Chapter 36: Court Assembly +
The Iron Certificate of Immunity, later known as a ‘Death-Exempting Gold Tablet,’ was a token bestowed by ancient emperors upon meritorious officials, granting their descendants privileges or immunity from punishment.
Gu Yu had seen death-exempting gold tablets in movies and TV shows before, but this was his first time seeing one in reality. It was currently placed on a redwood tray by a eunuch and was being presented to him.
Receiving such an honor, Gu Yu naturally expressed his gratitude and then retreated to his original position, yielding his seat to General Gongsun Jie, the victorious general, and Deputy General Gu Qing, who were to receive even greater rewards from the Emperor.
However, these matters had little to do with Gu Yu. The amount of work he did and the food he ate, even receiving this imperial reward, was due to the little wife’s credit. Gu Yu alone would never have been able to easily infiltrate the enemy camp.
It was a pity that Gu Mengyao could not step forward to accept the reward at this time. However, being able to enter the imperial court was a remarkable feat that she could boast about in the future.
Regarding women entering the imperial court, the civil and military officials initially disagreed. However, they couldn’t resist Gu Qing, who, in order to compensate his daughter, wanted to bestow generous rewards upon her.
So, after some opposition, Gu Qing said nothing more and spent the following days confronting those who opposed him.
He didn’t stop at confronting them in court; he continued the confrontation after the court session. He even instructed his subordinates to cause trouble for the opposing officials, such as throwing rotten eggs at their gates and spreading rumors about them marrying their seventh concubine or suffering from impotence, causing them great distress.
Unable to bear the pressure, the ministers finally changed their stance and expressed their support for Gu Mengyao, Gu Yu’s wife, to attend court and witness Gu Yu receiving his reward.
As soon as this statement was made, it immediately sparked a heated discussion in the imperial court.
Some old conservatives did not accept women attending court, as it went against the rules. However, when Gu Qing cast his gaze upon them, they immediately looked up at the sky or down at the ground, all of them falling silent.
What else could they say? Gu Qing himself held a high position, and his father-in-law was the Great General Gongsun Jie, which meant he had a very powerful background.
Now that Gu Qing was supporting his daughter and son-in-law, they really couldn’t do anything.
Otherwise, if they were targeted, even if Gu Qing confronted them, it would be in vain, and they would have no way to retaliate.
Even if there were some stubborn factions in the imperial court, they would also assess the situation.
Especially after the army had resolved the issue with Luoluo Kingdom, their prestige was at its peak. There was no need for them to seek trouble.
“Alright, the rewards have concluded. Now, let’s discuss how to deal with Luoluo Kingdom. What should we do?”
“Reporting to Your Imperial Majesty, I have something to say.”
“Hear, Elder Master, please speak.”
After the reward presentation, the Emperor began to address actual matters.
Gu Yu, mingling with the other officials, was somewhat bored, staring at the Iron Certificate of Immunity in his hand. He thought, “The Emperor is truly calculating. Even with the rewards, he doesn’t give too much, yet he makes the recipients so grateful.”
If Gu Yu were an ancient person, he would be extremely grateful to receive these things.
However, after analyzing what he had received, Gu Yu felt that among the rewards bestowed by the Emperor, only the fine silks and colourful brocades were practical, as they could be used to make new clothes for his little wife.
Judging by the name alone, one would surely think that the Iron Certificate of Immunity, or the ‘Death-Exempting Gold Tablet,’ was very powerful.
However, the one Gu Yu held was not a death-exempting gold tablet.
This was because it did not record the Emperor’s promise, but only stated Gu Yu’s previous meritorious deeds as a form of commendation.
Compared to verbal praise, this Iron Certificate of Immunity was like written praise.
It was an upgraded version of rewarding gold…
It would have been better if he had been given hundreds of thousands of taels in silver notes…
However, the Iron Certificate of Immunity was not entirely useless; it could be used to show off in the future…
But before long, Gu Yu would return to Yang Family Village to live. Besides the threat of the Wang Clan, there was no need to display the Iron Certificate of Immunity in the peaceful countryside.
Moreover, when Gu Yu got into conflicts with others, even if he showed the Iron Certificate of Immunity, it would be useless if the other party didn’t recognize its value.
It would be better to hit them directly on the head with gold. Afterwards, he could even claim it was an imperial bestowal, which would make the other party more fearful.
This Iron Certificate of Immunity was not very heavy and looked similar to a token, making it impossible for Gu Yu to use it as a weapon.
Alas, he would keep it; perhaps it would be useful someday!
Anyway, his space was large.
Facing the honor that everyone was scrambling to obtain, Gu Yu did not feel anything special about it. He even felt it was inconvenient to use as a weapon… If others knew this, they would probably want to punch him.
“Luoluo Kingdom, disregarding the treaty between the two countries, directly sent troops to attack our country, which means they have completely torn apart any pretense of friendship. I believe that now is the time to directly lead our troops to attack Luoluo Kingdom and make them pay a bloody price.”
Just as the Emperor was inquiring about how to deal with Luoluo Kingdom, Grand Tutor Wen Li stepped forward and proposed his opinion to the Emperor, suggesting to capitalize on the victorious news and launch a full-scale attack to subdue Luoluo Kingdom into surrender.
