CH 39

Gu Yan only felt that his eyes were bloodshot and his brain was muddled, making him unable to think.

In the morning, not long after Ye Zi was taken away, Emperor Jinghe sent someone to bring Gu Yan into the palace. However, Ye Zi, who was originally summoned to the palace, was nowhere to be seen. Gu Yan immediately realized that something was off, however, Emperor Jinghe didn’t mention anything about Ye Zi’s whereabouts and only made indirect remarks, coerced and lured, asking all about the Northern Barbarians.

Gu Yan barely managed to maneuver with the man for several hours before learning that Ye Zi had been sent to the Zongzheng Temple.

Zongzheng Temple, the institution responsible for interrogating the Imperial family, was…….a place that cannibalized people without spitting out their bones.

On the way to Zongzheng Temple, the images that should have been buried in his memory kept flashing through his mind. Those horrible, unbearable, and painful memories turned into pieces of broken glass and pierced into his brain fiercely. The sharp pain almost drove him crazy.

But he didn’t dare to go crazy. He tried his best to maintain the last of his sanity, until he got through everything, to see that person.

Gu Yan’s eyes were bloodshot and his hands were tightly clenched, as if the person beside him would disappear again if he let go. Ye Zi gasped in pain and looked down, the veins on the back of the other party’s bloodless hand bulged as they strangled his wrist with bright red marks.

“Your Majesty?” Ye Zi struggled a little, tentatively calling out, “What’s wro—……”

Gu Yan was stunned for a moment. As if he suddenly came back to reality, he pulled Ye Zi into his arms. Before Ye Zi had time to see Gu Yan’s expression clearly, he bumped into Gu Yan’s shoulder, causing his chin to ache in pain.

He was about to push Gu Yan away, but his movements stopped abruptly.

He could feel that Gu Yan’s body was trembling imperceptibly.

Ye Zi’s heart twitched heavily.

The hand that was going to push Gu Yan away ended up wrapping around him as he caressed the other’s back a few times. Ye Zi tried his best to keep his tone calm and said in a low voice: “Your Majesty, what’s wrong? Did His Holiness give you a hard time again? Or was it something that happened with Jia Xiedan? I told you that Northern Barbarian couldn’t be trusted, he is still at the posthouse, right? I’ll go teach him a lesson, just….just don’t ignore me.” 

Gu Yan’s mind was buzzing constantly, his head was about to split, and he couldn’t hear what Ye Zi was saying at all. He buried his head in Ye Zi’s neck and said hoarsely: “I’m sorry…….”

Ye Zi froze as his heart felt sore and painful: “What are you talking about? Why are you sorry? I didn’t come here because of you, don’t be like this……”

“……No, it’s me, it’s all my fault.” Gu Yan closed his eyes and murmured in a low voice.

Gu Yan stroked Ye Zi’s hair and hugged him even tighter as he broke down in a trembling voice: “I was crazy to drag you into this mess, how could I let you enter this kind of place again, how could I……hurt you again…… “

How could he push him into a place like this again?

How could he……

Gu Yan seemed out of it and his words were incoherent, but Ye Zi heard something strange from his words.

What did he mean by……‘hurt you again?’

Ye Zi couldn’t figure it out and didn’t have the time to think about it again. Gu Yan hugged him extremely tightly, almost suffocating him. Ye Zi couldn’t bear it any longer as he stretched out and gently pushed him: “Your Majesty, I’m going to suffocate.”

Gu Yan didn’t move and Ye Zi comforted again: “Don’t worry, look, they don’t dare to do anything to me at all. I’m completely fine.”

“……Fine?” Gu Yan repeated in a low voice. As if wanting to confirm, his palm slowly brushed over Ye Zi’s back. Ye Zi didn’t resist and allowed Gu Yan to touch him all over with trembling hands, and finally, he held the wrist that had red marks.

The slender pale wrist showed several red marks, which looked a little shocking.

If you aren’t reading this on acupofhalfmoon.wordpress.com, then it has been reposted without permission. Please don’t give ad revenue to them and come join us for tea. I promise we don’t bite.

Gu Yan rubbed those red marks and lightly kissed them with trembling lips: “You’re fine, you’re unharmed……you’re unharmed.”

A few moments later, he opened his eyes. The blood in his eyes faded and he had regained his clarity.

Ye Zi carefully observed his complexion and was about to speak when Gu Yan suddenly lifted his hand and asked with a frown: “What happened? How dare they torture you!” 

Without waiting for Ye Zi to answer, Gu Yan said angrily, “Tell me who did it, this Prince will skin him!”

Ye Zi: “……”

His surname was Gu, his first name was Yan, and his courtesy name, Zicheng. Skin away.

