Chapter 110.1: Crushed
Chapter 110.1: Crushed
The atmosphere became awkward at once. Gu Jinyu’s excellent handwriting was famous in the capital. Although this Young Miss Zhuang was the niece of Provincial Governor Zhuang, they only feared that she would lose badly against Gu Jinyu.
Young Miss Zhuang didn’t seem like someone who had much tolerance. If she really lost miserably, who knows how she would make things difficult for Gu Jinyu afterwards.
Marquis Gu looked at An Junwang for help, hoping that he could stop his sister, but An Junwang had no intention of speaking at all.
Marquis Gu secretly broke into a cold sweat and quietly gave Gu Jinyu a meaningful glance, hoping that Gu Jinyu could deliberately lose to Young Miss Zhuang.
When Yao shi saw how Young Miss Zhuang made things hard for Gu Jinyu, she inexplicably thought of Gu Jiao. Gu Jinyu was the daughter who grew up in the Marquis Estate, and she would encounter this kind of provocation from time to time. If Gu Jiao, who grew up in the countryside, returned to the capital, would this situation be any less?
A group of people entered the reception pavilion.
The servants brought ink, brush, paper and inkstone.
“How does Young Miss Zhuang want to compete?” Gu Jinyu asked humbly.
Young Miss Zhuang raised her eyebrow and said, “Each of us will write a poem. My brother and Marquis Gu will judge whose handwriting is better!”
“The same poem?” Gu Jinyu asked.
Young Miss Zhuang humphed, “Isn’t that natural? Otherwise, how can we tell which one’s better?”
This was exactly what an amateur would say. Gu Jinyu saw through her but didn’t reveal anything, “May Young Miss Zhuang give out a poem.”
Zhuang Mengdie thought for a while before writing a poem of An Junwang with a wave of her hand.
This poem was written by An Junwang in his second year in the State of Chen. When he was less than ten years old, he had already written a seven-character quatrain full of his feelings of homesickness.
His talent simply shocked the State of Chen.
The Emperor of the State of Chen thought it would be a pity for such a talented youth to die, so in the end, he didn’t kill this hostage prince to vent his anger after the defeat of the State of Chen.
Gu Jinyu knew which poem it was. This poem had spread widely in the State of Zhao. Thus, while admiring An Junwang’s talent, she wrote all the verses like moving clouds and flowing water. She was a few strokes faster than Young Miss Zhuang.
After they put down their brushes, the servants on both sides took their works to An Junwang and Marquis Gu for evaluation.
Marquis Gu intended to insist that Young Miss Zhuang was better no matter what, but after seeing their handwriting, he simply lost the determination to lie through his teeth.
Was this, was this really written by a human?
Young Miss Zhuang was at least the granddaughter of Grand Preceptor Zhuang, and her uncle, Provincial Governor Zhuang, was also a literary master. It could be said that the Zhuang Family’s literary reputation was very high, and there wasn’t a single bad apple among them. How come it took a big turn when they got to Young Miss Zhuang?
Marquis Gu broke out into a cold sweat once again.
Daughter, daughter ah, didn’t Dad hint at you to let Young Miss Zhuang win?
Forget it, the difference was so apparent, there was no way to give way like this.
Young Miss Zhuang clapped her hands and asked proudly, “How about it? Who won in the end?”
An Junwang smiled faintly before saying, “Is there a need to say it? Naturally, you won.”
Marquis Gu froze.
Who knew this guy was so good at telling lies?
Gu Jinyu was also surprised.
Was An Junwang one of those people who wronged the truth?
Young Miss Zhuang smiled smugly, and was about to ridicule Gu Jinyu when she heard An Junwang speak again, “Who can win against you when it comes to making a fool of yourself?”
Young Miss Zhuang was momentarily stupefied.
Marquis Gu and Gu Jinyu were also dumbfounded.
Was, was it fine to humiliate your own sister like this…
After her shock dispersed, Young Miss Zhuang stomped about in anger, and said, “Big brother… How can you say that about me?”
An Junwang said indifferently, “The handwriting of a three-year-old is better than yours. If you can’t even see this, it’s not your handwriting that is the problem, it’s your brain.”
Young Miss Zhuang choked up and was red in the face.
An Junwang continued speaking, “If you want to continue to make a fool of yourself, let’s do it again. Are you going to compete with poetry again this time, or are you going to take turns losing in poetry, song, and so on?”
