Chapter 030 – His Majesty: “Bullshit!”

Gu Yuanbai’s eyebrows furrowed together, almost cursing the word ‘impudent’.

What was even more unbelievable was that he could actually notice that Xue Yuan was lecturing him.

Bullshit!

Gu Yuanbai said coldly, “Release Our hand.”

The young Emperor’s soft skin was trapped in his palm, and it was very pleasant to touch through his clothes. Xue Yuan let go of his hand obediently and, without forgetting to prove his good intentions, he pointed to the hornet not far away and said, “Your Highness, I fear that the hornet might sting you.”

Gu Yuanbai’s complexion cleared up slightly. “This better not happen again.”

After half an hour, the absurd, chaotic situation calmed down. The people who had been stung by the hornet were sent to the hospital. Gu Yuanbai originally thought that the guards, since they were all tall and strong, would be fine if they got stung, but out of them all, the one who reacted the most dramatically was his loyal guard captain.

Gu Yuanbai gave him a holiday right away to let him rest at ease. When he got better, he could go back to active duty. And so, the only one who stood close to Gu Yuanbai’s side was now Xue Yuan, who had come through the back door.

However, as long as Xue Yuan remained obedient, he was very easy to order around.

And now, Xue Yuan was really happy to listen to Gu Yuanbai’s orders.

Gu Yuanbai had ordered to starve Prince Qi for three days, and so he really was not fed for three days. Over the past few days, there were courtiers getting anxious, trying to ask Gu Yuanbai to find out how Prince Qi was doing.

Of course, the ones that were most anxious, and also the ones that had the most patience in restraining their impulse to ask, were the Imperial ministers.

Each person looked out for their own interests in the Imperial court. In order to get in, people needed to have a lot of experience beforehand. After they became part of it, they had to be careful as well.

The longer they stayed in and the more they got involved, the more they would dissociate from those in power despite being involved in politics.The Imperial Court was like a bottomless pit of muddy water: the surface was calm, but in fact the mud inside was stirred up.

This was still the central governing body of the state, but what was the point of a government if Gu Yuanbai couldn’t get his hands on it?

The Imperial Historian was getting old and it was time to start looking for a replacement. Originally, Gu Yuanbai had planned to use that as a chance to make a move, but now Gu Yuanbai had better options.

In the court, there were some members of the clan who were worried and frightened by the Emperor’s cruelty. They spent a lot of money trying to ask some officials about how Prince Qi was doing.

It was such a good deal, it was just a question and it wasn’t a banned topic. Why wouldn’t they accept the money?

As such, during morning court, these officials who dared to ask after Prince Qi discovered that, except for other middle-level officials that had accepted the money just like they had, no one else said a word.

Everyone stared far off into the distance, as if they hadn’t heard their question.

At that point, the average officials, with their average IQ, realized that something was wrong.

Why hadn’t a single high official stood up? With the tactics that the members of the clan had been using, it should be easy for them to win over some high officials, wasn’t that right?

It wasn’t right.

When they asked about Prince Qi, the Emperor still smiled and even replied in a gentle tone. But afterwards, their close colleagues that they usually got along with began to avoid them.

They were the only ones confused, unable to understand what was going on.

Sometimes, it was okay to be a bit stupid, and it was okay to be a bit greedy. The only thing that they should be worried about was being unable to read the political situation. If they weren’t able to be sensible in that matter, they shouldn’t open their mouth.

Prince Qi’s youngest son had a good reputation ever since he was a child. The reason for storming Prince Qi’s mansion had been to ‘remove the rebel forces’. Therefore, they had foolishly asked the Emperor at court ‘Are the rebels alright? When will they be released? How are they eating and sleeping? A lot of people are concerned about these rebels, so please, Your Majesty, could you release the rebels a bit sooner?’

Shit, get far, far away from us, don’t drag us down with you!

In Xuanzheng Hall, Gu Yuanbai received General Cheng and his lieutenant.

The imperial army cooperated with various officials from the clan and found many spies who had been hidden by Lu Feng. These spies could be male or female, and some had originally been servants of the official’s houses, becoming Lu Feng’s people after being bribed by him.

