Read Novel Full Chapter 140 139
140: 139 140: 139 The hall suddenly fell silent.
Gu Ai was always known for his strictness, especially in court where he had a reputation for being harsh and merciless.
No one dared to provoke him.
Now, it was rare to see him speaking kindly, yet the young prince still acted recklessly and made trouble, oblivious to the situation.
Everyone froze with fear, worried that this powerful minister might lose his temper and was dragged down along with Lu Chengru.
Lu Chengru moved quickly; a soft red object floated down, and no one saw what he threw, but no one dared to look closely.
Everyone hurried to avoid it, leaving Lu Chengru with a wide berth.
The young prince stood alone, looking frail.
During the commotion, ink had spilled all over the desk, leaving papers and brushes in a mess.
Gu Ai wasn’t concerned about the jade pendant.
He just feared that the prince’s earlier movement had worsened his injury.
Standing still, he extended his hand and spoke kindly, “I will take the prince to check his injury.
We’ll talk about other matters later.” Before he could finish, Lu Chengru pushed him aside and leaped onto the windowsill, disappearing into the garden.
“Master Gu, there’s no need to worry.
Prince Yi has always been stubborn and hot-tempered.
He never listens to anyone when he’s like this…” The old teacher stepped forward cautiously, trying to smooth things over and bring Gu Ai’s attention back to the class session.
Gu Ai merely folded his sleeves and turned away, his eyes cold.
“What should I persuade him about?
That he shouldn’t argue with those disrespectful youngsters and deserves to be bullied and mocked because no one will stand up for him?” His tone was calm, yet it sent a chill down everyone’s spine.
The old teacher, terrified, bowed repeatedly in apology, but Gu Ai ignored him and strode out of the room.
“Master Gu!” The teacher, not knowing where he was headed, chased after him, but Gu Ai stopped him back with one hand.
“Mr.
Liang should teach well.
Continue the lesson.
I, surname Gu, am not qualified to ruin your teachings with my limited knowledge.” Gu Ai, the prime minister who held the late emperor’s decree, had a prominent position in the court.
Even though impeachment papers against him piled up on the current emperor’s desk, they never shook his authority.
No one, especially a mere teacher like him, dared to challenge him.
Frightened out of his wits by Gu Ai’s subtle jabs, the old teacher watched in a daze as Gu Ai walked away, then returned to the classroom in defeat, ordering the students to quietly study on their own, while inwardly regretting his actions.
Gu Ai hurried to the garden.
The weather was cold.
It was just after the new year, and Lu Chengru, lightly dressed and injured, might catch a cold if he stayed outside for too long.
The garden was designed for the young students to play in, with winding paths and pavilions.
However, in the current cold, it seemed bleak and empty, like a maze.
Gu Ai was anxious, afraid that calling out to the prince would scare him further.
He searched silently, sweating despite the biting cold.
Chubby winter sparrows hopped between the branches, curiously watching this well-dressed official struggle through the trees.
They flapped their wings and flew into the bleak sky.
Gu Ai looked up and saw a figure atop the highest rock in the garden.
“Your Highness!” He saw the injured prince climbing the rocks, wobbling dangerously.
His heart tightened as he hurried over, intending to speak but instinctively held back.
His previous words had already upset the young prince.
Gu Ai had been strict for so long that his words always sounded like a reprimand.
He didn’t know how to comfort people.
Now, with Lu Chengru atop the rock, he feared angering him again, unsure where the prince would run next.
Below the rocks was a spring, half-frozen.
A misstep could send oneself plunging into icy water.
The path was covered in frost, making it slippery and dangerous.
Gu Ai didn’t dare to startle the prince.
He cautiously approached, stepping on stones and gripping the rocks.
He finally steadied himself, full of sweat.
Lu Chengru, clinging to the rock, looked down at him with red-rimmed eyes; the fierce expression from earlier was gone.
He wasn’t a bad-tempered child at heart.
Gu Ai wiped his sweat with his sleeve and reached out.
“Your Highness, please be good and come down.
It’s dangerous up there.” Halfway through his words, his eyes fell on the book clutched tightly in the prince’s hands.
It was a book he had copied himself.
Gu Ai recognized it immediately.
The cover was wrinkled, the edges torn by the wind, and the pages half-ripped.
He had seen the ruffians throw it earlier but didn’t expect it to be this book.
Gu Ai suddenly realized why Lu Chengru had run out.
