Edited: 12.10.2023
Gu Yan tenderly untied Ye Zi’s hair as they billowed down onto the bed.
Ye Zi sank into the soft bed as his eyes fixed on the familiar face in front of him. His heart was beating loudly and his chest was rising and falling slightly due to tension.
Gu Yan rarely wore such bright colors in the past. The bright red wedding robe made his complexion fairer and more transparent, making him look extraordinarily handsome. He lowered his eyes and looked at Ye Zi as strands of emotion poured out without concealment.
Ye Zi had never seen him look like this before and his breathing became rapid for a moment.
Gu Yan stretched out his hand to rub his lively eyes. His fingers gently slid down Ye Zi’s face before landing on top of his heart: “Your heart is beating so fast, are you scared?”
“I……”
Ye Zi couldn’t say anything. He was so nervous that his fingertips were trembling. He subconsciously clenched Gu Yan’s sleeves tightly, but the other part slowly unparted them and pressed his hand down tightly against the bed.
Gu Yan lowered his head and kissed him deeply. After a long while, he chuckled, “Breathe, little fool. Isn’t this what you wanted? Why are you so nervous?”
Ye Zi tilted his head nervously: “T-That’s not…..”
Gu Yan bit on his throat and gently nibbled around maliciously: “Not what? Do you not like it?”
Ye Zi closed his eyes and murmured: “I do……”
Gu Yan licked the small piece of skin that was red from the bite without raising his head: “What do you like, A Zi, please tell me clearly.”
Ye Zi trembled all over and whimpered before uttering a few words in a low voice.
The voice was thin and mosquito-like. Gu Yan’s eyes darkened, he untied the loose belt with his fingers, and kissed his eyes reassuringly: “Remember your words.”
The decorated boat swayed with the waves in the water and soon it was far away from the bank and stopped in the middle of the river. In the distance, several fireworks exploded in the sky, one after another. A few tiny sobs escaped from the hull and were soon completely covered up by the sound of fireworks.
Ye Zi’s consciousness quickly became chaotic and he felt like he had turned back into a plant amidst the storm.
The wind and rain rolled over his delicate leaves without mercy and the feeling of being out of control came overwhelmingly. The tips of his leaves trembled with fear and he couldn’t help but curl up.
But the originally howling storm soon turned into a gentle drizzle, like a pair of gentle hands, almost pity, as they tempted his leaves to tremble open. The delicate leaves soon lost all the strength to resist, allowing for the dew to make contact and taking whatever it wanted.
The bright red lantern on the bow of the boat swayed more and more, leaving dappled light and shadow on the long river.
In the end, Ye Zi was so exhausted that he fell asleep.
His consciousness was erratic, sinking into one dream after another that seemed out of reach, yet extremely familiar.
He seemed to be wrapped in something soft and his eyes were filled with bottomless darkness. Suddenly, sweet nectar fell on him through the darkness and Ye Zi greedily raised his head to inhale it as he tried his best to climb upwards, wanting to draw more.
A glimmer of light appeared in front of him.
Ye Zi looked around, only to realize that he had changed back into the form of a small green plant. The surroundings were filled with warm and hazy water vapor, and nothing could be seen clearly.
Suddenly, a hand gently fell on his leaves.
The leaves flinched for a moment and then timidly entangled with each other, showing the most delicate bud to the other party in a flattering manner.
The movement of the hand paused and a strange voice immediately came from beside him: “After Heavenly Deity has spent so much nectar to irrigate it, the seed finally sprouted. And as soon as it sprouted, it knew to show you kindness, this cheeky thing…..”
The voice of the man stroking the leaves was faint, as calm and wave-free as an ancient well, “The immortal plant has a spirit and can understand human nature.”
Ye Zi raised his head and looked at him. The man’s face seemed to be hidden in the mist, making it difficult to see and touch, leaving only a vague outline.
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“You’re looking at me?” The man spoke softly, as if with a bit of soft warmth, “You won’t be able to see me.”
The appearance of an Ancient Divine Deity was beyond the ability of a freshly sprouted plant like him to peer into.
The immortal plant lived in the dense water vapor, but most of the time, he could only stay by himself. A few servants, who served the Heavenly Deity, would occasionally sit in the yard and talk in words he couldn’t understand.
What the immortal plant looked forward to most every day was when the Heavenly Deity irrigated him with immortal dew.
The Heavenly Deity himself would come every day to water him with immortal dew, touch his leaves, and speak to him for a moment or two.
The immortal plant was confused when he heard it, but he still liked it very much.
He felt that it was the best sound in the world.
He didn’t know when it started, but the Heavenly Deity stopped coming.
The one who watered him was now replaced by a servant beside the Heavenly Deity, who was equally meticulous, but in the end, there was something missing. The immortal plant waited for a long time, but still wasn’t able to see the person he desperately wanted to see and his leaves became listless.
Since the immortal plant had listened to the servants talking day and night, he could understand more and more sentences. The immortal plant tried his best to listen and heard a few familiar words between sentences.
“…….He went down to the mortal world to endure calamities, and his return date is uncertain.”
The scene around Ye Zi suddenly changed and he was stirred up as he sank into the boundless chaos. Soon, the connection between light and shadow became clearer and clearer. Ye Zi opened his eyes suddenly and found that he was being led by a woman walking in the busy market.
