xymnovel Chapter 1121 - 957: Promising Him High Rank and Rich Rewards
Chapter 1121 - 957: Promising Him High Rank and Rich Rewards
"Young Master! You must return to Da Xing as soon as possible to acknowledge your ancestry and reclaim what has always been yours. As for the details, once you’re back in Da Xing, you’ll naturally understand."The Map Master gave Gu Wanqian a brief explanation. His master had said that they had to wait until the Young Master returned to Da Xing before they could reveal the whole truth.
Gu Wanqian was silent for a long moment. "I came today precisely to tell you that no matter whether I am this so‑called Young Master you speak of or not, I will not go back to Da Xing with you. That is all I have to say. I must ask that you never come looking for me again!"
Once he finished speaking, Gu Wanqian turned around and left without the slightest hesitation.
"Young Master! We people of Da Xing have always been valiant and good at war, yet I never thought our Young Master would have such a soft, spineless temperament. If Her Ladyship hadn’t sacrificed herself back then to protect you, you would have died at those people’s hands long ago. She used her own flesh and blood to trade for your life, and what she got in return is a coward?"
"Exactly! What you bear on your shoulders is not only a blood‑deep vendetta, but also the rise and fall, honor and disgrace of all Da Xing. The blood in your veins is Da Xing blood, and yet you’re willing to serve as a slave in Dayan? You’re simply a disgrace to the Da Xing Royal Family!"
A rough, hoarse voice cut off the Map Master’s words. Gu Wanqian turned back to look and saw a figure in a black cloak, who had somehow appeared inside the room without anyone noticing.
"I have depended on my grandmother since I was small. You people suddenly barge into my life for no reason, disrupting the peaceful days my grandmother and I had. I don’t know who this ’Her Ladyship’ is. I only know that my grandmother and I have relied on each other for so many years, and I cannot leave her."
Being pressed by several people, Gu Wanqian was finally forced to show some backbone. He shouted at them in anger.
"Young Master, this matter is indeed very abrupt, I know that. But these are all facts, and you must try to slowly get used to them. If you don’t wish to return to Da Xing now, that’s also acceptable. But our master has said that it won’t be long before Dayan falls into chaos. When the time comes, he will personally come to Dayan to take you back. Bringing your grandmother to live in Da Xing will be the same."
Seeing how agitated Gu Wanqian was, the man in the black cloak could only say a few soothing words first.
"Yes! Young Master, don’t you feel that Gu Chengyu has shown you great kindness? Our Da Xing likewise needs such capable men. As long as you can persuade him to come to Da Xing, Da Xing will surely grant him high office and generous rank."
The Map Master’s gaze on Gu Wanqian was full of temptation, and the others in the room all began to urge him as well.
"You say Dayan is going to fall into chaos? What’s going on?" Having grown up in Dayan, Gu Wanqian simply could not imagine what it would look like if Dayan descended into turmoil.
"The Young Master is still very young; it’s better that you don’t concern yourself with such matters yet. Once you’re back in Da Xing, our master will instruct you with all his heart. But you must not reveal any of this, lest extra trouble be stirred up."
The carriage passed through the crisscrossing crowds of the workshop district and stopped at the side gate of Liang Mansion.
"Ah! Mr. Gu, you’ve come. It’s been quite a while since I last saw you!" The servant guarding the gate saw that it was Gu Chengyu and hurriedly greeted him with a smile.
Gu Chengyu returned the smile. "I went to Jiangnan some time ago. Is teacher at home?"
"Of course he is!"
By the time he reached the study, Liang Zhirui had already been waiting there for some time.
"You seem to have grown thinner from this trip to Jiangnan." Liang Zhirui sized Gu Chengyu up. The youth before him looked even more drawn than before.
"The disaster relief in Jiangnan was far too complicated this time, it did cost me quite a bit of energy." Gu Chengyu was, after all, human; at times he inevitably felt his strength waning.
