Chapter 1318: Chapter 1154: Let Him Babysit

"However, the reason I called you here today is to entrust you with another task! You must have heard about the Eldest Prince falling into the water. He is now blind, and his temperament has changed somewhat, becoming more reclusive than before. I feel that you’re at a young age, and you two should be able to get along well. I want you to cheer him up. The imperial physicians have said that if he can’t keep in good spirits, his recovery will be slower."

The Emperor sighed as he spoke. Ye’er has remained silent these past two days, and the Empress has been worried sick.

Gu Chengyu was at a loss for words. He’s still a child himself, isn’t he? How could they expect him to take care of the prince?

"Your Majesty, though I am indeed young, others often say I am too honest and dull. If I end up angering the Eldest Prince, it would surely be my fault." Hearing the Emperor’s words, the Eldest Prince must be in a very bad mood lately and perhaps quite irritable.

If he goes and the Eldest Prince shouts at him or even hits him, he can’t retaliate with words or actions; wouldn’t that put him at a loss?

"You should give it a try. If he enjoys your company, you can spend more time with him in the palace in the future. After all, in the future, you..." The Emperor paused here, a light worry hanging on his face again.

Gu Chengyu could see that the Emperor still cared sincerely for the Eldest Prince. Whether the Eldest Prince can recover or not, the Emperor’s concern never wavers. This was meant to ensure that the Eldest Prince is not left on his own in the future.

"It’s getting late today; after the morning court session tomorrow, you shall accompany me to visit the Eldest Prince!"

After the Emperor finished speaking, he allowed Gu Chengyu to take his leave. Gu Chengyu understood the Emperor’s anxiety. He observed the Emperor’s expression earlier and suspected that the Emperor might not be able to wait three more years, as if the end was near.

The next day, Gu Chengyu looked out at the twilight through the window and turned over to get out of bed. Today was his first morning court session as a Standard Third Rank official; previously, he hadn’t even qualified to enter Taihe Palace.

"Sir!" Came the voice of wintergreen from outside the door. Gu Chengyu donned his cloak and called her inside.

After freshening up, Gu Chengyu sat before the bronze mirror, watching wintergreen style his hair. When he saw her round bun face, he suddenly thought of wintergreen’s age.

"Wintergreen, how old are you this year?" Gu Chengyu asked curiously.

This girl didn’t talk much, but her bun face seemed inexplicably amusing. Plus, she managed his courtyard very neatly; he was quite accustomed to her service.

Wintergreen’s hands paused slightly, surprised that the master would suddenly ask such a question. Initially when serving him, apart from his orders, he would never speak much to her, so it was unexpected that he would ask her age today.

Wintergreen sneaked a glance at the handsome face in the bronze mirror. When her eyes accidentally met the beautiful ones reflected, she shivered slightly, feeling a pang of guilt.

"Replying to you, sir, this servant is fourteen this year." Wintergreen felt a bit unsettled, wondering if she did something to displease him. The thought made her grow anxious.

"Hmm!" Gu Chengyu nodded and said no more.

In fact, Gu Chengyu was merely curious about the young girl’s age. If she was of marrying age, it would be improper to delay her lifelong matters.

However, at fourteen, she could still wait a bit. After all, serving closely after marriage would not be suitable, as her husband might misunderstand!

As an employee working like a household manager, Gu Chengyu was quite satisfied with her performance, as she harbored no inappropriate thoughts and was very dutiful.

"Is there anything I’ve done wrong in my service? Please, sir, point it out, and I shall correct it immediately." Gu Chengyu’s silence made wintergreen so scared that she knelt to the ground, feeling anxious since every maid in the manor eyed her position eagerly!

Earning the salary of a first-class maid made her a figure for others to curry favor with among the servants. Apart from a few major stewards, who dared to show her a bad face? Moreover, the work in the master’s courtyard was quite leisurely, making her very satisfied with this position.

"What are you doing? Get up, no need to be nervous. I just noticed your bun face and thought to ask your age; you seem rather young."

Gu Chengyu couldn’t help but think of Ming Mo and Ming Yan. These brothers were yet to be married, and here was a suitable candidate. This girl seemed stable in character, and he thought she matched well with Ming Yan. One lively, one stable, perfectly complementary!

However, he needed to ask her opinion; meddling with marital matchmaking was not his interest.

Wintergreen sighed with relief, yet pondered over this ’bun face’ remark, touching her round cheeks in confusion, feeling a bit speechless.

She looked down at her waist and wondered if she really was becoming a bit plump? Being favored by the kitchen staff who often gave her food, was she truly eating herself into a bun shape?

Seeing her sorrowful face, Gu Chengyu couldn’t help but chuckle lightly. This young girl was indeed amusing, exuding a sense of humor from every angle despite her usually serious demeanor - what an intriguing mix!

"You truly mustn’t eat any more; if you do, you’ll never get married." Gu Chengyu couldn’t resist a tease, causing wintergreen to blush deeply.

With pursed lips, the young girl quietly replied, "I haven’t eaten too much, sir."

The moment Gu Chengyu spoke, he regretted it, feeling startled. Such words shouldn’t be uttered lightly, as they seemed like flirtation. Consequently, he immediately adopted a stern expression.

Seeing Gu Chengyu’s serious demeanor, wintergreen recalled her earlier impudence and hastily sped up her movements in fright.

The lighthearted atmosphere between them faded away. Gu Chengyu felt somewhat helpless. Alas! It’s often challenging for him as a man in this life. He didn’t dare to talk too much with any young woman to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

He really was having a hard time!

"Long live His Majesty, long live, long live!" Alongside the other ministers, Gu Chengyu knelt and looked at the marble tiles on the ground, feeling an inexplicable calm within.

From outside to inside Taihe Palace, Gu Chengyu had no strong feelings. When he had earlier been promoted to Standard Fourth Rank, necessitating daily attendance at morning court, the late Emperor’s health had already deteriorated, and court sessions had been rare.

After he went to the border and returned as a Standard Third Rank, he truly hadn’t experienced the dreary days of standing outside in the wind and rain.

"Your Majesty, Prince Gong has become exceedingly presumptuous of late; how long do we intend to tolerate him? I believe we must immediately send troops to eliminate Prince Gong. Hesitation leads to chaos; we must swiftly remove him. Otherwise, Dayan will be strained by internal troubles and external threats, leaving us beleaguered."

Zhong Shize, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, spoke up, adhering to his old refrain. In recent days, it was an unavoidable topic at court.

"You frequently claim that this must be resolved immediately, yet offer no effective solutions. Sending troops against Prince Gong requires forces; where would they come from? The troops at Yuhe Pass cannot be moved. Explain to me, how should we deploy the forces?"

The Emperor was slightly angry; these people only knew how to shout but grew silent when it came to discussing solutions.

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