After washing up, Xie Anci put on his official robes and hurried to the palace.
The sky was not yet fully light, and the streets were nearly empty.
From a distance, Xie Anci saw Gu Lingyu patrolling with a squad of men.
Seeing this, Xie Anci quickly lowered the carriage curtain, he had no desire to see Gu Lingyu right now, hoping to slip past unnoticed.
But his carriage was far too conspicuous. Xie Anci’s carriage had been built to the highest specifications in Aolong Kingdom, even more luxurious than the Emperor’s.
Gu Lingyu’s eyes lit up at the sight of Xie Anci’s carriage, and he rode forward on horseback.
“The Regent is quite early today.” Gu Lingyu blocked Xie Anci’s carriage.
The coachman gave a bitter smile and looked toward the interior of the carriage.
“Neglecting your duties on your very first day, General Gu?” Xie Anci said displeased.
“Neglecting my duties? I’m patrolling quite diligently right now. I believe I have the right to inspect the Regent’s carriage.” Gu Lingyu smiled wickedly.
Xie Anci yanked the curtain open and glared furiously at Gu Lingyu. “You wouldn’t dare!”
Gu Lingyu shrugged and said with a grin, “What wouldn’t I dare?”
Xie Anci’s hands, resting on his lap, clenched tightly. Gu Lingyu only got away with this because Li Jinchen protected him, along with his general father stationed far away at the frontier.
If not for those two protecting Gu Lingyu, Xie Anci would have long since stripped him of his rank and trampled him underfoot.
“We’re leaving!” Xie Anci closed his eyes, then opened them again, refusing to deal with this unreasonable troublemaker any further.
Just as the coachman was about to start the horses, Gu Lingyu grabbed hold of the window, and the carriage found itself unable to move.
“How dare you! You’d actually block my carriage?” Xie Anci leaped out of the carriage and drew the long sword at his waist.
At the sight, Gu Lingyu showed no anger only a smile, his gaze burning as he stared at him.
“Looks like the Regent has recovered.” Gu Lingyu rubbed his fists together and raised his long spear to meet him.
“It’s been so many years since I last sparred with the Regent. I really do miss it.” Gu Lingyu looked at Xie Anci excitedly.
Impatiently, Xie Anci gripped his blood-red long sword and attacked, his blade fierce and swift, striking straight at Gu Lingyu’s face.
Gu Lingyu dodged to the side, sweeping his spear to block Xie Anci’s assault.
The two instantly became entangled in combat, their weapons clashing with ringing metallic sounds.
The surrounding soldiers all retreated far away, not daring to approach.
“Gu Lingyu, don’t push it too far!” Xie Anci roared, his swordplay growing ever more vicious.
“Regent, your skills have really slipped!” Gu Lingyu, however, looked completely at ease, still finding time to taunt him.
Xie Anci seethed with anger, his moves growing faster and faster, yet flaws gradually began to show.
Gu Lingyu seized the moment, flicked his spear upward, and knocked the sword from Xie Anci’s hand.
Xie Anci was briefly stunned. After several years apart, this brat had grown much stronger, and his martial skills had indeed improved greatly.
“Regent, you lose!” Gu Lingyu pointed his spear directly at Xie Anci’s fair neck, laughing smugly.
Xie Anci’s face darkened as he stared at Gu Lingyu. “You picked a fight with me just because you wanted to spar?”
“Mm-hm.” Gu Lingyu gave a noncommittal answer, stepped forward, picked up Xie Anci’s Yilan Sword, and examined the blade with great admiration.
Truly a fine sword, it suited Xie Anci well.
He handed the sword back to Xie Anci, who shot him a glare and slid the sword back into its sheath.
“Satisfied now? May I leave?”
Just as Xie Anci was about to go, Gu Lingyu thrust his spear horizontally in front of him.
Xie Anci frowned as he looked at him.
