Chapter 1 - His Majesty’s First Recovery From Serious Illness (1/2)

On the 2nd lunar month in the capital city, the early spring weather was chilly.

Within the huge emperor’s resting place, the palace maids, who came and went with joy on their faces, flurriedly carried hot water and towels into the palace hall.

A white hand stretched out from the bright yellow dragon’s bed. The little palace eunuch waiting on the side was terrified to see His Majesty about to go down with bare feet. Tian Fusheng, the Chief Steward Eunuch, was warming shoes for His Majesty outside. At this moment, no one could stop it. The emperor, who had just recovered from his serious illness, was going to step on the ground barefoot!

The little eunuch didn’t have time to think. Quivering, he rushed to the bed and lay down on the ground. The feet of the most honorable person in the country stepped on the little eunuch’s back timely.

The little eunuch was sweating. He tried to relax his back muscles, for fear that the tautness would make His Majesty uncomfortable. He also reproached himself that his clothes were too rough, for fear of scuffing His Majesty’s feet.

The emperor laughed and derisively said, “Scram to the side.”

The little eunuch didn’t dare to disobey him, but neither did he dare to let him go to the ground like this. He bravely said, “Your Majesty can’t. The ground is cold. The cold air will seep into the dragon’s body from the sole of the feet.”

As soon as Tian Fusheng came in, he heard these words of the little eunuch. He hastily approached and fell to his knees with the dragon boots in his hands. He cried falsely, “Your Majesty, this little one is here to serve you. Don’t put your feet down. This little one’s heart is about to jump out of the throat.”

Gu Yuanbai broke into laughter, “Zhen1 thinks, yours can jump out for seventeen or eighteen times a day.”

Tian Fusheng mischievously laughed. He carefully held Gu Yuanbai’s feet and attentively put on the socks and boots for him.

Gu Yuanbai sighed in his heart as he sniffed the room full of incense and medicine.

He was not the true emperor but a positive and promising youth of the 21st century. In the instant when he passed through the clouds while skydiving, he woke up in this body as soon as he opened his eyes.

This dynasty was called Great Heng, which he recalled didn’t exist, so it should be unfounded. Its production degree had reached the standard of the Northern Song Dynasty.

This body of Gu Yuanbai that was raised by the power of the whole country was truly fragile. It was too sick. As the emperor, he didn’t even have much strength.

When Gu Yuanbai came, the eunuch dictatorship had already appeared. One should know that the emergence of eunuch dictatorship often indicated that a dynasty had entered the middle and late periods. With the swell of powerful ministers and local forces, eunuchs also wanted to control the military and political affairs. Gu Yuanbai dragged the sickly body and lived in seclusion for three whole years. In one fell swoop, the powerful ministers and eunuchs were collectively disarmed, and the previous dynasty and the inner court were thoroughly cleaned up, temporarily balancing the three forces and restoring the imperial power to its prime.

Just when he was ready to make an all-out effort eagerly, his body couldn’t withstand. At the end of winter, strong cold weather ushered in.

On the days of his serious illness, Gu Yuanbai incidentally heard a few very familiar names that eventually made him recall something. He did not transmigrate into an unfounded world, he transmigrated into a book.

The young emperor in the book would die within a few years. He would give up his throne to the famous Prince Regent, the gong2 male protagonist in the book. The shou3 male protagonist in the book was a capable minister that would assist the Prince Regent to rule, leaving behind a good name handed down from generation to generation.

Gu Yuanbai was a straight man – iron straight. He knew of this book because it was adapted into the court’s political battle of socialist brotherhood web drama.

After knowing that he could not live for a few years, Gu Yuanbai then accepted[his fate]. His previous ambitions were all thrown aside. He had not even smelled the braised duck in soy sauce4.

The throne was destined not to be his. No matter how much he did now, it would all let the future emperor pick up a bargain5.

During this illness, Gu Yuanbai thought a lot about it and finally decided to go with the flow. He took care of himself in the past few years and enjoyed the last period of his enthronement life. In passing, he would pick up soy sauce6 and watch the socialist brotherhood of the two male protagonists in the book.

Gu Yuanbai had never seen such a socialist brotherhood.

“Your Majesty, it’s done.” Tian Fusheng put down Gu Yuanbai’s feet cautiously, for fear of hurting the emperor.

When Gu Yuanbai finally stood on the ground, the palace maids came to dress Gu Yuanbai in his informal clothes that had been well-smoked with incense.

Before the clothes had been properly changed, a eunuch came to inform him, “Your Majesty, He Qinwang7 together with Minister of Revenue and his son are waiting outside the palace hall.”

“Let them in,” said Gu Yuanbai.

The eunuch led three people in. The three people performed the courtesies toward Gu Yuanbai. Gu Yuanbai faintly responded, “Rise.”

The son of the Minister of Revenue had not yet been capped8, exactly at the age of being fearless. He was told by his father ten to twenty times in the morning that he should not look directly at the emperor’s face. However, he wanted to do what he was not allowed to do. At present, standing behind He Qinwang and his father, he secretly raised his eyes through the hidden corner.

The Lord of the country, as Gu Yuanbai said, was the most delicate person raised by the power of the whole country.

When the young gongzi9 raised his eyes, he saw that the palace maid carefully arranged the emperor’s fine black hair behind him. Today, the emperor had recovered from his illness. To celebrate, he especially wore a red robe. A slight redness reflected on his jade face.

The young gongzi’s breath got caught and his heart pounded. At once, he lowered his head frantically and did not dare to look up again.

“This is Tang-Daren’s10 eldest son?”

Gu Yuanbai’s tone was kind. Tang-Daren was flattered. He bowed in respect and said, “Your Majesty said to your servant11 previously that there were fewer young people in the palace. My son’s aptitude is mediocre and his innate is imbecile, but he is better than his peers and usually quite noisy. If Your Majesty doesn’t dislike him, your servant will let him enter the palace often to accompany Your Majesty to relieve boredom.”

Gu Yuanbai wanted to sigh again.

A few days ago, he had just made a major political change. The purpose of this suggestion was to let these ministers send their children to the palace, which was not only to use as a rope to restrain these ministers but also to show imperial favor. It was both to beat and dote on the few divided scholar-bureaucrat cliques. Thirdly, he wanted to see if there were any promising talents to cultivate loyalty for his use as soon as possible.