Chapter 23 Truths Spoken After Drinking

Chapter 23: Drunken Truths

As stars dotted the dark night sky, Yan Xuerui removed her makeup, changed into a sheer silk nightgown, and sat before the bronze mirror. Two maids stood on either side, combing her long, glossy black hair.

"Since you didn’t fancy any of the candidates today, and spring is in full bloom, we can always extend the festivities. Why fret, my lady?"

Bi He sorted the gold hairpins, tasseled ornaments, and jade hairpieces into their respective compartments in the jewelry box before stepping behind Yan Xuerui to massage her shoulders.

Yan Xuerui shot her a sidelong glance. "There’s a plate of malt candy on the small table."

"Huh?" Bi He was puzzled.

"Not even candy can shut you up."

Bi He: "..."

So her lady was complaining she talked too much! How mischievous!

Bi He grumbled under her breath. Everyone said the lady was gentle, serene, and soft-tempered like dough, but after serving her for so long, Bi He had come to realize there was more to her. Sometimes, she’d say something unexpectedly lively, more so than a young girl of sixteen.

Just as Bi He puffed her cheeks, ready to retort, she caught sight of a gold-trimmed purple robe out of the corner of her eye. Her heart instantly tightened, and she hunched over, head bowed, and retreated.

The soft hands on Yan Xuerui’s shoulders were replaced by a pair of firm, muscular hands. Yan Xuerui stiffened but did not pull away this time.

She asked curiously, "Aren’t you sleeping in the study today?"

Gu Yan raised a handsome brow and leaned close to her snow-white neck. "Trying to get rid of me?"

Yan Xuerui had no response to that. After a moment of silence, she rose and called out, "Someone come—draw the Marquis a bath—"

Before she could finish, Gu Yan grabbed her arm and coldly addressed the maids who had hurried in response: "Out."

Senior Tutor Gu was stern and imposing, and the maids feared him. After a moment of hesitant, shuffling steps, they all retreated outside, eyes cast down, minds carefully blank.

He held Yan Xuerui’s wrist, his dark eyes fixed intently on her. "You’ll tend to me."

Yan Xuerui met his gaze for a moment before lowering her lashes. "Marquis, you’re drunk."

Gu Yan would never speak like this normally. He held his liquor well, but after all, he was only human and occasionally got drunk. When inebriated, he neither flushed nor acted recklessly; he remained composed and lucid, so others usually couldn’t tell.

Yan Xuerui hadn’t known before either. The first time she witnessed it was at Ming Lan’s hundred-day celebration. He drank generously, accepting every toast, and upon returning, held her in his arms and said, "Enough of this fuss."

"We… we even have a son now. Let’s live peacefully from now on, alright? I’ll treat you well."

Gu Yan always wore a cold expression around her, his eyes icy, ruthless at heart and ruthless in deed, and in bed, he often left her raw and in pain. Yet, he couldn’t stand to see her cry—her tears only made him rougher. She endured the pain and tears, trapped day after day in a small courtyard, feeling as though each day was a living hell.

That day, his tone had been weary, as if filled with endless helplessness and pain. She was deeply bewildered—what did he have to be pained about? It didn’t seem like him at all.

Later, she learned he had been heavily drunk and confused. Over the next ten-plus years, as husband and wife sharing a bed every night, Yan Xuerui could usually tell when he was drunk.

He became more unpredictable than usual, whimsical and difficult to handle.

Yan Xuerui couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. She let him grip her wrist and said softly, "Alright, alright, I’ll attend to your bath."

"Let go first, and I’ll fetch your nightclothes."

Gu Yan’s deep eyes didn’t blink. After a long moment, he said, "Not a chance!"

He wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her slender, snow-white neck, and sneered, "Trying to run? I’ll break your legs!"

Yan Xuerui: "..."

She held back—there was no reasoning with a drunk. She humored him, and the two wrestled their way to the bed. Yan Xuerui truly wasn’t skilled at serving others—over the years, Gu Yan had never asked her to do such things. Her delicate fingers, unaccustomed to labor, took great effort to undo the belt embroidered with beast motifs at his waist and remove the stiff, impeccably pressed outer robe.

The robe looked imposing and pristine, but it couldn’t have been comfortable to wear.

Yan Xuerui got up to hang the robe on the screen. When she turned back, she saw Gu Yan propped on one elbow, half-reclining on the bed, watching her with a gloomy expression and cold eyes.

"..."

"I was only hanging up a robe."

Yan Xuerui sighed softly. Gu Yan had forbidden the maids from entering, and even undressing him had been a struggle, let alone assisting with his bath and bedtime. They’d have to manage for the night and hope he didn’t cause any more drunken scenes.

She reached out to draw the bed drapes, her soft hands gently pressed on the man’s chest. She pushed him down onto the bed, her dark hair instantly spilling over the pillow.

"Sleep now."

She had been exhausted all day, weighed down with worries and feeling unsettled. She had originally wanted some time alone, but then Gu Yan had shown up.

He was the master of the household, and she was his wife. He could come whenever he wished, and Yan Xuerui could not refuse him, by duty or by affection. She could only close her eyes and try to rest as soon as possible.

