Chapter 24: How Could It Be Better?
After Gu Yu and Mengyao’s impressive horseback ride, the crowds’ overwhelming enthusiasm stretched the already long distance even further.
By the time they finally arrived at the Imperial Palace gates, nearly two hours had passed, equivalent to four hours in modern times.
This made Gu Yu’s backside ache terribly from riding, and he thought that no matter how glorious it looked, he wouldn’t do it again!
He only needed to experience this kind of entry into the city with the victorious army once to be satisfied; he didn’t need to experience it every time.
As the saying goes, maintaining a sense of novelty makes the impression even more beautiful.
Besides, let alone a transmigrator like him, even ordinary people in ancient times found it impossible to experience… So, let others experience it instead.
Lost in thought about all sorts of random things, Gu Yu’s steps followed Mengyao forward. Led by several rows of eunuchs, they went directly into the main hall and met Empress Bai Qian, whom they hadn’t seen in a long time, and the little Crown Prince, placed in a cradle by a palace maid.
Of course, there were also other ministers waiting!
When Gu Yu saw the older ministers’ legs trembling uncontrollably, his mood improved slightly, thinking that he wasn’t the only one whose backside hurt from riding, and there were also ministers with sore legs from standing for so long!
They were all in the same boat!
Fellow sufferers.
Therefore, they shouldn’t attack each other anymore; they should just congratulate each other, have a good time, and go home separately. How could it be better!
“Your humble servant, Gu Mengyao, has not disgraced my mission and protected Linfeng Kingdom from the invasion of other countries. This war has been a great victory, and I have come to report to Empress!”
Afterward, as Mengyao spoke with a solemn expression, she knelt on one knee, and some generals behind her also knelt, quickly lowering their heads, not daring to look up.
Although these generals were decisive in battle, they were ultimately subjects. When facing the emperor and ruler who decided all matters of Linfeng Kingdom, they had no choice but to lower their heads and become obedient little birds.
Just as a country has its laws, a family has its rules.
This is also the fundamental reason why monarchical rule has prevailed throughout the dynasties.
However, this did not include Gu Yu.
Although at the beginning, Gu Yu, who was then a young boy, was not inflexible, so he chose to yield to the situation and kneel… As for saying things like a man’s knees are made of gold, he would just listen to them. If he really encountered crossing into ancient times and not kneeling before the emperor, he would be in big trouble.
After all, the degree of freedom in ancient times was not high.
However, it was not impossible to avoid…
Just like Gu Yu casually holding the Iron Scroll in his hand, deliberately playing with it amidst the glaring gazes, with a flippant demeanor, made many ministers grind their teeth in anger but unable to do anything.
There was no help for it. Gu Yu held Linfeng Kingdom’s only Iron Scroll, so it was entirely reasonable for him not to kneel even before the emperor.
Once, someone saw Gu Yu using a chicken feather as an arrow, and they also felt that this “showing off” feeling was great and wanted to try imitating it… So, after specially completing many achievements, he refused rewards every time. Finally, after accumulating quite a few, and completing a monumental achievement, he mentioned it to Empress Bai Qian.
As a result, he was sent out the next day!
He was even assigned to manage a particularly remote area.
The excuse was: “More practice and self-improvement will enable you to help the country resolve difficulties.”
After this precedent, other people with similar ideas immediately abandoned their thoughts, fearing that they would be the next ones to be sent out.
Of course, some people speculated why Empress Bai Qian disagreed. Was it out of concern for the decentralization of power, the breeding of ambition, or to prevent factionalism?
There were many speculations, but no accurate answers, leaving many ministers unable to understand.
However, upon seeing Gu Yu today, many ministers immediately understood.
If they were the Empress, they would not agree to the appearance of a second person as arrogant as Gu Yu!!!
However, Gu Yu’s arrogance was not solely due to the Iron Scroll. It was also because he possessed the technology to produce explosives, which Bai Qian both feared and coveted, as well as other trump cards. Therefore, even though their status was unequal, Gu Yu did not need to worry about Bai Qian doing anything to him.
Under such circumstances, why would Gu Yu trouble his own knees? Naturally, he wouldn’t kneel if he didn’t want to.
However, compared to Gu Yu’s casualness, Mengyao was a very good subject, consciously adhering to the etiquette of monarch and subject, and not being arrogant about her achievements.
This was also due to the different education received by Gu Yu and Mengyao since childhood. If Gu Yu had transmigrated earlier, he might have had more opportunities to change Mengyao… However, Gu Yu had no intention of correcting her. Whatever his little wife wanted to do, she could do. The feeling of increased restraint due to differing ideas was very unpleasant.
Since both pursued personal freedom, what was the point of coercion!
If Mengyao also didn’t want to kneel, Gu Yu would naturally intervene and try his best to prevent Mengyao from kneeling again. However, Mengyao did not make such a request, and Gu Yu couldn’t force a cow to drink water!
“Get up quickly, Mengyao. We are truly indebted to you for defending Linfeng Kingdom this time. Besides a general amnesty, I will also give you generous rewards!”
Just as Mengyao knelt with the generals, Empress Bai Qian did not let them kneel for too long. In less than a moment, she stood up, personally went to Mengyao, and helped her up.
Bai Qian’s face was beaming with a smile, her eyes filled with excitement, her expression happy and enthusiastic, acting as if it were real.
Gu Yu, standing nearby, was extremely impressed by Bai Qian’s acting skills, thinking that there were no acting schools in ancient times to impart knowledge, yet Bai Qian acted more exquisitely than those professional actors!
This war, besides the threat of explosives, the biggest reason was that Bai Qian had killed the Witch Priest.
Without the background mastermind, the war that was forcibly initiated naturally did not continue.
In other words, the greatest contributors to this war were not Mengyao or Gu Yu, but the unassuming Empress Bai Qian.
However, these things could not be said directly, so the Gu family was pushed forward.
Fortunately, they were not blamed but received rewards and praise, which Gu Yu accepted without any resistance.
If you don’t take advantage of a bargain, you’re a fool.
Moreover, this should be the last major bargain. If no more wars occurred, he and his little wife would embark on a happy travel life, eating and earning along the way.
The development of the capital city would be entirely handed over to his father-in-law and brother-in-law, and he believed there would be no problems.
The dream of strutting around the capital in the future was completely within reach, without any difficulty at all.