Chapter 21

The incident where Crown Prince Li Ji injured the Minister of Rites instantly caused a stir in the palace.

From the emperor down to the palace maids and eunuchs, everyone was shocked.

A high-ranking official, a renowned scholar, and a respected Minister of Rites had his head injured?

This was no small matter.

Gu Jinnian originally wanted to stay and see how things would unfold, but unfortunately, with such a major incident in the palace, it was not appropriate for him to stay. He was forcibly taken away by his mother, Princess Ningyue.

After returning to the Gu family, his mother, Lady Li, went to the main hall to inform Lord Linyang about the events in the palace.

Gu Jinnian, on the other hand, returned to his room to rest.

Back in his room,

Gu Jinnian skillfully took out paper and pen. The events of today made him realize several things.

First, his reputation was indeed poor, not only among the common people but also among officials.

Minister of Rites Yang Kai was a renowned scholar and held real power. If such a person could distort the truth, even the emperor would be afraid, let alone him.

Reputation was something that depended on one's status; the higher the status, the more one had to care about one's reputation, especially if one was to enter the imperial court in the future.

This was very important.

He had to clear his name and prove his innocence; otherwise, he would face even more trouble in the future.

Second, he had offended the Crown Prince. Although it seemed like a child's play, he had brought trouble upon himself. He must remember this firmly. If things worsened in the future, he would have to think of other ways to deal with it.

This was not too bad for now, as it had a limited short-term impact.

Third, there was the Daxia Academy.

Minister of Rites Yang Kai had made it very clear that once he arrived at the Daxia Academy, he would be slowly dealt with.

It was obvious that Yang Kai had already spoken to the people at the Daxia Academy. If he made a mistake at the Daxia Academy, he would likely be scolded severely.

He might even be physically punished, which he had to be cautious about.

"Calculating the time, the Daxia Academy will start in about twenty days."

"Within these twenty days, I must focus on my studies and see what good things the ancient tree can bring."

Gu Jinnian muttered to himself.

He wrote down the current issues he faced, three main problems.

Actually, there was another issue, the drowning incident.

However, this matter had no leads for now and might just be a misunderstanding, something he had overthought.

Shaking his head,

Gu Jinnian did not dwell on it further. He picked up a classic book and began to read.

At the same time, Gu Jinnian entered his mind to observe the ancient tree, looking at the newly grown resentment fruit and moved his thoughts.

The fruit fell immediately.

This resentment fruit came from the Daxia Emperor but was several times larger than the previous one, confirming that the higher one's status or realm, the more resentment they generated.

As the fruit fell, golden light spread, and soon two ancient talismans appeared.

[True Word Mother and Child Talisman]

As the ancient talisman appeared, a message also appeared in Gu Jinnian's mind.

"Is it this thing?"

Gu Jinnian was somewhat taken aback. This talisman was peculiar, not following the usual pattern. It did not make the other person tell the truth by sticking it on them.

Instead, after sticking this talisman, one could instantly sense whether the other person was telling the truth or lying, hence the mother and child talismans.

The child talisman was stuck on the other person, and the mother talisman could sense it.

This thing was not great, but it was not bad either.

If used on the right person, it would be very valuable and bring significant benefits.

Overall, it was a good thing.

If he really entered politics in the future, whether it was his superiors or subordinates, sticking one on a difficult person would clarify many things.

It was useful.

However, Gu Jinnian hoped for something more substantial, as he was currently average in every aspect except for his family background.

That was why he was not overly excited.

But it had to be said that the emperor's resentment was indeed abundant. A little trouble could earn him a reward.

Gu Jinnian thought to himself.

Time passed slowly.

Two hours went by.

All was quiet.

The entire mansion was extremely quiet, with even fewer insect sounds.

In the room,

A green lamp accompanied Gu Jinnian as he read diligently.

Strands of literary talent flowed into his body.

Not much, but it was continuous.

Gu Jinnian was not reading for the literary talent. He read each book very carefully, trying to understand its meaning and derive wisdom from it.

That was why strands of literary talent flowed into his body.

Otherwise, how could reading alone gather literary talent?

The key was to learn.

Around the hour of Chou,

Gu Jinnian felt a bit tired. He put down a book written by a renowned scholar and took a long breath.

He had not slept for twenty-three hours.

