Jinghe Tower was a long-established restaurant, and its Huaiyang cuisine was the best in the capital. When Fu Shen entered, someone was already waiting in the private room. Gu Shanlu, dressed casually, stood to greet him: “General, welcome. Please come in.”
Last time they parted outside the city, Gu Shanlu was just a minor imperial censor with little influence. After a period of turmoil, he had gained the Long Reigning Emperor’s trust in Jiangnan, being promoted to head of the Censorate and becoming one of the nine senior officials in the Yanying Hall.
After returning to the capital, he continued to oversee the Censorate, responsible for impeachment and investigation.
His position was delicate. Gu Shanlu had been unremarkable until the Eastern Tartar diplomatic mission case. The case was eventually dropped, and his mentor was imprisoned. After half a year of difficulty, Fu Shen and Yan Xiaohang ultimately rescued his mentor.
Therefore, when Gu Shanlu was in the Jinling court, he always stood with the northern old officials, though the Jiangnan nouveau riche treated him differently. After arriving in the capital, he repeatedly tried to win favor and secure support for the Jiangnan faction in the Yanying Hall.
Imperial censors might not be popular among court officials, but they were indeed a powerful tool for dealing with political rivals.
However, Gu Shanlu had always maintained an ambiguous attitude. Appearing gentle and refined, his political acumen was no less than the old foxes’ – except for now.
“As an imperial censor, I cannot openly associate with the General, so I devised this strategy. I hope you’ll forgive me. I’ve invited you here today regarding the matter that His Majesty is currently concerned about.”
Fu Shen twirled his wine cup, unsurprised by his directness, and calmly asked, “Did he approach you too?”
“Indeed,” Gu Shanlu filled his cup, “His Majesty wants to launch a military campaign in the Southwest and needs the Yanying Hall’s approval. The forty-eight hall members may seem scattered, but there are only a few leaders. By probing each one, he can roughly gauge the hall’s attitude.”
“His Majesty wants me to lead the troops,” Fu Shen said, “I tried to dissuade him for a long time without success.”
