Discussing The Correct Posture To Enjoy Dog Food-Chapter 58 - Honey Tangerine Flavored Shadow Guard Gong (16): Loyal little dog: I view you as my Master, but also as my wife.
Chapter 58 - Honey Tangerine Flavored Shadow Guard Gong (16): Loyal little dog: I view you as my Master, but also as my wife.
Translator: KunLin
Editors: Vez, Blarghette
During Laba Festival, Quan Seven brought up a matter while coming to deliver the Laba congee.
YongNing Manor’s Wang Clan had been searching for news of Gou Liang everywhere and right now were at the door. They wanted the Lin Family to hand him over. Additionally, young Marquis Li Xi had sent new years gifts. He wished to meet with Gou Liang before returning to the capital.
Gou Liang said, “Ignore the Wang Family, I have my own plans. As for Li Xi, have him visit me tomorrow.”
Li Xi came as instructed. When compared to his sorry state at sea, he was full of spirits now and had even grown taller. Gou Liang irritably raised his head to look at him, then waved his hand motioning for the other to take a seat before saying, “Looks like young Marquis has accomplished what you came for.”
Li Xi wanted to stand up in a bow, but was stopped by Gou Liang, so he only cupped his hands in his seat and said, “It’s all thanks to Sir’s help. Otherwise, Xi, being young and powerless, would not have been able to subdue them.”
Gou Liang said, “I have already accepted your gifts, no need to think more about it. If young Marquis only came to give thanks, then no need to waste your time.”
Li Xi smiled embarrassedly, he scratched his head and said, “Sir is frank, it is Xi who is slow-witted. Xi will need to leave for the capital tomorrow, otherwise it would be hard to make it in time for the palace’s New Year’s Feast. Before leaving, I’ve shamelessly come to consult Sir on one matter. Currently, King An’s power is growing by the day and the Emperor is ill with little hope of recovering and can no longer bother with the state affairs. The court also listens to King An, allowing King An to lead them. But the other day you said King An was not a threat…what is the reason for that?”
“Young Marquis knows my rule, what do you plan to exchange for the information?”
Li Xi sat up straight and said, “A few days ago, I heard a piece of information from an elder that I thought Sir would be interested in.”
“Oh? Say it for us to hear.”
Li Xi said, “This person used to be a beggar, but later on he happened to save Wu Daren’s life, and was then brought into the manor to live. I was temporarily staying at Wu Daren’s residence and saw that the person had drunk too much that day, causing him to begin speaking of a matter of the past.”
“Twenty years ago, he personally killed a person.”
“That person was an accomplished and handsome youth, but the space between his brows was akin to a dried up well, like he had already experienced all the vicissitudes of life, making people afraid when they looked at him. The youth claimed he had lived for too long and that there was no one precious left by his side. Even if he oversaw the rivers and mountains, there was no longer the slightest fluctuation left in his heart—he had no more attachments to life. He gave that beggar two thousand pieces of gold, asking the other to help end his life. The beggar saw the gold and was tempted, so he grabbed a sword and sent it straight into the other’s heart, burying him after.”
“But later on he fell gravely ill, nearly losing his life. He sought all the famous doctors and exhausted all methods, but only when he used up that two thousand gold did he get better.”
Li Xi carefully observed Gou Liang’s expression, but seeing it remain unchanged, he was unable to tell what the other was thinking and could only continue speaking, “Everyone thought he was speaking nonsense and I originally thought so too, and didn’t take it seriously. But unexpectedly, the beggar mentioned TianJi Mountain’s Zhong Clan.”
“TianJi Mountain’s Zhong Clan?”
“Precisely!”
Seeing that he was finally showing some interest, Li Xi revealed a happy expression and continued, “Before dying, the youth had left behind an object and told the beggar it must be buried with him. But the beggar saw that the translucent jade was a treasure and became greedy so he kept it instead. After he recovered from the illness, his heart was fearful so he went and buried that jade back. Later on, he fancied a daughter from a wealthy family and began to have designs on the jade again, but that jade had disappeared along with that youth’s body.”
