EHW Ch40

Gu Fangzhi’s chill turned out to be rather severe.

He ran a fever for two days straight, when it finally subsided, his throat grew itchy, and he couldn’t stop coughing.

Afraid he might infect the true dragon son of heaven and get his head chopped off, he’d been going home to rest at the Gu residence every night.

And honestly, he slept better in his own bed anyway.

By contrast, Pei Xin now looked like the sick one, dark circles under his eyes, foul temper in court, snapping at everyone.

That day, after the morning audience, Gu Fangzhi planned to meet Song Jingzhou to buy some candied hawthorn skewers.

The weather was getting colder, and the street vendors had started selling them again. Gu Fangzhi had been craving them for days, but now that his illness had mostly passed and the last of Pei Xin’s birthday banquet arrangements were done, he was finally in the mood for snacks.

“Brother Gu, how’s your health?” Song Jingzhou asked with concern.

Gu Fangzhi: “Cough, cough, cough, I’m fine, cough, cough, really, cough.”

Song Jingzhou: “……”

He didn’t look fine at all.

Chuckling, Song Jingzhou suddenly remembered something. “Ah right, my father sent me some local delicacies. I’ll have them delivered to your residence later.”

Then he paused. “There was also a portion meant for Young General Qin. I didn’t expect him to leave in such a hurry. He should have reached the frontier by now, shouldn’t he?”

The day Qin Xuan departed, Gu Fangzhi had still gone to see him off despite being sick.
Qin Xuan had worn silver armor that gleamed like frost, with rows of soldiers and warhorses behind him.

After bowing to Pei Xin, they marched silently and in perfect order toward the city gates, the solemn scene standing in sharp contrast to the joyous cheers of the watching citizens. It was grand enough to give anyone goosebumps.

Still, there was something Gu Fangzhi found odd.

Everyone in Qin Xuan’s contingent had grim, battle-ready expressions. Even Pei Xin was no different.

They’d taken a number of troops with them too, it didn’t look like a simple redeployment. It looked like they were heading to war.

But against who?

According to the timeline Gu Fangzhi had pieced together, this shouldn’t be happening yet. The main conflict was supposed to be with the Western Hu, and at this stage, no other state dared provoke a flourishing Great Qi.

He was still mulling it over when a eunuch suddenly ran up behind Song Jingzhou, shouting breathlessly, “Lord Gu, wait!”

The poor eunuch was in such a rush he tripped over his own feet and fell flat on the ground with a loud thud.

Just watching him fall hurt. Gu Fangzhi immediately reloaded and reached out in time to catch him.

From Song Jingzhou’s perspective, it looked as if Gu Fangzhi had suddenly taken two steps forward, stretched out a hand, and the eunuch practically flew into his arms like an iron ball drawn to a magnet.

Song Jingzhou’s eyes widened in astonishment.

The eunuch bowed in thanks. “Many thanks, Lord Gu.”

Gu Fangzhi: “Cough, cough, don’t mention, cough, cough, ”

Song Jingzhou: “……”

Why was it that every time he thought Gu Fangzhi possessed great martial skill, Gu Fangzhi somehow managed to defy logic again?

The eunuch continued, “Lord Gu, His Majesty requests your presence in the palace, there is a matter to discuss.”

An imperial summons?

A matter to discuss?

Ha! What kind of matter could possibly require his input?
Surely the little emperor wasn’t just sleepy and wanted him to come keep him company for a nap?

But when Gu Fangzhi hurried into the imperial study, he realized he’d guessed completely wrong.

There really was a serious discussion underway.

Several senior officials from the Ministry of War and two Grand Tutors were seated stiffly around a long table, over which a large map had been unfurled.

Pei Xin stood beside it, leaning casually against the table’s edge, most of his weight resting there.

His gaze was lowered, idly rolling a brush between his fingers.

When he heard footsteps, he looked up, and when he saw it was Gu Fangzhi, the sharpness in his brow softened for a moment.

“Teacher, you’re here.”

“Cough, Your Majesty, cough, ”

The moment Gu Fangzhi opened his mouth, his throat tickled. Embarrassed to cough in front of so many people, he quickly reloaded and greeted Pei Xin again more smoothly.

