Quick Transmigration: After Fake Death, All the Protagonists I Flirted With Went Crazy

Nighttime, the Prime Minister's residence.

Gu Yao was pondering what gift to give as a token of gratitude tomorrow.

Qingzhu knocked twice on the door and said softly, "Young Master, the Prime Minister wants to see you in the study."

Brushing the pastry crumbs off his hands, Gu Yao tidied his appearance, as if he had expected this.

Walking through the corridor to the study, Gu Yao only saw Gu Jizhou's back.

Qingzhu bowed and left the study, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.

This leaves the two of them with space to talk alone.

Seeing this, Gu Yao knew that his father wanted to talk to him. He sighed, bowed, and asked, "Father, what brings you here so late at night?"

Gu Jizhou turned to look at Gu Yao, scrutinizing his son who had been frail and sickly since childhood.

When he was sent away from the capital, he was just a child; now he has grown into a handsome young man.

He gazed at Gu Yao's face, which resembled his wife's.

The young man, now fully grown, had clear, bright features and a fair, smooth face that shimmered in the yellow candlelight. His slightly downturned eyes gave him an exceptionally gentle appearance, and his misty, ethereal eyes held a hint of starlight.

He was born with a handsome and upright appearance.

He gestured for Gu Yao to sit down and, without beating around the bush, asked, "Was it His Highness Prince An who brought you back today?"

"Yes." Gu Yao didn't hide it.

Seeing Gu Yao's undisguised demeanor, he had a vague idea in his mind.

He knows his own child's temperament.

Talented, resourceful, and shrewd.

On the surface, they appear gentle and polite to everyone, but deep down they show favoritism.

No matter how polite one is to strangers, deep down one is cold and aloof, keeping people at arm's length, and there is no possibility of becoming friends at first sight.

He had only recently returned to the capital, and hadn't left the Prime Minister's residence for the past two weeks, so the only explanation was that he had seen Prince An at the poetry gathering.

Moreover, this Prince An is very likely someone he knows.

After a moment's thought, Gu Jizhou figured out the key point.

He seemed to have a headache, pressed his temples, and looked at Gu Yao tentatively before speaking.

"is it him?"

Gu Yao met his father's scrutinizing gaze directly, without flinching, and nodded firmly.

"Yes."

His eyes held an obvious stubbornness.

When Gu Yao confirmed his suspicions, Gu Jizhou felt even more troubled.

Everything in his mind was connected by Gu Yao's affirmation.

The period three years ago when Prince An disappeared without a trace does indeed match up.

Furthermore, the slight eye problems that occurred when he returned to Beijing all corresponded to what Gu Yao had said.

Sigh, why did it have to be a prince?

If he were an ordinary person, he would be able to manage his family well and would never let his children suffer any injustice.

But he also knew that he couldn't persuade Gu Yao.

He knew this day would come three years ago.

Even in his unconscious state, Gu Yao was calling out another person's name in his dreams, which could not be explained by ordinary friendship.

Upon waking up, he knelt directly before his elders and confessed his feelings.

All the anger I felt was released at that time.

He also knew there was no room for maneuver in this matter.

Gu Jizhou waved his hand, signaling Gu Yao to leave.

Out of sight out of mind.

That wretched son of mine!

Gu Yao bowed and then turned to leave.

As he stepped across the threshold, he paused, turned to look at Gu Jizhou, and looked at him with guilt in his eyes.

"Dad, I'm sorry to have troubled you."

After saying that, he turned and quickly left.

Gu Jizhou was stunned for a moment, then chuckled upon hearing this.

Enough is enough. The political situation is not peaceful now. The Gu family has remained neutral for a hundred years, but now it is about to fall into chaos.

Having been cautious for half my life, it's a good time to see how good my child's judgment is.

Prince An?

Let me see what you're capable of.

Is it a case of biding their time and concealing their abilities? Or is it a case of utter collapse?

Gu Jizhou's eyes darkened. It seemed he should investigate.

*

Gu Yao waited early at the gate of Prince An's mansion. The first day of the Lunar New Year is usually a good day for visiting relatives and friends, but Prince An's mansion was truly deserted.

I recall the Prime Minister's residence being bustling with visitors. Local officials, officials from the capital, and servants from various households vied to send gifts to the Prime Minister's residence, and the main gate was blocked by a crowd.

The location of Prince An's residence was chosen to be far away from the palace, making it far inferior to other princely residences.

It was presented as a quiet place for someone to recuperate, but everyone in the capital could see that it was a sign of displeasure.

Gu Yao sighed and told Qingzhu to go forward and hand the visiting card to the gatekeeper.

After waiting for about fifteen minutes, Gu Yao saw the main gate of the Prince's Mansion open. The steward bowed and gestured for him to enter.

Gu Yao nodded and followed the servants to the main hall.

The people at the Prince's residence did not neglect him and immediately served him freshly brewed tea.

Gu Yao surveyed the garden without making a sound. It was desolate, with the trees and branches growing haphazardly, clearly showing that it had not been tended to.

Gu Yao frowned; Xi Yue's situation was even worse than he had imagined.

