Chapter 304.1: Empress Dowager’s Domineering Favor
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S T E L L A R C L O U D
[Azurixa] [Celeste S.] [Christine G.-L.]
O R A N G E S T A R
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Y E L L O W S T A R
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G O L D S T A R
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R A I N B O W S T A R
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Xiao Liulang calmly let Rui Wang observe him.
But Rui Wang wasn’t the Crown Prince after all. He wasn’t close to the former Little Marquis of Zhao, so he failed to see Xiao Liulang’s resemblance to him for the time being.
"Third brother, are we leaving or not? Didn't you say you would take me and fourth brother to your residence to have fun?"
The Sixth Prince urged.
"Coming, coming!"
Rui Wang hurried away without thinking more about Xiao Liulang.
"Senior Compiler Xiao, please." Eunuch Wei gestured at him.
Xiao Liulang stepped in.
His younger brothers had finished their classes, only he had to stay and continue his studies, making the Crown Prince a bit unhappy. When he saw that the Hanlin official to give the lecture was actually Xiao Liulang, his entire person felt unwell.
"How come it’s you?" He almost stood up in shock!
Xiao Liulang blandly cupped his hands and bowed, saying, "This humble official has come to give lectures to the Crown Prince as per His Majesty’s order.”
"You... you’re giving me lectures alone?"
What was his imperial father thinking? Why did he send this guy to give him lectures? Had he lost his place in his father's heart?
What knowledge could a brat like him even possess?!
The Crown Prince's face alternated between blue and white, which was quite the amazing sight.
On the other side, Gu Jiao also entered the palace.
She was visiting Grandaunt.
With the token of Renshou Palace given to her by Grandaunt in her possession, she was able to enter the palace very smoothly.
When she passed by the Emperor’s audience hall, she subconsciously looked in its direction even though she didn't know that Xiao Liulang was there.
The Emperor's audience hall was too magnificent to look at. Standing atop a hundred steps, it was towering under the bright sky, as though it was rising from the ground and reaching to the sky. Surrounding it was a heavy historical atmosphere that assaulted one’s face, solemn and dignified, which made people feel awe.
The Emperor's audience hall was the dream place of every official of the State of Zhao. Only by entering the Emperor's audience hall could one truly be called an important official of the court.
One had to go through the imperial garden to reach Renshou Palace.
As soon as Gu Jiao got there, she was stopped by a familiar and gentle voice.
"Sister!"
It was Gu Jinyu.
Gu Jinyu briskly walked up to Gu Jiao and asked in surprise, "Sister has also entered the palace? Are you here to visit Imperial Concubine Shu too?"
Gu Jiao looked at her faintly.
Gu Jinyu, accustomed to Gu Jiao's indifference, smiled and didn’t take it to heart. She explained, "Imperial Concubine Shu is ill. When grandmother heard the news, she couldn't sleep well, so she asked me to visit her in the palace."
Gu Jiao didn't have much contact with Gu Jinyu, but she could still remember that she used to call Old Madame Gu's daughter ‘aunt’.
Seemingly aware of the change in her own attitude, Gu Jinyu bowed her head and smiled bitterly, "Sister probably doesn’t know. Not only did I take your credits for the bellows, but I almost robbed sister’s credit for the glutinous rice mortar as well. I told Imperial Concubine Shu that I had a more powerful invention, only for it to be exposed in the end. It caused Imperial Concubine Shu to make a fool of herself in front of His Majesty, and I heard that it also brought trouble to the Fifth Prince. Now I’m afraid that Imperial Concubine Shu doesn’t want to see me at all."
Having no intention to gossip with her, Gu Jiao didn't respond to her words.
Gu Jinyu said, "Since sister is going to see Imperial Concubine Shu, why don't you come with me?"
Gu Jiao was about to tell her that she wasn’t here to see Imperial Concubine Shu, but before she could speak, she was interrupted by a teenager's rude yelling.
"You’re that wild girl from the countryside!"
Gu Jinyu's expression changed slightly. She turned around and bowed to the young man in brocade clothes, "Greetings, Fifth Highness!"
His Highness the Fifth was seventeen this year, the same age as Gu Chenglin, except that he was two months younger than Gu Chenglin.
