Destined

Upon hearing Fan Xuan's words, Gu Jiusi's suspended heart suddenly settled.

He couldn't be certain about other matters, but one thing he knew clearly—at least at this moment, in Fan Xuan's mind, he was still a promising talent.

Gu Jiusi bowed earnestly and kowtowed, while mentally calculating the current relationship between Fan Xuan and Zhou Gaolang.

Fan Xuan was no fool. Having risen from a civil official to his current position proved that he had a good grasp of human nature. How could such an astute man fail to see through Zhou Gaolang's intention in placing Zhou Ye in Youzhou? Yet since he knew, why was he willing to let Zhou Ye remain in Youzhou and follow Zhou Gaolang's wishes by allowing him to enter the Ministry of Revenue?

Gu Jiusi couldn't quite figure it out for the moment. Maintaining a respectful expression, he said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Then he rose together with Ye Shi'an and Shen Ming.

A eunuch nearby smilingly reminded Fan Xuan, "Your Majesty, you haven't announced the imperial decree for Lord Gu yet. You called him up too early."

"Ah, right." Fan Xuan laughed, patting his own head and shaking it. "How forgetful of me. I've been thinking about this matter for so long that I actually forgot the decree hasn't been announced yet. Wang Hong, announce the decree."

The eunuch called Wang Hong smiled reassuringly and said, "Your Majesty simply cares too much about Lord Gu."

Gu Jiusi glanced at Wang Hong. The man appeared to be around the same age as Fan Xuan, nearly fifty years old, with the characteristic effeminate demeanor of a eunuch. His long habit of bowing and keeping his head lowered had caused his shoulders to hunch forward, naturally forming a posture of subservience. His face was fair and clean, wearing a cheerful smile that made it difficult to feel any dislike toward him. Taking the imperial decree from a younger eunuch, he stood behind Fan Xuan and loudly read out the commendation decree, appointing Gu Jiusi as Vice Minister of Revenue, Ye Shi'an as Right Remonstrance Official of the seventh rank, and Shen Ming as Commander of the Palace Cavalry of the sixth rank.

After receiving their appointments, the three expressed their gratitude for the imperial decree. Fan Xuan praised all three of them before beginning discussions about upcoming matters.

With the new dynasty recently established and everything in need of revival, internal affairs required dealing with the aftermath of war while external preparations were needed to handle the lords who hadn't yet submitted. The three men's official positions were neither too high nor too low—in other places they would be impressive titles, but in this court, they were merely small fish who had just entered deep waters. Thus the three listened silently as everyone argued noisily among themselves.

The most critical issues at present were, first, how to implement internal recuperation and recovery. After a year of warfare, many fertile fields had been abandoned, making the restoration of agricultural production at the fastest possible speed the top priority. Second was how to handle the situations with Yangzhou and Liu Xingzhi—whether to seek reconciliation or launch attacks. No one had a definite answer about this. There wasn't much to say about Liu Xingzhi—given his current actions, war with him was only a matter of time. But Yangzhou was quite different.

After Wang Shanquan's death, the Wang family still officially controlled Yangzhou, with Wang Shanquan's son Wang Sishui inheriting the position of military governor. But in reality, everyone knew that the true authority in Yangzhou now lay with that honored guest of the Wang family—Luo Zishang.Wang Sishui was now only twelve years old, merely a child. His mother was the least favored concubine in Wang Shanquan's household, originally a singing girl who relied on her looks to serve others. After Wang Shanquan's death, his other children all died mysteriously overnight, leaving only this Wang Sishui. It could be said that Wang Sishui's position was given to him by Luo Zishang; he was nothing more than Luo Zishang's puppet.

Yangzhou was prosperous, and although its military strength was not strong, it had managed to raise an army by spending money during this time. If one said they had no ambitions, they had recently annexed Cangzhou in the north and invaded Jiaozhou in the south. But if one claimed they were as ambitious as Liu Xingzhi, when Fan Xuan ascended the throne, Luo Zishang sent a gift, seemingly showing intentions of submission.

