After dinner, Gu Yuzhi pulled Xie Changshi aside to write back to his mother and sister-in-law, and of course, the most important letter was to his elder brother.

Gu Yuzhi generously stated that, considering the many rewards he had received, he would not hold his elder brother's coldness against him, and that he would also send his elder brother a very thick letter this time!

Before even starting, Xie Changshi rubbed his wrists, sensing that this was going to be physically demanding work.

In this reply, Gu Yuzhi's tone was noticeably more lively. After all, he had received the reward and was no longer the poorest prince in history!

Starting tomorrow, Xinliang's land reclamation can begin!

Gu Yuzhi spoke cheerfully, his words to Consort Taixian filled with longing and concern, as well as his studies and his good friend Xueye.

The letters to his sisters-in-law were much simpler, expressing his gratitude to them, preparing specialties from the northern desert for them, and requesting that they take good care of his mother in the palace.

After writing this, Chief Secretary Xie secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

This is indeed a physically demanding job.

After the ink dried, Gu Yuzhi carefully folded the letter and put it into the envelope before letting out a sigh of relief. He then turned to Eunuch Ran and whispered, "The paper is so fragile, Eunuch Ran, please be careful when you get back."

Eunuch Ran bowed and replied with a smile, "This servant will be extra careful, Your Highness, please rest assured."

His life and fortune were all in those letters; how could he not be careful?

Xie Changshi subtly rubbed his aching arm, and only after seeing that Gu Yuzhi had tidied up the desk did he say, "Your Highness, there is also a letter to the Emperor. In the letter, Your Highness should express your gratitude for the Emperor's reward and report the matter of the reward being stolen."

The important thing is what comes next: Chief Secretary Xie wants to use this letter to convey all his conjectures and doubts to the Emperor.

And most importantly, the people sent to Xinliang have already made contact with that person.

Gu Yuzhi nodded, then heard Shu Xiaohan say, "Wait, wait, Your Highness, is that all there is to your correspondence with the Emperor? Nothing else?"

Gu Yuzhi asked in confusion, "What else?" He pouted, "I can't possibly ask my brother for a reward again, can I? Last time it was because it was Mid-Autumn Festival, but this time there's no festival. If I ask again, my brother might get angry."

His mother said that contentment brings happiness, and he couldn't be a greedy and bad child.

"No, no, no, Your Highness." Shu Xiaohan waved her index finger from side to side, a sly smile on her face. "This time it's not a reward, but a way to curry favor. The bandits were incredibly audacious to steal imperial gifts, which is a blatant disrespect for the imperial authority! And the guards sent by the Emperor are now missing, their fate unknown. It was Your Highness's guards who stepped in and retrieved the imperial gifts."

Gu Yuzhi nodded blankly: "Yeah, and then what?"

He didn't quite understand why Teacher Shu was repeating things that everyone already knew.

"And then, of course, we have to take credit," Shu Xiaohan said with a smile. "As your teacher told you before, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and so does the child who knows how to take credit. We can't do things and then not let anyone know, can we?"

is that so?

Gu Yuzhi scratched his head: "But even if I don't say it, Eunuch Ran will tell my brother. If I say it again, wouldn't that be pointless?"

Xie Changshi was exhausted after a long day, and he wanted to let Xie Changshi go back and rest as soon as possible.

At this moment, Wen Xiuzhu also realized what was happening and waved his fan, saying, "No, no. Your Highness, Teacher Shu's suggestion is excellent. Your Highness must take the initiative to mention the matter of this bandit extermination in the letter. Most importantly, you should talk about how many years these bandits had been entrenched in the northern desert and how difficult it was for Guard Qi and the others to successfully exterminate them."

He looked at Teacher Shu, his eyes still betraying his contempt: "Teacher Shu, you used the wrong word. This isn't about seeking credit, it's about making a contribution! If you make a contribution, of course you should be rewarded!"

Look, look, he can't even get something this simple right, and he keeps saying he looks down on women.

Tch~

Shu Xiaohan, however, didn't notice this. She slapped her forehead and said, "Yes, yes, Manager Wen is right. It should be a reward from the Emperor. Young Prince, think about it. If the Emperor knew that the guards he sent were all gone, while the guards in your manor returned unharmed with the goods, what would the Emperor think? He would definitely think there was something fishy going on. So Guard Qi and the others have to be injured, and they have to be seriously injured."

but……

Shu Xiaohan glanced at Xie Changshi, thinking that he should have considered these things.

She spends most of her time in the lab and has absolutely no interest in these kinds of scheming people. Sometimes, if someone makes a subtle remark, it can take her days to process it.

To be honest, it's more comfortable to be around someone like Manager Wen. Even though we don't like each other, at least we can say what we mean...

Gu Yuzhi seemed to understand but not quite, but he felt that Teacher Shu was right. He couldn't let his elder brother know that Guard Qi and the others had returned safely. After thinking for a while, he said, "Chief Secretary Xie, how should we bring up the matter of the bandits with my elder brother?"

He propped his head up with his hand, the joy on his face long gone, and said nervously, "Your Majesty's guards have all disappeared. Your Majesty must be very angry, right? And also, Guard Qi said that it was Xueye's mother who helped him and the others, which is why they weren't injured. Do we have to mention that too?"

He puffed out his cheeks: "What if my brother thinks Xueye's mother is too amazing and wants us to send her to the palace?"

Chief Secretary Xie paused for a moment, his expression turning serious: "Your Highness is still young. You should know that concealing this matter would be deceiving the Emperor. I believe that although His Majesty is not kind to Your Highness, he still cares about you. Your Highness might as well place more trust in His Majesty."

"ah?"

Gu Yuzhi's face scrunched up, clearly unsure of whose opinion to follow.

Teacher Shu and Manager Wen both felt that this matter should not be reported truthfully, but Chief Secretary Xie insisted that it must be reported truthfully.

Gu Yuzhi scratched his head and thought for a while before making up his mind: "Then, let's do as Chief Secretary Xie says."

My elder brother is so capable; if he hides it, my elder brother might find out, and he'll definitely be even angrier then.

"They say an emperor's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea. I hope the young prince's elder brother isn't like that." Shu Xiaohan suppressed her worries and sighed, comforting him, "They say sincerity is the ultimate weapon. Maybe the emperor will really not hold these things against the young prince because of his sincerity."

Gu Yuzhi nodded repeatedly and affirmed again, "Thank you, Chief Secretary. We will tell the Emperor the truth."

Xie Changshi finally smiled and glanced around at the people around him, wondering to himself who was secretly teaching His Highness to lie.

He's only been in the northern desert for a short time and he's already got his own ideas; he needs to be given a good talking-to.

Those being stared at by Chief Secretary Xie felt uneasy. "It's not me, don't look at me..."