EHW Ch23

When Pei Xin returned to the palace under the bows of all the ministers, Gu Fangzhi also boarded a small sedan chair bound for home.

By the time he reached the Gu Residence, dusk had already fallen. Gu Yunchuan had prepared a welcome-home banquet for him.

Gu Fangzhi first went to his room to change clothes before heading to the front hall.

Gu Yunchuan, Gu Huaiyu, and Manman were already seated at the table.

The scene struck Gu Fangzhi as a bit strange.

The Gu brothers had never been close; normally, they either ate at different times or took meals in their own rooms. This was actually the first time he had seen all of them share one table.

Gu Huaiyu glanced at him and curled his lip in disdain. “What are you standing there for? We’ve been waiting forever.”

The tone wasn’t pleasant, tinged with irritation, but Gu Huaiyu’s irritation seemed directed at the whole world, not only at Gu Fangzhi.

Manman cheerfully patted the empty chair beside her. “Brother Fangfang, sit here.”

Gu Fangzhi followed obediently.

The meal was generous, a full spread of meats and vegetables. Yet the silence was oppressive; for several minutes the only sound was chopsticks touching porcelain.

Gu Fangzhi tried to break the awkward quiet.

He picked up a slice of wine-marinated duck and placed it in Gu Yunchuan’s bowl. “Big Brother, how has your health been lately?”

Gu Yunchuan replied tersely, “Still all right.”

“Body’s fine, just overthinking,” Gu Huaiyu cut in with a dry laugh. “Last night Big Brother was swinging his sword in the courtyard past midnight. Couldn’t sleep from the noise.”

Gu Fangzhi already knew from Ah-Qi why those two never got along.

Gu Huaiyu’s mother had only ever been a concubine, never acknowledged by Gu Yunchuan’s mother, and was kept in a remote courtyard.

Old Master Gu, guilty over his younger children’s disappointed eyes, used to claim that his long absences were because he was a merchant often at sea.

It wasn’t until Gu Huaiyu and Manman’s mother died and Gu Yunchuan brought them back to the main estate that the truth was revealed.

But, in the end, it was the sins of the previous generation.

With Gu Huaiyu’s rebellious nature and Gu Yunchuan’s rigidness, their opposing temperaments only worsened things until they were constantly at odds.

Manman had gone pale at the tension. He clutched his chopsticks with one hand and unconsciously gripped a fold of Gu Fangzhi’s sleeve with the other, wrinkling the fabric into a tight knot.

Gu Fangzhi gently patted his hand, and reloaded.

Back to the moment he had just sat down.

This time he wisely skipped asking about Gu Yunchuan’s health.

After another stretch of silence, it was Gu Yunchuan who spoke first. “You accompanied His Majesty to the hunting grounds. You didn’t make any mistakes, I hope?”

Before Gu Fangzhi could reply, Gu Huaiyu snapped, “What mistakes could he possibly make? He’s not me, Big Brother never finds him lacking.”

Gu Fangzhi: “……”

Talking or not talking, they still managed to quarrel.

He switched timelines again.

Reload. Turned to Gu Huaiyu. “How have you been lately?”

“Me? I’m great.”

Gu Huaiyu grinned brightly. “Unlike Big Brother, always brooding about something. Oh wait, maybe he’s worrying about me, the nameless, lowborn son of a concubine? That must be it! He even told me to find a proper job. But tell me, what I’m doing now, is that not work? Are my shops standing empty? Or is it only called work if you serve the emperor at court?”

Gu Fangzhi: “……”

‘What are these two, self-starting argument machines?’

Please, stop fighting already! rain · hands-on-head · squirming.jpg

Stuffing a stalk of lettuce into his mouth in frustration, he reloaded yet again.

This time, he slapped the table before anyone could speak.

“Big Brother, nothing’s more important than good health! Third Brother, you’ve worked hard managing the shops! I slave away in court, you slave away outside, family all the same! Eat! Everyone eat!”

Gu Yunchuan: “……”

Gu Huaiyu: “……”

Manman: “……?”

No one argued this time, because Gu Fangzhi had already said everything for them.

***

Inside the palace.

