimate daughter to Prince Rui as a side consort and send his legitimate daughter into the palace as empress. With military power and noble status secured, his Jiang family would undoubtedly flourish.
But now, it seemed like he was facing peril from both sides.
Minister Zuo’s head pounded with rage. “You all, follow me to the palace at once. I’d like to see what kind of spectacle they’re stirring up this time.”
—
At the Zhuque Gate, banners billowed, and yellow paper charms fluttered in the wind.
Ten Silver Crane Guards carried a high-quality coffin of black zitan wood adorned with plum blossom carvings, standing solemnly at the end of the grand avenue.
Gu Fang, dressed entirely in white, stood outside the palace gates, his hands gripping a wooden tablet. His brows were heavy with sorrow, his face pale, standing still in the cold drizzle of an autumn evening. The scene was bleak yet unyielding, like pine and bamboo dusted with snow.
Seeing this, Jing Xuan, who had rushed out from the palace, couldn’t help but feel a moment of admiration.
Indeed, if one wishes to appear striking, nothing does so quite like mourning attire.
If this were a storybook, a man like Gu Fang would undoubtedly attract the affections of a princess or some noblewoman.
Unfortunately, Jing Xuan saw his own face in the mirror every day. Having grown used to the most beautiful visage under heaven, he was utterly immune to Gu Fang’s theatrics.
He let out a cold laugh, his mockery and disdain entirely unfeigned.
“Oh? I have only just come of age, and my dear royal uncle is already planning to rebel? If not, then I truly cannot imagine what great matter would be so urgent as to disturb my peace.”
He wore only a loosely draped imperial robe of silver and crimson, deliberately leaving his collar open to reveal faint traces of last night’s indulgence. His hair was only casually arranged, slightly disheveled, as he leaned lazily against the jade railing of his sedan chair, casting his gaze downward at the gathered officials.
His beauty was decadent and untamed, yet his presence remained proud and formidable. It should have been an air of debauchery, yet instead, it exuded an untouchable nobility.
If someone like him had not been born an emperor, he would have undoubtedly become the legendary protagonist of countless romantic tales.
But he was the emperor. Hence, to the gathered civil and military officials, he was nothing but a headache.
Who wears bright red when their consort has just died?
And more importantly, this consort had, in some way, sacrificed herself for the empire. Was he deliberately provoking rebellion?!
The nine senior ministers who knew Gu Fang best were already drenched in cold sweat, wishing they could drag Jing Xuan down and force him to speak like a rational human being.
Yet Gu Fang remained composed. Without joy or sorrow, he simply stated, “This minister has no intention of rebelling. But my concubine took a sword for me—no, for the two hundred thousand refugees in the west. And with her own life, she awakened the awareness of all of Chang’an’s officials and citizens to the corruption scandal in Jiangnan. Such a person must not die in vain.
“Thus, I request that His Majesty hand over the murderer to pay life for life.”
“Impudent!” Jing Xuan’s voice lashed out like a whip. “She was merely a concubine from your manor, yet you dare demand that my Jinlin Guards’ Commanding Envoy pay with his life? Gu Fang, you must have a death wish! What’s next? If your official wife dies, should I be the one to atone for it?”
“This minister would not dare.” Gu Fang’s voice was unnervingly calm. “But she was not merely a concubine. In my heart, she was already my wife in this life. She shall be buried with the title of princess consort.
“Moreover, even your majesty is not above the law. If the Commanding Envoy took the life of my princess consort, then even if it means mutual destruction, my Xiangding Prince’s manor will not let this matter rest.”
“Gu Fang!”
Jing Xuan’s furious command rang out, and atop the palace walls, rows of Jinlin Guards raised their bows, arrows nocked and ready.
In an instant, Gu Fang’s Silver Crane Guards also drew their blades, standing in rigid formation.
Jing Xuan and Gu Fang—one high above, one below—locked eyes in unyielding fury, neither willing to take a step back.
It seemed a battle was about to erupt.
The gathered officials and the just-arrived Minister Zuo were momentarily stunned.
Was Gu Fang truly willing to go to such lengths for a woman?
And was His Majesty truly so disgusted with Gu Fang that he refused to yield even an inch?
If a battle truly broke out here, it would inevitably set off a chain reaction. Chang’an would be thrown into chaos.
Moreover, Zhao Wei hadn’t been sent by Jing Xuan. It was Minister Zuo who had dispatched him, afraid that a real investigation would expose his ties to the Ministry of Revenue.
If Gu Fang truly pursued the matter, would he not tear through the entire Minister Zuo’s residence as well?
Minister Zuo’s heart pounded with fear. He hadn’t even formulated a countermeasure when a voice rang out, resolute and unwavering:
“Your Majesty! This humble officer is willing to atone for Consort’s death. I beg Your Majesty to grant me death so that Chang’an may remain at peace!”
Before anyone could react, Zhao Wei produced a pill, placed it in his mouth, and swallowed it whole.
