Chapter 520: Chapter 520: Who Will Be the Next Emperor

Gu Youtian was stunned by Gu Ruinian’s cold gaze.

He asked with great interest, "What can you do for the Zheng Family?"

Mr. Gu added a comment, saying, "Rui Nian, tell everyone what the Zheng Family values in you. Otherwise, our entire family’s hearts will always be worried about you and fear the Zheng Family’s retaliation later."

Is it because Gu Ruinian can study books and later become a political asset to the Zheng Family?

If that’s the case, they have no reason to cripple Rui Nian.

Mr. Gu really couldn’t think of anything his golden grandson could do to help the Zheng Family.

Gu Ruinian said, "I can write poems and articles, the Second Young Master of the Zheng Family values my talent and wants me to help him in the imperial examinations."

In fact, that’s not the case at all, but Gu Ruinian had to say that.

If he told the truth, Gu Youtian would be the first to kill him, and Mrs. Jia would deliver the final blow demanding compensation for their own son.

Mr. Gu was momentarily stunned and said, "Help him with the exams? The Zheng Family has such boldness?"

Going to Shengjing for the imperial exams requires verification of identity, if discovered as fraudulent, both the Zheng Family and the Gu Family would be completely ruined.

Gu Ruinian explained, "Grandpa, don’t worry, it’s not what you think. I’m good at exams and predicting questions, and I help Second Young Master with his studies and stuff."

"If you’re so good at predicting questions why didn’t you pass as Scholar?"

Gu Youtian sneered, he had long lost hope in his son being able to study well, but he decided not to interfere with Gu Ruinian’s matters anymore, he harshly informed Gu Ruinian, as long as he doesn’t bring trouble to the family, he can do whatever he likes.

If he brings trouble to the family he should immediately roll back to Qinghe Bay and end father-son relations through the ancestral hall ceremony.

Gu Ruinian said indifferently, "I told you I was hit by a carriage delaying my Scholar exams."

Mr. Gu pondered over this matter repeatedly, feeling something was amiss.

When they tried asking Gu Ruinian more questions, he remained silent.

Mr. Gu decided to take Rui Nian back to Qinghe Bay once his health improved; staying in Pingchuan County was no longer feasible.

Mrs. Jia disagreed with Gu Ruinian helping the Zheng Family’s Second Young Master, tearfully saying the Zheng Family ruined Gu Ruinian, and he shouldn’t help them.

"Xu Zaohua, that harlot, why hasn’t lightning struck her dead." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Old Lady Gu joined in cursing Xu Zaohua.

Gu Ruinian listened coldly. He and Xu Zaohua were innocent, the Zheng Family didn’t believe it, his own family didn’t believe it, the whole city didn’t believe it.

He didn’t plan to explain to his family.

Explain what?

Explain he was attracted to Miss Lian and tricked by her?

Explain he was foolish enough to fall for Miss Lian’s trap?

When he thought about that day, the humiliation repeatedly crushed him like a wheel.

Of course, Xu Zaohua wasn’t innocent either; she actively seduced him, and if she hadn’t foolishly tried to scheme Gu Taohua, he might not have easily fallen for Miss Lian’s trap.

Gu Ruinian coldly said to Mrs. Jia, "Mother, I want to rest now."

The only attachment Gu Ruinian felt to this family was for Mrs. Jia because she cared for him wholeheartedly.

But today he was also disappointed in her, Mrs. Jia learned of his injured leg and, grieving, focused not on his severe injury but on his lost qualification for an official post.

It turned out in Mrs. Jia’s heart, only a perfect son who could study to earn her a noble title was a good son.

Therefore, from now on, this family was only a place for him to stay; he wouldn’t have any emotion or expectations for any family member.

Gu Youtian along with Mr. Gu and the entire family stayed in the Wu Family’s warehouse, with three rooms, two filled with goods, the Gu Family squeezing into one room.

There was only one bed, usually shared by Old Lady Gu and Gu Honglian, the others slept on makeshift floor mats.

Now, with Gu Ruinian’s injured leg, he slept on the bed immobile, the others could only use the floor.

Old Lady Gu together with Mrs. Wei and Gu Xiaoxue spread out their rolled-up bedding on the floor, laid out the quilts, and then extinguished the lights.

In the darkness, the sound of sighs echoed, Mr. Gu and others tossed and turned with thoughts about Gu Ruinian.

Gu Ruinian opened a pair of hate-filled eyes in the dark.

These past days in the Zheng Family’s cellar had been torturous.

The Zheng Family hadn’t physically tortured him, only continuously subjected him to water torture, and kept a lantern shining on him preventing sleep.

Initially he kept emphasizing his innocence with Xu Zaohua, revealing his attraction to Miss Lian, and the schemes of Xu Zaohua and the Second Young Master were all confessed.

The Second Young Master sneered at him, asking now that the whole city was gossiping about him and Xu Zaohua’s affair, who would care about the truth?

The Second Young Master said he was supposed to marry Miss Lian, but Gu Ruinian and Xu Zaohua ruined his match, thus from his perspective, for both public and private reasons, Gu Ruinian must die.

Gu Ruinian endured for two days in the cellar, finally unable to bear it, loudly claiming he was from the future, knowing everything about it.

Initially, the Second Young Master found it absurd. No matter how much they forced water and needles depriving sleep, he persisted in claiming he came from the future, knowing things this era’s people didn’t.

The Second Young Master then became interested.

To prove he truly came from the future, he spoke to the Second Young Master about future currency, shopping malls, computers, cell phones, cars, planes, high-speed rails... sketching them out.

The Second Young Master, after seeing, with an unclear gaze, turned to ask him, since he came from the future, does he know who the next emperor would be?

The future would require studying history like this era, he needed to know the next emperor in advance.

Gu Ruinian was bewildered.

This era’s Dasheng never appeared in history books, he hadn’t heard of the current emperor from when he arrived, knowing he ended up in a fictitious era.

Initially realizing this made him happy, meaning he could plagiarize ancient brilliant articles with human thought sparks for his own use.

But now the Second Young Master asked him who the next emperor was?

How could he know the next emperor when he didn’t know how the current one came to the throne?

A flash of inspiration came, in the South his teacher passionately mentioned the emperor favored the Imperial Concubine’s third Prince, always wanting to appoint him as Crown Prince, while the Eldest Prince was the legitimate heir, eventually after collective pleas from ministers the Eldest Prince was appointed Crown Prince, and the third Prince as Prince Ning.

After compromising with the Eldest Prince as Crown Prince, the emperor remained dissatisfied, the Crown Prince wasn’t allowed to study outside until twelve after much coaxing from ministers.

Last year, the Crown Prince was executed for treason.

From what Gu Ruinian knew, the second and fourth princes died shortly after birth, now the emperor only had the third Prince Ning and the fifth prince, born from a palace maid, at fifteen still not conferred king.

The rest of the inside details he didn’t know.

His teacher too got secondhand information on the Crown Prince’s execution from newspapers and gossip.

So Gu Ruinian thought daringly and said, "It’s the fifth prince."

This answer greatly surprised the Second Young Master.

During their discussions at Wanliu Academy about Shengjing, no one regarded the fifth prince.

The Second Young Master ordered others to continue forcing water on Gu Ruinian while asking, "If you’re lying, don’t expect to leave alive. Is what you said true or not?"