diskusbooks Chapter 223 Ingratitude and Deceit (58)
Chapter 223 Ingratitude and Deceit (58)
The rebels who rose up in southern Jiangxi, with the financial support of Jiangxi, were as if divinely aided, advancing with unstoppable momentum and already reaching the outskirts of the capital.
The garrison in the capital city numbered only 20,000; how could they possibly contend with an army of over 100,000 outside?
Gu Yao stood in the once bustling Golden Palace during court sessions, but now only the two of them were there.
Looking at the young emperor sitting on the dragon throne, who was not yet twenty, he already possessed the composure and aura of an emperor.
Gu Yao smiled and, following his usual practice, bowed to the young man at the head of the table.
Bu Shaoluan sat at the head of the table, looking at Gu Yao across the steps, and smiled while resting his chin on his hand.
Why doesn't the official in charge of the seal leave the capital?
At this point, the young man seemed to sense something and looked towards the sky outside the hall.
"Now, many ministers in the capital have probably left through the north gate..."
"Yes, the garrison in the capital has protected the north gate, and many people have already left with their families."
Upon hearing this, Bu Shaoluan's eyes flickered. He turned to look at the young man who still kept his back ramrod straight and gave him a wicked smile. "Why doesn't the palm print leave?"
Gu Yao looked up and stared directly at the young man above her, who made no attempt to hide his probing intent. She parted her red lips slightly and said, "Because my family is still in this capital city."
The young man's gaze was intense, his eyes revealing undisguised and straightforward affection.
It was like a deep pool, threatening to drown Bu Shaoluan.
Bu Shaoluan tried his best to control the expression on his face, but the burning heat in his eyes seemed to want to burn the person in front of him to ashes.
"The family members of the seal holder, who are they?"
The boy's deep voice trembled slightly, but his gaze was fixed on the person in front of him, not moving an inch, as if afraid of missing a single expression on the person's face.
Gu Yao looked at the little wolf cub's slightly red eyes, as if he had seen something amusing. He chuckled softly, his deliberately lowered voice carrying a hint of seduction, yet he still wanted to tease the boy a little.
"Doesn't His Majesty already know?"
Bu Shaoluan had already made up his mind, but he still wanted to completely eliminate that trace of uncertainty.
He looked at the person in front of him, his face tense, his brows slightly furrowed, like a restless little dog. He looked intimidating, but in reality, he could only whimper pitifully.
"I don't know the secret. I want the secret master to tell me himself."
Young people are always terribly stubborn, relentlessly demanding an answer.
Gu Yao seemed somewhat helpless, sighed softly, looked up and stared directly at the young man, and said earnestly, word by word, "That person is both far away and right before our eyes."
Her usual reserved gentleness seemed to have been switched on today, and she spoke bluntly.
The gazes that were once hidden are now fervent.
The heat made Bu Shaoluan's heart tremble.
Shen Xuntang had no parents and no relatives. If he had any family, it would only be his wife.
Wife, just thinking about that title made Bu Shaoluan's fingertips tremble.
He thought Ah Tang would avoid the question, but he didn't expect to get a positive answer so easily.
The pent-up emotions of the past few days are like the withered grass stretching across an autumn field, waiting only for a spark to ignite a wildfire.
A wildfire will only burn away all pretense.
To expose the delusions that were growing in one's heart to everyone.
And a wildfire that spreads across the land will only burn those closest to us to ashes.
The young man, whose plan was about to succeed, was ultimately careless and unable to calm his mind.
Hearing his beloved's confession, Bu Shaoluan was somewhat excited. He got up from the dragon throne and quickly walked down the steps.
Gu Yao stood where the sunlight shone, smiling, quietly waiting for him.
The boy who was waiting for him hugged him tightly.
The boy's turbulent heart caused his thoughts to surge and become restless.
Bu Shaoluan buried her face in Gu Yao's neck, her heart filled with a thousand emotions and ten thousand sincere feelings, yet she didn't know how to express them.
All the sweet words, in the end, turn into a sigh.
"Then Ah Tang won't leave anymore, okay?"
The boy's satin hair fell around Gu Yao's neck, causing a ticklish sensation and making his heart waver slightly for a moment.
