nashuaworldcup Chapter 192 Ingratitude and Deceit (27)
Chapter 192 Ingratitude and Deceit (27)
In October, the capital city became bustling with activity.
The princes from various regions who came to the capital were secretly stirring with ambition.
The threshold of the Shen residence, in particular, has been worn down by the constant footsteps these past few days.
Regardless of whether he could be interested in Shen Xuntang, a eunuch, the fact remains that he now holds absolute power.
He could be considered a local bigwig in the capital.
Those who are "passersby" should naturally leave some toll.
Even if you secretly despise eunuchs, you still have to put on a good show on the surface.
Gu Yao didn't see any of them; he left them all to the housekeeper to handle.
He also had to go to the palace to oversee the evening banquet.
The audience with the vassal king was naturally of paramount importance.
Grand Secretary Feng and Gu Yao sat facing each other, sipping the medicinal tea unique to Gu Yao's residence, feeling refreshed and invigorated.
Even from this distance, the noise from the front yard could still be faintly heard.
He smiled and looked at the handsome young man in front of him, "Master Shen's residence has many guests."
Gu Yao took a sip of the herbal tea, noticing its slightly bitter taste, and frowned slightly.
If it weren't for the need to maintain his health, he wouldn't have succumbed to his senior brother's tyranny.
This tea seems quite expensive.
He put down his teacup, looked up at Grand Secretary Feng across from him, and smiled slightly. "It's all just a matter of appearances. Grand Secretary Feng must have quite a few guests at his residence." Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to my residence to escape the hustle and bustle.
Gu Yao didn't say the second half of his sentence.
He already had a bad reputation, so he could easily find an excuse to refuse customers.
But Grand Secretary Feng is not an option.
If they didn't want to deal with so many people, then they could only use Shen Zhangyin as an excuse.
However, Gu Yao didn't care.
After all, I had a very enjoyable time playing chess with this old man in the afternoon.
He didn't mind taking advantage of this little bit.
The two of them achieved a rare harmony, stealing half a day of leisure in the backyard of the Shen residence.
As the highest-ranking person in both the eunuch faction and the royalist faction, any prince who did not take sides would always have to pay a visit to both sides.
After all, no one knows who will win in the end.
Grand Secretary Feng smiled, said nothing, and took a sip of tea.
Gu Yao rested his chin on his hand, looking at the osmanthus flowers in the courtyard that had already faded from bloom, his posture somewhat languid.
Seeing that the old man opposite him seemed to really like the tea, Gu Yao had an idea.
"Does Grand Secretary Feng like this tea?"
Grand Secretary Feng was slightly taken aback. Looking at the cup in his hand, he smiled and said, "This tea is refreshing and invigorating; it is indeed a top-quality tea."
The implication was that he liked it very much.
Gu Yao raised his hand to summon a servant, "Since Grand Secretary Feng likes them, let's take some back with us."
The young man's smile was so bright and beautiful that it made Grand Secretary Feng lose his composure.
Looking into those caramel-colored eyes that appeared somewhat clear in the sunlight, Grand Secretary Feng felt a strange sense of familiarity.
That eye color is truly rare.
But he didn't think much about it.
"Then thank you very much, Manager Shen."
***
On the day of the formal banquet, Gu Yao sat in the seat closest to Bu Shaoluan.
Opposite him was Prince Ning, Bu Qianyan, who held the highest rank among the princes.
Seeing Bu Qianyan across from him openly scrutinizing him while swirling his wine glass, and the others below who were also openly and subtly observing him, Gu Yao pretended not to see them.
He looked at the person opposite him who seemed to be staring right through him and sighed helplessly.
Raising his glass, Chao Buqian gestured with a flourish.
This can be considered a greeting.
Bu Qianyan was taken aback, but he also raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.
He displayed a bold and unrestrained attitude that seemed completely out of place at this hypocritical banquet.
Sitting at the head of the table, Bu Shaoluan, who had been keeping a close eye on Shen Xuntang, watched the interaction between the two and his eyes darkened.
When he saw Shen Xuntang drink it all in one gulp, his already furrowed brows furrowed even more deeply.
Are you drinking alcohol before you're even fully recovered?
