Chapter 4

In the main hall of the Duke's residence.

Four figures slowly took their seats.

Grandfather Gu sat in the main seat, a large armchair, his expression somewhat stern.

Gu Qianzhou, also known as Gu Jinnian's father, sat in the first seat on the left, his face devoid of any warmth.

The third seat was occupied by Gu Ningfan, the Xuanwu Army's deputy general and the third son of the Gu family.

The fourth seat was taken by Gu Leng, the Left Minister of the Criminal Department and the fifth son of the Gu family, sitting in the second seat on the left.

The four men were silent, making the hall feel extremely oppressive.

To put it bluntly, any one of these four was a towering presence in the Great Xia.

Duke, Marquis, Left Minister of the Criminal Department, Xuanwu Army's deputy general—each wielded terrifying power.

"Father, the Minister of Rites has already agreed to give Jinnian a place at the Great Xia Academy. I hope this matter can be put to rest."

It was Gu Qianzhou's voice.

Before Grandfather Gu could respond, Gu Leng's voice rang out first.

"Put to rest?"

"Ridiculous, how can we just let it go after Jinnian suffered such a severe ordeal?"

"The Great Xia Academy's admission is indeed precious, but to be frank, our Gu family isn't cut out for scholarly pursuits. To outsiders, the direct admission might seem valuable, but in our eyes, what does it matter?"

"Brother, I'm not saying this to criticize you, but Jinnian has suffered so much, and you remain indifferent. If it's a matter of status, I'll take care of it."

Gu Leng's voice carried a hint of dissatisfaction.

The only heir of the third generation of the Gu family almost drowned; this was no laughing matter.

What does a direct admission to the Great Xia Academy matter?

However, upon hearing this, Gu Qianzhou couldn't help but frown slightly.

He knew that the entire Gu family doted on his son and that his fifth brother was trying to help Gu Jinnian, but there were many things that couldn't be explained.

Of course, he was angry that his son almost died.

"Brother Five, the incident was caused by Jinnian's misbehavior. We don't have a strong case, and we're dealing with a group of literati, who are already difficult to handle."

"Moreover, Jinnian is fine. We should retreat when we need to. If Jinnian were truly in grave danger, I wouldn't need you to say such things. I am his father; how could I let it go easily?"

"Furthermore, although Jinnian is mischievous, he is also intelligent. Master Xu has said that if Jinnian could focus on his studies, he could become a successful candidate in the imperial examinations."

"The Great Xia Academy has dozens of great scholars. If Jinnian studies diligently, who knows, our Gu family might produce a prodigy."

Gu Qianzhou spoke, somewhat displeased, as Gu Leng's words seemed to imply that he didn't care about his own son.

Of course, the main reason for his anger was Gu Leng's previous statement.

Why should it be assumed that his son isn't good at studying?

"About the Great Xia Academy."

"Didn't you hear what Jinnian said just now?"

"Jinnian didn't speak rudely first; it was Yang Kai's daughter who framed him and twisted the facts."

"Sending Jinnian to the Great Xia Academy now would only harm him."

"Father, these were Jinnian's words after he woke up. I've always thought that although Jinnian is mischievous, he isn't that malicious. This Yang Kai, who allows his daughter to speak recklessly, is a despicable and hypocritical person."

Gu Ningfan's voice rose, cursing and explaining the situation.

"Enough."

Just as the two were about to argue, Grandfather Gu spoke.

He stopped the three from continuing their argument.

In the hall,

Grandfather Gu sat in the large armchair, looking old and frail, but his presence was like a mountain, making the three men dare not speak further.

"Regardless of who is right or wrong in Jinnian's matter, it is now meaningless."

"Public opinion is like a mountain, and the whole capital is talking about Jinnian."

"I believe what Jinnian said, but it's too late, and there are no witnesses or evidence. It's hard to argue."

"The Gu family will bear this loss."

"But to settle this matter with a direct admission to the Great Xia Academy is not possible."

"However, the court is in chaos now. Every move the Gu family makes is being watched. Without a strong case, we can only endure for now."

"Moreover, this admission to the Great Xia Academy is indeed important and significant."

Grandfather Gu spoke, sharing his thoughts.

Then, he glanced at the three men and continued.

"However, I always feel that Jinnian's near-drowning is not as simple as it seems."

"I don't care about a little public opinion; the Gu family isn't afraid of it. But if it's targeted at Jinnian, it's not a small matter. I don't expect Jinnian to have a particularly good reputation, just that he grows up healthy."

