By the time Chu Heng mobilized his troops and raced toward Huaiqiu City on a fast horse, Gu He was already feeling drowsy.
Having just arrived in Huaiqiu City, Prime Minister Gu had absolutely no self-awareness regarding his own physical limits. The wind and frost in Huaiqiu City were severe; having simply stood outside in the wind for an entire afternoon, his whole body had turned flushed by evening.
The little dumpling had stayed with him all afternoon. It wasn’t until late evening that he was reluctantly led away by the old steward who took care of him. Before leaving, he was still tugging stubbornly at the corner of Gu He’s robe, his little mouth chattering nonstop.
“Brother, wait for me,” he said earnestly. After saying this, he paused to think, and didn’t forget to use a temptation to lure him.
“You must wait for me! When my uncle arrives, I will definitely bring him to see you. He is super amazing. Whatever trouble you have, he can help you solve it.”
When saying this, the little dumpling was full of deep loyalty. His eyes, clear like spring water, were moist, showing not a trace of the frustration he had felt earlier that afternoon upon discovering that his uncle had stood him up.
Prime Minister Gu covered his lips and gave a low cough, almost amused by the child.
Through the afternoon’s conversation, Prime Minister Gu had already learned that the little dumpling was originally the most esteemed little young master in the imperial capital. Both of his parents had died in battle, and he was being raised by his uncle, who had joined the military.
The military camp was bitter and harsh, which was actually not suitable for a child’s growth, but the little dumpling had been attached to the only remaining elder in his family since childhood. Helpless, the general had no choice but to take him along.
However, whenever they arrived at a place, instead of keeping him in the military camp, he would find a suitable nearby town and leave him there to be raised.
And he had promised that as soon as he had free time, he would definitely come to visit him often.
Today was originally the day the little dumpling and his uncle had agreed upon in their correspondence, but for some unknown reason, an accident had occurred, and his uncle had failed to arrive as promised.
This was something that had never happened before.
The little dumpling had been so worried that he grew anxious, yet he didn’t want to vent his bad temper on the old steward who had cared for him since childhood. That was why he had run out to buy candied hawthorns to distract himself.
All in all, he was a very well-behaved child.
Prime Minister Gu liked him very much. Seeing him reluctantly tugging at someone’s clothes and acting like a spoiled child to make an appointment, he didn’t get angry; instead, he was amused into a smile.
He shook his head helplessly, took the initiative to step forward, patted the little dumpling’s head, and responded in a low voice, “Alright, I’ll wait for you.”
Then he watched as the little dumpling turned dazed, his cheeks blushing little by little. Letting go of his hand, the child grew shy instead, and whispered, “Okay, okay, then I will come again tomorrow.”
As he spoke, he raised his head and earnestly looked at the name of the inn behind the young man, firmly engraving it into his heart so he could use it tomorrow.
At this moment, Gu He’s head was actually already a bit dizzy, but his other discomforts were not yet severe.
Therefore, he didn’t have a strong sense of crisis; he only felt a helpless resignation toward this body in his heart.
He didn’t realize himself that his condition was actually far from optimistic, and because the little dumpling was young, he couldn’t tell anything was wrong either.
Only the old steward, who was holding the little dumpling, keenly sensed that something was amiss. With a heart full of worry, he looked at the refined yet undeniably pale face of the young man before him.
“You…” The old steward was elderly, and out of habit, he often spoke with a stooped back.
He was a kind-hearted person. Even though his voice was no longer as clear and bright as it had been in his youth, and had grown low, hoarse, and aged, it could not conceal the trace of quiet care within it.
Seeming worried that he might offend the person before him, he deliberated for a moment before speaking slowly and carefully, “Sir, would you like to go see a physician?”
Although it was phrased as a question, every word and action of this benevolent and kind old steward made it clear that if needed, he could help.
Hearing this, Gu He was actually stunned for a moment. When his slightly muddled mind finally grasped the old steward’s meaning, Prime Minister Gu’s lips curved, and his gentle features instantly came to life.
