FIMA Ch57.1: Investigating the Case

“…” Xie Changyue.

You are the first ever six-time top scholar. Why act like this? It ruins the children’s fantasies.

However, Xie Changyue didn’t continue to cause trouble with him.

After all, he definitely couldn’t out-talk Gu Siyuan.

Three days after making the honor roll, Gu Siyuan and the new cohort of graduates attended the morning court session for the first time and were assigned corresponding positions. Those with high rankings entered the Hanlin Academy, while others were assigned posts either locally or within the six ministries.

Naturally, Gu Siyuan was assigned to the Hanlin Academy, as a sixth-rank Revising Official.

Since the imperial examination became mainstream, there has been a saying, “No one but jinshi can enter Hanlin, and no one but Hanlin can enter the cabinet.” A background in the Hanlin Academy is considered extremely prestigious.

Gu Siyuan’s role as a Revising Official mainly involved recording the emperor’s words and actions and drafting related documents for various ceremonies.

Basically, it’s similar to a CEO’s assistant nowadays.

Because his daily work involved following the emperor, he soon became the emperor’s favorite minister. Firstly, because of his remarkable calligraphy, which the emperor greatly admired; and secondly, because of his extensive knowledge and excellent memory. The emperor could ask him anything, and he would always have an answer, making him an extremely reassuring subordinate for a leader.

As a result, within just two months, Gu Siyuan was promoted to a fifth-rank Imperial Lecturer.

Meanwhile, his fellow graduates were still struggling with the year-end assessments at the Hanlin Academy.

Upon learning this, Wang Xu spat at him a few times out of frustration.

One day, estimating the time for Emperor Yongjia to end the court session, Gu Siyuan took his assistants to the Qinzheng Hall to report and await the emperor’s summons.

However, just as they reached the side door of the hall, they heard angry shouts and the sound of cups shattering inside.

The two assistants behind him trembled immediately.

As the saying goes, “serving the king is like serving a tiger,” which is entirely true.

Gu Siyuan glanced at them out of the corner of his eye, frowned, and said calmly, “Stay calm.”

Hearing his familiar, cold voice, they felt a bit more at ease.

Although Gu Siyuan was nearly ten years younger than the two, he had an unparalleled sense of reassurance.

Since recovering from his serious illness, Emperor Yongjia has become more autocratic and increasingly capricious, throwing a fit almost every two or three days.

Three months ago, on the day Gu Siyuan first reported to Qinzheng Hall, these two almost got dragged out, but Gu Siyuan managed to resolve the crisis with a few words.

Since there was a commotion inside, Gu Siyuan couldn’t go in either.

So, he stood outside the hall with his subordinates and waited.

After a while, three figures came out one after another: the First Prince, the Fourth Prince, and Liang Cheng, the commander of the Shenwu Guard.

Liang Cheng’s face was still stained with tea leaves. This was rare, as the Shenwu Guard was one of the emperor’s four elite guards, with nearly ten thousand members. They were responsible for guarding the nine city gates of the capital and also handled night patrols, enforcing bans, and overseeing household registrations. The position of commander was that of a third-rank military officer, greatly trusted by the emperor and not easily given to anyone but close confidants.

At least he was more trusted than Gu Siyuan, who appeared to be a favored minister on the surface.

From a feudal perspective, Emperor Yongjia was considered a wise ruler. Even though he became more unpredictable after his illness, he generally directed his anger towards ordinary palace servants and did not easily humiliate civil and military officials.

No one knew what had happened to make the emperor so furious at the Shenwu Guard commander in court.

Although Gu Siyuan had many thoughts running through his mind, he maintained a calm demeanor and bowed his head as the three figures, despite their current disheveled state, were still of higher status than him.

At that moment, Eunuch Liu came out of Qinzheng Hall and smiled at him, “Lecturer Gu is here. Why not come in? The emperor is thinking of you.”

Gu Siyuan nodded immediately, smoothed his official robe, and turned to his two assistants, “Go to the side hall first and make sure the documents are sorted by noon today. I will check them then.”

“Yes,” they responded in unison.

Someone like Master Gu would make a great friend, be a lucky superior for those with ambition, and be a nightmare for those who wished to slack off.

The three high-ranking individuals who had left also glanced back at Gu Siyuan’s figure entering the hall, seemingly gaining a new understanding of the emperor’s favor towards this six-time top scholar.

Gu Siyuan followed behind Eunuch Liu into the main hall and bowed: “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Emperor Yongjia looked at him and said, “Siyuan, you have arrived.”

Gu Siyuan, now twenty years old, had recently received his courtesy name, Siyuan. His colleagues in the court referred to him as such, while his father and other family members still called him A-Yang. Xie Changyue would also affectionately call him by his full name, Gu Yang, when acting coy.

