Gu Yuanbai never knew that he would have a breakdown this day because of someone else.
He was such a calm man, but now he could only vent his sadness in a big way, woefully like a heap of floodwaters overtaking a riverbank and rushing violently down from a high place.
Xue Yuan felt the hot tears that smashed down his face one by one, and in the darkness, his heart seemed to be soothed by these silent hot tears.
"Yuanbai, don't cry."
Gu Yuanbai tried his best to suppress his trembling voice, "Sleep."
Gu Yuanbai was right here, and Xue Yuan hadn't felt so at ease in a long time, he obediently closed his eyes and gradually fell asleep.
As soon as he fell asleep, his snoring sounded. Gu Yuanbai's wide-open floodgates of emotions tightened at the sound of this snoring, and he withdrew his hand, his eyelids swollen, and when he looked down, Xue Yuan's face seemed to have been washed with his tears.
"Tian Fusheng," the voice rasped, "bring water."
The big eunuch outside the door who had long heard the ringing fearfully carried water and walked in personally, serving the saint wiped his face, his eyes lowered to avoid the saint's crying dragon face.
When Gu Yuanbai spoke out again, he had calmed down, "You say, should I let him go?"
Tian Fusheng carefully said, "The Political Affairs Hall has already recorded Lord Xue's name."
Gu Yuanbai was silent for a long time, putting the towel soaked in warm water on his eyes and sighing wearily, "I wasn't prepared to let him stay either."
Gu Yuanbai was a proud man, and so was Xue Yuan. Gu Yuanbai understood him, and it wasn't that Xue Yuan didn't want to go and retrace the Silk Road, he just did it because he didn't want to leave Gu Yuanbai.
Xue Yuan was afraid that he would become that stain on Gu Yuanbai, so he desperately tried to make a success of himself, wanting to become a capable official worthy of Gu Yuanbai, someone that Gu Yuanbai could rely on.
Gu Yuanbai's achievements have been more than enough to count the fingers to say out, from his crown to remove the treacherous Lu Feng to now, the civil and military achievements of the same than the same to get credit. Now is the peace and prosperity, two years Xue Yuan can make things can do all do, but are small head work, far from enough.
In addition to external transfer or simmering seniority, the Silk Road is now the biggest road to success. If you can rebuild the Silk Road, it will be a feat that will live on in history, allowing Xue Yuan's name to be firmly remembered by Gu Yuanbai's side. Because of this, there are so many officials who will embark on the journey without fear of danger.
If you miss this opportunity, even if you retrace the Silk Road for a second time, you won't get as much credit as this time.
If it is said to stay in the capital to simmer seniority, but Xue Yuan sleep in the palace will be impeached, ten years and twenty years to go to simmer ...... to simmer to not be afraid of the imperial censor impeachment, they have been how old?
I'm afraid it's all getting old.
The youngest love the most hot time, eat and sleep to be careful for fear of outsiders know, this is not Gu Yuanbai's style of action, not Xue Yuan's style of action. After all, it is still necessary to have credit, with credit, Xue Yuan will have the bottom, even if the royal historian said more "unreasonable" is nothing, the other side will only think that the saint is the favor of capable ministers, and Xue Yuan is a good match between the ruler and the minister.
Only after reaching a certain height, Xue Yuan's closeness to the saint would not become a stain, but would only be praised, leaving no stigma.
Gu Yuanbai allowed himself to think about things on behalf of Xue Yuan, feeling out his thoughts. A sentence that Xue Yuan had once said to him surfaced before his eyes, and the corner of his mouth hooked into a feeble smile as he felt his eyes heat up again.
When Xue Yuan woke up, he would have a good talk with him.
Stop it, keep it up, and he'd never believe the next person who said something like falling in love was sweet again.
"Bring another basin of water."
Tian Fusheng respectfully answered and brought the basin of warm water forward again, Gu Yuanbai washed the handkerchief and personally wrung it out to wipe Xue Yuan's face.
Xue Yuan has been so tired that the bottom of his eyes are blue and black, and his face has lost a lot of weight, so I don't know if his body can withstand such a violent weight loss brought on by a heart disease.
Gu Yuanbai concentrated, Tian Fusheng watched from the back, hesitated for a long time, but still whispered, "If His Holiness does not want Lord Xue to travel far, a trip to Ningxia and Gansu is also possible."
