Lai Fu tiptoed in and reported directly to Gu Yanxi, "The Heir, the Celestial Master has been brought into the palace. Where would you like him taken?"
"Bring him here."
"Yes."
The Emperor was momentarily torn between anger and amusement—had he been reduced to a mere decoration?
"What have you found out?"
Gu Yanxi put on his mask, his voice shifting slightly. "There are some suspicions that need verification."
At that moment, a human-shaped bundle, tightly wrapped from head to toe in a bedsheet, was carried in. The door closed, the sheet was pulled away, revealing the Celestial Master inside, bound hand and foot.
Gagged, the Celestial Master’s overly animated eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when he realized where he was and who he was facing.
"Xiao Wu, give him a proper reception."
Understanding the command, Xiao Wu cracked his knuckles and stepped forward. Without a word, he delivered punch after punch to the Celestial Master’s stomach. Gagged, the Celestial Master could only whimper, his face pleading for mercy.
The Emperor acted as if he saw nothing, reopening Yan Xi’s memorial to read. The commotion had no effect on him whatsoever.
Only when the Celestial Master’s eyes rolled back and he was on the verge of passing out did Xiao Wu stop. He knew how to inflict excruciating pain without causing serious injury—just enough to make it hurt, hurt, hurt!
Gu Yanxi set down his teacup. "Did you bring the Elixirs?"
"Yes."
Lai Fu handed over a bag of Elixirs. Gu Yanxi opened it and glanced inside—there were at least a hundred pills.
"Since these Elixirs are bold enough to be presented before the Emperor, they must be capable of curing all ailments. Come, feed them to the Celestial Master." Gu Yanxi’s smile was icy. "All of them."
The Emperor glanced at his nephew but ultimately said nothing, setting aside the memorial to watch what Yan Xi intended to show him.
"Spare me, please..." The Celestial Master’s throat was skillfully pressed by Xiao Wu, allowing him to breathe but preventing him from uttering a single word.
The Elixirs didn’t even need water to swallow—Xiao Wu manipulated his throat, forcing them down one by one. When a third of the bag had been emptied, the Celestial Master began to retch, struggling desperately to break free. He knelt before the Emperor, shaking his head frantically.
No one paid him any mind. The pills continued to be forced into his mouth until the bag was completely empty. Only then did the person holding him firmly release their grip.
He cared about nothing else now, shoving his fingers down his throat to vomit violently, defiling the imperial study floor. Some of the vomit contained intact Golden Elixirs, while others showed signs of dissolving. But compared to what he had swallowed, it was far too little. Just as he prepared to continue, his hand was seized. He looked up to see the same man who had beaten him earlier. Terrified, he scrambled away, any trace of his former dignified demeanor utterly gone.
The Emperor watched with disgust this once ethereal and noble Celestial Master. He had met him once before, away from prying eyes. If not for his truly extraordinary presence, how could he have been so deceived?
"Feed him what he vomited. Gag him and tie him up."
"I won’t eat anymore, I won’t! Any more will kill me! Ask me anything—I’ll tell you everything!"
Gu Yanxi adjusted his robes, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I need nothing from you. I only wish to see if your Golden Elixir can truly raise the dead and regenerate flesh. I await the sight of you, Celestial Master... attaining immortality and ascending to divinity."
"I don’t—" Before he could finish, his mouth was sealed shut. Xiao Wu bound him to a pillar in the imperial study. No matter how he struggled, it was futile.No one spoke a word. Cold gazes fell upon the Celestial Master as they watched him struggle with a contorted face, his throat convulsing in agony. They observed his entire body trembling, his complexion turning ashen, his loss of bowel control filling the room with a foul stench. They witnessed his pupils dilate, gradually losing focus, his head tilting back in an unknown state between life and death...
"Enough!" The Emperor closed his eyes. "Take him away."
Xiao Wu glanced at The Heir and, receiving a subtle signal, reluctantly dragged the man away with evident disgust. Lai Fu swiftly cleaned up the mess, lit a stick of sandalwood incense, then exited the room and closed the door, standing guard personally outside.
Knowing when to stop, Gu Yanxi removed his mask and silently knelt before the man who was both his sovereign and the uncle who had doted on him for years.
The Emperor opened his eyes and looked down at his nephew's bowed head, sighing deeply at the stubbornness evident even in his posture. Rising from behind the desk, he gently helped Yanxi up, patting his shoulder as he promised, "We understand. We shall never touch it again."
Gu Yanxi lowered his eyes and acknowledged with a hum, though he had already resolved that no Celestial Master would remain in the capital. Should anyone dare set foot in the capital again—step with the left foot, he'd cut off the left; step with the right, he'd sever the right!
The Emperor sighed deeply. Had his energy not been declining so severely, he would never have taken this path. Most of the Gu family enjoyed long lives, yet those who ascended to high positions inevitably saw their lives shortened—this held true for emperors and successive leaders of the Seven Constellation Bureau alike.
When his time came, he would definitely leave an edict for Yanxi, urging him to cultivate a successor early and live a carefree life thereafter.
"If you find Little Six suitable, let him follow you. As for the palace... there's no need to return."
Gu Yanxi looked up at his imperial uncle. What did these words imply...?
"Consort Zhen was clever—there's no reason her son should be foolish. He simply inherited his mother's temperament and dislikes contention. Teach him well. If he can eventually take over your responsibilities, We would rest assured."
"Little Six lacks sufficient ruthlessness. He cannot bear this burden."
"Were you ruthless enough initially? Born into the imperial family, even a cat is one that feeds on raw meat. Sharpen his claws, and he too can inflict harm."
Gu Yanxi's mind raced. His uncle's meaning was that once he agreed, he would no longer monitor Little Six's movements? This would indeed be more convenient. Thus, he nodded in acceptance. "Your subject understands."
The Emperor brightened slightly, but when he opened his mouth, he forgot what he intended to say. His expression shifted—was this an effect of the Golden Elixir? If so, then those who had tempted him to consume it...
Hah. They knew him too well. They had calculated that he would conceal it from Yanxi, that he couldn't resist the temptation. The only miscalculation was Yanxi's ability to detect something amiss merely by scent.
"Imperial Uncle?"
"It's nothing." The Emperor returned behind the long table. "Investigate this matter thoroughly. Show no mercy, regardless of who is involved."
"Your subject obeys."
Outside the door, Chief Eunuch Lai Fu's sharp voice announced, "Your Majesty, Lady Shaoyao has arrived."
"Enter."
Shaoyao stood at the doorway wearing her veiled hat and carrying her medicine chest. Before even stepping inside, she frowned—what was this revolting smell?
Entering the room, her gaze shifted from Yan Ge to the Emperor. Removing her veiled hat, she knelt on one knee. "I pay respects to Your Majesty."
This was a military salute!The emperor gazed at the child whose appearance could only be described as utterly disfigured, vaguely recalling how she had once proudly brandished her spear and declared with resounding determination: "I will become the Great Qing Dynasty's first female general, to protect my Gu family's empire and our Han people!"
Since that day, she had never performed a curtsy again.
Even when choosing to forget, some habits remain ingrained in the body.
PS: My nose tingled with emotion while writing this. Somehow, whenever I write about Shaoyao, it easily affects me like this. Early update today.
OpenNovel