Did they really think he couldn't hear the pointed sour remarks from earlier? They assumed that being posted outside the capital meant he would line his pockets and fleece the commoners.
He Nan couldn't vouch for the others, but Gu Wenheng truly had no need to do such things.
Ning Yuchen reined in his expression. "I didn't expect that despite us all passing the same imperial examination, Mr. He would know Mr. Gu so well. I suppose that is our failing."
The other officials' expressions cooled slightly. They were all colleagues at the Hanlin Academy, yet Mr. He knew things they didn't.
Gu Wenheng looked at him coldly. "Brother He and I share similar interests and have consistently kept in touch through letters. Naturally, we are closer than others."
Relationships naturally had varying degrees of closeness. Ning Yuchen's earlier attempt to sow discord dissolved with Gu Wenheng's simple statement.
