Gu Mochen didn't turn around.
Zhou Huaili gritted his teeth and continued:
"Soldiers are paid by the government and trained to kill the enemy. If we let them set up stages for the common people to watch the spectacle, morale will collapse."
"Twelve people stacked on top of each other riding one horse—this isn't military training; it's a farce!"
Gu Mochen turned around, his face already showing impatience.
"In times of peace, military households without military merit are often owed wages. They are made to practice horsemanship, and the common people pay for the training. The royal palace takes a share, and the remainder is distributed to the army."
He took two steps forward.
"What, a soldier's belly doesn't count as a belly?"
Zhou Huaili was stunned.
Gu Mochen stared at him, pressing down each word carefully.
"Are they supposed to be poor and serve the imperial court with their lives on?"
Zhou Huaili lowered his head.
That's not wrong.
But he knew that the most dangerous place was right there.
Your Highness did see the pit.
His Highness saw silver in the pit and insisted on jumping in to retrieve it.
Gu Mochen sat back down behind his desk and flipped the notebook to the front.
Make another copy tomorrow.
Zhou Huaili looked up:
"Your Highness..."
Gu Mochen interrupted him.
"Make sure everything is copied thoroughly. Before entering Anyang, I want the rules and regulations finalized."
Zhou Huaili's throat was dry.
A night breeze blew past the window, causing the lamplight to flicker.
The few pages of paper on the table were pressed under Gu Mochen's palm, as if they had already been stamped with the seal of the Prince An's Residence.
The Empress Dowager's birthday banquet was held in the Hall of Ten Thousand Longevities.
Red felt was laid out in front of the hall, and palace lanterns hung from the corridor all the way to the end of the stone steps. When the wind blew, the lantern shadows swayed gently against the gold bricks.
Gu Moran at the perfect time, neither too early nor too late.
The Crown Prince did not come.
The Crown Prince's Eastern Palace only sent birthday gifts, carried by eunuchs, with neatly sealed boxes and not a single extra word.
Prince An Gu Mochen, did arrive, dressed formally, and sat in the royal family's seat, his hand steady as he held his cup.
Gu Moran glanced at him.
Gu Mochen also looked over.
The two were separated by half a hall's worth of people, and neither of them spoke.
Gu Moran picked up the sweet cake in front of her and took a bite.
I'm a little choked up.
Uncle Fu stood behind and whispered a reminder, "Your Highness, please eat slowly."
Gu Moran whispered, "The palace pastries are really substantial; perfect for silencing."
Uncle Fu lowered his head, refusing to respond.
Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is in relatively good spirits today.
The Empress sat to one side, her phoenix robe standing upright, with two young princes standing on either side of her.
The two children were young, but they performed the greetings without making any mistakes.
When offering birthday greetings, one person holds the cup while the other recites the words of blessing.
The words were short, and the pronunciation was steady.
The emperor sat behind his desk, looked at the two children, and nodded in satisfaction.
Gu Moran watched this unfold and felt the sweet cake was even more suffocating.
Father is looking at promising young talents.
The Empress didn't smile much, but simply straightened the cuffs of one of the young princes.
Gu Moran lowered his eyes and drank his tea.
Goodness!
Knowing that the Crown Prince was unreliable, the Empress began to cultivate her own power base.
The singing and dancing in the hall changed twice.
The Empress Dowager requested a piece of music, and the people from the Bureau of Ceremonial immediately changed it to a new song to celebrate her birthday.
When the song title was announced, the Zhou Clan's female official stood behind the curtain, flipping through the booklet in her hand very quickly.
Gu Moli sat in the women's section, not even raising her head, only lightly touching the rim of her cup with the lid.
Gu Moran saw it from afar, and her eyelids twitched.
This girl definitely hasn't been idle.
I wonder what kind of mischief they're secretly plotting.
Halfway through the banquet, the emperor suddenly rewarded Prince An with a cup of wine.
Gu Mochen rose to express his gratitude, displaying impeccable manners.
The emperor looked at him and said, " Anyang is a long way away. Once you arrive, do your job well."
Gu Mochen bowed. "Your subject will remember Your Majesty's teachings."
The emperor said nothing more and continued to tease the young prince.
When Gu Mochen sat back down, his fingertips lingered on the rim of the cup for a moment before he finished the wine.
Gu Moran could see it clearly.
The second son was resentful.
But in situations like this, you have to swallow your pride even if you're not happy about it.
Not long after, Chen Dehai walked up to Gu Moran's table with a small box in his hand.
" Your Prince Yi, His Majesty has bestowed a reward."
Gu Moran up and took it.
Upon opening it, I found two newly made palace tranquilizing pills inside.
Gu Moran out laughing.