Thus, whether to attack Yangzhou or not became the focus of debate in the court.

Gu Jiusi listened as everyone in the court argued noisily, his mind drifting elsewhere.

To be honest, he was a bit sleepy from waking up too early.

After receiving the imperial decree and realizing the court affairs had little to do with him, he couldn't help but let his mind wander, just like when he used to listen to his teacher's lectures in class.

He remained lost in thought until the end, only snapping back to reality when Ye Shi'an stood beside him and cleared his throat lightly. By then, he noticed that everyone around had dispersed. Fan Xuan gave him a meaningful glance, which sent a chill down his spine. Shortly after, Wang Hong came down and said with a smile, "Lord Gu."

"Eunuch Wang."

Gu Jiusi hurriedly bowed to Wang Hong. As Fan Xuan's personal attendant, Wang Hong was someone he absolutely could not afford to offend. Wang Hong smiled and said, "This is our first meeting, my lord. There's no need to be so formal. I heard His Majesty praising you frequently these past days, and now that I've seen you in person, I know His Majesty's words were not exaggerated. You truly are a talented young man."

"You flatter me, Eunuch Wang," Gu Jiusi quickly replied. "It is only by His Majesty's grace."

Wang Hong exchanged a few pleasantries with Gu Jiusi before turning to Ye Shi'an. His demeanor toward Ye Shi'an was noticeably more respectful, his smile deepening as he said cheerfully, "Lord Ye, His Majesty would like to invite you to lunch. Would that be convenient for you?"

Ye Shi'an was taken aback and instinctively glanced at Gu Jiusi. Wang Hong did not elaborate, so Ye Shi'an understood that he was the only one being summoned. With the emperor's command, Ye Shi'an promptly agreed. Wang Hong then bid farewell to Gu Jiusi and Shen Ming and led Ye Shi'an away.

After they left, Shen Ming followed Gu Jiusi out of the hall. Once outside, Shen Ming whispered, "Brother, why do you think Fan... oh no, His Majesty summoned Shi'an?"

Hearing Shen Ming's change in address, Gu Jiusi instinctively glanced at him, holding his ceremonial tablet in hand, and said with amusement, "Why are you suddenly calling me that?"

"I've thought it over," Shen Ming said seriously. "Now that we're in the Eastern Capital, calling you 'Ninth Master' sounds too informal. I've realized that all of you are influential figures now, and I need to stay close. So, I'd better start calling you 'brother' early, so it'll be easier for you to take care of me in my old age."

"Is that how 'taking care of someone in old age' is used?"

Gu Jiusi raised an eyebrow. Shen Ming quickly added, "That's not important, none of that is important. Answer my question first."

"I'm not a fortune teller," Gu Jiusi said leisurely as they walked toward the palace gate. "Ask him yourself when he comes out."

"But I'm impatient!"Shen Ming sighed, "I need to know whether this is good news or bad news."

"Good news."

Gu Jiusi answered firmly. Shen Ming looked puzzled, "How do you know?"

"His father and His Majesty were close before. Now His Majesty probably feels guilty about what happened to his father. Plus, his uncle arrived early in the Eastern Capital and has likely already established himself there. Yesterday we didn't have time to find anyone, but today His Majesty probably intends to personally help him find his relatives. Do you think anyone who wins a battle can become an official in the Secretariat-Chancellery?"

Gu Jiusi's voice was calm, clearly deep in thought. Shen Ming was stunned for a moment before suddenly realizing something and blurting out, "Is his rank higher than mine?"

Gu Jiusi was amused by Shen Ming's concern and couldn't resist teasing him, "Shen Ming, weren't you the one who wanted to kill all the corrupt officials? Now you care about official ranks?"

"I've come to understand," Shen Ming sighed, "I was young and foolish before, don't laugh at me. Remaining an outlaw means staying an outlaw - all you meet are people like Master Ying, thinking you're eliminating evil while actually being a greater evil yourself. It's more practical to be a good official instead."

