"The Gu family’s head mistress? Who? Me?"
Jing Xuan, upon hearing this, momentarily forgot to get off Gu Fang, only staring blankly at the certain Gu family head.
Gu Fang head remained calm. "Naturally, the Gu family's head mistress has the authority to command the Silver Crane Guards at will. So, my previous words were not false."
Jing Xuan: "?"
Close eyes, deep breath, regulate emotions, clench fists.
Prepare to strike!
Then Gu Fang added, "But if Your Majesty doesn’t like it, returning it is also fine."
Jing Xuan: "???"
Gu Fang seemed slightly regretful. "However, apart from this, there is no better token. So, either Your Majesty reluctantly accepts this jade pendant, or you may have to give up the command over the Silver Crane Guards."
Jing Xuan: "???"
Who would give up the command over the Silver Crane Guards?!
That was something he, the emperor, had spent an entire night selling himself for, sacrificing for the country! There was absolutely no way he would just give it up!
"In your dreams! This jade pendant, in life, belongs to me; in death, it will be my burial jade! No matter what you say, I will never return it!"
After saying this, Jing Xuan furiously stuffed the jade pendant into his chest, glaring at Gu Fang with a stance that practically declared: "As long as the jade is here, I live. If the jade is gone, I die."
Gu Fang looked at the angrily widened eyes, his heart filled with amusement. This was for the best.
Some people, at times, were incredibly sharp, yet at others, so gullible it made one want to tease them.
Just as he smiled inwardly, the Gu bug in Jing Xuan's body twitched again.
Jing Xuan frowned. What is wrong with this Gu bug? He would need to find someone to ask Liu Chou'er about it later.
And so, the two of them—one sitting, one holding, one laughing, one responding—seemed to exist alone in the vast palace, completely forgetting about the widow and orphan still standing at the door, each holding half a watermelon.
Until Jing Yi, in a crisp voice, said: "Royal Brother, I don’t want to be the crown prince."
The three adults finally snapped back to reality, looking at the child with slight confusion.
Then the child continued, "I read the storybooks in Mother Consort's palace, and they all say that if Royal Brother and Royal Uncle are together, you two won’t be able to have children. Then I’ll have to be the crown prince. But I don’t want to be the crown prince, so Royal Brother and Royal Uncle, you two better not be together."
Jing Xuan: "....."
Gu Fang: "....."
Grand Consort: "....."
"Jing Yi, do you even know what you’re saying?!" Grand Consort turned pale with fright, quickly covering Jing Yi’s mouth. "How dare you say such treasonous words! Do you want to die? Your mother still wants to live!"
Then, hastily, she turned to Jing Xuan and Gu Fang with an awkward smile and said, "Ah, well, Your Majesty, I actually came here mainly because I heard that Xie Yuhe, the one who was trying to climb up to Your Majesty was just dragged away to be castrated on Zhaoyi Fang's orders. Now all the handsome guards in the palace are terrified, so I thought I should come and advise Your Majesty, maybe don’t let Zhaoyi Fang be so jealous? It’s quite frightening."
From the distance, Xie Buzi’s ghostly wails still echoed.
Jing Xuan’s expression, however, had already darkened.
Dragging Xie Buzi away for castration was, of course, fake. The real purpose was to keep Xie Buzi in the palace while also solidifying the image of Gu Fang as the tyrant’s bewitching consort. That was why Xie Buzi had been asked to play along with this whole act.
Otherwise, simply castrating a young man for no reason. He wouldn't go that far. He wasn’t that much of a tyrant.
But if what Jing Yi said was true, then he also wouldn’t mind being a real tyrant for once!
Jing Xuan jumped off Gu Fang’s lap, flung his sleeve fiercely, and gritted his teeth: "Guards! Confiscate all the storybooks in the Grand Consort’s palace!"
"No, Your Majesty!"
The Grand Consort immediately fell to the ground, one hand clutching the watermelon, the other tightly hugging Jing Xuan’s leg. "Your Majesty, you can take my life, but you mustn’t take your own!"
Jing Xuan: "??"
The Grand Consort’s tears streamed down like rain as she pleaded in anguish: "You must believe me, Your Majesty! If you read those books, you won’t survive the night! Our Great Yan cannot go a single day without an emperor!"
Jing Xuan: "???"
The Grand Consort made one last desperate stand: "Even if you must confiscate them, at least let Jing Yi leave first! He’s still young! He doesn’t understand anything yet! He absolutely must not be corrupted by you and Prince Xiangding. No I mean he must not be influenced by those books, Your Majesty!"
She cried out in despair, but Jing Yi simply crouched down, took the watermelon from her hand, and calmly reassured her.
"Mother Consort, you don’t have to worry. Those books are excellent. I have already learned the Beauty Trap from The Cold-Faced Royal Uncle and the Adorable Emperor."
"I also learned the military strategies of Besieging Wei to Save Zhao and Creating a Diversion from The Tyrant Uncle’s Exclusive Love: Where Can the Emperor Run?."
"And from Your Majesty, I Only Pretend Not to Love You, I learned the tactic of Advancing Under the Cover of Repairs."