"Northwest general Zhang Hucheng has been guarded in the northwest for two years," Gu Yuanbai, "Ningxia Gansu a lot of secret want to restore the party, they have been small movements, Zhang Hucheng in the northwest, they take in the army did not dare to move, this is Zhang Hucheng's credit, the other side can not be snatched, even if I can not be so Even I can not be so unceremonious to send people halfway to intervene. Now the world is at peace, the previous military achievements should be rewarded have been rewarded, want to make a merit, where is so good to make it?"
"In addition to Zhang Hucheng, the officials who went to these two places are busy calming down the local chaos to claim credit with me, they first set foot on the land of Xixia, each of them are full of vigor, scrambling to do the work. In addition, Shaanxi, the annexed state is also governed by a very stable. Daheng head of the corrupt officials corruption, now no one dares to venture out, the Imperial Palace of Justice is also doing well, where can be easily mobilized."
Tian Fusheng opened and closed his lips a few times and regretted, "It was my foolishness to say the wrong thing."
Gu Yuanbai shook his head, letting him go up to the towel and handkerchief to change the water again, "He is anxious, I am also anxious. A knowledgable person in front of him is not easy, once he began to exert himself towards the court, this in the palace to stay overnight on someone to stare at the matter is not surprising. But if I let him sink in the side, do a small imperial guard, a great talent, where can I do so?"
Just have to let go.
Like is respect, you have to let him go, whether for public or private. Xue Yuan's talent, if it is not used that is really a pity, Gu Yuanbai this a heart that loves the sage can not do such a waste.
Tian Fusheng's nose soured and he began wiping tears from his eyes, "You and Lord Xue can be too difficult."
Gu Yuanbai couldn't help but smile, took the towel and continued to wipe Xue Yuan's hand, his fingertips passed through the cracks of his fingers and wiped over the scars in his palm, "...... It's not difficult. There are clothes to wear, there is food to eat, the river and mountain peace sea and river clear, where there is what is difficult? The world's ten thousand million people are carrying on my body, I look forward to, waiting for the day he can really carry the burden for me."
The large palm in his hand suddenly twitched.
The sun was setting in the west and the night was getting darker.
Gu Yuanbai fell asleep beside Xue Yuan at some point, and when he woke up, he was being held by Xue Yuan on the beauty couch in front of the window.
A thin blanket covered the front of his body, and the moon curved outside the window like a ship on a voyage.
Xue Yuan's hair slid from his side to the front of Gu Yuanbai's chest, and the miserable white moonlight was like swaying waves of water. Gu Yuanbai leaned against Xue Yuan's chest, listening to the frogs outside, idly enjoying the tranquility of the moment.
The top of his head rested against Xue Yuan's chin, and Xue Yuan loosely encircled the saint, "I know the saint's heart."
Gu Yuanbai leisurely said, "You only just realized it?"
Xue Yuan couldn't help but lower his head and kiss his hair, and suddenly said, ''I would go willingly and also want to return early. Torturing myself as well as making things difficult for Your Holiness is really not right. I won't be like this again, Your Holiness, it's just that before I go, there's one more thing I want to beg you for."
Gu Yuanbai asked, "What?"
Xue Yuan pulled open the belt around his waist, his loose clothing falling apart, revealing a piece of his firm chest, he picked up the dagger next to the beauty couch, removed the sheath, pinched the blade and handed it to Gu Yuanbai, his gaze penetrating, "I want you to leave a mark underneath my body."
Gu Yuanbai held the dagger in surprise, and Xue Yuan hooked his lips and firmly said, "I also ask Your Majesty to reward the minister for this favor."
After a long time, the tip of the knife touched above his chest, and Gu Yuanbai whispered, "It will hurt."
Xue Yuan shook his head, "Carve it."
Gu Yuanbai was ruthless, and with his heart, he danced the word "white" on the piece of skin in front of him. Luckily, the strokes of this character were simple, and just as the blood flowed out, Gu Yuanbai had already withdrawn his dagger.