Won't you feel uncomfortable?
Receiving the boy's concerned yet somewhat disapproving gaze, Gu Yao offered a reassuring smile.
He was aware of his alcohol tolerance, and knew that many people would be toasting him tonight, so his cup was filled with medicinal tea.
Refreshing.
They can definitely withstand this banquet.
Being the person in charge is always tiring.
After my last illness, I've felt rather listless ever since.
My senior colleague said this is a side effect.
A poison unique to the royal family of the Great Qi Dynasty.
There is still no solution.
Perhaps the person who created this drug never developed an antidote.
After all, who cares about the life or death of a tool?
Gu Yao even asked Ying Lian to add some invigorating herbs, but after such a complicated banquet, he still couldn't keep up.
The young man rested his chin on his hand, watching as the vassal kings presented their gifts, showering the young man on the dragon throne with praise.
It's as if this young man, who has only been on the throne for less than three months, has accomplished some great feat.
It's so hypocritical it's almost annoying.
The gifts were all the same: expensive presents paired with special gifts from the fiefdom, all very similar.
Prince Ning looked at the young man opposite him with great interest. His eyes were somewhat dazed, which gave him a unique charm.
He doesn't resemble the powerful and influential Minister Shen at court at all.
Gu Yao squinted to rest, and finally waited until the end of the gift-giving ceremony. Then he saw Prince Heng walk in with a group of beauties.
Both plump and slender.
Gu Yao became somewhat interested upon seeing this.
He said it himself, this little wolf cub is sixteen years old, there should be someone who cares about him.
This is coming.
This item has been retained.
Gu Yao sat up straight with great interest.
Bu Shaoluan, who hadn't noticed the group of beauties in front of him, seemed to take an interest in the "common and vulgar women" when he saw Shen Xuntang.
The young emperor's unfriendly gaze fell upon the group of girls before him, carrying an indescribable chill.
Prince Heng was slightly startled by that look, but he still braced himself.
"Your Majesty, you are now sixteen years old and do not even have a concubine. It is time to consider taking a concubine."
Prince Heng considered himself Bu Shaoluan's elder and, in a senior's tone, advised the young emperor to achieve his goals.
Bu Shaoluan did not answer, but stared at Prince Heng with that lazy look in his eyes.
Gu Yao raised an eyebrow at the boy's intimidating appearance.
The little wolf cub is quite good at pretending.
Prince Heng lowered his head, waiting for the boy's reply for a long time, his heart pounding with anxiety.
The young man smiled slightly, but the smile froze in his eyes, revealing a hint of coldness. "Uncle, you worry too much. You should take care of your own affairs first."
Bu Shaoluan was already in a bad mood tonight, and now someone was coming to cause trouble.
He was never a good-tempered person to begin with.
He probably reserved all his patience for Shen Xuntang.
Prince Heng was somewhat annoyed, considering himself Bu Shaoluan's elder, and besides, the current young emperor was just a puppet emperor.
She looked up and met the boy's chilling gaze, which carried a hint of murderous intent.
On the contrary, Prince Ning, seeing that the situation was not going well, stepped forward to mediate, acting as a peacemaker.
"This is, after all, a token of Prince Heng's goodwill. Your Majesty, please consider how to arrange it."
Although it was a conciliatory remark, it subtly pressured the young man to accept this group of beauties.
Gu Yao and Bu Qianyan's eyes met in mid-air, carrying a deeper meaning.
Bu Shaoluan rubbed his head, staring at Bu Qianyan with an unfriendly gaze.
Bu Qianyan ignored the boy's murderous gaze and returned a smile.
The boy withdrew his gaze, looked at the indifferent young man, and pursed his lips slightly.
Do you really not care that much?
A sense of resentment rose in the boy's heart, tinged with bitterness.
He turned to look at Shen Xuntang, who remained uninvolved, and said, "Master Shen, now that you are in charge of all the affairs in the palace, you are in charge of arranging these women."
He wanted to see how Shen Xuntang would deal with these annoying women.
If they were placed in the Qianqing Palace...
The thought of this possibility stirred an indescribable rage within Bu Shaoluan.
Shen Xuntang, what would you do?