He tilted his head, unable to remember what he had just seen.
“Little Zi, Mother is going to buy you candied hawthorn so wait here obediently. Don’t cry or make trouble, okay?” The woman’s voice was gentle and the three or four-year-old child cocked his head to look at her, nodding his head in confusion.
He saw his mother walking to the corner of the street and someone he had never seen before put a piece of silver in her hand. Then, the woman looked at him from afar and walked in another direction.
He wanted to remind his mother that the candied hawthorn seller was not over there, but before he could move forward, he was suddenly pulled from behind.
The hand was so strong that it clenched his wrist painfully.
He watched the woman walk away but didn’t cry or make a scene.
His mother had told him not to cry.
Later, he was taken to a faraway place and locked up with many children of his age. They were forced to practice martial arts and swords all day long, fighting each other in that dark, prison-like place.
Because they were told that if they didn’t win, they would die.
In the end, he became the last one to survive. He thought that he would finally be able to leave that prison, but he never thought that he would just be taken to another prison.
In the magnificent Imperial City, the high and mighty Emperor stroked his head and talked to him a lot.
The man told him that from today on, to follow that person and protect him, even if it cost him his life.
He was led through a long palace gateway, through a corridor with flowery windows, and to a courtyard full of flowers and plants. There, he came across a young boy who fell from a broken branch.
That face was immature and unfamiliar and he could no longer recognize who that person was. He only knew that it was the person he would protect throughout his life.
When Ye Zi woke up, it was already dawn outside.
The soft red silk curtains blocked the outside so tightly that no light could penetrate in. His whole body seemed to have been shattered and put back together again and he was so sore that he couldn’t even move a finger.
Memories rolled into his head like a flood. Ye Zi murmured softly, opened his eyes, and a familiar face reflected in front of him.
After a long time, he finally saw the man’s appearance clearly. Even after several reincarnations, that face was still as handsome as ever. It was a face that couldn’t be carved or copied by the most delicate brushwork in the world.
Ye Zi stared blankly at that face, but the latter suddenly opened his eyes and met his gaze.
The moment their eyes met, the chaotic and troubled thoughts were immediately stirred up, leaving only the crazy memory of last night. Ye Zi’s face turned red and he subconsciously hid, but there was an indescribable soreness coming from somewhere behind him, which made him frown in pain.
Gu Yan’s expression changed slightly and he asked softly: “Does it still hurt?”
“How could it not hurt? It hurts really badly.”
Thinking of last night’s events, Ye Zi was aggrieved.
This person in front of him was like a different person in bed, domineering and tough, tossing and turning him for most of the night. Ye Zi still had some strength at first, but later the excessive pleasure made his whole body weak. He couldn’t even resist and could only let the man take what he wanted.
Ye Zi complained with red eyes, which were a little red and swollen from crying, and his whole body looked pitiful as if he had been bullied.
Gu Yan’s eyes darkened and he was almost aroused by his appearance.
He closed his eyes and calmed down, reminding himself that he had already tormented him enough last night and couldn’t do this again.
Gu Yan sighed in his heart and slowly reached behind Ye Zi with his palm. He rubbed his back soothingly and then slid down along his spine. Ye Zi shuddered all over and was so stiff that he didn’t dare to move.
Gu Yan only gave it a light touch and then moved away quickly, muttering in a low voice: “It seems like it’s a bit swollen, I’ll put some medicine on it for you.”
“No need.” Ye Zi gently shook his head.
Ordinary ointments didn’t have much effect on him, not to mention, this small injury could be healed in less than half a day.
Gu Yan still felt a little guilty: “I’m sorry, I should have been more careful.”
“It’s……okay,” Ye Zi raised his eyes to look at him and whispered with some embarrassment, “I like you like this.”
Gu Yan’s breathing suddenly became a little heavier. He lowered his head helplessly and pinched the face of the person in his arms: “Did you not suffer enough last night? Why are you trying to tempt me this early in the morning?”
Ye Zi buried his head in Gu Yan’s chest, greedily inhaling the faint aroma of herbal medicine on his body. After a while, he closed his eyes and whispered: “I just didn’t expect that we would have such a day, my……..Highness.”
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Gu Yan’s arm around him tightened a bit at once and he asked softly: “What did you call me?”
Ye Zi straightened his upper body, supported his hands on Gu Yan’s sides, looked down into those eyes, and smiled softly at him. Just like that year when the two met for the first time as Ye Zi jumped to catch Gu Yan who fell from the tree. With a startling glance, he was the only one left in his eyes, and nothing else.
Ye Zi reverently planted a kiss on Gu Yan’s lips, his voice low and clear: “……Your Highness.”
Gu Yan’s voice had a few tremors in it: “You remembered everything?”
Ye Zi relaxed his strength, lay back in Gu Yan’s arms, and played with his hair. He didn’t answer and simply said: “Zicheng, let me tell you a story.”
Without waiting for Gu Yan to answer, Ye Zi started: “A long time ago, there was an Emperor. He knew that he was going to die soon, but at that time, the only person suitable to be the next Emperor was his grandson who wasn’t even ten years old. But he couldn’t wait that long anymore. His proudest son was killed, and in order to prevent his grandson from going down the same path, he came up with a plan.”
