I Rely on Beauty to Stabilize the Country

After a while, Gu Yuanbai caught a whiff of an herbal scent, and he sniffed it, realizing that the fragrance was emanating from Xue Yuan.

"What did you use?" he asked directly.

Xue Yuan froze completely.

As a grown man, it was the first time he had secretly used a hand moisturizer, only to be discovered. He mumbled, "It's nothing."

The scent wasn't unpleasant, but seeing that Xue Yuan was reluctant to disclose, Gu Yuanbai didn't bother to inquire further.

The young emperor was soft and fragrant, and so was the dragon bed. However, Xue Yuan started sweating profusely within a short time. He asked, "Your Majesty, are you feeling hot?"

Gu Yuanbai flipped open a book on relaxation, feeling comfortable. "I'm not hot. Are you, Captain Xue?"

Xue Yuan stared at the book in Gu Yuanbai's hand with a solemn tone. "Your Majesty, please look at me."

Finally tearing his gaze away from the book, Gu Yuanbai turned his head and frowned. "Why is Captain Xue sweating so much?"

Xue Yuan's forehead was covered in sweat, and his black hair was damp. His facial features were sharp amid the mist of water droplets. "Your Majesty, the quilt is too thick, making the bed hot."

It was already late May, and someone like Xue Yuan indeed couldn't bear the heat. Gu Yuanbai furrowed his brows. "What should we do, then?"

"Your Majesty is still cold, with cold hands and feet," Xue Yuan's voice lowered, like a cold jade. "Shall I warm you up, while you cool down my hands and feet?"

Gu Yuanbai contemplated for a moment, then lowered his head slowly and said, "Alright."

Xue Yuan seemed like a ravenous wolf allowed to feast on meat. He swiftly turned over and took the ice-cold hand that Gu Yuanbai casually offered, closing his eyes with contentment.

The Emperor's hand was smaller than Xue Yuan's, delicate and tender. Xue Yuan gently rubbed the fair palm, causing a tickling sensation. Gu Yuanbai instinctively tried to retract his hand, but Xue Yuan pulled him back with even more force.

"What book is Your Majesty reading?"

Xue Yuan put on a fake smile and fixed his gaze on the book.

Gu Yuanbai casually replied, "Just a travelogue, to pass the time."

Xue Yuan's gaze at the book was unkind, and he thought with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "Can't I also pass the time?"

He truly felt like a furnace. In less than a moment, Gu Yuanbai's hand was slightly damp with sweat, much to his surprise. Xue Yuan let go of the Emperor's hand and said, "Your Majesty, shall I warm your feet?"

Gu Yuanbai instinctively said, "Go ahead."

In an instant, Xue Yuan reached the other side and grabbed Gu Yuanbai's ankle from within the bed. He lifted it and tucked it into his clothes, warming it against his abdomen.

With his lower abdomen feeling firm and the icy feet encountering warmth like fire, Gu Yuanbai felt so comfortable that his brows relaxed. He couldn't help but say, "Captain Xue, you've worked hard."

Xue Yuan thought to himself, What hardship is this when the young emperor's feet are as comfortable as jade and as cold as ice?

He forced a smile on his face and said, "It's what I should do."

Last time, when he warmed Gu Yuanbai's feet, he was scolded for being presumptuous. But this time, warming the emperor's feet was completely justified.

Xue Yuan couldn't help but feel some satisfaction. After a while, when he had also warmed Gu Yuanbai's feet, he loosened his grip and took the initiative, saying, "Your Majesty, shall I hold you while you read?"

Gu Yuanbai politely declined, "I'm not used to it."

Despite saying he wasn't used to it, Gu Yuanbai found himself lying in Xue Yuan's embrace, following the warmth, after falling asleep.

Holding Gu Yuanbai, Xue Yuan sighed deeply. Before embracing him, he didn't feel like something was missing. It was only when he held Gu Yuanbai that he realized how empty he had felt inside.

Closing his eyes and carrying the heart of a loyal subject that was beating irregularly, he sighed once more and fell asleep.

The next morning, when Gu Yuanbai woke up, his head still felt heavy.

However, after resting well for a day, he at least had the energy to leave the bed. Although the morning court had been delayed, all the officials responsible for reporting matters had gathered in the side hall of the Xuanzheng Hall.

The court couldn't focus all its attention on the anti-corruption efforts alone. The responsibility for the anti-corruption process lay with the Imperial Censorate, the Supervisory Office, and the Eastern Feather Guards, as well as the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Personnel, which were concurrently responsible for the governorship of Lizhou. Other officials were busy with their own political affairs.

Officials from the Six Ministries and the Grand Secretariat were gathered in the side hall of the Xuanzheng Hall, discussing three matters: road construction, border defense deployment, and trade relations.

Gu Yuanbai found himself needing to take breaks frequently, as he seemed absent-minded. In the end, the courtiers couldn't bear it and suggested they finalize a set of regulations for the emperor's approval after further joint discussion.

Gu Yuanbai slowly nodded, allowing them to leave.

Once the officials had departed, Gu Yuanbai closed his eyes, feeling utterly drained.

He thought to himself that he finally understood why ancient emperors desired immortality.

It wasn't necessarily due to a greedy attachment to power and a yearning for youth, but it could also be the profound helplessness of an emperor who desired to accomplish things but lacked the strength to do so.

He wished to live a little longer, just a little longer, so that he could do a little more, accomplish a bit more of his grand ambitions.

After becoming emperor, Gu Yuanbai jokingly remarked to himself that he really wished he could live for another five hundred years. But who could live that long?

So many ambitious and talented ancient emperors couldn't even live for five hundred years.

It felt powerless.

