Time Travel: The Noble Family-Chapter 1228 - 514: Niu Yanghui’s Promotion

Gu Zhe and Gu Li returned to Hangzhou.

Dong Yuan was very pleased to hear that Gu Zhe had been appointed as the County Magistrate of Taicang County. The Gu Family used to be a prestigious clan in Hangzhou, with countless descendants serving in government positions. However, the family had gradually declined, and now there were very few descendants in officialdom. Although Gu Zhe’s current position was merely an eighth-rank official, he was nonetheless entering the government, and moreover, it was considered a lucrative post.

When Gu Zhe heard that Dong Yuan wanted to host a banquet, he immediately stopped her, "Mother, I only have ten days of leave, and three days have already passed. Time is tight, and I don’t have time to entertain guests." He could stay in Hangzhou only for two more days, during which he needed to connect with old friends, as networking was incredibly important in the pursuit of an official career.

Dong Yuan had no choice but to relent, then hesitated for a moment before asking, "Zhe’er, your brother also holds the Juren title. Do you think we should find a position for him as well?" Dong Yuan noticed that Gu Li’s demeanor had improved significantly since returning from Suzhou, and so she wanted him to enter officialdom and stay away from idleness.

Dong Yuan was not clueless. Her intention to have Gu Li enter officialdom stemmed from wanting to find a way herself, without troubling Yueyao again. Yueyao had just helped her eldest son secure a good position, and she couldn’t bear to ask her to help her younger son as well.

Gu Zhe’s expression immediately turned sour.

Dong Yuan realized something was wrong at once, "What’s the matter?"

Gu Zhe sighed deeply and said, "Aunt was kind enough to help me secure the position of County Magistrate of Taicang County, but Gu Li openly said in front of her that the County Magistrate was a petty role. Fortunately, Aunt was magnanimous and didn’t hold it against me. Otherwise, such a good position would have been lost because of him." Gu Zhe recalled how smoothly things went at the yamen when handling procedures and the envy on his friends’ faces when they heard he had secured the County Magistrate position. He felt especially grateful, thankful that Aunt had a generous heart and didn’t take offense.

Dong Yuan’s face turned pale instantly, "What did you say?"

Gu Zhe didn’t want to discuss it any further, as it wouldn’t be of any use, "Mother, I’m going to visit Grandfather."

The idea Dong Yuan had just developed about buying an official position for Gu Li vanished without a trace; her younger son’s reckless demeanor would only cause trouble if an official position was purchased for him.

Dong Yuan regained her composure, noticing Gu Zhe’s expressionless face, realizing he harbored resentment. Frankly, Gu Zhe’s resentment was justified—the position was originally intended by Yueyao for Gu Zhe, but Gu Li’s disdain almost jeopardized an excellent opportunity for Gu Zhe.

Feeling powerless, Dong Yuan said, "Zhe’er, don’t blame your brother; he’s clueless as well." However, she felt guilty saying this, as Gu Li was already twenty-three, yet still acted so irresponsibly.

Gu Zhe’s expression remained unchanged, "Mother, if there’s nothing else, I’ll go visit Grandfather."

Dong Yuan opened her mouth but finally nodded, "Alright."

Mr. Yu Shan was getting on in years, unable to paint or write, and even reading for long periods caused his eyes to hurt. Upon seeing Gu Zhe return, he smiled and asked, "Was everything smooth?"

Gu Zhe nodded, "Everything went smoothly," and then informed Mr. Yu Shan about his appointment as the County Magistrate of Taicang County.

Mr. Yu Shan was not surprised at all, as he had previously asked Gu Zhe to assist Yueyao with art exhibitions, intending for Yueyao to lend Gu Zhe a hand, "What do you plan to do next?"

Gu Zhe looked at Mr. Yu Shan, puzzled by the question’s meaning.

Mr. Yu Shan spoke slowly, "I’ve befriended many over the years, and getting you a position wasn’t difficult; even securing a good one wouldn’t have been hard. Yet I never stepped in personally, do you know why?" He had many friends who could be of help; arranging a good position for his grandson wasn’t a challenge.

Gu Zhe always thought his grandfather didn’t step in because he was unwilling to lower himself to ask for help.

Mr. Yu Shan chuckled, "You are my grandson, and for your future, it wouldn’t matter if I had to lower myself. The reason I didn’t intervene is to let you experience the warmth and coldness of the world." Mr. Yu Shan had long had plans concerning Gu Zhe’s future.

Gu Zhe was very surprised, "Grandfather, you actually had plans all along?"

Mr. Yu Shan was indeed gratified that Gu Zhe had made significant progress over the past half year, "Yes, your aunt and Lady Niu are like sisters. As long as your aunt asks, Lady Niu will not refuse. As long as you serve within Prefect Niu’s jurisdiction, considering your aunt’s face, he will indeed take care of you. Having connections in the court makes it easier to be an official. With someone backing you, your career path will be smooth." Entering the officialdom, one could easily make mistakes, but having Prefect Niu as a strong backing could allow minor issues to be overlooked.