Emperor Yongjia looked at the rolled-up calligraphy on the desk and sighed, “Yesterday, I received an excellent piece of calligraphy and painting. I intended to have you join me in inscribing it, but my mood was spoiled…”

As he spoke, he snorted coldly and looked at the figures outside the hall: “I am not dead yet, but my sons are already plotting against each other, deceiving and undermining one another. And yet, they have the nerve to pester me every day to establish a crown prince.”

Hearing this terrifying statement, Gu Siyuan hurriedly advised, “Your Majesty is in the prime of life; there is no need to rush the matter of establishing a crown prince. The princes are still young and need a few more years of experience.”

Hearing this, Emperor Yongjia’s mood improved considerably.

At this moment, he enjoyed listening to youthful voices.

He looked at Gu Siyuan’s upright and steady demeanor and joked, “If only my sons were half as promising as you.”

Gu Siyuan dared not respond to this. The emperor could scold his sons, but if he agreed and said they were not as good as someone else, the emperor would likely hold a grudge for generations.

After a while, Emperor Yongjia calmed down a bit, picked up a memorial to read, and had Gu Siyuan stand by to assist with the ink.

However, this good mood did not last long. Emperor Yongjia’s brows furrowed deeply, and he angrily threw the memorial to the ground, exclaiming, “Establish a crown prince, establish a crown prince. These people are just waiting for me to die soon so they can take my place!”

Gu Siyuan quickly put down the ink and advised, “Your Majesty, please calm down.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the memorial on the ground. It was a recommendation to establish the fifth prince as the crown prince.

Ha… At this time, whoever jumps the highest will be the one the emperor dislikes the most.

Suddenly, Emperor Yongjia seemed to think of something, as if talking to himself, but also asking Gu Siyuan: “If I really need to choose a successor for my throne, who do you think is most suitable?”

Gu Siyuan’s expression remained unchanged, thinking that if it were up to him, none of the emperor’s sons were suitable, and there should be a democratic election instead.

After a long silence, Emperor Yongjia did not hear a response and turned to look at Gu Siyuan.

Gu Siyuan, however, was looking at the painting on the desk titled “Tiger Descending the Mountain and Looking Back.” He asked, “Your Majesty, is this the piece you wanted me to inscribe with you?”

Emperor Yongjia nodded.

Gu Siyuan smiled slightly, “Indeed, it’s a fine painting. I just thought of a few words to inscribe.”

Besides the throne, Emperor Yongjia’s greatest passion was calligraphy.

Hearing this, he didn’t mind the topic being changed, as this was not an issue that a mere Hanlin Scholar could solve. He said, “Siyuan, go ahead and inscribe.”

Gu Siyuan took a few steps forward and stood in front of the painting. Almost without thinking, he began to write.

At first glance, Emperor Yongjia was pleased with his improved calligraphy skills. But after reading the inscription, his expression changed.

He slowly read aloud, “The tiger is the king of all beasts, none dare to provoke its anger. Only the bond of father and son compels a step-by-step backward glance.”

“Only the bond of father and son compels a step-by-step backward glance…”

After repeating it a few times, Emperor Yongjia looked at Gu Siyuan and laughed, “You… you… You usually seem so cold and inflexible, but you actually have a delicate heart.”

Gu Siyuan’s expression remained unchanged as he replied calmly, “I am Your Majesty’s subject and only wish for Your Majesty’s happiness.”

Emperor Yongjia looked at his serious face as he flattered him, feeling a mix of exasperation and amusement. He said kindly, “Siyuan, you should be more amiable to people. For instance, those two under your command—I’ve noticed that the previous Hanlin Scholar gave them few tasks each day, and they would often play dice together and get along well.”

Gu Siyuan looked at Emperor Yongjia and said, “There are officials skilled in socializing and those skilled in practical matters. I am confident in becoming the foremost practical official, even without socializing, making it impossible for others not to use or respect me.”

“…” Emperor Yongjia was momentarily taken aback by his self-assuredness.

You are really confident!

However, he wasn’t angry; he just found it adorably straightforward.

Adorable? If Xie Changyue heard this, he would probably tease Gu Siyuan, even in bed.

Emperor Yongjia looked at a memorial on the desk and suddenly said, “Siyuan, I’ve noticed that you are quite good at observation and analysis, and you have a keen sense for accounts and calculations. Recently, you even helped this old fellow reconcile the accounts of the Directorate of Ceremonies and the Grand Treasury, didn’t you?”

Eunuch Liu, kneeling on the ground, said, “Your Majesty has keen eyes.”

Emperor Yongjia laughed and said, “I’m not bringing this up to criticize you. Siyuan is indeed good at investigation and case-solving, right?”

Eunuch Liu, understanding the emperor’s intentions, nodded and praised, “Indeed, the missing items were quickly found by Scholar Gu after a few glances around; the mismatched accounts in the treasury were also sorted out with his help.”

“The bond of father and son compels a step-by-step backward glance… Hand and heart are both cherished. Since this is the case, there is no need for suspicion, which harms the father-son relationship. Let everything be laid bare.”

