vrcanaries Chapter 192: Cursing, Portrait
Chapter 192: Cursing, Portrait
Chapter 192 Cursing, Portrait
The young man's actions caught Gu Lin off guard. Gu Lin was clearly stunned. After he came to his senses, he ignored the hot, wet breath on his lips and tried to push him away. However, the young man did not back down an inch. When his lips invaded, his dark eyes lowered and stared at him.
Da Zhuo and his guards behind them had already retreated and turned their backs, not daring to look at the two.
As Zheng Hao kissed him, Gu Lin's face gradually flushed. As their lips and tongues intertwined, the young man did not press too hard, leaving Gu Lin no time to breathe. Every now and then, he would pause for a moment, but before Gu Lin could catch his breath, he would immediately press down on him. Gu Lin's breathing was sometimes light and sometimes heavy.
Stepping back again, Gu Lin quickly said during the brief moment the young man was gone, "Enough...enough..."
Unlike his usual clear and cheerful voice, the young man's voice was low, husky, and lingering at this moment.
Zheng Hao approached and saw the person in front of him suddenly widen his eyes. He didn't make any excessive movements and whispered, "Uncle Gu, will you still say things like that in the future?"
Although it was a question, Gu Lin could hear a faint threat in the other person's words. If he didn't agree, he didn't know what the other person would do.
He gritted his teeth inwardly, thinking, "That brat is getting better and better at threatening me."
He's really spoiled.
But when a person who cares about their reputation meets someone who doesn't, Gu Lin happens to be the one who cares about their reputation.
He said, "Fine, I won't say it then."
Seeing that he had the upper hand, Zheng Hao lowered his eyes to look at the jade pendant in the young man's hand and said, "I'll put it on Uncle Gu."
Without refusing, Gu Lin tilted her head slightly, and Zheng Hao took the jade pendant from his hand. The thin red cord wrapped around her slender neck. Zheng Hao lowered his head and approached, and Gu Lin felt the warm breath spraying on her neck. Her eyelashes trembled, but she did not move.
Feeling a lightness on the back of his neck, Zheng Hao stepped back, and Gu Lin couldn't help but raise his hand to stroke the red string jade pendant around his neck: "All done?"
Zheng Hao's gaze swept over the young man's slender white neck adorned with a jade pendant, and he said, "If the red string fades in the future, I will replace it for Uncle Gu."
Gu Lin nodded in response while playing with the jade pendant on his chest. Although he didn't say it explicitly, Zheng Hao understood from his fondness for the jade pendant that Uncle Gu liked the gift he had given him.
As darkness fell, there were few pedestrians on the road; almost everyone had gone home. The two continued to ride together on a horse back to their residence.
Zheng Hao dismounted first, then helped Gu Lin down, handed the horse to Da Zhuo to take away, and followed Gu Lin back to the backyard.
After finishing their meal, Gu Lin looked at the young man who was still sitting in the house and hadn't left, and hesitated slightly before asking, "Tonight... are you going back to the front yard, or...?"
"The night is dark, and the front yard and back yard are far apart, making it inconvenient to go back and forth. If Uncle Gu agrees to let me stay, then there will be no need for Da Zhuo and the others to go through all that trouble carrying lanterns to clear the way."
Seeing the young man speak these words without batting an eye, Gu Lin would almost have believed him if it weren't for the fact that the young man often ate at his place and then returned to the front yard under the cover of night.
After eliminating the spies in the mansion, Zheng Hao no longer needed to worry about keeping his distance from Gu Lin. He had never experienced this before and did not know the chill of being alone. After having shared a room and even a bed with Uncle Gu, he was separated from Uncle Gu after arriving in Jibei Prefecture, and Zheng Hao could not sleep every day.
Avoiding Zheng Hao's dark gaze, Gu Lin said, "Whatever you say."
Let him be?
The young man lowered his eyes and smiled faintly. If that were really the case, he would probably be kicked out of the room by Uncle Gu tonight.
The moon hung in the night sky, the curtains swayed with the movement of the bed, and faint, persistent breathing could be heard from within.
As dawn broke, the noise inside the house finally stopped, followed by the sound of a sharp slap and a few low curses coming from the bedside.
The following morning, Zheng Hao stayed at the residence with Gu Lin. Now that he had no business to attend to, he no longer needed to go to the military camp every day as before.
After having breakfast, the two stayed in the study. Instead of practicing calligraphy, the young man sat in his chair, eating snacks and reading a storybook, looking very comfortable and at ease. Zheng Hao, who had been looking down at his book, raised his eyes slightly and was puzzled by the scene before him. Then, a thought struck him: he seemed to have never painted for Uncle Gu before.
Following his heart's desire, Zheng Hao stepped out of the study and whispered instructions to the servants. Gu Lin, engrossed in reading the storybook, did not notice his actions.
A moment later, the servant quietly entered the study, arranged the room according to Lord Zheng's instructions, and then quickly left.
Gu Lin remained engrossed in reading the storybook in his hands.
After setting up a soft chair and some delicious snacks for the young man, Zheng Hao walked up to him.