"Brother One, Brother Three, Brother Five, you must investigate secretly, especially Brother One. Jinnian is your son. The rumors outside are getting worse, and the matter is not simple. Investigate thoroughly."

"If it turns out that Jinnian was indeed at fault, the Gu family will not be unreasonable and will bear this loss. We will wait for the emperor to make a decision and then deal with these people."

"But if there are hidden issues, the officials in the capital will not have peace."

Grandfather Gu spoke, his tone becoming cold.

To outsiders, Jinnian's near-drowning was just a child's play, but in their eyes, it was far from simple.

It needed to be investigated thoroughly.

"Understood."

"I know, Father."

"Father, rest assured."

The three men nodded.

"Regarding Jinnian's matter, you should have a clear understanding."

"About Jinnian going to the Great Xia Academy, Brother One, you must pay attention. Although those literati are not good people, to truly take root in the Great Xia Dynasty, our Gu family needs a scholar."

"Jinnian is indeed intelligent, but we have spoiled him, allowing him to misbehave."

"Let him study diligently at the academy. I don't expect him to become a prodigy, but if he can pass the imperial examinations, it will bring honor to our family."

"Even becoming a scholar would be fine, as long as he is not worse than you. I would be satisfied."

Grandfather Gu said, somewhat helplessly.

This was an inevitable situation. The Gu family's lineage was of warriors, and the entire family had no interest in studying. They were excited about going to war.

Studying was more painful than being cut.

If it weren't for his high status, the Gu family wouldn't hold so many high positions.

But anyone in the bureaucracy knows that once the country stabilizes, the power of scholars surpasses that of warriors.

Warriors are valued in times of war.

In times of peace, scholars are valued.

To truly form a powerful family in a country, studying is paramount. This is the reason why all other pursuits are considered inferior, and only studying is highly regarded.

The Gu family has reached the third generation and must develop in the direction of studying.

Otherwise, a family of warriors will suffer in the future.

"Enough, let's not talk about unnecessary things."

"During this period, we must be more cautious. The return of Brother Six is likely already known, and the censors are probably already writing memorials to impeach him."

"At this critical moment, whether it's the Gu family or other noble families, we must be low-key. The emperor has big plans, and we cannot afford any mistakes."

"Otherwise, all the years of planning will be in vain."

Grandfather Gu said very seriously.

Upon hearing this, the three men became even more solemn, knowing what Grandfather Gu meant.

Currently, in the entire Great Xia Dynasty, if there is a major event,

There is only one.

Reclaiming lost territories.

This is a significant matter, involving the greatest struggle between scholars and warriors. Naturally, all other matters are insignificant.

"Understood."

The two men nodded in unison.

Then they didn't say anything more.

As for the residence,

Gu Jinnian had already let his sixth uncle go.

He didn't ask too many questions openly, and since his sixth uncle had just returned, it was normal not to know much.

However, Gu Jinnian knew that the event of the white rainbow piercing the sun would certainly attract attention in the capital.

But no one expected that he had already obtained the item.

Or perhaps someone knew, but due to his status, they didn't dare to act rashly.

There was another matter.

It was about his near-drowning.

After his sixth uncle left, Gu Jinnian sat under a tree for a long time, thinking about many things.

On one hand, it was about the ancient tree in his mind, and on the other, it was about his near-drowning.

He felt something was amiss but couldn't figure out why.

Gu Jinnian suspected that someone wanted to harm him.

But upon careful thought, there was no one in the capital who wanted to kill him, right?

Moreover, the existence of the ancient tree made it difficult for Gu Jinnian to judge.

"Never mind, let's not think about these things. Since I'm here, I'll make the best of it."

Gu Jinnian said to himself.

Currently, there were many things waiting for him to do.

Reading and studying were the top priorities.

Since he had come to this world, Gu Jinnian had been reading, mainly historical books and some odd tales.

Of course, he had also read Confucian poetry and other works.

He was a humanities student and had a deep understanding of poetry from his previous life, with a solid foundation of knowledge, which is why he could become a well-known screenwriter.

However, this world was not the ancient world of his previous life, where every poem had its story.

Reciting a poem wouldn't necessarily earn applause.

Poetry should be appropriate to the situation or the event to be considered great.

Otherwise, reciting a poem for no reason would be awkward.

Studying history and adapting poetry to the situation was the key.

Time passed, and before he knew it, it was the next day.