Sleep—once asleep, she could forget everything. When the sun rose tomorrow morning, it would be a new day.

As always, she comforted herself, but today, Gu Yan seemed unusually agitated for some reason. His arms tightened around her, leaving her waist bruised.

"Hah, that old fool Qi Zhong—I’ll send him to meet Yama sooner or later."

"Zhou Chengsi smiles while hiding a dagger—I really want to backhand him. Disgusting."

"..."

Thanks to Gu Yan, Yan Xuerui was familiar with every one of these names. Zhou Chengsi was the current Virtuous Prince, and Qi Zhong was Grand Marshal Qi, who commanded over ten thousand imperial guards in the capital—the Virtuous Prince’s uncle.

Gu Yan was inscrutable and reserved, never revealing his likes or dislikes on the surface, let alone speaking so... candidly as now. Yan Xuerui helplessly opened her eyes and rubbed his chest to soothe him.

"Without me, what would Zhou Chengxi be? That ingrate repays kindness with enmity—how dare he!"

The last three words seemed squeezed from his throat. Yan Xuerui’s hand stilled, and she vaguely guessed the reason for Gu Yan’s drunkenness tonight.

Gu Yan was disciplined and self-restrained; in over a decade, the number of times he’d been drunk could be counted on one hand. The Virtuous Prince Faction had been locking horns with him for a long time, but that alone shouldn’t have angered him so greatly.

It must be because of the Crown Prince.

Some time ago, he had had a falling-out with the Crown Prince, then inexplicably reconciled. Today, the Crown Princess had been all warmth and courtesy at the marquis household, so Yan Xuerui had thought the matter was over.

Repaying kindness with enmity—could it be...

Yan Xuerui urgently tugged at Gu Yan’s sleeve. "Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince still holds a grudge against you?"

She had always feared that Gu Yan’s authoritarianism and lack of restraint would make the Crown Prince intolerant of him once he ascended the throne. But that was still far off—was the Crown Prince already "repaying kindness with enmity"?

She and their children relied on the marquis household for protection, and the marquis household, in turn, leaned on the Crown Prince. Gu Yan had many enemies, and deep down, she didn’t want anything to happen to him.

"Set your mind at ease."

In the darkness, Gu Yan’s eyes gleamed black and bright, making Yan Xuerui’s blood run cold.

Though he was drunk, he somehow knew what Yan Xuerui was thinking.

"I won't let you suffer."

"If the Crown Prince... since a living Crown Prince refuses to obey, perhaps a dead one would still serve my goals."

"Just wait and see."

Such treasonous words sent chills down Yan Xuerui's spine. She knew just how unhinged Gu Yan could be—he was truly capable of such things.

He had taught the Crown Prince from early childhood to adulthood. The Crown Prince was gentle and emotional, and there were rumors that Senior Tutor Gu had intentionally molded him into a puppet under his control. Yan Xuerui truly felt wronged on Gu Yan's behalf.

Empress Xu, out of favor with the emperor, poured all her energy into the Crown Prince. When Gu Yan took over, the prince was already five or six years old. He once told her that, raised deep within the palace by women, the Crown Prince was too soft—he needed to be straightened out.

But the Crown Prince was kind and filial, too obedient to Empress Xu's words. Gu Yan had put a lot of effort into him, finally sighing in resignation: "Very well, Cheng Hui is mild-tempered; he may become a steady ruler in the future."

A child he had raised himself—what kind of grudge could be so great as to lead to a life-or-death struggle?

Yan Xuerui, exhausted from the day, was now terrified by this news. Gu Yan, on the other hand, after venting a stream of incoherent words, seemed relieved and closed his eyes to sleep.

Furious, Yan Xuerui pinched his waist hard and propped herself up on an elbow. "Gu Yan, explain yourself clearly!"

In her urgency, she didn’t even address him as "Marquis." Gu Yan, perfectly serious, caught her restless hand.

"Don’t fuss, Rui Er."

He said, "We cannot give in to desires now. I know you want it, and I’m struggling to hold back too."

"Your health comes first. Once you’ve recovered, I’ll make it up to you properly."

Who wanted it? Who exactly wanted it! Heaven knew how peaceful her days had been lately!

Even someone as patient as Yan Xuerui was fuming with anger. After a night of emotional turmoil, she thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep. His grip around her waist was too tight, almost suffocating.

Yet, in that nearly suffocating grip, she felt a strange sense of security and slept soundly until dawn. When she woke, the other side of the bed was already cool.

Bi He came in to report that Gu Yan had bathed, changed, and left for morning court.

"Oh, and also..."

Bi He knelt to help Yan Xuerui with her shoes and socks, saying, "The Marquis also said that he drank too much last night and spoke nonsense. He hopes you won’t take it to heart."

Yan Xuerui lowered her gaze, thinking to herself that compared to nonsense, she believed it was drunken truth. He truly intended to kill the Crown Prince.

She stood up and said, "I’m going to the Marquis’s study... Ouch—"

A sharp pain shot through her waist, causing her to stumble. Bi He quickly steadied her, preventing a fall.

