Love is More than a Word, Chapter 96: I will make my own mind about my marriage (6)...
Yue Ling narrowed his eyes with a smile, trailing off, “This, it's not easy.”
Gu-She drank his tea in silence. To wet one's appetite and to be wetted of your own suspense is like playing a game, the game is who will lose first.
Yue Ling held on for a while and when Gu-She didn't budge, she sighed, “After all these years, you haven't changed a bit.”
Gu Xiaojia muttered, “Not a woman and not a womanizer.”
Yue Ling's gaze shifted to his face and he suddenly smiled.
Gu Xiaojia only felt a cold air running down his back, “Actually, you've changed a lot. At first glance, you're unrecognizable.”
Yue Ling: “...”
Tao Mo was confused, looked left and right and said, “How exactly is that?”
Yue Ling said, “What's the matter how?”
Tao Mo was at a loss: “I don't know.”
Yue Ling smiled, “And what do you want to know?”
Tao Mo thought, cautiously asking, “Are you from the Prince of Lingyang?”
Yue Ling took a cup of tea, sipped it and then put it down slowly, in the manner of a great man.” So, what do you mean by these words?”
Tao Mo was startled and looked at Gu-She for help.
Gu-She said: “The Difference Between a Bedroom and a Study.”
Yue Ling's mouth twitched, “I didn’t get to see you for years, Brother Gu you are even funnier.”
Gu-She said: “You don't think so?”
Yue Ling said, “Although I served as the Prince of Lingyang, I never sold myself to the royal family.”
Gu-She said, “You've served in the Prince of Lingyang for many years and you've been regarded as one of the Prince of Lingyang's henchmen. Do you think there's still a place for you in the great world?”
Yue Ling stretched out his finger, dabbed at his beard and said, “It's not that I can't leave the Prince of Lingyang, it's not that there's no place for me. It's not that there's no place for me to go. It's just that there's only one place for my heart.”
Gu-She was smiling.
Yue Ling was frank.
It dawned on Tao Mo that he said: “You sure are loyal to the Prince of Lingyang.”
Yue Ling's fingers freeze and then he decides to stop beating around the bush and just get to the point, “The horse in Huang Guangde's hand was indeed given to him by the Prince of Lingyang. No, rather, it was given to him by me.”
When that word is said, there is silence.
For a moment, Gu Xiaojia mumbled, “You're in cahoots with him?”
“...who's working with him? Who's working with him?” Yue Ling said, “By the way, the horse was just a return gift.”
Gu Xiaojia tsked twice, “and took bribes.”
Yue Ling picked up the cup of tea, poured it on the floor with the water and the tea leaves, then put it on the table and said to Gu Xiaojia, “Time to change the tea.”
Gu Xiaojia grinds his teeth, picks up the cup and leaves angrily.
Yue Ling coughed out, “Now you can talk properly. Huang Guangde is half of the Prince of Lingyang and I say half because he came to us two years ago. At that time, the feud between the Prince and the Emperor was not yet so public and he thought he could rise to the top by joining the Prince, so he sent three generous gifts, along with three hymns that gave people goosebumps.”
Gu-She said, “You are friends with this kind of person?”
Yue Ling said, “I am friends with you.”
Gu-She raised his eyebrows.
“But as a courtesy, I went to the Prince's treasury and picked out a gift to return to him as courtesy.” Yue Ling said and added, “This is the horse.”
Gu-She said, “Is it a matter of courtesy? Not putting in long lines to catch big fish?”
Yue Ling repented: “It's a pity that after this gift was given, he was never heard from again!”
Gu-She said: “He came back in the money.”
Yue Ling looked depressed.
Gu-She said, “So, you hate him with a passion?”
Yue Ling's gaze, suddenly leaned back lazily, leisurely shook his head and said, “A deal is not a deal and righteousness is. At most, I have no connection with him, so you can say you hate him to the bone?”
Gu-She said, “Oh?”
Yue Ling said, “However, if you are willing to ask for my help in a whisper, it's not like I can't consider it.”
Gu-She was indifferent.
