Chapter 56

The bureaucracy has its own set of rules. Although Gu Chengyi's case was being jointly investigated by the Ministry of Punishments and the Dali Temple, it was not under Qin Jiyan's jurisdiction. Even as the eldest grandson of the emperor and the Prince of Qin, he could not rashly intervene.

Of course, if Qin Jiyan insisted on intervening, no one would dare to say a word against him. His status and position were clear; in this world, apart from the old man on the throne, even his royal uncles would have to treat him with courtesy on the surface.

However, Qin Jiyan was clearly using Gu Chengyi's case to embarrass the Ministry of Punishments. How could he let outsiders know the real reason for his visit to the Donglin Academy?

Moreover, even if he openly declared that he was there to investigate Gu Chengyi's case, his royal uncles would think that he was using the investigation as a pretext to win over Feng Sijin and Jing Yan.

Feng Jiajian was favored by the emperor, and the head of the Feng family was the current chief minister, wielding great power. However, they were loyal only to the emperor and did not form alliances with any of the princes. Qin Jiyan's royal uncles, wanting to win over the Feng family, would have to start with Feng Sijin.

Although Feng Sijin was renowned for his talent, he was still young and had not yet entered the government. The princes would not lower themselves to come in person, and sending servants would seem disrespectful. To save face and show goodwill to the Feng family, they would usually send their sons.

Prince Zhao, for example, had Qin Yunchu interact more with Feng Sijin, hoping they could become friends, and then use his personal charm to win over Feng Sijin, thereby making the Feng family lean towards Prince Zhao.

As for Jing Yan?

Jing Yan, though equally talented and certain to pass the imperial examinations this year, lacked resources and support, making it difficult for him to advance far in the bureaucracy. The higher one stood...

The bureaucracy was never a game for one person to play. It was hard for commoners to produce noble offspring, unless they were geniuses. But even geniuses could only shine in the imperial examinations; those who rose to high positions in the bureaucracy were all exceptional.

Although Jing Yan was not from a commoner's family, he had no support in the government. Even if he were dozens of times more capable than Feng Sijin, his path to promotion would not be as smooth.

The princes did not pay much attention to Jing Yan, but they followed the principle of better safe than sorry and tried to win him over as well. After all, he was a talent, and with the support of a noble patron, he could rise to prominence quickly.

Clever people always judged others by their own standards. The princes, wanting to win over Feng Sijin and Jing Yan, assumed that Qin Jiyan's goal in coming to the Donglin Academy was to form alliances with them.

Feng Sijin and Jing Yan initially thought the same. Apart from them, there was nothing in the Donglin Academy that would be worth Qin Jiyan's personal visit. But when they saw Gu Qiancheng, they understood...

His Highness the Prince of Qin had not taken them seriously at all; he had come to accompany a beauty.

A self-deprecating smile flickered in Feng Sijin's eyes. The flattery from the princes' sons over the past few days had almost made him lose his bearings. The appearance of the Prince of Qin was a wake-up call.

Jing Yan, on the other hand, glanced at Gu Qiancheng thoughtfully. When no one noticed, he had already returned to normal, guiding the Prince of Qin to his seat.

Realizing that Qin Jiyan was not there to win over him or the Feng family, Feng Sijin felt a bit more goodwill towards him and a bit less distance.

Qin Jiyan's attitude remained unchanged, unaffected by Feng Sijin's change. He treated both Feng Sijin and Jing Yan with appreciation but no ulterior motives. The three of them talked about the wind and the moon, avoiding political matters...

Even Gu Qiancheng had to admit that the Prince of Qin was even more capable than she had imagined. He had not been blinded by power or the emperor's favor.

To remain true to oneself in the face of great power, Qin Jiyan was indeed superior to others in this regard.

Gu Qiancheng listened quietly to their conversation, from local customs to history and famous figures. She truly felt that listening to them was more enlightening than reading for ten years.

These three were well-versed and had their own views on matters. The eldest grandson of the emperor was not a superficial fool. One could learn a lot from their conversations.

Gu Qiancheng listened to them without any urgency to see the scene herself. Since Qin Jiyan did not give her the opportunity, she patiently waited...

She was already at the Donglin Academy; what was there to worry about?

Gu Qiancheng did not know that her calmness was driving Qin Jiyan crazy. He deliberately engaged Feng Sijin and Jing Yan in conversation to make Gu Qiancheng anxious and then beg him.

He admitted that it was a bit malicious, but he wanted to see Gu Qiancheng's reluctant but inevitable request. However, this woman was even more patient than he was, which was truly infuriating.

Qin Jiyan told himself that he should not stoop to quarreling with a woman!

Qin Jiyan, Feng Sijin, and Jing Yan suddenly started talking about ancient texts. Qin Jiyan naturally mentioned two good books he had recently obtained and then said to Gu Qiancheng, who was behind him, "Go to my carriage and bring those two books over."

Everything was extremely natural, with no hint of effort. If it weren't for the astute minds of Feng Sijin and Jing Yan, they would not have noticed that the flow of their conversation was always controlled by Qin Jiyan.

But even if they realized it, Qin Jiyan was so natural that they could not break free and could only be led by him...

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