Chapter 972: Chapter 808: Caring for the Nation and the People

However, Gu Chengyu was meticulous in his work, so far not allowing He Jisheng to find any faults.

With a cold snort, He Jisheng turned and left Wenhua Hall.

When Gu Chengyu entered the study, the Crown Prince had already spread the map out on the desk.

Seeing Gu Chengyu come in, without waiting for Gu Chengyu to pay his respects, he anxiously said, "Mr. Gu, come quickly, see if this map is complete."

This attitude seemed as if the two were very familiar and had known each other for many years, very naturally.

Gu Chengyu, too, was not bound by worldly etiquette. He stepped forward and looked at the map on the desk. On closer inspection, he found the map to be very detailed.

Even the houses by the Tianya River were marked clearly. Of course, not all houses could be marked, so a colored block represented them instead.

"This map of Yours is indeed very detailed!" Gu Chengyu exclaimed, then focused on the Tianya River.

Gu Chengyu carefully examined the map, and seeing Gu Chengyu’s serious expression, the Crown Prince did not interrupt, instead turning to sit aside.

Tianya River’s water volume is large, collecting eighteen main tributaries along its route, with larger tributaries upstream.

The banks lacked lakes, the downstream area was very small, and few rivers flowed into Tianya River, so most tributaries gathered upstream.

Downstream isn’t devoid either; there are eight or nine larger and smaller tributaries. The downstream is narrow, so if the embankment collapses, it would mostly happen downstream.

Gu Chengyu frowned in thought, seeing that the downstream was extremely dangerous. Because the downstream river course is flat, the flow becomes slow downstream, causing sediment buildup, thus the downstream will inevitably be higher than the ground.

Moreover, Tianya River had been rerouted before, and because drainage measures were not done well, many lowlands formed.

Gu Chengyu rubbed his chin; it seems the geography around Tianya River is quite complex. Had measures been taken earlier, it wouldn’t be so passive now.

He shook his head; although he thought of some methods, without being there himself, merely looking at a map wouldn’t work. Some insights still relied on speculation, too abstract.

Moreover, geographical environments often change, and even if this map was just drawn, flow directions may change due to certain turns.

The Crown Prince observed Gu Chengyu’s expression, seeing him frowning in contemplation one moment, and shaking his head in regret the next.

These successive actions made his heart sink, the situation didn’t seem optimistic. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"Your Highness, lunch..." Pang Chu entered the study, asking when to serve the meal.

He didn’t care about any map or flooding, his task was to take good care of the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince had lost his appetite the past few days, naturally making Pang Chu fret and worry.

With much difficulty, only today did the Prince express hunger, so Pang Chu happily went to arrange the meal.

"Shh!" The Crown Prince made a gesture, pointing at Gu Chengyu, then waved Pang Chu away.

Pang Chu understood the Prince’s intention, knowing not to disturb. He sighed quietly and stood aside to wait.

With nothing to do, Pang Chu’s gaze fell on Gu Chengyu walking around the map.

The slender, jade-like hand glided over the map, with a fair and radiant face turned downwards. From this angle, he couldn’t see those sparkling eyes, but he could see the high, delicate nose and sharp chin.

The crimson lips tightly pursed, giving his expression a very solemn look, but making it easier to notice the rounded, graceful shape of the lips.

Pang Chu gazed and got lost in his thoughts.

Only when he heard his Prince’s voice did he snap back to reality. Glancing at the two without being noticed, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Previously, he’d heard that Mr. Gu from the Hanlin Academy was as handsome as a young Pan An.

He had met Mr. Gu a few times before, also impressed by his demeanor, but had never seriously looked at him like this.

After all, Mr. Gu is a court official and cannot be offended.

Moreover, usually working at the Crown Prince’s side, where would he have time to stare at Mr. Gu?

Today was a coincidence, he smacked his lips, realizing that rumors can’t be trusted! Clearly, this person was even better looking than Pan An!

Pang Chu didn’t know what Pan An looked like, having never seen him. He had only seen Gu Chengyu, and thought he was the best-looking person in the world.

"Mr. Gu, have you thought of a solution?" the Crown Prince, seeing Gu Chengyu raise his head, hurried forward to ask.

Gu Chengyu paused momentarily before replying, "Many preventive methods could have been used before, but now they’ve been missed, making things much more troublesome. Other than the methods I mentioned before, I haven’t thought of anything yet."

In fact, Gu Chengyu had some ideas, but firstly, they weren’t ready, and he didn’t want to speak of uncertainties.

Secondly, telling the Crown Prince wouldn’t help; he had to report to the Emperor.

As for whether the Crown Prince would be displeased, he could only say there would be more such situations in the future. If every time the Crown Prince wanted to know, he had to reveal everything, he’d surely become a member of the Crown Prince Faction.

Besides, he didn’t say he didn’t know, only that he hadn’t thought of anything for now.

The Crown Prince was somewhat disappointed hearing this; he carefully observed Gu Chengyu’s expression but found nothing.

"I hope Mr. Gu, after finding a solution, reports it to Father! I am merely the Crown Prince, often having the will but not the power. This is a major matter benefiting the people, and I ask Mr. Gu to keep it in mind. I believe Mr. Gu is a good official who cares for the nation and the people, and I have the eye to see that."

The Crown Prince sighed, his words tinged with helplessness and loneliness, while also praising Gu Chengyu highly, showcasing his experience in court politics.

Although a Crown Prince, many Ministers surely understood his situation, and Gu Chengyu was surely no exception.

Gu Chengyu remained silent for a while; he had to admit, compared to other Princes, the Crown Prince had the people’s interests in mind.

Other Princes focused only on power struggles, never considering the people’s suffering. Perhaps the Crown Prince ascending the throne would be a blessing for the country and the court?

Or maybe the Emperor had seen the Crown Prince’s pure nature, choosing him accordingly. Of course, deals would also play a part.

"Actually... if Your Highness is truly concerned, why not petition the Emperor and personally oversee the matter?"

Gu Chengyu felt he could give the Crown Prince a chance, so he made this suggestion.

Moreover, it was Gu Chengyu’s way of testing, whether it was pretense and ulterior motives, or real concern for the country and the people, the outcome would reveal this.

If the Crown Prince feared the unpredictable consequences and dared not take on the matter, it would show that his political achievements and reputation were more important.

If the Crown Prince truly took on the task, Gu Chengyu would surely assist with all his might, not for anything else, but for the people.

The Crown Prince’s expression turned very solemn, frowning, deep in thought.