WMSG Chapter 53
by VolareThe silence lasted for a long time. Ye Yueshen remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was considering the outcome of the day. From the beginning, he had been passive. At this moment, if Gong Xunwu had any sense of responsibility, shouldn’t he say something?
Time gradually passed, but Gong Xunwu didn’t offer an explanation. He simply took Ye Yueshen’s hand, playing with Ye Yueshen’s naturally curved fingers. Only after interlacing their fingers tightly did he stop, contentedly squeezing Ye Yueshen’s fingers.
The Emperor’s gaze shifted between their hands and Gong Xunwu’s face twice, then he stared at Gong Xunwu, the two brothers engaging in a silent confrontation.
The Emperor lowered his head, looking at his own wrinkled hands, knowing that he was getting old. He already had two sons when his younger brother was born. Towards this younger brother, who posed no threat, he wholeheartedly gave the care and love of an older brother, and even more than that.
Although nominally a brother, in the days after the late Emperor’s death, he deserved the title of both brother and father.
Gong Xunwu was cheerful and enthusiastic as a child, full of curiosity about everything, wielding swords and spears, planting flowers and trees, and tinkering with contraptions. But he was never excessively mischievous, often leaning against his knee in the Imperial Study, sitting on the floor reading books, both famous essays and vulgar stories.
Sometimes, after the Emperor finished reviewing memorials, he would move his legs, and Gong Xunwu, who had fallen asleep at some point, would topple to the side, startled awake by the sudden loss of balance. After realizing what happened, he would shamelessly reach out and wipe the drool off the dragon robe, look up at the Emperor and smile, as if saying: What can you do to me?
The Emperor didn’t care about a mere dragon robe; his tolerance for Gong Xunwu was even greater than that of the Empress Dowager, his own mother.
At the same time, he also knew that Gong Xunwu was younger than his own sons, the age gap of over twenty years basically guaranteeing that they wouldn’t fully understand each other.
And Gong Xunwu’s temperament also changed with age. His enthusiasm seemed to have a fixed amount, almost completely exhausted in his youth. The grown-up Gong Xunwu became the taciturn Qi Wang.
Although Ye Yueshen seemed to have hardly changed, the Emperor could instantly see the shock, panic, and rapid thought process in his eyes… So many emotions made him exude vitality. In contrast, Gong Xunwu seemed lifeless no matter how you looked at him.
In the eyes of the Emperor, whose hair was streaked with gray, Gong Xunwu was so young. For a moment, he was unsure what role he should play, a stern father or an understanding older brother.
But then he looked at Ye Yueshen, an even younger life, young enough to still be considered a child.
The Emperor looked at him and said plainly, “Lying on Qi Wang’s bed, wearing Qi Wang’s sleeping robe, who are you?”
Ye Yueshen swallowed nervously. “Your Majesty, I am Ye Yueshen, the third son of Marquis Zhongshun, Ye Daijin.”
“I know,” the Emperor raised his finger and pointed at him. “In the Imperial Study, you stood in front of Ye Yuanshen, that day you risked your life to protect your older brother. What I’m asking is, who are you lying on Qi Wang’s bed?”
Gong Xunwu resisted the urge to interject and explain. He looked at Ye Yueshen, wanting to know who Ye Yueshen was to him.
But they weren’t on the same wavelength yet. Ye Yueshen glared at him, practically calling him an irresponsible bastard.
“Yueshen is Qi Wang’s male concubine.” Ye Yueshen thought for a moment, then corrected himself: “Not very favored either. To be precise, we’ve had intimate relations, but haven’t exchanged heartfelt words.”
The Emperor’s face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot, while Gong Xunwu’s face was even darker. He squeezed Ye Yueshen’s hand, earning him a glare and a turn of the head.
“Male concubine?” Gong Xunwu spat out the words through gritted teeth.
Ye Yueshen refused to accept his accusation, retorting, “You had the chance to speak, but you didn’t take it.”
Gong Xunwu was about to say something, but the Emperor spoke first. “Before, you were implicated in the plot to harm Qi Wang, and someone whispered in my ear, but you and Qi Wang both insisted it was just gossip. Now you say it’s true, two completely contradictory accounts. Which one is the crime of deceiving the Emperor?”
“He’s the one who committed it.” Ye Yueshen said without hesitation.
Gong Xunwu scoffed.
The Emperor couldn’t help but massage his brow. Judging from Ye Yueshen’s words and reactions, he was completely an immature child, recklessly speaking his mind without any sense of propriety.
If they were truly in love, he could still comfort the Yongning Junzhu. But as it stood, it was completely Gong Xunwu’s fault.
“What have you done?” The Emperor tapped his fingers on the armrest of the soft couch.
Gong Xunwu was unashamed. “Your Majesty, I know what I’m doing. Your Majesty, you’re here today because of Gong Yiyin, aren’t you?”