“There were words carved on both sides of the jade. Although the beggar couldn’t read, he remembered them clearly. He had written it down and carried it with him at all times.”
“When I heard it, I found it novel so I asked to see it. Unexpectedly, written on one side of the paper were the words TianJi Mountain’s Zhong Clan. On the other was—Twin heaven fates, only one lives.”
When Li Xi saw Gou Liang furrowing his brows, he couldn’t help but lean in and ask, “Does Sir know the meaning?”
Gou Liang smiled strangely and looked at him, the sharpness in his eyes was harder to look straight at than the scar on his face.
Li Xi’s scalp tightened, and he didn’t dare to ask again.
Gou Liang said, “Many thanks for young Marquis’s information. As I’ve mentioned, I will also give you a sentence. The day King An met with assassins, his offspring root had been hurt, he will have no descendants. Now, is the young Marquis reassured?”
Li Xi was shocked, but soon delight appeared on his face. Seeing Gou Liang didn’t welcome his stay any longer, he tactfully bid farewell.
After he left, the room was extremely quiet.
“Master, you…don’t overthink.”
Zhong Quan consoled him in a low voice.
Twin heaven fates, only one lives.
Even Zhong Quan could guess its meaning, so how could Gou Liang not?
That youth was undoubtedly the previous heaven-fated body. Who would’ve thought that such a great figure would choose an end like this.
If he died then so be it, but he had to leave behind such a prophecy.
It should be that Zhong Yue’s great-grandfather, the previous head of the Zhong Clan, had predicted the twin fates&#k2014;one will be born in TianJi Mountain, and the other in the capital’s Zhong Clan. He wanted to secure the opportunity and prevent anything from going awry, which led to the events later on. However, he had been dead for a long time already and the current Clan Head had no murderous intentions towards the original owner. It could be seen that there was someone else arranging these matters for him.
So long as he could find the other…if things were like they guessed, it would all come clear.
Gou Liang grabbed his chest and laughed bitterly, “Unexpectedly, it was because of me…”
Zhong Quan couldn’t bear it and hurriedly said, “It was because of the wild ambitions of others. What does it have to do with you? This matter, it is the TianJi Mountain Zhong Clan’s wrongdoing, not Master’s. Please, do not blame yourself for something others did.”
Gou Liang shook his head, he was quiet for a long while before he said, “Zhong Quan, since things have reached a conclusion, the plans can be pushed forward.”
“Yes, Master.”
The end of the year was upon them, after eating the Laba congee, the festivity in the atmosphere grew stronger. After passing the fifteenth of the twelfth lunar month, the court began to rest.
Tomorrow was New Year’s Eve, but unexpectedly during this jubilant holiday, a bloody manslaughter shook the court!
—The YongNing Manor’s Wang Clan, had all been killed.
Other than Wang HaiYi who was upholding a post in the faraway Yangzhou, the entire clan up and down not a single person survived. No, don’t mention people, not a single dog or piece of rubble was spared.
It was winter. That night the YongNing Manor was covered in a large snow storm, but a fire still broke out and burned down the entire Manor to ashes. This could only mean someone had deliberately set the fire to kill them.
The YongNing Manor’s Wang Clan was a large aristocratic family—this was no small case!
A blood book from Wang HaiYi soon reached the Emperor’s table. Turns out he had also narrowly escaped from death. It was all thanks to the help of an esteemed gentleman that he was able to preserve his life. Afterwards, when he heard that his entire family had perished, he rushed back to YongNing Manor overnight despite his injury, only to see there was nothing left of the Clan’s once glorious image. There were scorched corpses everywhere, the scene was too appalling. Every word of his letter was filled with anger and grief. He entreated the Emperor to give justice to the Wang Clan and have the perpetrator pay in blood.
The Wang Clan were not ordinary civilians, therefore the Emperor also couldn’t just ignore this matter. He immediately ordered the Ministry of Justice to investigate this attack.
His head already ached tremendously, but who knew the misfortune did not end here. Only three days into the new year, he received news that the East Palace was met with assassins!