Young Miss Zhuang was so furious that she didn’t want to talk to him anymore. She flicked her sleeves and walked away in a huff!
Marquis Gu said awkwardly, “An Junwang’s way of teaching his sister is really ingenious.”
An Junwang responded leisurely, “She is the little sister in the family, so the family spoiled her greatly, letting the Marquis see a joke.”
Marquis Gu quickly said, “How come? How come? Young Miss Zhuang is clever and lively, she’s actually somewhat adorable.”
An Junwang nodded slightly, “It’s getting late. I’ll go take my rest first. I’ll see everyone again tomorrow.”
Marquis Gu, Yao shi and Gu Jinyu saluted him and escorted him out.
Looking at his back disappearing into the night, Gu Jinyu murmured, “This An Junwang is different from other princes…”
Gu Jinyu often went to the imperial palace to accompany Imperial Concubine Shu and had met many princes, all of whom were not as good as An Junwang, whether in appearance, talent or temperament.
Such a man, there was simply no woman in the world who could be his match.
An Junwang and Young Miss Zhuang were arranged to settle down in the most elegant courtyard of the villa. Young Miss Zhuang locked himself in her room after returning to the courtyard. The servants wanted to comfort her, but they were all driven out by her.
A knock sounded on the door.
Young Miss Zhuang said angrily, “Get lost! No one is allowed to come in!”
“It’s me.” An Junwang said.
“Big brother?” Young Miss Zhuang stood up excitedly, but when she recalled how his big brother embarrassed and wronged her, she just sat back down.
“I’m coming in.” An Junwang said and waited for a while before pushing the door open.
Young Miss Zhuang turned around and left the back of her head to face him.
An Junwang whispered, “You were the one who wanted to travel with me. I said I wouldn’t spoil you like our parents, and you agreed.”
“I…” Young Miss Zhuang choked up. How could she expect this big brother to be true to his words? She thought that he would be like his parents, saying that he would not pamper her, but actually indulged her without any bottom line.
She said in a stifled breath, “I am your little sister, but you help outsiders bully me!”
An Junwang didn’t argue with her too much. He stepped forward and handed her a palm-sized box.
“What’s that?” Young Miss Zhuang asked neither salty nor light.
“You’ll know when you open it.” An Junwang replied.
Young Miss Zhuang looked at the box in her brother’s palm.
His big brother’s hand was really beautiful, as exquisite as a jade carving. Even if you place an emerald jade next to his hand, it would not look as good as his hands.
Young Miss Zhuang let out a sigh and took the box.
When she opened it, she found it was a glowing night-luminescent pearl. She loved these exquisite and fun things most, and her attention was successfully attracted by it.
An Junwang said, “It’s the multicolored night-luminescent pearl, the treasure of the State of Chen’s monarch. I wrote two poems for him in exchange for it.”
As soon as she heard that it was the treasure of the monarch of the State of Chen, Young Miss Zhuang became even more fond of it.
Big brother still loved her!
Young Miss Zhuang cheered up, but thinking that it would be a bit embarrassing to compromise so quickly, she cleared her throat and solemnly said, “You are not allowed to help outsiders bully me in the future!”
After appeasing his good little sister, An Junwang went back to his own room.
A man in black came out from behind the screen and saluted, “Junwang!”
An Junwang asked, “Are all your people here?”
The man in black replied, “They have all arrived, they are lurking outside the Hot Spring Villa, ready to be dispatched by Junwang at any time!”
An Junwang said, “They don’t have to hide in the dark, have them change into civilian clothes instead.”
The man in black thought for a moment before saying, “Junwang, are you certain it’s Qingquan Town?”
An Junwang mused briefly and then responded, “Before, His Majesty’s people lost news of the Empress Dowager in Qingquan Town, that is to say, the Empress Dowager did wander here. As to where she went, we still need to find out carefully.”
The man in black hesitated but still asked, “Is the Empress Dowager… really suffering from leprosy?”
An Junwang answered, “That’s right.”
The man in black frowned, “But His Majesty’s people have already turned the town upside down, even the villages under their control have been searched, and yet, no suspicious people have been found. Could the Empress Dowager… have met a disaster already?”
The look in An Junwang’s eyes deepened as he said, “If alive, I want to see the person, if dead I want to see the corpse, in any case, search for this prince again!”