CH 30

Ye Zi didn’t answer and his small roots stirred a few times as he tried to break free from the other party’s grasp. But Gu Yan held him so tightly that he couldn’t move at all.

Ye Zi had no choice but to speak: “Let me change back first.”

Gu Yan laughed lightly and released him.

The little green plant ran back to the bedchamber in a flash.

Ye Zi changed back to human form, put on some clothes, and pushed open the door of the bedchamber. Gu Yan was sitting in the gazebo in the courtyard drinking tea.

Ye Zi walked over. Gu Yan sipped his tea and raised his eyes to look at him: “Tell me, where have you been?”

Ye Zi’s eyes dodged guiltily and he hesitated: “Just……casually strolling around.”

“Casually strolling around?” Gu Yan gently laughed as he exposed him without mercy, “I didn’t think casually strolling around could lead you to the Empress’s bedchamber, which is several courtyards away from here, and to even stroll into the boudoir of a lady?”

Ye Zi was stunned: “How did you know?……”

Gu Yan put the teacup back on the stone table and said indifferently: “Do you think that I, Prince Rui, am just a decoration? A Zi, you underestimate me too much.”

Ye Zi vaguely heard the deeper meaning in his words and asked in surprise: “You arranged spies in the palace?”

Gu Yan didn’t answer but didn’t refute either.

Ye Zi asked again: “Is that why you’re not worried at all?”

Could it be that everything was under this person’s control, that he wasn’t as unconcerned and unworried about anything as Ye Zi imagined?

Gu Yan paused for a long time and asked rhetorically: “There was an assassin earlier, is it strange for me to do so?”

“As for you saying that I wasn’t worried……” Gu Yan raised his hand and poured Ye Zi a cup of tea, indicating to him to sit down, “A Zi, I told you that there is no need to worry about this matter.”

Ye Zi asked: “You already have a plan?”

“A Zi, you’re making this way too complicated.” Gu Yan smiled, “Commandery Princess Changning lost her footing and fell into the water while touring the garden and this Prince saved her, it’s that simple. The little maidservant beside Changning is very easily persuaded, perhaps when the Empress Dowager and the Empress ask her tomorrow, she will tell the truth.”

Ye Zi was stunned for a moment, and finally realized: “You bribed Commandery Princess Changning’s maid?

“More than that.” Gu Yan didn’t hide anything, “I didn’t clarify at first, but I wanted to leave a spy to test the Empress and Changning’s attitude. Fortunately, Changning was still clear-headed and she didn’t listen to the Empress to bite me in the back, otherwise……”

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Gu Yan paused for a moment and a dangerous smile flashed in his eyes: “This Prince and her constantly disagree with each other and there are so many palace officials testifying for this Prince, do you think Emperor Jinghe will believe her or me?

Naturally, he would believe Gu Yan.

And when that time comes, not only would Wen Zhi’s reputation be ruined, but she may not even be able to keep her position as a Commandery Princess.

Ye Zi was secretly shocked; he never thought Gu Yan would be so well prepared.

No wonder he seemed to be indifferent to this matter all the time. He wasn’t just sitting around and waiting for death, on the contrary, he had already thought of a countermeasure early on.

This time it was Ye Zi who underestimated him.

Ye Zi said in a low voice: “I understand.”

Gu Yan glanced at him: “As long as you understand. Next time, don’t do anything superfluous. To have my Princess Consort go and risk his life would make me, Prince Rui, seem too useless.”  

Ye Zi bit his lower lip and still couldn’t help but ask: “Then what are you going to do next?”

“…….Although you are safe and sound right now, there is no guarantee that the Empress and the Duke of Protection won’t have other ideas in the future. You…….”

Gu Yan said: “It’s very simple, as long as Commandery Princess Changning caught hysteria and was unable to recover.”

“You mean……pretend to be crazy?”

“Yes.” Gu Yan said, “Changning lost her footing and fell into the water. She ends up in shock and becomes momentarily delirious without a clear conscience and needs to stay in the palace to recuperate. In this way, no one will force me to marry a crazy person and no one will force a crazy person to marry me. The things you are worried about and the things she is worried about will all be solved.”

Ye Zi looked away, moved his lips, and said in a low voice: “I wasn’t worried about you marrying her.” 

