Chapter 44: A Desperate Straight Man Part 1

Yuan Zhuo gripped the plum branch Gu Huaiyu had handed him, his thumb unconsciously rubbing the sharp edges where the wood had been snapped.

The branch was light, yet it felt as though it had cleaved through every lesson he had received since his youth. Those concepts of “Orthodoxy” and “Benevolent Governance” had shattered entirely with that single, casual snap.

Compared to the long-winded rhetoric and scholarly jargon of the sages, every word Gu Huaiyu spoke was concise and easy to grasp. There were no citations of classics, no moralizing quotes from saints—just a raw force that touched the very essence of things.

This wasn’t a lesson on how to be a “Wise Ruler.” It was a lesson on how to be a real human being. He didn’t have to be a saint or a gentleman; he only had to answer to his own conscience.

“I understand now!”

Yuan Zhuo looked up at him, the tears in his eyes shimmering with a growing brightness. “From now on, I will not read the Treatise on Statecraft, nor will I listen to Qin Zijin’s lectures!”

“Can you teach me?” He leaned forward, his eyes filled with a youth’s pure, almost pious reverence. “Teach me things that are actually useful! Teach me… how to be like you!”

Gu Huaiyu looked down at him for a long moment. He was reasonably satisfied with this studious attitude and gave a slight nod. “We shall see if I have the time.”

“State affairs are demanding. I cannot promise to always be available to instruct Your Majesty.”

Though his words were cold, they still carried the weight of a promise.

Yuan Zhuo’s eyes lit up brilliantly. He instinctively reached out to grab Gu Huaiyu’s hand, but the moment his fingers brushed against that cold, delicate skin, he faltered. Instead, he shifted his grip downward, tightly clutching the hem of Gu Huaiyu’s official robes.

“I will wait! No matter how long it takes!” The young Emperor’s voice was hushed, but he couldn’t hide the joy vibrating through it.

Gu Huaiyu glanced down at his sleeve, now bunched and wrinkled in the boy’s grip. The high-quality cloud-patterned silk was incredibly delicate; one squeeze was enough to leave conspicuous creases across his otherwise pristine uniform.

Following his gaze, Yuan Zhuo’s expression stiffened. He quickly released his grip and looked down, trying to smooth out the wrinkles with his fingers.

“I am sorry… I wrinkled your clothes,” he whispered, his voice so soft it was barely audible, his ears turning a shade of red so deep they looked ready to bleed.

Gu Huaiyu gave a faint, “Mn.” Then he added, “If Your Majesty has nothing else, I have matters at my estate to attend to.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away.

Anyone else would have known to stop after receiving such a cold shoulder for so long. But Yuan Zhuo was different. Today, Gu Huaiyu hadn’t just avoided being cold; he had actually spoken at length and even promised to teach him.

The young Emperor was already overflowing with happiness. He had no room left for restraint or dignity.

He hurried after him, breaking into a small trot to walk side-by-side with the Chancellor. “The things you said today… the more I think on them, the more useful they seem.”

“They make so much more sense than the jargon the Grand Preceptors spout. They only ever tell me to memorize the Guidelines for Sovereigns, but you cleared my mind with just a few sentences…”

“You are so good to me. You are the only one who doesn’t treat me like ‘The Emperor.’ You never speak to me in empty platitudes…”

Annoyed by the constant stream of flattery, Gu Huaiyu didn’t slow his pace. He merely uttered two words: “Too loud.”

Yuan Zhuo shut his mouth immediately. Then, changing the subject, he asked, “I haven’t seen Minister Xie at the morning courts lately. Have you sent him out of the capital on business?”

Gu Huaiyu’s brow arched slightly. He wondered why the boy was suddenly asking about Xie Shaoling.

Xie Shaoling was someone Gu Huaiyu had personally scouted and intended to cultivate. While he was technically a servant of the Emperor on paper, in reality, he answered only to the Chancellor’s Estate.

Why the sudden concern? Was the brat trying to poach his people?

His voice turned a few degrees colder. “And what if I have?”

Yuan Zhuo peeked at his icy profile before quickly looking away. He gave a light cough. “I simply saw that Minister Xie possesses great scholarship and can share your burdens. It makes me feel… gratified.”

Gu Huaiyu felt a flicker of annoyance. He had intended to teach Yuan Zhuo some practical skills, knowing that if the Emperor was a blockhead, his own schemes would be for naught. But this little brat—give him an inch, and he tries to take a mile. Now he was already eyeing Gu Huaiyu’s subordinates?

“Why should Your Majesty care?” Gu Huaiyu asked with a slow, mocking drawl. “Are you truly gratified?”

As expected, Yuan Zhuo looked guilty. His gaze darted away, landing on the snow-covered eaves of a distant palace building. “Naturally… I am gratified that you have found such a—kindred spirit.”