With his shoulder injured, the prince would need at least three months to recover.
His waist couldn’t support him.
He barely held the book together in his arms.
It would be difficult for him to climb down without falling and hurting himself.
“Your Highness, give me the book first.
I’ll hold it for you.” Gu Ai’s heart softened, though he kept his voice gentle as he reached out.
After a brief hesitation, he added, “I have plenty of books at home.
If you want to read more, you can come to my residence anytime.
In a few days, I’ll have another box sent over…” Lu Deng: … Lu Deng: !!
Giving one book can be counted as a lover’s gift.
Giving a boxful… not so much.
It seems that even if his lover has forgotten everything, he still remembers supervising his studies.
The young prince, who hadn’t yet received an OOC (out-of-character) notification, was full of melancholy.
As his thoughts wandered, he suddenly slipped, his body swaying dangerously.
Gu Ai had been watching him closely.
His heart skipped a beat as he rushed forward to catch him.
However, he too, lost his balance, staggering half a step.
He was just a scholar, not as agile as Lu Deng.
Just when he was about to fall, the book was suddenly thrown into his arms, and his collar was grabbed tightly, pulling him back and preventing him from falling.
Gu Ai caught the book and looked up.
Lu Chengru had slid halfway down the rock and was holding onto his collar tightly.
As Gu Ai looked up, the young prince pursed his lips, his earlier worry and concern quickly hidden.
He pulled Gu Ai up to his feet.
Gu Ai steadied himself, leaning against the rocks and facing the young prince’s determined expression.
Suddenly, he couldn’t help but smile.
“Your Highness…” Gu Ai called softly, but it felt too formal and distant.
After a moment’s thought, he discarded the title and, with a gentle voice, called him by name, “Chengru, come down.” His voice was so gentle that it seemed to warm even the cold wind.
Lu Deng stared down at him, his eyes rimmed red.
He no longer cared about the OOC and the concerns he had before.
He let go, gracefully sliding down the rocks and threw himself into the arms of the man who had been rumored to be harsh and unfeeling.
Tears stung his eyes but were held back with great effort.
He liked him.
He really liked him.
The jade pendant was safe, tucked carefully into his sleeve, completely unharmed.
Lu Deng couldn’t say anything, just tightening his arms around Gu Ai and burying his face in his shoulder, unwilling to lift his head.
Gu Ai was taken aback by the sudden embrace.
Just as he was about to remind the prince of the boundaries between ruler and subject and persuade him to let go, the boy’s frail chest pressed against him, and Gu Ai’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Being alone… must have been very hard.
Very hard.
Gu Ai raised his hand, intending to push him away, but slowly lowered it instead, gently placing it on the prince’s trembling back.
He patted him lightly and spread his sleeve to shield him from the cold wind.
“Your Highness…” Before he could finish, the grip on his waist tightened, almost knocking the breath out of the scholary prime minister.
Clearly, the prince was dissatisfied with the formal title.
Gu Ai smiled wryly, compromising as he patted the boy’s back to comfort him.
“Chengru, let’s go to the Imperial Hospital.
You need to have your wounds checked again.” The young prince acted as if he could not feel pain.
He didn’t know how bad his condition might have become due to his reckless behavior today.
Even the thought of being alone with his lover, even if it meant being exiled to the northern frontiers, was something Lu Deng was willing to endure.
Just as he prepared to stand and walk with Gu Ai, he remembered his system evaluation.
Worried, he stole a glance but was relieved to find that no points had been deducted.
Lu Deng’s heart skipped lightly.
He discreetly nudged the system, “Is the evaluation meter broken?
I didn’t lose any points just now…” “No, the evaluation meter is fine!
Don’t worry!” The system seemed to have just returned from somewhere, waving a little flag enthusiastically as it reported, “I specifically asked another system, and they said the OOC evaluation is based on whether the character’s behavior matches the target’s perception.
If you’re not OOC in front of the target character just now, it means he has always seen you as a very good child!” Finally finding a way to ease its host’s tension, the system hummed happily, playing cheerful tunes in the background.
Lu Deng stood still, blinking up at Gu Ai.
Despite all this, in Gu Ai’s eyes… he is still a good child?
The young prince’s eyes filled with unshed tears.
He gazed steadily at the court’s most powerful minister, making Gu Ai wonder if his disheveled state after chasing the prince had left him looking too sloppy.
He hesitated, raising his hand to straighten his clothes, but his hand was suddenly grabbed tightly by the prince’s slender fingers.