Gu Yan raised his eyebrows: “You weren’t? I thought you were this anxious because you were worried that you wouldn’t be able to keep your position as the main consort.”

Ye Zi said anxiously: “Of course not, I’m just worried that you will be plotted against, I——”

His words ended abruptly as he suddenly recalled what Gu Yan had asked him in the bath.

“A Zi, do you understand what you are doing?”

What exactly was he doing?

He was worried about this person’s safety, worried that he would be plotted against and persecuted by others, and also worried that……..if Gu Yan really married Changning, he would no longer have a place in the Prince Rui manor. 

Even though he was only pretending to be the Princess Consort, he seemed to be a bit too deep into his role. 

Ye Zi closed his eyes and got up: “Since Your Majesty already has a plan, I’ll go tell Commandery Princess Changning.”

“Come back.” Gu Yan called him, raised his head, and tapped Ye Zi’s forehead lightly, “I’ll tell you again, you are the Princess Consort, not my attendant. It isn’t your role to pass on my messages.” 

After being scolded, Ye Zi covered his forehead and looked at him aggrievedly.

But this time, Gu Yan didn’t fall for it.

“You repeatedly disobeyed my words, so you can’t go unpunished.” Gu Yan paused and laughed, “It just so happens that I am in high spirits today, so your punishment will be serving me wine.”

The moon was just right tonight and the stream could be heard trickling under the gazebo. Inside the gazebo, Ye Zi warmed the wine, poured a cup for Gu Yan in a disciplined manner, and handed it to him.

Gu Yan leaned against the gazebo, looking back at his movements.

The bright moonlight sprinkled on his face, reflecting the deep contours of his profile. 

Ye Zi settled his mind and handed over the wine cup: “Your Majesty.”

Gu Yan took it and played with the wine cup, sighing: “If you were this well-behaved in the first place, I wouldn’t have to punish you.”

Ye Zi pursed his lips and didn’t say anything.

Gu Yan drank the wine and said with a tilt of his head: “A Zi, is there something you want to ask me?”

Ye Zi hesitated for a moment before going forward to pour wine for him.

“I have nothing to ask.”

Gu Yan smiled: “I know even if you don’t tell me.”

“……The Imperial city is full of conflicts over power and influence and with my status, it is difficult to gain a secure foothold. Just like this time, I tried to avoid it, but I still couldn’t avoid getting involved. You’re worried about me, right? “

Ye Zi was silent for a long time before nodding slightly.

Gu Yan asked rhetorically: “In your opinion, what should I do?”

Ye Zi tentatively asked: “Has Your Majesty not thought of……staying away from the Imperial city?”

“You think I don’t want to stay away from the Imperial city?” Gu Yan sighed, “I proposed this idea to Emperor Jinghe a long time ago, hoping that he would grant me a fief and let me go to the fief to enjoy myself, so as not to be an eyesore in front of him.”

“He didn’t agree.”

“That old thing, even my Imperial uncles can be thrown to a fiefdom to fend for themselves, but only I am not allowed to go.” Gu Yan took a sip of wine and smiled mockingly, “He is afraid of me.”

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After all, if Gu Yan hadn’t been too young to inherit the throne, the world would have been his a long time ago.

Gu Yan said: “As long as I’m alive, he won’t be able to sit comfortably on the throne. But at the same time, he isn’t able to do anything to me. On the other hand, if I were on that throne, I would have made the same choice.”

Ye Zi responded in a low voice: “I understand.”

Gu Yan drank a few more cups of wine and his eyes grew slightly hazy: “A Zi, do you know how to survive in the Imperial city, where there is a lot of rivalry and deceit?”

“Either you get caught up in it, fight for it, and sit in the highest position. Or……endure.”

Gu Yan looked at the sky, as if looking at the distant past through layers of moonlight: “The struggle for power made me lose the most important thing to me, and it was I who destroyed him with my own hands. I hope you never experience that kind of feeling, that kind……of feeling that would drive people crazy.”

Ye Zi’s heart twitched heavily. For the first time, he saw an undisguised look of pain on Gu Yan’s face.

But that expression was only fleeting and was soon covered up again by Gu Yan: “From that moment on, I understood that nothing was more important than living well and protecting what I want. From long ago, I have already stopped caring about the throne.”

