Chapter 24: CH 24

His body’s instinct was faster than his brain, Ye Zi quickly drew a feathered arrow from the quiver with his right hand and quickly stood in front of Gu Yan.

His gaze swept over the assassins in their attires one by one and the corners of his lips curled up slightly: “Your Majesty, don’t worry, I’m here.”

With only this many people, he had confidence he could retreat intact.

Gu Yan suddenly held his hand holding the arrow.

Ye Zi turned back and the latter took the feathered arrow from his hand and laughed: “Am I that useless that I need to have my Princess Consort protect me?”

“Your Majesty……”

Before Ye Zi could say anything, Gu Yan suddenly threw the feathered arrow to his side and stabbed it straight into one person’s chest.

The assassin fell backward to the ground. The others didn’t expect him to suddenly strike and were about to rush forward in their stunned state.

Gu Yan spoke indifferently: “Si Wei.”

“Kill.”

As his words fell, a black-robed man appeared like a ghost, accompanied by a flash of silver light as blood spattered everywhere.

Gu Yan took Ye Zi’s hand, walked aside using the gap made by Si Wei, and carefully blocked the splashing blood beads for him.

The sound of killing immediately erupted in the empty shooting range. Si Wei’s movement was extremely fast and he was able to deal with more than a dozen top assassins by himself without losing momentum. Ye Zi looked at his movements accompanied by silver and was a little lost in thought.

Gu Yan squeezed his hand: “What’s wrong?”

“I was thinking……” Ye Zi pursed his lips and asked with difficulty, “Is Si Wei……always following us?”

Gu Yan answered: “He is my close guard, naturally he needs to follow me at all times.”

Ye Zi: “……”

In other words, when they were alone just now, Si Wei was also watching.

How could this be allowed? Did this person have to guard his side whenever he got along with Gu Yan in the future?

No one knew what Ye Zi thought of, but the tips of his ears quietly turned red.

Gu Yan carefully observed the fight, not noticing Ye Zi’s embarrassment, and asked: “Who do you think sent these people?”

Ye Zi put away his messy thoughts, pondered for a moment, and said truthfully: “I can’t tell.”

Gu Yan continued: “These people are highly skilled in martial arts. Being able to find this place means they have been following us for some time. You and I weren’t able to notice, but even Si Wei didn’t find anything out of the ordinary……”

Gu Yan coldly snorted: “No matter who sent them, they are determined to succeed.”

Ye Zi lowered his eyes: “This place is not like Chang’an. We came out without guards so it’s the most suitable place for them to make a move here. It’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have put you in danger.”

Gu Yan tapped his forehead lightly: “What nonsense are you thinking about? I’m the one who wanted to bring you out, what does it have to do with you?”

“……In fact, these people may not have come for me.”

Ye Zi raised his eyes to look at him: “You mean……”

Gu Yan lowered his eyes and didn’t answer.

Not far away, Si Wei’s sword finally touched the neck of the last person, and a string of blood fell from the blade of the sword, splashing bright red onto the ground. The surrounding assassins had all fallen and the person in front of him was also seriously injured that he didn’t even have the strength left to stand.

Gu Yan led Ye Zi over.

Fighting alone against these dozen or so martial experts, Si Wei inevitably suffered some superficial injuries. His black robe was stained with blood and it was hard to tell whether it was the assassin’s or his. However, Si Wei didn’t care as he turned to look at Gu Yan: “Master.”

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Gu Yan took out a bottle of medicine from his bosom and gave it to him: “There is nothing more for you to do here, go back and treat your wounds.”

Si Wei didn’t move and insisted: “This small injury is not a problem, this place is dangerous, you…….”

“Si Wei.” Gu Yan faintly interrupted him, “You can leave.”

Si Wei reluctantly agreed and quickly disappeared into the night.

Ye Zi looked at his retreating figure as he was between laughter and tearsListen: “This kid really……obviously, he isn’t very old, but he is always bitter and worries about you constantly like a worrying old mother.”

Gu Yan glanced at him, Ye Zi lightly coughed and said seriously: “Why didn’t your Majesty let me take action just now? If I joined forces with Si Wei, perhaps……”

“Let you take action?” Gu Yan interrupted him, “A Zi, don’t forget your identity.”

“You are my Princess Consort, not a guard.”

Ye Zi was stunned and his heart suddenly thumped heavily.

A flash of confusion flashed across his face before he heard Gu Yan whisper, “I don’t want you to face those. Since you don’t like it, you don’t have to force yourself for my sake.”

He didn’t like killing, whether in his previous life or now.

A sour and sweet warmth suddenly surged in Ye Zi’s heart. He took a deep breath as he forced himself to return his attention to the assassin in front of him.

Ye Zi asked: “Who sent you?”

