Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 561 - 397: Selection of Officials

"The old lady just said she’s unwilling to have her pulse checked, saying it’s incurable." Dumb Granny conveyed Mrs. Lv’s intentions to Mr. Gu, leaving him speechless with anger.

If Mrs. Lv is saying this, then it seems there’s no real illness. The reason Mrs. Lv said so is simply because she wants to go to the Capital, isn’t it?

Mr. Gu sighed, turned around, and retraced his steps. Since Doctor Li had come, it wouldn’t be appropriate to let him make the trip for nothing. Even though he is Fourth’s master, one shouldn’t mess with him, right? He felt a bit embarrassed; a few days ago, Mrs. Lv was still making a fuss with him, but now she had changed her tactics.

Dumb Granny thought this time the old master surely wouldn’t be able to go against the old lady, and the journey to the Capital might not be far off. How many years had it been? Almost ten years, perhaps? Dumb Granny never thought she’d have another chance to return to the Capital.

Shaking her head to discard past memories, those were all bygone matters. Now, she was just a servant of the Gu Family.

Mr. Gu, feeling very apologetic, saw Doctor Li out, then returned to the inner courtyard in a huff, intending to question Mrs. Lv about what she really wanted.

Upon entering the main room, however, he saw Mrs. Lv holding the family letter that Xiao Bao had sent a few days ago, silently weeping. Mr. Gu’s eyes couldn’t help but sting as well; as the saying goes, "When a child travels a thousand miles, a mother worries." The old woman surely misses Xiao Bao too much, and truthfully, so does he!

Mr. Gu’s heart wavered. If they were to go to the Capital with his wife for a while, the second son couldn’t cause much trouble, could he? Thinking of the second son who was wandering somewhere at this time, Mr. Gu could only silently sigh again in his heart.

"You can’t read, what are you looking at? Didn’t Da Lang read it to you the other day?" Mr. Gu knew that at this moment, Mrs. Lv wouldn’t want to talk to him, so he just tried to make conversation.

Mrs. Lv had already noticed Mr. Gu entering. She didn’t move a muscle as she faced away from Mr. Gu. She wouldn’t pay him any heed until he agreed to go to the Capital.

Seeing her attitude, Mr. Gu was quite helpless and could only persuade, "You haven’t eaten well these past two days. I know you want to go to the Capital to see Xiao Bao. Didn’t Xiao Bao say he has already applied for family leave? We’ll all go to the Capital together when he returns. We haven’t visited the Capital yet!"

Mr. Gu did look forward to the Capital. It’s beneath the Emperor’s feet, and his son had become an official, but he hadn’t yet witnessed his son’s majesty. Moreover, his second daughter was also in the Capital, and he hadn’t seen her for many years; he hadn’t even seen his granddaughter as her maternal grandfather.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Lv immediately turned around. Her face lit up with joy, and she cheerfully asked, "Are you willing to let go of your good son?"

Hearing this, Mr. Gu nearly blew his beard and glared. Was he unwilling to let go of the second son? Wasn’t he just keeping an eye on the second son for Xiao Bao, and that’s why he hadn’t gone to the Capital?

"Have Da Lang quickly write a letter to his Little Uncle, saying we’re going to the Capital to see him." Mrs. Lv didn’t wait for Mr. Gu to reply, standing up promptly to start packing.

Seeing this, Mr. Gu quickly pulled Mrs. Lv back.

"Why in such a hurry? Didn’t I say we’d go together when Xiao Bao comes back? Xiao Bao hasn’t said when he’ll return, it’s still early! I’ll let Da Lang write a letter to inquire about when he will return. Besides, Er Ya’s wedding is settled, and she’ll be married in five days. As grandparents, we should also make an appearance to support her, right?"

Mrs. Lv couldn’t wait another moment. When Mr. Gu mentioned waiting for Xiao Bao’s return, her energy instantly deflated. However, thinking that Mr. Gu had reluctantly agreed, she felt somewhat better. So much so that she wasn’t as concerned about making an appearance for Er Ya’s wedding.

"Why do we need to support her? We’re not some officials or official’s wives, what could we do to support her? The dowry Xiao Bao is giving Er Ya this time is a huge boost to her face. It’s from her official Little Uncle. Who would dare look down on her when she’s at her husband’s house?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Gu Chengyu had received news of Er Ya’s engagement earlier and had already prepared the dowry, all set and ready. One hundred acres of land, along with two sets of gold head ornaments, were standard dowries for every Gu Family granddaughter getting married, all treated equally by Gu Chengyu.

The lands had already been purchased and were managed by Mr. Gu, with the deeds in Mr. Gu’s possession. As for the jewelry, it had long been given to Er Ya to keep herself.

Although Mrs. Lv had some words about her son being too generous, there was no denying that her youngest son was good at making money and never lacked for it. Besides, the land deeds had Er Ya’s name on them, so she naturally had no choice.

"How are you not an official’s wife? Xiao Bao became an official, so you’re an official’s wife. Now that Er Ya’s married, she can’t manage the household’s accounts, should we let Da Lang manage them first? He doesn’t have much to do, only watching over the fields all day."

Mr. Gu thought about the profits from the soap workshop, feeling a bit worried. Da Lang had a somewhat gentle nature, and it was uncertain if he could handle the second household. If they were to go to the Capital and the second household tampered with the soap profits, wouldn’t that mean more trouble?

He could see that the concubine the second son had taken later on wasn’t a good one, and paired with the second son, they were like two peas in a pod, both worrisome, which troubled Mr. Gu further.

"Of course Er Ya can’t manage it anymore; she’s a girl going to another family, how can she manage her natal family’s affairs? Whoever manages it should be decided after Xiao Bao returns; Da Lang’s nature won’t allow him to manage his second uncle."

In the family, there were only a few boys, and truthfully, Da Lang was the most suitable candidate. Er Lang and San Lang were from the second household. If San Lang managed, wouldn’t that be like throwing a meat bun to a dog, with no return? No need to mention Er Lang, his mind was even more scheming than the second son.

"Who knows when Xiao Bao can return, why don’t we just go to the Capital directly?" Mrs. Lv hadn’t seen her youngest son in more than a year, and she ached with longing. Moreover, Xiao Bao was already fourteen this year, of age to consider marriage. If she didn’t go to the Capital, who would arrange a wife for Xiao Bao?

Although she felt uncomfortable thinking that another woman would take up Xiao Bao’s attention in the future, she knew Xiao Bao was growing up and needed a wife eventually. She just feared Xiao Bao would be like the third and fourth sons, who forgot their mother after marrying.

"How can we two old folks go to the Capital? Do you know how to take the boat? It’s unfamiliar territory, so it’s better to let Xiao Bao come to fetch us." Mr. Gu had only stayed in the Prefecture during his prime; now that he was older, he felt a bit anxious about going to a distant place.

Mrs. Lv initially wanted to reply that they could go with the eldest son, along with all these maidservants and grannies, nothing would be lost. But thinking of the eldest son’s straightforward nature, she held her tongue.

The next day, after the morning court session, Minister of the Ministry of Personnel Zhong Shize arrived outside the Imperial Study Room, preparing to present the list of selected officials for the Emperor’s review. The appointments for these new Advanced Scholars did not need the Emperor’s designation; their Ministry of Personnel held absolute authority over the evaluation and appointment of fourth-rank officers.

However, concerning the previous officials—Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites Wan Xue Nian and Right Imperial Censor Song Shuqing—one was a Standard Third Rank and the other a Standard Second Rank. With these two positions now vacant, it was not up to their Ministry of Personnel to decide who should assume them; this required the Emperor’s personal appointment.