Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 563 - 399 Table of Contents for the Code

"I shall diligently apply myself from now on, rest assured, Sir!" Gu Chengyu immediately stood up and assured Zhang Hai.

Zhang Hai nodded, remaining noncommittal. Mere words were pointless; he needed to witness Gu Chengyu’s talent and perseverance.

"Regarding the ’Dayan Code’ the Emperor proposed, the Hanlin Academy has yet to formulate any rules. Do you have any suggestions?" Zhang Hai sat down in the armchair, placed the document on the table, and looked at Gu Chengyu.

"My lord, I pondered over it just last night and came up with some temporary ideas. Here is the outline I drafted; please have a look!"

Gu Chengyu was well-prepared. He knew this matter was only raised in the court meeting a few days ago, so the Six Ministries and Hanlin Academy likely had not outlined any rules yet. Therefore, he wrote a general layout to present to Zhang Hai today.

Of course, his claim about pondering all night was pure nonsense. Such matters hardly required burning the midnight oil.

In fact, he discovered that books from the Dayan Dynasty often lacked a table of contents, and at most, they had something like Volume One. Without titles in the table of contents, how could one know what was written? How was he to present the book’s general content to the Emperor?

Thus, Gu Chengyu wrote a table of contents with the ideas he had, essentially a book’s broad and detailed outline. This made everything clear at a glance, making it easier to locate items by referencing the front table of contents later.

The Emperor ordered the ’Dayan Code’ not only as a legacy for future generations but also for his own convenience in browsing.

Zhang Hai was somewhat surprised. He did not expect Gu Chengyu to come up with a plan just a day after receiving the task.

He simply wanted to test Gu Chengyu earlier to see if he had taken this task to heart after returning yesterday. In essence, he wanted to evaluate Gu Chengyu’s attitude toward this matter.

Zhang Hai’s expression improved somewhat. Whatever quality Gu Chengyu’s work was, at least he was taking matters seriously, which satisfied Zhang Hai greatly.

Actually, drafting this plan was up to Zhang Hai and the Six Ministers. Gu Chengyu was only a Hanlin compiler and had just joined Hanlin Academy. How could anyone expect so much from him?

As he opened the booklet, Zhang Hai’s attention was drawn to the handwriting inside. No matter how many times he looked, he had to admire it: Gu Chengyu indeed had excellent penmanship.

Focusing on the content provided by Gu Chengyu, he was surprised. He hadn’t seen such a format before; it seemed like a foreword, yet far more detailed.

There was even a summary before the foreword, and the entire foreword comprised 228 volumes. Each volume’s contents were noted beside the foreword, and he had organized it for each government office, making it easy to understand.

He couldn’t help but nod. Such clarity in the foreword would indeed be a good reference for the Hanlin Academy when crafting historical books in the future. He glanced at Gu Chengyu, who was sipping his tea, perfectly calm.

Examining the content further, he found the administrative evolution and the responsibilities of government offices were all clearly listed.

The content was organized following the order of the Six Ministries of Personnel, Revenue, Rites, War, Justice, and Works along with the Imperial Examination Hall, Six Departments, and various temples, prefectures, courts, offices, etc., with twelve volumes in the Ministry of Personnel, twenty-nine in the Ministry of Revenue, etc.

These details could not have been written in one day. This required extensive knowledge of Dayan’s official system, involving many books like the ’Da Yan Law.’

Zhang Hai put down the booklet, finding it hard to believe that Gu Chengyu wrote this all by himself. Even though it was just a foreword, it was incredibly detailed.

Could Gu Chengyu, alone, solve what needed to be drafted by the Six Ministries and him, the Grand Scholar?

"Gu Xiu, did you say you wrote this?"

Gu Chengyu put down his tea bowl, stood, and replied to Zhang Hai, "Yes! It might not be detailed enough, and there might be omissions, but this is just a humble opinion of mine."

In his heart, Gu Chengyu thought there should be no omissions; if there were any, it would be normal, given the vast content to compile. Even if not complete, about eighty to ninety percent was there.

What he wrote was just a rough draft. The detailed content would require many officials to compile, referencing the ’Dayan Record,’ ’Holy Teachings,’ etc.

After all, it was a vast project that couldn’t be completed in less than three to five years. This involved reviewing numerous books, incorporating one’s understanding, and distilling that into concise written records. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Did you say you wrote this all by yourself? Did you go through the books on the content mentioned here? You went through all of this in one night, listing everything out?"

Zhang Hai’s demeanor turned excited, his voice rising sharply, and he unconsciously spat while speaking.

Zhang Hai could hardly believe that Gu Chengyu had written this all by himself in one night—it left him astounded.

"My lord, I’ve already thoroughly studied the ’Da Yan Law,’ ’Compassion and Filial Piety Record,’ ’Ancestor’s Teachings,’ etc. After joining the Hanlin Academy, I also delved into ’Various Departments’ Control.’ These are all stored in my head and don’t require further review."

Gu Chengyu had an excellent memory; claiming he had a photographic memory was an exaggeration, but not by much. Thus, he had read extensively, covering all essential books for an official.

Writing this took him only two hours, not the entire night he claimed—that was to be modest!

Zhang Hai was utterly shocked; scholars preparing for imperial examinations were focused on the Four Books and Five Classics. Where would they find time for these other books?

For someone as young as Gu Chengyu to study such a wide range of books, Zhang Hai finally believed in the rumors of his extraordinary talent and diligence.

No wonder the Emperor valued him so highly—becoming a Champion Scholar certainly wasn’t simple. Looking at the booklet again, Zhang Hai was full of admiration for Gu Chengyu’s talents, willingness to strive, and capability. Thus, Zhang Hai completely changed his view of Gu Chengyu.

"This foreword is well done; I plan to show it to the Six Ministers, followed by a judgment by the Prime Minister, and finally present it to the Emperor. Rest assured, as you painstakingly crafted this, I will not claim your merit. The work appears comprehensive, and if all goes well, the compilation of the code will commence according to your plan."

Zhang Hai put aside his earlier prejudices; he appreciated a diligent and hardworking lower official.

"My lord, how could I not trust you? It’s just a rough plan! It still requires contributions and revisions from all the ministers, and I dare not claim credit. If there’s nothing else, may I take my leave?"

Gu Chengyu knew there was no need to say more at this point. Being a discerning person, with Zhang Hai’s assurance, what was there to worry about? Zhang Hai wouldn’t claim his credit, and if the Emperor was pleased, not only would he benefit, but Zhang Hai would also gain much.