Chapter 41: Since I haven't grasped the third level, let nobody pass it

As Xu Xin Yun and the others left on their own accord.

Only Gu Jin Nian, Wang Fugui, and Su Huaiyu remained in the private room.

And with Su Huaiyu's overbearing words, the private room became especially quiet.

A moment later.

Wang Fugui smoothed things over, raising his cup and said.

"Your Highness, Brother Su."

"Our gathering is a fateful encounter; let me, your younger brother, offer you both a cup here, hoping you will forget the earlier displeasure."

Wang Fugui raised his wine cup, smiling broadly as he said.

"Brother Wang, you're too polite."

Gu Jin Nian spoke, while Su Huaiyu gulped his drink in one go, tasted the wine, then lightly said: "It's been watered down a bit, but it's no problem."

He is very straightforward, lacking any emotional intelligence, and gives off an omniscient feeling—how does he know everything? Gu Jin Nian glanced at Su Huaiyu, and his interest in this person instantly grew much stronger.

"Brother Su, you're truly humorous."

Wang Fugui gave an embarrassed laugh.

However, after three rounds of drinks, he continued speaking.

"Your Highness."

"How long have you been in the village?"

Wang Fugui spoke up, asking about this.

"About half an hour, I guess."

Gu Jin Nian calculated the time and gave his answer.

"Half an hour."

"Oh, then it seems Your Highness probably doesn't know the secrets of the second level either."

Wang Fugui nodded and said.

"The second level?"

"Indeed, I'm not clear on it."

"Brother Wang, do you know?"

Gu Jin Nian answered, saying he had no clues about the second level.

"I'm not sure either; this year the Da Xia Academy is under the charge of Mr. Wen Jing, whose character is eccentric. In previous years, admission to the Da Xia Academy was merely about essays and poetry."

"But under Mr. Wen Jing, it has become strange and unfathomable."

Speaking of this, Wang Fugui also felt a bit depressed.

His family is immensely wealthy; from childhood he hired many scholars to teach him, and even for this Da Xia Academy entrance, he spared no expense in hiring a Great Scholar to guide him.

He studied diligently for ten years despite his wealth.

And now you tell me it's been changed?

How could Wang Fugui not feel upset?

"The mountain folk have their own clever plan."

"Mr. Wen Jing acting this way must have his own purpose."

"There's no need to worry too much."

"Come, Brother Wang, have a drink."

Gu Jin Nian raised his wine cup, showing a gentle smile.

Wang Fugui nodded, downed his drink in one gulp, then looked at Gu Jin Nian and continued.

"However, Your Highness still needs to be more careful."

"I, your younger brother, enjoy making friends; I've been in the village for half a day and have met many people."

"However, I've found that most of the younger generation of scholars hold some opinions, favorable or not, about Your Highness."

"It must be someone secretly intending to damage Your Highness's reputation."

Wang Fugui spoke up.

He mentioned a matter, causing Gu Jin Nian to pay attention.

"Damaging my reputation?"

Gu Jin Nian set down his wine cup, then slowly said.

"If no one envies you, you're mediocre; let them talk if they like."

"It's not that Gu Jin Nian doesn't care about his reputation."

"On the contrary, Gu Jin Nian cares greatly about his reputation."

He knows how important public opinion is for a person.

However, the problem arises.

What can we do even after knowing?

Are we supposed to tear their mouths open one by one?

"Saying something unpleasant, is the Yongsheng Emperor formidable? Yet he is still scolded by countless scholars across the world; everything has two sides."

"As long as you hold a high position, no matter what you do, there will always be praise and criticism."

"Do you expect the world to understand you? To tolerate you? Or just go wash up and sleep."

"According to Gu Jin Nian's view, his uncle suffers from severe psychological issues, having obtained his position illegitimately, thus he places extreme importance on the world's opinion of him."

"He handles everything personally, strives for good governance, hoping to create a prosperous era, so that civil and military officials and the people of Da Xia can see that he, Li Yan, is a good emperor."

"But this idea is extremely naive, purely a product of his own mind."

What does it matter to forge a golden age? Whether to spray you or spray you, erasing a person's achievements with a single sentence isn't that simple? In one sentence, Yongsheng is merely inheriting the founder's assets.

Then you can render your uncle's lifelong effort completely null.

Therefore, if he were to ascend on his own, Gu Jin Nian would definitely walk the path of a tyrant.

Any civil official or scholar who dares to speak out of turn would be killed.

What about a feudal prince with an army? Do you still have a chance to be a fief? Devoting oneself entirely to improving people's livelihoods is enough; fairness lies in people's hearts, the populace is fed and clothed, and they have a sense of justice.

Thus, Gu Jin Nian doesn't care about his reputation, because there's no way to resolve it.

"His Highness the Crown Prince is wrong."

"As for reputation, fairness resides in people's hearts."

