EHW Ch12

 

The palace attendants outside couldn’t make out what was being said within, but through the faint veil of gauze, they could see Pei Xin suddenly rise to his feet.

Seeing their emperor in anger, the attendants immediately trembled and fell to their knees in fright.

Gu Fangzhi, however, had already decided he would reload the save, so he didn’t take Pei Xin’s fury seriously at all.

Propping his chin in his hand, he sat leisurely in his chair and suddenly curved his eyes into a smile at Pei Xin.

Pei Xin was momentarily stunned by that smile and asked coldly, “What are you doing?”

“I’ve thought of a good method.”

Gu Fangzhi lifted the corner of his lips proudly. “Get ready to be amazed by my brilliance, little boy.”

Pei Xin: “……”

Little boy?

‘Who? Him?!’

Before Pei Xin could even finish saying his second “Insolence-” everything went black again.

When his vision cleared, he was already seated back at the desk, hearing his own voice say, “Teacher, do you have any way to discipline them?”

At that, Gu Fangzhi gave a calm, confident smile.

He replied, “Your Majesty, this minister has a plan, though I do not know if it will work.”

Pei Xin: “……”

Watching Gu Fangzhi’s serious demeanor, so vastly different from the man who’d just called him “little boy,” Pei Xin was honestly stunned.

‘How could someone act this convincingly?!’

A heavy breath churned in Pei Xin’s chest, unable to find release.

“Hah…” He exhaled forcefully. Though he knew the man was performing, he was afraid of revealing that he knew, so he played along.

Gritting his teeth, he asked, “Then what method does Teacher propose?”

Gu Fangzhi didn’t answer right away. Instead, he said, “Before that, I have a question. Has the army’s commander imposed many harsh punishments or strict rules in order to keep that militia in line?”

Seeing how serious Gu Fangzhi seemed, Pei Xin temporarily put aside his irritation and replied, “Of course.”

Gu Fangzhi nodded slowly. “Actually, when facing such a unit, what Your Majesty needs are people who can blend in among them.”

“You mean to sow discord? I’ve tried that.”

Pei Xin gave him a sidelong glance, his tone faintly mocking. “But those people are impervious to reason. They simply won’t, ”

“No, no, not exactly discord,” Gu Fangzhi interrupted. “I wonder, has Your Majesty ever heard the term ‘Juan Wang’?”

“…?”
Pei Xin frowned. “What does that mean?”

Gu Fangzhi said, “Just now, Your Majesty mentioned that the officers were excessively strict in their discipline. My advice, however, is the opposite, the rules should be loosened, the looser the better.”

“For example, let them work only two or three hours a day. Even if their performance is poor, they still receive a base salary. Even if they brawl or cause trouble, just scold them verbally and let it go.”

Pei Xin asked, “And then?”

“Then, while they’re relaxed and off guard, we secretly merge our own men into the ranks.”

“If the others work two hours a day, these plants will work three, four hours.”

“If the others drink and slack off, these ones will behave perfectly.”

“Over time, the officers will naturally favor the obedient ones, praising them, giving them more meat, better pay.”

“But resources are limited, and stipends finite. What will the disobedient ones do then?”

“Why, they’ll start competing… ah, that is to say, engaging in vicious rivalry.”

“Once the competition starts, they’ll go all in, so focused they’ll forget they ever resisted in the first place.”

Gu Fangzhi looked toward Pei Xin.

At some point, the emperor’s mocking smile had faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

The young ruler’s dark eyes flickered in surprise; he was actually considering Gu Fangzhi’s words seriously.

Gu Fangzhi smiled faintly and concluded, “Your Majesty, that is my proposal. I’ve even given it a name, ‘The Evil Workers’ Hyper-Competitive Cattle-Horse Plan.’”

‘Be amazed, ancient man!’

Pei Xin: “……”

He looked at Gu Fangzhi for a long moment, then suddenly smiled, the thin line of his lips curving with genuine amusement.

This was the first time Gu Fangzhi had openly shown his wicked side before him, like a perfect egg cracking open, golden yolk seeping through.

No, that wasn’t right.

Gu Fangzhi was, at best, a black-hearted egg.

Pei Xin tapped his long fingers lightly on the chair arm and said, “A fine strategy, Teacher.”

