"Lord Lu, our princess requests your presence!" The palace maid bowed and stood quietly to the side, waiting.

Princess? Lu Yanzhao was confused. He didn't know any princess. He was too busy to see any princess.

Lu Yanzhao said calmly, "Excuse me, I have important business to attend to. Farewell!" Before the little palace maid could react, he had already strode away.

The young palace maid was stunned for a moment, and by the time she realized what was happening, Lu Yanzhao had already walked far away. She had no choice but to go and reply.

"What?!" Princess Fuyang was furious, smashing the teacup in her hand, her dignified face contorted in anger.

He was a minor official from a humble background, and it was his good fortune that she took a liking to him, yet he dared to refuse to see her.

This is outrageous!

At this moment, Zhou Wan gave a wink to the noble lady beside her, who then spoke up: "Your Highness, I heard that Lord Lu is very afraid of the ugly girl in his house. It must be because of her that he has refused to come to see you."

Fu Yang frowned. She had heard them mention the wife of the newly appointed top scholar many times, and she was quite curious about just how ugly she was.

I glanced at her earlier and didn't take her seriously at all. But thinking about it carefully, I realized that she was calm and composed, and she didn't have any inherent servility or obsequiousness when facing royalty and nobility.

However, Fu Yang didn't take a merchant girl seriously at all: "She's just an ant. I don't believe that the newly appointed top scholar is someone she can control." Fu Yang curled her lips: "At such a young age, she has achieved the highest honors in all three categories. It's inevitable that she's a bit arrogant. However, she's just to my liking. I'll go and ask my brother for a marriage decree."

Watching Fu Yang leave, Zhou Wan and the noblewoman exchanged a glance, a cold smile playing on their lips.

Gu Nanjiao, just you wait and see! His Majesty will surely grant Princess Fuyang's request to marry the person she has taken a liking to.

Who's next? Zhou Yu!

He used to snatch her things all the time, and now he's slapping her in the face. However, Zhou Yu is simple-minded and easy to deal with, so Zhou Wan isn't in a hurry.

Fu Yang rushed into the palace, pleaded with the emperor for a while, and then got to the point: "Your Majesty, if I take a fancy to a talented young man, but he is already married with a wife, would you allow me to marry him?"

The Emperor of Chu scoffed and retorted, "My sister has rendered meritorious service to the court. Do you think I would allow you to marry him?"

Fu Yang pouted, looking somewhat aggrieved: "But my sister has taken a liking to someone, a fourth-rank official, who is already married to a woman who is ugly and has no beauty."

The Emperor of Chu paused in his tea-drinking motion: "What's the big deal? As long as my sister takes a liking to her, I will arrange the marriage. If she doesn't want to divorce her, I'll let that ugly woman be my concubine. I can't let my sister suffer any injustice."

Hearing the emperor's words, Fu Yang felt relieved and knelt before the Chu emperor on the throne, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!"

"Who is this talented young man who has captured the heart of the Imperial Sister?"

Fu Yang blushed: "The newly appointed top scholar is Lu Yanzhao!"

"What?" The Emperor of Chu nearly fell off his dragon throne. After regaining his composure, he asked again, "Is it the newly appointed top scholar, Lu Yanzhao?"

"Um!"

The Emperor of Chu was now unsettled. He slammed down the teacup in his hand and fell into deep thought.

"Let me think about it!"

Meanwhile, at Qixiang Palace.

Zhou Yu knelt on the ground tremblingly, glanced up at Gu Nanjiao who was standing straight, and lowered her voice: "Kneel down quickly, or the Imperial Concubine will punish you for disrespect."

Gu Nanjiao had no choice but to kneel down. About fifteen minutes later, Consort Yue, supported by her nanny, slowly walked over. She was truly graceful and had the air of an empress.

The two performed a deep bow, and Consort Yue raised her hand from a distance, saying, "Rise!"

When her gaze fell upon Gu Nanjiao, her pupils contracted, and she asked Zhou Yu, "I heard you brought the manager of Jiaoniang Pavilion to make a flowing fairy dress for me?"