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi reached out and patted Shen Ming's shoulder, saying meaningfully, "You've grown up."

Shen Ming brushed his hand away, displeased, "Get lost!"

Gu Jiusi chuckled as he withdrew his hand. Shen Ming's eyes shifted thoughtfully before he leaned in and asked, "So is my position high-ranking or not?"

"Commander of the Palace Cavalry, one of the Upper Four Armies - it's a good position."

Gu Jiusi spoke seriously. Just as Shen Ming was about to rejoice, Gu Jiusi continued, "There are twenty-four commanders in the cavalry, each commanding two thousand men. It's a decent position."

Shen Ming's smile froze.

Two thousand men.

Not even as good as what he had achieved in Youzhou.

Feeling somewhat frustrated, the two chatted as they walked to the palace gate. Just outside the city gate, they saw Zhou Ye standing there. Gu Jiusi was momentarily surprised before becoming happy, exclaiming, "Brother Zhou?"

"Jiusi."

Zhou Ye smiled, glanced at Shen Ming behind him, and bowed, "Shen Ming is here too."

"Brother Zhou." Shen Ming said happily, "I've become an official, that thing called..."

"Commander of the Palace Cavalry." Gu Jiusi explained from the side. Shen Ming quickly nodded, "Yes, yes, that's it."

"I know." Zhou Ye said with a smile, "I heard about it from Uncle Fan last night."

Then Zhou Ye looked at Gu Jiusi and said, "Do you have time to come to my place for a simple meal today?"

"I'll come too!"

Shen Ming said cheerfully. Zhou Ye smiled and said, "I need to discuss something with Jiusi today. I'll invite you another day."

Hearing this, Shen Ming felt somewhat helpless. He waved his hand and said, "Forget it, forget it. You all have people inviting you to meals. I'll go drink by myself."

After saying this, Shen Ming casually bid farewell to the two, "I'm off," before turning and leaving.

Zhou Ye looked uneasy, "I didn't expect A Ming to be here..."

"It's fine," Gu Jiusi knew that Zhou Ye, with his considerate nature, was worried Shen Ming might overthink things. He threw an arm around Zhou Ye's shoulder and pulled him toward the carriage, saying, "He's thick-skinned. I'll just have Munan go pay for his drinks."

Turning to Munan who was following behind, Gu Jiusi said, "Go follow Shen Ming and pay for his drinking expenses."After seeing Shen Ming off, Gu Jiusi and Zhou Ye boarded the carriage together. Once inside, Gu Jiusi went straight to the point: "It was Lord Zhou who asked for me, wasn't it?"

Zhou Ye was taken aback for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. "You're just too clever."

"Just as well, I also have something to discuss with Lord Zhou."

Gu Jiusi smiled, then turned to look out at the bustling streets, a trace of worry in his expression. Zhou Ye couldn't help but ask, "Have you encountered some trouble?"

"Indeed," Gu Jiusi turned back to face Zhou Ye and sighed. "I'm still weighing whether I should speak of it."

"Tell me first, let me hear it."

"You should know that my uncle is the former Minister of Personnel, Jiang He."

Hearing this, Zhou Ye's expression immediately turned serious.

Jiang He had been imprisoned due to his association with Prince Liang. After his imprisonment, Gu Jiusi had no further details about his situation. Given Jiang He's deep ties with Prince Liang, if Gu Jiusi were to intervene on his behalf now, it would likely provoke Fan Xuan's displeasure.

"In the past, I was immature and acted recklessly, relying on my uncle as my backer. When he was in power, I took advantage of his influence to throw my weight around. Now that he's in trouble, I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Gu Jiusi studied Zhou Ye's expression and continued slowly, "I hold no disloyalty toward the new dynasty. My desire to find my uncle stems purely from familial affection and has nothing to do with political stance..."

