"Mr. Gu, you know, the palace gates are about to close! Without the Emperor’s summons, it would be inappropriate for us to report this rashly!"

Self-preservation is a natural instinct; many officials come seeking an audience, but they cannot all be accommodated.

Moreover, Gu Chengyu is merely a Secondary Fifth Rank official, who doesn’t even have the qualification to attend court, let alone have an audience with the Emperor.

If the Emperor had summoned him, that would be a different matter. But right now, the Emperor is having his meal, so how dare they disturb him?

"I truly have urgent matters that require an audience with the Emperor, I implore you both to announce it."

Gu Chengyu showed a bit of urgency, reiterating his request once more.

If these two do not let him in, he would have no choice. Even if the Emperor asks about it later, he wouldn’t be to blame.

"Then please wait, Mr. Gu, I will announce it!"

One of them wanted to refuse, but was stopped by the other with a glance. That person cupped his hands in salute and turned to walk inside the palace!

Seeing this, Gu Chengyu couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, which was unexpected, but being able to have an audience was an unexpected delight.

Initially, he thought if this didn’t work, he would send a message to the Eastern Palace.

He believed that as long as he revealed his name, the Crown Prince would certainly see him.

After all, the Crown Prince also knew that he wouldn’t come to the Eastern Palace unless there was something significant. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The remaining guard took a discreet look at the pondering Gu Chengyu and couldn’t help but marvel silently!

He had heard that Mr. Gu of the Hanlin Academy was a rare beauty in the dynasty.

Now seeing him today, it indeed lived up to the reputation!

Gu Chengyu waited outside the palace gates for about half an hour before the guard returned tardily!

"Mr. Gu! The Emperor is extremely tired today and has already retired in the Chengqian Palace. Chief Chen had previously instructed that the Emperor ordered no handling of state affairs today!"

Gu Chengyu frowned, looked at the guard, and then sneered inwardly.

As the saying goes, the King Yan is easy to see; it’s the little devils that are difficult to deal with! Did Chief Chen instruct this?

It must be the eunuch on duty in the palace who didn’t report his request to see the Emperor to De’an.

Never mind! Anyway, if he seeks the Crown Prince, he could achieve the same purpose.

"Thanks for your trouble!" Gu Chengyu cupped his hands and then turned to get into the carriage.

Gu Chengyu’s straightforward attitude momentarily stunned the two guards.

Gu Chengyu got onto the carriage and headed for the East Gate; seeing the Crown Prince would be much easier than seeing the Emperor.

"Mr. Gu! It has been an hour since this scatter job, may I know what brings Mr. Gu to see this palace?"

The Crown Prince was quite surprised by Gu Chengyu’s visit.

He didn’t expect Gu Chengyu to seek him out alone, and upon learning of Gu Chengyu’s request, the Crown Prince immediately received him without hesitation.

"Has Your Highness heard the news of the dam breach in Changtian Prefecture?"

There was no time for pleasantries at this moment; Gu Chengyu straightforwardly asked.

Seeing the palace was so calm, it was likely they hadn’t received the news yet.

Could it be that Magistrate Qian Hui Chun of Changtian Prefecture hid the flood news and didn’t report the disaster to the Capital?

Gu Chengyu was not sure, perhaps the carrier pigeon message got lost, but the neighboring counties near the Tianya River should have also sent messages.

In any case, the Capital hadn’t received the news yet; otherwise, the Emperor wouldn’t be so at ease.

"What? You said Changtian Prefecture had a dam breach?" The Crown Prince stood up from his chair in shock, his face full of disbelief.

"Has Your Highness not received the news? My mother sent a steward to check the accounts at Yingnan Mansion and accidentally overheard this news; then they sent a carrier pigeon to report it to me."

Gu Chengyu did not mention that he had specifically asked people to watch over Jiangnan, otherwise his motives would appear impure, even though Gu Chengyu’s intentions were good.

"But the Capital hasn’t received any flood report from Changtian Prefecture!"

The Crown Prince’s face turned livid, and he immediately thought of the Magistrate of Changtian Prefecture.

"Are there any casualties among the people? Which area was submerged?"

While ordering someone to bring out the map, the Crown Prince asked Gu Chengyu about the details of Changtian Prefecture.

"Your Highness! Because it was a carrier pigeon message, I don’t know much. They only mentioned that several villages were submerged, and many people were unable to escape. To know the specific numbers, the local government would need to investigate thoroughly. As for the other damages, they are insignificant in comparison to human lives."

Gu Chengyu laid out the situation, even though he didn’t know much.

"The Magistrate of Changtian Prefecture is Qian Hui Chun, a person who operates slickly and will finish his term next year. It’s likely he concealed the news to avoid affecting his political achievements. But with such a major oversight, not to mention keeping his official’s hat, even his life, this palace won’t spare him."

The Crown Prince was incredibly angry, with such a big problem occurring, and still trying to cover it up?

And what about those neighboring states, why hasn’t any flood report come from them? Are they trying to shield each other, covering for Qian Hui Chun?

"Your Highness! The map is here!" Pang Chu led an eunuch, spreading the map on the desk.

Gu Chengyu hurriedly stepped forward, focusing his gaze on the lower reaches of the Tianya River.

He pointed out to the Crown Prince the area most prone to the river embankment collapsing, then analyzed a bit, narrowing it down to Yuanli Village.

"I believe this is the area where the breach is most likely; it is surrounded by densely populated villages, precisely matching the reports. Your Highness! The most important thing now is to meet with the Emperor, requesting him to issue an order to send officials to Changtian Prefecture to handle the aftermath. Also, the other states should prepare protective measures to avoid another dam breach. Several dangerous areas need to evacuate the people early to prevent unexpected incidents!"

Gu Chengyu stated his opinion in one breath, then added after some thought, "The people have lost their homes, now they are homeless. They need food and drink every day, where will this provision come from?"

Gu Chengyu stopped there, and did not continue.

In fact, the most important thing now is for the court to allocate Silver for disaster relief and ensure that other states do not follow in Changtian Prefecture’s footsteps.

"Mr. Gu’s words are reasonable; these matters are of utmost importance. This palace shall go and seek an audience with the Emperor immediately, and you shall accompany me!"

The Crown Prince couldn’t care less about palace rules at this moment; Gu Chengyu had a strategy, so it would be better for him to present it personally to the Emperor.

But Gu Chengyu did not want an audience with the Emperor now; having informed the Crown Prince, if the court could respond immediately, his conscience would be clear.

Next were his private intentions; he wanted to go to Changtian Prefecture.

The first reason was public; Gu Chengyu believed that going to Changtian Prefecture would allow him to handle the situation better than other officials.

Because he had been attentive to the conditions of various states near the Tianya River’s Lijiang and had a certain understanding of the local terrain.

Coupled with knowledge from previous lives, Gu Chengyu deemed himself more appropriate than others.

The second reason was obviously personal; the flood disaster in Changtian Prefecture presented a good opportunity to build his reputation, although thinking this way was perhaps undeserved and somewhat cruel.