FIMA Ch85: Little Goblin

Gu Siyuan raised his head, kept a cold face as usual, and answered seriously: “Myself.”

Emperor Jianzhao looked at him, and after a long while, his eyes widened.

He had lived for most of his life, but had he ever seen such a person?

Although he himself often advised the courtiers to “recommend the virtuous without avoiding relatives”, that was clearly just polite talk. Those old foxes in the royal court would absolutely never do such a taboo thing, let alone directly and openly recommending themselves like this.

Emperor Jianzhao confirmed once more: “You… said yourself? You recommend yourself to be the Superintendent of the Capital Garrison?”

Expressionless, Gu Siyuan nodded: “If Your Majesty merely wants someone to superintend the Capital Garrison well, ensure orders are executed and prohibitions are obeyed, and be completely under Your Majesty’s command, then this official can do it. This official is willing to share Your Majesty’s burdens.”

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

Emperor Jianzhao narrowed his eyes.

Gu Siyuan’s martial arts and working abilities were naturally top-notch.

Crucially, he was indeed loyal enough to him. Aside from his own orders, he gave face to no one, whether it was the concubines in the inner palace or those princes.

Especially, his relationship with Noble Consort Lu and Xie Xuan was extremely poor.

Emperor Jianzhao’s gaze wavered as he looked deeply at Gu Siyuan: “Siyuan’s temper truly hasn’t changed a bit.”

Gu Siyuan’s expression remained unchanged: “This official is just speaking the truth. This official cannot guarantee the loyalty of others, but can guarantee my own.”

“Mm.” Emperor Jianzhao nodded and didn’t speak further.

He neither said it was bad, nor did he say it was good.

However, later when the procession passed by the Imperial Garden, he temporarily ordered the carriage to stop, saying he wanted to get down and take a walk to relax. Then he sent everyone away, leaving only Wang Chengying to serve by his side.

Gu Siyuan guessed that Emperor Jianzhao was probably going to the palace of that true-love concubine.

The Jinghong Palace was located behind the Imperial Garden, in an extremely secluded corner toward the southwest, with a courtyard of only one courtyard deep.

Because it was extremely far from the Huangji Hall where the Emperor lived, basically no one ever came here normally.

Even when this palace changed its name, no one knew. If it weren’t for the fact that the person living in this palace had given birth to His Majesty’s Fourth Prince, it would truly be completely transparent.

At this moment, Emperor Jianzhao, the master of this imperial city, was sitting in this simple and crude courtyard, leisurely drinking tea, looking in a very pleasant mood.

And sitting opposite him was Xie Huan, his supposedly least-favored son.

Emperor Jianzhao put down his teacup and said leisurely: “I plan to hand the position of Superintendent of the Capital Garrison over to Gu Xun?”

“Gu Xun?” Xie Huan raised his eyes and frowned.

To be honest, he was very dissatisfied with Gu Xun. Last time on the sacrificial platform in Qing County, if it weren’t for Gu Xun, his plan against Xie Xuan would have proceeded smoothly.

Although ultimately, this matter was blown up into an assassination of the Emperor, and the assassins were pinned on the Japanese pirates.

Yu Zhiyao also sniffed out something from it. Afterward, he never brought up the matter of granting a marriage again, and was even in a hurry to return to Zhejiang to continue fighting the Japanese pirates.

In this way, the matter of forming a marriage alliance with Xie Xuan also ended up being dropped. His original goal was considered half achieved, but he still felt somewhat uncomfortable in his heart.

He always felt that this person Gu Xun might delay his affairs again in the future.

However, for some unknown reason, Imperial Father trusted him extremely.

Emperor Jianzhao narrowed his eyes, looking at him: “Could it be you have some candidate?”

Xie Huan snapped back to reality and hurriedly shook his head: “Your son does not. Since Imperial Father has already made a decision, then Gu Xun must have his merits.”

The Capital Garrison was related to the safety of Kyoto, as well as the stability of the imperial palace and the current Emperor. Even he wouldn’t dare to intervene casually.

His Imperial Father’s treatment of him was more based on ‘the son is valued because of the mother’. There were some things he still needed to be wary of in his heart.

Emperor Jianzhao nodded: “Gu Xun indeed doesn’t usually give you all face, but that’s just his personality. As a person, he is still very loyal.”

“The person Imperial Father favors naturally cannot be wrong,” Xie Huan nodded. After thinking for a moment, he said softly, “It’s just that your son is worried General Gu’s qualifications are relatively shallow, and afraid he won’t be able to suppress those old foxes in the Capital Garrison.”

