The Day Is Late

Li Shiyuan immediately stepped forward, returning a deep bow of equal measure:

I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare! Preceptor Gu, you honor this humble official far too much!

Gu Chengyin straightened up, his face still beaming with a bright smile.

Lord Li, you are my elder, and today you have come out to welcome me in person. In both reason and sentiment, as a junior, I must show my utmost respect!

Gu Chengyin's humble attitude, radiant smile, and earnest self-proclamations as a junior completely threw Li Shiyuan off.

He truly did not know how to react.

Having navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom for decades, what kind of person had Li Shiyuan not seen? What kind of scene had he not experienced?

He had seen arrogant capital officials with their noses in the air, whose eyes always seemed to be fixed three inches above your head when they spoke, as if merely glancing at a local official would dirty their eyes.

He had seen slippery old clerks whose faces were permanently plastered with a flawless, impenetrable smile, who always left a three-point margin of error when they spoke, and who never left any leverage to be grasped when they acted, much like a loach that had swum in a mud pit for a hundred years.

He had seen upright, incorruptible scholars who could not tolerate a single grain of sand in their eyes, who would first ask about the hardships of the people upon meeting, then inspect the tax ledgers, and who would submit a memorial of impeachment at the slightest displeasure, inspiring both respect and fear.

He had seen greedy parasites who only had silver in their eyes, who only spoke of profit, and whose hands were only meant for trading power for money, like a mythical gluttonous beast that could never be fed enough.

Li Shiyuan had dealt with all these types of people and could handle them all.

That was because their behavior could be traced, their motives were clear, and their methods had precedents.

But Gu Chengyin...

You could see the man, hear his words, and feel his smile, but you could not fathom his true depths.

A young man in his early twenties, Junior Preceptor to the Crown Prince, Chief Steward of the Internal Affairs Department, Right Vice Minister of Rites, Marquis of Peerless Standing...

Taking out any one of these titles at random would be enough to make a man of his age so arrogant that his tail would point to the sky.

Yet Gu Chengyin was as humble as a young junior who had just entered officialdom.

Was this normal?

This was absolutely not normal.

Alarm bells were ringing loudly in Li Shiyuan's heart.

But the smile on his face remained as bright as ever, his enthusiasm just as full.

Because no matter what, Gu Chengyin putting on this attitude meant he was giving him face.

In officialdom, attitude was far more important than substance.

You could choose not to get things done, but you could not refuse to give face.

You could stab someone in the back secretly, but on the surface, you had to greet them with a smiling face.

Since Gu Chengyin was giving him face, Li Shiyuan naturally had to play his part to perfection.

To play the part perfectly, he could not just stop at verbal pleasantries; he had to offer something substantive.

Thus, the smile on Li Shiyuan's face became a few degrees more sincere as he took half a step forward.

Then he spoke, his voice carrying just the right amount of concern:

Preceptor Gu, seeing as it is getting late...

When he said this, he looked Gu Chengyin in the eyes, his expression so serious it seemed as though it truly was getting late.

But in reality.

The sun was directly overhead.

It was just past noon, the sun was blazing hot, and the sunlight was so vicious it could shrink a person's shadow into a tiny ball beneath their feet.

The sky was as blue as if it had been washed clean, without a single cloud in sight.

In the distant fields, the crops were slightly wilting in the heatwave, and the sound of cicadas rose and fell, buzzing so loudly it made one's ears ring.

Getting late?

Saying this made even Li Shiyuan himself feel a bit shameless.

But he didn't change his expression and continued speaking:

And the inspection team must be exhausted from the arduous journey...

As he said this, Li Shiyuan's gaze swept over the procession behind Gu Chengyin.

The heavy cavalry of the Golden Feather Guards sat upright on their horses, their backs straight as a ramrod, without a single drop of sweat on their faces.

In the carriages behind, although the officials from various ministries had not stepped down, through the open windows, they could be seen holding documents and reading, looking energetic enough to immediately go and judge cases for three days straight.