***

The two continued discussing for a while longer. Pei Xin questioned Gu Fangzhi on several details of the “Evil Workers’ Hyper-Competitive Cattle-Horse Plan,” then invited him to stay for breakfast.

The palace breakfast was, indeed, delicious.

But perhaps to conceal the emperor’s preferences, there were many dishes but very small portions, each just a couple of bites.

Gu Fangzhi hesitated a moment, then decided not to dwell on what might have happened last night while he was drunk. He overwrote the previous save file and replayed the breakfast.

‘It was quite satisfying.’

Pei Xin, forced to eat the same breakfast all over again: “……”

Who would believe that barely an hour after waking, he had already done two and a half hours’ worth of work?

So tired.

Truly tired.

After breakfast, Pei Xin ordered Yang Luhai to prepare a sedan chair to escort Gu Fangzhi to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Gu Fangzhi panicked. “Your Majesty’s favor is too great! Truly, there’s no need!”

Though the palace was vast, the Imperial Study was only a ten-minute walk from the Hall of Supreme Harmony, there was really no need to take a carriage at all.

At this point, he was already attracting enough attention as it was, if someone happened to dislike him and decided to secretly trip him up, what then?

Oh, right. He could always reload the save.

Still, better to keep a low profile as a rule of thumb.

Gu Fangzhi lowered his gaze modestly and said, “The palace attendants already work hard. There’s no need to trouble them further, this minister can walk to the hall on his own.”

Pei Xin’s teeth ached just looking at him act so humble.

He ran his tongue over his sore molars, ignored Gu Fangzhi, and told Yang Luhai,
“Escort the Teacher to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Tell the eunuchs carrying the sedan that there must be no bumps, no jolts, and absolutely no stumbles on the way. Otherwise, ”

He really couldn’t bear the thought of being forced to eat another breakfast or return to last night to catch Gu Fangzhi falling again.

***

That morning’s imperial court session was unusually lively. Perhaps because Pei Xin hadn’t threatened to behead anyone for several days, the ministers had regained some of their spirit. 

They discussed various matters and eventually proposed that since the weather was fine, it would be a good time to take the foreign envoys to the imperial hunting grounds outside the capital to witness the vigor of Great Qi’s men.

Pei Xin raised his hand slightly. “Approved.”

After court, as soon as he departed, the crowd immediately flocked toward Gu Fangzhi.

“Lord Gu, we heard you spent the night in the Imperial Study yesterday…”

“Lord Gu, did you arrive this morning in a sedan personally sent by His Majesty?”

“Lord Gu, your career truly soars ever higher!”

“Lord Gu, are you free this evening? I know a fine tavern with excellent wine…”

Gu Fangzhi didn’t particularly enjoy socializing, nor was he good at it, but maintaining good relations with these officials was necessary. He smiled. “Naturally, I’m free.”

Pei Xin was busy that day with a confidential meeting with several generals, so lessons were postponed.

Gu Fangzhi thus went to the Ministry of Rites to grind himself down like a workhorse.

Song Jingzhou brightened upon seeing him. “My good brother, it feels like I haven’t seen you in a day or two!”

“Has it been?”

Thanks to the save system, Gu Fangzhi had long since lost all sense of time, he could stretch one day into three.

To think that a man of twenty-two could possess twenty-five years of work experience, it was no myth after all.

Preparations for the hunt meant everyone, from high-ranking officials to errand boys, was busier than ever.

When the workday finally ended, Gu Fangzhi still had several dinner appointments with various officials. He hurried off to attend them all.

They say working makes you younger, but in truth, Gu Fangzhi was so exhausted he felt like someone’s overworked grandson.

By the time the “Corporate Drone Edition” of Gu Fangzhi finished socializing, the moon was already high in the sky.

He’d had a few drinks, but after last night’s banquet at the palace, he knew his tolerance well and hadn’t overindulged, just enough that his steps were slightly unsteady.

Back at the Gu residence, his servant Ah-Qi steadied the carriage and said, “It’s dark, Second Young Master, mind your footing.”

Gu Fangzhi murmured assent and hopped down from the carriage.

The moment his feet hit the ground, he saw a dark figure standing at the gate.

Startled, half his drunkenness vanished, until the thick aroma of wine mixed with cologne reached him, and he recognized the man. “Third Brother, are you heading out?”