“The Emperor searched for strong children among the commoners and trained them into obedient weapons. Among hundreds of people, only one emerged.” Ye Zi closed his eyes, paused for a moment, and continued, “After the weapon was refined, the Emperor knew he didn’t have much time left. In order to protect his grandson, he had to pass the throne to his other son, then appoint his grandson as a Prince, and leave a secret mission for the weapon.”
“The mission the Emperor gave him was to let the little master reclaim the throne with his own strength.”
Gu Yan’s arms tightened and he let out a soft sigh: “What happened afterward?”
Ye Zi buried his head into Gu Yan’s arms, but his voice carried an unprecedented calm: “The Emperor made a very complete plan before his death, and the weapon followed it one by one.”
“He taught the little master martial arts, letting him make a name for himself amongst the Princes and nobles, and also letting him see many of the shortcomings of the new Emperor’s rule. He did a lot of things in the open and in the dark, and the contradiction between the little master and the new Emperor grew worse and worse.”
“Gradually, the little master became rebellious.”
“That little master, with the help of the weapon, followed the late Emperor’s plan and lived the life he wanted most in his heart.”
Gu Yan’s fingers trembled slightly as he interrupted in a low voice: “A Zi, stop talking.”
“Let me finish.” Ye Zi pursed his lips and said softly, “But soon, the weapon made a fatal mistake. He fell in love with his little master and he couldn’t let him continue to be manipulated like this.”
“He was too arrogant. He thought he could change everything. But from the first step he took when he deviated from the late Emperor’s plan, it was mistake after mistake.”
“In the end……he harmed others and himself.”
A layer of water clouded over Ye Zi’s eyes as he rested his head against Gu Yan’s shoulder, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably: “I’m sorry……”
Those memories that Gu Yan couldn’t forget were nothing more than a long and beautiful deception. In his previous life, he had come with a mission, following the script drawn up by the late Emperor. And step by step, he had introduced that person into the trap but was incapable of pulling him out.
Gu Yan took a deep breath and wordlessly wrapped his arms around the body that couldn’t stop trembling.
After a long time, Gu Yan softly said: “It’s not your fault.”
Ye Zi’s movements stalled and Gu Yan gently lifted his head. There was still a teardrop hanging on Ye Zi’s eyelashes, wanting to fall but not falling, looking particularly fragile.
Gu Yan kissed the tears on his face with pity, feeling a needle-pricking pain in his heart.
“Fool, this isn’t your fault.” Gu Yan sighed, “You shouldn’t have been involved in the struggle for Imperial power in the first place. If it wasn’t for me, none of this would have happened to you. You think you controlled my life, but you were also controlled by someone else and had to live as a different person.”
“None of us are at fault, no one.”
They were entangled by fate for two lifetimes. What was right and what was wrong had been wiped out in the river of time long ago. What was left was only the deep love engraved in each other’s hearts.
Ye Zi was tired from crying and soon fell asleep. When he woke up again, he was the only one left on the bed. There was still some warmth left on the side next to him. Ye Zi stared at the half-empty pillow in a daze. After a while, there were footsteps outside the room.
Gu Yan lifted the curtains and sat beside him: “You finally woke up, get up quickly.”
Ye Zi nodded and allowed Gu Yan to pull him up and dress him. Gu Yan was always meticulous when taking care of him and today, he was even more careful than usual, as if he was making up for yesterday’s mistake.
Ye Zi knew why he was like this. He pursed his lips and said with some embarrassment: “I’m already fine.”
Gu Yan’s movements paused and smiled: “That’s good.”
Although he said so, his meticulous and patient movements did not change. Gu Yan helped Ye Zi get dressed and pulled him out of the cabin.
The scene outside was already completely different from what Ye Zi had seen yesterday.
They had already sailed away from Guangling City and the boat was slowly swaying among the mountains, heading forward. Not far in front of them, there was a small courtyard built next to the water.
Ye Zi was stunned: “This is…….”
Gu Yan didn’t answer as he skillfully paddled the oars and drove the boat to stop at the pier in front of the small courtyard.
Gu Yan helped Ye Zi off the boat.
The courtyard was surrounded by mountains on three sides and water on one side. It stood between the mountains and rivers and was extremely peaceful.
“This place isn’t far from Guangling. The mountains and rivers are pleasant so it is the ideal place to live. I pondered on this place for a long time before finally settling.” Gu Yan said: “I sent people to build this waterside courtyard here. Every brick and tile, every plant and tree, was formulated with my own hands. I thought you might like it.”
Gu Yan looked down at him and said warmly: “Do you like this betrothal gift, my dear?”
Gu Yan had promised him that he would build him a house.
Everything he promised was kept in mind and nothing was forgotten.
Ye Zi’s eyes suddenly stung and he nodded: “I like it.”
Gu Yan smiled, as if relieved: “As long as you like it. Come on, I’ll take you around inside so you can see if there’s anything that needs to be changed.”
“Okay.”
The two of them stayed there.
In the remaining days, Gu Yan even moved all the affairs of Guangling to this place, accompanying Ye Zi all day long.
