Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 412 - 248: The Teacher Is Returning to the Capital

After just two days, Ming Yan said the hidden guards around the villa had all withdrawn, and Gu Chengyu was also planning to return to the mansion.

The palace examination in March was approaching, and the time between the palace examination and the provincial examination was very short. Even though Gu Chengyu had memorized the Four Books and Five Classics thoroughly, he dared not be complacent.

Hui An disappeared on the way back to the mansion with Gu Chengyu. Gu Chengyu knew someone had taken him away, but he didn’t mind. As for that little booklet, he couldn’t be sure if it was fake, and Hu Maoqing would naturally investigate.

As soon as he arrived at the mansion, he heard from the gatekeeper that there was a letter for him.

Gu Chengyu returned to his study and opened it, finding out it was from his teacher, who said that when the weather warms up in March, he’d come to the capital to reunite with them.

He also mentioned wanting to stay in the capital for a period and probably not going to the prefecture school this year.

With the teacher wanting to return to the capital, Gu Chengyu was naturally happy. The teacher didn’t have descendants to continue his family line, and staying in the prefecture could be lonely. Although he had a granddaughter to accompany him, she was, after all, from the Duke Mansion and couldn’t stay at her maternal grandfather’s house for years without returning, could she?

The teacher mentioned in the letter that the Duke Mansion had sent people to pick her up twice, but he had refused, saying he would personally take his granddaughter back to the capital this year.

Regardless of whether the Duke Mansion was concerned about their reputation or sincerely felt it inappropriate to leave Miss Yao at her maternal grandfather’s, the teacher surely was worried when Yao Mengxian returned to the Duke Mansion.

Miss Yao was thirteen this year, the age when marriage discussions began. The teacher mentioned in the letter that he feared the Duke Mansion would hastily match his granddaughter with someone.

Upon receiving the teacher’s letter, he couldn’t help but think of his own parents. Half a month ago, he had the servants prepare New Year goods and sent them to Shangling Village. His parents still refused to come to the capital, saying they wanted to watch over his second brother at home.

When he returned to the capital two years ago, the original second sister-in-law, He, had been divorced, and for this reason, his second brother was extremely resentful towards him. He believed that his mother’s divorce was Gu Chengyu’s fault and wanted Gu Chengyu to compensate him by bringing him to the capital to study. For this, he kept pestering Gu Chengyu.

Gu Chengyu ignored it directly and went to warn his second brother. If the second brother still didn’t come to his senses, he wouldn’t blame him for being ruthless. There were many ways to ruin a scholar; with gambling houses and brothels, could his weak-willed second brother resist those temptations?

He didn’t know how his second brother spoke to his second brother, but after that, the second brother quieted down.

He was sent back to her maternal home after being divorced and cried at the Gu Family’s gate daily. Her so-called good brother indeed refused to return the borrowed silver and didn’t admit to it at all. Her days back at her maternal home weren’t easy.

Her siblings naturally couldn’t accommodate her, and in the end, it was the third son who took her back to a rented courtyard in town.

Actually, Gu Chengyu couldn’t understand her. Her siblings only approached her for her silver and hadn’t treated her well before. Why did she feel the need to give everything to her maternal home when she was living well? It was utterly puzzling.

When it came to today’s situation, it was all of her own making, undeserving of sympathy.

What’s worth mentioning is that Wang Yue had some means. During Gu Chengyi’s recuperation, she never replied to insults nor retaliated. Finally, Mr. Gu suggested once more that Gu Chengyi take her as a concubine, and Gu Chengyi didn’t strongly oppose it, implicitly agreeing to the matter.

Wang Yue’s son was brought to live with the Gu Family, but his surname remained Yang; it wasn’t changed to Gu. This was because Mr. Gu and the Gu Family as a whole didn’t agree to his son changing his surname to Gu.

After all, Wang Yue’s entry into the Gu Family wasn’t without scandal. Being accepted was mostly for the sake of the child in her womb.

Gu Chengyu contemplated, picked up the pen, and wrote letters to both his family and teacher. Although he wanted to mention the incident with Hui An to his teacher, he still didn’t put it in writing. It couldn’t be clearly explained in a letter, and since the teacher was soon coming to the capital, he’d wait to discuss it then!

Gu Chengyu tidied up a bit, preparing to visit several senior brothers at their mansions.

Even though new year gifts had been sent previously, it was already the ninth day, and the number of guests at the senior brothers’ mansions should have lessened by now.

Last year, Prefect Jiang indeed received an excellent performance review and came to the capital for duty reporting before the year-end, waiting for this year’s official appointment.

Jiang Mansion had bought a house in the capital, naturally in the north. Prefect Jiang was originally a fourth-rank officer, and he would be at least a Secondary Third Rank upon promotion, so living in the north was a certainty.

Second senior brother Wu An had also returned to the capital and was waiting for orders from higher authorities.

Gu Chengyu instructed Ming Mo and others to prepare, planning to visit the eldest senior brother’s mansion first today.

"You haven’t been here for a few days. Did you have a comfortable time at the villa? The provincial examination is imminent; you should focus more on your books lest you regret it when the time comes," Yin Kun prepared a chessboard, ready to play a few games with Gu Chengyu.

"Haven’t you heard of balancing work and rest, eldest senior brother? Reading all day requires some relaxation!" Gu Chengyu responded smoothly, sitting on one side of the low table, waiting for Yin Kun to hand him the chess pieces.

"You always have these fallacies. If you don’t make it to the list, the capital will laugh till their teeth fall out!" Yin Kun couldn’t suppress a smile on his face. The two were very familiar with each other now and often joked around.

However, amidst the jokes, there was sincerity; he was speaking from the heart. Gu Chengyu had no retreat now; he had to pass the advanced scholar examination, or it would affect his reputation.

Gu Chengyu solemnly said, "Man proposes, God disposes! As long as I do my best. Senior brother, do you want the white or black pieces?"

"You’ve always been the white pieces in the past few times; this time, let me switch! I’ve lost several times; this time, I’m not holding back." Yin Kun laughed.

Previously, Gu Chengyu hadn’t spent much effort on chess and was utterly defeated in their first game. After two years of practice, he had far surpassed Yin Kun.

"That’s because senior brother let me win!" Gu Chengyu laughed heartily and took the black pieces.

As they played, Gu Chengyu recalled the incident at the palace of the Eldest Prince’s villa.

He couldn’t hide his encounter with the Eldest Prince at the villa; it was unnecessary to conceal it. Yin Kun would eventually find out, so he might as well say it sooner. As for Hui An, of course, that wasn’t to be mentioned.

While capturing a few of Yin Kun’s pieces, Gu Chengyu casually said, "This time at the villa, I met the Eldest Prince."

Yin Kun’s focus on the chessboard was instantly drawn away by Gu Chengyu’s words.

He exhaled sharply and looked at Gu Chengyu, scanning his face. Seeing Gu Chengyu’s calm demeanor without any abnormality, he sighed in relief.

"How did you run into the Eldest Prince?" he was greatly puzzled. He had heard a few days ago that the Eldest Prince was returning to the capital, so he should have been in the capital.

Gu Chengyu recounted the incident to Yin Kun, omitting Hui An’s part, only stating that the Eldest Prince had come to his villa to search for an assassin.

Yin Kun, hearing this, quickly scanned Gu Chengyu. The Eldest Prince had a somewhat eccentric personality and was generally cold to others. But according to Gu Chengyu, he seemed quite tolerant of him, which was unlike the Eldest Prince’s usual behavior.