EHW Ch73

Gu Yunchuan turned his head toward Gu Fangzhi.

In the exact same tone he had used earlier when talking to little Manman, he solemnly warned,
“Fangzhi, Huaiyu, this is not something to joke about.”

Gu Huaiyu had apparently just come back from a drinking banquet.

He lifted his sleeve and sniffed it, frowned in mild disgust, then popped a candy into his mouth.

With his cheek puffed out, he spoke indistinctly, “Big Brother, even I’m not bold enough to joke about that.”

Gu Fangzhi braced himself and said, “Big Brother, it’s true.”

Hearing both of his younger brothers confirm it, Gu Yunchuan’s face went through several very visible stages of confusion.

He furrowed his brows, looked dazedly at the ceiling, and said slowly, “You’re saying…”

Gu Fangzhi nodded.

“You are…”

Nod.

“His Majesty is also…”

Nod.

“You two…”

Nod, nod.

“And both of you are…”

Nod, nod, nod.

Gu Yunchuan, whether in appearance, manner of speech, or bearing, was as straight-laced as they came.

But he was also a good man, a truly good elder brother.

That was why Gu Fangzhi hadn’t feared telling him the truth about him and Pei Xin, his only concern was that Yunchuan might not understand how such a relationship could exist between two men.

Yet to Gu Fangzhi’s surprise, his brother accepted it rather quickly.

“As long as you’re happy.” Yunchuan said at last.

Then, after a pause, he asked with complete seriousness, “You’re a man, so we should prepare the betrothal gifts. But since you’re entering the palace… do we also prepare a dowry?”

Gu Fangzhi: “……”

The question was so earnest that Gu Fangzhi’s face flushed red. He had no idea how to respond.

Gu Huaiyu made a surprised noise and tugged at Yunchuan’s sleeve.

“Big Brother, you understood that fast? That’s not like you.”

He had expected Yunchuan, even after hearing it straight from Fangzhi, to think their relationship was merely a close bond between sovereign and subject.

Yunchuan blinked, still a little dazed.

“Lu He mentioned such things to me before.” he said.

Lu He?

Gu Fangzhi recognized the name after thinking for a moment, 

It was that tall, blue-eyed soldier they’d met at the frontier camp in Liangshan. Gu Yunchuan had once saved his life; the man had been one of his subordinates.

After some questioning, Huaiyu finally pieced together who Lu He was, and frowned.

“Wait, your subordinate? What on earth did he say to you?”

Yunchuan replied calmly,
“Oh, we were drinking one night, chatting casually. Lu He said there are plenty of men in the army who like other men. Then he asked me if I’d ever felt that way myself.”

Huaiyu: “……”

He opened his mouth, then shut it again.

Finally, he said helplessly, “Big Brother, maybe… don’t talk to him again.”

Yunchuan asked, puzzled, “Why not?”

Huaiyu didn’t answer.

He just sighed heavily, wearing the expression of a man whose worldview had just collapsed, a straight man facing despair.

***

After giving his family a heads-up, Gu Fangzhi felt much lighter.

The next day at the Ministry of Rites, He Rang still didn’t dare meet his eyes.

That had been the case for several days now, ever since Pei Xin publicly declared his intention to marry Gu Fangzhi.

Sitting right beside him, He Rang scribbled a note and slid it over:

“The fifteenth of next month is an auspicious day. Gu Lang (crossed out) Lady Gu (crossed out) Madam Gu (crossed out), what do you think?”

Gu Fangzhi wrote back:

“Sounds fine.”

Another note:

“Do you prefer floral or avian motifs for the embroidery?”

Reply:

“Either is fine.”

The two exchanged note after note, filling their desks with secret slips of paper, all in full view of everyone else.

No one knew what they were planning, but gossip was second nature to bureaucrats.

“Minister He must be giving up his position for Lord Gu.”

“Well, after that bold royal confession the other day…”

“Oh heavens! That explains the strange preparations we’ve been making lately, it’s for that! For them!?”

“Lord Gu becoming head of the Ministry wouldn’t be so bad. He’s easy to work with.”

Gu Fangzhi caught wind of these rumors himself. Worried they’d reach He Rang’s ears, he saved and reloaded the timeline several times to reset the chatter.