And also very sad.

But there was no way around it.

Gu Yuanbai was lost in thought for a while but eventually opened his eyes. He called Tian Fusheng and said, "Tell the people in Jinghu Lake to speed up."

Out of all the matters in the world, Gu Yuanbai could leave the rest for future generations to handle, but not this one.

If anyone other than Gu Yuanbai touched the issue of rebellion, it could easily backfire.

Therefore, Gu Yuanbai had to expedite the process. He always felt that this illness was like a reminder from the heavens that his time was running out.

This tragic thought persisted until the time for the medicinal bath at noon.

The medicinal bath helped dispel the cold. Before the imperial physician proceeded to diagnose his pulse, he sighed with relief and said, "Your Majesty's condition is showing signs of improvement."

Gu Yuanbai was taken aback, furrowing his brow. He felt the physician had misdiagnosed him. "My head is still hurting."

The imperial physician smiled and said, "After soaking in the medicinal bath for a couple of days, everything should be fine. Your Majesty, didn't you have a warm stove last night? I observed that you rested quite well, and as long as you get enough rest, the illness will improve by three points."

Gu Yuanbai pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly. "In that case, I understand."

It must have been Xue Yuan who warmed his bed throughout the night, making him feel warm and comfortable, which contributed to his slight improvement today.

Knowing that his illness was improving, Gu Yuanbai inquired in detail from the physician if it had affected his overall health. Although the physician's response was cautious, it visibly eased Gu Yuanbai's mind.

Gu Yuanbai reassured himself that he could live for at least another two or three years. The current regent and the future influential figures hadn't shown any signs of rising to power. Even if he became a background figure, he should still have some vitality left.

With this thought, he became completely calm and composed.

The emperor's thoughts were deeply hidden, unnoticed by those around him, yet the emperor had already comforted himself.

Outside the palace gates, Xue Yuan stood upright but seemed distracted. His colleagues around him asked him to share some stories about the border and the battlefield, but Xue Yuan couldn't be bothered. He lazily pressed his tongue against his palate and uttered a few words, "I don't know."

His response left the guards speechless.

The scent of medicine wafted through the cracks in the doors and windows. After getting used to the medicinal aroma, it became quite pleasant. Xue Yuan took a deep breath of the medicinal scent, his brows furrowed, and his expression dark and gloomy.

There should be a divine physician somewhere.

Nerves tightly wound, imagining the young emperor seriously ill made Xue Yuan impatient to the point of exploding.

A person emerged from the palace and summoned Xue Yuan to enter. Xue Yuan pursed his lips, his official robe fluttering as he strode into the hall.

Guided by a palace attendant, Xue Yuan was led behind a folding screen. Knowing that his life was temporarily out of danger, Gu Yuanbai's enthusiasm for work reignited, his voice muffled and hazy with the steam of the medicinal bath. He said, "Xue Yuan, I want to hear more about the border."

Xue Yuan paused, looking at the flowers and birds on the screen, and spoke slowly, "Alright."

The affairs at the border were mostly characterized by harsh conditions, danger, shame, and desensitization.

Cruelty was mentioned in passing, but after glossing over it, Xue Yuan was surprised to find that he had nothing substantial to share with Gu Yuanbai.

The beauty of the northern frontier was lost on those who had been there for too long. People in the north, including the military, were treated as nonentities.

Xue Yuan chose to tell Gu Yuanbai about the less brutal aspects within the cruelty.

He spoke in a calm and unhurried manner, and Gu Yuanbai listened attentively. By the time Xue Yuan finished, the water Gu Yuanbai was soaking in had cooled down.

Inside, attendants were helping the emperor get dressed and wiping off water. Xue Yuan lowered his head, his gaze reaching all the way to his own boots from beneath the edge of the folding screen.

Judging by the screen, Xue Yuan could tell the young emperor's preferences—pure, refined, and meticulous. He probably liked gentlemen who were knowledgeable in poetry and literature. But Xue Yuan was no gentleman.

The young emperor was quite fond of Chu Wei.

Although Chu Wei rarely had the chance to meet the young emperor, they always had delightful conversations whenever they did.

Xue Yuan thought to himself with a tinge of bitterness, "Fuck."

He felt so frustrated.

Gu Yuanbai finished dressing, and the noon sunlight was the most intense and vibrant. Combined with the warmth from the medicinal bath, he couldn't tell if the moisture on his face was sweat or steam.

When he walked out and saw the expression on Xue Yuan's face, he casually asked, "What's on your mind, Captain Xue?"

Xue Yuan instinctively glanced at Gu Yuanbai, who was flushed from soaking in the water, and a shiver ran through his body. "I was thinking about this folding screen, Your Majesty."

Gu Yuanbai casually said, "Since Captain Xue likes this folding screen, then it shall be rewarded to you."

Xue Yuan was taken aback, but Gu Yuanbai had already left the palace, taking away the lingering fragrance along the way.

Taking advantage of his current vigor, Gu Yuanbai quickly attended to state affairs. After the evening meal, exhausted and uncomfortable, he lay down on his bed.

Someone pressed up against him from behind, just as Gu Yuanbai was about to drift off in the warmth. He heard a soft voice coaxing him, "Your Majesty, do you like Chu Wei?"

Gu Yuanbai turned to the side, furrowing his brow.

Xue Yuan persisted, "Your Majesty, do you like Minister Chu's face, or do you prefer his hands?"

Dark thoughts filled his mind.

If he liked the face, it would be scarred; if he liked the hands, they would be severed.

Xue Yuan was a cultured individual, not someone who engaged in killing and burying corpses.

****

Translator’s note: What’s cultured about this? Haha.