The assassin had several wounds over his body, and at this moment he was already breathless with a hoarse voice: “I don’t know.”

Ye Zi frowned and Gu Yan sneered: “You sure are loyal to your master. But you should know that assassinating the Prince is an unforgivable crime. Do you want a quick death or a painful death, or go to the Ministry of Justice’s prison?”

The assassin lowered his head and didn’t respond.

“Very good, you have guts.” Gu Yan’s eyes showed a hint of coldness, “This Prince has seen a lot of hard-headed people like you. That’s fine, this Prince has time, I can play this game with you.”

The assassin’s eyes shrank: “I really don’t know who the employer is, I haven’t seen him. Our business is done at the expense of money, and the employer never shows up in person.”

Gu Yan asked: “What is your purpose?”

The assassin raised his head and looked at Ye Zi: “To kill him.”

Ye Zi was stunned for a moment and before he could regain his senses, he suddenly saw a silver light flash in front of him.

A dagger fell from Gu Yan’s sleeve, sharply slitting the assassin’s throat.

The movement was so fast that even Ye Zi didn’t notice it.

Ye Zi looked at him hesitantly: “You……”

Didn’t he not know martial arts?

But that movement just now……

Gu Yan wiped off the blood on the dagger like it was a normal occurrence and said lightly: “Let’s go back first, I know what to do.”

The next day, the Spring hunt officially began, but a piece of certain news reached everyone’s ears.

Prince Rui suffered from the wind and fell ill.

Prince Rui’s tent suddenly became extremely lively. Five or six Imperial physicians knelt in a row. Officials, ministers, their sons, and those who had friendship with Gu Yan or didn’t, all had someone asking around and even came to visit in person.

In the end, the Empress Dowager ordered everyone not to disturb, which made the tent much quieter.

The Imperial physician knelt by the bed and took his pulse.

On the bed, Gu Yan was lying sickly. His complexion was as pale as paper, as if he was haggard and seriously ill.

Ye Zi sat by the side, apprehensive and amazed, as he thought to himself: As expected of his Majesty, Prince Rui. To be able to pretend to be sick without any flaws at all. It feels extremely real and I even went over to check it out several times.

The tent was silent for a while until the Imperial physician withdrew his hand and placed Gu Yan’s wrist back on the bed.

The Empress Dowager asked, “How is it?”

The Empress Dowager was already old. Her hair was completely white, but she was still in good spirits. Her face was beautiful and graceful and her eyebrows were kind. She had always cherished Gu Yan, her grandson, and when she learned that Gu Yan had fallen ill, she rushed to the tent as soon as possible.

The Imperial physician responded: “Responding to the Empress Dowager, due to the cold weather, his Majesty now has a fever. After taking some medicine and recuperating well for a few days, he will be fine. It’s just that……”

The Empress Dowager asked: “Just what?”

The physician continued: “This tent is too cold and not suitable for recuperation. This official thinks we should move the Prince to another place.”

The Empress Dowager’s eyebrows were full of worry: “But this place is still half a day away from Chang’an, will he be able to withstand this long journey?”

She thought for a moment and had an idea: “There is a Summer palace not far from here, let Prince Rui rest there for now.”

This was exactly Ye Zi and Gu Yan’s goal. Seeing this, Ye Zi immediately said: “Empress Dowager, what about His Holiness?……”

“I’ll talk to him.” The Empress Dowager coldly snorted, “In the beginning, I told him not to set up this hunt, but the Emperor insisted on coming here. Now look, my poor Yan’er is suffering.”

The Empress Dowager didn’t delay and went to Emperor Jinghe to talk about this.

Half a day later, Gu Yan and Ye Zi were sent to the palace by the Empress Dowager’s guards.

Ye Zi waved away the attendants, closed the door to the bedchamber, and walked quickly to Gu Yan. Gu Yan opened his eyes and tilted his head to look at him.

Ye Zi said: “I took a look, the Empress Dowager has sent many people here and said that she will also send some maidservants from her place, so there should be no problem.”

Gu Yan nodded, his voice soft and hoarse: “That’s good.”

His throat was a little dry and he coughed gently: “Pour me a glass of water.”

Ye Zi turned his head to the table and poured a glass of water. He helped Gu Yan up, placed a cushion behind Gu Yan’s back, and handed the cup to him.

Gu Yan didn’t take it and said wanly: “I don’t have the strength, feed me.”

Ye Zi looked at Gu Yan’s complexion and hesitantly asked: “How come your complexion……still looks so bad?”

Gu Yan cried and laughed: “When you have a fever, can your complexion be good?”

Ye Zi froze: “But isn’t this……”

Just pretending to be sick?

Gu Yan knew what he was thinking and shook his head: “Do you think pretending to be sick will fool those old things?”

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He paused before adding: “……Do you want me to die of thirst?”