Ye Zi naturally didn’t dare to say that. He pulled his hand away and said casually: “It’s nothing. I accidentally hurt myself. But you…what—”

Gu Yan closed his eyes, raised his hand to press on his sore and stinging temple, and asked: “What happened just now?”

Ye Zi hesitated for a moment but ended up not asking.

He remembered that Gu Yan did have a period of delirium in the novel. During that period of time, Gu Yan’s consciousness was seldom clear and his nature became more and more murderous and tyrannical, not allowing anyone to get close to him.

In the craziest time, he even rushed into the Ministry of Justice’s prison with a sword in hand, killing anyone he saw, and was almost executed on the spot as a robber.

Emperor Jinghe was terrified by his madness. He was afraid that one day this man would fall ill and rush into his Imperial study with his sword raised. After careful consideration, he gave Gu Yan a fief and sent him to the fief to recover from his illness.

But that should happen a long time later.

Ye Zi still remembered that during that time, when the man came back to his senses, he didn’t remember what he did when he fell ill.

Ye Zi pulled down his sleeve to cover his wrist and asked: “How are things being handled? About Jia Xiedan……how did he get snitched on?”

“Who said he was snitched on?” Gu Yan said, “If I’m right, he probably leaked the matter himself.”

Ye Zi froze for a moment: “This……”

Gu Yan explained: “Jia Xiedan has investigated the collusion regarding the Northern Barbarians alone for many years and only found a few secret letters. He has only been in Chang’an for a few days, so it is impossible to find out the matter so quickly.”

Ye Zi came back to his senses: “So……he deliberately leaked the matter and wanted to get Emperor Jinghe to investigate for him?”

Gu Yan’s headache had yet to subside. He closed his eyes and said, “This time, I was the one who got set up by him.” 

When Jia Xiedan received a letter from Gu Yan, they came up with an alliance through marriage plan together. The original purpose was to investigate who was colluding with the Northern Barbarians after coming to Chang’an. But after he arrived, he realized that it was almost impossible to investigate the truth of the matter by himself.

So he chose a much easier way.

He leaked the matter and used Emperor Jinghe to investigate everything for him.

“That bastard!” Ye Zi understood immediately as his hands shook with anger, “You kindly helped him but he turned around to plot against you. I’ll……I’ll go teach him a lesson.”

“No need.” Gu Yan said softly, “I’ll personally teach him a lesson.”

Ye Zi looked at him suspiciously and Gu Yan explained: “Emperor Jinghe has left this matter to me. He gave me three days to find out exactly who is colluding with the Northern Barbarians.”

“……I made a military pledge in front of him. If I can’t find out the truth after three days, I will let him take away my position as Prince Rui.”

Ye Zi was stunned: “Only three days? But what if……”

“There is no ‘what if,’” Gu Yan interrupted him, “The longer we delay, the more time we give them to destroy incriminating evidence. The time started when Emperor Jinghe ordered the search of the posthouse, there isn’t much time left.”

Ye Zi wanted to say something else, but Gu Yan added: “I know what you are worried about. Others might not have a clue where to start, but I am different.”

Who in Chang’an City had contact with the Northern Barbarians, who had received benefits from the Northern Barbarians, and how many people were in on the leaked secrets, Emperor Jinghe had already investigated everything for him in his previous life.

“Since there is no evidence, we’ll just bring them back and interrogate them one by one.” Gu Yan mocked, “I would rather kill a thousand by mistake than let one go. My Imperial Uncle is the best at this.”

His eyes turned to the outside of the carriage. The night outside was gloomy, like a piece of thick ink that couldn’t be melted.

The carriage they rode slowly made its way toward the Prince Rui Manor. At the same time, through the cover of the night, several teams of guards quietly rushed into several officials’ residences in Chang’an City.

The carriage stopped in front of the Prince Rui Manor. Ye Zi helped Gu Yan to the courtyard and a man in black robes was waiting for them.

When Si Wei saw Gu Yan return, he immediately welcomed him.

Gu Yan asked: “Have you caught them all?”

“Yes.” Si Wei replied, “There are a few people who weren’t at home, I have sent someone to track them down.”

Gu Yan’s face was pale as he ordered in a low voice: “Put them in prison first, I will personally conduct the trial tomorrow.”

“Yes.” Si Wei answered. But when he raised his eyes and was met with Gu Yan’s poor complexion, he worried: “Is……is it another headache? This subordinate will go and fetch some medicine for you.”

Gu Yan nodded and went into the room with Ye Zi.

Gu Yan still had a severe headache. Ye Zi helped him onto the bed before sitting down to massage his temples whilst various thoughts ran through his brain. Gu Yan opened his eyes to look at him and smiled lightly: “Why do you have a worried expression again? I already told you, it will be fine.”