He tried his best to suppress the cough, making his voice come out lower and rougher than usual.

Pei Xin found the tone strangely unsettling, but since no one else seemed to notice, he forced himself to ignore it.

Gu Fangzhi asked, “May I ask what matter brings Your Majesty to summon this humble minister?”

Pei Xin sat down and gestured with a calm hand. “Be seated.”

Everyone thanked him and took their places around the long table.

Though Gu Fangzhi was by far the lowest-ranking official there, everyone had discreetly left the seat beside Pei Xin empty, for him.

Whether it was out of acknowledgment of Pei Xin’s favor or a desire not to sit too close to the emperor, he wasn’t sure. Probably both.

Once Pei Xin was seated, he tapped the table lightly.

Minister of War Zhou Yunkai, forty-eight years old, once a general under the late emperor, famed for his mastery of ambush tactics, cleared his throat and said,

“Your Majesty has summoned you all because of certain disturbances near Liangshan.”

Gu Fangzhi immediately saved and raised his hand nervously.

“Liangshan? Cough… disturbances? Is there a man named Song Jiang who’s stolen a birthday tribute shipment?”

Pei Xin: “……”

What on earth?

The others exchanged bewildered looks, but Pei Xin, at least, had some idea what Gu Fangzhi was alluding to.

He pointed at a spot on the map. “Liangshan is here.”

“Oh. That Liangshan.”

Gu Fangzhi quickly reloaded, then gave a shrewd, all-knowing smile and stayed quiet.

Pei Xin: “……”

These past few days, Gu Fangzhi’s illness had made him unusually quiet, barely using his sorcery at all, and Pei Xin had even been a little worried.

But now that he’d started using it again, Pei Xin’s teeth itched with irritation.

Damn sorcerer.

Zhou Yunkai went on to explain the geography and troop distribution around Liangshan.
When he asked, “Is there anything unclear so far?” everyone shook their heads,
except Pei Xin, whose face was dark as thunder.

In just a short span, Gu Fangzhi had already rewound time four times because of coughing fits, three more because he’d missed part of the explanation, and twice during the rewinds, Snowball in the next room had started howling.

Which meant Pei Xin had heard four separate shrieks in total.

As a result, he hadn’t caught a single word Zhou Yunkai had said.

All his attention was consumed by that damned sorcerer and that damned dog.

Fortunately, Pei Xin was already familiar with the Liangshan situation, so at least he wouldn’t end up repeating the humiliation of being mistaken for an illiterate last time.

He tapped the table impatiently. “Continue.”

Zhou Yunkai nodded. “According to the secret report sent by General Qin Xuan, the Cangsheng Sect has arrived at Liangshan. Openly, they number at least six thousand troops, stationed on the mountain itself.”

Gu Fangzhi reached into his sleeve and pulled out two crumpled sheets of paper he didn’t even remember putting there. Without drawing attention, he stretched out his arm and grabbed a nearby brush.

There was too much information. Why wasn’t anyone taking notes?

Crossing one leg over the other, he balanced the paper on his knee and began writing, trying to look graceful but, frankly, sneaking like a student during an exam.

Pei Xin watched the entire process: “……”

Utterly useless. He couldn’t even remember a few sentences without cheating.

Still… somehow, it was a little bit endearing.

Though his handwriting was atrocious.

Pei Xin took one glance, then looked away, pained.

Someone hesitantly asked Zhou Yunkai, “Wasn’t the Cangsheng Sect issue tied to the Western Hu? Or do you mean…”

Zhou Yunkai swept his eyes around the room and nodded.

“Exactly as the lords have guessed.”

Everyone was shocked.

Gu Fangzhi was shocked too.

Wait, how come everyone else understood what Zhou Yunkai meant, but he didn’t?!

Pei Xin couldn’t help it anymore. “Ha.”

Zhou Yunkai: “……?”

What did he say that made the emperor laugh?

Alarmed, Zhou Yunkai immediately stood up and knelt. “Your Majesty, forgive this minister’s offense!”

Seeing him rise in panic, the others all scrambled to their feet as well.

Gu Fangzhi: “?”