Fortunately the Crown Prince was unharmed. Only Zhong Yue was heavily injured and nearly lost his life. The Emperor did not care about Zhong Yue’s life and death at all, but before he could let out a sigh of relief on this matter, he received news of the people from the Zhong Clan leaving TianJi Mountain. They were quickly approaching the border of the capital on horseback.
The Emperor panicked. He immediately ordered the imperial physician to the East Palace. Only then did he learn of the dilapidated state of the East Palace, it was in such a poor state that they did not even have enough charcoal to keep warm.
The Emperor was angered. Although he wanted to teach Li Yan a lesson and show him his place, he never wanted for him to be mistreated by the servants. The sole Crown Prince wasn’t even living as well as the eunuchs in the palace, wasn’t this hitting the Emperor’s face?
At this moment, the assassins had not been caught yet. He feared that the East Palace was not safe, so he brought the Crown Prince and his family, as well as Zhong Yue, into the Imperial Palace. He then punished the people who looked at the plate to serve dishes. Even King An was given a warning.
Inside TianJi Mountain.
Looking at Zhong Yue’s life flame that was weak and dim, the brows of the Zhong Clan’s Head were furrowed tightly. Father Zhong was even more worried as he said, “We can only hope Zhao’er can arrived on time…Yue’er has met with such danger this time, perhaps the life and death crisis can be considered passed?”
The Zhong Clan head said, “Yue’er is of the heaven-fated body, he will definitely be able to turn this misfortune into a blessing. Hmph, it’s just…who would’ve thought the Emperor would dare to humiliate our Zhong Clan bloodline like this. After Yue’er completes his tribulation, I shall let them have a taste of retribution!”
On the eighth day of the new year, Zhong Chao arrived at the capital after a hurried journey.
Seeing the feeble Zhong Yue, he nearly cried on the spot. He immediately used the secret medicine to help heal his injury.
A cousin with a comparatively high status within the Zhong Clan had also followed along. He said angrily, “When a TianJi child enters the secular world, it is to save the common people from disaster. The earthquake at Yan Fief was also divined by my Zhong Clan, allowing the country to pass it smoothly. But this is how you treat him in return! Are you trying to make an enemy out of my TianJi Mountain?!”
The Emperor saw that after eating the medicine, color had quickly returned to Zhong Yue’s face and his condition had improved greatly. He thought of how he had nearly lost his life to that same medicine and became even more certain that Zhong Yue had done something to it.
Hearing this complaint, he repressed that hatred in his heart and put on an apologetic expression, saying, “Cough, cough, for the past days Zhen had been bedridden and unable to rise, but unexpectedly something so preposterous happened. Zhong Yue sustained great injuries protecting the Crown Prince—we owe him a great favor. Zhen will remember it well in his heart and hope for his swift recovery. If there is anything you may need, just inform the Crown Prince, Zhen will try his utmost to…cough, cough, cough.”
The cousin wanted to rant more, but Zhong Yue already spoke up and said, “Then, Zhong Yue thanks Your Majesty’s kindness.”
After saying this, he used the excuse of having private matters to discuss with his clan to politely send out the Emperor and Li Yan.
The Emperor turned to the Crown Prince and said pointedly, “Looks like this child from TianJi isn’t completely trusting of you.”
The expression on Li Yan’s face changed, but he still said respectfully, “Father Emperor speaks harshly, the TianJi Mountain’s Zhong Clan can only be a friend and not an enemy. This son only wants to share Father Emperor’s worries, nothing more.”
The Emperor laughed coldly and didn’t speak further.
Inside, Zhong Yue cut off Zhong Chao who was asking him what had happened. He said in a tight voice, “After I recover, elder brother and cousins should return to TianJi Mountain. The matters here, Chong Hui has his plans.”
Zhong Chao was shocked for a moment but then joy swelled in his heart as he asked, “Have you already found a way to break through your life and death crisis?”
Zhong Yue nodded his head faintly, a cold gleam flashed through his eyes as he said in a low voice, “A love ordeal is hard to pass. Breaking the love threads needs to be done resolutely and cruelly. When I send him up to the Emperor’s position, and thoroughly possess the monarch’s love, then at the moment where his love is at its deepest, I will personally break it off…then this ordeal will be passed.”