Yang Luhai cautiously observed Pei Xin’s expression.

These past few days, whenever His Majesty left the palace, even if his face was occasionally cold, his mood had seemed decent.

Not like now, his handsome face was tight as stone, anyone could tell he was in a foul mood.

As the emperor’s personal eunuch, easing the sovereign’s troubles was his sacred duty.

He poured Pei Xin a cup of plain water, ever since some time ago, the emperor had stopped drinking tea, though Yang Luhai had no idea why, and asked softly,
“Your Majesty seems… displeased?”

Pei Xin glanced down at him but said nothing.

That was as good as an admission.

Yang Luhai said, “This servant wishes to share Your Majesty’s burdens.”

Pei Xin frowned. “I don’t want to talk.”

Ever since seeing Gu Fangzhi chatting and laughing with Qin Xuan, he’d felt a peculiar irritation.

He was the one who knew Gu Fangzhi’s secret, who knew about his sorcery, about how unreliable the man truly was.

And perhaps because of that, when he saw Gu Fangzhi being friendly with others, a strange sense of rejection stirred in him.

But he couldn’t say that aloud.

What could he say? That “I thought Gu Fangzhi and I were the closest”?

Disgustingly sentimental.

Yang Luhai, sensing his mood, offered carefully,

“Would Your Majesty like dinner prepared? A medicinal bath? Perhaps a walk outside the palace? Or a quiet talk with the Right Chancellor?”

Pei Xin merely shook his head.

After a pause, Yang Luhai ventured a small smile. “Could it be that autumn dryness is troubling Your Majesty? Shall I summon the imperial physician for a look?”

Pei Xin had meant to refuse, but the words changed on their way out.

 “…All right.”

Whether it was the herbal baths or simply being worn down by Gu Fangzhi’s chaos, his sleep had improved lately,  though the nightmares, when they came, felt even heavier than before.

Before long, the imperial physicians arrived.

At their head was Physician Xu from the Imperial Medical Bureau, temples and beard both streaked with white, looking every bit the serene, scholarly immortal.

After paying his respects, Physician Xu cautiously placed two fingers on Pei Xin’s wrist to take his pulse.

He closed his eyes and listened for a moment before saying,

 “Your Majesty, your dragon body is sound. The liver fire and melancholy have lessened compared to before. Fewer dreams at night,  that is a good sign. I will prescribe another dose of Qingxin Decoction to clear the mind. As for the chrysanthemum and lotus seed in the medicated bath, those can be stopped.”

Pei Xin nodded, about to dismiss him, when suddenly, his vision went dark.

Pei Xin: “……”

‘What now, Gu Fangzhi?’

 Did he fall? Eat something strange again? Or what this time?

Ah—right. Qin Xuan mentioned earlier that he’d be going to a restaurant.
Don’t tell him Gu Fangzhi ran into Qin Xuan again and started chatting with him?

Just thinking about those two in the same scene made Pei Xin’s irritation spike.

Because of Gu Fangzhi’s time-reversal sorcery, Physician Xu, who had already lifted his hand, now placed it back on Pei Xin’s wrist.

This time, his expression wasn’t as relaxed as before.

“Your Majesty’s health is not in danger, but there is some agitation of internal fire, liver fire is strong. Likely Your Majesty has been overthinking lately, hence the recurring nightmares.”

He added respectfully, “This humble servant shall prescribe a tonic ginseng soup to nourish qi and blood.”

Pei Xin: “……”

Great. Gu Fangzhi casts one spell and now he’s the one with liver fire flaring from anger.

He waved a hand. “The ginseng soup won’t be necessary.”

The words had barely left his mouth when his vision went dark again.

Pei Xin: “…………”

‘Is this ever going to end?’

He and old Physician Xu had been holding hands for nearly half an hour now, when would this pulse-taking finally stop?!

Pei Xin closed his eyes in despair. Meanwhile, Physician Xu’s face lit up with joy.

“Your Majesty’s pulse is strong and vigorous! The dragon energy overflows! Your Majesty grows ever more robust in body and spirit!”

Pei Xin: “……”

Of course it’s strong and vigorous, he was furious enough to make his own pulse pound.