Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 555 - 391 Heartache

Gu Chengyu was making plans in his heart, but his steps did not slow down. Ren Ge didn’t take him back to the office but went directly to Mr. Zhang’s place.

"This subordinate Gu Chengyu greets Mr. Zhang!" Gu Chengyu entered the room and saluted Zhang Hai.

"Hmm! This is Eunuch Quan beside the Emperor; the Emperor wants to summon you!" Zhang Hai looked at the tall and handsome young man before him and spoke kindly.

Lately, he had probed Gu Chengyu and found that this boy was not the arrogant type he had imagined. Originally, he planned to let the senior officials of the Hanlin Academy guide him in his work after the books of Wenhua Pavilion were sorted. However, the Emperor was in more of a hurry than he was.

"Eunuch Quan!" Gu Chengyu cupped his hands towards the eunuch Xiao Quanzi, who also returned the gesture.

Xiao Quanzi was wearing the uniform of a sixth-rank eunuch, one rank higher than Gu Chengyu’s. However, eunuchs did not hold real power, and although Xiao Quanzi was sixth-rank, he naturally stood lower in front of these officials.

There had long been regulations in the previous dynasty prohibiting eunuchs from participating in politics; therefore, the status of eunuchs in the current dynasty wasn’t very high.

Zhang Hai noticed that Gu Chengyu only cupped his hands towards Eunuch Quan and felt a bit satisfied. No matter what rank they were, these eunuchs were no match for the court officials.

Some officials, seeing the favored eunuchs beside the Emperor with their seductive demeanor, found it unpleasant. But Gu Chengyu’s lack of disdain and excessive flattery made Zhang Hai regard him more highly.

Xiao Quanzi led Gu Chengyu out of the Hanlin Academy towards the Imperial Study Room behind Jingyang Palace.

"Eunuch Quan, I wonder what the reason is for the Emperor’s summons?" Gu Chengyu approached slightly and asked the eunuch walking ahead.

Xiao Quanzi had already assessed Gu Chengyu; the Emperor valued this Champion Scholar and mentioned he was a man of talent. Chief Chen had been guarding against him lately, unable to approach the Emperor. He took on the task of a little eunuch to meet Gu Chengyu.

He heard the Second Prince recommending Gu Chengyu before the Emperor that day and noticed the Emperor’s unusual attitude towards him. He took the opportunity to establish some connections with this rising star of the court.

Gu Chengyu glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then discreetly took out a silver note worth fifty taels and slipped it into Xiao Quanzi’s hand.

Xiao Quanzi didn’t expect Gu Chengyu to be so astute; he calmly accepted the silver note into his sleeve with natural and swift movements.

Gu Chengyu knew that eunuchs with a bit of status in the palace wouldn’t hesitate to accept benefits. It seemed that Eunuch Quan often received such favors.

Xiao Quanzi had caught a glimpse; seeing it was a fifty-tael silver note, he thought to himself, Mr. Gu is quite generous. Although he wanted to make friends with the young Mr. Gu, if he didn’t accept the silver note, Mr. Gu might think he didn’t wish to engage. Therefore, Xiao Quanzi accepted, planning to offer more guidance later.

"Mr. Gu, don’t worry. The Emperor heard of your quick wit and new poetry form, thus called for you."

The Emperor heard that Prince Jing recently got so engrossed in that lyric that he neglected his meals and devoted himself to studying it. Curious about the creator, who was Gu Chengyu, he summoned him.

Gu Chengyu suddenly understood it was because of the lyric. After the literary gathering at Tianxiang Pavilion, his lyric had inspired students to follow suit, and Mr. Dong Yuan even sent him an invitation to a literary gathering.

Unfortunately, the Imperial Examination was three days away, so focused on that, he missed the literary gathering held by the great scholars. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"I see, thank you for informing me, Eunuch Quan." Gu Chengyu smiled at Xiao Quanzi, while internally assessing Xiao Quanzi’s status near the Emperor.

Achieving the Vice Commander position was not without ability; he should be valued by the Emperor. Why would he be doing such a menial task? Gu Chengyu didn’t believe his face was significant enough for the Emperor to personally send a sixth-rank eunuch to summon him.

"You’re too kind, Mr. Gu. Just call me Xiao Quanzi." Xiao Quanzi, intending to build rapport with Gu Chengyu, naturally wanted to close the distance.

Gu Chengyu gave him a surprised look, then waved his hand, saying, "That’s not appropriate; let’s stick with Eunuch Quan!"

It was a joke; he wasn’t the Emperor or Eunuch Quan’s superior, so how could he call him Xiao Quanzi? That was courtesy; truly addressing him by that would be out of line.

After walking for almost half an hour, Gu Chengyu finally reached the back of Jingyang Palace. He couldn’t help but marvel at the palace’s size; if one were to travel back and forth between the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial Study Room several times a day, much time would be spent on the road.

Xiao Quanzi instructed Gu Chengyu to wait outside the Imperial Study Room while he went inside to report. De’an was grinding ink for the Emperor and, upon seeing Xiao Quanzi enter, simply lifted his eyelids before continuing his task.

Gu Chengyu noticed another eunuch standing outside the Imperial Study Room, dressed in attire of a seemingly lower rank than Eunuch Quan’s.

"Emperor! Mr. Gu has arrived!" Xiao Quanzi reported respectfully, bowing his head to the Emperor.

"Let him in!" said the Emperor, looking at the large characters in his hand, his brows furrowed. Perhaps due to his busy political affairs, his handwriting had deteriorated compared to before.

Upon hearing Xiao Quanzi mention Gu Chengyu’s arrival, he remembered the matter of the lyric. The Fourth had recently become obsessed with it, studying wholeheartedly and nearly forgetting to eat or sleep.

For this frail and sickly son, he didn’t know how to interact with him. Keeping him in the Capital was to let the Imperial Physician find a remedy, hoping to eradicate the residual poison in his body for a longer life!

Ultimately, he was his son; his mother passed away after giving birth to him, and with his poor health, sustained by medicine each year, he couldn’t bear to let the Fourth worry about other matters. He needed to focus on nurturing his health.

That stubborn yet endearing woman, if not for her last request, he wouldn’t have been so hard-hearted towards the Fourth.

The Emperor sighed, love was deep but the fate shallow, the past like smoke, drifting away with the wind. Decades had passed in the blink of an eye; he aged, truly aged.

Xiao Quanzi went out to invite Gu Chengyu in.

De’an had accompanied the Emperor for many years and understood his temperament somewhat. He usually seemed indifferent to Prince Jing, but knew that the Ministry of Internal Affairs allocated countless silver taels and precious herbs to Prince Jing Mansion annually.

Recently, the Eldest Prince mentioned that Prince Jing was so engrossed in poetry that he forgot to sleep and eat, which made the Emperor somewhat heartache for Prince Jing. Summoning Mr. Gu was likely to have him write a few pieces to send to Prince Jing Mansion.

Unfortunately, the Emperor’s intentions were unknown to Prince Jing. He probably still thought of himself as an unloved Prince!