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Not long after, the flood disaster gradually improved under Gu Yan’s management. Gu Yan should have returned after his success, but as days passed, he had no intention of going back.
Emperor Jinghe was worried and sent several letters in succession, urging Gu Yan to finish the matters at hand and return to Chang’an as soon as possible. Gu Yan simply resorted to his ability to pretend to be sick, pretending to be bedridden so that he would be unable to withstand the long journey.
Gu Yan’s skill of pretending to be sick had been perfected. Whether it was the local officials who came to see him or the envoys sent by Emperor Jinghe from the capital, they were all convinced by him, and gradually even spread the rumor that Prince Rui was overworked in Jiangnan, and that his old illness had relapsed, and that there wasn’t much time left for him.
Gu Yan had no intention of clarifying and even secretly fueled the rumors to spread.
As the rumors spread outside, the supposedly ill Prince Rui was currently holding his little princess consort in the hot spring and bullying him wantonly. The water vapor was dense around the hot spring. A pale and slender hand climbed the stone steps and the silver bell on the wrist made a series of soft sounds.
Gu Yan bullied Ye Zi again yesterday. Ye Zi had a disagreement with him and simply turned into a plant and hid in the mountains, refusing to come out. There were weeds everywhere in the mountains and the small green plant vigorously pushed himself into the grass. No matter how hard Gu Yan looked for him, he couldn’t find him.
Ye Zi’s anger dissipated as quickly as it came, and the stalemate lasted for less than half a day. He couldn’t bear it anymore and sneaked back, but was caught by an angry Gu Yan.
Hence the punishment at this moment.
The silver bell restricted Ye Zi from changing back to his original form. He could not avoid or escape. He could only be trapped in the warm spring water as the other party punished him.
Ye Zi’s whole body turned red and trembled under Gu Yan’s movements. After a few moments, he couldn’t bear it anymore as he begged for mercy. But instead of letting him go, the other party’s movements became even more forceful, forcing him to cry out.
After some amount of time, the rings from the silver bell subsided.
Gu Yan carried the exhausted and sleepy Ye Zi back to the bedroom.
He changed his demeanor and gently put Ye Zi back on the bed. After covering him with the quilt carefully, he put on a robe and walked outside.
Gu Yan sat down at the table: “Come out.”
Siwei stepped in through the gate in an anxious manner.
His ears hidden under the black robe were slightly red. When he saw Gu Yan’s gaze faintly sweeping toward him, he quickly raised his voice: “Master, don’t worry, this subordinate was hiding far away just now and didn’t hear anything.”
When Siwei stepped into the courtyard, he didn’t see Gu Yan anywhere. According to how it usually was, he would wait for him inside the room, but something was really urgent today, so he couldn’t help but look for Gu Yan everywhere.
He searched all over the front and back yards but found no one, so he boldly continued walking inside. There was a quiet path in the backyard that led directly to the hot spring in the mountain. But before he could reach the hot spring, his keen ears were the first to hear the crisp sound of silver bells, as well as the unsuppressed cries and moans.
The little shadow guard was old-fashioned and serious and had never heard these sounds before. He immediately turned red and ran away in a hurry without even caring about the urgent matter he wanted to report.
Gu Yan retracted his gaze and sipped his tea: “No harm done. Speak, what’s the matter?”
“It’s the news from Chang’an.” Siwei said seriously, “I just received the news that the Crown Prince has been abrogated and is temporarily under house arrest in the Eastern Palace. Emperor Jinghe has already drafted an Imperial decree and will make the Third Imperial Prince as the Crown Prince in the next few days.”
Gu Yan paused in his movements and let out a soft laugh: “Gu Xuan’s movements are a bit faster than I had expected.”
He paused and asked again: “If it was only this matter, you wouldn’t have been so anxious in finding me, what else is there?”
“And……” Siwei hesitated for a moment: “I heard that the Third Imperial Prince will soon marry an Imperial Consort.”
A slight rattle suddenly came from the inner room.
Gu Yan hurriedly walked in.
Ye Zi wasn’t completely asleep just now and naturally heard Siwei’s words. Just as he wanted to go out because of his anxiousness, he felt sore and weak the moment his feet touched the ground. Holding onto the edge of the bed, he barely managed not to fall.
Gu Yan helped him onto the bed, put two pillows behind him to lean on, and righteously lectured: “Don’t move around, who was the one that said they couldn’t take it anymore? Are you not feeling tired now?”
Who was the one who caused him to be like this in the first place? ? ?
Ye Zi glared at the instigator angrily, ignored him, and turned to Siwei: “How’s the little sparrow doing?”
Siwei responded: “I don’t know where he is.”
Ye Zi was stunned for a moment and asked hoarsely: “What do you mean you don’t know where he is?”
Siwei said, “After Your Highness gave the order, this subordinate sent someone to keep an eye on the eunuch named little sparrow.”
“Not long ago, all the eunuchs in the Third Imperial Prince’s palace were replaced, and most of those eunuchs were expelled from the palace or sent elsewhere. But there has been no news so far about that little sparrow.”
“However, there were rumors in Chang’an that someone beside the Third Imperial Prince had bewitched him and was discovered by Noble Consort Yu, as well as his Holiness, and had been secretly executed.”
