Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity

Chapter 919 - 755: Courtesy Name Hehuan

This afternoon, Gu Chengyu was so intensely focused that even beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. His stomach was not to be outdone, and had long begun to play the trick of the empty city.Suddenly, Gu Chengyu recalled the time during the imperial examination when he was equally nervous. However, the exam was much more difficult than this task.

Once the ink was dry, Gu Chengyu carefully gathered the documents, planning to send them to Zhang Hai early the next morning.

Gan Dianji had been waiting by the side the whole time. Seeing that Gu Chengyu was wrapping up, he dared to step forward and remind him.

"Mr. Gu, the duties for the day have ended. Are you planning to return?" Gan Dianji’s words were ostensibly a reminder, but implicitly they were meant to show him out.

After all, he also needed to return, didn’t he? Besides, it was getting late, and the Hanlin Academy needed to be locked up.

"Oh! It’s already time to leave? My apologies for taking up so much of your time."

Gu Chengyu looked at Gan Dianji with sincere regret, thinking that this person was indeed decent, which made finding books at the Wenhua Pavilion much less troublesome.

"It’s nothing, Mr. Gu. You’re exaggerating. This is just my duty, after all. Besides, it’s only been a short while since the duties ended, so you haven’t delayed me much."

Gan Dianji waved his hands repeatedly, as he dared not show any dissatisfaction towards someone far above his rank.

When Gu Chengyu returned to the office, he was surprised to find that Chou Yifan hadn’t left.

"Jinyu!" Seeing Gu Chengyu enter, Chou Yifan raised his head from a pile of books and greeted him with a smile.

"Mr. Qiu, why haven’t you left? Haven’t the duties ended?" Gu Chengyu asked, surprised.

"Oh! I finished a portion of the compiled volumes earlier and am now correcting errors." Chou Yifan closed the book in front of him and replied helplessly.

Gu Chengyu saw him stand up and begin to pack his things, indicating he was about to leave.

"Is the draft of the Holy Edict done, Jinyu?" Watching Gu Chengyu organizing books, Chou Yifan turned his gaze towards the stack of books Gu Chengyu brought in.

The top two sheets of xuan paper should be the Holy Edict, right?

"Almost. Once I return tonight, I’ll make some final revisions and polish it." Gu Chengyu dared not say he had finished, as it would seem too arrogant.

"Oh? No wonder Mr. Zhang entrusted you with this task. Being well-read, you are familiar not only with the Four Books and Five Classics but also other texts. It’s likely that you’ve seen relevant records before, making the work much easier for you!"

"Mr. Qiu flatters me. The Emperor did not appoint a scholar; I was just pushed onto the stage!"

Gu Chengyu humbly exchanged a few words, then prepared to leave the palace with the stack on the table.

Chou Yifan’s gaze flickered slightly. "I wonder if Jinyu could let me have a look? Though my talents may be shallow, even three unremarkable people together can match Zhuge Liang! Besides, I just want to admire your literary flair, why not let me broaden my horizons?"

Chou Yifan’s sudden request made Gu Chengyu pause; this seemed rather inappropriate.

Though sharing it was not a big deal, and colleagues might offer feedback upon seeing it,

the Holy Edict was of utmost importance, and Gu Chengyu did not wish for any mishaps.

Moreover, Chou Yifan claimed to admire his literary talent, but he had never seen him request poems or essays from him before.

"I haven’t truly completed it yet. Once I polish it tomorrow, I’ll gladly seek Mr. Qiu’s advice."

Gu Chengyu tactfully declined, but Chou Yifan was not easily dissuaded, "Haha! What? Is Jinyu afraid I’ll eat up the paper?"

Gu Chengyu found Chou Yifan’s behavior unusually odd today, given his typical tact.

His refusal was already quite clear, yet Chou Yifan was insistent, probably harboring some ulterior motive?

In recent days, Chou Yifan had shown keen interest in the position of Assistant Lecturer, perhaps fearing that Gu Chengyu might obstruct his path.

Upon recalling that the Second Prince was made Crown Prince today, Gu Chengyu understood Chou Yifan’s anxiety.

"What is Mr. Qiu saying? I do hope Mr. Qiu offers his suggestions."

At this point, unless willing to break relations, it seemed necessary to let him see it.

After all, Gu Chengyu believed Chou Yifan couldn’t play any tricks under his watch; letting him see wouldn’t hurt.

Couldn’t let such a trivial matter sour their relationship, could they? After all, a quarrel over it would reflect poorly.

People would simply think Gu Chengyu was petty and arrogant, which could tarnish his reputation; it wasn’t worth avoiding for something trivial.

Handing the paper to Chou Yifan, Gu Chengyu glanced at his hands, ensuring he held no sharp objects or tea cups.

At that moment, Gu Chengyu couldn’t discern what mischief Chou Yifan might be up to, so he decided to watch and see.

Chou Yifan took the paper and carefully looked at it.

"Jinyu! You truly are a champion scholar of remarkable talent. The Holy Edict is impeccable; I can’t find anything that needs correction. You even mentioned going back to polish it. It seems you’re too humble." Chou Yifan praised.

"Oh, but Mr. Qiu has been serving at the Hanlin Academy for years and should be more adept at these things than I am. Besides, Mr. Zhang saw me as the least busy, otherwise how would I have such an opportunity?"

"Why is Jinyu still calling me Mr. Qiu? That’s too formal; call me by my courtesy name, Hehuan."

Chou Yifan looked at Gu Chengyu with reproach, showing a hint of discontent.

Gu Chengyu touched his nose, internally wondering, I’m really not that close to you!

Besides, the name Hehuan evoked certain suggestive associations for Gu Chengyu, making him unaccustomed to using it.

After returning the Holy Edict, they exchanged a few polite words before each left for home.

Gu Chengyu sat in the carriage, still pondering Chou Yifan’s intentions.

He again opened the two Holy Edicts to examine them carefully, finding no issues. Shaking his head, he temporarily set the matter aside.

The next day, Gu Chengyu went to Zhang Hai’s place early in the morning.

"Greetings, Sir. The Holy Edict is completed; please review it!"

Zhang Hai wasn’t surprised, as he knew Gu Chengyu’s capabilities. He had promised it would be completed before the court session recessed.

Taking the document, he examined it thoroughly from top to bottom, nodding repeatedly.

"This is your first time drafting a Holy Edict, particularly for the Crown Prince’s appointment, yet there isn’t a single oversight. Well done!"

After reading it, Zhang Hai naturally offered unstinting praise.

Gu Chengyu hadn’t simply copied from records of the late Emperor’s era; he had made significant modifications.

Because when the Emperor was made Crown Prince, he was still young, but the Second Prince was past the age of maturity, requiring careful rephrasing.

"If there are any areas that need improvement, I would appreciate your revisions." Gu Chengyu’s expression remained unchanged, unaffected by Zhang Hai’s laudation.

Zhang Hai was greatly satisfied with Gu Chengyu’s composure.

His usual care towards Gu Chengyu partly stemmed from a previous issue concerning the arrangement of the ceremonial canon, which left him feeling guilty and wanting to make amends to Gu Chengyu.

Additionally, Gu Chengyu’s extraordinary capabilities were highly valued by the Emperor, leading Zhang Hai to believe that Gu Chengyu might rise swiftly through the ranks in the future.