Ye Zi couldn’t figure out what was going on and complied by bringing the cup to his lips so that Gu Yan would be able to drink.

After finishing a cup, Ye Zi softly asked: “Do you want more?”

Gu Yan shook his head and Ye Zi helped him lie down. When he touched Gu Yan with his hand, he realized that the man’s body was scalding hot.

Ye Zi was full of questions, but seeing that Gu Yan was truly uncomfortable, he didn’t dare to disturb him. Gu Yan lay on the bed and rested for a while, but he couldn’t turn a blind eye to the burning gaze beside him and whispered: “If you want to ask, just ask.”

Ye Zi asked softly: “What did you do?”

They went back to the tent together last night and Gu Yan was fine before going to bed. He even told him to conceal the assassination attempt and that he was going to pretend to be sick to leave the hunting ground so as not to fall into danger again.

But……he clearly said that he was only pretending to be sick, how did he really get sick?

Ye Zi pondered for a moment: “Was it because of that medicine?”

After returning last night, Gu Yan ordered an attendant from the Prince Rui manor to decoct medicine for him. The only possible variable was this.

Gu Yan nodded: “Yes.”

Gu Yan continued: “It’s a prescription given to me by Pei Ge. Although it’s said to be a medicine, it’s actually a chronic poison. I have been taking it for a long time and stored residual poison in my body. Once medicine activates it, I will be seriously ill when needed. This thing doesn’t do any harm to the body. After I sweat it out for a day or two, I’ll be fine.”

Ye Zi’s eyes moved slightly and his voice turned hoarse: “So your body is like this……because of taking that medicine?”

Gu Yan laughed: “What, you feel bad for me?”

“So what if I do? Who takes poison when they have nothing else to do? To ruin your own body like this…..” Ye Zi couldn’t continue and his eyes were slightly red.

Gu Yan suddenly stretched out his hand and pulled him into his arms with a gentle tug. Ye Zi was about to struggle when Gu Yan said in his ear, “Don’t move, I don’t have strength right now.”

“The fever is uncomfortable, let me hold you for a while.” He said softly, “Don’t worry, this illness is not contagious.”

Gu Yan’s voice was light and shallow and it really didn’t sound like he was comfortable. Ye Zi’s heart softened and he stopped struggling. He adjusted his posture and moved closer to his burning body, making it more comfortable for Gu Yan to hug him.

Gu Yan stroked his hair and suddenly said: “A Zi, I’m not just doing this for you.”

“……For so many years, I have relied on this medicine to avoid many occasions.” Gu Yan said, “If not, how could I have lived in peace until now?”

Gu Yan smiled contemptuously: “They all feel that Prince Rui is a weak and sickly child without any power. He would become sick so frequently that maybe he will just die one day. Naturally, no one would think that I have the ability to inherit the throne.”

Ye Zi suddenly understood everything.

When he was young, Gu Yan was astonishingly talented and had high hopes from the people. He was envied by the Emperor and isolated by all the Imperial Princes. In order to make everyone feel relieved, he curbed his sharpness and turned himself into a sickly child.

But under this sickly body, under the appearance of a lazy Prince, it was still his Majesty, Prince Rui, who could disturb the situation and overturn the current dynasty.

It wasn’t because he was unable to do so, it was because he didn’t want to.

He and the Prince Rui that Ye Zi had read in the novel chose different paths, but they were the same person at heart.

Gu Yan was still feverish and soon drifted off to sleep. Ye Zi lay beside him, dazed and confused.

The blood on Gu Yan’s lips faded away and his face was flushed with a faint sickly red. His long and curled eyelashes were upturned, casting a small shadow on his face.

Even if he was sick, this person was still too good-looking.

Seemingly unwell, Gu Yan didn’t sleep soundly. His eyebrows frown slightly in his sleep and Ye Zi reached out to smooth them. His warm fingertips touched the other party’s forehead, which was still so shockingly hot.

How uncomfortable it must be to be burning up like this?

Ye Zi’s heart ached. He thought about it for a while before he suddenly turned over and climbed onto Gu Yan.

He propped his hands on both sides of Gu Yan as he stared at the man’s haggard face. And as if he had all the courage in the world, he slowly leaned down and bit his thin, bloodless lips.

Ye Zi gently pried open his lips and teeth and a drop of crystal spiritual dew slipped from his lips into Gu Yan’s mouth.

This was the first time he took the initiative to kiss Gu Yan. The strange and exotic feeling replaced his guilt, making Ye Zi’s heart beat fast.

He experienced some sweetness from the contact that wasn’t even a kiss and even after feeding him the spiritual dew, he didn’t move away. Instead, he licked Gu Yan’s dry lips like a small animal as he took advantage without fear.

——Until Gu Yan suddenly opened his eyes and met his gaze.

Ye Zi: “……”