Edited: 12.10.2023
Gu Yan tenderly untied Ye Zi’s hair as they billowed down onto the bed.
Ye Zi sank into the soft bed as his eyes fixed on the familiar face in front of him. His heart was beating loudly and his chest was rising and falling slightly due to tension.
Gu Yan rarely wore such bright colors in the past. The bright red wedding robe made his complexion fairer and more transparent, making him look extraordinarily handsome. He lowered his eyes and looked at Ye Zi as strands of emotion poured out without concealment.
Ye Zi had never seen him look like this before and his breathing became rapid for a moment.
Gu Yan stretched out his hand to rub his lively eyes. His fingers gently slid down Ye Zi’s face before landing on top of his heart: “Your heart is beating so fast, are you scared?”
“I……”
Ye Zi couldn’t say anything. He was so nervous that his fingertips were trembling. He subconsciously clenched Gu Yan’s sleeves tightly, but the other part slowly unparted them and pressed his hand down tightly against the bed.
Gu Yan lowered his head and kissed him deeply. After a long while, he chuckled, “Breathe, little fool. Isn’t this what you wanted? Why are you so nervous?”
Ye Zi tilted his head nervously: “T-That’s not…..”
Gu Yan bit on his throat and gently nibbled around maliciously: “Not what? Do you not like it?”
Ye Zi closed his eyes and murmured: “I do……”
Gu Yan licked the small piece of skin that was red from the bite without raising his head: “What do you like, A Zi, please tell me clearly.”
Ye Zi trembled all over and whimpered before uttering a few words in a low voice.
The voice was thin and mosquito-like. Gu Yan’s eyes darkened, he untied the loose belt with his fingers, and kissed his eyes reassuringly: “Remember your words.”
The decorated boat swayed with the waves in the water and soon it was far away from the bank and stopped in the middle of the river. In the distance, several fireworks exploded in the sky, one after another. A few tiny sobs escaped from the hull and were soon completely covered up by the sound of fireworks.
Ye Zi’s consciousness quickly became chaotic and he felt like he had turned back into a plant amidst the storm.
The wind and rain rolled over his delicate leaves without mercy and the feeling of being out of control came overwhelmingly. The tips of his leaves trembled with fear and he couldn’t help but curl up.
But the originally howling storm soon turned into a gentle drizzle, like a pair of gentle hands, almost pity, as they tempted his leaves to tremble open. The delicate leaves soon lost all the strength to resist, allowing for the dew to make contact and taking whatever it wanted.
The bright red lantern on the bow of the boat swayed more and more, leaving dappled light and shadow on the long river.
In the end, Ye Zi was so exhausted that he fell asleep.
His consciousness was erratic, sinking into one dream after another that seemed out of reach, yet extremely familiar.
He seemed to be wrapped in something soft and his eyes were filled with bottomless darkness. Suddenly, sweet nectar fell on him through the darkness and Ye Zi greedily raised his head to inhale it as he tried his best to climb upwards, wanting to draw more.
A glimmer of light appeared in front of him.
Ye Zi looked around, only to realize that he had changed back into the form of a small green plant. The surroundings were filled with warm and hazy water vapor, and nothing could be seen clearly.
Suddenly, a hand gently fell on his leaves.
The leaves flinched for a moment and then timidly entangled with each other, showing the most delicate bud to the other party in a flattering manner.
The movement of the hand paused and a strange voice immediately came from beside him: “After Heavenly Deity has spent so much nectar to irrigate it, the seed finally sprouted. And as soon as it sprouted, it knew to show you kindness, this cheeky thing…..”
The voice of the man stroking the leaves was faint, as calm and wave-free as an ancient well, “The immortal plant has a spirit and can understand human nature.”
Ye Zi raised his head and looked at him. The man’s face seemed to be hidden in the mist, making it difficult to see and touch, leaving only a vague outline.
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“You’re looking at me?” The man spoke softly, as if with a bit of soft warmth, “You won’t be able to see me.”
The appearance of an Ancient Divine Deity was beyond the ability of a freshly sprouted plant like him to peer into.
The immortal plant lived in the dense water vapor, but most of the time, he could only stay by himself. A few servants, who served the Heavenly Deity, would occasionally sit in the yard and talk in words he couldn’t understand.
What the immortal plant looked forward to most every day was when the Heavenly Deity irrigated him with immortal dew.
The Heavenly Deity himself would come every day to water him with immortal dew, touch his leaves, and speak to him for a moment or two.
The immortal plant was confused when he heard it, but he still liked it very much.
He felt that it was the best sound in the world.
He didn’t know when it started, but the Heavenly Deity stopped coming.
The one who watered him was now replaced by a servant beside the Heavenly Deity, who was equally meticulous, but in the end, there was something missing. The immortal plant waited for a long time, but still wasn’t able to see the person he desperately wanted to see and his leaves became listless.
Since the immortal plant had listened to the servants talking day and night, he could understand more and more sentences. The immortal plant tried his best to listen and heard a few familiar words between sentences.
“…….He went down to the mortal world to endure calamities, and his return date is uncertain.”
The scene around Ye Zi suddenly changed and he was stirred up as he sank into the boundless chaos. Soon, the connection between light and shadow became clearer and clearer. Ye Zi opened his eyes suddenly and found that he was being led by a woman walking in the busy market.