Thinking of the New Year's Eve banquet yesterday, and how he had run into Xi Yue on the street, Gu Yao sighed softly.

He knew that Xi Yue was now very suspicious, so how could he gain his trust?

Xi Yue walked over slowly, surprised that Gu Yao would actually come to visit.

0529 suddenly spoke, "Host, Qin Chen is in the back of the hall."

Gu Yao raised an eyebrow, wondering how to get close to Xi Yue.

Just when you're feeling sleepy, someone brings you a pillow – what a godsend!

If I can't get close to the mountain, then let the mountain come to me.

In the story, it was this young master Qin who devised a plan for Xi Yue and directed and acted out a hero-saves-hero scenario, which turned the original owner's slight childhood liking into love.

Gu Yao knew this was a sure thing.

Concealing his joy, he stood up and bowed.

"See you, Your Majesty."

Xi Yue waved his hand, gesturing for Gu Yao to sit down.

He turned to look at Gu Yao, his eyes questioning, "Young Master Gu, what brings you here today?"

Gu Yao instructed Qingzhu to present the sandalwood box to Xi Yue, saying, "This is a piece of top-quality Huizhou ink that I obtained. I am presenting it to Your Highness as a token of my gratitude for last night."

Xi Yue had the steward accept the gift as a token of gratitude, while discreetly observing Gu Yao.

Gu Yao looked directly at Xi Yue without any hesitation, his bright eyes filled with the clarity of a young man.

When he looks at you with all his heart, he feels that you are the most important person in his heart.

Xi Yue couldn't understand what this young master Gu was up to, or rather, he didn't want to understand.

She chuckled lightly and tentatively asked, "Does Young Master Gu have anything else to say?"

The implication was that nothing was wrong and Gu Yao could leave.

A look of sadness flashed in Gu Yao's eyes. He hesitated, then quickly lowered his gaze, stood up, and bowed.

"Since there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."

After saying that, Gu Yao turned and left decisively.

Anyway, someone else will do what he did to get close to Xiyue today.

Gu Yao naturally wanted to give them enough time to talk.

Looking at Gu Yao's thin back, and recalling the fleeting sadness that had just crossed Gu Yao's face, Xi Yue frowned.

After Gu Yao left, Qin Chen slowly walked out from behind the hall and said softly, "Your Highness, this young master of the Gu family might be useful."

Xi Yue stroked the teacup lid listlessly. "How can I use it?"

Qin Chen smiled and said, "Doesn't Your Highness know best? Young Master Gu has revealed all his thoughts in his eyes."

Xi Yue suddenly stood up, knocking over the teacup on the table, the warm tea soaking into his sleeve.

"Qin Chen, you should know what you should say and what you shouldn't say."

Qin Chen bowed his head and knelt down. "But Your Highness, isn't Gu Yao's identity a great asset to us?"

Sensing Xi Yue's anger, Qin Chen was also afraid, but she still forced herself to speak.

"Who in the capital doesn't know that the Gu family dotes on their second son, Gu Yao, and gives him all the best things? Prime Minister Gu has a high reputation in the court, and the eldest son of the Gu family is also quite influential in the army. By winning over the Gu family, you win over most of the officials in the court."

Xi Yue frowned, as if pondering Qin Chen's suggestion.

Seeing that Xi Yue was wavering, Qin Chang quickly added fuel to the fire.

"Your Highness, those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles."

Xi Yue waved his hand, signaling Qin Chen to leave.

Qin Chen breathed a sigh of relief, a smile playing on his lips. He knew that the matter was probably settled.

*

Gu Yao relaxed once he got back into the carriage, as if all the sadness and repression he had felt earlier were just an illusion.

Listening to 0529 crying like a fool in his mind, Gu Yao felt a slight headache.

"Why are you crying?"

0529 sobbed as she spoke, even conjuring up a hand holding a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.

"Host, this is too heartbreaking! We meet old friends again, but they don't recognize us... Waaaaah!"

Hearing the crying, Gu Yao's head ached.

"Don't cry. Of course, we can't acknowledge each other now. This powerful weapon is meant to be used in crucial situations."

Startled by the shout, 0529 stopped crying, and Gu Yao locked it in the dark room.

The pancake system: out of sight, out of mind.

Gu Yao mentally reviewed the timeline. It was the twentieth year of the Tianqian era, and the imperial examination would be held in February of next year.

This imperial examination was marred by the largest cheating scandal since the founding of the Great Xuan Dynasty. The emperor was furious and launched a thorough investigation, implicating Prince Yu and Prince Jing, strong contenders for the crown prince position. From that moment on, both princes suffered a severe setback.

Xi Yue is currently keeping a low profile, and is also taking advantage of the vacant positions in the court to place many of his own people there.

The following autumn, when Xiling's envoys visited, they made a great provocation at the hunting grounds. Xiyue, with his superior archery and horsemanship, overpowered Xiling and saved face for the Great Xuan Dynasty.

Through this incident, Xi Yue began to distinguish himself.

What followed was the struggle for the throne.

Gu Yao's eyes darkened; it seemed he needed to speed things up.