Chapter 623: Chapter 623 Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Culprit? Do you mean to ask me to open the coffin and desecrate the corpse?” The Emperor narrowed his eyes and stared at him.
He was not stupid. Although all the evidence pointed to Pingyang, he knew the real culprit was Consort Shu. However, he could not find any evidence and could only silently end this matter and investigate it privately.
He did not expect that this old man would try to shift the blame onto Gu Chengrui.
While the Emperor had used Gu Chengrui as a target to find a balance in the middle so that his three sons could restrain each other, he didn’t want Gu Chengrui to take the blame for others.
As expected, Prime Minister Su continued, “As the saying goes, the son will pay for the mother’s debt. Although Princess Pingyang is dead, she has a son.”
Gu Chengrui only narrowed his eyes after hearing that and had no intention of speaking out.
The Emperor looked at Gu Chengrui and asked in a bad mood, “Gu Chengrui, what do you say?”
“Everything is up to you, Emperor.” Gu Chengrui stepped forward and bowed.
“What if I dismiss you from your post?”
“So be it. I’ll return home and plant sweet potatoes.
“Moreover, this official position was originally added to spread the sweet potato to the people as soon as possible.
“Now that the mission has been completed, I will leave.” After Gu Chengrui finished speaking, he bowed and waited for his answer.
When the Emperor heard him say this, he immediately remembered the reluctance on Gu Chengrui’s face when he had given him an official position. He originally thought that Gu Chengrui was trying to act arrogant, but his reluctance seemed true after all.
Prime Minister Su was also dumbfounded. He was trying to use Gu Chengrui to lure out the power King Rui had left in the capital so that he could eliminate it and make a move on Consort Rui.
Who would have thought Gu Chengrui didn’t even care about his position in court, nor did he intend to ask King Rui for help? What was his next step here?
For a moment, everyone looked at Gu Chengrui as if they were looking at a monster.
King An coughed dryly and said, “Chengrui, don’t act on impulse.”
The Minister of Works immediately agreed. “That’s right, Chengrui. You’ve just made some achievements and have a bright future ahead of you. You can’t give up now.”
“I’m not acting on impulse. I’ve already taught what I should teach, and the rest will need a great deal of time to continue researching. There won’t be any results for a while.
“Now that Prime Minister Su has mentioned the matter of the son paying the mother’s debt, I will take the opportunity to withdraw from the court and return home to be a commoner.”
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone looked at Prime Minister Su with a strange gaze.
The two had no grudges against each other, so why was Prime Minister Su forcing Gu Chengrui to resign and return to his hometown?
Prime Minister Su received the gazes of the people and felt wronged. This was not his intention.
“A third-grade official is not a minor position. Don’t you miss it?” King Xian looked at Gu Chengrui curiously and asked.
“Glory and wealth are just fleeting clouds.
“This humble official feels that living freely, living by oneself, is true happiness.
“Moreover, the higher the position, the greater the responsibility and the greater the pressure.
“As a scholar, my abilities are limited.”
The Emperor didn’t care if Gu Chengrui’s words were sincere or not, but his move of two steps forward and one step back was used beautifully. Now, the court was on his side.
The Emperor stopped everyone and said, “Alright, let’s stop here. Pingyang’s matter has nothing to do with him, and there’s no need to involve him.”
“As for your resignation, forget it.
“But it’s true; I can see that there’s nothing much to report every time you come to court.
“In the future, I’ll give you a normal salary, and you just have to continue your agriculture research. You don’t have to attend the morning court every day.”
Gu Chengrui was stunned by the verdict. Although it was a pity he didn’t get to return to the countryside, he had at least gained something. He immediately went forward to thank the Emperor.
Prime Minister Su was unwilling to accept this abrupt end to his plans, but since the Emperor had already decided, he couldn’t bring it up again..