Zhou Yu seemed very frightened and stammered, "Yes...yes, Aunt."

She was fearless in the Zhou family mansion and could act arrogantly in the capital, but when facing her aunt, her aunt's imposing aura made her feel suffocated.

Consort Yue narrowed her eyes, looked at Gu Nanjiao, and said directly, "Go wait outside and let the shopkeeper take your measurements first."

Granny Zhou waved to Gu Nanjiao, and Gu Nanjiao tactfully went to the inner room.

After closing the door to the inner room, Consort Yue asked directly, "Why did you come here? Don't you know you should avoid suspicion?"

Gu Nanjiao chuckled softly, "Your Highness, after all, we are mother and daughter. When your daughter is in trouble, she needs your help."

Consort Yue scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about? What mother and daughter relationship? Be careful, the walls may have ears."

Gu Nanjiao pursed her lips and stopped talking. Consort Yue wanted to win her over, but she didn't offer her any benefits. If it weren't for the Emperor's secret guards protecting her, she might have even killed her.

"Is there any difficulty that you need my help with?" Consort Yue spoke first.

Her daughter wasn't so easily fooled. Since she had come to her for help, she would help her out for the sake of future cooperation.

Gu Nanjiao's smile faded slightly: "My husband is about to be snatched away by Princess Fuyang; it's the Crown Prince's concubine's plan. I'm thinking, if my husband becomes the prince consort, Princess Fuyang will definitely be grateful to the Crown Prince, and perhaps my husband will join the Crown Prince's camp. Your Highness, what do you think…?"

After pondering for a long time, Consort Yue told Gu Nanjiao, "You go back first. Leave this matter to me. The Crown Prince wants to bring Lu Yanzhao and Princess Fuyang into his camp. Don't even think about it."

Gu Nanjiao breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving a positive answer.

Although cooperating with this mother who is determined to kill her is tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin, she should still take advantage of her when the time is right.

...

After parting ways with Zhou Yu, Gu Nanjiao headed towards the Lu residence.

As soon as I arrived at the door, I saw Lu Yanzhao looking around anxiously.

Gu Nanjiao ignored him and walked straight into the courtyard.

Lu Yanzhao grabbed Gu Nanjiao's arm, his voice full of worry: "Didn't you say you were going back to the manor? Where did you go?"

He searched the mansion for a long time but couldn't find anyone. Cui'er and Guo'er also said they didn't know.

Gu Nanjiao broke free from him and strode into the inner room. Lu Yanzhao blocked the door and squeezed in first.

"What's wrong?"

Gu Nanjiao teased, "Today's football match was spectacular. Lord Lu has won the hearts of many noble ladies. Even Princess Fuyang has taken a liking to you and wants you to be her consort!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yanzhao's eyes narrowed sharply, and he asked in a deep voice, "Who told you this nonsense? It's completely untrue."

After saying this, Lu Yanzhao felt vaguely uneasy. When he returned from the football field, he was stopped by a palace maid who said that the princess wanted to see him, but he refused.

Could it be...?

Is it Princess Fuyang who wants to see him?

How did Gu Nanjiao find out?

He realized that Gu Nanjiao was sitting in the women's section, and that the gossiping women must have misunderstood him.

Gu Nanjiao looked directly into Lu Yanzhao's eyes and asked, "If Princess Fuyang insists on marrying you, and His Majesty happens to grant the marriage, what will you do?"

Lu Yanzhao held Gu Nanjiao's arms tightly and answered seriously: "If the emperor insists on this, then I have no choice but to resign and return to my hometown. We will go back to Toad Village. I will teach and educate people, and you will do business. I will live off you for the rest of my life."

Gu Nanjiao frowned and asked again, "If you resign and return to your hometown, the Emperor and Princess Fuyang will hunt us down, as well as the Crown Prince's men. They won't let us go. If the Emperor insists on bestowing the marriage upon us, and you disobey the imperial decree, that would be a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family. None of us will escape."