"I understand," Zhou Ye nodded. "You don't need to explain so much to me. We're brothers—I have no suspicions toward you. I'm only concerned that if you rashly bring this up now, it might harm your career."

"But if I don't ask, will others simply forget about him?"

Gu Jiusi smiled bitterly. "It's better to be straightforward—at least that way, I'll earn a reputation for integrity."

Zhou Ye fell silent. After a long pause, he spoke up: "Don't mention this to anyone else for now. Let me make some inquiries on your behalf. Once we gauge the current sentiment toward Lord Jiang, you can decide how to proceed."

This was exactly what Gu Jiusi had been waiting to hear. He nodded and clasped his hands in gratitude. "Thank you."

"What's there to thank me for?"

Zhou Ye smiled. "It's only right."

As they conversed, they arrived at the Zhou residence. Zhou Gaolang's mansion had been bestowed by Fan Xuan—it originally belonged to a high-ranking official whose family had fled when the Eastern Capital fell. Since they hadn't been captured, the estate was sealed and turned over to the state.

The compound was exquisitely built, with pavilions and towers lining the path. It took Gu Jiusi nearly a quarter of an hour to reach the study. Standing before Zhou Gaolang, who was examining a map of the former Da Rong territory, Gu Jiusi waited respectfully. Zhou Ye led him in and then quietly withdrew. Gu Jiusi stood behind Zhou Gaolang and said respectfully, "Lord Zhou."

Zhou Gaolang acknowledged him and turned around. He looked Gu Jiusi up and down, then smiled. "Now that you've been promoted, your spirit seems different."

As he spoke, he walked to the table, picked up a chess piece, and tapped it on the board. "Come, sit. Let's play a game and chat casually."

Gu Jiusi approached respectfully and sat opposite Zhou Gaolang. Zhou Gaolang made the first move. As the piece landed, the last attendant outside withdrew, leaving the room and courtyard empty. Dark clouds gathered outside. Zhou Gaolang remarked lightly, "It seems a heavy rain is coming."

"Most likely."The sound of placing chess pieces echoed in the room, one after another. Zhou Gaolang gazed at the chessboard and said calmly, "Earlier, when Minister Fan and I besieged the Eastern Capital, our plan was to capture it first and then send reinforcements back to Wangdu. Ye knelt outside my door all night, telling me that although he hadn't known you for long, your bond with him surpassed that of brothers."

Gu Jiusi dared not speak. He kept his eyes on the chessboard, his expression unchanged.

Yet inwardly, he felt somewhat uneasy. He couldn't fathom Zhou Gaolang's purpose in saying these things.

"I agreed to send reinforcements but demanded that he remain in Wangdu afterward. Before this, Old Fan had intended to keep him in the capital and grant him a high-ranking position. Ever since Prince Liang entered the Eastern Capital, Ye has been tirelessly working behind the scenes. Given his contributions, he truly deserves a foothold in the Eastern Capital. Yet I didn't allow him to stay. Do you know why?"

Gu Jiusi's hand, holding a chess piece, paused slightly. He lowered his gaze and remained silent.

"Why aren't you speaking?"

Zhou Gaolang's eyes fell on the chess piece at Gu Jiusi's fingertips.

"This humble official dares not."

Gu Jiusi set down the piece. Zhou Gaolang chuckled, "It seems you understand. I kept him in Wangdu to secure a foundation for the Zhou family. So I told Old Fan that I feared Ye might one day overshadow Ping'er and deliberately arranged it this way. Old Fan believed me and provided twenty thousand troops to help resolve this family matter."

"Have you spoken to Elder Brother about this?"

Gu Jiusi asked plainly. Zhou Gaolang shook his head, "No. If he were told, his impatience might reveal flaws to Old Fan."

"Then why are you telling me this? What do you intend for this humble official to do?"

Zhou Gaolang fell silent for a moment before replying lightly, "You know, in chess, sometimes pieces must be placed early. If placed too late, they become useless. Ye must resent me for Old Fan to find it normal. But if trouble truly arises later and I try to explain this to Ye, will he believe me?"

