ITOTIABSAM | The Tyrant in the Deep Palace | 62
Instinctively raising his hand, Gu Cong caught the young emperor steadily.
With sharp, upturned phoenix eyes, even without the crown, he always made people overlook his age. Only at this moment, with his curled eyelashes lightly closed and his forehead resting on Gu Cong's shoulder, devoid of expression, did he reveal a bit of childishness that matched his appearance.
"Your Majesty?" With only a thin layer of inner garment between them, Gu Cong didn't want to move too much. He could only half-hug, half-support the young emperor, extending his arm to help him remove his shoes.
The surroundings were very quiet. It seemed as if the palace attendants in the Mingguang Hall had all turned into ghosts, forgetting that there was an emperor inside. Aside from the sound of rain, Gu Cong couldn't hear any other noise. Even the breathing of the young man who had fallen into his arms was dangerously shallow.
Carefully probing his breath, Gu Cong confirmed a faint warmth gently brushing past. Then, gently holding onto the young man's wrist, Gu Cong finally breathed a sigh of relief: the young emperor had fallen into a deep sleep too quickly, almost fainting at first glance. Fortunately, judging from his pulse, he was just extremely exhausted.
The medical skills used in the summer palace to treat colleagues' headaches and improve meals unexpectedly came in handy at this moment.
The twists and turns of life are truly miraculous.
As he marveled at this, Gu Cong gently placed the young emperor on a low but comfortable soft pillow and adjusted his position. The front of his garment was tightly grasped, with the force exerted even causing his fingertips to turn white. Gu Cong briefly hesitated on whether to tear open the inner garment, but ultimately, with his thrifty nature prevailing, he turned sideways and lay down beside the youth, their faces now facing each other.
His skin was so fair.
Idle and bored, yet not wanting to sleep, Gu Cong could only carefully observe the young emperor before him, who appeared younger than his age. His features were exquisite, a beauty almost blurring the lines of gender.
Perhaps it was because so few dared to meet the emperor's gaze directly that this aspect was completely absent from the rumors circulating in the streets. His lips were rosy and soft, akin to a demon from the pages of a storybook, emerging to draw in the vitality of others.
Boom—
At the request of the small figure, every night in the Brightness Hall was as bright as day, with thunder rolling, as if wind blew in through the window seams. The lamp flowers burst open, candlelight flickered, and the young emperor's finely arched eyebrows furrowed tightly, his eyelashes trembling uneasily, as if he were about to wake from his slumber.
The next moment, a large hand covered his ears just in time, while another hand passed beneath his waist, embracing and soothing him with comforting pats.
"Mmm." A vague sound emanated from his throat, and Xie Ye's mental fluctuations stabilized once again.
1101, constantly monitoring the host's body data, was very puzzled:
It was very certain that in this world, Gu Cong had no healing abilities akin to ginseng becoming a spirit. Yet in certain specific situations, he still managed to reassure the host.
And it was an instinctual reaction without any pretense.
A thunderstorm night was one of the least favorite weather conditions for Xiao Hao. It reminded him of countless nights kneeling as punishment from the Empress Mother, and the scars and marks on his body that had to be concealed with thick clothing even during scorching summer days.
It was said that when the Empress Mother's family was executed for treason, it was also on a rainy night.
He had no medicine, and his head and body ached terribly. Occasionally being caught in continuous rain worsened both old and new wounds, causing them to fester. Despite wearing exquisite and luxurious clothes on the surface, they emitted a foul odor underneath. The other sons favored by the old emperor pushed and shoved him, laughing and jesting, which grated on his nerves.
Occasionally, there were a few who held themselves aloof, observing from a distance with disdainful gazes.
Until one day, with his head pounding and bloodshot eyes, Xiao Hao grabbed the leader's head in a frenzy and fiercely smashed it against a fake mountain. Blood flowed everywhere, and the world instantly fell silent.
Was it the Third Prince or the Eighth Prince who came?
Xiao Hao had already forgotten.
He only remembered that the old emperor punished him with just two days of kneeling, and when he reappeared, everyone treated him with utmost respect.
He only knew that making others suffer more than himself would make him feel a little better.
Boom—
Crack.
Another loud thunder, accompanied by lightning tearing through the night sky. Xie Ye subconsciously understood that he was dreaming, but he couldn't wake up. Blood, an overwhelming amount of blood, piled up, with lifeless bodies, and at the top, there was a woman with her throat slit, her eyes wide open.
Thud.
Thump.
The world was collapsing bit by bit, blood and bodies pouring down, pressing him down tightly. Instinctively, he wildly swung his arms, grabbing onto a neck of a corpse and exerting all his strength.
[Host! Xie Ye!]
In a daze, he heard a familiar voice: "Cough! Your Majesty... Your Majesty, wake up!"
"Huh."
Suddenly taking a breath, Xie Ye opened his eyes.
Before him was a handsome face, now flushed red, even bordering on purple. His hands were fiercely clasped around the man's neck, leaving behind distinct and terrifying marks.
As if electrified, he quickly recoiled backward.
— It was planned.
Li Dezhong, this old fox, didn't truly misunderstand the meaning of "attending to," but rather deliberately took advantage of the misunderstanding, choosing a rainy night to send someone to his own bed.
If there was no thunder, it would be fine, but if there was thunder, according to the temperament of Xiao Hao in the past, Xie Ye wouldn't reap any benefits. The only person who could calm Xie Ye down, Pei Yi, would likely be summoned and easily resolve the crisis of falling out of favor.
Otherwise, given Li Dezhong's intelligence to serve as the eunuch chief for two consecutive dynasties, it's impossible for him to act so recklessly without mentioning Gu Cong throughout the entire evening, as it would easily lead to trouble.