He had already seen through love during the time he spent disappointed in the East Palace. He had seen too much hypocrisy and had already come to understand that love was worthless.
He now understood, only the power held in one’s hand was true.
He no longer hesitated.
Pass through the love ordeal, grasp the heaven’s fate, become the Zhong Clan’s youngest head, this is how he, Zhong Yue’s life should be.
Gou Liang watched up to here and slowly curved the corner of his mouth.
Very good, Zhong Yue, you never let me down.
He was about to continue watching when Zhong Quan opened the door and came in. Gou Liang, who was still trying to awkwardly relearn how to walk, looked at him, revealed a smile and raised his hands.
Zhong Quan’s expression immediately softened. He took large strides forward and picked him up horizontally, asking in a low voice, “Is Master tired?”
He wiped the sweat on Gou Liang’s forehead and carried him onto the couch. Gou Liang shook his head, leaned lazily against the other and said abruptly, “Zhong Quan, make preparations. We…it’s time to return to the capital.”
Zhong Quan paused in the middle of pouring water. Drops of water splashed outside of the cup. Only after a long while did he finally nod his head and say, “This subordinate will make arrangements right away. After the fifteenth of this month, we will set off, will that be alright?”
Gou Liang ignored the other’s temporary loss of composure. He told him to do as he saw fit and had Zhong Quan bring him to wash up.
After submerging in the hot spring, Gou Liang felt his legs go weak. Zhong Quan supported his waist so he could lay comfortably in the hot spring.
After soaking for a while, Zhong Quan carried him up. Gou Liang wrapped his arms around the other’s neck and suddenly said, “Did you get angry just now?”
Zhong Quan’s footsteps abruptly stopped. In a low voice he said, “This subordinate dares not.”
“Dares not?” Gou Liang raised his head, his finger slid across the other’s forehead that had drops of spring water on it as they proceeded to lift the other’s chin, “Then you did get mad.”
“This subordinate…”
“Shh.”
Gou Liang pressed a finger against the other’s lips, indicating for the other to not speak. He smiled and said, “Let me guess…are you afraid? Afraid that I still have feelings for Li Yan, afraid that I will…find him to detoxify my poison?”
Zhong Quan pursed his lips and did not answer, but the hands holding him tightened their grip.
Gou Liang laughed aloud, calling him a fool. He then signaled for the other to bring him up to shore.
Zhong Quan appeared to be a little absentminded. When he was wiping him, his hands kept lingering on his chest. Gou Liang could not stand it anymore. He pinched the other’s hand and glared at him, “Who taught you to be so impudent?”
Zhong Quan looked down at him, not only did he not let go, but pulled the other towards himself and asked in a quiet voice, “Does Master still think of him?”
“Him?” Gou Liang teased him, “Who are you talking about?”
A sharp gleam flashed through Zhong Quan’s eyes. Gou Liang brushed his fingers against the other’s tightly pursed lips, then raised his head and asked him, “If I said yes, then what do you want to do?”
He was currently sitting sideways on Zhong Quan’s lap without a shred of clothing. His narrow waist that could easily be wrapped around with one arm was firmly gripped by the other, causing him to be gently pressed against the other’s chest…it was as though this outstanding person was all his.
Zhong Quan lowered his head, he kissed his lips and then said firmly, “I will kill him.”
Gou Liang smiled. He couldn’t stop his smile, so he buried his face into the crook of the other’s neck and let himself smile freely.
Zhong Quan didn’t know why he was smiling. He suddenly felt a bit helpless. He lowered his head and looked at him for a long while. He then reached out and grabbed the cloak off the screen and wrapped it around him, afraid he would be cold.
Gou Liang asked him, “Do you know what you said just now?”
When he spoke, his eyes and his voice were all full of smiles.
How could Zhong Quan not know?
Gou Liang asked him, “Which identity are you saying that to me as?”
Zhong Quan lowered his eyes to look at him. The answer was clearly already at the tip of his tongue, yet he couldn’t say it aloud no matter what.
Gou Liang also didn’t push him, he considerately switched the topic instead, “Then what do you want me to do? Or, putting in other words, what am I to you?”
