Chapter 88 – It’s Not a Big Deal Either
As a favored minister, Gu Qing knew he couldn’t refuse the Empress’s orders.
Moreover, he was already a supporter of the reformist faction and hoped his son would quickly enter the government to assist him…
Those tactics of forming cliques were too low-level. He directly mobilized the entire Gu family, having his son and daughter unite.
This situation was rare, perhaps not seen in decades, no, centuries!
After all, it was uncommon for three members of a family to hold official positions… If his good son-in-law were to take office, it would mean four members of the family would be officials.
A noble family with high-ranking officials…
“Old Gu, we’ve been friends for so many years, you can’t abandon us!”
“Exactly! Have you forgotten the days we fought together on the battlefield back then?”
“You should try to persuade the Empress again. There’s no unrest in the country right now, and forcing growth is inappropriate!”
“If Her Majesty insists, I can only prove my resolve with my death!”
Gu Qing tried to clear his mind to ward off the external disturbances, but he failed.
Looking at the ministers surrounding him, Gu Qing was at a loss for words. He thought about how he had been hesitant to join any faction precisely because he had foreseen this outcome.
After so many years of friendship, casting them aside so easily made Gu Qing feel very uneasy.
However, Empress Bai Qian’s orders were not to be defied.
As a minister who had already firmly aligned himself with the Empress, receiving her command now helped Gu Qing make his decision!
He would join the reformist faction.
“Everyone, I understand your difficulties, but you must also consider my difficulties… Although the Gu family has developed well in recent years, it has always been reliant on Empress Bai Qian’s favor! Therefore, this matter cannot be changed. Please find other solutions!”
After speaking, Gu Qing did not linger in the imperial court but hurried out of the palace.
Now, Gu Qing felt he had said enough. The conservatives’ next steps were their choice.
To oppose Empress Bai Qian, they had to be prepared for a storm.
To prevent the ministers from catching up, Gu Qingheng even used his lightness skill to quickly escape the Imperial Palace and urged the coachman to hurry as he sat in the carriage.
It would be a relief to get home sooner!
Fortunately, there were no obstacles along the way. As Gu Qing alighted from the carriage, he immediately instructed the guards at the entrance to close the doors for a few days and to tell those who wished to visit to come back later.
Stepping onto his own land, Gu Qing felt an indescribable sense of comfort. He hummed a tune, ready to check on the bird he had recently purchased.
“Master, disaster! Several ministers are waiting at the entrance and insist on seeing you.”
However, before Gu Qing could return to his courtyard, the fat butler rushed over, his flesh jiggling. This made Gu Qing twitch the corner of his mouth. He hadn’t expected them to be so persistent.
The Empress had given him a lot of trouble!
“Alright, don’t report such matters to me again. Just say I’m not home.”
Waving his hand dismissively at the fat butler, Gu Qing lost the mood to entertain his birds. He headed towards the back garden to clear his mind.
Given the current situation, he had to join the reformist faction. But he couldn’t heartlessly abandon his old friends from the conservative faction.
Therefore, Gu Qing planned to beg the Empress to spare his old friends once this matter was resolved, even if it meant no rewards for himself.
However, he would probably be called hypocritical.
Whatever he did, it seemed wrong!
It would be better to go fight on the battlefield than to deal with the affairs of the imperial court.
As there had been no wars in recent years, Gu Qing had moved from the battlefield to the imperial court, making him, a military official, incredibly uncomfortable.
Especially when he was constantly attacked with veiled words by civil officials, Gu Qing often felt the urge to kill them.
However, this was his duty, and Gu Qing had to remind himself to endure.
Other military officials were in the same boat. If they hadn’t resorted to violence yet, then he, Gu Qing, couldn’t be the first to do so.
He was angry, but he couldn’t say anything…
Thinking about all the grievances he had suffered in the imperial court over the years, Gu Qing walked with a sense of anger. The surrounding flowers and plants looked utterly displeasing to him, and he wished he could chop them all down.
It was during this bad mood that Gu Qingheng walked right into his trap.
“Qingheng, even though the imperial examination is over, with your abilities, you’re sure to qualify for the final imperial examination. Why aren’t you studying diligently in your room and instead wandering around here? You really don’t give me any peace of mind…”
Facing Gu Qing’s angry outburst, Gu Qingheng reached into his father’s ear. He didn’t take his father’s anger to heart, but instead curiously asked, “Dad, please calm down! What’s wrong? You came back with such a dark face! Did someone upset you~”
It was rare for his father to be this angry, which made Gu Qingheng extremely curious.
“What is it? Do you think you can solve it! Just study hard, and you’ll qualify to enter the government later.”
Glancing at his son with annoyance, Gu Qing felt half of his pent-up anger dissipate after the outburst.
Then, thinking of his old friends waiting at the main entrance, he immediately wore a gloomy expression again, unsure how to get rid of these stubborn donkeys.
With years of friendship, Gu Qing knew their personalities well. They were the type to act only when they saw tangible benefits, and they wouldn’t just go home obediently!
Constantly loitering at his main entrance, this situation cannot continue.
“Heh heh, even if I’m not an official yet, I can still help Dad solve his problems~ What happened? Tell me quickly!”
Gu Qingheng didn’t seem bothered by being yelled at and instead coaxed his father kindly.
The Gu family’s rise had been too rapid, and inevitably, some people in the imperial court would make things difficult for Gu Qing… This was one of the reasons Gu Qingheng wanted to become an official quickly – he didn’t want Gu Qing to suffer anymore.
Once he became an official, he would show those people who was boss!
Upon hearing his son’s thoughtful words, Gu Qing couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke in a very helpless tone, “Alas, this is what happened…”
Gu Qing recounted everything that had happened at the imperial court that day. Although he knew Gu Qingheng couldn’t solve the problem, he still felt much better.
Indeed, to relieve the burden in his heart, he had to vent it out!
Next, he had to continue fighting.
Even if he offended his long-time friends, he had to fulfill Empress Bai Qian’s orders!
“Sigh, it’s just this little matter, I thought the sky was falling!”
“You brat, what do you mean ‘little matter’! Your father is going to lose quite a few friends this time, and thinking about it makes me sad!”
However, hearing Gu Qingheng’s nonchalant words, Gu Qing couldn’t help but pat his son’s head, urging him to be more realistic.
He was almost losing his hair from worry, and Gu Qingheng was still in the mood to joke.
“Heh heh, it’s fine! Dad, I can solve this matter!”
But what Gu Qingheng said next made Gu Qing freeze.