Regardless of whether anyone asked him or not, Ye Yueshen felt that this matter concerned him, so he took the initiative to seize the opportunity to speak. He pushed the blanket down to his waist, showing the Emperor his wound wrapped in white cloth. “Your Majesty, the Third Prince tried to kill Yueshen, the banquet attendees all witnessed it, there’s no denying it. Ju, the imperial physician, can testify to the knife wound and the poisoning, and other evidence includes the inner officials and the Third Prince’s jade on those inner officials. The Third Prince also framed Yueshen, but luckily Yueshen…”
“I know all that,” the Emperor looked unhappy. “Qi Wang, I want to ask you the same thing, who is Ye Yueshen to you?”
Gong Xunwu blinked rapidly twice, a subtle sign of nervousness, but his gaze was unusually firm. “Qi Wangfei.”
“Dream on,” Ye Yueshen refused without hesitation.
The Emperor felt like his head was about to explode. Watching Ye Yueshen throw the pillow at Gong Xunwu’s head, and it rolled to the ground, he wondered if what he was seeing was just a nonsensical dream.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his rising emotions. “He is the son of Yongning Junzhu, he is your nephew.”
“He’s not,” Gong Xunwu said. “He’s not your nephew either. Yongning Junzhu doesn’t have the surname Gong, but Zheng. He is the youngest daughter of the Jingguo Duke. After Duke Zheng died in battle, because there was no one else in the family, the Empress Dowager took her in as an adopted daughter. I remember when the late Emperor was alive, you asked the late Emperor to change ‘Adopted Daughter of Empress Zhaoxian’ to ‘Attendant Maid of Empress Zhaoxian’ on the family tree. Although it wasn’t made public, it did happen. Ye Yueshen is not my nephew.”
Ye Yueshen was greatly surprised. How did it become that his mother wasn’t the Empress Dowager’s adopted daughter? He poked Gong Xunwu’s arm and asked, “Does not being the Empress Zhaoxian’s adopted daughter affect my mother being a Junzhu?” At this moment, that’s all he cared about.
Gong Xunwu closed his eyes. Even the Emperor was speechless. He simply couldn’t understand what Ye Yueshen was thinking. The Emperor’s own brother slept with the grandson of the Jingguo Duke who died for the country. This was the biggest scandal the royal family had faced since he ascended the throne, yet Ye Yueshen only cared about whether his mother was still a Junzhu. Moreover, these were two completely unrelated matters.
“Your mother is still a Junzhu, don’t interrupt,” Gong Xunwu said, looking at the Emperor. “Your Majesty, it’s too early to discuss the matter between him and me. The matter at hand is Gong Yiyin. It’s a fact that he has repeatedly tried to kill Ye Yueshen. Are you going to protect him, Your Majesty?”
“Protect him?” the Emperor sneered. “Did I say a word when you beat him with the paddle? The reason for this matter is still unknown. If the investigation proves it to be serious, I will not interfere with how you deal with it. If it’s just a personal grudge between him and Ye Yueshen, there’s no reason for a prince to die because of a commoner. I will spare his life, but otherwise, I will not interfere with how he is punished.”
“By ‘serious,’ does Your Majesty mean regicide or patricide?” Gong Xunwu originally didn’t need to speak so bluntly and harshly, but he was afraid that Ye Yueshen would not be able to help but say it, so he thought it was better for him to say it, at least the Emperor wouldn’t really blame him.
He pressed down on Ye Yueshen’s hand, signaling him to keep his mouth shut, and continued, “It seems that Your Majesty is still reluctant to part with this son.”
“Ridiculous, he is my son, not a dog that I raised,” the Emperor slammed his hand heavily on the low table twice.
Gong Xunwu nodded. “Alright, let’s not discuss whether Gong Yiyin lives or dies for the time being, but the one who killed Ye Yueshen may not be just one person. It’s possible that Gong Yiyin was instigated, and the real mastermind is still…”
“Gong Xunwu,” the Emperor’s face completely cooled down. His voice lacked the agitation from just now, but was instead more dignified. Ye Yueshen could tell that the Emperor had been touched on a sore spot.
If it were those other princes who were being called by their full names, they would be kneeling on the ground, begging for forgiveness and kowtowing. But Gong Xunwu only straightened his back and stiffened his neck, his whole body radiating stubbornness and refusal to yield.
After a moment of stalemate, Ye Yueshen, in the tense atmosphere, suddenly felt like vomiting again, but the act of vomiting would pull on his abdominal wound, and the pain was unbearable.
He endured the churning discomfort in his stomach, blankly looking at the two people beside him who weren’t saying anything.
Finally, the Emperor spoke first. “I know who you have deep grievances with, and I know what you suspect. But this matter ends here. Don’t drag in two unrelated matters.”