Gu Huaiyu smiled. “No. Manman was clamoring to see you, so I told him to bathe first while I waited here.”

He paused, his tone faintly sour. “What sort of spell have you cast on him? He clings to you more than to me, his real brother.”

Gu Fangzhi laughed.

Before transmigrating, he’d been a teacher-in-training, child psychology was his strong suit.

These days, though his relationship with Gu Yunchuan and Gu Huaiyu remained distant, they mostly nodded at each other in passing, things had changed slightly after he saw Manman standing alone in the courtyard one day. The child had no playmates, no parents nearby, just standing there blankly.

Unable to help himself, Gu Fangzhi joined him for a quick game of kickball.

Ever since, he and Manman had grown much closer.

Together with Gu Huaiyu, he went to Manman’s room. The child was already lying in bed, his grape-like eyes blinking sleepily yet stubbornly refusing to close.

At the sound of the door, he sat bolt upright, delighted. “Brother! Fangfang-ge!”

Gu Fangzhi clasped his hands behind his back, then made two fists, palms down, holding them out toward Manman. “Guess which hand has the candy?”

Manman blinked. “Right hand!”

Gu Fangzhi: “……”

He loaded a previous save, switched the candy to his left hand, and asked again, “Now guess which hand?”

Manman: “Left hand!”

Gu Fangzhi reloaded again and swapped hands once more.

Manman: “Left hand!”

Gu Fangzhi spread his empty left hand and said kindly, “Wrong.”

Manman sighed in frustration. “I never guess right!”

Then he tugged at Gu Fangzhi’s sleeve. “Fangfang-ge, can you finish the story from yesterday?”

Gu Huaiyu leaned against the wall, arms crossed, having maintained a guarded posture ever since Gu Fangzhi approached the boy.

He suddenly asked, “What story?”

“I told Manman a story I once read,” Gu Fangzhi explained.

Manman eagerly invited, “Brother, you should listen too!”

Gu Huaiyu raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Gu Fangzhi coaxed Manman to lie down properly, tucking the blanket around him.

Clearing his throat, he began, “Last time, we talked about how Mao Xiaolan’s childhood sweetheart, Gong Xiaoyi, was forced by villains to take an elixir of immortality, and turned into a child again…”

The thrilling story soon lulled Manman to sleep.

Gu Fangzhi stood, whispering to Gu Huaiyu, “I’m heading to bed. Will you go too?”

“Mhm. Together.”

After Gu Fangzhi blew out the candle, they tiptoed out of the room.

Gu Huaiyu said quietly, “Your story was quite interesting.”

“Thanks,” said Gu Fangzhi. “But do note the copyright, the original author is Aoyama Gosho.”

Gu Huaiyu: “……?”

A quarter of an hour earlier, in the imperial palace.

After soaking in a medicinal bath, Pei Xin loosely draped an outer robe over his shoulders, his black hair hanging down.

That evening, Gu Fangzhi had gone to a tavern with several officials. Perhaps he’d said something wrong, or someone had sabotaged him, because he’d triggered witchcraft six or seven times throughout the night.

Unfortunately, tonight’s medicinal bath was rather hot, so Pei Xin had been scalded six or seven times over, as Gu Fangzhi’s spells yanked him into the water from miles away.

It was late now, and Gu Fangzhi had probably returned home; there’d been no further magical disturbances.

Still, Pei Xin didn’t dare lower his guard.

Suddenly, everything went dark before his eyes.

‘It’s happening!’

Pei Xin drew a sharp breath, bracing himself.

But… nothing happened.

He frowned. Turned out, it was only that the candlewick had burned long and flickered.

Even so, Pei Xin didn’t relax.

After being fooled by the candlelight twice more, he irritably got up and snuffed it out.

He waited again. Still nothing.

Only then did Pei Xin allow himself to unwind.

Tossing and turning on the dragon bed for a long time, he finally began to drift off, 

Only to fall straight into a nightmare.

A skeletal white hand rose from a pool of blood and grabbed his ankle.

Then another.

And another.

…Wait.

‘Wasn’t that too many hands?’

In the dream, Pei Xin kicked them away, gritting his teeth.

 “……Gu Fangzhi!”