Enveloped in darkness, Gu Lin looked away from the storybook and gazed ahead. Zheng Hao said, "Uncle Gu, come with me. I'll paint a picture for you later."
Gu Lin paused, holding the storybook. When he heard that Zheng Hao was going to paint his portrait, Gu Lin's first reaction was not surprise or delight, but rather an inability to stop recalling the ancient portraits he had seen before that were so similar in appearance to the real people. The thought that the other party was going to paint such a portrait of him made Gu Lin's scalp tingle.
With a flicker in his eyes, Gu Lin did not refuse directly. He said to Zheng Hao tactfully, "You are so busy, having to supervise the army and oversee the government office. How can I delay you from drawing my portrait? Why don't we wait until we return to the capital?"
Taking a few steps forward, Zheng Hao bent down and grasped the young man's wrist. The soft, calloused hand made him want to knead it, but after a moment, he restrained himself and suppressed his desire: "It will be finished soon."
“Back when I was in the academy, I wanted to paint a portrait of Uncle Gu, but I was always held back by my studies. Now I finally have some free time.”
Seeing Zheng Hao's half-closed eyes and the expectation in his words as he looked at him, Gu Lin felt a sense of helplessness, but he was reluctant to refuse him. So he followed the young man's lead and went with him to the chair that had been arranged.
After settling the young man in, Zheng Hao went behind the desk, picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and looked up at Gu Lin, who was sitting upright and dared not move, and said, "Uncle Gu, you can eat some snacks and read stories as before."
Upon hearing this, knowing that he no longer needed to remain motionless, Gu Lin breathed a sigh of relief, turned to look at the milk snacks prepared on the table, and a cheerful expression appeared between his brows.
Milk pastries are soft and sweet, and are one of Gu Lin's favorite snacks. However, the doctor said that they should not be eaten too much. Zhao Saozi and others could not control him, but after he came to Zheng Hao's side, the other party strictly controlled his diet. Things that should not be there never appeared on the table.
However, the subordinates did not completely obey Zheng Hao. If Gu Lin really wanted to eat, he would give the order, and Da Yan and the others would prepare and serve it, even though the amount of pastries was only a few pieces.
All of this happened within Zheng Hao's tacit consent. As long as it did not harm Uncle Gu's health, Zheng Hao pretended not to know and allowed his subordinates to make some pastries for Uncle Gu to satisfy his cravings.
But all of this was shattered when they arrived in Jibei Prefecture.
Gu Lin was unaccustomed to the climate and water when he first arrived in Jibei Prefecture. Due to the long journey, Da Yan was momentarily careless and forgot that Gu Lin should not eat foods that aggravate his illness. They actually ordered the servants to serve him stewed mutton. This was a minor matter. Knowing that he could not eat it, Gu Lin asked the servants to take the mutton away.
Unfortunately, Zheng Hao was present at the time. When it comes to matters related to Gu Lin, he always treats even the smallest things as if they were of paramount importance, let alone anything that could harm Gu Lin's health.
Immediately, his face darkened, feeling that his subordinates did not respect Uncle Gu and did not take Uncle Gu seriously.
Knowing that Uncle Gu was soft-hearted, he did not reprimand the servants in front of them. However, after Gu Lin fell asleep, he severely punished Da Yan and the kitchen staff, almost making Prefect Ren and General Yu think that the people he had planted had been exposed.
It was precisely when he arrived in Jibei Prefecture and replaced all the cooks in the kitchen because the kitchen staff had offended Gu Lin that the people in the government office and General Yu knew that he valued the uncle who was by his side very much.
After sitting steadily for half an hour, Gu Lin finished a plate of eight pastries and was also nearing the end of his storybook. Gu Lin turned to look at the young man painting and asked somewhat impatiently, "How much longer until you finish painting?"
As the painting neared completion, Zheng Hao, with a suspended wrist, finished the last blank with a brush, then looked up at the young man and said, "It's done."
Gu Lin couldn't wait any longer and got up to walk towards the young man: "Let me see how the painting is?"
Zheng Hao moved his foot slightly to make room for him. Gu Lin came behind the table, looked down, and his eyes widened slightly in surprise.
On the paper, a young man slightly turns his head to pick up a snack from the table. His smile and joy are undisguised. Although the artist did not draw his face directly, his seriousness can be seen with every stroke. With just a profile, the artist has depicted the appearance and demeanor of the person in the painting.
Seeing the young man beside him engrossed in the painting, Zheng Hao turned his head and asked, "Uncle Gu, what do you think of this painting?"
Upon hearing Zheng Hao's voice, Gu Lin snapped out of his reverie and replied truthfully, "This is beyond my expectations."
Originally, he thought Zheng Hao's painting was also of the freehand style, not seeking resemblance but only capturing the spirit, but he did not expect that the other party had painted his appearance and spirit.
Gu Lin said excitedly, "Give me this painting."
Zheng Hao paused, but Gu Lin didn't notice and continued, "After I brought it back to the capital, I had it framed and hung in the house."
Seeing that Zheng Hao remained silent, Gu Lin turned to look at him.
