Chapter 89
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Chapter 89:
When selecting study companions for the princes in Daliang, they are usually chosen from the aristocratic families of the prince’s manors. Since the founding of the country, it has been a tradition to gather royal relatives and children together to study. This is done to show favor to the royal family, to choose close aides for the crown prince, and to keep talent in the palace.
Besides various royal relatives and some famous civilian "prodigies," children of officials with ranks above the third grade may also be summoned to the palace to study as future ministers. This also serves as an example for the prince.
Study companions for the prince have no official positions or salaries, only a title. However, many noble families still try to use their connections and money to send their children to the palace. Since there is currently no designated heir in the Daliang kingdom, no one can say for sure who the future crown prince will be. By building good relationships with potential heirs, there is a chance to become a close aide in the future.
And once you become the companion of the prince and princess, your status will rise. You can meet nobles of higher ranks and even see the emperor from time to time.
So choosing a companion is not only the prince selecting his future confidant, but also a gamble for the prominent families.
Li Chunzhou carried Li Zhexuan out to search for Gu Chenxin among the group of young men. She quickly found him without much effort.
At his current age, Gu Chenxin’s appearance has almost settled. His face greatly resembles how he looked at fifty, but his current physique is much more slender and elegant, like a pine tree. He exudes a graceful air in his every movement.
Li Chunzhou looked at the handsome and elegant youth with a subtle sense of unease. However, strange as it seemed, she could not deny Gu Chenxin’s superior looks.
Gu Chenxin has the typical appearance of wealth and nobility, with exquisite almond-shaped eyes, a straight nose, and long, well-defined eyebrows. His features are distinct, his face is symmetrical, and his skin is as fair as jade, shining like the sunlight of spring, radiant and lively.
The young noblemen present were all groomed with wealth and status by their families, but Gu Chenxin still stood out in the crowd like a crane among chickens.
Li Chunzhou vaguely recalled that Prime Minister Gu seemed to have been Liang Yongyuan’s companion in the past. The Gu family’s ancestors were also founding heroes, but later generations did not achieve much success, with few descendants. By Gu Chenxin’s generation, there was only him as a child in the main family.
Gu Chenxin’s grandfather relied on the glory of his ancestors to become a minor official, while his father gained fame through studying and became a third-ranking official at the Dali Temple. In the capital full of the powerful and influential, Gu Chenxin’s background could only be considered average.
So even though Gu Chenxin was handsome, not many people were friendly to him.
Li Chunzhou bent down behind Liang Yongyuan, put her hand on his shoulder and said, "Do you see him? Go choose that person as your study partner."
Liang Yongyuan asked nervously, "But what should I say? What if he doesn’t like me…"
"You don’t need to try to please him, smart people can see through that… Just be yourself when you talk to him."
Sometimes silly people are lucky, and cute children are always likable.
Li Chunzhou watched Liang Yongyuan walking away and quietly thought to herself that the empire of Daliang was already in trouble while the current Emperor was still ruling.
Because she was bored, Li Chunzhou went through many documents from the cabinet, and almost all of them were worrisome. There were thieves causing trouble in the southern disaster-stricken areas and rebellions happening in the west. From north to south, the empire was facing unrest, even near Shengjing where bandits were appearing.
These unrests were mainly due to frequent natural disasters in the past twenty years. According to Star-Picking Pavilion, it was believed that the Emperor’s rule was unjust, so heaven was punishing the people. The Emperor was troubled by this and punished many, but rumors among the people only grew louder.
Liang Yongyuan inherited a troubled empire, and the one who truly kept this kingdom alive for forty years was not the gentle ruler, but Gu Chenxin.
He helped calm down four rebellions for Liang Yongyuan, and established a system for settling refugees in the local area, appointing officials to maintain order, which finally stabilized the precarious situation in the country.
In Daliang under Prime Minister Gu’s rule, although it could not compare to the prosperous and peaceful era of the past, Li Chunzhou remembers there was a period of peace in her childhood.
Gu Chenxin was indeed a strong and decisive politician. Forty years later, the Gu family’s position in Shengjing City was not just described by their immense power. When Prime Minister Gu waved his sleeve lightly, it could stir up waves in Shengjing City.