Emperor Yongjia looked at Gu Siyuan and said, “Gu Siyuan, I order you to supervise the investigation of the Shenwu Army’s case of selling military equipment and give me a thorough report.”

Gu Siyuan feigned a shocked expression, “Selling military equipment, the Shenwu Army?”

After recovering from his illness, Emperor Yongjia had been rigorously managing state affairs. One day, he suddenly decided to inspect the training and equipment of the four garrisons under his command.

It turned out to be a shocking discovery.

All four garrisons had significant instances of ghost soldiers, with the Shenwu Guard being the worst. It was supposed to have ten thousand soldiers but actually had only eight thousand.

More alarming was the fact that the armory had only about nine thousand weapons, over a thousand less than the Ministry of War’s allocation. It had gone unnoticed because it still exceeded the number of actual soldiers.

In an era where weapons and armor were more precious than human lives, the loss of military equipment was a hundred times more terrifying than the practice of ghost soldiers.

In the past, only frontier troops suffering from food shortages, on the brink of starvation, would occasionally have some soldiers secretly sell military equipment. Once discovered, these individuals were publicly executed.

Since the Shenwu Guard was directly under the emperor’s command, even if they were annually short of food and silver, the Ministry of War would prioritize supplying them with the best and most excellent resources, often providing more rather than less.

Now, with such a significant shortage, it was evident that someone was embezzling and conducting private sales. Moreover, upon deeper consideration, it might even indicate plans for rebellion, as the missing quantity could equip nearly a thousand well-armed private soldiers.

Gu Siyuan narrowed his eyes; it indeed matched his predictions.

Upon seeing Liang Cheng earlier, he had his suspicions. In the original storyline, this incident marked a major turning point. It led to the decline of the fifth prince of the Wang family, raised suspicion toward the eldest prince from the current emperor, and brought the unnoticed fourth prince to Emperor Yongjia’s attention, making him consider grooming the fourth prince.

…

Leaving the palace that day, Gu Siyuan did not walk out alone as usual. Besides carrying a gold medal bestowed by the emperor, he also brought a thin record book.

The record book contained his findings from reviewing several rosters and ledgers of the Shenwu Guard in the palace today. He just needed to confirm the details, and he would be ready to proceed with the investigation tomorrow.

Upon reaching Yushu Alley.

As usual, Xie Changyue was in the front yard planting flowers, waiting for his husband.

Seeing Gu Siyuan return, he immediately dropped what he was doing and followed him into the study, excitedly grabbing him and saying, “Husband, I’ve recently learned weaving from Pa and completed a piece of cloth. I want to use it to make you a coat.”

Gu Siyuan turned and gently squeezed his hand, nodding, “Hmm, then I’ll make one for you next time too.”

“…” Xie Changyue.

He silently imagined his husband’s cold and aloof expression while sitting at a loom or holding an embroidery needle. For some reason, he felt a chill and an eerie discomfort.

He dryly responded, “Husband, I like beautiful, intricate clothes with embroidery. You probably can’t manage that.”

Gu Siyuan narrowed his eyes, “I can’t?”

“Ah…” Xie Changyue, now occasionally understanding his husband’s line of thought, feared he would use this as an excuse to tease him again. He quickly changed the subject, “Husband, shall I take your measurements first? That way, I can start making your clothes right away.”

Gu Siyuan raised his eyebrows, not bothering to argue, and silently lifted his arms, letting him do as he pleased.

Xie Changyue took a bamboo ruler and started measuring from his outstretched arms. When his fingers brushed across his chest, he felt something hard, as if there was a book hidden underneath.

Curious, he asked, “Did you bring a book back to read? What’s it about? Is it interesting?”

Gu Siyuan shook his head, “It’s unfinished work from today.”

Hearing this, Xie Changyue immediately frowned.

Knowing Gu Siyuan’s efficiency, it was surprising that he had so much work to bring home, indicating a massive workload.

He pouted unhappily and complained, “Hmph, people know you’re just a minor Hanlin Scholar. If they didn’t, they might think you’re the chief grand secretary. Not only do you have no time to relax, but you also have to bring work home. Those people outside are jealous of the emperor’s favor toward you. I think the emperor should promote you and raise your salary.”

Amused by his protective demeanor, Gu Siyuan reached into his robe and took out two items.

One was a record book, and the other was a token. He casually placed them on the table, “This task today is something others would envy. I might indeed get a promotion later.”

“Hmph…” Xie Changyue was still a bit angry.

He pouted and reached for the token he tossed aside. He saw a large golden character “Imperial” with various dragon patterns around it.

His slender fingers trembled, nearly dropping the item.

Steadying himself, he quickly stuffed the token back into Gu Siyuan’s robe, both surprised and annoyed, “You have such nerve to casually toss an imperial token. If anyone saw your disrespectful attitude, our entire family would be doomed.”