Women Wearing Men: The Growth Path of the Bastards of the Aristocratic Family

After the banquet ended, local officials in Zhejiang rushed to talk to Gu Yunji and surrounded him.

"Master Gu has achieved such an achievement at such a young age. He deserves to be a first-class Tanhualang. He is indeed born to be extraordinary. If Master Gu returns to the capital one day and is favored by His Majesty, don't forget those of us who fought side by side with you in Zhejiang. Colleagues!”

"Let me just say, Mr. Gu is definitely not a thing in the pool. How can a Jinshi master who came out of the Hanlin Academy be compared with us junior officials who are waiting for appointment? Look, this opportunity has come now!"

"Master Gu, Master Gu! Do you still remember me? Like you, I also have experience in Dusi, Zhejiang. Last year you came to Dusi Yamen to hand over official duties, and we saw you! But you are working part-time, and I have been like this in my life. Well, you have a brighter future than Mr. Bu Gu, hahaha..."

……

Gu Yunji put on a perfunctory fake smile. He couldn't be too enthusiastic or too cold. His face was almost stiff.After finally sending all these people away, he just took a breath when he saw the Chief Envoy Ning Yuan approaching with a meaningful look on his face: "Hey - Mr. Gu, are you going to become famous?"

Ning Yuan was Gu Zhengde's former disciple. In the past two years, Gu Yunji had been an official in Zhejiang, and he had some friendship with him. Hearing this, he smiled bitterly and said, "Master Ning, please stop making fun of me. How did I get so prosperous?"

"You're still pretending." Ning Yuan pursed his lips in the direction Li Jinze left and winked, "I saw them all just now. Of all the local officials, His Highness the Crown Prince was only warm to you. He even sat with you during meals. , isn’t this a meteoric rise?”

Gu Yunji had a headache when he heard this, and said helplessly: "His Royal Highness the Prince is very warm to me, but Mr. Ning, do you think this is really a good thing for me? Now that I am in Zhejiang, far away from the capital, the turmoil still affects me , I really don’t want to wade into this muddy water.”

It is self-evident which kind of muddy water this trip is.

The battle to seize the rightful son has always been dangerous. The winner is king and the loser is the bandit. If he wins, he will be the hero of Conglong, and he will receive infinite glory. If he loses, he will die in the abyss, and the whole family will end miserably.

However, as the crown prince and the legitimate heir to the throne, Li Jinze's advantages are still quite obvious in the eyes of the officials.Of course Ning Yuan understood Gu Yunji's concerns and comforted him:
"It is said that good fortune and misfortune depend on each other. What seems like danger is also an opportunity. You must know that this is an honor that many people can't ask for. Don't be too repelled by it. Think about it carefully. It might be a rare opportunity."

After saying that, Ning Yuan patted his shoulder, turned and left.

Gu Yunji sighed, looked back, and found that everyone in the inner hall was gone. Only Cheng Yan was still sitting leisurely in his place, as if he was watching the fun.

Gu Yunji was so angry that he walked over and sat next to him, and said angrily: "I'm so worried, you don't care?"

Cheng Yan raised his eyebrows and looked at him: "How can I care?"

"His Royal Highness is the person you brought here. As an escort, His Majesty must have given you the power to supervise and advise. Can't you advise His Highness?"

"You also said that he is His Highness the Crown Prince, and I am just an escort. The relationship between him and me is essentially a monarch and a minister, and cannot be overstepped."

Cheng Yan shook his fan and said in a casual tone: "Not to mention that I don't have the power to control him, and the key people didn't do anything out of the ordinary. They just showed a closer relationship with Mr. Gu. This is normal. Even if I want to be with you, Even if His Majesty makes a snitch, you don’t have to fight him.”

"Okay, don't do this to me!" Gu Yunji was just worried when he saw Cheng Yan pretending to be angry, "Don't you know what it means for the prince to show his kindness to me? Cheng Yan, this is a legitimate heir, a I don't want to wade into this muddy water." "You have been in the capital, and you have won His Majesty's trust. You must have a better understanding of the situation in the DPRK than I do. Taifu Zhou just passed away last month, and the crown prince is gone. I’m in a hurry to find a new sponsor, but by chance I was chosen. At this juncture, do you think it’s a good thing for me?”

Hearing this, Cheng Yan calmed down his careless expression and said seriously: "Since you clearly see the pros and cons of this, I won't make any detours for you. Not long after the death of Taifu Zhou, the East Palace team is lacking a figure like the Dinghai Shenzhen. If you invest at this time, It is very easy to gain the prince’s trust as a disciple of the prince, which is a perfect opportunity for you.”

Seeing Gu Yunji's face sullen and silent, Cheng Yan said again: "Yunji, I know what you are hesitating about. You just want to protect yourself, do things down-to-earth, and not get involved in any disputes. But if you think about it more carefully, With your background and the current situation in the DPRK and China, can you do it?"

"The battle is inevitable. Sooner or later, the DPRK will be divided into three factions. One is the princeling party, the second is the second prince party, and the third is the imperial party. There are neutral factions, but most of them are either clean-blooded civil servants or poor and corrupt scholars. To put it bluntly, , these people have low positions and low power. In order to not be cannon fodder, they can only choose neutrality."

After hearing this, Gu Yunji slowly exhaled: "I understand everything you said, but the matter is very important. One mistake can cost me my life and fortune. I need to think about it carefully."

Cheng Yan smiled: "Then think about it slowly. At least from now on until you return to Beijing, you can think about it carefully. In short, Yunji, remember, no matter what you choose, I will help you." your."

Gu Yunji felt inexplicably relieved and smiled at him: "Okay."

-

Li Jinze's arrival came unexpectedly. Zhejiang officials were not prepared in advance, and their accommodation arrangements were hasty.At least in terms of security, it is still far from the standard of protection that a prince should have.

After all, he is the prince. If something goes wrong, all the officials in Zhejiang will lose their lives.Gu Yunji was a little worried. At night, after everyone took a rest, he took a few officials to investigate the surrounding environment of the prince's residence.

After a simple inspection, there was nothing abnormal. Gu Yunji felt relieved and was about to turn around and leave when he saw a black figure suddenly jump out in front of him.

He was startled and instantly became alert: "Who!"

The black figure didn't seem to be afraid of them, and yawned leisurely, and the voice sounded a bit familiar: "Master Gu, what are you doing here if you don't sleep so late?"

Gu Yunji narrowed his eyes: "Do you know my identity? Who are you? What are you doing here sneakily?"

"Am I sneaky?" the shadow chuckled, as if he heard something funny, "I am loyal to my duty and guard the night post, and yet I am sneaky? Mr. Gu, do you want to open your eyes wide and take a good look? See who I am?”

Gu Yunji cautiously took two steps forward and took a closer look. Only then did he realize that this man was wearing mysterious clothes. The clothes were well made, with dark gold flying fish patterns embroidered on the cuffs and hem.

Seeing the other person's face clearly by the light of the lantern, Gu Yunji said with some uncertainty: "Are you...Zhao Fan?!"