But rumors evolved quickly, turning from He Rang marrying into the palace to He Rang marrying Gu Fangzhi.

Gu Fangzhi: “……”

He’d had enough of this insane, randomly-generated world.

He reloaded twice more, until the gossip reverted to the much safer version: the young emperor fancies old men.

Horrifying, yet oddly comforting.

He sighed inwardly and muttered an apology to Pei Xin before going off to find Song Jingzhou.

“Brother Song,” he greeted.

“Brother Gu,” Song Jingzhou replied cheerfully.

“I’m getting married.” Gu Fangzhi said bluntly.

“…Huh?”

Song blinked. “To whom?”

Gu Fangzhi pointed upward with his index finger.

Song blinked again, a worried look creeping over his face.

 “…A spirit marriage?”

Gu Fangzhi: “…”

He sighed, reloaded, and said properly, “To His Majesty.”

Song’s eyes went wide, then, to Fangzhi’s surprise, his face lit up with delight.

“Congratulations, congratulations! Then Brother Gu, you must save me a seat at the banquet, and make sure there’s extra crocodile soup!”

Gu Fangzhi: “……”

Ah, what a glutton.

But a harmless one, and far better than those bedridden or battle-worn men of the past.

Suppressing a smile, he said, “All right, leave it to me. You’ll get your crocodile soup.”

***

Once Gu Fangzhi had informed family and friends, Pei Xin officially announced the marriage in court.

Thanks to the elder ministers quietly spreading word in advance, not a single voice of objection arose.

Instead, the hall filled with words of blessing.

Thus, Pei Xin was spared from using his infamous threat again, 

“Anyone who objects will join My harem.”

***

After half a month of intense preparation, the six traditional rites were completed, the ancestors and heavens were honored, and the wedding day finally arrived.

Children lined the streets handing out sweets and pastries.

Gu Fangzhi made his way to the palace, where Pei Xin stood at the gate to welcome him.

Before the gathered officials, they completed the formal ceremony of conferment.

Qin Xuan even returned from the frontier, found Gu Huaiyu, and pulled a small piece of silver from his chest pocket.

He tossed it over. “You win.”

Gu Fangzhi: “……”

So those two had been betting on him and Pei Xin’s relationship.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and turned his gaze to Pei Xin’s profile.

That young face looked calm, firm, bearing a maturity beyond his years.

Pei Xin, though not looking back, sensed Fangzhi’s eyes on him.

His lips moved slightly. “How does Teacher feel?”

Gu Fangzhi drew another breath. “Nervous. A little embarrassed.”

A relationship between two men wasn’t something everyone could accept, he knew that much.

Even if, thanks to Pei Xin’s status, no one dared to speak ill of them, he couldn’t help but feel self-conscious.

But with Pei Xin beside him, that unease softened.

After all, no matter what others thought, this was between them.

“And Your Majesty?” Gu Fangzhi asked.

Pei Xin answered simply, “Very happy.”

Gu Fangzhi wanted to laugh.

He asked, “And?”

“Nothing else,” Pei Xin said, his gaze burning bright. “I’m just very happy.”

Gu Fangzhi couldn’t hold back his smile this time, a wide, bright one.

And in that moment, he suddenly wanted to kiss Pei Xin, loudly, right on the cheek, with a resounding smack.

He thought for a moment, then suddenly made a solemn decision.

Beneath the red wedding robes, his pale fingers twitched slightly. Gu Fangzhi decided to save this exact moment,  this feeling, this heartbeat,  into Slot 1.

But just as the save was about to overwrite the previous one, he hesitated.

He had to admit… he already had a deep, unshakable emotional bond with the bright-headed Western envoy.

He couldn’t bear to erase his little comma-shaped friend.

So his hand turned midair and moved toward Slot 2 instead.

Pei Xin noticed the faint sway of his sleeve,  knew Gu Fangzhi had opened the system,  but after waiting a while and seeing no sign of a reload, curiosity got the better of him.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Gu Fangzhi honestly explained everything,  the decision, the hesitation, and his emotional reasoning.

Pei Xin nearly choked in disbelief.

“So, I still can’t compare to that bald envoy?”

Gu Fangzhi asked calmly, “If it were you, could you bear to overwrite him?”

Pei Xin fell silent for a long moment. “…No.”