He tilted his head, unable to remember what he had just seen.
“Little Zi, Mother is going to buy you candied hawthorn so wait here obediently. Don’t cry or make trouble, okay?” The woman’s voice was gentle and the three or four-year-old child cocked his head to look at her, nodding his head in confusion.
He saw his mother walking to the corner of the street and someone he had never seen before put a piece of silver in her hand. Then, the woman looked at him from afar and walked in another direction.
He wanted to remind his mother that the candied hawthorn seller was not over there, but before he could move forward, he was suddenly pulled from behind.
The hand was so strong that it clenched his wrist painfully.
He watched the woman walk away but didn’t cry or make a scene.
His mother had told him not to cry.
Later, he was taken to a faraway place and locked up with many children of his age. They were forced to practice martial arts and swords all day long, fighting each other in that dark, prison-like place.
Because they were told that if they didn’t win, they would die.
In the end, he became the last one to survive. He thought that he would finally be able to leave that prison, but he never thought that he would just be taken to another prison.
In the magnificent Imperial City, the high and mighty Emperor stroked his head and talked to him a lot.
The man told him that from today on, to follow that person and protect him, even if it cost him his life.
He was led through a long palace gateway, through a corridor with flowery windows, and to a courtyard full of flowers and plants. There, he came across a young boy who fell from a broken branch.
That face was immature and unfamiliar and he could no longer recognize who that person was. He only knew that it was the person he would protect throughout his life.
When Ye Zi woke up, it was already dawn outside.
The soft red silk curtains blocked the outside so tightly that no light could penetrate in. His whole body seemed to have been shattered and put back together again and he was so sore that he couldn’t even move a finger.
Memories rolled into his head like a flood. Ye Zi murmured softly, opened his eyes, and a familiar face reflected in front of him.
After a long time, he finally saw the man’s appearance clearly. Even after several reincarnations, that face was still as handsome as ever. It was a face that couldn’t be carved or copied by the most delicate brushwork in the world.
Ye Zi stared blankly at that face, but the latter suddenly opened his eyes and met his gaze.
The moment their eyes met, the chaotic and troubled thoughts were immediately stirred up, leaving only the crazy memory of last night. Ye Zi’s face turned red and he subconsciously hid, but there was an indescribable soreness coming from somewhere behind him, which made him frown in pain.
Gu Yan’s expression changed slightly and he asked softly: “Does it still hurt?”
“How could it not hurt? It hurts really badly.”
Thinking of last night’s events, Ye Zi was aggrieved.
This person in front of him was like a different person in bed, domineering and tough, tossing and turning him for most of the night. Ye Zi still had some strength at first, but later the excessive pleasure made his whole body weak. He couldn’t even resist and could only let the man take what he wanted.
Ye Zi complained with red eyes, which were a little red and swollen from crying, and his whole body looked pitiful as if he had been bullied.
Gu Yan’s eyes darkened and he was almost aroused by his appearance.
He closed his eyes and calmed down, reminding himself that he had already tormented him enough last night and couldn’t do this again.
Gu Yan sighed in his heart and slowly reached behind Ye Zi with his palm. He rubbed his back soothingly and then slid down along his spine. Ye Zi shuddered all over and was so stiff that he didn’t dare to move.
Gu Yan only gave it a light touch and then moved away quickly, muttering in a low voice: “It seems like it’s a bit swollen, I’ll put some medicine on it for you.”
“No need.” Ye Zi gently shook his head.
Ordinary ointments didn’t have much effect on him, not to mention, this small injury could be healed in less than half a day.
Gu Yan still felt a little guilty: “I’m sorry, I should have been more careful.”
“It’s……okay,” Ye Zi raised his eyes to look at him and whispered with some embarrassment, “I like you like this.”
Gu Yan’s breathing suddenly became a little heavier. He lowered his head helplessly and pinched the face of the person in his arms: “Did you not suffer enough last night? Why are you trying to tempt me this early in the morning?”
Ye Zi buried his head in Gu Yan’s chest, greedily inhaling the faint aroma of herbal medicine on his body. After a while, he closed his eyes and whispered: “I just didn’t expect that we would have such a day, my……..Highness.”
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Gu Yan’s arm around him tightened a bit at once and he asked softly: “What did you call me?”
Ye Zi straightened his upper body, supported his hands on Gu Yan’s sides, looked down into those eyes, and smiled softly at him. Just like that year when the two met for the first time as Ye Zi jumped to catch Gu Yan who fell from the tree. With a startling glance, he was the only one left in his eyes, and nothing else.
Ye Zi reverently planted a kiss on Gu Yan’s lips, his voice low and clear: “……Your Highness.”
Gu Yan’s voice had a few tremors in it: “You remembered everything?”
Ye Zi relaxed his strength, lay back in Gu Yan’s arms, and played with his hair. He didn’t answer and simply said: “Zicheng, let me tell you a story.”
Without waiting for Gu Yan to answer, Ye Zi started: “A long time ago, there was an Emperor. He knew that he was going to die soon, but at that time, the only person suitable to be the next Emperor was his grandson who wasn’t even ten years old. But he couldn’t wait that long anymore. His proudest son was killed, and in order to prevent his grandson from going down the same path, he came up with a plan.”