Emperor Jianzhao picked up his teacup and took another sip. Only then did his eyes turn deep, and his tone became幽幽 (yōu yōu – faint/profound): “If he can’t suppress them, isn’t that just right.”

If he could suppress them, would this Capital Garrison still be a Capital Garrison completely belonging to the Emperor?

Wouldn’t Gu Siyuan just be another disguised Commander of the Capital Garrison? Then why would he specially arrange such an official position of Superintendent?

What he wanted was for Gu Siyuan to only hold a titular position, acting merely as a messenger, as an ordinary assistant commander, handling those matters he was too lazy to get his hands on normally.

Gu Siyuan had shallow qualifications and no family background. Everything he had now relied entirely on the Emperor’s trust.

Without himself, he would have nothing.

No matter what, he couldn’t escape his grasp.

Those old foxes in the Capital Garrison naturally wouldn’t cozy up to such a person.

Thinking like this, Emperor Jianzhao actually became delighted.

Initially, he truly didn’t think of Gu Siyuan at all. Now, after analyzing it, this candidate was indeed extremely suitable.

Sitting opposite, Xie Huan restrained his expression slightly, having also understood his Imperial Father’s meaning, and hurriedly complimented: “Imperial Father’s brilliant judgment.”

“It’s good that you understand,” Emperor Jianzhao nodded with satisfaction. Suddenly, he said, “Previously, the Empress Dowager mentioned taking the opportunity of the Thousand Autumns Festival to select a consort for Xie Xuan. You are a year older than him; let’s include you this time as well.”

Xie Huan smiled and nodded: “Everything is up to Imperial Father to decide.”

Selecting a consort…

Xie Xuan, do you know that your future wife is already my person?

Seeing his genuine smile, Emperor Jianzhao said in a good mood: “My royal son can rest assured. I have already decided on the candidate for your principal consort, she is absolutely the most suitable.”

…

Xie Xuan came out from the Empress Dowager’s Ningshou Palace.

The Empress Dowager’s Thousand Autumns (birthday) was just a few days away. He heard from the palace maids serving in the palace that this time, the Empress Dowager would host a banquet for many noblewomen and daughters of courtiers to observe them, intending to select principal consorts for him and Xie Huan.

So, he hurriedly went to explain to the Empress Dowager that it wasn’t suitable for him to select a consort recently.

At first, the Empress Dowager strongly disagreed. However, finally, after he pointed out that his health was poor and he didn’t want to delay another family’s daughter.

The Empress Dowager remained silent for a long time, and ultimately agreed.

Thinking of the Empress Dowager’s expression, Xie Xuan chuckled softly in his heart, not knowing whether to feel joy or sorrow.

He suddenly realized that perhaps the Empress Dowager also knew that the illness he had from childhood to adulthood wasn’t actually a real illness.

For a moment, Xie Xuan suddenly felt that this imperial city became incredibly oppressive and cold.

Even though it was almost summer, he couldn’t feel a trace of warmth on his body. Lowering his eyebrows, his long eyelashes cast a fan-shaped, pitiful shadow over his thin eyelids.

After a long while, Xie Xuan chuckled softly a few times and raised his head again, only to find that the path before him wasn’t the way out of the palace. Somehow, he had actually walked near the Chuntao Pavilion.

In the lake near the Chuntao Pavilion, quite a few concubines, and even princes, had once drowned. It was extremely ominous, and normally, basically no one came here.

Right at this moment, a pebble hit his thin back.

Xie Xuan’s body trembled, and he looked up and around.

In the dense rowan tree not far away, sat a tall figure, tossing two pebbles up and down in his hand, looking extremely leisurely and comfortable.

Seeing his gaze sweep over, that person crooked his finger and commanded coldly: “Come here.”

Tsk, truly a rude fellow.

Xie Xuan chuckled softly and stepped over.

“Why is General Gu so mischievous? How old are you, still climbing trees?”

However, heaven tells everyone not to speak ill of others, especially not to their face.

The next moment, a shadow flashed before his eyes.

His feet also left the ground, and his whole person was standing on the trunk of the rowan tree.

Xie Xuan had no martial arts skills, and his body was extremely weak since childhood, so his sense of balance was practically zero. As soon as his feet touched the tree trunk, he immediately started swaying precariously, wanting to scream but unable to.

This was the inner imperial palace. If they attracted people over, neither of them could explain it clearly. Forced by circumstances, he could only humiliatingly reach out to hug the hateful culprit beside him.

Gu Siyuan stood steadily on the side, watching him struggle coldly for a long while before kindly grabbing his back collar to help steady his body.

