Chapter 35 – Audience with the Emperor
The sudden summons to meet the Emperor caught Gu Yu off guard.
He hadn’t prepared anything – how was he supposed to meet the Emperor!
Fortunately, his father-in-law, Gu Qing, had everything ready.
Now, Gu Yu and Gu Mengyao just had to wait quietly for tomorrow, then attend the court, bow to the Emperor in front of all the civil and military officials, and listen to the Emperor’s praise. That would be the end of it all.
Coincidentally, they would also receive a reward.
However, Gu Qing wasn’t worried about anything else except whether his daughter and son-in-law would be too excited and make a fool of themselves in court tomorrow.
This was Gu Yu’s first appearance before the Emperor and all the civil and military officials. First impressions were crucial!
If the Emperor’s impression of Gu Yu was good, Gu Yu might come to the capital to work in the future. In that case, Gu Mengyao and her younger brother would inevitably have to accompany him, and Gu Qing would be reunited with Gu Mengyao and her brother.
The more he thought about it, the better the plan seemed, which made Gu Qing even more determined to have his son-in-law make a splash tomorrow.
Therefore, when he thought about the scene of meeting the Emperor tomorrow, Gu Qing was more worried than Gu Yu… Seeing Gu Yu, he couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation, wondering who it was that was receiving the imperial commendation!
Now, his father-in-law’s worried and confused face was more tangled than his own.
Regarding the upcoming audience with the Emperor, Gu Yu wasn’t too nervous. Instead, he calmly considered what the Emperor would reward. These were more important and practical than the Emperor’s praise.
However, if he was given gold again, Gu Yu would be tempted to curse.
The hundred taels of gold the Emperor had rewarded him last time were still sitting in his space!
Because the bottom of the gold had a special seal, Gu Yu couldn’t sell it even if he wanted to. After all, it was an imperial bestowed item and couldn’t be casually bought or sold.
It could be said that ordinary people wouldn’t dare to buy anything bestowed by the Emperor, leaving Gu Yu with no choice but to keep the gold, getting angrier every time he looked at it.
However, there was a way to spend this gold: melt it down and recast it.
But that was too much trouble…
So, this gold could only remain in Gu Yu’s hands. He thought that if he encountered someone who liked to cause trouble in the future, he would just hit them with the gold. If they dared to resist, he would show them the seal at the bottom.
This was an imperial bestowed item, how dare they resist?
Thinking about the scene of him hitting people with gold bars, Gu Yu couldn’t help but smile. Gu Mengyao next to him wondered what her little husband was thinking to suddenly be so happy.
Perhaps he was happy because he was going to meet the Emperor!
It wasn’t just Yu who was happy; she was also extremely excited. After all, the person she was going to meet tomorrow was none other than the supreme ruler of the Linfeng Kingdom.
Just thinking about it made her excited, and she felt like she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.
However, despite the excitement.
Going to court tomorrow, being stared at by so many important court officials made her very nervous!
“Yu, I’m suddenly feeling so nervous! We’re going to meet the Emperor in the Imperial Palace tomorrow. Thinking about it now feels unreal, like a dream.”
“What’s unreal about it?”
“After all, not long ago, we were living a simple life in Yang Family Village, and now we’re going to see the Emperor. The transition is too great!”
“Don’t overthink it. It’s only right that the Emperor should commend us. Don’t you remember how we turned the tide directly on the battlefield? Don’t be nervous tomorrow, just follow behind me.”
“Okay, tomorrow I’ll stick close behind Yu, not leaving your side for a moment.”
After hearing Gu Mengyao’s words, Gu Yu smiled and comforted her, wanting to calm her slightly nervous feelings.
In Gu Yu’s opinion, meeting the Emperor was really nothing.
They were all human. The Emperor didn’t have four eyes or two noses. At most, he had a bit more power, but nothing else special.
“Actually, Mengyao, you can think of the civil and military officials as the chicks from Auntie Wang Er’s family, and the Emperor as the hen leading the chicks. If you think of it that way, you won’t be nervous anymore.”
“…”
Upon hearing what Gu Yu said, Gu Mengyao was speechless. She didn’t know if her little husband was ignorant or fearless to compare the Emperor to a hen.
If others found out, they would be charged with great disrespect!
Fortunately, they were alone in the room now, with no one else present.
However, listening to Yu say that, she really wasn’t nervous anymore.
In fact, she almost wanted to laugh.
Her little husband was truly fearless!
…
“We’re about to go to the Imperial Palace. Follow closely behind me, and if anyone dares to cause trouble, I’ll deal with them.”
“Okay.”
“If you encounter any trouble, you must tell me! If someone provokes you when I’m not paying attention, you must come to me. Although I’m only a副将 (vice-general), I still have a position in court and am not afraid of them.”
“Mm.”
“Even if you’re nervous about meeting the Emperor, I’m here…”
“Father-in-law, Mengyao and I are fine. Please don’t be so nervous.”
After Gu Yu and Gu Mengyao were dressed anew, they prepared to accompany Gu Qing to the Imperial Palace to meet the Emperor. On the way, Gu Qing kept chattering, making Gu Yu’s ears almost numb.
