The Challenge of a Farmhouse Son-in-Law-Chapter 1637 - 1640: How Should He Be Dealt With?

However, Prime Minister Zhang was not willing to give up, and said, "Your Majesty, I did harbor Gu Wu, but indeed with other thoughts in mind."

"Oh?"

Everyone looked at him strangely, Gu Youyou sneered, wondering what lie he would come up with now.

Truly like a centipede that refuses to die.

"Your Majesty, I kept him for another reason as well: I had my eyes on Gu Wu’s adopted son. Gu Shuisheng, one of the top three in this autumn’s imperial examination, Your Majesty, you know my character, when I see a young person with talent, I cherish them greatly. So I took Gu Shuisheng as my pupil, and in doing so, I also kept Gu Wu."

Everyone: "..."

Gu Youyou stomped her foot in anger, this old dog, he really knows how to make excuses.

Jin Zijin’s expression darkened, not looking at Prime Minister Zhang, but instead at the Emperor.

In fact, no matter how many reasons Prime Minister Zhang had, whether to punish him was all up to the Emperor’s will.

Conversely, if the Emperor does not want you to live, even if the charges against you are flimsy, you still cannot survive.

But does the Emperor truly intend to eliminate Prime Minister Zhang?

Everyone waited tensely for the Emperor’s answer.

After a while, the Emperor finally spoke calmly, "Indeed, Gu Shuisheng is someone of great potential, so he was originally the adopted son of Gu Wu."

Prime Minister Zhang breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled awkwardly, "Isn’t it so? He has a good eye, saving such a promising young man. Your Majesty, I held a heart of cherishing talent, thinking that Your Majesty is currently in need of people, the candidates from this examination hold great significance to Your Majesty, thus I took it upon myself to keep them father and son."

This way, he shifted the responsibilities off himself entirely, thanks to Gu Shuisheng.

Gu Wu was dumbfounded; it was only now he saw how formidable these people were.

He, a powerless beggar, should not have come to Beijing at all, even if he lived his whole life as a beggar, he should not have come.

From the beginning, he was being manipulated by others.

What a pity that he was foolish enough to naively think that in dealing with Gu Youyou, he was an ally with Prime Minister Zhang, like grasshoppers tied to the same rope, even if something happened, Prime Minister Zhang couldn’t escape.

Thinking so left him with no worries.

Since Prime Minister Zhang dared act, why should he, who walks barefoot, fear those who wear shoes?

It turns out once something happens, they might completely shirk responsibility, even having planned an escape route long ago, while he himself was simply pulled out to take the fall.

He originally wanted to plead for leniency for the sake of his adopted son.

But upon closely observing the current situation, saying such a thing would only implicate Shuisheng instead.

The Emperor squinted slightly at the increasingly despairing Gu Wu, lightly tapping his fingers on the table.

He had delayed announcing the final results of this autumn’s imperial examination precisely to consider whether the young man named Gu Shuisheng was worthy of the title Top Scholar.

"Fine, I confess my guilt, everything I did, had nothing to do with others!" Gu Wu finally raised his head like a man, his face weathered, yet he stared firmly at Prime Minister Zhang.

Prime Minister Zhang understood his implication, he took on all the guilt to hope that he wouldn’t implicate Gu Shuisheng.

This could only make Prime Minister Zhang find it amusing, that he didn’t treat his own son and niece as well as he did that adopted son, did he?

Yet at the very end, he considered that adopted son.

The scene was silent, even Gu Youyou was somewhat surprised.

Moments later, the Emperor looked up at Gu Youyou, saying, "What do you think should be done with him?"