These people were unearthed one by one, and now he had a ‘gift’ prepared and he had these Imperial Ministers. Only Chu Wei’s father, Chu Xun, had yet to come back.

Gu Yuanbai would have to wait calmly for Chu Yun’s return.

After the report was over, General Cheng couldn’t resist asking, “Your Majesty, since Prince Qi’s incident may be related to the Imperial Censor from Taichung, why don’t you order for his arrest?”

Gu Yuanbai said, “We have other plans.”

General Cheng couldn’t figure them out, but he didn’t ask any more, electing to put his full trust in the Emperor.

Gu Yuanbai was in no hurry, and the imperial army followed the Emperor’s example and was equally in no hurry. They just obeyed the Emperor’s orders and imprisoned the spies found in the Prince’s mansion, as well as those in other officers’ homes. Some of these spies were resentful and desperate, but most were crying and wailing, kneeling and begging the Emperor to spare their lives.

But no matter how much they begged for mercy, Gu Yuanbai would not soften.

They wouldn’t be eliminated at that point, they still had the chance to live for a while. The Emperor said that all these matters should be discussed at Chu Xun’s return.

However, Prince Qi wouldn’t last without eating until Chu Xun returned. In fact, on his second day of fasting, Prince Qi, who was old and had never encountered any trials and tribulations in his youth, was already completely weakened from hunger.

Gu Yuanbai rewarded the jailers with a hearty, delicious meal full of meat. The jailers swallowed it down hungrily, and their oily mouths were hard to look at for Prince Qi, who had to watch them eat.

On the third day, Prince Qi succumbed to hunger pangs. With a straight face and a weak voice, he ordered the jailer, “Bring this Prince a meal.”

Why make his own body suffer to give Gu Yuanbai a hard time?

Gu Yuanbai was ruthless and Prince Qi was now a bit scared of him. However, he was still the Prince of Qi, how could the two jailers even compare?

After keeping him locked up, Gu Yuanbai’s anger should have dissolved as well, right?

Prince Qi didn’t know, but he had been afraid, and, once the fear went down, his lofty attitude, which had been developed for over forty years of luxurious lifestyle, returned.

But the jailers, after hearing Prince Qi’s words, ignored him completely and continued to eat their meat, taking big bites with their oily mouths.

Prince Qi had already decided to go on a hunger strike, so how could they intervene, being so below him?

About a dozen or so of Prince Qi’s men watched the jailers eating with relish, feeling hungry. By the third night, someone finally couldn’t bear it. They took their own meal behind Prince Qi’s back and hid in a corner, gobbling up their meal. Even if they had someone being tortured next to them, it wouldn’t have stopped them from gulping it down.

He looked like a pig like that. Some of Prince Qi’s sons, who were older than the Emperor, were also eating, with tears coming out of their eyes.

Most of them had been dragged down by their father’s ambition. At this point, they didn’t dare complain before the Emperor, and they were unable to stop thinking, Why?

Why couldn’t Prince Qi behave like an obedient, peaceful prince?

They didn’t have big ambitions, they just wanted to live out their lives in wealth and comfort. But now, the youngest son, who Prince Qi favored the most and wanted to seat on the throne, got to live in the palace, eating delicious food and drinks, while they were in prison. Why?

The scent of the food spread through the prison and Prince Qi’s weak eyes opened wide. He moved to the front of the cell with the last of his strength and shouted, “What are you all eating?!”

But none of his sons replied to him.

Their hearts were full of resentment and their stomachs sounded like a drum after being hungry for two days and a half. After seeing their father’s stupidity, his descendants had a clear idea about what they could and couldn’t do.

If they answered, they wouldn’t be able to eat.

After Gu Yuanbai finished dealing with government affairs, the capital city government Yin handed over a message to the Emperor saying that the Chengbao Temple, in the outskirts of the capital, had returned many fields to the Imperial court. At the same time, there were 1,500 monks who had returned to a civilian life, registering their information at the government offices.