And indeed, he fell victim to the effects of the sedative medication.
He hurt Gu Cong.
For the second time.
Unfortunately, the man who was hurt seemed to be born without the nerves to fear, as he approached with terrifying marks on his neck, asking softly, "Your Majesty?"
The physiological dampness at the corners of the eyes was gently wiped away, and Xie Ye heard the other person lowering his voice, hoarse and comforting, like coaxing a child softly, "Your Majesty, don't be afraid."
How naive.
Who should be afraid of whom now?
Suppressing the turbulence in his eyes, Xie Ye pushed the other person away forcefully and spoke coldly, sounding like a scoundrel, "Put on your clothes and leave."
"The carriage is already waiting outside the palace gates. When dawn breaks tomorrow, you will be out of my sight." Inside the carriage, there were silver coins and a deed, carefully balanced so as not to appear overly generous as a reward for the palace people, yet enough to ensure Gu Cong's security for the rest of his life.
As for himself, all he needed to do was to kill Xi Junyu before the original's death point arrived.
"In light of this injury, I will have someone remove your slave status." Seldom willing to utter long sentences due to the pain, Xie Ye paused briefly, but unusually, he continued, sentence after sentence.
"Of course, I can leave," the curtains were drawn, leaving only himself and the young emperor on the dragon bed. Gu Cong summoned up courage from somewhere and negotiated firmly, "But I want to know the reason."
Not wanting to blurt out a disdainful excuse, Xie Ye turned his head slightly, avoiding the other's gaze, and smirked softly, "What other reason could there be?"
"That foreign dog didn't meet its end by accident."
Raising his hand, the cold fingertips of the young man brushed over the red and swollen bruises, causing the man to tremble unconsciously. Then, like a venomous snake, he slowly traced upward, reaching the familiar contours of his eyes, gently outlining them:
"Do you know why Li Dezhong insisted on sending you to my bed tonight? Because on a rainy night before, I went mad, and that little animal was frightened by me so much that it bit me fiercely."
"By the time I regained my senses, it was already dead."
"Stiff, with eyes closed forever."
That dog was a tribute brought by neighboring small countries along with congratulatory gifts upon the new emperor's ascension. It caught the eye of the young emperor, so it was kept by his side.
Before Pei Yi entered the palace, no matter how crazy he got, he had never personally killed a living being. But under the influence of toxins accumulating in my body, he lost all rationality. When he regained clarity, the dog that had accompanied me through many nights had died.
He had killed it with his own hands.
Others didn't know the truth. That night, the palace maids and eunuchs on duty were also discreetly dealt with by Li Dezhong. All they knew was that the emperor's favorite foreign dog had passed away, causing him to fall ill for quite some time, almost requiring Pei Yi's presence every night to fall asleep.
As rare tribute items were scarce, and there were no more visits from the small countries, Xiao Shunzi insisted on bringing him into the palace upon seeing Gu Cong, firmly believing that he could secure a promising future for him.
Unfortunately, he was wrong.
Even if Xie Ye hadn't transmigrated that day, even if it was the previous emperor who didn't know, he wouldn't have been able to achieve success. He might not even have been able to save his own life and would have died in a more miserable manner.
"Are you afraid?" The long and straight eyelashes in front of him trembled lightly, brushing against his fingertips. As expected, Xie Ye said indifferently, "If you're afraid, then leave."
"Otherwise, I might dig out your eyes someday."
"Why should I be afraid?" Although his throat still burned with intense pain, Gu Cong shook his head sincerely. "Your Majesty, driving me away is out of kindness; refraining from harming your beloved pet is self-restraint."
"I don't bite people, so I won't make Your Majesty angry."
"If Your Majesty still wants to treat me as a dog, you can retaliate by biting back to vent your anger, just like before," understanding the emperor's unusual behavior during the day, he pulled down his inner robe, "I'm ready at any time."
Xie Ye, at a loss for words: ...
It;s like talking to a brick wall.
"I won't leave," worried about being overheard, Gu Cong bent slightly and leaned closer to the young emperor's ear, "Your Majesty, do you know that there are people in this palace plotting against you?"
Languidly, the young emperor raised his eyebrows slightly, as if to say, which one are you referring to? There are countless people who want to harm me.
Gu Cong: "It's the bowl of lily and mung bean soup from Assistant Pei, it contains..."
"A slow-acting poison," intercepting his words preemptively, Xie Ye remained calm, "I'm aware."
Gu Cong's pupils dilated for a moment. "You knew and still drank it?" If he hadn't accidentally knocked the bowl over, the emperor would have definitely consumed it.
And that Assistant Pei who brought the soup still lived comfortably in the Quiet Snow Pavilion. Given the seriousness of attempting to harm the emperor, he should have been thrown into the dungeon long ago.
Could it be...
The advice received before entering the palace, "Assistant Pei's Favor," still echoed in Gu Cong's ears. He cursed himself for being foolish, and his puppy eyes, which were already slightly drooping, looked even more aggrieved.
Was this young emperor a fool? Just because he liked someone, he willingly consumed poison?
For a long time, 1101 finally ventured to speak up timidly, "Host, he cursed at you."
Xie Ye: No need to remind me, he noticed.
When facing himself, Xie Ye's eyes seemed to never be able to hide anything, even though in this life, he was a tyrant who could order executions at any moment.
"Anyway, as a eunuch, I should be loyal to the emperor, I should be Your Majesty's person," cliché remarks that Gu Cong had never cared about before spilled out of his mouth. He tried to shake off the chaotic thoughts in his mind and gently wiped the thin sweat from the young emperor's forehead with his sleeve. "It's late, Your Majesty should rest."
"If you have another nightmare, I will wake you up just like I did before."
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