Gu Fuzhou really had thought about it. It was unbelievable.
It wasnât that he hadnât thought about such things in his nineteen years of life. Any boy of sound mind and body would have had at least some of those kind of thoughts going through puberty. He was no exception. At the age of thirteen or fourteen, his father solemnly lectured him on physiology and asked him to maintain strict self-discipline and to always show respect for others in this regard.
He remembered how heâd felt after jerking himself off the first time. â Thatâs all? His hand was so sore, it was about to fall off. Thatâs all?
Of course, it felt good, undeniably. But the cost-performance ration wasnât really that high. Although he was lazy, he was quite particular about personal cleanliness. Even if he were just doing it himself, he had to take a shower before and after. The entire process took more than an hour. Wasnât this time better spent sleeping?
Later, when he was sixteen or seventeen, he found that his classmates, especially the boys, seemed to be very interested in this aspect. His brothers often shared with him some decidedly very un-PG rated things. His brothers would always be flushed with excitement, but he simply felt sorry for the male lead.
After âworkingâ for so long without stopping, after sweating so much, wouldnât his waist be absolutely sore? Itâs so tiring. He already felt tired just watching it.
When he told his brothers how he felt, his brothers were shocked and dubbed him frigid. He disagreed; he wasnât frigid, he was just too lazy to move. If his future wife was willing to put in the extra effort, he would gladly do it.
In short, because he was too lazy, he lived a life free of worldly desires. Even if he had someone he liked, he didnât deliberately let his thoughts stray to such things. If you like someone, do you automatically have to have an urge towards him? Do you have to want to sleep with him? Isnât it okay to just be happy together?
It wasnât until Lin Qingyu suddenly asked him that that he realized that he did want to sleep with him. Even if heâd be tired half to death he⌠would probably think it was worth it.
Using the word âsleepâ was polite. What he wanted to say something more vulgar. He wanted to dirty Lin Qingyu, leave all kinds of marks on Lin Qingyuâs body, let him be contaminated with his own scent. He even wanted to say some unsavory âdirty talkâ into his ear. If it wasnât for Lin Qingyuâs use of the word âdirtyâ, he wouldnât have realized that he actually had such a fetish.
After understanding his own intentions, Gu Fuzhou suddenly found himself so greasy and wretchedâ Oh, why did he have such a side to him? If he starts to lust after Lin Qingyuâs body, then what was the difference between him and the likes of the emperor and Xiao Cheng?
No, no. Lin Qingyu was originally his wife. What was wrong with him lusting after his own wife? Those who lusted after his wife were the Cao Thieves.
But this cold beauty was meant for admiring, not for dallying with.
Oh, but how he wished to dally with him.
Gu Fuzhou, now with his newly discovered worldly desires, couldnât help but wonder â Lin Qingyu was also a man. Could it be that he also had worldly desires?
Naturally, Lin Qingyu didnât know what was going on in that strange head of his. He only felt that the other partyâs eyes as he looked at him were deep and dark, no longer as pure as in the past, as though he were now somewhat more mature.
The two went back to bed. Gu Fuzhou had long since seen through all of the enemyâs situation and tactics. Eyes open, with his hands behind his head, he said, âQingyu, youâre almost twenty years old.â
âEn.â
âThis is the time when youâre full of animal spirit. How come Iâve never seen you⌠Do you understand what I mean?â Gu Fuzhou felt that he had already said it very clearly. With Lin Qingyuâs intelligence, it was impossible he wouldnât understand.
Lin Qingyu said, âI donât understand.â
âCome on, you must understand.â Gu Fuzhou teased, âOr do you also have no interest at all in this matter?â
âI certainly do not have any interest. But why would you use âalsoâ?â
All of Gu Fuzhouâs attention was on the first half of Lin Qingyuâs statement. âIt canât be⌠youâre not lazy. Why arenât you interested at all?â
Lin Qingyu thought for a while and said, âProbably because Iâve seen a lot and touched a lot.â
He had lost count of how many menâs bodies he had seen, of womenâs bodies as well. He wasnât proficient in gynecology, but dabbled in it regardless. When he had been traveling with his mentor, he had delivered babies for pregnant women.
As far as he could remember, he never seemed to have had any special reaction to touching someoneâs body. It seemed that only Gu Fuzhouâs body had made him feel that âruined handâ feel, making him flustered when he touched that key part.
Gu Fuzhou choked and said, âStudying medicine is really scary.â
Gu Fuzhou slept late and getting up the next day was a disaster. Lin Qingyu dragged Gu Fuzhou up from the bed, asked Hua Lu to bring breakfast and watched as he begrudgingly ate his porridge.
