Chapter 1007: Chapter 843: A Youth Unmoved by Passion Is No True Youth

Why does the Emperor value Gu Chengyu so much? The only thing Gu Chengyu can really flaunt is his talent. My teacher said that the Emperor wants to support Gu Chengyu to pit him against my teacher.

This man is nothing more than a chess piece in the Emperor’s hand! And a piece that can be abandoned at any time!

Thinking of it this way, Min Feng’s heart indeed felt much more at ease.

"Ai~ Younger Brother, there’s no need to belittle yourself! But speaking of this Mr. Gu, I do have some admiration for him. It’s just that I’ve never had the fortune to meet him in person—truly a regret."

As Li Taixing spoke, he even let out a light sigh, expressing his regret.

Seeing this, Min Feng’s expression could not help darkening. What did Li Taixing mean by this—could it be he also thought Min Feng was inferior to Gu Chengyu?

Li Taixing picked up his wine cup, used his sleeve to cover it, and lightly took a sip, hiding the hint of a smile at the corner of his lips.

"Speaking of Mr. Gu, in fact I’ve gotten entangled with him over a certain matter, though I’ve never had the chance to see him in person." Li Taixing suddenly recalled something and spoke quickly.

Min Feng was instantly puzzled. Gu Chengyu was from Jingyuan Prefecture—how could he possibly know this Magistrate of Yingnan Mansion?

Li Taixing had taken office here five years ago; he shouldn’t have had any dealings with Gu Chengyu.

"Oh? What sort of entanglement? That is quite a coincidence indeed." Min Feng asked with some curiosity.

"Mr. Gu’s second uncle is now a resident of our Yingnan Mansion. Tell me, is that a coincidence or not?" Li Taixing said with a face full of smiles and a touch of emotion.

"How can that be? Mr. Gu is from Jingyuan Prefecture!" Min Feng exclaimed. Could it really be such a coincidence? But Jingyuan Prefecture and Yingnan Mansion are thousands of li apart!

Equally shocked was the adviser He Zhongkuan, who had been sitting quietly to the side as background.

He Zhongkuan had been sent by Xia Qing to guide the young disciple. Because the junior was still not very seasoned in handling affairs, Xia Qing was uneasy.

He was afraid that Min Feng might carelessly stir up trouble. So he sent He Zhongkuan, who was both capable and steady, to assist.

"His second uncle’s name is Gu Changbai. It’s said that because there was a disaster in Jingyuan Prefecture that year, the family moved here to settle down, coming to rely on his younger brother-in-law."

Min Feng had thought there might be some hidden story to this matter, but now that he heard it was for such a reason, he could not help feeling his interest wane.

"So that’s how it is! Then it truly is quite the coincidence!"

Li Taixing seemed utterly unaware of his change in mood. He only smiled and went on, "That family is quite pitiful too. Back then they had a granddaughter who went to see the lantern festival, and she ended up being taken by a child trafficker. That girl was passed around and eventually landed in the Capital. Somehow, the family managed to find her and rescue her back—counted as fairly fortunate. Luckily that child trafficker finally fell into my hands, otherwise who knows how many more people he would have harmed!"

Looking as though he were only making idle conversation, Li Taixing told the story. Then he raised his wine cup and invited everyone present to drink together again.

But at this moment, stormy waves were churning in Min Feng’s heart. He thought for a moment. "That girl being found is a blessing for her. I wonder which household in the Capital she was sold into back then?"

At these words, Li Taixing only shook his head. "That I never heard. I just know they said she was found in the Capital. I’m busy with official duties and forgot to ask about such matters. Younger Brother, come, come! Let’s drink."

He Zhongkuan’s heart had already risen to his throat, and only now, when he saw Li Taixing steer the topic elsewhere, did he slightly relax.

Min Feng smiled, lifted his cup, and drained it, but in his heart he firmly lodged this matter away. The speaker had no intention, but the listener took it to heart.

He could not help recalling that year when they sat for the metropolitan examination, when it seemed that Gu Chengyu had redeemed a girl from a brothel.

For a time, the Capital was full of amused talk of a talented scholar loving a fair beauty—"If a man is not romantic, what kind of youth is he?" But as time passed, everyone ceased to pay it any mind.

Could that girl be Gu Chengyu’s niece? If that were truly the case, there would be quite an article to make out of it!

When Gu Chengyu redeemed his niece, did he know she was his niece? If he didn’t, and the two had already had relations, wouldn’t that be incest?

He had to investigate this matter properly. But judging from how determined Gu Chengyu had been to redeem that girl, he might very well have known long before.

Even so, it didn’t matter; Gu Chengyu would still be censured. The uncle holds office, yet the niece falls into a degraded register. Even if he had not known beforehand, those officials would still be very happy to impeach Gu Chengyu over it.

After all, Gu Chengyu had risen too quickly, already stirring the wariness of the Ministers in court. These officials are adept at brandishing trifles as if they were imperial edicts—would they really pass up such an opportunity?

When Min Feng had finished the wine in his cup and reached out to take the wine pot, he was stopped by Li Taixing, who then pointed to the actor currently dancing, ordering her to pour wine for him.

"How can you be so lacking in sense? Hurry up and fill Mr. Min’s cup!"

The girl had been dancing gracefully, and who would have thought the master would suddenly designate her to pour wine for that man. She halted her steps, her heart leaping with wild joy.

With just a glance, she understood the master’s intent. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

She had just turned fifteen this year, and her looks were quite beautiful. From a young age she knew that someone of her status was no different from a brothel girl.

For an actor like her, ending up as a concubine would already be considered a great blessing. More likely, she would just be handed off by the master to someone else.

Then the cycle would repeat, drifting from one household to another, until she grew old and her looks withered, forgotten in some corner of a residence.

But she did not want to end up like those women. She was young and pretty, still untouched.

Unlike the other actors in this household, who had long since been slept with by the master and his guests.

Originally, when she reached this age this year, she had felt extremely anxious. The master liked pretty young girls; the actors in the house had nearly all been ruined by him. How many intact bodies could be left?

And in this residence, counting concubines and concubine-like maids together, there were seven or eight.

Even so, the master was still not satisfied; just a few days ago he’d somehow acquired two "thin horses," and had been quite taken with them these days!

Every day she lived in fear, afraid the master would summon her to serve in bed. She was still so young, and the master was old enough to be her grandfather—who could possibly like such an aged old man?

Yet every time the master called someone to serve him, Mrs. Qu never named her; while she felt secretly relieved, she was also utterly puzzled.

Now she finally understood—they had kept her body pure because they had use for it!

From the officers’ conversation just now, she’d heard that this Lord was young and promising. And seeing how fawning the master was toward him, there must be powerful backing behind him.

The girl pressed down her ecstatic heart, thinking that if she could latch onto this young Lord, he might very well take her with him, bring her back to the Capital, and let her enjoy glory and wealth.

If she used a few tricks and coaxed him properly, becoming a concubine was entirely within reach.

With that thought, the girl’s eyes grew heated. She swayed her hips and glided forward, then dipped in a graceful curtsey.

"This lowly woman pays respects to Mr. Min!"

Min Feng looked up and saw it was the lead dancer from just now, and his whole body could not help but tremble.

The girl was dressed in a thin purple gauze; under its shimmer, her lustrous skin looked all the more white and sleek as if glistening with water.