"So all the political and military strategies in those books are extremely useful. I have benefited greatly from them. I imagine Royal Brother would also be willing to study them to refine his imperial skills. Since the emperor’s authority must be absolute, I’m sure he will appreciate these lessons. Therefore, Mother Consort, there’s no need to worry."
His mother: "....."
His emperor brother: "....."
Both of them shut their eyes in absolute despair.
Only his imperial uncle stood up leisurely, walked over gracefully, and patted his head. "Not bad. Our Jing Yi is truly a good child. Your uncle will reward you later."
"Reward my ass!" Jing Xuan exploded in fury. "He’s only eight! Gu Fang, are you a beast?!"
"Eight is the perfect age to understand reasoning," Gu Fang replied nonchalantly. "When spring arrives, Jing Yi should enter the Imperial Academy. If Xue Qingshu truly passes the top imperial examination next year, he should take Jing Yi as a disciple. Before that, he can stay by your side and learn with me."
Although Gu Fang spoke casually, it was clear he wasn’t joking.
Jing Xuan and the Grand Consort were both momentarily puzzled.
They had only ever hoped for Jing Yi to be a wealthy prince. How had this suddenly turned into training for imperial rule?
What exactly was Gu Fang planning?
Although his character was questionable, he was undeniably talented. If Jing Yi could learn from him, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Jing Xuan was still deep in thought.
Then, with the watermelon still in his hands, Jing Yi looked up and innocently asked, "So, Uncle, your plan is to train me as the crown prince first, and then one day, when Royal Brother suddenly becomes a divine genius and gives birth to a child of his own, you’ll prepare to depose me?"
Jing Xuan: "...."
Grand Consort: "...."
Gu Fang: "....."
This time, not only did Jing Xuan and the Grand Consort freeze, but even Gu Fang’s hand stiffened slightly.
Only Jing Yi’s gaze remained pure and bright, as if he had no idea he had just uttered something utterly outrageous. After finishing, he even blinked innocently and asked, "So, Royal Brother, when do you plan on giving birth?"
His emperor brother: "....."
There was only one undeniable truth in this world.
Men. Can’t. Get. Pregnant!
Jing Xuan took a deep breath, clenched his fists tightly, and cycled his internal energy thirty-six times in an attempt to remain calm. Then, unable to hold back anymore, he finally erupted.
"Guards! Take the Grand Consort away! Confine her for three days and nights! Only plain porridge and vegetables. Nothing else allowed! Only Buddhist and Daoist scriptures, nothing else to read!"
"Take Prince Yi away too! Have him copy military strategy three hundred times!"
"Search the entire palace! If any disrespectful book is found, the offender will be exiled three thousand miles!"
Grand Consort: "???"
Jing Yi: "???"
"Your Majesty—"
"Royal Brother—"
"My food—"
"My books—"
The pitiful widow and orphan were forcibly carried away by several palace maids, their sharp cries echoing throughout the entire palace, so wretched that it sent chills down the spine.
Even Minister Jiang Yue, who had been discussing official matters with his subordinates, suddenly shivered and asked, "The Grand Consort and Prince Yi were also punished?"
The servant hurriedly confirmed, "It’s said that the Grand Consort merely advised His Majesty that Zhaoyi Fang should not be overly jealous and that casually castrating respectable young men was too cruel. But she was beaten and thrown out by His Majesty, and even the eight-year-old Prince Yi was not spared. Some even saw red liquid splattering inside the hall, there might have been blood."
"Outrageous!"
Minister Jiang Yue was furious.
He had only intended for the Grand Consort to persuade His Majesty, so that Jiang Yingxue could have a chance to serve in the bedchamber. He never expected that His Majesty would indulge Zhaoyi Fang’s reckless actions to such an extent.
But such brutality and incompetence might not be a bad thing. After all, the more cruel and foolish he was, the easier it would be for him to lose the people's trust.
Since ancient times, kings had fallen to the likes of Daji and Baosi.
Now that things had come to this, the young emperor could not blame him for cutting off his support and forcing his hand.
After all, "You were unjust first, so don’t fault me for my disloyalty."
Minister Jiang Yue made his decision.
"Go find that man who was castrated by Zhaoyi Fang. Offer him as much money as it takes, console him well. No matter the cost, he must be brought over to our side."
"Understood."
---
After the court session, the Chongning Hall was empty, with only the faint scent of dragon’s saliva and the sound of water splashing together, echoing in sorrow.
The young prince, who had yet to be crowned, was forced to sit on the dragon throne, tilting his head with tears streaming down his face. His lips were red, and crystal-clear tears dripped from the corners of his bloodshot eyes. His thin frame trembled uncontrollably, and his noble dragon robe was already full of wrinkles.
He looked at the tall, imposing man in front of him, the man he had called "uncle" since childhood, the man who should have been beneath his feet as a subject. His heart was filled with an indescribable hatred and deep grievance.
The man only pressed his fingers deep into the prince's hair, gripping the back of his head with cold indifference, and, looking down, said, "Your Majesty, I have already relinquished the throne to you. Why are you looking at me with such eyes?"