“I know.” Ye Zi slowly massaged his temple and said worriedly, “But…..the Northern Barbarian matter is a mess, why should you get involved? What if something goes wrong?…..”

Gu Yan didn’t answer and Ye Zi stared at his bloodless lips for a long time before he hesitantly asked: “Are you doing this for……me?”

Was it because…..he didn’t want him to stay at that place, worried that he would suffer in prison? 

Gu Yan suddenly raised his hand and pulled Ye Zi’s wrist. Ye Zi thought he wanted to sit up and hurriedly leaned over to help him, but Gu Yan only raised his body as he gently touched Ye Zi’s lips with his cold lips.

Gu Yan fell back on the bed and asked with a smile: “What do you think?”

Ye Zi froze in place.

Gu Yan’s headache was getting to him and without waiting for his response, he closed his eyes again and mumbled vaguely: “I’m going to sleep for a while. Wake me up when Si Wei brings the medicine over later.”

If you aren’t reading this on acupofhalfmoon.wordpress.com, then it has been reposted without permission. Please don’t give ad revenue to them and come join us for tea. I promise we don’t bite.

Ye Zi nodded in a trance: “O……Okay.”

Gu Yan stopped talking and fell asleep after a short while.

Ye Zi sat on the edge of the bed and stared at him blankly. After an unknown amount of time, there was a light knock on the door. Ye Zi opened the door and Si Wei stood at the door holding a bowl of medicinal soup.

Ye Zi looked back at the sleeping Gu Yan and asked in a low voice: “His Majesty has fallen asleep, can’t he drink it tomorrow?”

Si Wei shook his head: “If he doesn’t drink the medicine when he gets a headache, he will still have it tomorrow.”

“Does he get them often?” Ye Zi was stunned and puzzled, “How come I never knew?” 

He had been in the manor for ten years but never knew that Gu Yan had such a recurring ailment as headaches.

Si Wei realized what he had said and immediately shut his mouth.

Ye Zi narrowed his eyes: “Si Wei, what else are you hiding from me?”

Si Wei dodged his eyes for a moment and said in a weak voice: “His Majesty forbids this subordinate from telling anyone…..”  

Ye Zi frowned before his gaze turned: “Good Si Wei, there’s nothing forbidden in telling me. If you don’t tell me now, I’ll just ask His Majesty tomorrow. Since he treats me so well, there’s no way he wouldn’t tell me. But if you tell me now, I won’t have to bother him about such trivial matters, don’t you think?”  

“That does seem……true.” The baby-faced youth thought seriously for a moment and then, as if he was persuaded, he said, “Then I’ll tell you. After listening, you must wake His Majesty up so he can drink the medicine.” 

Ye Zi nodded his head repeatedly: “Mnn, I promise.”

Si Wei sighed, “This is a recurring illness. Whenever it starts acting up, His Majesty will get severe headaches, have horrible nightmares, and won’t be able to recognize anyone. He would also always spew nonsense…….Maybe because he was scared that the Great Princess would worry, every time this illness acted up, His Majesty would head to a villa outside the city for a night. Except for me, no one else in the Imperial family knows. “

“Doctor Pei has diagnosed and treated His Majesty. He said His Majesty has a knot in his heart, which is the root cause of his illness. He also said……that something must have stimulated His Majesty and since he has been unable to get rid of it for many years, it has become a heart disease.”

“Heart disease can only be healed by heart medicine, which can only be solved by himself.”

“However, this is all from earlier years. In the past year, His Majesty has been in a much better mood and the illness doesn’t act up as often. This subordinate thought that he was finally able to let go so I don’t know why it relapsed today…..” 

Ye Zi was silent for a moment before he said: “I understand. You may leave now.” 

After sending away Si Wei, Ye Zi carried the medicine into the room.

There was a knot in his heart, which was the cause of his illness.  

This person was only twenty-three years old, what kind of issue could make his illness this serious?

Could it be related to the words he said when he was sick?

Ye Zi had countless questions in his mind, but seeing Gu Yan’s pale face, he couldn’t say anything. Ye Zi put the medicine bowl on the bedside and called out softly: “Your Majesty, it’s time to drink the medicine.”

Gu Yan only frowned but didn’t wake up.

Ye Zi shook his shoulder: “Your Majesty? Your Majesty Prince Rui? Gu Yan?”

There was still no response.

Ye Zi glanced at Gu Yan’s restless sleeping face and then looked at the medicine bowl by the bed. He leaned down and said softly: “Gu Zicheng, you are the one who doesn’t want to wake up. When you wake up, don’t say that I took advantage of you.”

Afterward, he picked up the medicine bowl and took a sip. He then lowered his head, kissed his cold and pale lips, and passed a mouthful of medicine over.