After two or three days without sleep, he was very tired.

However, reading this book had brought him significant gains, both in understanding some philosophical ideas and in increasing his literary talent.

All this literary talent flowed into the ancient tree, about to form a Confucian fruit.

"Go to sleep."

Stretching, Gu Jinnian decided to sleep, but at that moment, a voice suddenly sounded.

"Jinnian."

The voice startled Gu Jinnian. He looked over and saw his grandfather, feeling numb.

"Grandfather, what are you doing here?"

Gu Jinnian was indeed a bit numb. It was the middle of the night, and someone suddenly appeared in his room. If it weren't for his composure, he would have screamed.

"Jinnian, it seems you have truly come to your senses. To read so diligently until late at night, Grandfather is truly pleased. You are much better than your unambitious uncles. You are worthy of being my grandson."

Gu Yuan spoke, his face full of kindness and pride.

"That's true."

Gu Jinnian nodded, agreeing with his grandfather's words.

Gu Yuan: "......"

The latter clearly did not expect Gu Jinnian to be so shameless, accepting the praise without any modesty. At the same time, a faint resentment entered Gu Jinnian's body.

"Grandfather, why did you come to see me at this hour?"

Gu Jinnian looked at Gu Yuan, knowing that he must have a reason for coming so late at night, but he was curious about what it was.

"Jinnian."

"Was it you who instigated the Crown Prince to injure Yang Kai today?"

Gu Yuan asked, his face calm.

"Ah? I don't know, Grandfather. Who reported it?"

Gu Jinnian looked surprised, definitely not admitting to it.

After all, Li Ji would definitely take the blame.

Gu Jinnian was not stupid and would not confess.

"Grandfather is not here to blame you."

"Don't rush to deny it."

"Grandfather came today to give you some advice."

"By doing this, you have offended Yang Kai. Although our Gu family is not afraid, you will be going to the Daxia Academy soon."

"Once you are there, even if Grandfather wants to protect you, it will be difficult."

"But you cannot not go, so you must be smart. Whatever you do, be cautious and don't give others a handle on you."

"If those old fellows really dare to bully you, come back and tell Grandfather. Grandfather will help you, but you must be in the right first. As long as you are in the right, with Grandfather here, you will not suffer any injustice. Do you understand?"

Gu Yuan slowly said, earnestly teaching Gu Jinnian.

Clearly, the Daxia Academy was far more complex than he had imagined. Even the Marquis of Zhen could not intervene, which showed the high status of scholars in the Daxia Dynasty.

Of course, this was also related to the national situation. During peacetime, the status of generals was indeed not high.

"Grandfather, you can rest assured. After the drowning incident, I have grown up and know how to handle things."

Gu Jinnian nodded.

Hearing this, Gu Yuan was very satisfied.

"Jinnian, I am very pleased with your answer."

"Also, don't blame your father. He carries a lot of burdens that you don't know about. He may seem strict, but no one doesn't love their descendants."

"Jinnian, there are some things that Grandfather doesn't know how to tell you. You must remember, study hard and never neglect your studies. Sometimes, you must endure. Once you have an official title, everything will be easier."

"Also, your Uncle Six has arranged for someone to help you at the Daxia Academy. He can assist you a lot. If you have any questions, ask him."

Gu Yuan said earnestly.

These words seemed a bit mysterious, but Gu Jinnian nodded.

Indeed, there were many things he did not know, especially the political situation. The court was like a deep sea; no one knew what it was like until they stepped into it.

But every word his grandfather said was golden advice.

However, the person sent to help him made Gu Jinnian curious.

"Grandfather."

"I will remember."

"But, who is coming to help me?"

Gu Jinnian asked curiously.

"A great talent."

"He will find you on the day the Daxia Academy starts."

"Alright, Jinnian, rest well. Don't overwork yourself. Take good care of yourself during this time."

Gu Yuan did not specify who it was, only telling Gu Jinnian to rest well.

After saying this, he left the room.

"Take care, Grandfather."

After Gu Yuan left,

Gu Jinnian was silent for a while. After a moment, he instructed a servant to bring hot water, washed up, and went to bed.

At the same time,

Gu Yuan, who had left the room, went to the main hall alone.

At that moment, the figure of his sixth uncle, Gu Ningya, appeared there.