Ye Zi nodded gently: “I understand.”

Gu Yan tilted his head to look at him for a while, then suddenly changed the subject, and praised: “You are good at warming wine. Even if you decide to leave my manor in the future, you should open a wine shop amongst the people; your business will definitely be booming.”

Ye Zi’s eyes twitched for a moment and asked in a low voice: “……Leave the manor?”

“Yes, haven’t you always wanted to leave the manor?” Gu Yan said, “I have thought about it. In a few months, or a couple of years, when the situation calms down, I will give you a letter of divorce. When that time comes, you can go where you want to go. What, are you not happy?”

Ye Zi lowered his eyes and shook his head: “No, I…….am very happy, thank you, Your Majesty.”

Gu Yan looked at him thoughtfully and didn’t say anything else.

The two casually chatted for a while before Gu Yan unknowingly finished drinking a pot of wine. He put down the wine cup and stood up, but his body swayed slightly.

Ye Zi hurriedly held him up: “Your Majesty?”

Gu Yan pinched the bridge of his nose and laughed lightly: “I haven’t drunk this much for a long time, I’m a little dizzy.”

“With a body like yours, it’s better to drink less.” Ye Zi muttered in a low voice and helped the person up, “Can you still walk?”

Gu Yan looked like he was having some difficulty. Resting his head on Ye Zi’s shoulder, his brow furrowed tightly and he didn’t answer.

Ye Zi sighed in resignation and wrapped his arms around Gu Yan as he half-supported and half-carried him into the bedchamber.

Gu Yan drank too much, his legs were weak, and his consciousness was unclear but he still cooperated anyway. Ye Zi helped him onto the bed without much effort, took off his outer robe, and then brought a silk handkerchief to wipe his face.

After doing so, Ye Zi sat down on the edge of the bed.

Gu Yan was breathing smoothly, as if he had already fallen asleep. He slept peacefully, as if he had let go of all his defenses and his profile didn’t show the coldness that he had when he was awake.

Tonight, Ye Zi saw a completely different Gu Yan from his memory.

Whether it was the one who planned with precision and solved the problem with ease. Or the one who told him of his remorse and showed his pain. Or even now, the one who was drunk and defenseless in front of him……

Ye Zi stared at him in a daze for a while and then blew out the oil lamp.

The bedchamber was suddenly plunged into darkness.

The only thing that came through the window was the bright moonlight, which blurred the figures of the two.

Ye Zi leaned over Gu Yan, his breathing unconsciously heavier due to nervousness. He settled down his thoughts and called out in a low voice: “Your Majesty?”

Gu Yan didn’t answer.

In the darkness, Ye Zi reached out and fumbled on the bed for a moment before covering the back of Gu Yan’s hand. He traced the outline of his hand with his fingertips, gently held it, and moved cautiously for fear of disturbing the sleeping person.

Gu Yan seemed unaware and remained motionless.

Ye Zi’s courage gradually grew.

He leaned down and let himself be pressed against Gu Yan. Ye Zi’s heart was beating fast, he supported his upper body with his arms, raised his body slightly, and stared at Gu Yan’s face with wide eyes guiltily as if he had done something bad.

But Gu Yan didn’t have any reaction.

Ye Zi looked at him for a long time before he lowered his head and lightly touched the other’s lips.

The touch of the two lips was as addictive as poison. Ye Zi kissed those cold and moist thin lips lightly and the fragrance of wine in the other party’s mouth almost made him a little drunk.

After an unknown amount of time passed, Gu Yan suddenly moved slightly.

A white light suddenly flashed in the bedchamber and after the light, Ye Zi’s clothes fell all over the bed.

There was a small bulge inside the clothes and the little green herb curled up inside, trembling gently with nervousness.

After a while, he finally gathered the courage to climb out. Gu Yan only frowned but didn’t wake up.

Ye Zi felt relieved. He kicked his clothes off the bed, climbed onto Gu Yan’s shoulders, and pressed himself against Gu Yan’s neck. He didn’t do anything else, but found a comfortable position and lay down quietly.

The room was silent and after a long time, Ye Zi muttered something in a low and aggrieved manner. 

“……I don’t want to leave.”