Imperial Palace
Imperial Study
Han Yuwen Hong

General Gu Yilong waited patiently in the imperial study standing with he's back as straight as a poll.

Looking at this study brought back memories, not very pleasant ones, well at least till a few years ago when the new Emperor ascended the throne.

He remembered how coming here before was always so oppressive. The moment he stepped in he was always met with that oppressive and suspicious gaze that he couldn't wait to get out off here even though outwardly he'd give no sign of discomfort.

But now this study had lost much of it's oppressive aura along with the person it came with. It no longer felt like a forced and unwanted obligation now he felt like a trustworthy subordinate who was willing to fully serve he's superior for the sake of the country.

Truly things do change base on the time and the people involved.

"He's Majesty has arrived" the shrill voice of Eunuch announcement.

Turning around, General Gu bowed deeply while greeting "May your Majesty live a thousand years"

"Eunuch Li go and get us some tea" Yuwen Hong instructed as the former replied in affirmative. Soon he's footsteps disappeared along with the sound of the study door closing leaving them alone in the study.

Yuwen Hong finally smiled, a genuine smile as he helped General Gu up from he's bowing stance.

"Stand up uncle, you know there's no need for ceremony amongst ourselves" he said smiling at he's old mentor's aging face.

"In your Majesty's presence their is always a need for ceremony" Gu Yilong insisted.

"Uncle!!!" Yuwen Hong whined.

"Alright, alright I'll stop teasing you" Gu Yilong finally relented chuckling "how have you been these days"

"Do you really need to ask" Yuwen Hong raising an eyebrow while taking he's seat and gesturing to Gu Yilong to take his.

"Hong'er you know that you sooner or later it's bound to happen, why do you keep..." Gu Yilong started but was interrupted by Yuwen Hong who said with a scowling face

"Not that, I'm asking why you country just talk to me please privately but rather join the like of Mo Yanxian and the rest to pressure me in court"

Gu Yilong suddenly looked enlighten before chuckling and saying "Oh so this is about your injured pride, I almost thought I was in big trouble"

"It's not about my pride!" Yuwen Hong opposed indignantly.

"Oh then what is it about" The older man asked looking at him curiously.

"It's..." Yuwen Hong stopped unable to find any other reasonable point to defend himself for a while before pouting, folding he's arm saying with a sulking voice "it's just that I'd prefer you to tell me privately and not in front of everyone else".

"Alright I'll put that in mind when next I agree with the suggestion of the court" Gu Yilong said pretend to scribble it down on a piece of paper in front of him.

"You're lying aren't you" Yuwen Hong asked eyes narrowed at he's old mentor.

"I'm not! Seriously!" Gu Yilong swore before thinking for a while and adding "unless I find walking to the imperial study to tiresome"

Yuwen Hong rolled he's eyes before asking "either way why are you here, I doubt that you came all the way to the palace to apologise for something you don't feel sorry about"

"Very observant of you Hong'er" Gu Yilong commended, "as for why I'm here..." He paused when Eunuch Li lead a few maids in to serve tea and a few pastries.

The maid diligently set down to pastries and tea in an orderly and organized manner.

The last maid laid down the tea before pouring into a cup and setting it before Yuwen Hong glancing up for a second to catch a glimpse of he's handsome face before blushing and lowering her head and serving Gu Yilong's tea. She delayed a bit before leaving making Eunuch Li frown and ask 

"What are you still standing here for"

Caught unprepared she stuttered a bit while replying "Nu...nubi¹ that he's Majesty will still need Nubi to serve here so Nubi waited". She glanced at Yuwen Hong from time to time with the hope that he would ask her to stay.

"Since when did servants start to make decisions for their Masters, is that what you learnt from the department of household affairs, maybe I should send you back to receive extra training" Eunuch Li scolded fiercely making the maid drop to her knees and kowtow before Yuwen Hong

"Your Majesty Nubi was ignorant and acted presumptuously, please have mercy" she begged while knocking her head repeatedly on the floor making it turn red and swollen.

"Alright Zhen has forgiven you. Eunuch Li please send her out she's interrupting Zhen's conversation with General Gu" Yuwen Hong said waving them away dismissively.

"Yes your Majesty" Eunuch Li said bowing towards Yuwen Hong before turning to the maid and saying in an oppressive voice "didn't you hear he's Majesty what are you still waiting for"

"Yes your Majesty, Nubi excuses herself" the maid said standing up and bowing deeply before scurrying away.

Eunuch Li leaves too giving the two their much needed privacy.

"She's a pretty one don't you think" Gu Yilong teased.

"Uncle!!!" Yuwen Hong groaned.

"Alright, alright I'll stop teasing" as I was saying. I want Mei Rong to enter the palace" Gu Yilong said making Yuwen Hong who had just began to drink he's tea choke on it.

"You want who to enter where" Yuwen Hong asked after recovering "Gu Mei Rong, your fifth daughter?"

"Sixth daughter actually" Gu Yilong corrected.

"The one who followed you to the border the other year when she was only five?!" Yuwen Hong asked outrageously.

"The very one" Gu Yilong confirmed happily.

"And you want her to enter the palace, as what?" Yuwen Hong questioned.

"Your concubine of course" Gu Yilong replied seriously.

"Why on Earth would you want her to become my concubine, don't tell me you're also hoping she becomes Empress so that we become imperial relatives and gain more power like those other officials..." Yuwen Hong started suspiciously.

"No no no, nothing like that. What do you take me for, so power hungry animal like Mo Yanxian, Kang Ming. No I want her to enter to palace not only to be your concubine but a companion, a friend, a spy for your inner harem and an advisor on the characters of the women you'll be taking him soon" Gu Yilong explained.

"And what kind of person gets married to their friend" Yuwen Hong he's voice laced with sarcasm.