In this life of his, if it couldn’t be called turbulent and epic, it could at least be described as full of ups and downs. He had no shortage of encountering good people, nor did he lack encountering bad ones.
Born human, he respected everyone’s way of handling things, and toward kind-hearted people, Prime Minister Gu always instinctively reserved a measure of respect.
He looked at the eager old man and child before him, then lowered his gaze to look at himself, clearly in the prime of his youth, and was left torn between laughter and tears. How could he possibly let them run errands for him?
His lips curved involuntarily, and Prime Minister Gu gently shook his head.
He thanked the old steward in gentle words, patted the little dumpling’s head once more, and assured them that he would definitely go back and rest properly. Only then did he watch the two of them walk away.
Even until this moment, Gu He had habitually assumed that catching a chill wasn’t a very serious problem and that sleeping it off would fix it.
When he returned to his room, lay down to sleep, and woke up burning with a high fever, his cheeks flushed red and unable to even crawl out of bed, Prime Minister Gu was utterly dumbfounded, a trace of vague regret quietly stirring in his heart.
Damn this unwarranted, piece-of-trash system.
The military camp was not close to Huaiqiu City. Even though those in the military were adept at traveling long distances, by the time Chu Heng arrived, the sky was already completely dark.
The crudely built inn was dead silent.
The emperor’s cold expression was set in a tight, thin line, almost pressed into a straight blade. He slowly stepped into the main hall, his cold gaze sweeping bit by bit over the slightly antiquated frontier inn before he lowered his gaze, lost in thought.
Although his speed during the journey had been fast enough to outrun horses, once he truly arrived, he suddenly slowed down his movements, as if worrying about something.
He pressed his lips together, his dark grey eyes lowered as he stared at the trembling innkeeper walking toward him, his brow furrowed in a rare display of hesitation.
Yet his expression remained entirely unperturbed; perhaps only He Jun, who had accompanied him for many years, could discern this subtle difference.
Back when the emperor was still a little imperial prince and the Prime Minister was still around, He Jun had always been by Chu Heng’s side.
He could easily flip through his memories to find that young man who looked ice-cold, yet whenever he faced the Prime Minister, he could never quite help revealing his flustered and helpless side.
And now, that slightly slender youth seemed at this very moment to merge seamlessly with the emperor, who was forged of frost and snow.
He Jun felt a pang of heartache for no apparent reason. Their Majesty had indeed waited far too long for Prime Minister Gu.
The innkeeper knew nothing of the complex emotions swirling within his guest; he only felt a chill grip his heart, and his legs turned to jelly.
As a businessman, even if he didn’t know the identity of the newcomer, he could still recognize the fierce aura stained with blood carried by the soldiers.
Trembling, he inquired about the guest’s request, stuttering so badly that he hardly dared to take a full breath.
To his surprise, the generals, who looked so formidable, had an unexpectedly good attitude. In particular, the one leading them merely asked for a description and location of a certain guest, lowering his head to listen with utmost concentration.
The innkeeper answered them one by one, and just as he wanted to ask if there were any other needs, he found that the person who had been asking had already bypassed him and was walking upstairs.
It was a staircase weathered and aged by the frontier wind and sand. Stepping on it produced the creaking sounds of old timber.
Chu Heng walked up step by step. Every step was very slow, as if he were walking bit by bit along the path the gentleman had once walked.
For a fleeting second, he even recalled their very first meeting years ago, the scene of the gentleman half-crouching in front of him and tempting him with malt candy.
In an instant, the little imperial prince seemed to have returned to seven years ago, a time when circumstances were difficult, yet not bleak enough to feel desolate. The corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably, and the aura surrounding him unconsciously warmed.
Accompanied by the phantom image before him, it was as if someone were walking slowly upstairs with him.
Even if the final outcome wasn’t what his heart desired, it still provided a solace he could accept.