Xue Yuan quietly looked at him, Gu Yuanbai took a handkerchief to wipe away the blood, there are some down his abdomen into the waist between the pants, Gu Yuanbai let someone bring the ointment, carefully wiped on, said: "The young officials in the dynasty want to take advantage of this merit, I really do not want to let you miss in vain. I know the reason you want to take credit, also know why you don't want to go, just can't let go of ...... the Privy Councilor several times with me to recommend you, he recommended that you transfer, transfer three years back to the capital, and then again to promote the rank will be easy. But three years outside the transfer and three years silk road, silk road credit is greater, right?"
Xue Yuan gave a nasal hmmm.
As the blood gradually stopped, Gu Yuanbai slowly said, "If two loves last forever, there is no need to be stingy between morning and evening."
Xue Yuan's hand shook.
"If it wasn't about me, and it was just this one thing of retracing the Silk Road, would you go?"
Xue Yuan exhaled without hesitation, "I will go."
Those countries outside the country, Xue Yuan had long wanted to see them.
Gu Yuanbai laughed wordlessly, "Go at ease, I'll be waiting for you to return in the capital."
"Does Your Majesty know the purpose of my trip?" Xue Yuan spoke slowly, "I always wondered earlier if it was worth it. Being away from you for three to five years has diverged from my original intention."
Gu Yuanbai laughed, "A man's ambition is in all directions, Xue Yuan, I am not an ordinary man either, I am the emperor. The world will occupy a large position in my heart, parting is sad, I'll be honest, I don't want to see you leave. But what you are doing is a good thing for the country and the people, you can only do this, so that you can stand by my side with honor and integrity, so that I can not abandon you even more, and you also have more of a bottom."
"You don't want me to leave a stigma," Gu Yuanbai said matter-of-factly, "but if you really do this, you will have no personal feelings for me on the surface. Even if I don't like you anymore, and loathe you, you'll be really speechless at that time, and have no place to say anything but to swallow your grievances back into your stomach."
As he spoke, Gu Yuanbai's face rose with genuine concern: "If I really don't like you in the future, you have to leave yourself a way out. So that I can't move you, you can leave if you want to, and if you don't want to, you can stay in the court and be your own good minister."
A person's ambition had the potential to turn him or her into another self; Gu Yuanbai's willpower pressed against the temptation that power brought him, but he didn't dare to guarantee what he would become later. If he was really fond of the new, what should Xue Yuan do?
Just thinking about it like that made my heart ache and I felt sick.
Xue Yuan's nasal voice abruptly thickened, "Yuan Bai, don't dislike me."
"I'm just talking about a possibility." Gu Yuanbai returned seriously.
Xue Yuan's expression slowly changed, the end of his eyebrows slightly wrinkled, the corners of his mouth pressed down, and he was once again wearing that look that made Gu Yuanbai feel his heart clench in pain.
Gu Yuanbai looked at him steadily for a moment, stepped forward and dropped a kiss on Xue Yuan's brow, whispering, "Xue Jiuyao, I once said something to your father. The world is my world, you are my person, what you do is not for yourself, but for me. I am not comfortable with other people, and the country that other people have seen is not the country that you have seen in your eyes."
His voice also seems to be swept by the moonlight waves, "Go at ease, and come back in one piece. The capital sends letters by horseback every day, and I'm waiting for you to talk to me about the scenery outside the country and send me small things from various countries."
"Go, and when you come back, no one will ever impeach you again for staying in the palace at night," Gu Yuanbai whispered softly, "and I won't have to worry so much about your future, because you'll always have a way to stay by my side, won't you?"
Xue Yuan: "Right."
I always have a way to stay by your side.
Gu Yuanbai lovingly kissed him, "Under the whole sky, there is nothing that is not the king's land. There is no one who is not the king's minister. When Daheng is here, I will be here. Don't worry and go fly, I will always be here."
Xue Yuan hugged and kissed him back.
*
In February of the following year, the spring grass was flying, and everything was ready for the Maritime Silk Road and the Land Silk Road. On this day, a sea of people gathered on both sides of the market, an unprecedented spectacle.
The army of 5,000 people, 10,000 horses, placed a variety of waiting to be trafficked to the countries of the material vehicles stretched, spontaneous follow the merchants three thousand people households. Drums and gongs, see off the people who retraced their steps on the Silk Road feverishly, emotional climax.
Gu Yuanbai is about to see off Xue Yuan here.