Terrifying. Even he had apparently developed feelings for the bald envoy.

A passing servant shivered.

Pei Xin’s face darkened. “Teacher! Reload! Now!”

Otherwise, within hours, rumors would sweep the entire capital,  ‘The Bald Envoy, Beloved of Both Emperor and Empress!’

He’d had enough!

Gu Fangzhi couldn’t hold back his laughter.

Eyes curving in amusement, he reached toward the panel ,  but just before pressing the save, he leaned in and planted a loud kiss on Pei Xin’s cheek.

The world flickered black, and they were both pulled back to the freshly saved Slot 2.

Neither of them mentioned the Western envoy again.

**

After a full day of ceremony, exhaustion, and celebration, they finally returned with the ceremonial officers to the inner palace.

Everything inside had been transformed,  all in vibrant red: red candles, red carpets, red silk bedding.

Boxes of wedding gifts filled the room.

When the attendants withdrew, Gu Fangzhi asked, “May I open them, Your Majesty?”

Pei Xin hummed in assent and turned toward the table, busying himself with something.

Gu Fangzhi crouched down, but his legs ached badly. The ground was covered in thick carpet, though, so he simply sat down cross-legged.

Opening the nearest chest, he gasped. “What’s this?”

Footsteps approached; Pei Xin came to sit beside him, pressing close enough that their shoulders touched.

He tilted Gu Fangzhi’s chin toward him, and their lips met.
Gu Fangzhi tasted rich wine as Pei Xin passed the ceremonial wedding drink mouth-to-mouth.

After ensuring Gu Fangzhi had swallowed every drop, Pei Xin finally released him.

Then he picked up the object Gu Fangzhi had found and examined it. “White snail wine cup ,  see, it opens like this.”

In his hand, the smooth, gourd-shaped ivory object split into a pair of tiny cups lined with gold.

“And this one?”

“Sixteen-sided golden dice.”

“And this?”

“Snake bone. I used to carve them into butterflies,  would Teacher like one?”

Gu Fangzhi shuddered. “Let’s not.”

He grabbed another item. “This?”

Pei Xin clicked his tongue. “You can’t even recognize a comb now?”

Gu Fangzhi laughed, leaning sideways until his head rested on Pei Xin’s shoulder.

Pei Xin relaxed his posture to make it more comfortable for him. “Tired?”

Gu Fangzhi murmured weakly, “Dead tired.”

“Teacher’s just lazy. You should train with me at the martial field next time.”

Gu Fangzhi absentmindedly ran his fingers along the comb’s teeth, his thoughts drifting. Then, belatedly, he noticed something.

“You haven’t used your imperial title all day.”

“I’ve been thinking of changing it,” Pei Xin said. “But I want to see which one Teacher prefers,  ‘I’ or ‘your husband’?”

The boy’s intentions were so transparent that Gu Fangzhi couldn’t help laughing.

He teased, “I prefer ‘this king’ as a self-reference.”

Pei Xin: “…………”

Was that really the right thing to say at such a tender moment?!

He squeezed Gu Fangzhi’s hand in mock threat. “Your husband is in a good mood right now. Don’t make your husband angry.”

Gu Fangzhi’s face flushed red.

He was already exhausted, and with the warmth of the wine Pei Xin had fed him, drowsiness soon crept in.

Pei Xin lifted him onto the bed with gentle care, kissed him softly, his cool hands tracing along his skin. Gu Fangzhi’s mind hazed; everything felt strangely tender, almost soothing.

Pei Xin slipped a pillow beneath his waist and lowered his head.

The sudden warmth jolted Gu Fangzhi half awake. “…! What are you doing?”

“I read two manuals,” Pei Xin murmured against his skin, voice slightly muffled. “Learned a few things. Let me know when you’re close.”

Gu Fangzhi gripped the sheets tightly, breath catching.

He heard Pei Xin mumble to himself,

“Not as hard to accept as I imagined. I really do like you.”

Gu Fangzhi’s voice trembled, “Me too.”

Pei Xin raised his head and leaned close to his ear. “How much do you like me?”

Gu Fangzhi wrapped his arms around his neck and whispered something softly.

Pei Xin smiled.

“Seems we’re thinking the same thing,” he said quietly.

“No matter how many thousands of times, I’ll never get tired of you.”