Such trivial matters did not need to be handed over to the Emperor, but Chengbao Temple was an Imperial temple, and the prefect felt a little uncertain about it.

When he heard the news, Gu Yuanbai raised his lips in a smile and set down the memo on the table very happily, humming an out of tune song with his mouth. Then he said: “Chengbao Temple’s abbot knows how to read people.”

Xue Yuan looked at his smiling face from the side, and he thought Even I1 don’t get you to look at me, let alone a monk. Who are they to make you look this happy?

The Emperor played with a white, high quality jade piece on the desk, his face a bit flushed. His excited expression was a bit contagious, and the people around him couldn’t stop themselves from smiling.

Gu Yuanbai stood up, walked out from behind the table, stretched out his arms and legs in the hall, and said, “Those who went back to being civilians, let them, We will have use for them soon. As for the temple fields, send the prefect to return them.”

Someone went immediately to fulfill these tasks, Gu Yuanbai stretched out his hand, his wide sleeves slowly falling from his forearm, revealing his small, pale wrists and a bright yellow sleeve underneath. He rubbed his wrist while thinking, Master Chu, now you’re the only one left.

Once you get here, everything else can begin.

Chengbao Temple had just returned the temple fields to the Imperial court. Before the abbot could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard that the Imperial court had rejected these fields.

The abbot of Chengbao Temple felt dizzy, barely capable of maintaining the composure proper for a high ranking monk. “Master Fu Yin, why weren’t the temple fields accepted?”

The prefect himself didn’t know either, so he smiled and politely accompanied the abbot of Chengbao Temple out.

This silent smile terrified the abbot.

The Chengbao Temple was an Imperial temple, and it owned all the fields that covered the entire hill. These fields didn’t get any taxes, and the monks in the temple didn’t have to pay any sort of tax to the government, either. Living like that was just too luxurious, and thinking of their abundance, the abbot shuddered, thinking of Emperor Wuzong exterminating the Buddhists.

Those that visited the Chengbao Temple were all members of the Imperial clan and dignitaries. After Gu Yuanbai scared them, the members of the clan came often to worship and get some peace of mind.

The abbot also learned information from them.

The Emperor was able to strike against his own clan, so what would he do to some monks? Now that it turned out that the Imperial government didn’t want his temple’s fields, the abbot was terrified. After returning to Chengbao Temple that day, he took stock of the fields again and made a harsh decision. They would only keep the acres required to get enough food for the temple monks to eat, and the rest, 90%, would be sent to the court!

However, this second offering was equally rejected by the Emperor.

As he walked out of the office again, the eyes of the abbot of Chengbao Temple changed from dull to determined, and, when he returned to the temple, he ordered solemnly, “Bring me paper and ink.”

A young novice monk brought him both, and, after taking a deep breath, the abbot’s hand became steady and he began to write a document.

He started out praising the Emperor’s virtue and benevolence, and Chengbao Temple requested, under Buddha’s guidance, for His Majesty to accept the temple’s fields so that they would contribute to the welfare of the common people and fully realize Buddha’s compassion. After he finished writing these words, his hands shook more severely, but he continued, determined, to write the last paragraph.

Chengbao Temple called on the other compassionate temples of the land to donate their own fields as well.

The abbot sent this document down the mountain, almost in tears.

He could almost imagine how many people would grind their teeth and curse his name after the other temples read the document.

The people in the land would praise him immensely, and the temples, under the pressure of public opinion and interests, would hate him.

The only one that wouldn’t be looked at, after gaining the most benefit, was the Imperial court.

After the third time Chengbao Temple offered its fields, Gu Yuanbai looked at the letter the abbot sent, read it, and laughed openly.

The person who came to the report asked, “Your Highness, should we refuse them again?”

“Ever since antiquity, it’s always been ‘three refusals and three offers.”2 Gu Yuanbai shook his head and laughed. “We didn’t plan to do anything. The abbot of Chengbao Temple got into this mess himself.”

Many dynasties used Buddhism to rule the people’s minds. The existence of temples and Buddhism had many advantages. Gu Yuanbai didn’t even mind unnecessary monks too much. Moreover, Chengbao Temple had been granted Imperial temple status by a previous Emperor. How could Gu Yuanbai act in an unreasonable manner?