"You married Baozhai" Gu Yilong stated but quickly corrected himself at the darkening of Yuwen Hong's face.

"Sorry, wrong example, you guys where lovers not friends. But theirs my A'Min who married he's childhood friend, isn't he happy now?"

"I doubt if Min ge² would agree with you on that that comment if he were here, I heard he had a fight with he's wife last night and this morning at court the side of he's face was a little swollen and he didn't smile even once" Yuwen Hong pointed out.

"Well it's he's mother who chose he's wife anyway so that's not my fault, besides who knew the girl would become a different person after staying away from the capital for a few years, it wasn't our fault for falling for her calm facade and also..." Gu Yilong defended

"Uncle..." Yuwen Hong drawled lazily while tracing the edge for he's teacup "you're blabbering, that means you don't have any good examples"

Looking embarrassed, Gu Yilong finally relented "alright I know I might not remember any good examples for now but I'm serious, I think it would be good to have Mei Rong by your side, she's well behaved, observant and good at reading people. She'll be a good advisor in helping you stabilize your harem"

"It's okay I believe you, besides you've been my mentor for more than two decades now and you're one of the reasons I'm able to sit on this throne stably, I trust all your decisions and believe you won't do anything to harm me. Their nothing wrong with Mei Rong entering the palace, I'll make sure she's well taken care of and never regrets coming here" Yuwen Hong promised.

"That's nice to hear" Gu Yilong said smiling with contentment.

"But as for stabilize the inner court isn't that my Muqin's job" Yuwen Hong said.

"The Empress dowager is old, her eyesight are getting bad and she might not be able to see things as clearly as she used to" Gu Yilong said with a straight face but Yuwen Hong didn't miss the slight sarcasm in he's voice.

Not that it surprised him, everyone knows that General Gu and he's Muqin weren't in good terms with each other. Apparently they had some history together that neither of them were willing to talk about nor was he willing to hear about. The thought of General Gu and he's Muqin being involved together in some way in the past gave him goosebumps. Best not to hear about it at all.

"Uncle, let's play Go before you leave, it's been a while since we last played" Yuwen Hong said.

"Yes, two month and eight days if I remember correctly" Gu Yilong said accurately.

"Oh so now you're memory works well" Yuwen Hong teased.

"Yes it is, and I also just remembered something else" Gu Yilong said while smiling smugly "that Lord and Lady Feng were friends before they got married and after marriage they both worked together to revive the declining Feng clan and now they are one of the most prestigious couples in Shang and Feng clan is now amongst the top households in Shang nobility today"

Yuwen Hong groaned loudly but smiled anyways "you never give up now do you"

"If I did then my surname wouldn't be Gu" Gu Yilong said proudly, this time he laughed out loud making the former smile with paternal affection for the latter.

*******************

Meanwhile somewhere outside the study, a maid applied ointment on the head of another maid as they sat on a stone path.

It was the maid who had recently been scolded by Eunuch Li.

"Hisss!!! Be gentle" she scolded as the other maid massaged to hard.

"Sorry sister Bise but how come did you hit your head so hard" the first maid asked.

"It's all that Eunuch Li's fault, I just wanted to serve he's Majesty while he drinks he's tea yet he scolded me so harshly and made me look bad in front of he's Majesty. That half man, one of these days I'll..." Bise's voice was muffled against the other maid hand.

"Bise are you crazy, you dare speak badly about Eunuch Li, do you know who he is in this palace" the maid scolded.

"Who is he, just an Eunuch what's there to be scared of" Bise said arrogant.

The other maid angrily pinched her arm and scolded "you fool, you truly deserve to knock your head so hard. Eunuch Li is the highest Ranking servant in this whole palace after from the Empress dowager's servants. He's been serving he's Majesty since he was still a prince and is currently he's most trusted Aide, you dare to try to offend such a person"

"You don't know that Eunuch Li understands the Emperor the most and usually knows what he's thinking so he's words are almost always he's Majesty's words. One time there was a maid Yun'er who used to serve he's Majesty in making he's bed. She was as pretty as a flower so she tried to seduce he's Majesty by wearing makeup and dressing prettily. Eunuch Li scolded her at first and left her with a warning but she didn't listen and tried again when he's Majesty was preparing to sleep. The moment he's Majesty saw her, he frowned deeply and he's eyes turned cold. Then Eunuch Li didn't hesitate and had her beaten 20 times in her state of undress and then sent her to the department of guilty servants. He's Majesty didn't even spare them a glance talk more of ordering him to stop what he was doing. I heard she died in less than a week. That not only shows how powerful Eunuch Li is in the palace but also how much he understands he's Majesty's thoughts.

"In this palace if you want to be on he's Majesty's good side you have to please Eunuch Li first" the maid finally finished with her lecture.

"Aiyo, I almost offended such a mighty spirit in this palace. I really must be more careful" Bise said wiping her sweat at the thought of ending up like Yun'er.

"You can continue behaving foolishly if you like, just know that you'll end up dying without even knowing the reason you died" the other maid sneered and walked away.

"What is she feeling like, she just told a few stories and shes behaving like some senior Court Lady. Hmph" Bise said angrily before storming away herself.

*******************

As Yuwen Hong saw Gu Yilong to the door he suddenly remembered something and asked.

"I heard that your sixth daughter was a rebellious one, have you told her you intend for her to enter the palace, if you haven't it might be for her difficult to agree to it"

"Oh I haven't told her yet I'll tell her when I get home" Gu Yilong said.

"And you're sure she'll agree" Yuwen Hong asked suspicious.

"Oh course she will, don't worry convincing her will be as easy as eating candy" Gu Yilong said confidently.

Vocabulary

1. Nubi: servant

2. Ge: elder brother; can also be written as Gege.