Others left the capital to admire gold, silver, and jade artifacts.
When you come to him, you will receive medicine.
My father's meaning is very clear.
Don't you like to fake being sick?
Take it, and continue loading it on the way.
Gu Moran held the box and expressed his gratitude. "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your concern."
The emperor glanced at him.
"Once you're in your fiefdom, don't cause any trouble."
Gu Moran immediately lowered his head. "Your subject will certainly behave himself. If he can lie down, he will never sit; if he can sit, he will never stand."
Several members of the clan in the hall couldn't help but lower their heads and cover their mouths.
The Empress Dowager also glanced at him.
"You silly child, you never say anything proper."
Gu Moran quickly bowed to the Empress Dowager: "Grandmother is right. I will have Shen Ling'er prescribe a medicine as soon as I get back."
The Empress Dowager chuckled at his words.
But the emperor did not laugh.
He simply picked up his wine cup and slowly took a sip.
When the birthday banquet ended, the princes, as was customary, went to a side hall to wait for an audience.
But Chen Dehai came out to deliver a message.
"His Majesty is tired today; Your Highnesses may return to your residences."
As soon as those words were spoken, even the wind on the palace path seemed to grow colder.
Gu Mochen stood at the bottom of the stone steps, the jade pendant in his hand hanging down without swaying.
Gu Moran at the tightly closed side hall door.
The Emperor himself is nowhere to be seen.
The crown prince was locked up in the Eastern Palace.
Prince An is going to Anyang.
He's also going to Yi Prefecture.
The Emperor didn't even bother with a final, private talk.
Gu Mochen went ahead.
He paused half a step as he passed by Gu Moran.
"Third brother, Yi Prefecture is far away, take care."
Gu Moran his sleeves tighter.
"Take care, Second Brother. Don't let the sand and dust on the road get into your eyes."
Gu Mochen looked at him for a moment, then turned and left without saying anything more.
Gu Moran stood still, smelling the fumes from the burning palace lanterns.
He looked up at the palace walls.
The wall is very high.
It's so high it makes it hard to breathe.
The next day, after bidding farewell to his mother at the palace, Gu Moran changed into a plain-colored everyday outfit.
When the carriage arrived at the palace gate, he did not bring any extra attendants, only having Uncle Fu carry a small box and follow behind.
The palace road was quieter than usual.
The Crown Prince is imprisoned, Prince An will leave, and Prince Yi will also leave.
Even the eunuchs walked more quietly.
Hanzhang Hall, Eunuch Zhang was already waiting.
"Your Highness, the Empress is waiting."
Gu Moran glanced at him.
Eunuch Zhang didn't smile today; his whisk was neatly arranged, and a look of fatigue lingered at the corners of his eyes.
" Eunuch Zhang, is the wind getting stronger in the palace again?"
Eunuch Zhang said with his hands hanging down, "The wind has been strong the whole time."
Gu Moran understood the warning in his words and didn't ask any further questions.
After entering the hall, Noble Consort Chen sat by the window.
There were a few things on the table, things that were unusually ordinary.
A packet of traditional Chinese medicine.
A scroll of old road guides.
A dusty, gray palace plaque.
There was also an old military route map, its paper darkened and its edges scorched by fire.
Gu Moli sat to the side, holding a teacup in her hand, but didn't drink.
When she saw Gu Moran come in, she first glanced at him.
"Your complexion is alright."
Gu Moran bowed and sat down.
" Shen Ling'er has done a good job nourishing me, and the ladies haven't teamed up to torment me these past few days."
Gu Moli looked at him coldly.
"If you say that again, I'll tell them."
Gu Moran immediately sat up straight.
After watching them exchange a few words, Noble Consort Chen's tiredness lessened somewhat.
"Ready?"
Gu Moran nodded. "Still preparing."
Noble Consort Chen pushed the medicinal herbs forward.
"Keep some on hand for the journey. Something commonly used in the palace, not flashy. That girl from the Shen Family will know exactly how to match it at a glance."
Gu Moran accepted it.
"You've gone to so much trouble, Mother."
Noble Consort Chen stared at him. "Will you resent me for not helping you persuade His Majesty?"
Gu Moran looked up.
"Your subject values his life and would be more than willing to leave the capital."
"You understand."
Noble Consort Chen picked up her teacup, and the surface of the tea swayed gently.
"Leaving the capital is the only way to survive. The Emperor is now keeping an eye on the adult princes—the Crown Prince, Prince An, and you—none of them are clean in his eyes."
(╯╰)
[Thank you so much to Jiuzhou for the flowers, to Chigua and Wuwu for the likes, to Xiacao for the inspiration capsules, to Wangqingchen and Chunxu for the update reminders, and to all the babies for their love and support!!!!]