âQingyu, when do I get to rest?â
Officials of the Dayu, except for the New Year, could only rest on the fifteenth day of each month. Lin Qingyu helped him do the math and said, âIn ten days.â
Gu Fuzhouâs handsome face twisted. âTen days? Sa-save meâŚâ
After Gu Fuzhou got dressed, Lin Qingyu was about to send him out of the mansion when he saw Yuan Yin running to report, âGeneral, Madam, there is news from the palace. The Emperor has an unbearable headache and the crown princeâs wound is acting up. There will be no morning court today.â
Gu Fuzhou was stunned by the sudden surprise. Save for the night of their second marriage, Lin Qingyu had never seen him so excited. As soon as Yuan Yin finished speaking, he disappeared. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared in bed, the quilt swelling once again.
Lin Qingyu chuckled lightly. He instructed the servants not to approach the bedroom so as to allow the general to sleep to his heartâs content.
Not long after the news of the suspension of morning court, there came another messenger from the palace. The emperorâs illness was getting worse by the day and the Imperial Hospital was helpless. The emperor finally couldnât take it anymore and once again summoned Lin Qingyu to the palace.
Lin Qingyu examined the emperorâs pulse and adjusted the previous prescription. After drinking it for a few days, the emperorâs symptoms lessened in intensity. It stood to reason that Lin Qingyu should be rewarded, but his heart was still full of anger. When he thought of how this gentle and submissive beauty in front of him was already married, of how he, as the emperor, still had someone he couldnât possess, it was inevitable that feelings of unwillingness and resentment would grow in his heart.
Were he but an ordinary courtierâs wife, forcibly seizing him would have been of no matter. But he was Gu Fuzhouâs wife. A few days later, Gu Fuzhou submitted to him a report. From the deployment of troops and horses to the delivery of food and fodder, he had analyzed the battle situation in the Northwest in a very thorough manner. After reading it, no matter how unwillingly, the emperor still sent the report to the Northwest.
The emperor refused to restore Lin Qingyu to his official position and Lin Qingyu did not take the initiative to mention it. He merely said that he was unsure about the efficacy of some ingredients and he had to go to the Imperial Medical Office to consult their books. The emperor reinstated Lin Qingyuâs right to access the Imperial Medical Office. In addition, Lin Qingyu went to the palace every three days to examine the emperorâs pulse. Except for having no official position or salary, it was no different from the past.
Lin Qingyu had never cared about the official position or salary. Marrying Gu Fuzhou was simply a solution out of a desperate situation. If he wanted a safe and secure life with Gu Fuzhou, they still had a lot to do.
Gu Fuzhou waited and waited and waited, finally it his once in a month rest day. Lin Qingyu happened to be scheduled for a visit to the palace that day. When Lin Qingyu got up, he made sure to keep his movements light. Then, thinking about it, it seemed there was no need. Gu Fuzhou wasnât the type to be woken up with just a bit of noise, after all. Unexpectedly, as soon as his feet landed, he heard a low hoarse voice from the upper bunk. âQingyuâŚâ
Lin Qingyu was surprised. âWhy did you wake up?â
Gu Fuzhou closed his eyes and said weakly, âYouâre going to the palace today. Iâll see you off.â
Lin Qingyu was stunned and a warmth that shouldnât have appeared in winter rose in his heart. He said though, âYouâre on the verge of passing out. How could you possibly see me off?â
Gu Fuzhou sat up sleepily, rubbed his eyes and said automatically, âNo matter how sleepy I am, I have to see my wife off to workâŚâ
Lin Qingyu said with a smile. âThereâs no need. You should go back to sleep.â
Gu Fuzhou forced himself to get out of bed. âNo, you see me off every day. If I donât see you off, I would be absolute scum.â
Gu Fuzhou was so dead set on doing it that Lin Qingyu decided to let him do it. He originally thought that Gu Fuzhou would do the same as he did, simply seeing him off the gate of the Generalâs Mansion. He didnât expect that Gu Fuzhou would get in the carriage with him and see him off directly to the gate of the palace. Although Gu Fuzhou had been dozing off against his shoulder in the carriage, not a word exchanged between them, describing this early morning feeling as so touching as to move even heaven and earth would not be an exaggeration. It truly was precious.
Once in the palace, the eunuch led Lin Qingyu to Qinzheng Hall. When the emperor told him to enter, Master Xie, the leader of the Tianji Camp, was just on his way out. The two passed each other and Lin Qingyu caught a light fragrance.