Furthermore, Linfeng Kingdom could also seize this opportunity to annex Luoluo Kingdom.
Upon hearing Wen Li’s proposal, the Emperor naturally understood the underlying meaning of his words. However, he did not rush to express his opinion. Instead, he turned to the silent Gongsun Jie and asked for his thoughts.
“Oh? What does General Gongsun think?”
“Unadvisable. If Linfeng Kingdom initiates a war, not only will Luoluo Kingdom pay the price, but Linfeng Kingdom will also be affected. Since I hold the position of Great General, I must consider the well-being of my soldiers and do not wish for them to lose their lives in vain… Moreover, Luoluo Kingdom is not weak, and a rash attack could easily lead to mistakes. I propose to prioritize negotiation and demand territorial concessions and reparations from Luoluo Kingdom.”
Upon hearing the Emperor’s question, Gongsun Jie’s words directly refuted Wen Li’s proposal.
Wen Li was ugly and had beautiful dreams. With just a few words, he wanted Linfeng Kingdom’s soldiers to go to war, which was too naive.
Could wars be fought so casually?
Every war was accompanied by the loss of countless soldiers’ lives.
The emptiness of the national treasury during wartime, the increase in taxes, and the labor shortage caused by conscription… These issues had to be considered. It wasn’t simply a matter of issuing an order to fight.
Grand Tutor Wen Li, as a minister of military affairs in the court, was merely engaging in armchair strategy. He had never personally fought on the battlefield and thus could not truly comprehend the tragic sorrow experienced at the end of every war.
Therefore, Gongsun Jie, disregarding decorum, spoke words that made Wen Li’s face turn pale with anger, clearly enraging him.
“According to General Gongsun’s words, does Linfeng Kingdom have to humbly seek peace after Luoluo Kingdom attacked our country?”
“Not so. Luoluo Kingdom’s Great General Guan Shun is currently imprisoned in Linfeng Kingdom’s great prison. we can use him as a bargaining chip to make Luoluo Kingdom pay the price it deserves.”
“Hmph, what if Luoluo Kingdom doesn’t want this Great General and continues to attack Linfeng Kingdom?”
“In that case, this old official will naturally not shirk my duty, but I also ask Grand Tutor Wen to clearly consider the consequences. A war is not so easily fought.”
Hearing Gongsun Jie’s words, after being angered, Wen Li spoke again with extreme animosity.
Gongsun Jie was naturally not intimidated. For every word Wen Li spoke, he would retort, and the two of them exchanged arguments back and forth, creating quite a lively scene.
The Emperor, seated on the Dragon Throne, showed little change in his expression, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor. This caused the observing Gu Yu to pay attention, thinking that the position of Emperor was indeed not something anyone could occupy.
Now, with two important court ministers arguing fiercely, the Emperor remained composed, which was truly admirable!
However, just as Gu Yu was observing the Emperor, the Emperor’s gaze also turned towards him at that moment. As their eyes met, the Emperor gave him a slight smile.
This made Gu Yu feel a shiver down his spine, and he immediately lowered his head, not daring to look at the Emperor again.
This Emperor was quite approachable. When he noticed someone staring at him, he didn’t get angry.
Gu Yu thought this, and then immediately realized that he had been too bold. This was an ancient monarchy, not modern times. He should remain honest.
“In that case, let us follow General Gongsun’s suggestion and send an envoy to Luoluo Kingdom to negotiate!”
Later, while Gongsun Jie and Wen Li were arguing heatedly, the Emperor did not continue to observe but finally made a decision.
The ministers naturally had no objections to the Emperor’s decision, and the court assembly was thus adjourned.
As Gu Yu and Gu Mengyao left the Imperial Palace with Gu Qing, they happened to see the eunuch Li Ye in the distance. However, because they were in the Imperial Palace, Gu Yu could not openly greet him. They could only nod at each other and then go their separate ways.
This audience with the Emperor, all in all, was quite satisfactory.
While riding back in the carriage, Gu Yu took the opportunity to check Gu Qing’s body and confirmed that he was fine.
Afterward, when Gu Yu informed Gu Mengyao of this news, Gu Mengyao immediately decided to leave the capital the next day and return to Yang Family Village.
Later, when Gu Qing learned of the news and could not change Gu Mengyao’s decision no matter how much he pleaded, he could only nod in agreement and prepare to send many gifts for Gu Yu and Gu Mengyao to take with them the next day.
At the same time, Xing Zhi must bring people to escort them to ensure their safe arrival home.
Seeing that the conversation was dragging on, Gu Yu immediately proposed that he would go to Gu Residence to bid farewell when they left tomorrow, asking his father-in-law not to worry that they would suddenly run off.
Later, when the two returned to the inn, Gu Qing’s belongings were also sent over, making Gu Yu marvel at the efficiency.
Gu Yu first stored the Emperor’s rewards in his space, and then looked at the ginseng, bird’s nest, jewelry, and other items sent by his father-in-law. The items were estimated to fill a carriage, leaving Gu Yu speechless.
These items could not be stored in his space for now, as Xing Zhi and others would be present tomorrow. Therefore, they could only be carefully looked after on the road.
Being able to leave the capital tomorrow, Gu Yu and Gu Mengyao were both very excited, thinking that they could finally go home!
