I… know nothing!
Although he thought this way, Gu Weizhou couldn’t actually say it. After all, he still had to maintain the act.
After some thought, he solemnly said, “Judging by your condition yesterday, I initially determined that you were afflicted by some unknown poison. I just don’t know what specific poison it is.”
As expected.
Thinking this in his heart, Jiang Jingyue’s face turned completely pale. “…Poison? I…I was poisoned?”
Seeing the other person looking scared as a quail, Gu Weizhou, being a responsible and caring master, naturally wanted to comfort him. Gently stroking the young one’s back, he spoke with an extremely gentle voice, “Don’t worry, I will continue the acupuncture for you, there’s no need to be afraid.”
With reddened eyes, Jiang Jingyue emotionally threw himself into the man’s arms, “…Master.”
Caught off guard, Gu Weizhou, mindful of his cool and aloof image, reflexively pushed the other person away. Just then, a trembling voice came from his embrace.
“Isn’t Jingyue really useless…”
You are indeed useless. You didn’t even know you were poisoned, what can you do?
Lifting his hand to pat the person’s back, Gu Weizhou said, “No, Jingyue has been working hard. I believe that you will become someone who can handle anything in the future.”
“…Really…Really?”
“Really,” Gu Weizhou spoke with utmost certainty.
Because… you’ve inherited the awesome genes of Jiang Lianbi.
Feeling the warmth of the embrace, and hearing the softly resolute voice above him, Jiang Jingyue, who had initially been somewhat insecure, felt an unstoppable warmth in his heart.
Master, only you, even in my most downtrodden moments, are still this good to me.
Holding tightly onto the man’s waist, Jiang Jingyue buried his entire head in the folds of his clothing, inside that very thin fabric that carried the man’s scent.
Inhaling deeply the sweet fragrance he adored, Jiang Jingyue felt an inexplicable hotness boiling within his heart. As this feeling expanded, the latent sense of greed in him surged ever more, making him feel like he could never let go.
He didn’t want to let go, not even a little bit. Master, Master, Master…
Rubbing against the man’s embrace for a long while, Jiang Jingyue suddenly lifted his eyes in that very position, taking in the visage of the man before him who seemed to have descended from the clouds.
Cold eyes, fair face, well-defined nose, beautiful lips… every detail in his eyes was the most perfect and flawless existence in the world.
Sensing the gaze upon him, Gu Weizhou lowered his eyes and saw Jiang Jingyue looking at him in awe, with a tuft of hair sticking up comically on his head.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Even though he knew he shouldn’t laugh, he couldn’t help but chuckle at the amusing sight.
Pa kjr atf olgra alwf Aljcu Alcusef tjv rffc j ufcelcfis gjvljca rwlif ogbw atf wjc lc jii atf alwf atfs tjv yffc abufatfg.
Ktf fsfr lc tlr olfiv bo nlrlbc kfgf agjcriemfca ilxf lmf mgsrajir, megnfv rilutais ys akb bg atgff vfugffr. Ktfs gfrfwyifv atf oiffalcu rtlwwfg bo kjnfr bc j rqglcu ijxf, qbeglcu vbkc ilxf vfilmjaf mjrmjvlcu yfjvr, vffqis mjqalnjalcu jcv ralgglcu atf rbei.
It was such a smile, on such an afternoon, in such a stunning manner, that fell into Jiang Jingyue’s eyes, falling into the deepest recesses of his inexplicably trembling heart.
Abruptly suppressing his suddenly racing heartbeat, Jiang Jingyue once again buried his head in the man’s embrace. He clenched his fingers seeming to unconsciously try to grasp something.
Master, Master, Master…
“I will… I will present Da Ao to Master…”
Gu Weizhou, who was just debating with number 001 that the previous out-of-character moment was an accident, paused for a moment before hearing the words again.
“I will present Da Ao to Master…”
The words were spoken with immense gravity as if a solemn vow had been made.
Curling his lips, Gu Weizhou reached out to touch the head of the person in his arms, saying, “…I’ll be waiting.”
Waiting for the day when you will present Da Ao to me with both hands.
…
On a morning when the accumulated snow had just melted, Da Ao’s entire imperial palace was almost enveloped by the sounds of firecrackers. The palace maids and eunuchs who were coming and going all wore red decorations, their faces full of joy.
Finally, the birthday of the Emperor of Da Ao had arrived.
As the undisputed ruler of this land, envoys from various countries came to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday. They brought with them rare and ancient treasures that almost filled the entire imperial treasury, leaving countless gift-receiving maids and eunuchs wide-eyed.
The elaborate reception of gifts took almost a full day, showcasing the sheer number of envoys who had come to offer their congratulations—or rather, showcasing the numerous small countries that Jiang Lianbi had previously defeated.
In the evening, the formal birthday feast began. Though the Emperor was paralyzed, it was still his birthday. Therefore, when the banquet hall was constructed, a special place had been left at the very top for the dragon bed, with a row of bamboo curtains separating the inner and outer chambers.
Inside the luxurious hall, rows of fist-sized night pearls were extravagantly embedded in the walls and pillars, used only for the most basic illumination. The entire hall was enveloped in the sound of flutes. Throughout the banquet, people would repeatedly come, offering their congratulations to the Emperor behind the bamboo curtain.
In the center of the hall, a graceful songstress swayed seductively, while a faint aroma of wine filled the air. Jiang Huaijin’s eyes were cold as he drank glass after glass of wine set before him.
This morning, as soon as the restrictions were lifted, he had rushed eagerly with his men to the secluded courtyard, planning to meet Su Qingli, whom he hadn’t seen for several months. Unexpectedly, before he could even enter the door, he was blocked by that monster.
