Chapter 161: The Conversation

Wanxiang knew well in her heart that, given Gou Ye's temperament, he was definitely not the kind of person to utter words of affection lightly.

Yet now that he had agreed to let her reside within his estate, it was, in a subtle way, an acceptance of her.

For Wanxiang at this moment, this was indeed a deeply touching gesture.

That very evening, Gou Ye instructed the servants to prepare a room for Wanxiang, and she settled into the estate.

One had to admit that once there was a woman in the household, the entire atmosphere felt transformed. The servants all understood that Wanxiang would undoubtedly be the future mistress of the house, and thus they served her with the utmost dedication and care.

However, Wanxiang was inherently a gentle and kind-hearted person, entirely incapable of putting on airs or throwing aristocratic temper tantrums. Because of her amiable treatment of the servants, she quickly won widespread affection and favor.

The next morning, after partaking in his breakfast, Gou Ye once more headed into the imperial palace. To his utter astonishment, just as he was in the midst of his court etiquette studies, a young eunuch hurried over with an imperial edict: the Emperor wished to grant him a private audience!

"Lord Gou Ye, His Majesty has issued a decree requesting your presence at the Imperial Garden for an audience."

The young eunuch wore a broad smile. He had served by the Emperor's side for quite some time, and during these past few days, Zhu Houzhao had constantly spoken highly of Gou Ye before the throne.

Moreover, the young eunuch was well aware that the Emperor himself held a very favorable opinion of Gou Ye, which was why he was now being summoned alone to the Imperial Garden.

After all, the answer Gou Ye had provided during the palace examination had left the Emperor more than satisfied.

A single, succinct phrase had encapsulated the very essence of sovereign governance, leaving an indelible impression of Gou Ye upon the Emperor's mind.

"Understood, Official!"

Hearing the young eunuch's words, Gou Ye did not dare to delay. He hurriedly followed behind the eunuch and made his way toward the Imperial Garden.

Yet upon arriving at the garden, he was utterly dumbfounded by the sight before him: the Emperor was standing entirely alone inside a pavilion, waiting for him, without a single attendant by his side!

Normally, when the Emperor granted a private audience to a minister, a guard or two would invariably be stationed nearby to ensure imperial safety. But now, the Emperor was meeting him without even a eunuch in attendance. Such profound trust naturally filled Gou Ye with deep emotion.

"Your humble servant Gou Ye pays respects to Your Majesty!"

Having caught sight of the Emperor, Gou Ye promptly executed a formal bow.

"Rise, my beloved minister," the Emperor said, a warm smile gracing his face as he looked upon Gou Ye. "There are no outsiders here today. Let us, sovereign and subject, simply take a stroll through this Imperial Garden. What say you?"

The Emperor, too, was smiling as he looked at Gou Ye. He knew that the man before him was unquestionably a pillar of the state. Although he was not yet intimately familiar with him, he had continuously dispatched his agents over the past few days to gather comprehensive dossiers on Gou Ye.

Every single report returned had deeply pleased the Emperor's heart.

"As Your Majesty commands!"

Hearing that the Emperor wished to walk with him in private, Gou Ye felt a sudden surge of being overwhelmed by unmerited favor. Yet precisely because of this, the words Wanxiang had spoken to him the previous night rose vividly once again in his mind.

It seemed the Emperor must already thoroughly understand him and was now subjecting him to a personal test.

His entire future prospects might well hinge entirely upon the outcome of this conversation!

"Gou Ye, tell me, what thoughts do you have regarding the future of our Great Ming?"

The Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly as he turned to question the young man walking beside him.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, your humble servant wouldn't dare to speak presumptuously on affairs of state."

Hearing the Emperor's inquiry, Gou Ye was startled into a cold sweat. *Not being in that position, do not plot its administration* was the defining maxim of this era. If he were to discuss court politics before the Emperor and inadvertently say the wrong thing, he would instantly face the peril of losing his head!

"I command you to speak, so speak. There are only the two of us here. No matter what you say, I shall never hold it against you."

With a gentle smile, the Emperor replied. The truth was, there were far too few people around him daring to speak the unvarnished truth, and he genuinely longed to hear what kind of words Gou Ye would utter.

"Very well. Since Your Majesty has given the order, your humble servant shall obey!"

Seeing that the Emperor had put it thus, Gou Ye knew that further hesitation would constitute a breach of duty. Without a trace of doubt, he kept pace behind the Emperor and began to ponder deeply.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, your humble servant believes that while the future of our Great Ming is boundless, it is nonetheless marred by certain not-insignificant flaws."

Since the Emperor had invited absolute candor, Gou Ye cast aside all pretense and voiced the thoughts resting heavily in his heart directly before the Son of Heaven.

"Oh? Flaws? Tell me, what flaws do you perceive within our Great Ming today?"

Intrigued by Gou Ye's bold assertion, the Emperor's interest was instantly piqued. He had posed this very question to numerous officials in the past, yet every single one had merely flattered him, never uttering a word of truth. Thus, hearing Gou Ye declare that Great Ming possessed flaws genuinely excited his curiosity.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, in common parlance, it is the sentiment of 'the heavens are high and the Emperor is far away.' The various vassal princes harbor unfathomable ambitions and refuse to obey imperial commands. This represents the gravest hidden peril to Great Ming."

Gou Ye held nothing back, laying out his deepest apprehension right before the Emperor.

Truth be told, had it not been for the local powerful family surnamed Qin, who had relied upon the backing of a vassal prince to oppress the common folk in their hometown, he would never have traveled here to take the imperial examinations, let alone become an official in Great Ming.

"'The heavens are high and the Emperor is far away'—ha, ha, ha! What a magnificent phrase!"

Hearing Gou Ye's words, the Emperor nodded in profound agreement, his expression glowing with absolute affirmation.

To speak truly, his own greatest anxiety lay precisely in the problem of the vassal princes. After all, the primary reason he had kept Gou Ye retained within the capital was on account of these very figures.

According to the background investigations conducted on Gou Ye, everyone was crystal clear as to why he had journeyed hither to sit for the examinations.

Therefore, the Emperor had every reason to believe that if he enlisted Gou Ye to help curtail the power of those vassal princes and investigate corrupt officials lining their own pockets, Gou Ye would undoubtedly embrace the task with utmost enthusiasm.

In the past, every imperial commissioner he dispatched to investigate the princes and officials invariably went through the motions, achieving no substantive progress whatsoever.

He longed to see what kind of different outcome would unfold if he were to empower the young man standing right before him!