“The Emperor searched for strong children among the commoners and trained them into obedient weapons. Among hundreds of people, only one emerged.” Ye Zi closed his eyes, paused for a moment, and continued, “After the weapon was refined, the Emperor knew he didn’t have much time left. In order to protect his grandson, he had to pass the throne to his other son, then appoint his grandson as a Prince, and leave a secret mission for the weapon.”
“The mission the Emperor gave him was to let the little master reclaim the throne with his own strength.”
Gu Yan’s arms tightened and he let out a soft sigh: “What happened afterward?”
Ye Zi buried his head into Gu Yan’s arms, but his voice carried an unprecedented calm: “The Emperor made a very complete plan before his death, and the weapon followed it one by one.”
“He taught the little master martial arts, letting him make a name for himself amongst the Princes and nobles, and also letting him see many of the shortcomings of the new Emperor’s rule. He did a lot of things in the open and in the dark, and the contradiction between the little master and the new Emperor grew worse and worse.”
“Gradually, the little master became rebellious.”
“That little master, with the help of the weapon, followed the late Emperor’s plan and lived the life he wanted most in his heart.”
Gu Yan’s fingers trembled slightly as he interrupted in a low voice: “A Zi, stop talking.”
“Let me finish.” Ye Zi pursed his lips and said softly, “But soon, the weapon made a fatal mistake. He fell in love with his little master and he couldn’t let him continue to be manipulated like this.”
“He was too arrogant. He thought he could change everything. But from the first step he took when he deviated from the late Emperor’s plan, it was mistake after mistake.”
“In the end……he harmed others and himself.”
A layer of water clouded over Ye Zi’s eyes as he rested his head against Gu Yan’s shoulder, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably: “I’m sorry……”
Those memories that Gu Yan couldn’t forget were nothing more than a long and beautiful deception. In his previous life, he had come with a mission, following the script drawn up by the late Emperor. And step by step, he had introduced that person into the trap but was incapable of pulling him out.
Gu Yan took a deep breath and wordlessly wrapped his arms around the body that couldn’t stop trembling.
After a long time, Gu Yan softly said: “It’s not your fault.”
Ye Zi’s movements stalled and Gu Yan gently lifted his head. There was still a teardrop hanging on Ye Zi’s eyelashes, wanting to fall but not falling, looking particularly fragile.
Gu Yan kissed the tears on his face with pity, feeling a needle-pricking pain in his heart.
“Fool, this isn’t your fault.” Gu Yan sighed, “You shouldn’t have been involved in the struggle for Imperial power in the first place. If it wasn’t for me, none of this would have happened to you. You think you controlled my life, but you were also controlled by someone else and had to live as a different person.”
“None of us are at fault, no one.”
They were entangled by fate for two lifetimes. What was right and what was wrong had been wiped out in the river of time long ago. What was left was only the deep love engraved in each other’s hearts.
Ye Zi was tired from crying and soon fell asleep. When he woke up again, he was the only one left on the bed. There was still some warmth left on the side next to him. Ye Zi stared at the half-empty pillow in a daze. After a while, there were footsteps outside the room.
Gu Yan lifted the curtains and sat beside him: “You finally woke up, get up quickly.”
Ye Zi nodded and allowed Gu Yan to pull him up and dress him. Gu Yan was always meticulous when taking care of him and today, he was even more careful than usual, as if he was making up for yesterday’s mistake.
Ye Zi knew why he was like this. He pursed his lips and said with some embarrassment: “I’m already fine.”
Gu Yan’s movements paused and smiled: “That’s good.”
Although he said so, his meticulous and patient movements did not change. Gu Yan helped Ye Zi get dressed and pulled him out of the cabin.
The scene outside was already completely different from what Ye Zi had seen yesterday.
They had already sailed away from Guangling City and the boat was slowly swaying among the mountains, heading forward. Not far in front of them, there was a small courtyard built next to the water.
Ye Zi was stunned: “This is…….”
Gu Yan didn’t answer as he skillfully paddled the oars and drove the boat to stop at the pier in front of the small courtyard.
Gu Yan helped Ye Zi off the boat.
The courtyard was surrounded by mountains on three sides and water on one side. It stood between the mountains and rivers and was extremely peaceful.
“This place isn’t far from Guangling. The mountains and rivers are pleasant so it is the ideal place to live. I pondered on this place for a long time before finally settling.” Gu Yan said: “I sent people to build this waterside courtyard here. Every brick and tile, every plant and tree, was formulated with my own hands. I thought you might like it.”
Gu Yan looked down at him and said warmly: “Do you like this betrothal gift, my dear?”
Gu Yan had promised him that he would build him a house.
Everything he promised was kept in mind and nothing was forgotten.
Ye Zi’s eyes suddenly stung and he nodded: “I like it.”
Gu Yan smiled, as if relieved: “As long as you like it. Come on, I’ll take you around inside so you can see if there’s anything that needs to be changed.”
“Okay.”
The two of them stayed there.
In the remaining days, Gu Yan even moved all the affairs of Guangling to this place, accompanying Ye Zi all day long.