This father-in-law really liked to worry unnecessarily!
Since yesterday, Gu Qing had been too nervous to eat and had politely declined the medicinal cuisine today, saying he needed to focus and avoid any distracting factors.
As for why he didn’t drink the medicinal cuisine… According to Gu Qing himself, after drinking the medicinal cuisine, he would feel depressed all day, which would be bad if something happened in court.
So, even though he didn’t drink it today, Gu Yu couldn’t find any reason to object, and even Gongsun Feifei readily agreed.
This made Gu Yu suspect privately… was his elderly father-in-law doing this just to avoid drinking the medicinal cuisine?
Afterwards, led by Gu Qing, Gu Yu and Gu Mengyao successfully entered the Imperial Palace and arrived at the main hall.
The Emperor had not yet appeared. Only the officials who had arrived on time were gathered in small groups, chatting about this and that, which helped to boost their spirits and relieve fatigue.
When Gu Yu and his group appeared, the officials’ spirits were immediately lifted, and their curious gazes were all cast in their direction, wanting to see what kind of person this young boy who could influence the war was!
It was said that at the young age of thirteen, he was so resourceful that he caused great losses to the Luoluo Kingdom. Truly, a young hero, deserving of admiration.
However, there were also those who held opposing opinions, thinking that Gu Yu was just a young boy and did not have such great capabilities.
Perhaps Gu Qing was biased towards his son-in-law and intentionally attributed the credit to Gu Yu, but no one dared to say anything.
After all, the military camp was still managed by Gongsun Jie and Gu Qing, and the civil and military officials in the court had no say.
At most, the Grand Commandant Wen Li, as the minister of military affairs, could interfere.
Ministers who could get by in court all had their own networks, through which they could quickly obtain information about anything they wanted to know.
Just like the father-in-law and son-in-law relationship between Gu Qing and Gu Yu, which was already known to everyone.
Upon entering the hall, Gu Yu faced the scrutiny of everyone. His delicate young face showed no other expression, only his gaze curiously observed the surrounding environment. Seeing the magnificent and opulent hall, he even wanted to steal a golden pillar.
If he melted it down, how much gold would that be!
Thinking of this, Gu Yu showed no emotion on his face. He took a few steps forward and stood beside Gu Qing, allowing people to scrutinize him more closely and reduce the attention on Gu Mengyao.
However, in a hall full of men, a woman suddenly appeared. No matter how much Gu Yu tried to shield her, it was useless; people’s gazes were still drawn towards Gu Mengyao.
Fortunately, Gu Mengyao’s nervousness subsided quickly after the initial shock.
And for some reason… when Gu Mengyao suddenly remembered Gu Yu’s words about the civil and military officials being chicks, she almost couldn’t help but laugh.
Yes, just as Yu said, she had nothing to fear!
Even though she was standing in the hall now, it was because they had contributed to the Linfeng Kingdom, not because they were criminals awaiting judgment, so there was no need to be nervous.
Seeing his little wife adapt to the environment, Gu Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Then he stood calmly in place, continuing to welcome the scrutiny of others.
Afterward, seeing Gu Yu’s composed and unpretentious demeanor, some people secretly nodded, thinking that this young boy probably had some real skills, otherwise, he wouldn’t be so calm and composed.
Of course, some people thought Gu Yu was just putting on a show.
“The Emperor arrives!”
At this moment, when the eunuch’s high-pitched voice rang out, the civil and military officials in the hall quickly adjusted their stances and stood uniformly in their positions, awaiting the Emperor’s appearance.
Then, when the Emperor, in his early twenties, appeared, Gu Yu pretended to lower his head but actually glanced curiously, wanting to see what an ancient Emperor looked like. Gu Yu had read unofficial historical accounts that said Emperors were usually ugly.
However, the Emperor sitting on the Dragon Throne at this moment was handsome. Dressed in a dragon robe, with a fair face and no beard, he would definitely be a popular young idol actor in modern times.
“Long live my Emperor!”
“All ministers, rise. Today, we convene this court session specifically to resolve the disputes with the Luoluo Kingdom. However, we will not discuss these matters for now. Our priority is to reward the meritorious officials.”
After the customary greeting ceremony, the Emperor wasted no time and directly stated the topic of discussion for the court session, causing the civil and military officials to become excited, thinking of various methods to deal with the Luoluo Kingdom.
However, these would be discussed later. For now, the Emperor was to reward the meritorious officials.
“Announce Gu Yu to step forward and receive the reward.”
“Humble subject Gu Yu, pays his respects to His Majesty.”
“For Gu Yu’s concern for the nation at the tender age of thirteen and his great contributions in the battle against the Luoluo Kingdom, he is hereby rewarded with a thousand taels of gold, a quantity of fine silks and colorful brocades, and an Iron Certificate of Immunity.”
When Gu Yu stepped forward to accept the reward, he had been expecting something good. However, upon hearing that it was gold again, he was extremely disappointed.
Even if they gave him gold, he couldn’t spend it. It would be better to give him silver notes!
However, what was an Iron Certificate of Immunity?