The delicate, beautiful young prince finally couldn't bear it anymore, breaking free, turning his head to gag violently, vomiting blood, and when he finally raised his head, he angrily and despondently shouted, "You promised me that if I submitted to you, you wouldn't harm my family! Why are you now imprisoning my younger brother?!"
His voice was full of sorrow and anger, yet the man, who held the power of the throne, simply lifted his chin, smiling coldly. "Because you now carry my true heir within you."
"........."
"................."
"........................."
"Damned!"
"Investigate! Immediately find out who wrote this filth and execute all their families, ninety-nine generations! Not a single one shall be spared! Investigate them all!"
In Zheyun Hall, Jing Xuan looked at the pile of books in front of him, filled with an unprecedented humiliation and rage.
"Also, investigate the palace servants and the publishers who distributed these books!"
He had thought that being caught in a love curse with Gu Fang had been outrageous enough. He thought that Gu Fang’s actions were perverse enough.
But these books were even more absurd, even more perverse.
What was even worse was that not only the Grand Consort, but many female officials and eunuchs were also reading them. What was wrong with these people?!
Although there had been cases of emperors in this dynasty favoring male consorts, it was still not the norm. How could so many people want to read stories about two men disgustingly toying with each other?
Moreover, no one outside knew that he and Gu Fang were like fire and water, with Gu Fang wanting to usurp the throne. How could anyone think that Gu Fang had deeply fallen for him, to the point of obsession?
The world was becoming more and more depraved; human hearts had become unrecognizable!
"All of them, execute them all!"
Jing Xuan was so furious that he almost exploded, unsure whether it was from shame or rage.
Meanwhile, the other protagonist, Gu Fang, was calm. He was sipping tea and reading a book at the desk, leisurely making marks with a fine brush.
Seeing this, Jing Xuan was even more furious: "Why aren’t you sending someone to investigate, and instead just sitting there drawing?!"
Gu Fang didn’t raise his head. He simply turned a page and lightly circled the words lubrication with his brush. "After all, there will still be many full moon nights ahead. As a loyal subject, I must think of all methods to make sure Your Majesty suffers less pain."
"Gu Fang! You..."
If it weren’t for knowing that Gu Fang was forced into such circumstances because of the love gu, he might have begun to wonder whether Gu Fang truly liked this kind of relationship with men.
But then, the two things didn’t seem to conflict.
Jing Xuan could only think of the scenarios in those books, and the bugs inside his body were jumping wildly in response.
At this rate, he was afraid that tonight, it would happen again.
He absolutely could not let such a thing happen.
So, Jing Xuan didn’t hesitate: "You go to another palace tonight, I want to sleep alone!"
Gu Fang raised his head upon hearing this, but before he could speak, there was suddenly a commotion outside the hall.
Xie Buzi, who had changed into a eunuch's clothes, was being carried in by two strong men. His face was twisted in pain, and his wails were extremely convincing.
Jing Xuan couldn’t stand it anymore: "Get up, your two ounces of flesh are still there!"
"Got it!" Xie Buzi, who had been wailing for the whole afternoon, quickly got up, acting like a eunuch and saluted. "As Your Majesty predicted, Minister Jiang Yue really did come to find me. He even forced me to find a way to make sure you go to the hot spring at the top of the mountain tonight. There’s a surprise waiting for you there, otherwise, he would take my life. So..."
Xie Buzi raised his head and smiled mischievously. "So, for Your Majesty’s sake, it would be better if Zhaoyi Fang stays by your side tonight."
After saying that, he presented one hundred taels of silver bills. "This is from Minister Jiang Yue. It’s the money for me to persuade you to sell yourself, not a single cent missing, all here."
Zhaoyi Fang then glanced sideways: "So, Your Majesty still wants to send me away?"
"....."
A note for anyone who is curious about Daji and Bao Si
1. Daji
Daji: Daji was a beautiful woman who became the favored concubine of King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty. She was reportedly the daughter of a nobleman, but after being captured during a military campaign, she was brought to the king's court. Daji is infamous for her cruelty and manipulation. Under her influence, King Zhou became a tyrant, indulging in excess and cruelty. She is said to have delighted in torturing and killing people, and her actions led to the king making increasingly irrational and brutal decisions, including executing loyal ministers. The dynasty’s subjects grew disillusioned, and the Shang Dynasty eventually fell, partly due to the corrupt and tyrannical rule that Daji and King Zhou embodied.
2. Bao Si
Bao Si: Bao Si was a beautiful woman who became the concubine of King You of the Western Zhou Dynasty. The king, enamored with her, would do anything to make her smile, which became a major source of his downfall. One of the most infamous stories about Bao Si is the "beacon tower incident." To get Bao Si to smile, King You ordered the lighting of false beacons to make it seem like the kingdom was under attack, just to get her to smile at the spectacle. This trick was repeated, and eventually, the ministers and generals stopped responding to the beacons, believing them to be false alarms. This loss of trust led to the downfall of King You’s rule when real attacks happened, and his kingdom was destroyed. Bao Si’s beauty indirectly contributed to the loss of his reign and the fall of the Western Zhou Dynasty.