Gu Lingyu suddenly leaned close to him and said in a low voice, “The Regent’s sword is beautiful, sure, but it’s very thin easy to snap.”
Xie Anci sneered. “That’s none of your concern. Besides, it’s not so easily broken.”
Gu Lingyu chuckled softly. Looking at Xie Anci from such a close distance was even more striking than he had imagined.
The man’s phoenix eyes were faintly flushed, and the tear mole beneath one eye lent him an air of melancholy.
But Xie Anci had never been one to admit defeat, what showed through most was resilience and unyielding spirit.
A faint scent of gardenia lingered at the tip of Gu Lingyu’s nose fragrant, yet not heavy.
It was oddly intoxicating. Gu Lingyu’s nose twitched, and he quietly took a few more breaths.
“So, can you let me go now?” Xie Anci lifted his head in displeasure, his cherry-red lips parting and closing as if deliberately tempting Gu Lingyu.
Gu Lingyu’s Adam’s apple bobbed. For a fleeting moment, he felt the impulse to kiss him fiercely, to bully him mercilessly, to make him cry and beg for mercy in bed.
Gu Lingyu shook his head hard and quickly stepped back several paces.
“This way, Regent.”
He dared not approach Xie Anci again. He always felt that Xie Anci was like some kind of enchanting demon, he must have been bewitched just now.
He really shouldn’t get too close to him in the future, Gu Lingyu thought silently, leading his guards away.
Xie Anci’s earlier joy had been doused with a bucket of cold water by Gu Lingyu, and he was now much calmer.
He straightened his official robes and boarded the carriage.
The carriage rolled along slowly, and before long they arrived at the imperial palace.
At the morning court session, Xie Anci was completely out of sorts, but fortunately no one stepped forward today to say anything tiresome.
Otherwise, Xie Anci couldn’t guarantee what he might do.
After court adjourned, Xie Anci followed Li Jinchen to the imperial study.
Normally, it was almost always Xie Anci and Li Jinchen who handled the memorials together, and on major matters it was nearly always Xie Anci who made the decisions.
Seeing Xie Anci following him in, Li Jinchen couldn’t help but furrow his brow.
For the past few days, with the man absent, he had felt as if he could breathe more freely.
Now that Xie Anci was beside him again, the pressure was back.
The man sat at the small desk nearby, absorbed in reading memorials.
Li Jinchen frowned. After Xie Anci had drugged him last time, he couldn’t believe Xie Anci could still act so composed.
“Does the Regent have nothing to say to Us?” Li Jinchen rested his chin on his hand, watching Xie Anci at his leisure.
Xie Anci raised an eyebrow. “What have you been doing these past few days? There are still this many memorials unread.”
Li Jinchen: “…”
“Is that all you wanted to say?” Li Jinchen asked unhappily.
“What else?” Xie Anci looked utterly innocent.
“You”
“Does the Regent not intend to explain the matter of drugging Us last time?”
“There’s nothing to explain. It was something I’d wanted to do for a long time. Unless…”
Xie Anci paused, his eyes glinting. “Unless His Majesty would like to experience it again?”
Li Jinchen’s face turned livid in an instant. “Xie Anci, how dare you!”
But Xie Anci was unbothered. “Why be angry, Your Majesty? Was it unpleasant last time? You seemed to be enjoying yourself quite a bit.”
“Xie Anci! Have you no shame?” Li Jinchen asked through gritted teeth.
How could this man speak of such things without the slightest embarrassment?
Xie Anci gave a soft laugh. “Your Majesty, it’s hardly your first day knowing me. Besides, we’re both men, what is there to be shy about?”
Xie Anci arched his brow lightly.
Looking closely, one could see that Xie Anci’s ear tips had flushed slightly red.
“Hmph! Don’t tell me you’ve done this sort of thing with other men too? You talk about it so casually.” At this thought, Li Jinchen felt a wave of disgust, he had always been a bit of a clean freak about such things.