He inherited Imperial Concubine Shu's beauty and still stood out among the imperial princes whose appearances were already top notch.
However, Gu Jiao didn’t find his domineering arrogance very pleasing.
Gu Jiao didn’t even bother to lift her eyelids and only gave him a casual and fleeting glance.
The Fifth Prince stood in front of them and looked at her in shock and disbelief, "What's with your attitude? Why aren’t you curtsying when seeing this prince?"
According to reason, she was supposed to kneel in greeting in front of him, but for the sake of being relatives, she was allowed to just perform a curtsy!
Gu Jinyu whispered to Gu Jiao, "Sister."
Gu Jiao was indifferent.
The Fifth Prince was even more furious, "How dare you!"
Gu Jinyu immediately stepped forward and said softly, "Your Highness, my sister has just entered the palace and isn’t familiar with the palace rules yet. I will tell my sister later. Your Highness, for grandfather and eldest brother’s sake, please forgive my sister once!"
As soon as Old Marquis and Gu Changqing were mentioned, the look on the Fifth Prince’s face had eased a little. No matter how insensible he was, he also understood that his grandfather and eldest cousin were his own backers.
Grandfather had resigned from his official position on the surface, but secretly he was still working for his imperial father. And his eldest cousin was bound to obtain military achievements.
However, the Fifth Prince still did not intend to let Gu Jiao go so quickly.
He said to Gu Jiao with a cold voice, "Were you behind what happened last time?"
Gu Jiao cast him an odd look, completely unable to understand what he was spouting.
The Fifth Prince snorted, "You truly are imprudent. Since you can invent those things, why didn't you tell my imperial concubine mother in advance? It caused so many misunderstandings in the middle, and even I was questioned by my imperial father about my homeworks. It's all your fault!"
What’s up with this bandit logic?
Things she could do or couldn’t do, why should she tell it to Imperial Concubine Shu, who had nothing to do with her at all?
Gu Jiao crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the Fifth Prince as though she was looking at a fool.
Gu Jinyu hurriedly said, "Your Highness, it's not my sister’s fault. Sister told me everything, but I didn't tell Imperial Concubine!"
Gu Jiao deliberately didn’t tell Gu Jinyu anything. Gu Jinyu's remarks seemed to be pushing the blame onto herself.
The Fifth Prince didn't buy it, "Don't speak for her! I often heard about her! She went back to the capital but didn't move back to the estate, nor did she come to pay her respects to my imperial concubine mother!"
"Sister is married. How can a married daughter move back to live in her maiden home? As for paying her respects to Imperial Concubine... isn't she coming now?" Gu Jinyu continued to cast a meaningful glance at Gu Jiao, hinting at Gu Jiao to yield.
But Gu Jiao remained indifferent.
The Fifth Prince blew his top again, "See, see! She has no sincerity at all! She clearly doesn’t put my imperial concubine mother and this prince in her eye!"
The Fifth Prince had been having tough days recently. First, he was grounded by the Emperor, then he was instructed to study hard, and no one was allowed to help him with his homeworks. The teachers were also being so strict on him that he didn’t have time to play around at all.
Today, everyone made an appointment to go to third brother's residence, but he had to stay in the palace because he had yet to finish his father's punishment to copy books.
He was more or less taking his anger out on Gu Jiao.
Gu Jinyu might give in to him.
But Gu Jiao would never tolerate him.
Gu Jiao looked at him and said, "I didn't come here to pay my respect to Imperial Concubine Shu, nor did I come here to greet you."
After saying this, she slightly tilted her head and motioned for the Fifth Prince to get out of the way.
Originally, the Fifth Prince was just a little angry with her, but now he was completely enraged.
He took her as a relative and only asked her to give him a curtsy, who knew she would be this shameless!
The Fifth Prince said coldly, "Kneel down!"
Gu Jinyu's face turned pale, "Your Fifth Highness!"
"Get out of the way! Otherwise this prince will punish you as well!" It was rare for the Fifth Prince to speak so harshly to Gu Jinyu, which showed that he was truly furious
Gu Jinyu dared not make any more noise.
Gu Jiao frowned impatiently, "I'm going to say it for the last time, get out of my way."
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