Gong Xunwu was still adamant. “Your Majesty may not always be right.”
In a way, the Emperor felt that Gong Xunwu and Ye Yueshen were quite a match, but if these two really got together, they would probably turn the world upside down.
The Emperor snorted coldly. “Half of my hair has turned white. ‘Long live the Emperor’ is self-deception. I will die eventually. What about you? Will you live until I’m buried?”
“Your Majesty,” Gong Xunwu narrowed his eyes.
“There is no room for you to interfere in this matter,” the Emperor stood up. “As for you and Ye Yueshen, end it as soon as possible. If I hear any more rumors about you, you can go to your fiefdom early, and he can go to Tibet to pick cotton, and never return to the capital for the rest of your lives.”
The Emperor pushed the door open and left. Gong Xunwu followed, relentlessly pursuing him. Ye Yueshen also wanted to chase after them and get the Emperor to write an imperial decree forbidding him from being with Gong Xunwu. This kind of verbal order was just a passing breeze to Gong Xunwu and he wouldn’t listen to it at all.
But he wasn’t fit to move right now, so he could only watch them leave with regret, hearing the voices of Gong Xunwu and the Emperor arguing growing farther and farther away.
Ye Yueshen clutched his abdomen, the feeling of wanting to vomit growing stronger and stronger. Ju Su said that this was a common occurrence after poisoning and that it would take a while to fully recover.
Ye Lingshen pushed the door open and Ye Yueshen looked at him. “Second Brother.”
“The Emperor came just now,” Ye Lingshen’s eyes held a kind of emptiness, as if he had accepted reality. “If the Emperor can’t forcefully stop Qi Wang, then what’s the use of me trying to stop a chariot with my arms?”
“Second Brother,” Ye Yueshen reached out to him. “I don’t want you to feel guilty about this matter, and I don’t want you to be discouraged. Gong Xunwu is just of high status. Aside from the fact that he is the Emperor’s brother, he’s nothing special. You don’t need to feel powerless because of the imperial pressure, that’s too foolish.”
Ye Lingshen’s eyes flickered slightly. He admitted that Ye Yueshen knew how to comfort him.
He walked over and sat down at Ye Yueshen’s bedside. After listening to Ye Yueshen’s words, his burden lessened a bit, and confessing his weakness became easier. “I was sleeping when I was woken up by the Emperor and Qi Wang arguing, but I didn’t dare to, and didn’t know how to face it. I could only listen anxiously, and when the Emperor came out, I could only close my eyes and pretend to be asleep.”
“A wise man knows when to retreat,” Ye Yueshen smiled at him. “But I know that if the Emperor ordered me to be executed, Second Brother would definitely rush out to stop it. Second Brother, if that day really comes, I won’t be touched by your trying to shake a tree with an ant’s strength, I’ll only be angry. I don’t want you to die with me, I want you to live well.”
Gong Xunwu pushed the door open and came in. “None of you will die.”
Ye Lingshen’s anger flared up when he saw him, but the current situation was not the time for him to fight with Gong Xunwu. Before Gong Yiyin and the unknown forces were resolved, they were all in the same boat.
The three of them passed noon in relative peace. Ye Yueshen’s wound hurt and he couldn’t hold the bowl steadily, so Ye Lingshen didn’t allow Gong Xunwu to approach him. As long as Gong Xunwu picked up the medicine and water, Ye Lingshen would snatch it away and personally feed Ye Yueshen, not giving Gong Xunwu any chance.
Gong Xunwu noticed this but didn’t argue with him, behaving like a humble gentleman in front of Ye Yueshen.
But Ye Lingshen really didn’t know how to take care of people. Before Ye Yueshen had even swallowed a mouthful of porridge, he was already holding the second spoonful to Ye Yueshen’s lips.
Gong Xunwu couldn’t help but snatch the opportunity to serve Ye Yueshen, and Ye Lingshen also knew his limits and didn’t insist.
Ye Yueshen suddenly had a lot of time to lie in bed. Without the ability to move around, he could only think. Gong Yiyin was no longer a concern, but there was also Consort Xian, the adoptive mother of the Fourth Prince Gong Xuyin, who used the warming incense.
This time, Ye Yueshen really couldn’t figure it out. He had to find a chance to see Gong Xuyin. Perhaps Gong Xuyin would come to visit him.
When it was time to bathe in the evening, Ye Yueshen lay on the bed dejectedly. He wanted to take a bath, but Ju Su wouldn’t let him. Ju Su said that he could only wipe himself with a wet cloth.
This completely suited Gong Xunwu’s wishes. Ye Yueshen was unwilling, and he suggested that Ruoya help him, but Gong Xunwu refused outright.
