Chapter 762 - 764: The Turnaround
Chapter 762: Chapter 764: The Turnaround
Gu Yi didn’t stay in Gaoling Village for many days. After visiting the elders and receiving a few days of instruction from the Old Master, he hurriedly left with his parents.
They had to make it back to Yongchang County before the wedding date.
Gu Shulin and Dai Ling were a bit anxious on the journey. They crowded around Gu Yi, asking questions non-stop.
"The Hou Family is marrying their daughter below her station, yet the betrothal gifts we can offer are limited. Is this really going to be okay?
"I wonder if Miss Hou is easy to get along with. With her coming from such an impressive aristocratic family, even I, as her future mother-in-law, am getting nervous.
"I also wonder if Brother Qi and his wife had to sacrifice anything to secure such a good match for you. Back home, with the Old Master around, I didn’t dare ask. We really owe them a massive favor now."
Gu Yi felt his head was about to explode as he listened to one question after another.
"Father, Mother, I’ve met Miss Hou once, and Minghai Steward also helped me look into her. I hear she’s a very nice girl.
"Besides, even though she comes from a century-old aristocratic family, they still need favors from Brother Qi.
"You don’t need to be so tense. Just relax."
Truthfully, Gu Yi’s heart was also in his throat. Even now, it still felt like a dream. But seeing how anxious the two elders were on the road, he could only pick out the positive aspects to reassure them.
Gu Shulin sighed. "In the future, make sure you learn as much as you can by Brother Qi’s side. We don’t have much to repay him with, so all we can do is help him take good care of the clan.
"Securing his home front is the best way to help him. You must remember this."
Gu Shulin was deeply grateful for Gu Wenheng’s dedication and care for the clan over the years. Ever since Gu Wenheng entered the political arena, the Gu family had undergone earth-shattering changes. They all had to hold gratitude in their hearts for the lives they enjoyed today.
Throughout the journey, Gu Shulin constantly instructed his son on how to manage the clan members in the future and how to be a fair and steady Clan Leader. He also explained the various relationships within the clan, even detailing the personalities of certain individuals.
Gu Yi’s future path was already set, and he knew he was destined to take up the position of Clan Leader. Now that his father was guiding him, he took the lessons to heart.
「Meanwhile.」
Gu Wenheng had no idea that his and Jin Qianqian’s unintentional actions had secured a devoted and excellent Clan Leader for the Gu family.
He was now swamped with work once again. Although the terraced fields were tax-exempt for the first three years, this policy had inadvertently spurred various other developments. This year, the tax revenue of Yi Province was finally out of the red.
Looking at the tallied figures, Governor Liang Shi paced back and forth in excitement.
"Every year when I go to report on my duties, I always get reprimanded. This year, I finally have some confidence," Liang Shi said, clapping his hands in sheer thrill. "We’ve finally turned things around!"
The only reason he had been stuck in this position for so long was precisely because of this issue. Yi Province was simply too poor—so destitute that no matter what methods they tried, they couldn’t bring about any real change. It was all thanks to the Holy Emperor’s keen eye for talent in dispatching Gu Wenheng here, which finally gave him a chance to turn the tables.
The subordinate officials were equally thrilled. Their achievements had already reached the ears of the Emperor, meaning their merits were practically set in stone. Even if their superiors tried to suppress their contributions, they wouldn’t dare push it too far.
"Mr. Gu," Wu Haicong smiled sycophantically. "If you have any further arrangements, please just give the order. Leave all the legwork to us."
Li Mingyun chimed in from the side, "Exactly! Just tell us what needs to be done. Even if you ask us to move into the government office and live there, we’d do it in a heartbeat."
Seeing how blatantly they were kissing up, Cen Gaosong couldn’t quite bring himself to stoop so low. He could only cough dryly and offer, "If we’re short on manpower, I can bring over all the servants from my estate to help."
Thinking about his previous lateral transfer, the pent-up frustration in Cen Gaosong’s chest finally subsided a bit. No matter how much those people tried to suppress him, no one could alter his rightful career path now. Once his three-year term ended, he could easily envision himself taking another step up the ladder.
"There’s no rush right now," Gu Wenheng said. "Let’s focus on securing the terraced fields first.
"As long as the commoners have silver in their hands, other industries will gradually flourish.
"It’s just a pity that three years from now, I don’t know if the officials present here will still be around to witness the earth-shattering changes in Yi Province."
Gu Wenheng’s words felt like a knife plunging into their chests. They were toiling away right now, but once their three-year terms expired and the province truly ushered in its golden age, they might already be transferred elsewhere. Thinking about the exponentially expanding farmlands, the tax revenue in three years’ time would be an astronomical figure.
"What a loss! Isn’t this just letting someone else reap the benefits?" Wu Haicong completely abandoned his image, stomping his feet in exasperation. "No way, I have to put down roots here. Nobody is going to transfer me away!"
"Hah, do you think that’s possible?" Cen Gaosong recalled his past, his face filled with displeasure. There were far too many people relying on connections to steal credit. Back then, he had worked incredibly hard to achieve some results, only to be transferred here on trumped-up charges. Even if no one could steal their current merits, there were plenty of people waiting to swoop in and snatch the future benefits.
"Mr. Gu," Li Mingyun looked at Gu Wenheng with eager anticipation. "Is there really no other way?"
Gu Wenheng was merely giving everyone a forewarning to manage their expectations. He sighed and said, "I assume you gentlemen have heard about my previous tenure in Lu City. The moment my three-year term ended, wasn’t I transferred here just the same?"
Moreover, he had a strong premonition that once this three-year term expired, the current Emperor would undoubtedly throw another difficult challenge his way. Sometimes, he genuinely wanted to slack off and avoid doing such an outstanding job. But whenever he saw the struggling commoners at the bottom, he just couldn’t overcome the hurdle in his own conscience.
"What kind of nonsense is this?" Wu Haicong also fell into despair. "We have to split our hard-earned credit in half. Just thinking about it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth."
No matter how much they lamented, everyone knew their verbal complaints were pointless. Since this was unavoidable, they could only silently accept it. They had already made such a perfect start; abandoning it halfway was out of the question. Regardless of their selfish motives, in this moment, everyone simply wanted to maintain their momentum.
Jin Qianqian had already slowed down her pace, but relying on her stable streams of income, she raked in massive profits every quarter. Looking at the account books and silver notes that had been delivered, Jin Qianqian counted them, verified the numbers, and promptly stuffed them directly into her spatial dimension.
"You’re not nearly as money-obsessed as you used to be," Gu Wenheng teased.
Jin Qianqian spoke with a vexed expression, "These silver notes are just a stack of paper to me now. If someone else heard me say this, do you think I’d get beaten up out there?"
Gu Wenheng lightly tapped her forehead. "Here you are in the mood for humblebragging. Haven’t you noticed that the figures in the account books sent over from Lu City are slightly off?"
"Of course I noticed. I just haven’t figured out how to resolve it yet," Jin Qianqian replied. "Since you’re aware of it too, let’s look into it together."