Lin Qingyu very quickly found out where the fragrance came from. The emperor showed him something â a crystal clear snow lotus. Simply judging from the color of the petals, you could tell it was extraordinary.
The emperor said, âHave a look, this may be good for my headache.â
Lin Qingyu took of a whiff of the snow lotusâ fragrance and asked, âDare to ask Your Majesty, is this from the Northern Regions?â
Hearing the âNorthern Regionsâ, the emperor seemed uneasy. âThey say it was collected from the extreme north of the Northern Regions.â
Lin Qingyu smiled lightly and said, âIt is indeed a rare and priceless ingredient. This student shall formulate a new prescription for Your Majesty. Using this snow lotus from the north as an ingredient, it will definitely be able to produce twice the result with half the effort.â
After taking his leave, Lin Qingyu spent a long time in the library of the Imperial Medical Office before returning to the Generalâs Mansion at dusk. As soon as he got off the carriage, he saw a luxurious carriage parked in front of the Generalâs Mansion. Such pomp would be overstepping the bounds of propriety for any common official. It was obvious as to who had come.
The carriage arrived but a moment earlier than Lin Qingyu. As soon as the owner of the carriage alighted, he met face-to-face with Lin Qingyu. ââItâs that beautiful imperial physician!â
Lin Qingyu said, âI am no longer an imperial physician, Your Highness.â
âThen I shall call you Doctor Lin.â The person who had come was Xiao Jie, the fourth prince. With him was his steward, ever inseparable from him â surnamed âXiâ and with a single name âRongâ.
Lin Qingyu had no interest in pretty idiots. Only smart people held his interest. Compared with Xiao Jie, he paid much more attention to Xi Rong. âWe are honored by His Highnessâ presence but was the general expecting you?â
âNo â Ah, what I mean is that he should be. Last time, the general promised to show me his Qingyun Jiuzhou Spear and his Ferghana horse. Today, I happened to be passing by the Generalâs Mansion and suddenly thought of this, so I justâŚâ
Xiao Jie smiled awkwardly. Xi Rong bowed to Lin Qingyu, and said politely, âHis Highness, on a whim, came uninvited and disturbed the general and his wife. If it is inconvenient for the General, next time, we shall send a letter in advance before bringing down His Highness.â
Lin Qingyu said, âToday is the Generalâs rest day. There is no inconvenience. Please come in, Your Highness.â
Once they entered the mansion, Xiao Jie looked around curiously and asked, âWhy do I not see General Gu?â
Lin Qingyu guessed, âAt this hour, he should be playing.â
Xiao Jie looked completely confused. He raised his head and asked Xi Rong, âDoes the General also play?â
Xi Rong said, âGeneral Guâs âplayâ may be different from Your Highnessâs âplayâ.â
Xiao Jie grinned and said, âI understand. For example, my âplayâ is to eat and drink and the Generalâs âplayâ is to ride horses and shoot arrows?â
Xi Rong smiled and nodded, âYour Highness is wise.â
Lin Qingyu said, âYour Highness, may I ask that you wait in the hall for a while? I will go and invite the General. Huan Tong, kindly serve tea to His Highness.â
Xiao Jie took a sip of the tea from the Generalâs Mansion. His eyes lit up and he was filled with praise. âThis is delicious. This might even taste better than the tea in the palace! AâRong, why donât you give it a try too?â
Xi Rong shook his head and said, âYour Highness, you mustnât forget etiquette when you are outside.â
Xiao Jie was a little disappointed. âAlright.â
âDonât you find it strange, Your Highness?â Xi Rong said, âIn terms of etiquette, it would be better for the Generalâs wife to stay and entertain the guests. Then why did the Madam go to personally call the General? The Madam doesnât seem like someone who doesnât understand etiquette.â
Xiao Jie thought for a while, but couldnât think of a reason. âWhy?â
Xi Rong smiled slightly and said, âThe Madam probably has something to tell the General in private.â
Lin Qingyu found Gu Fuzhou in the bedroom. Gu Fuzhou had a strip of black cloth tied over his eyes. In front of him was a porcelain bottle that Lin Qingyu used to hold medicine. A red rope was tied to the mouth of the bottle and the other end of the red rope was tied to the beam of the house.
Hearing Lin Qingyuâs footsteps, Gu Fuzhou pulled the black cloth up, revealing smiling eyes. âQingyu, Qingyu, Iâll show you something good.â
Saying so, Gu Fuzhou put the black cloth back on. He pushed the porcelain vase hard, and the vase began to sway back and forth. Gu Fuzhou too swayed left and right, perfectly avoiding being hit by the vase every time.