But he couldn’t not take a bath, and if he kept hesitating, Gong Xunwu would only laugh at him in his heart, so he agreed to Gong Xunwu’s help.
The whole process was quite difficult and long for Ye Yueshen. He felt goosebumps rise all over his body as soon as the wet cloth touched him.
But Gong Xunwu looked calm, although he was already distracted in his heart. He carefully wiped Ye Yueshen clean, and could feel that Ye Yueshen didn’t dare to breathe loudly.
After wiping himself down, Ye Yueshen had already moved to the inside of the bed, and Gong Xunwu, seeing the space he had left for him, was moved beyond words for a moment.
“Anyway, you’re going to stay no matter what I say,” Ye Yueshen said casually.
Gong Xunwu tacitly acknowledged it. He picked up the freshly brewed medicine that Shaou had brought, stirred it with a spoon, and Ye Yueshen’s stomach churned again. He couldn’t help but gag.
Gong Xunwu knew that his wound would hurt when he gagged, so he quickly put down the bowl of medicine. Because he didn’t put it down properly, some of the medicine spilled on the back of his hand, and his skin turned red.
Ye Yueshen was helped to sit up by him and leaned against his arms. He kept stroking his back to comfort Ye Yueshen. Fortunately, it was only a couple of gags that were suppressed.
Ye Yueshen leaned on his shoulder for a while, and after making sure that the uncomfortable feeling had passed, he gently patted his shoulder. “Help me lie down.”
“Okay,” Gong Xunwu put him back on the pillow and laid him down. Ye Yueshen grabbed his wrist, held it up to his eyes, and carefully looked at the red skin.
“It doesn’t hurt,” Gong Xunwu said proactively. “I’m tough, it’s nothing to get burned.”
Ye Yueshen snorted softly and muttered, “I didn’t even ask, presumptuous.”
Gong Xunwu got up and scooped out two more bowls of medicine, one to heal the wound and one to clear the poison, and fed them to Ye Yueshen after they had cooled down.
Usually, Ye Yueshen would have to take a break for half a day between the two bowls. The bitter and astringent taste was like drinking feces, a torture to his taste buds.
But today, he obediently drank both bowls in one go. Gong Xunwu understood him more and more, and couldn’t help but kiss him on the cheek. “You’re feeling sorry for me.”
Ye Yueshen still told him not to be presumptuous, but Gong Xunwu was very happy, because when he kissed Ye Yueshen, Ye Yueshen didn’t seem angry, he just kept looking at his hand.
Shaou came in to take away the bowls of medicine, and after noticing Gong Xunwu’s burn, he quickly brought some ointment. Gong Xunwu didn’t let him apply it, so Shaou had to leave the ointment on the table and leave.
Ye Yueshen pushed him. “Go apply the ointment.”
“I’m not used to applying ointment,” Gong Xunwu didn’t move.
Ye Yueshen was in a lot of pain when he vomited, and Gong Xunwu was afraid that the smell of the ointment would trigger vomiting, so he didn’t plan to use it.
A little later, Ruoya came again to bring the pear soup he had cooked. After seeing the ointment on the table, he asked, “Gongzi Ye, did you get burned?”
“Not me, it’s him,” Ye Yueshen pointed to Gong Xunwu, “but he won’t apply the ointment.”
Ruoya was immediately a little embarrassed. How could he tell Qi Wang whether or not to apply the ointment, but he couldn’t not say a few words of concern, so he hesitated for a moment and said politely, “Your Highness, you should apply some ointment, it’ll heal faster.”
Gong Xunwu still refused. He walked to the table and checked the pear soup Ruoya had cooked. This time, the pear pieces were cut to a more uniform size.
The ointment was placed close by, and he didn’t seem to smell any odor. He picked up the small medicine box and sniffed it, and it really didn’t have the smell he had imagined.
Ruoya said again, “You should apply some, or you’ll get blisters.”
“Okay,” Since there was no odor anyway, and blisters would make it inconvenient to serve Ye Yueshen, Gong Xunwu opened the medicine box. Ruoya took a dollop. “Let this one serve you.”
Ye Yueshen watched them, lost in thought: Why didn’t he listen when I told him to apply the medicine, but he listened when Ruoya told him to?
Before Ruoya finished speaking, he had already applied the medicine on the back of Gong Xunwu’s hand. Ye Yueshen watched them, his lips pressed tightly together. For some reason, he felt a little uncomfortable in his heart.
Gong Xunwu got up and walked towards Ye Yueshen, spreading the medicine himself as he walked. He sat down by the bed and discussed with Ye Yueshen, “It’s too late, let’s not drink the pear soup for now.”
Ye Yueshen wasn’t listening to what he was saying, he only saw his lips moving, his eyes brooked no refusal, he had already made a decision for him.
Ye Yueshen glared at him, covered his wound, and turned his back to Gong Xunwu.