What’s going on now? Pei Xin hadn’t even said execute them all, right?

Forget it, better be safe. Time to save.

Still coughing, he reached for his third save slot, but the coughing fit made his hand slip, and he accidentally clicked slot two instead.

The scene instantly shifted, he was back at the palace gates, right when the young eunuch tripped and fell.

Gu Fangzhi quickly reloaded again.

From Pei Xin’s perspective, what he saw was:

The ministers suddenly leaping to their feet, scattering around, then sitting down again.

Snowball suddenly appearing on the table to steal ink, then vanishing.

Gu Fangzhi disappearing and reappearing in his seat, sitting perfectly straight.

It was… spectacular.

The whole imperial study was chaos, a mess so dramatic it could be served hot.

Pei Xin sat there, reliving the past few seconds of absurdity, and quietly applauded himself for not losing his sanity. Truly, what an achievement.

Expression flat, he used his knee under the table to nudge Gu Fangzhi’s, then reached out to snatch the brush from his hand.

Gu Fangzhi blinked.

He looked up, and found himself face-to-face with the young emperor’s profile.

Pei Xin’s features were sharply defined: hard brow ridge, straight nose bridge, skin pale but radiant under the soft light, like cold jade under the sun. Gu Fangzhi could almost hear his breathing.

Wait… why was Pei Xin grabbing his brush?

Before he could ask, Pei Xin lifted the brush and drew two uneven wavy lines on the paper before them.

“This is Liangshan,” he said.

Then he circled both sides of it.

“These are Xiliang and Great Qi.”

Turning the brush, he traced an invisible, winding path approaching from afar toward Liangshan.
“This is the Cangsheng Sect. Teacher, pay attention to their route.”

The other ministers were completely stunned.

The emperor, explaining the situation personally to Gu Fangzhi?!

No one dared interrupt. They merely exchanged glances, seeing the same disbelief reflected in each other’s eyes.

Gu Fangzhi, however, didn’t think much of it.

He assumed Pei Xin was simply fed up with his cluelessness. Besides, once he understood the point, he could just reload to before he’d embarrassed himself.

He kept his eyes fixed on the brush in Pei Xin’s hand.

With every movement, the brush’s faint pressure through the paper and his own robe brushed lightly against his thigh, a strange ticklish feeling.

He looked up at Pei Xin, who paused. “What is it?”

Pei Xin didn’t notice anything unusual.

Gu Fangzhi shook his head quickly. “Please continue, Your Majesty.”

“Mm.” Pei Xin resumed.

As the brush moved again, Gu Fangzhi suddenly realized something.
“The Cangsheng Sect’s movements… they’re trying to encircle us, aren’t they?”

Not too stupid after all. Pei Xin glanced up, a slight approving nod.

At last, Gu Fangzhi understood why Qin Xuan had left in such haste, it wasn’t merely to garrison the frontier, but because war could break out at any moment.

But why now?

Pei Xin wasn’t a tyrant anymore, he was such a well-behaved kid these days!

While thinking this, Gu Fangzhi cast a grateful look at Pei Xin for enlightening him, then discreetly reloaded.

Zhou Yunkai’s voice replayed: “Exactly as the lords have guessed.”

This time, Gu Fangzhi blended in perfectly, pretending to be just as shocked as everyone else.

Watching him feign surprise with all his might, Pei Xin turned away slightly, covering his lips with his hand to hide a smile.

Today, he’d discovered a new use for Gu Fangzhi’s sorcery, if he humbled himself a little to help him out, it earned both loyalty and the rare pleasure of seeing his ministers stunned speechless.

Quite entertaining, really.

And besides… it somehow felt like he and Gu Fangzhi now shared a little secret.

Pei Xin turned back, and saw Gu Fangzhi scratching his thigh as if it were itching terribly.

Then realization struck him.

…Wait.

Just now, he’d been drawing on Gu Fangzhi’s thigh through the paper, hadn’t he?

No wonder Gu Fangzhi had given him that strange look earlier!

But, that wasn’t his fault! Gu Fangzhi had put the paper on his own leg!

Surely that shameless man didn’t think he was the one being indecent?!

He had to clear his name!