Blood gushed from his lips. His face turned dark, his body convulsed, and then he collapsed, lifeless.
It all happened too fast. No one had time to process what had just occurred.
A startled cry finally shattered the silence.
“The Commanding Envoy has taken a Bu Yan Pill! Quickly summon the imperial physicians!”
The Jinlin Guards erupted into chaos.
The civil officials, on the other hand, were utterly dumbfounded.
It was well known that the Jinlin Guards, aside from their duty as imperial bodyguards, often worked undercover to investigate cases. For this reason, each guard carried a Bu Yan Pill—poison meant for immediate suicide, leaving no chance for interrogation if captured.
And it was Zhao Wei himself who had established this rule, having once told Jing Xuan that as long as he served His Majesty, he had to feign allegiance to Minister Zuo with absolute precision—no room for error.
Yet now, Zhao Wei had taken the poison before his very eyes.
That was Zhao Wei. His Zhao Wei.
The uncle who had accompanied him from the northern lands.
The man who had once let him ride on his shoulders, carved him wooden swords, and shaped sugar figures for him as a child.
The man who had protected him, revered him, infiltrated Minister Zuo’s faction for him.
And now, he had poisoned himself right in front of him, and he had been powerless to stop it.
Because he was the most useless emperor.
A weak emperor.
An emperor who could only play the role of a fool.
And his royal uncle had personally forced his most trusted warrior to his death.
Hot, bitter liquid welled in Jing Xuan’s eyes.
With a sharp pull, he drew Zhao Wei’s sword from its scabbard and pointed it straight at Gu Fang’s throat, his voice hoarse with fury:
“Gu Fang, kneel!”
His crimson robe and ink-dark hair billowed in the wind. The rain lashed against him, yet his sharp brows and cold, radiant features shone all the more brilliantly against the storm.
The oversized sleeves of his imperial robe flared as he moved, revealing pale arms where veins stood out against his skin. Every inch of him radiated grief and rage—an overwhelming, murderous intent.
He gritted his teeth, forcing down his tears, suppressing every ounce of pain and anger, as he spat out each word with icy precision:
“If you do not kneel, I will brand you a traitor. Here and now, I will have you shot dead by a thousand arrows.”
Every word carried years of pent-up resentment, anger, and hatred.
Because everyone knew though the young emperor was reckless, he valued loyalty above all else. The warriors who had followed him from the northern frontier, he treated them as uncles and elders.
And Zhao Wei who had always stood guard outside the Zichen Hall was the most trusted of them all.
Yet now, he had been forced to die before the Zhuque Gate.
Even the most spineless emperor could not swallow such an insult.
Zhao Wei’s lifeless body was retrieved by the Jinlin Guards.
Beyond the Zhuque Gate, the autumn wind howled through the stone-paved avenue, carrying away the yellow paper talismans scattered in the air.
Everyone present knew that the Jinlin Guards wouldn’t truly dare to execute Gu Fang on the spot.
But they also knew that, in his grief and fury, Jing Xuan might actually try to kill Gu Fang himself.
And yet since the day the emperor ascended the throne, Gu Fang had never once bowed to him.
Entering court, he did not kneel.
During imperial audiences, he did not announce his name.
Even in the grand hall, he walked in with his sword.
Apart from the late emperor, no one had ever seen him bow.
So how could the Prince of Xiangding possibly kneel?
Everyone thought this.
And then—they watched as the Prince of Xiangding, clad in mourning white, holding his wooden memorial tablet, slowly, deliberately, lowered himself to his knees before Jing Xuan.
Every official behind Jing Xuan immediately stepped back. None dared to receive such a bow.
The civil and military officials were utterly stupefied.
They had no idea what expression lay beneath Gu Fang’s ever-unchanging face.
Did he truly seek justice for his Consort?
Or was this merely an excuse to eliminate political rivals, a direct challenge to imperial authority?
Their minds spun wildly, calculating, analyzing, scrambling for a response—already bracing for the political storm they feared was about to consume the capital.
But only Gu Fang himself knew.
That the moment he saw Jing Xuan thrust his sword downward, his imperial features sharp with unyielding pride, his presence untouchably noble,
That same Jing Xuan whose exposed collarbones and neck still bore the marks he himself had left there the night before.
His crimson robes hung loose, his wide sleeves billowed, his narrow waist was cinched just so,
All the places Gu Fang had once kissed, once caressed.
And then, at that very moment,
A sharp jolt from deep inside Jing Xuan’s body.
“…?”
The Gu.... was acting up?
🦋✨ Quick Clarification! ✨🦋
Hi, everyone! I feel like some people might still be a little confused, so here’s a quick breakdown! 💙
⚔️ There are two Royal Guards: Silver Crane & Golden Crane! ⚔️
🕊️ Gu Fang oversees the Silver Crane.
🌟 Jing Xuan appears to manage the Golden Crane, which is also called Jilin (meaning "Imperial Guard").
💬 Hope that clears things up! Keep reading & enjoy! 🦋✨