"Someone, come quickly!"

"Madam, please lie down and let us take a look."

Several maids hurried in. Bi He carefully lifted the thin silk nightgown, revealing a glaring red mark around her fair waist. The force had been so strong that it was already turning blue and purple.

"The Marquis is really too rough—"

Bi He muttered under her breath but was nudged by a fellow maid and awkwardly fell silent. Yan Xuerui couldn’t see the shocking marks on her back, but even the ones in front didn’t seem too severe to her.

Gu Yan was strong, and she often ended up bruised, with barely any unmarked skin left. He called her "delicate," like tender tofu, leaving marks at the slightest touch. Over time, she started to believe it.

Isn’t this how all women endure? She had grown accustomed to it, not even needing ointment anymore.

Last night, Gu Yan had been drunk and couldn’t control his strength. In comparison, he had indeed treated her gently before.

And she—she could still feel pain.

Her long, thick eyelashes fluttered rapidly as Yan Xuerui buried her face in the soft pillow, hiding her expression from the others.

She said softly, "Apply some ointment. It’s not a big deal; no need to panic."

"Send someone to keep an eye at the gate. If the Marquis returns, inform me. I’ll go to his study today."

She had endured so many years; one more time wouldn’t matter. Besides, she knew he had lost control only because he was drunk last night.

Compared to this, Ming Lan’s marriage, Ming Wei’s secret crush, even her Little Young Slave drinking less milk were all more important. And then there was the shocking news from last night.

If she hadn’t known, it would be one thing. But since she did, she had to get to the bottom of it. She couldn’t live in constant fear.

***

On the other side, after returning from the Eastern Palace, Gu Yan first went to Lotus Pavilion to buy a package of preserved fruits. Back at the residence, instead of heading to the main courtyard as usual, he went straight to his study.

Gu Yuan had been waiting outside for some time. The two brothers entered one after the other, and Gu Yuan cautiously closed the door behind them.

"Elder brother, what instructions do you have for calling me today?"

Gu Yan lifted his chin. "Sit."

They were biological brothers. Behind closed doors, they could speak freely without reservations or formalities.

Gu Yuan sat boldly in an armchair, legs apart, every bit the military man—a stark contrast to the relaxed and casual Gu Yan seated above.

Now, even without seeing their faces, one could tell them apart from their demeanor from afar.

Gu Yan said, "After morning court today, His Majesty privately asked me to stay and appointed me as chief examiner for this year’s imperial examinations."

"Oh? That’s wonderful news. I congratulate you in advance, brother."

The imperial exams were a major affair in the court. Those who made the cut were already outstanding talents, and future officials would be a significant asset. With the Virtuous Prince and the Crown Prince faction opposing each other, the scholars from the spring exams had always been a piece of "fat meat" fought over by both sides.

In the past, this "fat meat" always ended up in Gu Yan’s hands, adding many talented individuals to the Crown Prince's faction. Even Empress Xu, who stayed out of politics, assumed it would be Senior Tutor Gu again this year.

But Gu Yan himself thought otherwise.

The emperor had recalled A Yuan using the "Realm Painting," intensifying the conflict between the Virtuous Prince Faction and the Crown Prince's faction. The two sides had always been balanced, like two ends of a scale, never leaning too far one way.

Lately, the Crown Prince's faction had been too dominant. Originally, a few cases in the Ministry of Justice were meant to curb their influence, but Gu Yan had cleaned up the Crown Prince’s mess without damaging their core. Given the emperor’s nature, although the Ministry of Rites would oversee the exams, the chief examiner should logically come from the Virtuous Prince Faction.

Moreover, the upright officials always prided themselves on elegance. Their carefully groomed Su Huaimo was participating this time. According to Gu Yan’s prediction, the outcome for the top scholar was already set in stone.

Ming Wei had feelings for Su Huaimo, and Gu Yan had initially intended to stay out of it. But the emperor’s unexpected move had taken him by surprise.

He said, "I suspect someone is pulling strings behind the scenes. That person is hidden, and their ambitions... are vast."

Gu Yan was always strategic, but unlike yesterday when he felt the Crown Prince’s intent to eliminate him, this time the enemy was in the shadows while he was in the open. The situation had suddenly slipped beyond his control, and it was a disconcerting feeling.

"It must be the Virtuous Prince Faction. Our Marquis of Jingyuan's residence has stood firm for years; why fear some lurking villain?"

Gu Yuan was dismissive. The Marquis’s residence had always been at the forefront. With one brother commanding troops and the other holding power, what was there to fear?

"No."

Gu Yan shook his head. He had a subtle intuition that this time was different. In past faction struggles, no matter how bloody it got below, the target was always the Virtuous Prince and the Crown Prince, all for that supreme position.

He felt that this time, it was targeting him.

With too little to go on, Gu Yan never made judgments without solid evidence. For now, he pushed aside this hint of suspicion and turned to look at Gu Yuan.

"A Yuan, there's something I want to talk to you about. I've been thinking..."

He let out a light laugh, but his eyes were icy cold, completely humorless.

"...of changing the Crown Prince."