The corners of Gu Fuzhouâs lips rose up. âHow? I practiced for a whole hour.â
Lin Qingyu stepped forward and grabbed the swinging porcelain vase. He said, âXiao Jie and his eunuch are here.â
Gu Fuzhou raised his eyebrows. âRight now?â
âTheyâre already in the mansion.â
Gu Fuzhou smelled the familiar light scent and the corners of his lips rose even higher. He stretched out his hand, pretending to grab the porcelain bottle, instead he hugged Lin Qingyuâs waist, having achieved what he wished.
Lin Qingyu allowed him to hold him. He stretched out his hand and tore off the black cloth. âAlso, Xiao Cheng really did send the Tianji Camp to the Northern Regions. The Emperor must be quite dissatisfied about this.â
Looking at the beauty with a light medicinal fragrance in his arms, Gu Fuzhou, though with a heart like a frisky money and a mind like a cantering horse, was still able to set aside some portion of his brain to think, âDoes Doctor Lin mean⌠today? Isnât it a bit too early?â
Lin Qingyu pushed Gu Fuzhou away and said, âThere is no need to say too much. We can just sound him out for now.â
The two returned to the front hall to meet their guests together. In front of Xiao Jie and Xi Rong, Gu Fuzhou was deep and reserved, sedate and taciturn. Even Xi Rong could not have imagined that not long ago, General Gu had been in his room practicing how not to be hit on the head by a swaying porcelain bottle.
After exchanging greetings, Gu Fuzhou ordered someone to present the Qingyun Jiuzhou Spear. This spear was so heavy that most people couldnât hold it. It took at least two grown men to lift it.
Xiao Jie circled around the Qingyun Jiuzhou Spear a few times, making a few âwowâ sounds. He turned his head and said excitedly at Xi Rong. âAâRong, can you feel the murderous spirits from the Northwest?â
Xi Rong said: âThe spear is nourished by blood. The Generalâs spear possess a spiritual quality.â
Xiao Jie tried to pick up the Qingyun Jiuzhou Spear but no matter how hard he tried, he only managed to barely lift it a fraction using both hands. He couldnât help but sight. âThis spear is heavy enough to smash a person to death, but General Gu is able to wield it one-handed to cut down countless enemies. You are truly worthy of being the greatest warrior of the Dayu.â
In the face of the princeâs praise, Gu Fuzhou still cherished words like gold, âYour Highness bestows undeserved praise.â
Having seen enough of the spear, Gu Fuzhou took them to the stable. A fine steed was drinking water with its head down. Feeling the presence of strangers, the horse raised its neck vigilantly and flicked its tail restlessly.
This horse was as black as ink, with slender limbs and a thick mane, completely different from the ordinary horses seen outside. Only that due to a long period of inactivity, it was now a lot fatter than when it first arrived in the capital.
Xiao Jie was amazed and asked, âWhatâs its name?â
Lin Qingyu gave Gu Fuzhou a playful look and said, âXiao Bai.â
Xiao Jie looked confused. âBut, itâs black.â
Gu Fuzhou said solemnly, âIndeed. Your Highness, would you like to try riding it?â
Xiao Jie was both startled and delighted, âCa-can I?â
Xi Rong disapproved. âA prized horse is spirited and very loyal to its master. And Your Highness isnât good at riding. I hope Your Highness will reconsider.â
Gu Fuzhou said, âWith me here, nothing will happen.â
Xiao Jie stroked Xiao Baiâs inky back and his heart was tempted. âThere shouldnât be any problem if I just ride it for a walk around, right â AâRong?â
Xi Rong sighed helplessly, cupped his hands in salute and said, âThen, might I trouble the General to stay by his side to look after him?â
Gu Fuzhou took Xiao Jie to ride the horse, while Lin Qingyu and Xi Rong stayed to one side and watched. It was not difficult to see that the relationship between Xiao Jie and Xi Rong was by no means an ordinary master-servant relationship. Xiao Jie obviously relied heavily on Xi Rong, consistent with what Gu Fuzhou had said. But Lin Qingyu couldnât make out any of Xi Rongâs paranoid side. It could be assumed that he was also quite proficient at hiding his true colors.
Lin Qingyu said casually, âHis Highness is quite innocent and unaffected. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne, being the idle prince of a fief would be quite good for him.â
Xi Rongâs eyes dimmed slightly but he also very quickly presented a smile even better than that of a womanâs. âWhat the Madam says is true.â
The author has something to say:
Salted Fish : Itâs not that I canât, Iâm really just lazy, believe me =w=