lcionline Chapter 701 Do people really change over time?
Chapter 701 Do people really change over time?
Lin Jiayou raised his head, his eyes devoid of their usual gentleness, replaced only by a calculating coldness.
"Didn't His Majesty ask him to work with the Ministry of Revenue to draft a 'renewal of revenue and reduction of expenditure' policy? This is our opportunity."
"Qian Zhenyun's proposal to lease the Royal Garden to merchants is unprecedented and will inevitably cause entanglements with various forces."
“We can arrange for someone to pose as a wealthy businessman who wants to rent the Lin Garden and bribe Qian Zhenyun.”
"As soon as he takes the money, we'll immediately report it to the Censorate and catch him red-handed. At that time, not only will he be ruined, but the Crown Prince who recommended him will also be accused of poor judgment in choosing his subordinates and forming cliques for personal gain!"
What a wicked scheme!
He used the national policies he himself proposed to send himself to an abyss of no return.
How confident are you about this?
"Absolutely." Lin Jiayou kowtowed. "As long as Your Highness is willing to hand over the people you have placed in the Ministry of Revenue to me for deployment, I guarantee that Qian Zhenyun will have no way to defend himself!"
"it is good!"
Zhao Chenyu finally smiled, took out a token from his pocket, and threw it in front of Lin Jiayou.
"This is the waist token of my Third Prince's residence. Seeing this token is like seeing me. Vice Minister Zhou of the Ministry of Revenue will fully cooperate with you."
Lin Jiayou took the token, clutched it tightly in his hand, and a hint of smugness flashed deep in his eyes.
He quietly left through the main entrance, his figure disappearing into the darkness.
Almost simultaneously, a slender figure appeared like a ghost at the back door of the mansion.
Gu Lanxin looked around warily, and after confirming that no one was following her, she took out an oil paper package from a tree hole at the back door.
A moment later, a middle-aged man dressed as a steward of the Third Prince's residence peeked out from the back door.
Gu Lanxin handed the package over.
"Here's what you wanted." Her voice was soft and tense.
The manager took the package, weighed it in his hand, quickly glanced at it from one corner, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Well done, His Highness will not treat you unfairly."
Gu Lanxin nodded and quickly disappeared into the night.
Inside was a list she had copied in the study of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
There seems to be another connection between her and the Third Prince, one that even Lin Jiayou is unaware of.
……
Gu Qingchen tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.
Scenes from the daytime kept replaying in my mind.
When Lin Jiayou's poetic talent drew cheers from the audience, she was indeed proud and felt that he was the most dazzling man in the world.
Later, when Qian Zhenyun was harassed by the Third Prince's retainers, Lin Jiayou simply stood still.
It was Qian Zhenyun himself who, with neither arrogance nor servility, turned the tide with just a few words.
When the Crown Prince appeared and put her in a dilemma, it was Qian Zhenyun's appearance that broke the deadlock.
She grabbed Qian Zhenyun's hand and stormed back to avenge him, slapping the shill across the face.
Throughout the entire process, Qian Zhenyun stood quietly not far away watching her.
He didn't stop her, nor did he try to persuade her; he simply followed her after she finished venting her anger and said something in a low voice.
"Sister, you're still so amazing."
That sentence, like a pebble thrown into the center of a lake, kept her in turmoil all night.
Lin Jiayou could give her romance and allow her to enjoy the vanity of being the center of attention.
But Qian Zhenyun... he always gave her the most practical support and reassurance when things were at their most critical.
She suddenly remembered her father Gu Junze's words.
"You need to hone your judgment of people."
Could it be... that I really misjudged?
The thought had barely crossed her mind when she forcibly suppressed it.
No, Lin Jiayou is just not good at dealing with those schemes and tricks; he is kind by nature.
At that moment, Qian Zhenyun was sitting in his study.
Under the lamplight, what lay open before him was not a book of sages and worthies, but a detailed map of the city, delivered by fast horse from Chengdu.
His finger moved slowly across the map, finally landing on several inconspicuous residential houses.
He picked up his pen and circled those places one by one.
"Go to these places and find the person."
He handed the map to a shadowy guard behind him.
The day after the poetry gathering incident, Lin Jiayou found Gu Qingchen.
He changed into a simple blue long robe, and a hint of fatigue between his brows made him appear even more refined and elegant.
He didn't mention the embarrassment of yesterday. Instead, he asked Gu Qingchen a few questions with concern. Seeing that she was in a good mood, he brought up another matter.
"Qingchen, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."
Gu Qingchen was arranging a pot of orchids on the windowsill when she heard this and turned to look at him.
"What's the matter? Why are you being so polite with me?"
Lin Jiayou sighed, a look of reluctance on his face.
"When I came to Beijing from Chengdu, I was helped by several fellow students from my hometown. They were very talented, no less than anyone at yesterday's poetry gathering. It's just a pity that they came from poor families and failed the imperial examinations repeatedly. Now they live a very hard life in the capital."
As he spoke, the emotions in his eyes were just right, showing both sympathy for his friend and helplessness at the injustice of the world.
Gu Qingchen's heart softened instantly.
She already felt that Lin Jiayou was a talented person who was not appreciated, and after hearing what he said, she felt even more sympathetic.
"Where are they now? If they need money, I have some here..."
“It’s not about the money.” Lin Jiayou interrupted her, and said with a wry smile, “Scholars have their own integrity. They don’t want to be helped by others. They just want a stable job to make a living and then prepare for the imperial examinations next year.”
He paused for a moment, his gaze fixed intently on Gu Qingchen.
"I heard that your brother is serving in the Eastern Camp army. The army always needs some clerks who do copying and writing. I was thinking... could you please speak to your brother and ask him to give them a chance?"
Gu Qingchen thought to himself, "What's the big deal?"
She immediately patted her chest and agreed.
"That's easy! My brother's just stubborn but soft-hearted. I'll talk to him, there'll definitely be no problem!"
In her view, it was just a small favor, which helped Lin Jiayou's friend and also enhanced Lin Jiayou's reputation for being helpful.
She immediately changed her clothes, skipped lunch, and excitedly rode her horse to Dongying on the outskirts of Beijing.
In the main tent of the Eastern Camp army, Gu Xuan, dressed in military uniform, was discussing battle formations with several deputy generals in front of the sand table.
"elder brother!"
Gu Qingchen flung open the tent flap and rushed in like a gust of wind.
Gu Xuan waved for his lieutenants to leave, then frowned and looked at his unruly younger sister.
"What are you doing here in this heavily guarded military camp?"
"Something good has happened!" Gu Qingchen eagerly approached and recounted in detail the matter Lin Jiayou had asked him to do.
She thought that even if Gu Xuan didn't agree immediately, he would consider it for her sake.
To everyone's surprise, Gu Xuan didn't even take the list she handed him after hearing it; his face darkened.
"No."
Two words, crisp and decisive, leaving no room for maneuver.
Gu Qingchen's smile froze.
"Why? It's just a few clerical positions; it's just a matter of a word for you, isn't it?"