"But you can't stop some people from fanning the flames, especially these scholars."

"Take, for example, just now—Xu Xinyun comes from an average family, yet dares to touch the Crown Prince's nerves; that is unusual."

"My younger brother may be average in studies, but is slightly better in worldly affairs."

"From a small example to a larger one, normally, even if dissatisfied with His Highness the Crown Prince, a mere magistrate's son would not dare to confront the Grand Duke's grandson."

"There must be some trickery in this."

Wang Fugui spoke. He doesn't like people like Xu Xinyun—not because of character, but because they're brainless.

Moreover, since Gu Jin Nian is the Crown Prince, he naturally wants to curry favor, which is why he says these things.

"Trickery?"

Gu Jin Nian nodded; he also had a sense of it in his mind and understood Wang Fugui's meaning.

"Brother Su, what do you think?"

Gu Jin Nian turned his gaze toward Su Huaiyu; this fellow has keen insight, so he could ask.

"It's merely the scholars' inherent flaw."

"In the end, it's the court officials who cause the trouble."

"These scholars each try to emulate famous Confucian admonitions, flaunting their uprightness."

"Yet each is as timid as a mouse; when truly faced with a problem, they cower."

"Also being acquainted with Zhang Yun, exchanging a few insults is quite normal."

"Ultimately, it's just someone secretly ruining your reputation."

"According to my plan, devise a way to gather some evidence; I will push for his execution by beheading, which shouldn't be difficult."

"But his father is the current Great Scholar; the Ministry of Justice likely can't handle it, so your grandfather must step in."

"But it's very troublesome."

"If the Crown Prince wants to root out the problem, I know some outlaws who could kill him; the price is uncertain, but let's start at a hundred thousand taels of silver."

Su Huaiyu's words were sharp.

And his remarks left everyone silent.

Especially Wang Fugui, who wanted to leave.

After all, Su Huaiyu's words were too rebellious.

"Hiring a murderer and speaking of killing so lightly? The other party is still a Great Scholar."

"Can't you at least respect the Great Scholar?"

Gu Jin Nian, standing nearby, also fell silent.

Sure enough, this fellow's mind is a bit off; a normal person wouldn't dare say such things.

"Fine, since it's past, let's just drop it."

"What matters now is still about the Second Gate."

"Brother Su, do you know where the mystery of this Second Gate lies?"

Gu Jin Nian didn't want to continue this topic.

If it gets spread later, that's no small matter; if a schemer learns of it, they can use it to disgust you, guaranteed effective.

"Now let's think about what the Second Gate is."

Hearing Gu Jin Nian's words, Su Huaiyu, unhurried, took a token from his bosom and placed it on the table, saying.

"Enter through the South Gate, and you can obtain a Heaven Token."

"The Second Gate is to find the Earth Token; if you didn't enter through the South Gate, you must locate two tokens."

"As for the Third Gate, it's unclear."

Su Huaiyu gave the answer.

"Earth Token?"

Gu Jin Nian was somewhat surprised; he had a Heaven Token on hand, but didn't expect the Second Gate required gathering a second token.

"So that's how it is, but where are these tokens?"

Wang Fugui's eyes lit up; he stared at the token in Su Huaiyu's hand and couldn't help asking.

"The assessment location is chosen at Creek Village."

"Then these tokens are within the village."

"The Heaven Token is fine; it's hidden in various nooks and crannies, and careful observation can easily find it."

"The Earth Token, however, is in the hands of the villagers of Creek Village."

"After several hours of investigation, not every villager possesses an Earth Token; to obtain one, you can use various methods—steal, coerce, trade, or simply pay silver."

"Or help them out."

Su Huaiyu answered.

"I see."

"I still don't have a token; if you two gentlemen don't mind, let this humble younger brother go look first."

Wang Fugui grew a little impatient.

He had been searching here for ages without finding any clue, and didn't expect it to be like this.

"No need."

But Su Huaiyu shook his head, then took a cloth sack from his bosom and opened its mouth.

In an instant, a flurry of Heaven tokens and Earth tokens appeared.

Like rain.

Falling onto the table.

Leaving Gu Jin Nian and Wang Fugui dumbfounded.

Good fellow.

You just took all the tokens? Who the hell are you? "Brother Su, how do you have so many tokens?"

Wang Fugui went numb.

His voice trembled.

"Just bored, so I put these things away."

"Besides, I don't know what the third level is; if I can't beat others, better keep them stuck at the second level."

"Reduce my pressure."

Su Huaiyu wore a serious expression.

At the same time, his chopsticks kept picking up delicacies.

This kind of reasoning.

Made Gu Jin Nian exclaim, "Good fellow."

Since I can't guarantee passing the third level, I'll make sure no one can get past the second.

Your "surround Wei, rescue Zhao" is masterfully executed.

Su Huaiyu.

The eternal god.

(End of chapter)