Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 347 - 183 Prince

Liang Zhirui didn’t respond to Gu Chengyu; instead, he started pondering.

If Gu Chengyu’s guesses were correct, was the trip to Fengding Prefecture really for that matter? Even though he had retired, he could still gather information. The movements in the Capital were not crystal clear to him, but he had a general idea.

Three years ago, he had heard about the bandit case in Fengding Prefecture. Being a former high-ranking official, he was well aware of the court’s dynamics. He naturally guessed who was behind the scenes, but that person was now favored, and who dared to provoke him?

That person was really unscrupulous in his pursuits! However, those few in the court, for the sake of that position, who wasn’t giving their all, stirring trouble behind the scenes?

But this matter was excessive; even those merchants were citizens of Dayan, yet they could harm them? Such ruthlessness, even if he ascends the throne in the future, could the world still be at peace?

A few years ago, those people were committing crimes in the Northern regions, but this year, they seem to have quieted down. Did they receive some news, knowing the Holy Emperor sent an imperial envoy to secretly investigate?

Liang Zhirui stroked his beard, becoming more convinced as he thought about it. This could indeed make sense; otherwise, these people wouldn’t have let go of the opportunity to accumulate wealth.

After four years, had the Holy Emperor finally decided to deal with him? I hope it won’t be another thunderous storm with little rain!

"Didn’t you say that back then Prefect Jiang was involved in this? Were those bandits caught by you?" Liang Zhirui suddenly recalled that his young apprentice had also been in contact with these people back then.

Gu Chengyu had mentioned the bandits to his teacher before, and they even analyzed the matter, so he naturally understood what he was referring to.

"Yes! But, at that time, wasn’t Prefect Jiang not allowing the students to interfere in this matter? The subsequent details were unknown to the students."

Gu Chengyu was just an eight-year-old child without any academic achievements back then; even Prefect Jiang feared the matter himself, much less than telling Gu Chengyu.

Previously, Liang Zhirui had only told Gu Chengyu that it was the doing of someone in the court, but he wouldn’t say more. After returning, Gu Chengyu combined his own understanding and felt that the truth was similar to his guess.

"Indeed! It’s right that he didn’t tell you; you were still a child, knowing so much wasn’t beneficial to you." Liang Zhirui looked at the eleven-year-old boy with gratification.

"This student often contemplates this matter, and since I’m about to go to the Imperial College in the Capital to study, I’m still quite unsure about the Capital’s dynamics. If I inadvertently get entangled in factional strife or offend someone, wouldn’t I not even know how I died?"

Gu Chengyu wanted to understand the Capital’s situation to avoid being in the dark when he went to the Imperial College.

Liang Zhirui also fell into contemplation because of Gu Chengyu’s words, and after a while, he decided to give Gu Chengyu an overview of the Capital’s landscape.

"Alright! I always thought you were still young." Liang Zhirui originally intended to let Gu Chengyu focus on his studies for a few more years, forgetting that even the students at the Imperial College weren’t easy to deal with.

"It’s been four years since I left the court, and although I can get news occasionally, I’ve been away from the Capital for a long time, and the court’s dynamics change rapidly. I can only choose some significant trends to talk to you about. As for the rest, you can ask your senior brother when you reach the Capital."

"Oh! You’ve already met your senior brother and third senior brother, haven’t you?" Before going to the Capital, he gave Gu Chengyu a post, and with it, Gu Chengyu would not face difficulties at any gate.

Moreover, once Gu Chengyu reached the Capital, he wrote to his disciples, asking them to assist Gu Chengyu.

"The student has already met the senior brother and third senior brother. The second senior brother wasn’t at home; I only met his grandmother and sister-in-law." Gu Chengyu recounted some details of meeting his senior brothers in the Capital but didn’t mention He Jisheng’s inquiries about the Imperial College.

But Liang Zhirui knew He Jisheng well, "Did you tell your third senior brother about attending the Imperial College?"

Gu Chengyu paused for a moment, "I did!"

After hearing this, Liang Zhirui didn’t say much more. The two continued discussing court matters afterwards.

"The current Holy Emperor doesn’t have many offspring, just four sons. The Eldest Prince is twenty-eight years old this year, and his mother is Princess Consort Jing. His maternal family is from Marquis Zhan’s Mansion, and his uncle is Marquis Lu Xiangbo. As for the Second Prince, his mother is the current Empress. The Second Prince is twenty-six years old this year, and his uncle is Minister of Revenue Shen Shikang. His maternal grandfather has already passed away."

After introducing the two princes, Liang Zhirui gestured towards the tea cup, motioning with his mouth. Gu Chengyu quickly understood and eagerly refilled the tea.

The steward outside the study room was guarding the door and laughed when he saw this scene. His master, when with Young Master Gu, was like a child.

"The Third Prince is twenty-two, and his mother is Consort Xian, his maternal grandfather is Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel Wan Xue Nian; as for the Fourth Prince, he’s also nineteen this year. His birth mother was a palace maid, who left after giving birth to him."

Liang Zhirui sighed as he spoke of the Fourth Prince, then explained to Gu Chengyu.

The Fourth Prince was also a pitiful person. Years ago, the Holy Emperor, on a whim, favored a palace maid who served Consort Xian. Yet, he didn’t give her a title, and after just one encounter, the palace maid became pregnant. The Holy Emperor decided that the palace maid would stay in Consort Xian’s residence for care, but Consort Xian was unwilling.

Gu Chengyu understood, too; after all, it was a palace maid who served Consort Xian. Anyone would feel aggrieved in that situation.

Moreover, in affairs concerning descendants, there were no certainties. Many children in the Imperial Palace never survived to birth.

If the child had been lost, wouldn’t the blame fall on Consort Xian? No one was a fool. No one would let their husband be with another woman and still help protect her child.

From Liang Zhirui’s subsequent words, Gu Chengyu realized that the Holy Emperor’s exact intentions were unclear, as he hadn’t elevated the palace maid’s position. Perhaps he intended to do so after the child was born, but the palace maid didn’t have that fortune and bled to death during childbirth.

The Fourth Prince was very frail upon birth. An Imperial Physician’s diagnosis revealed he was poisoned in the womb, and his lifespan depended solely on his fortune.

"Then, so to speak, has the Fourth Prince gotten better now?" Gu Chengyu thought, considering that the teacher said he was nineteen, he should have detoxed?

"Not so easy! The Imperial Hospital is at a loss too, only able to suppress the poison temporarily, but it still relapses often."

Gu Chengyu thought to himself, if his body was so weak, he would have no claim to the throne in the future and could only become a leisurely prince. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"So the current court is divided into three main factions? Has the Holy Emperor shown a preference for any prince?"

Gu Chengyu temporarily excluded the Fourth Prince, as his maternal ties were insignificant and his health poor, making it unlikely for him to cause any trouble publicly.

As for in secret, Gu Chengyu couldn’t know. Since he had been ill for so many years, and the court believed it genuinely, if not true illness, it was a long-planned scheme, requiring future observation.