Yue Ling said, “Before I came here, I had already checked. I didn't expect this Huang Guangde to be a very important person! Bullying men and women, roaming the countryside, deceiving his superiors and bullying the people. I have heard his crime stretch far and wide.”
Gu-She said, “You want to fight for the people?”
Yue Ling smiled wickedly, “We're not at odds. It's not my place to fight for the people. As I said, if you're willing to ask me nicely, I'll do what you want and set him up a little bit. Anyway, it's nothing.”
Gu-She said, “This matter is indeed handy and familiar to you.”
Yue Ling wasn't angry but happy, “I'm just the one who's close to the truth.”
Gu Xiaojia just happened to come in with some new tea.
Yue Ling, however, stood up suddenly and said slowly, “I'm not thirsty now, I'm sleepy now.”
Gu Xiaojia snorted, “There's plenty of land on both sides of the street to sleep on!”
Yue Ling looked to Gu-She, “Brother Gu.”
Gu-She asked Gu Xiaojia, “Where else is there land other than in the house?”
Gu Xiaojia was smiling in an unkind way, “There's plenty. As far as I know, the most sought-after is the one by the latrine and I can reserve it.”
Yue Ling looked at him askance and said, “Don't be so glib.”
Gu Xiaojia made a funny face, turned around and led the way.
After they leave, Gu-She looks over at Tao Mo. Ever since Yue Ling said “set him up a little bit”, Tao Mo has been locked in a frown, with a worried look on his face, as if something is bothering him. Gu-She said, “It's the easiest way to get Yue Ling to do something.”
Tao Mo said: “What would Yue Ling do?”
Gu-She said: “Imitating a letter of secret collusion.”
Tao Mo was startled: “Just like that?”
“That's all that matters.” Gu-She said and added, “If there is anyone in the world who can make the emperor kill without asking, it is the Prince of Lingyang.”
Tao Mo said: “No questions asked?”
Gu-She explained: “The Emperor has long been scandalized by the Prince of Lingyang and many of his ministers have been sent away by the Prince of Lingyang just because they had known him for a few years, not to mention that the letter is so authentic.”
Tao Mo was silent.
Gu-She said: “You don't like it?”
“It's probably the best thing to do.” Tao Mo whispered, “Only, is it really right?”
Gu-She looked at him.
“I, I didn't think much of it. But it just struck me that he's a criminal but not in collusion with the Prince of Lingyang. I wanted to bring him to justice because I wanted justice for the law. But now, we are going to frame him with unjust and unfair means. Thus, even if we do punish him... But haven't we also dishonored the law?” Tao Mo pressed his forehead. His mind was in a fierce battle. The emotion of avenging his father's death and the insistence on justice battled like two knives in his mind, buzzing his whole brain.
Gu-She said: “He deserved it.”
“He deserves it but the crime is what he deserves.” Tao Mo put down his hand and said, bewildered, “Today, we frame him for a simple crime. Will there be others tomorrow, who for some other reason will frame another? What then shall I do with him? And what shall I do with him?”
Gu-She said: “He did collaborate with the Prince of Lingyang.”
Tao Mo said: “But the epistle is false.”
Gu-She looked at him steadily.
Tao Mo was previously unaware of the struggle that was going on in his head. As time passes, Gu-She's gaze freezes, allowing Tao Mo to notice something and blush a little.
Gu-She suddenly stood up.
Tao Mo asked subconsciously, “Where are you going?”
Gu-She said, “Looking for Yue Ling.”
“Ah. Really?” Tao Mo was depressed.
“Didn't he say, if I ask him nicely, he'll help?” Gu-She said, “As for how to help, that's not up to him.”
Tao Mo's eyes reddened, and he blurted out, “Why are you so good to me?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Tao Mo regretted them.
You've seen this question buried for so long. Why not bury it a little longer? Even a month, half a month, a day. He kept his head down, not daring to look Gu-She in the eye.
Gu-She didn't change his face: “Let's just say I'm also releasing the long line for the big fish.”
~ Love is More than A Word ~
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ReplyDeleteYue Ling held on for a while and when Gu-She didn't budge, she [he] sighed, “After all these years, you haven't changed a bit.”