The young man looked at him with his eyes half-lowered, and said with his thin lips, "Uncle Gu, would you mind leaving this painting for me?"
"Ok?"
Gu Lin was caught off guard, her light brown eyes fixed on him without blinking.
Zheng Hao: "From now on, how about I paint a picture for Uncle Gu every month?"
The topic jumped too quickly, from the other party wanting to leave a portrait of him to painting one for him every month, leaving Gu Lin momentarily at a loss for words.
Avoiding eye contact with Zheng Hao, Gu Lin said, "We'll talk about it another time."
Before Zheng Hao could respond, Da Zhuo brought in a message: General Chang invited Lord Zheng to discuss important matters.
Gu Lin's gaze swept over the painting on the young man's desk, and he urged him, "You should go now."
"Yes, if I don't come back tonight, Uncle Gu, have dinner first," Zheng Hao instructed.
Gu Lin nodded, wondering where he should hide the portrait after the other person left.
Gu Lin couldn't help but feel a little strange that his own portrait was left with someone else, even Zheng Hao.
However, whether intentionally or unintentionally, before leaving the study, the young military supervisor rolled up the portrait, locked it in a wooden box in front of the young man, and then took the key to the box with him before leaving.
Seeing this, Gu Lin was both angry and amused, and at the same time somewhat helpless.
The Red Army camp in Zhen.
Without taking a carriage, Zheng Hao rode a fast horse to the Red Army camp in the town.
Without needing to be announced, Zheng Hao was invited in by General Chang's confidants.
Lifting the curtain in front of the tent, Zheng Hao walked in and saw General Chang standing behind the table, looking at the sheepskin map on the table, deep in thought.
Upon seeing him arrive, Chang Wei raised his hand to greet him: "Mingzhang is here."
After the two became acquainted, it would be awkward for them to address each other as "Lord" or "General." So, outwardly, they still tacitly addressed each other by their official titles, but in private, when no one was around, they became closer.
"Uncle Chang, what brings you here?"
Zheng Hao walked towards the other person without glancing at the sheepskin map on the table beside him.
Chang Wei asked, "Did you hear any news from the Red-Clad Army yesterday?"
Zheng Hao shook his head calmly: "I don't know, but what happened to the Red-Clad Army?"
Chang Wei nodded and said, "After we seriously injured the Red-Clad Army's commander, he was bedridden for a long time and unable to lead his troops to attack Jibei Prefecture. However, the Red-Clad Army sent a new commander to take over. With winter approaching, the enemy will definitely fight quickly and take Jibei Prefecture before the snow."
Zheng Hao said, "With Uncle Chang leading the Zhenhong Army, I believe the Red Army will not succeed."
In public, General Chang dared not express his worries. But in front of Zheng Hao, who was clearly a newcomer to officialdom, General Chang surprisingly trusted him, feeling that the young military supervisor was mature beyond his years and had a broad vision.
General Chang frankly admitted: "Even if we win, the Zhenhong Army will probably win a Pyrrhic victory."
Although Chang Wei always verbally denounced the Red Army as traitors, he had to admit that while the Red Army was not as well-equipped as the Town Red Army, its morale and fighting spirit were far superior. The saying "the brave win when paths cross" applies to warfare as well; when two armies clash, it is not only a contest of strength but also of conviction.
General Chang looked at Zheng Hao, his tone slightly heavy: "In terms of combat, all the generals in the army are capable of fighting the Red Army generals. In terms of the entire army, the Zhenhong Army is inferior to the Red Army. The outcome of this battle is hard to predict."
"I invited Lord Zheng here to discuss how to counter the Red-Clad Army," General Chang said solemnly.
Zheng Hao knew the other party's title from the conversation.
In order to preserve Jibei Prefecture, Chang Wei must have had no other choice but to seek advice from a civil official like him.
Turning to the sheepskin map, Zheng Hao looked down at the mountain and river routes on it, and General Chang did not disturb him.
After a long silence, the young military supervisor suddenly spoke up: "This battle is not about fighting to the death with the Red-Clad Army in order to successfully suppress them."
Upon hearing this, General Chang looked at Zheng Hao and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Zheng Hao analyzed: "Regarding the Red-Clad Army, the court officials have been divided into two factions from the beginning. One faction suggested sending a large force to suppress the Red-Clad Army, while the other faction suggested sending envoys to offer them amnesty. You should be aware of this debate, General."
General Chang nodded, signaling the other party to continue.
Zheng Hao said, "The former was not satisfactory due to various reasons, and the court was increasingly inclined to recruit the Red-Clad Army."
General Chang frowned: "Yu Feng has implemented this plan before, but the Red-Clad Army generals are worried that if they accept the imperial court's offer of amnesty, they will be punished later, so they are unwilling to accept the imperial court's offer of amnesty."
Zheng Hao: "It is only natural for people to have such concerns. After the court grants amnesty to the Red-Clad Army, it will certainly not allow the Red-Clad Army generals to enter the military camp. How can anyone accept the amnesty with peace of mind?"
"you mean······?"