"Master Gu, you also know that we will be imprisoned soon! Without the emperor's summons, I'm afraid it would be inappropriate for us to rush in and report!"
It is human nature to protect oneself wisely. There are many officials asking for information, and it is impossible for them all to report it.
Besides, Gu Chengyu was only from the fifth rank, and officials from the fifth rank were not even qualified to go to court, let alone meet the emperor.
If the emperor summoned him, that would be a different matter. But now it was the emperor's meal time, how could they dare to disturb him?
"I really have something important that I need to see you, so I would like to ask you two to go and report it."
Gu Chengyu looked a little anxious and reiterated one last time.
If these two people didn't let him in, there was nothing he could do. Even if the emperor asked about it afterwards, he wouldn't be blamed.
"Then Sir Gu, please wait a moment. I am humble enough to report to you!"
One of them wanted to refuse, but he didn't want to be stopped by the other's eyes. The other person cupped his hands, turned around and walked towards the palace!
When Gu Chengyu saw this, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. This was not what he expected, but it was an unexpected surprise to be able to meet the saint.
Originally he thought it wouldn't work here, so he went to deliver the sign to the East Palace.
He believed that as long as he gave his name, the prince would definitely meet him.
After all, the prince also knew that he would not go to the Three Treasures Palace for any reason. There was no important matter, so he would never go to the East Palace to deliver the sign.
The remaining guard glanced at Gu Chengyu who was in deep thought, and couldn't help but secretly gasped!
He had heard before that Mr. Gu from the Hanlin Academy was of good looks and was a rare handsome man in this dynasty.
When I saw it today, it certainly lived up to its reputation!
Gu Chengyu waited outside the palace gate for about two quarters of an hour before the guard arrived late!
"Lord Gu! The emperor is very tired today and has rested in Chengqian Palace. Manager Chen has given instructions before, and the emperor has ordered that there will be no political affairs today!"
Gu Chengyu frowned, glanced at the guard, and then sneered in his heart.
As the saying goes, the king of hell is easy to meet, but the devil is difficult to deal with! Did Mr. Chen give that order?
That must be the chamberlain on duty in the palace, who did not report his request to see the emperor to De'an.
No matter what! Anyway, if he goes to see the prince, he can still achieve his goal.
"Thank you!" Gu Chengyu cupped his hands, turned around and climbed into the carriage.
But Gu Chengyu's straightforward attitude made the two guards stunned for a moment.
Gu Chengyu climbed into the carriage and drove towards the east gate. Seeking to see the prince was much smoother than seeking to see the emperor.
"Master Gu! I have been away from work for an hour. I wonder if Master Gu has anything else to do with me?"
The prince was very surprised at Gu Chengyu's intention.
He did not expect that Gu Chengyu would come to him alone. When he learned that Gu Chengyu asked for an audience, the prince did not hesitate and immediately met with him.
"Has Your Highness heard the news about Changtian Mansion's embankment bursting?"
There was no time to exchange greetings at this moment, so Gu Chengyu asked directly.
Seeing how peaceful the palace is, I'm afraid the news hasn't been received yet.
Could it be that Qian Huichun, the prefect of Changtian Prefecture, concealed the flood and did not report the disaster to the capital?
Gu Chengyu wasn't sure. There might be something wrong with Fei Ge's message, but there shouldn't be no news from other state capitals near the Tianya River.
Anyway, it is true that the capital has not received the news yet, otherwise the emperor would not be so leisurely.
"What? You said the Changtian Mansion's embankment burst?" The prince stood up from his chair in shock, his face full of unbelievable surprise.
"Hasn't Your Highness received the news yet? Wei Chen's mother sent a steward to Ying Nan Mansion to check the accounts. She happened to hear the news, so Fei Ge sent a letter to report the matter to the lower official."
Gu Chengyu didn't say that he specifically asked people to stare at Jiangnan, otherwise the motives would appear impure, although Gu Chengyu definitely meant well.
"But the capital didn't receive the water report from Changtian Mansion at all!"
The prince's face turned pale, and he immediately thought of the magistrate of Changtian Mansion.
"Are there any civilian casualties? Which area was flooded?"
While the prince asked someone to take out the map again, he asked Gu Chengyu about the details of Changtian Mansion.
"Back to Your Highness! Because it was a flying pigeon that sent the message, I don't know much about it. I just said that several villages were flooded and many people were not spared. If you want to know the specific number of people, I'm afraid you have to ask the local government
Check carefully. As for other losses, they are not worth mentioning in the face of human life."
Gu Chengyu told the whole situation, even though he didn't know much.
"The prefect of Changtian Prefecture is Qian Huichun. This person is smooth in his work and his term will be up next year. It may be that he concealed it for fear of affecting his political performance. But now that such a big mistake has been made, let alone keeping his hat.
Even if it means his life, I will never let him go."
The prince was extremely angry. After such a big incident happened, he still wanted to suppress it?
And why are there no water reports coming from the neighboring state capitals? Do they want officials to protect each other and cover Qian Huichun?
"Your Highness! The map is here!" Pang Chu led a chamberlain and laid the map on the desk.
Gu Chengyu quickly stepped forward and set his sights on the lower reaches of the Tianya River.
He pointed out to the prince the place where the embankment was most likely to collapse, and then analyzed it further and determined the area to be in Yuanli Village.
"The official believes that this is the place where the embankment is most likely to burst, and the villages around it are densely packed, which is consistent with the news. Your Highness! The most important thing now is to ask for an audience with the emperor, and ask the emperor to issue an order to send officials to Changtian Mansion to clean up the mess.
And other state capitals should take protective measures to avoid another dyke breach. People in several dangerous areas must be evacuated as soon as possible to prevent another incident!"
Gu Chengyu expressed his point of view in one breath, and then he thought for a while and said: "The people have been washed away from their homes and are now homeless. We need to eat and drink every day, where does this food come from?"
Gu Chengyu said this and did not continue.
In fact, the most important thing now is that the court must allocate money to provide disaster relief, and ensure that other state capitals do not follow in the footsteps of Changtian Mansion.
"What Mr. Gu said makes sense. These are the top priorities. I will go and ask to see my father. You and I will go together!"
The prince no longer cares about the rules in the palace now. Gu Chengyu has a countermeasure, so why not let Gu Chengyu tell his father personally.
But Gu Chengyu didn't want to face the emperor now, so he told the prince about the matter. If the court could respond immediately, he would have a clear conscience.
The next thing is his selfishness, he wants to go to Changtian Mansion.
First, for the sake of public service, Gu Chengyu believed that when he went to Changtian Mansion, he would handle it more appropriately than other officials.
Because he had been paying attention to the situation in several state capitals along the Tianya River and had a certain understanding of the local terrain.
Combined with the knowledge he learned in his previous life, Gu Chengyu believed that he was more suitable than others.
Second, of course, it was for personal gain. The flood in Changtian Mansion was a good opportunity for him to make a contribution. Although it is inappropriate to think so, and it is also a bit cruel.