However, the rising star of Daliang, the first Prime Minister, was still just a young boy for now.
After Liang Yongyuan made a friendly gesture, Gu Chenxin naturally became his companion.
Li Chunzhou was not surprised by this result. What she didn’t say out loud to Liang Yongyuan was, "If Gu Chenxin truly has ambition, you would make a good puppet for him."
Liang Yongyuan listened to advice, was easy to talk to, and was willing to generously delegate power to his subjects. He exuded a submissive quality that was very reassuring. If Li Chunzhou wanted to be a powerful minister, she would choose such a king.
After Gu Chenxin became Liang Yongyuan’s companion, Li Chunzhou’s days became easier, but Liang Yongyuan didn’t feel comfortable because Gu Chenxin began to demand a lot from Liang Yongyuan with almost strict standards.
Gu Chenxin originally thought that the Second Prince sought him out with some calculations in mind. However, Liang Yongyuan’s dullness far exceeded Gu Chenxin’s expectations. He looked silently at Liang Yongyuan, often furrowing his brow, and every time Liang Yongyuan saw this expression, tears quickly fell.
Gu Chenxin paused for a moment, didn’t wipe Liang Yongyuan’s tears, but handed him a clean handkerchief, saying, "Your Highness, don’t lose your composure when things don’t go well."
Li Chunzhou watched Gu Chenxin from afar when he said those words, smiled slightly. She finally understood that Gu Jianxi’s seemingly gentle and polite appearance actually hid a proud and arrogant nature.
People like Gu Chenxin, the warmth they show is actually just an act. Every time Li Chunzhou observed him, she could feel the thin, distant, and polite shell he put on.
Li Chunzhou lazily sat on the tree, feeling that Gu Chenxin and Jian Hou would get along well. Thinking of Jian Hou, she looked towards the left.
Jian Hou was leaning by the pond, drinking water like a cat, adopting the habits of a cat.
Li Zhexuan was very different from Jian Hou. He refused to elegantly kneel to drink water, insisting that Li Chunzhou should hold the water in her hands for him to drink. Li Chunzhou said if he didn’t want to drink, then forget it. He lowered his tail in a dejected and stubborn manner, saying, "Fine, I’ll just pretend to die of thirst to show you…"
Li Chunzhou knew he wouldn’t actually die if he didn’t eat or drink, but still relented and held the water for him to drink.
Li Zhexuan licked Li Chunzhou’s palm with his prickly tongue, then swayed his shiny black tail, looking proud and infatuated as he blinked at Li Chunzhou, as if being playful.
Li Chunzhou watched him, taking Li Zhexuan’s small black paws in both hands, playing with them.
Li Zhexuan couldn’t resist wrapping his tail around her wrist again. He always tried to touch Li Chunzhou whenever he could, drinking from her hand, sleeping with his head on her leg, standing on her shoulder as they walked, and leaning his head against hers… Li Chunzhou didn’t mind at all.
Jian Hou had been wanting to talk to Li Chunzhou properly all this time, but she kept rejecting him over and over again.
When sleeping at night, Li Chunzhou leaned against the tree and held Li Zhexuan in her arms. She always needed something to hug when she slept, like she was thirsty for skin-to-skin contact. She used to love falling asleep in Gu Lingfan’s arms when she was young, then in Li Zhexuan’s arms, and now she enjoyed hugging the cat to sleep.
Jian Hou had learned how to climb trees, but every time he climbed up to the branch where Li Chunzhou was, he would be pushed off by Li Zhexuan. Over time, he learned to keep his distance and slept on a branch slightly further away from them.
Li Chunzhou closed her eyes and softly hummed the lullaby Gu Lingfan used to sing to her when she was little.
With a gentle breeze brushing past and moonlight shimmering like water, the sounds of insects could be faintly heard. Her voice was gentle and tranquil, but very faint, requiring complete silence to hear clearly.
Jian Hou didn’t know what this feeling in his heart was called, but he knew that he had been sleeping well for several days in a row.
As night fell, he would eagerly wait on the branch, watching the silver moonlight stream down, blending Li Chunzhou’s soft and beautiful voice slowly, very slowly, into the night…