Hearing the boy's coquettish words, Gu Yao's face darkened as he inserted the silver needle from his fingertips into the boy's shoulder.
A sudden weight settled on his already thin shoulders. Gu Yao raised his hand and hugged Bu Shaoluan, burying his head in the boy's neck as if he were savoring this hard-won tenderness.
"Your Majesty, I will not leave this capital city, never."
The youth's repetition seems to emphasize something and promise something.
“As long as Your Majesty remains in this capital city, I will remain here. Therefore, today I will give Your Majesty your final lesson.”
He removed the silver needle from the boy's shoulder and, to Bu Shaoluan's disbelief, helped him step by step to the high position that represented power.
He was like the most attentive eunuch, bowing his head to tidy up Bu Shaoluan's somewhat disheveled robes and smooth out the messy hair at his temples.
The movements were gentle and meticulous.
It's like I've done it countless times.
He looked up and met the boy's reddened eyes, tears welling up and falling onto the boy's amorous peach blossom eyes.
Coupled with that aggrieved expression, it's always easy to soften one's heart.
Gu Yao ignored Bu Shaoluan's scarlet eyes and, at his own pace, straightened the slightly crooked twelve-tassel crown for her.
The boy's tears fell onto the back of his hand at that moment.
It was light as a feather, yet weighed as much as a thousand pounds.
Gu Yao lowered her eyelashes and gently wiped away the tears on the back of her hand.
He took out a soft handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away the boy's tears. The boy's trembling eyelashes brushed against the back of his fingers, causing a tingling sensation.
Gu Yao's eyes darkened, and he subtly withdrew his hand, straightening his collar.
He bent down and gently stroked the handsome face he cherished, speaking softly, "Your Majesty, do you see this palace wall?"
Bu Shaoluan followed the young man's slender white fingertips to the tall, vermilion palace wall.
"I dislike this square sky. What I want is to roam the world. But for the one I love, I stayed in the capital. Yet he wants to clip my wings. Tell me, can I tolerate this?"
Gu Yao looked at the boy's ashen face with a smile.
He smiled slyly, like a child who had successfully pulled off a prank.
Gu Yao patted the boy's shoulder and slowly stood up.
"I cannot tolerate this. Therefore, I must give Your Majesty one last lesson: a ruler should not easily trust others."
As he spoke, a familiar itch rose in his throat, and the young man's not-yet-straight back collapsed drastically, like a half-built skyscraper.
The hunched back made the already slender young man appear even more frail, and the heart-wrenching cough made Bu Shaoluan's face stiffen.
What followed was terror.
During this period of time, he had only occasionally heard Ah Tang cough a few times, but never this severely.
Shen Xuntang, what is he hiding from him?!
Gu Yao didn't know how long he had been coughing, but he felt pain in all his internal organs.
After catching his breath, he felt his fingertips were weak and unsteady.
With trembling hands, he took out a medicine bottle from his sleeve, poured out two pills, and swallowed them without caring about their dark color.
The expected bitterness did not come.
Instead, it emitted the aroma of osmanthus sugar.
With slender, pale fingers gently twirling the medicine bottle in his palm, Gu Yao smiled.
Senior brother is still so stubborn but soft-hearted.
After eating some sweets, Gu Yao's mood improved considerably.
He tucked the medicine bottle into his sleeve and turned to look at the terrified boy who was struggling to break free from the drugs.
In the sunlight, the pale, sickly look on that beautiful face faded, making her appear exceptionally vibrant.
Her already stunningly beautiful face was now even more captivating.
Gu Yao tilted his head slightly, his crimson official robes making him even more beautiful than the flowers in spring.
But the words he uttered made Bu Shaoluan feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
"I said I would clear all obstacles for you, and I will do as I say. Today is the day I fulfill my promise."
Bu Shaoluan was flustered and wanted to say something, but the young man had already turned his head away.
"Tang Yi!"
Tang Yi, who was guarding outside the door, immediately pushed the door open and entered, presenting the sword in her hands with both hands.
In his hand was a sword that was entirely silver-white.
Gu Yao gently stroked the sword, feeling a pang of nostalgia.
Long time no see, Cijing.