The moment the emperor moved, the generals behind him followed suit, but they were stopped by He Jun. General He didn’t want to go and disturb him; he merely lifted his chin and looked up toward the upper floor.
The accommodation conditions in the frontier town were not good, and many facilities were extremely rudimentary. Chu Heng walked up to the doorway and lowered his gaze to look at the door swaying gently in the wind.
Thinking of something, he stopped moving forward. Instead, he held his breath slightly, raised his finger, and half-rested it against the door, applying a bit of force to press it so it would stop moving.
The wildly swinging wooden door suddenly became completely still. Only then did Chu Heng raise his head and look ahead.
The room was very dark without any lights, making it clear that the master was already resting. Perhaps at this very moment, he was curled up in the pillows, his cheek brushing against the quilt, sleeping soundly.
He only wondered if he would suddenly feel thirsty in the middle of the night, if he had tucked his blanket in properly, and also, his health wasn’t good, which part of him wasn’t well?
Chu Heng stood there, his eyes lowered, having no intention whatsoever of disturbing the sleeping man. He simply stood lost in his own slow thoughts, his fingers occasionally brushing over the wood splinters on the door, his posture upright and straight like an everlasting green pine.
Standing downstairs with his head raised, He Jun could only see his vague back.
General He had no doubt that if no one reminded him, His Majesty could linger here indefinitely. He couldn’t bear to disturb Prime Minister Gu while he was resting, yet he didn’t want to leave either, and he might very well just wait right there until the man woke up.
General He, who made enemies tremble and howl in terror on the battlefield, couldn’t help but sigh.
He knew that in this situation, persuasion wouldn’t work, and scolding was out of the question. With nothing better to do, he casually waved his hand to summon the innkeeper, who was hovering nervously nearby.
The innkeeper hurried over with a bowed waist, respectful and ingratiating. Not daring to lift his eyes, he kept his head lowered and asked anxiously, “Does the general have any orders?”
Hearing this, He Jun chuckled, patted him on the shoulder to signal him to relax, showing he wasn’t looking for trouble, and then shook his head.
After shaking his head, he suddenly didn’t know what to do next. Out of sheer boredom, He Jun thought for a moment and nodded again.
He leaned in closer, hooking his arm around the innkeeper’s neck, and asked in a low, curious whisper, “Hey, tell me about that guest again. Think carefully, give me more details.”
Actually, he had already heard all of this just now; His Majesty had asked far more thoroughly than he had. But since he had nothing to do, General He sat down cross-legged on a bench and simply listened to it all over again.
The inn’s bench was rudimentary. He sat casually in the middle of it, tilting his head up to listen to the innkeeper’s description, and the more he listened, the more he felt that His Majesty actually had a good shot this time.
Always smiling, you could tell at a glance he’s a scholar who has read many books, and his handwriting is exceptionally pretty. It seemed like he was sick; when he was going upstairs, his complexion didn’t look too good.
The innkeeper racked his brains, occasionally adding a few fragmented details.
Truth be told, he hadn’t remembered all that clearly; people came and went in the inn every day, and had it not been for that gentleman’s extraordinarily outstanding demeanor, he wouldn’t have remembered him at all.
Yet having put his mind to it, he actually managed to recall a few more sentences he hadn’t mentioned before.
It seemed like he was sick; when he was going upstairs, his complexion didn’t look too good.
Hearing this, He Jun’s face instantly turned pale. Recalling the kind of life Prime Minister Gu might have lived all these years, he could no longer manage a smile. Not daring to think any further, he strode toward the upper floor.
He walked to Chu Heng’s side, lowered his voice, and swiftly relayed the innkeeper’s speculation.
Upon hearing this, the emperor’s lips pressed tightly together. The smile in his eyes vanished abruptly, and his eternally aloof expression transformed instantly, filled with shock, anger, lingering fear, and profound guilt.
He pressed against the creaking wooden door, preparing to force it open, when suddenly, a few low, hoarse, pale, and heart-wrenchingly weak coughs drifted out from inside the room.