Looking at the man’s clean appearance and recalling the words he’d heard from a young eunuch, Jiang Huaijin was furious to the point of almost having the monster before him killed on the spot.
How dare he get so close to his people.
Had it been the past, Jiang Huaijin would have immediately given the order. But ultimately, he was concerned about not causing trouble for the Emperor, so he could only order his men to seize the monster. He himself walked into the side hall but never expected Jiang Jingyue to obstruct him like a madman, leaving them all in a very awkward state.
Originally, he was about to be bitten by that lunatic Jiang Jingyue again, but unexpectedly, he was stopped by that man at the last moment.
Downing a large gulp of wine, Jiang Huaijin’s eyes held an indefinable shade of darkness.
However… he would have rather the man hadn’t shouted that command.
That monster, whose hostility was evident to all, actually listened to that man so obediently. He even went so far as to tug at the man’s clothes and rub the man’s palm.
As for Su Qingli, he was still the same as always. Facing Jiang Huaijin, who was in a pitiful state, he didn’t even spare him a glance and turned to enter the side hall.
When had Jiang Huaijin ever been humiliated like this in his life!
Jiang Huaiyu, who had just finished speaking with the envoys, turned his head and saw him downing glasses of wine one after the other. His eyes flickered, betraying no emotion.
Thinking about how elated his brother seemed this morning due to the rare lifting of restrictions, and contrasting that with his current mood, Jiang Huaiyu’s thoughts took a sudden turn.
Could it be Su Qingli again?
Just as Jiang Huaiyu was pondering what kind of talents this never-before-seen Su Qingli possessed to irritate his ever-curious brother this much, a slightly tipsy voice suddenly rang out from across the banquet.
“Rumor has it that Yunzhan has a son, Su Qingli, who during Yunzhan’s Emperor’s birthday played ‘A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix,’ attracting a symphony of birds to sing along in celebration. Has anyone else heard of this?”
“I have also heard of it. They say this Su Qingli is no ordinary person. Strange phenomena were seen at his birth; he is an exceptional talent.”
“What I heard is that he’s Yunzhan’s most handsome man, and everyone who has seen him becomes smitten.”
…
Such teasing comments, reminiscent of jesting pub-goers, made the envoy from Yunzhan go from green to white in embarrassment. Yet, due to the special occasion, he dared not retort. Weighing his options, he could only secretly direct his resentment towards Su Qingli, who was the subject of everyone’s discussion.
“Since all the envoys are so keen to see him, let’s summon Prince Su to perform a piece for us.” The aged voice of the Emperor behind the bamboo curtain slowly came through.
At this point, he seemed to think of something and added, “Yunzhan shouldn’t have any objections, right?”
Upon hearing this, the envoy from Yunzhan immediately put on a smile, saying, “To perform music for Your Majesty is an honor for Yunzhan; how could we have any objections?” What nonsense.
And Jiang Huaijin, who had been brooding moments before, his eyes suddenly lit up.
Is Su Qingli coming to play zither for him?
Jiang Huaiyu who was beside Jiang Huaijin glanced secretively at him, whose eyes were sparkling. Without changing his expression, he raised his eyebrows slightly.
Su Qingli, huh? He was quite curious to see what this much-praised person was really like and how he had managed to captivate his naive younger brother to this extent.
Inside the side hall.
After receiving the imperial decree, Gu Weizhou lowered his eyes and silently turned to fetch his zither from the inner chamber. However, just as he was about to pick up the instrument, someone beside him grabbed his hand.
“Master… don’t go.” Looking at the man before him, who was as elegant as a figure in a painting, Jiang Jingyue’s eyes were red. His voice trembled as he uttered the four simple words.
The man standing before him might currently be just a proton, but he was also a prince of a kingdom. Although Yunzhan might not be considered a powerful nation, it was still a country. Most of the people in the hall were merely subjects of vassal states; his status was much more distinguished than theirs.
And yet, this royal prince of Yunzhan had been reduced today to a lowly musician to entertain the masses. How dare they ask him to perform publicly!
Gu Weizhou didn’t say anything; he simply lifted his hand gently and one by one pried open the fingers that were tightly clutching his own.
Jiang Jingyue’s grip was firm, each finger reluctant to let go, as if he wanted to hold on to the last vestige of pride in this man’s life with all his strength.
This man should not be so debased, so desperate, so resigned.
Yet no matter how hard he tried to hold on, it was all in vain.
Feeling the arm drop, feeling the man’s silent turn, Jiang Jingyue mustered courage from somewhere and lunged forward to wrap his arms around the man’s waist.
“..Master…Master…” His trembling voice carried his somewhat hopeless despair.
With downcast eyes, Gu Weizhou looked at the trembling hands clutching his waist tightly. After a moment’s hesitation, he finally lifted his hand to gently pat him.
“….It’s okay, it’s just a piece of music.”
It’s just a piece of music. After all, he played here every day; what difference would playing in public make?
Prince Su Qingli of Yunzhan, the high and mighty Su Qingli, had died the moment he stepped out of Yunzhan’s imperial city and entered this side hall.
What remains is merely a hostage, Su Qingli.
Devoid of freedom, stripped of pride, lacking in dignity…
Hearing the impatient voices and footsteps coming from outside, Gu Weizhou’s grip on the hand slightly trembled as he immediately said to the room beyond, “I’m coming out now.”
“Hurry up, the emperor and all the envoys are waiting!” An impatient, shrill voice came from outside the door.
Glancing at the hand still tightly clinging to his waist, Gu Weizhou narrowed his eyes and whispered, “…Don’t come out; it’s dangerous outside.”
Feeling the door close, feeling the person’s departure, feeling the vanishing of that white-robed figure from his line of sight, Jiang Jingyue collapsed onto the floor, completely deflated.
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