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Not long after, the flood disaster gradually improved under Gu Yan’s management. Gu Yan should have returned after his success, but as days passed, he had no intention of going back.
Emperor Jinghe was worried and sent several letters in succession, urging Gu Yan to finish the matters at hand and return to Chang’an as soon as possible. Gu Yan simply resorted to his ability to pretend to be sick, pretending to be bedridden so that he would be unable to withstand the long journey.
Gu Yan’s skill of pretending to be sick had been perfected. Whether it was the local officials who came to see him or the envoys sent by Emperor Jinghe from the capital, they were all convinced by him, and gradually even spread the rumor that Prince Rui was overworked in Jiangnan, and that his old illness had relapsed, and that there wasn’t much time left for him.
Gu Yan had no intention of clarifying and even secretly fueled the rumors to spread.
As the rumors spread outside, the supposedly ill Prince Rui was currently holding his little princess consort in the hot spring and bullying him wantonly. The water vapor was dense around the hot spring. A pale and slender hand climbed the stone steps and the silver bell on the wrist made a series of soft sounds.
Gu Yan bullied Ye Zi again yesterday. Ye Zi had a disagreement with him and simply turned into a plant and hid in the mountains, refusing to come out. There were weeds everywhere in the mountains and the small green plant vigorously pushed himself into the grass. No matter how hard Gu Yan looked for him, he couldn’t find him.
Ye Zi’s anger dissipated as quickly as it came, and the stalemate lasted for less than half a day. He couldn’t bear it anymore and sneaked back, but was caught by an angry Gu Yan.
Hence the punishment at this moment.
The silver bell restricted Ye Zi from changing back to his original form. He could not avoid or escape. He could only be trapped in the warm spring water as the other party punished him.
Ye Zi’s whole body turned red and trembled under Gu Yan’s movements. After a few moments, he couldn’t bear it anymore as he begged for mercy. But instead of letting him go, the other party’s movements became even more forceful, forcing him to cry out.
After some amount of time, the rings from the silver bell subsided.
Gu Yan carried the exhausted and sleepy Ye Zi back to the bedroom.
He changed his demeanor and gently put Ye Zi back on the bed. After covering him with the quilt carefully, he put on a robe and walked outside.
Gu Yan sat down at the table: “Come out.”
Siwei stepped in through the gate in an anxious manner.
His ears hidden under the black robe were slightly red. When he saw Gu Yan’s gaze faintly sweeping toward him, he quickly raised his voice: “Master, don’t worry, this subordinate was hiding far away just now and didn’t hear anything.”
When Siwei stepped into the courtyard, he didn’t see Gu Yan anywhere. According to how it usually was, he would wait for him inside the room, but something was really urgent today, so he couldn’t help but look for Gu Yan everywhere.
He searched all over the front and back yards but found no one, so he boldly continued walking inside. There was a quiet path in the backyard that led directly to the hot spring in the mountain. But before he could reach the hot spring, his keen ears were the first to hear the crisp sound of silver bells, as well as the unsuppressed cries and moans.
The little shadow guard was old-fashioned and serious and had never heard these sounds before. He immediately turned red and ran away in a hurry without even caring about the urgent matter he wanted to report.
Gu Yan retracted his gaze and sipped his tea: “No harm done. Speak, what’s the matter?”
“It’s the news from Chang’an.” Siwei said seriously, “I just received the news that the Crown Prince has been abrogated and is temporarily under house arrest in the Eastern Palace. Emperor Jinghe has already drafted an Imperial decree and will make the Third Imperial Prince as the Crown Prince in the next few days.”
Gu Yan paused in his movements and let out a soft laugh: “Gu Xuan’s movements are a bit faster than I had expected.”
He paused and asked again: “If it was only this matter, you wouldn’t have been so anxious in finding me, what else is there?”
“And……” Siwei hesitated for a moment: “I heard that the Third Imperial Prince will soon marry an Imperial Consort.”
A slight rattle suddenly came from the inner room.
Gu Yan hurriedly walked in.
Ye Zi wasn’t completely asleep just now and naturally heard Siwei’s words. Just as he wanted to go out because of his anxiousness, he felt sore and weak the moment his feet touched the ground. Holding onto the edge of the bed, he barely managed not to fall.
Gu Yan helped him onto the bed, put two pillows behind him to lean on, and righteously lectured: “Don’t move around, who was the one that said they couldn’t take it anymore? Are you not feeling tired now?”
Who was the one who caused him to be like this in the first place? ? ?
Ye Zi glared at the instigator angrily, ignored him, and turned to Siwei: “How’s the little sparrow doing?”
Siwei responded: “I don’t know where he is.”
Ye Zi was stunned for a moment and asked hoarsely: “What do you mean you don’t know where he is?”
Siwei said, “After Your Highness gave the order, this subordinate sent someone to keep an eye on the eunuch named little sparrow.”
“Not long ago, all the eunuchs in the Third Imperial Prince’s palace were replaced, and most of those eunuchs were expelled from the palace or sent elsewhere. But there has been no news so far about that little sparrow.”
“However, there were rumors in Chang’an that someone beside the Third Imperial Prince had bewitched him and was discovered by Noble Consort Yu, as well as his Holiness, and had been secretly executed.”