As for the carriage from the Celestial Master's Mansion, the curtains were drawn tight, and nothing could be seen.

The oppressive aura belonging to a Golden Core cultivator lingered in everyone's hearts.

Exhausted from an arduous journey?

From the moment the inspection team departed the Divine Capital until now, they had traveled for half a day at most. This bit of distance didn't even count as a warm-up.

Yet Li Shiyuan acted as if he didn't see any of this.

He chose to be blind; he chose to be deaf.

He only stared at the Gu Chengyin in front of him, his eyes incomparably sincere.

This was the language of officialdom.

It wasn't the truth; it was an attitude.

It was saying: I want to keep you here, I want to host you, I want to fulfill my duties as a host.

Gu Chengyin, of course, understood.

His smile did not diminish in the slightest; on the contrary, it grew even more radiant.

Hearing Li Shiyuan's words, it was as if he had met a kindred spirit. His eyes instantly lit up, and a moved expression appeared on his face.

Gu Chengyin firmly grasped Li Shiyuan's hands, speaking as if he could finally pour out his grievances:

Oh my, Lord Li, your words speak right to my heart!

He raised his voice half a pitch, ensuring that everyone around them could hear.

You have no idea...

Gu Chengyin drew out his words, his expression turning bitter, as if he had suffered a massive injustice:

Our journey here was just too difficult! Scaling mountains and crossing rivers!

He let go of Li Shiyuan's hands and began counting on his fingers one by one:

Look at the Luo River, the waves were so fierce the boat almost capsized!

Look at the official road, it was so full of potholes that the carriage bumped around until my bones nearly fell apart!

Look at this sun, it's so viciously hot it makes a person dizzy and bleary-eyed!

With every sentence he spoke, Gu Chengyin's expression grew a fraction more bitter, his tone a fraction more aggrieved.

The surrounding officials listened, utterly dumbfounded.

The Luo River was as calm as a mirror, the official road was as flat as a whetstone, and the sun... well, the sun was indeed vicious.

But you are a Foundation Establishment cultivator riding in a carriage, and you're afraid of getting sunburned?

Yet Gu Chengyin spoke with such deep and genuine emotion, as if he had truly experienced a grueling journey.

Then, the topic suddenly shifted.

The bitterness on his face instantly faded, and his eyes sparkled with the light of idealism:

But whenever I think of the heavy responsibility on my shoulders.

Gu Chengyin raised a hand and patted his own shoulder:

His Majesty's expectations, His Highness's trust.

When saying 'His Majesty', Gu Chengyin cupped his hands in a salute toward the direction of the Divine Capital.

When saying 'His Highness', Gu Chengyin lowered his head slightly, his expression respectful.

This junior absolutely wouldn't dare to slack off in the slightest!

Every single word felt as if it had been pulled straight from his chest, carrying a scalding temperature and a heavy weight.

The surrounding officials fell silent.

Then, Gu Chengyin's expression changed again.

From solemnity, it turned to gratitude.

Gu Chengyin looked at Li Shiyuan, tears almost welling up in his eyes.

It is only because we met Lord Li, who was kind enough to take us in.

That this junior and my colleagues are finally able to rest our feet.

He said this as if they weren't just entering a city to rest, but rather had been rescued from the jaws of a ferocious beast.

Then Gu Chengyin smoothly continued to the logical conclusion:

Since it is indeed getting late today.

Gu Chengyin looked up at the sky, at that sun hanging high right in the center.

Then he nodded seriously, as if confirming that it was indeed very late:

This junior will just have to depart tomorrow morning.

Perfect.

From a grueling journey to a heavy responsibility, from not daring to slack off to luckily meeting a benefactor, from it getting late to departing tomorrow morning.

The logic formed a perfect loop, the emotion was abundant, and the performance was spot on.

The corner of Li Shiyuan's brow twitched slightly.

He had seen plenty of people who could lie through their teeth with their eyes wide open, but someone as young as Gu Chengyin who could do it so effortlessly...

This was a first.