Zhong Quan opened his mouth, but still didn’t know how to speak.
Gou Liang raised his brow, he grabbed the other’s throat and said coldly, “If you only view me as your Master, then do you realize your impertinence just now was enough for you to die hundreds and thousands of times over?”
“Master…Quan doesn’t…”
“Doesn’t what?”
“I…” Zhong Quan’s tightly gripped throat moved up and down. However, in the end, he still revealed the thoughts that he shouldn’t reveal the most, “Zhong Quan views you as his Master, but also…as his wife.”
Gou Liang suddenly retracted his hand, and his face began to redden suspiciously. Pretending like he hadn’t heard, he said, “Audacious servant, still not helping me dress.”
Zhong Quan’s palm pressed against the other’s red face. The other’s act of false bravado had fallen completely. His evasive eyes clearly held traces of loss and embarrassment, as well as a joy that was hard to conceal. These emotions fell into Zhong Quan’s eyes, a smile forming in his pupils. Carefully holding Gou Liang’s face, Zhong Quan said gently, “In this life, Zhong Quan only has Master. My loyalty and love all belongs to you. I will never look at anyone else for even a glance.”
Gou Laing’s face became even hotter and a layer of mist emerged in his eyes, but he still said stubbornly, “All just honeyed words. What pledge of eternal love? Don’t they all come to naught in the end? Like back then…how do I know that you won’t change.”
Zhong Quan kissed him and said, “What kind of man is he? Master, Zhong Quan will only have you in his life and will never wrong you even upon death.”
There were tears in Gou Liang’s eyes. He said he was merely speaking pretty words, but he reached out and hugged him tightly.
Zhong Quan smiled, he gently stroked the other’s long hair then kissed the top of his head.
The dense fragrance of honey tangerine filled every corner of the room. Gou Liang turned his head so when the other was about to kiss his ear, it landed on his lips instead. When their gazes met, it was like they had a thousand words to say, yet weren’t thinking of anything at all. Zhong Quan clasped the other’s face and deepened his kiss in an overbearing manner that did not allow for refusal.
Gou Liang closed his eyes and devoured the soul force he had obtained with much effort, but he couldn’t taste it right away. He only tightly hugged the other. His overly fast heartbeat melded together with Zhong Quan’s. Absorbed in the kiss, even his most beloved delicacy was tossed to the back of his head.
Zhong Quan couldn’t endure and pressed him down against the jade bench. The other’s ink colored hair had scattered around him and his fair skin was even more lustrous than the jade, making him unable to move his eyes away.
Zhong Quan was impatient but still controlled himself from going further.
“Master, today is not yet the fifteenth…”
He said.
Gou Liang suddenly woke up from his lust. Hearing this, his face was like a drop of blood. Anger rose in his heart as he raised his hand wanting to hit the other. But in the end he suppressed himself. Gou Liang pushed him aside and said, “Scram!”
“Master, what’s wrong?” Zhong Quan was stunned.
Gou Liang covered his own face, his eyes were full of tears, “Y-you dare to disdain me!”
Zhong Quan hurriedly pulled him back into his arms, “Where do Master’s words come from, Zhong Quan never had such a thought!”
“Just now you—”
Zhong Quan anxiously uncovered his face, “This subordinate definitely does not have such thoughts. It’s just, Old Jiang had instructed that since every month’s poison outbreak is extremely taxing on you, I should restrain myself at normal times in order to not tire you out.”
Gou Liang scolded the damn old man in his heart. But on the surface, he said in embarrassment, “Oh…I see, carry me out.”
But Zhong Quan was unwilling. He gently kissed the scar on Gou Liang’s face from top to bottom, lingering endlessly.
“Master, in my eyes, you are the best in the world. It has nothing to do with appearance and nothing to do with pleasure.”
“Shut up. Where did you learn to talk so vulgarly.”
“If Master likes to listen, Quan will wholeheartedly learn it for you to hear…”
“I told you to shut up.”
Gou Liang bit his lips, a smile tinted his wet eyes once again. Zhong Quan could not hold back any longer and pressed him down beneath him.
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