Zhou Gaolang sighed, as if helpless, "By telling you this today, I'm counting on you to convey these words when the time comes. Not only must you say them, but you must also make him believe."

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi understood. Zhou Gaolang wanted him to drop hints over time—subtly enough that Zhou Ye wouldn't detect them, yet convincingly enough that when the truth emerged, Zhou Ye would accept it.

Gu Jiusi smiled wryly, "You're putting this humble official in a difficult position."

"You're a clever lad," Zhou Gaolang looked up at him, "I believe this is a small matter for you, isn't it?"

Though somewhat resigned, Gu Jiusi could only force himself to say, "This humble official will do his best."

Zhou Gaolang nodded. Seeing that Gu Jiusi had no further questions, he asked, "Is there anything else you wish to ask?"

"This humble official doesn't understand," Gu Jiusi spoke directly, "Why does Your Excellency trust me so much?"

How could matters involving suspicion of the emperor be shared so freely with someone as politically inexperienced as him?

Zhou Gaolang raised an eyebrow, seeming puzzled, "If I didn't trust you, why would I have placed you in this position?"

Gu Jiusi was momentarily speechless. Zhou Gaolang continued moving chess pieces and said calmly, "I know you won't betray Ye. Since Ye won't betray the Zhou family, it follows that you will always stand on the Zhou family's side.""You are mistaken, my lord," Gu Jiusi said calmly, his expression composed as he lifted his gaze to Zhou Gaolang, his eyes filled with sincerity. "Jiusi does not stand with the Zhou family. Jiusi stands with the common people and with justice."

Zhou Gaolang remained silent, his eyes fixed on Gu Jiusi.

In this young man's eyes, there was a clarity and a determination rarely seen among those of their middle-aged generation.

Zhou Gaolang smiled faintly.

"That is the stance of the Zhou family."

Gu Jiusi felt a wave of relief wash over him.

His words had been a test. Though he and Zhou Ye were indeed like brothers, he had no desire to be bound to Zhou Gaolang.

With Zhou Gaolang's response, Gu Jiusi finally relaxed. He posed one last question: "This humble official has one final doubt."

"Speak."

"I wish to confirm—is it His Majesty whom you are guarding against?"

Gu Jiusi stared intently at Zhou Gaolang, not missing a single flicker of emotion on his face.

To his surprise, the moment he finished speaking, an expression of profound sorrow—fleeting yet unmistakable—crossed Zhou Gaolang's features.

But the emotion vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and Zhou Gaolang resumed his usual demeanor, smiling wryly. "Old Fan and I have been brothers through life and death for decades. I would never guard against Old Fan. He saved my life back then. If he wants to take my head now, so be it. I have nothing to say."

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi felt puzzled. Then, he listened as Zhou Gaolang sighed and added, "What I guard against... is Fan Yu."

Gu Jiusi froze for a moment, his mind reeling.

He knew he shouldn't act impulsively, but in that instant, the words escaped him almost involuntarily: "Is His Majesty's health failing?"

Author's Note:

Laying the groundwork here.

The political intrigue arc is slowly heating up.

[Mini Theater]

Fan Xuan: "Minister Gu, what are your thoughts on this matter?"

Gu Jiusi: zoning out

Fan Xuan: "Minister Gu?"

Shen Ming kicks Gu Jiusi.

Gu Jiusi: "Your Majesty, I think it's excellent."

Fan Xuan: "What do you think is excellent?"

Ye Shi'an shakes his head.

Gu Jiusi: "I believe the matter just discussed requires careful deliberation. That would be best."

Fan Xuan: "What matter was just discussed?"

Ye Shi'an closes his eyes in despair.

After leaving the hall:

Gu Jiusi: "Why didn't you pass me a note when His Majesty called on me?"

Ye Shi'an: "Must you bring your study habits into your professional career?"