His eyes, which had held back tears for so long, finally let them fall freely.
They stood there in the cold wind for a full quarter of an hour before the boy’s trembling subsided.
He wiped away his tears with his sleeve, but his eyes remained a painful, swollen red.
Gu Ai bent down, gently holding the prince’s hand to stop him from wiping his own tears.
With his sleeve, Gu Ai patiently wiped the remaining tears from his face.
“Do you feel better now?” The young prince nodded obediently, his hand squirming in Gu Ai’s grasp until he firmly held onto him, refusing to let go.
Gu Ai smiled, allowing the boy to hold his hand as he slowly straightened his clothes.
“Shall we go see the doctor?” The prince, having cried himself out, was no longer as defiant as he had been earlier.
He lowered his head without a word, allowing Gu Ai to take his uninjured hand and lead him out of the garden.
His hand was still cold.
Gu Ai abandoned all thoughts of propriety and decorum, slipping the boy’s hand into his wide sleeve, warming it with his own as they walked out of the Imperial Academy.
Initially, he had only intended to give a lecture and check on Lu Chengru before leaving.
His carriage had been waiting outside, and the coachman, who was his trusted servant, discreetly opened the door and helped the minister and the prince into the carriage.
Per Gu Ai’s instructions, the coachman cracked the whip, and the carriage headed for the Hospital.
The carriage, which was gifted by the late emperor, was lavishly designed.
It was sturdy on the outside and cozy inside.
There was a warming stove, soft cushions, and a faint scent of incense.
The thick and warm fur blanket made of snow mink lulled anyone who sat inside into drowsiness.
Lu Deng curled up in the snow mink blanket, his mind finally settling after the emotional turmoil.
He stared blankly ahead.
The pendant was still at the Imperial Academy… He would sneak back to get it tonight.
After the warmth seeped into his body, fatigue overtook him.
Lu Deng closed his eyes, planning how to retrieve the pendant later.
Drowsy and lost in thoughts about how Gu Ai still saw him as a good child, a small smile formed on his lips.
Suddenly, a warm touch brushed his forehead.
Lu Deng trembled slightly, instinctively opening his eyes and finding Gu Ai gazing down at him.
“Good, no fever.” Gu Ai had assumed he was asleep but was caught red-handed.
Awkwardly clearing his throat, Gu Ai tried to cover his embarrassment.
His hand, which had been checking the fever, hesitated for a moment before Lu Deng’s fingers gently tugged at his sleeve.
Inside the swaying carriage, the young prince shyly tilted his head, nudging it into Gu Ai’s palm.
His dark eyes were quiet, reflecting Gu Ai’s image clearly within them.
The thorns he showed to the outside world had softened, revealing that, in truth, he was still a gentle and obedient child.
Gu Ai chuckled softly, his hand resting on the boy’s head, gently stroking his hair.
“I’ll copy that book for you again.
If you find it unpleasant to attend the Imperial Academy, you don’t have to go.
Even though I, Gu Ai, am not very knowledgeable, I can still teach you some academic knowledge.
If you don’t mind…” Gu Ai had initially intended to invite Lu Chengru to the prime minister’s residence but hesitated.
He was a man with no future.
Lu Chengru was too far from the center of power, and if he didn’t want to get involved, he could live a peaceful life, forgotten by history, his name a mere footnote in the royal genealogy.
But who was to say—wasn’t that a good thing?
Gu Ai’s gaze lingered on the young prince.
The boy’s gaze was droopy, perhaps lingering from searching the book anxiously.
He was covered in bruises and scratches, chest still undulating slightly, now looking directly at Gu Ai.
…Would that be all right?
A life of peace, ignored by others, used to being overlooked and mistreated, with all of his fierce temper worn away.
He would live quietly in a corner where he wouldn’t bother anyone.
He wouldn’t have to worry about food or drink, and he could drift through life being muddled-headed and ignorant… Gu Ai slowly withdrew his hand from the young prince’s head, clenching it into a fist as he tucked it back into his sleeve.
His gaze remained fixed on those clear black eyes.
The “Book of Songs” says, “The eyes were as clear as autumn waters (澄如秋水 cheng ru qiu shui).” …Would that be all right?
The carriage moved onto the main road, and suddenly the sound of galloping horses could be heard approaching from ahead.
The coachman quickly steered aside, causing the carriage to sway violently.