It wasn’t that it taxed his mind too much, but rather that his body was having trouble keeping up.
The journey to Jiangnan had been a race against time, and in between he had to run back and forth between Hangtian Prefecture and Yingnan Mansion.
On the way back he’d still had to hurry along the road. After a long, exhausting journey by boat and carriage, he’d rested one night at home, and today he had been hauled off again to the Eastern Palace and Chengqian Palace for discussions.
Liang Zhirui couldn’t help feeling distressed when he saw this. "You’re still young; there’s no need to push yourself so hard. You’re just a youth, yet how is it that you’re more world‑weary than us old teachers? Just looking at you makes this old man feel tired!"
Though he was distressed, his mouth was still full of complaints. This disciple of his had been precocious; even as a small child, he had had the air of a little adult.
"Is teacher disliking that I look too old‑fashioned?" Gu Chengyu asked with feigned hurt.
Liang Zhirui burst into hearty laughter, then moved on to business.
"Your work in Jiangnan isn’t yet finished. Why are you in such a hurry to rush back to the Capital?" Although Liang Zhirui now held only an honorary post, he still paid great attention to court affairs.
"The remaining matters can be completed even without me presiding. Before I left, I’d already arranged the rerouting of the river embankment. Those officials from the Ministry of Industry understand rerouting far better than I do. Every bit of Silver Tael used for relief has been documented clearly, and all of that is being overseen by Hu Maoshen, who stayed behind in Jiangnan. One must always leave some soup for others to drink, after all."
As for the political achievements he had made in Jiangnan, once he was back he still had to sort them out anew, and then draft two memorials to submit to the Emperor and the Crown Prince.
"You handled this disaster relief well. Didn’t the Emperor summon you today? His health has been poor of late. You went to Chengqian Palace—how did you find his condition?"
Gu Chengyu furrowed his brows, then said, "Not optimistic."
If he hadn’t feared that the Emperor might truly depart this world, he wouldn’t have needed to rush back to the Capital in such haste.
"What’s going on?" Liang Zhirui’s expression tightened, and the hand stroking his beard also stilled.
"Director Zhang has taken his pulse and said His Majesty is already recovering. But there’s something strange about this..." Gu Chengyu explained the Emperor’s current condition to Liang Zhirui, who then sank into deep thought.
"You’re saying there’s a problem with that Lifespan Extension Pill the Phecda Taoist gave the Emperor? If the pulse is truly that peculiar, it may well be because of that. What did the Emperor say? Has he any intention of having that man seized and interrogated?"
Liang Zhirui’s face darkened slightly. Back then he had advised the Emperor that there could be no such thing in this world as a medicine for immortality.
Yet the Emperor was deeply obsessed with elixirs; no matter how he advised, the Emperor would not listen.
"No. But Director Zhang suggested inviting master physicians from among the people to diagnose His Majesty."
"Invite men from the common folk? Hmph! Zhang Hua really knows how to shrug off responsibility—just dump this on the heads of civilian doctors and be done with it? From what you’re saying, this so‑called Lifespan Extension Pill, regardless of its efficacy, is certainly some kind of strange drug. Even Director Zhang cannot diagnose it, yet a civilian doctor will be able to?"
Liang Zhirui then recalled that Gu Chengyu had an older brother who ran a clinic, and quickly reminded him, "Don’t you have a brother with a clinic? His clinic’s reputation has been quite good these past two years. If we were to..."
"I’d already thought of that. Teacher, be at ease." Gu Chengyu nodded. He had already sent a letter to the clinic; once he returned, he would have a good talk with Fourth Brother about the perilous situation at present.
Gu Chengyu then told Liang Zhirui about discovering people from Da Xing in Jiangnan. The two of them discussed it for a while and felt that they still needed to report to the Emperor and the Crown Prince as soon as possible.
Though he had seen both of them today, his report had been interrupted both times; neither the Crown Prince nor the Emperor had yet heard him out.