Chapter 506 - 342 Testing

Chapter 506: Chapter 342 Testing

Originally, everyone was fellow disciples. Out of respect for the teacher, they only needed to offer some Silver Coin to smooth things over, and Gu Chengyu would have to feel grateful to him, thus fulfilling the brotherhood among disciples.

Liang Zhirui had long thought of He Jisheng as a heartless person. In the past, He Jisheng had tried to court his young daughter because he was the Grand Secretary, but Liang discovered the plot and obstructed He Jisheng.

Later, He Jisheng expressed his desire to marry his young daughter, but was refused. Initially, Liang thought He Jisheng was studious and ambitious, clever and capable, and would certainly achieve something in the court in the future.

But who could have imagined He Jisheng’s mind was full of tricks? If he genuinely wanted to marry the daughter, why didn’t he formally propose earlier?

Even if he feared refusal, he shouldn’t connive secretly! Fortunately, the two hadn’t met privately more than a few times; otherwise, it would have brought him great shame.

Afterwards, Liang Zhirui became increasingly indifferent towards He Jisheng. He Jisheng, adept at maneuvering, became cold towards his teacher after he gained favor from his father-in-law. Later, once Liang Zhirui was appointed to office and moved away from the Capital to Jingyuan Prefecture, their relationship became even more distant.

During his time in Jingyuan Prefecture, Liang Zhirui didn’t receive many letters from He Jisheng—just a sparse few, mostly inquiries about health, ending with trivial remarks, never mentioning court matters.

Reflecting on this, Liang Zhirui sighed deeply.

"Back then it was partly my fault too; I shouldn’t have been so cold towards him. However, he was at fault first. He is a man, even if entangled with a girl, he would only gain a reputation of being romantic. But a girl is different—under my roof, I only have two daughters; the older one was married off early. To have just this young one enjoying filial piety, matters concerning a girl’s reputation—how could I tolerate it?"

The conflict between Liang Zhirui and He Jisheng was related to He Jisheng’s intention to marry the teacher’s daughter, a detail Gu Chengyu had already learned from Yin Kun, though not in detail.

Looking at it from the teacher’s perspective, Third Brother might have acted inappropriately back then; as a father, Liang Zhirui discovered the clues and naturally couldn’t tolerate it.

Gu Chengyu felt that if He Jisheng truly liked her, he could have openly brought it up; why suspect Liang Zhirui wouldn’t agree? At that time, the teacher valued He Jisheng highly, and might have approved.

Judging by the teacher marrying the second daughter to the Assistant Prefect of the Yingnan Mansion, he didn’t care about his son-in-law’s family background or official position.

But He Jisheng failed to clarify this earlier with the teacher, and when rejected, he also didn’t strive to prove himself, earn the teacher’s forgiveness; instead, he made the relationship between them worse, for which He Jisheng must bear most of the responsibility.

"The rights and wrongs of those years have passed; he is ultimately your disciple. You’ve come to the Capital, so you’ll meet more often now. If Brother He values teacher-student ties, he will certainly visit frequently; otherwise, interactions will inevitably be awkward. Teacher, might as well let go of past grievances with Brother He, put aside those bygones, and live harmoniously."

Although that’s what Gu Chengyu said, he suspected their relationship might not ease. The teacher’s nature is quite open-hearted; after all these years, surely, he no longer dwells on the matter, just unable to swallow his pride.

This requires Brother He Jisheng, as a disciple, to put in effort. As long as he shows some warmth, cares more for the teacher, surely this matter could be resolved smoothly.

Unfortunately, Gu Chengyu felt He Jisheng wouldn’t act this way, and didn’t want to speculate on the reason; after all, it was evident—everything was on the surface.

Nevertheless, since it was his brother, he couldn’t speak frankly, opting instead to console the teacher. He disdained to gossip behind backs.

Liang Zhirui paused briefly but refrained from continuing the discussion about He Jisheng, switching to talk about the Grand Secretary Xia Qing.

"I’ve heard your examination rank was almost pulled down; fortunately, the Emperor safeguarded you. This time you’re indeed lucky." Liang Zhirui expressed his exasperation over Gu Chengyu’s tumultuous path to passing the examination.

Gu Chengyu nodded with lingering fears; thankfully, he wasn’t dismissed; otherwise, he would have had to find a way. This examination had been truly arduous, not only because the questions were difficult, but also the announcement of exam results faced numerous hurdles.

Having worked hard for first place, staying in the examination room for nine days—a foul-smelling room—if he had been dismissed, how could he be content?

"Indeed, only one Imperial Examination remains."

When Xia Qing was mentioned, Liang Zhirui’s expression suddenly turned solemn.

"That Xia Qing has already noticed you; you must henceforth exercise caution, refrain from rashness. He’s a sly old fox; if he finds a weak point, he’ll plot against you from the shadows. That old scoundrel regularly schemes without getting his hands dirty, either letting others act on his hints or borrowing strength to strike. Many court officials flattered him, willing to act for his sake."

Gu Chengyu understood, observing the manipulation behind this corruption case—Xia Qing was indeed hidden in the background.

Even now, no evidence proves he was behind Guo Shi; even Guo Shi himself doesn’t know. Although suspicion surrounds him, you need proof!

No witness or material evidence whatsoever, even if he’s exposed, given the Emperor’s typical approach, he’d inevitably ignore it.

"Your brother mentioned that you went to the Tianxiang Pavilion the other day and brought back a girl?" Liang Zhirui sat opposite Gu Chengyu, took a sip of tea from his teacup, and the evident smile at the moment he lowered his head made Gu Chengyu roll his eyes.

He was watching his spectacle! Previously, this issue had almost cost him the first place position, now having passed, even the teacher came to tease him, thanks to Senior Brother’s big mouth.

"Ahem! When I was detained, the girl visited me, and I promised to redeem her freedom. Since I made a promise, of course I must help her out of the mire; a man cannot go back on his word! However, the girl is temporarily residing in the mansion and I haven’t yet thought of a way to settle her."

Actually, Liang Zhirui only brought up the younger disciple’s affairs to seek amusement after finishing official matters. He knew what sort of person Gu Chengyu was—generally would not do such things.

However, speaking so included a probing intent—youth is unaware of affairs of the heart, if led astray, frequenting a brothel, wouldn’t it ruin his prospects?

Once entangled in affairs between men and women, not only harming the body, but distracting energy, fixating on such matters is certainly inappropriate.

"I know you’re sensible; however, I must caution you: staying away from brothels henceforth is wise to avoid damage to your reputation." Liang Zhirui then straightened his demeanor and addressed Gu Chengyu.

"Yes!" Gu Chengyu responded firmly. He never liked such noisy places anyway; the few times he went were all due to circumstances.