Lu Chengru, caught off guard, lost his balance, his handsome face going pale as he groaned softly in pain.
Gu Ai quickly reached out, pulling the young prince into his arms to protect him.
As he braced himself against the side of the carriage, he glanced outside and saw the First Prince, dressed in bright clothes and riding recklessly, galloping past with no regard for the law or the guards trying to stop him.
The young prince in his arms seemed to be in great pain, trembling as cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Gu Ai furrowed his brow and tightened his hold on the boy, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
The emperor, mindful of the lessons learned from past struggles over the throne, deliberately allowed the royal children, apart from the crown prince, to indulge in reckless behavior.
Now, it seemed that this had gone too far.
If this continued, these royals, raised in such a crooked manner, would likely be the first targets when future reforms took place.
“Pardon my impropriety, Your Highness.
Allow me to check on your injury.” The young prince was still trembling from the pain.
Setting aside his other thoughts, Gu Ai carefully loosened the boy’s outer robe.
His eyes narrowed as he saw the bruises and swelling on the prince’s shoulder, his expression darkening completely.
Lu Deng, leaning weakly against him, had just managed to catch his breath.
He reached out and tugged on Gu Ai’s sleeve, his voice soft and slow.
“What if… I don’t mind?” Gu Ai froze for a moment, realizing that the young prince was referring to his earlier words—if you don’t mind… His own heart was in turmoil.
Gu Ai smiled wryly, brushing the boy’s forehead gently.
“Let’s not talk about that for now, Your Highness.
Your injuries are severe, and you need to let the imperial doctors give you a thorough examination.
We can discuss everything else later…” Perhaps due to the pain, the young prince, exhausted, leaned against Gu Ai’s chest, his sweat-soaked hair sticking to his forehead, making him appear incredibly gentle and quiet.
This scene almost made the prime minister forget the thorny demeanor the prince had shown everyone earlier.
The casual words of comfort were only halfway out before Gu Ai realized something was off.
He paused, hesitating as he looked down.
The young prince, pale from the pain, was once again trying to appear tough.
He straightened his back and glared at him.
The two of them were so close that there was no need to speak loudly.
Lu Deng took a deep breath and, despite his pain, used the determination of his character setting to speak clearly, “You are enacting reforms.
Many people hate you.
Some want to harm you, and others want to kill you—even that person is waiting for a chance to kill you.
I know all of this…” They were going to the Imperial Hospital, and he could not always consume painkillers.
The effect of the previous dose had worn off, and he refused to take another one.
The sudden movement had worsened the pain in his wounds, and he finally felt the full impact.
He had spoken too much, and his dizziness worsened.
Lu Deng closed his eyes for a moment to regain his balance, then looked up at Gu Ai, his gaze clear.
“If I don’t mind… what then?” Gu Ai stared back at him.
The young prince’s eyes were clean despite having experienced the harsh realities of the world.
He still hadn’t been tainted by it.
His gaze was direct and unwavering, waiting for Gu Ai’s response.
Gu Ai was silent for a long time before he suddenly laughed softly and reached out his hand.
Lu Chengru, ever wary, shrank back a little, retreating into Gu Ai’s arms, his gaze filled with silent confusion.
“My jade pendant.” Gu Ai smiled as he looked at him, one hand securely holding him, his tone patient and gentle.
“Please return it to me, Your Highness.” But he gave it to me!
Lu Deng’s was somehow anxious, meeting Gu Ai’s gentle yet undeniable gaze.
After hesitating for a long time, he finally carefully took the jade pendant out from his sleeve and cautiously handed it back.
“On the fifteenth day of the first month, does Your Highness have any plans?
If not, and if you have the time, you could come to my residence to have some glutinous rice dumpling soup (Tangyuan)1.” As Gu Ai’s sleeve dropped, the pendant that had been lost earlier reappeared in his palm.
With his fingers, deft from years of holding a pen, he swiftly reattached the pendant.
Gu Ai gave it a quick tug to ensure it was secure, then, satisfied, handed it back to the wide-eyed young prince.
“Take care of it this time.
Don’t lose it again.” The carriage continued to rumble forward as the wind whipped up the curtain.
Lu Deng looked up at him.
Gu Ai’s expression was gentle, his smile reaching his eyes as he tightly clasped the prince’s hand.
He then turned to gaze at the towering palace walls outside the carriage.
The last of the memorials accusing the prime minister, written by the noble families, had been delivered to the emperor’s study by the imperial guards.