Xie Xuan patted his chest with lingering fear, raising his eyes to glare at this hateful fellow in front of him: “General Gu, bullying this Prince again relying on your good martial arts?”

“The Sixth Highness’s constitution is too poor, this official is merely testing and training you,” Gu Siyuan argued plausibly.

Xie Xuan glared: “So to speak, this Prince should also thank General Gu for your concern?”

Gu Siyuan’s expression was leisurely, saying calmly: “You’re welcome.”

Xie Xuan ground his neat little white teeth, making an expression of a bloody, wide-open mouth.

If this person wasn’t wearing a suit of Imperial Guard armor, he guaranteed he would have already taken a bite with an ‘aowu’.

Then, his mouth, along with the lower half of his face, were completely covered tightly by a large palm.

Xie Xuan was just about to struggle.

Hmph, I absolutely cannot be bullied by this person all the time.

“Shh, look over there.” Hot air sprayed on his side face, and a low, magnetic male voice rang by his ear.

Xie Xuan’s ear felt itchy, and this itch also traveled straight to the bottom of his heart.

Damn rough fellow.

However, he still focused his mind and looked over following Gu Siyuan’s gaze.

Just under the artificial rockery about a few dozen meters below their feet, two figures had emerged at some point.

Looking at their movements and demeanor, they were clearly extremely familiar, even having an illicit affair.

A moment later, those two people carefully went their separate ways.

Only then did Gu Siyuan lower the hand covering that fair little face. The poor thing, his entire face was flushed red from holding his breath.

Xie Xuan hurriedly took a few big gulps of air first, and then looked at Gu Siyuan with deep eyes: “So General Gu knew about the relationship between these two people early on, which is why you didn’t let this Prince marry the Jiang family’s daughter. What a pity, this Prince had thought…”

The lingering sound was unfinished, exceptionally teasing.

Pinching his chin, Gu Siyuan said indifferently: “Thought what?”

Xie Xuan smiled faintly, sticking out his tongue to gently lick his bright red lips, his voice hazy: “I thought General Gu himself didn’t want to get married, and didn’t want this Prince to get married either, because you planned for us to be a pair of wild mandarin ducks together…”

Gu Siyuan’s pupils contracted. His thumb, pinching the small chin, slowly moved up and pressed onto those moist lips that had just been licked by the tongue: “Wild mandarin ducks? This general only realized today, could it be that the Sixth Highness isn’t just ‘beautiful like a good woman’, but an actual girl?”

“…” Xie Xuan.

Why is this person such a killjoy?

Xie Xuan became unconvinced, puffed his cheeks and said: “Why can’t you be the female one?”

Gu Siyuan sneered and snorted coldly, too lazy to answer.

The answer was simply self-evident.

Xie Xuan’s little gaze swept over him. True, growing up so big and burly, whose family would have such a girl? They would probably think Pangu had reincarnated, coming to this world just to split the heavens and earth in the future.

In Xie Xuan’s mind, the image of Gu Siyuan wearing women’s clothing involuntarily surfaced.

Tsk, it’s terrifying just thinking about it.

Gu Siyuan ignored his expressive little gaze and continued to discuss business: “In these next few days, His Majesty might announce the candidate for the Superintendent of the Capital Garrison. When the time comes, have your people strongly oppose it.”

The hostility between Xie Xuan’s eyebrows flashed by, and he narrowed his eyes: “Hm? Didn’t you say to act like before? Pretend not to know anything.”

As everyone knew, Emperor Jianzhao doted on him the most. So how could he oppose Emperor Jianzhao’s thoughts too much?

Wasn’t this inconsistent with what they agreed upon initially?

Gu Siyuan slightly curled the corners of his mouth: “Because this candidate is very special.”

“The candidate is very special, who is it?” Xie Xuan blinked, his eyes moist and innocent, like a child who didn’t know the ways of the world.

Truly knows how to deceive people.

Gu Siyuan’s expression remained unchanged, saying calmly: “Me.”

“Who…” Xie Xuan froze.

Gu Siyuan pinched his soft cheek: “Far in the horizon, yet right before your eyes.”

A long silence.

The silence was so heavy that the atmosphere was about to stagnate.

“It’s actually you…” Xie Xuan slightly curled the corners of his mouth, a crystal-clear smile rippling in his eyes. Tilting his head to look at Gu Siyuan: “General Gu is truly a charming little goblin. Not only is this Prince captivated by General Gu, but even Imperial Father cannot escape your palm.”

“…” Gu Siyuan.

He confirmed that this guy right before his eyes was probably just asking for a beating.

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