The only thing to see here was that the abbot had scared himself.

Thinking a bit more about it, it was a bit troublesome. Gu Yuanbai said, “Talk to the abbot in private and tell him that We are very satisfied with this article that he’s written.”

With that sentence, even if the temple fields were returned once more, the Chengbao Temple abbot would be able to settle down.

Compared with the hundreds of acres of fields in the temple, Gu Yuanbai was now more concerned about the white cotton.

A few days ago, Kong Yilin had offered him cotton seeds. Gu Yuanbai had not planted them before, so he transferred Kong Yilin out of the Imperial Academy to work with officials from the Ministry of Industry to study the small seeds.

He vaguely remembered that cotton had to be planted in March and April. Gu Yuanbai didn’t know the specifics, but, even though it was a bit late at that point, he thought it was possible to catch up.

If cotton could be planted that year, it’d save the lives of many peasants and soldiers.

Just when Gu Yuanbai was thinking about it, Tian Fusheng, while serving him some tea, said, “Your Highness, there’s been news from the stables just now. The people there said that Red Cloud has kicked someone again.”

Gu Yuanbai returned to his senses and smiled bitterly when he heard these words. “That thing has come to the palace to eat Us. Let’s go and see it.”

They headed to the stables. In the stables, Gu Yuanbai spotted the little mouse holding some fruit it was nibbling on in a corner. He felt amused, since he hadn’t actually expected that Xue Yuan had actually brought the little mouse to play with Red Cloud.

It was a shame that Red Cloud didn’t seem to be interested in mice.

The Akhal Teke was taken care of very well, but it didn’t want to wear any harnesses. There was only one bridle on it. As soon as Gu Yuanbai walked in, the intelligent horse hissed at him.

Its red hair was glossy. Gu Yuanbai looked, fascinated, and turned around to look at Xue Yuan. “Take Us for a ride on the horse.”

Xue Yuan raised his eyebrows and said, “Your Majesty, are you feeling alright?”

Gu Yuanbai replied, “Just do as We said.”

Xue Yuan did. He took out the horse. Without stirrups. Gu Yuanbai couldn’t get on top by himself. A palace attendant next to them was going to bring out a stool, but Xue Yuan thought it was too troublesome, so he just held the young Emperor’s waist and placed him on the horse.

After Gu Yuanbai got on the horse, Xue Yuan turned over and sat behind him, holding the reins in his hand. “Your Highness, should I direct the horse?”

Gu Yuanbai leaned back and said comfortably, “Let’s go.”

As soon as the whip was raised, the horse ran out like the wind.

Gu Yuanbai’s robe and hair fluttered around. Xue Yuan looked down at him, and the corners of his lips turned upwards, with his sharp eyebrows struck by the harsh winds. After riding the horse with the young Emperor for a while, Xue Yuan slowed down thoughtfully.

“How is Your Majesty feeling?”

Gu Yuanbai hissed faintly and said, “It’s alright.”

However, his body was just too weak, and his inner thighs still felt a bit irritated and warm.

Xue Yuan heard the hiss and raised his hand to slow down the horse. Although he thought that the young Emperor might get injured, after seeing it happen, he still felt moody.

How can you be so delicate?

Xue Yuan found an unoccupied spot in the shade and asked Gu Yuanbai to get off his horse. Before getting on the horse, Tian Fusheng had handed Xue Yuan a bottle of ointment, just in case the Emperor got injured.

“Your Majesty,” Xue Yuan knelt on one knee in front of Gu Yuanbai, who was sitting down, and parted Gu Yuanbai’s legs. “I have to apply medicine.”

Gu Yuanbai looked at him with interest. “Guard Xue, are you going to apply the medicine yourself?”

Xue Yuan said slowly, “Your Majesty, I was the one who brought you out to ride the horse. Since you got injured, of course, I feel worried.”

Gu Yuanbai snorted, not believing that he would really be so well-behaved, so he lifted his robe and said, “Apply the medicine.”