Chapter 119 Entering the Capital (Second Update)

It's not easy for my bad brother-in-law to get first place, given his poor grades. Xiao Jingkong decided to praise him when he got back.

When he got home, he found that he didn't need to praise himself at all; a lot of people had come to congratulate his wicked brother-in-law!

See? He was right. My brother-in-law's grades are terrible, so everyone was pleasantly surprised when he got first place!

Little Jingkong, who knew nothing about the value of being a top scholar, decided to retract his praise.

After everyone in the house left, Xiao Jingkong found Xiao Liulang tidying up in the west room.

Xiao Liulang looked at the little guy with his hands behind his back, acting like a little adult, and asked him, "Do you have something to say to me?"

"Hmm." Xiao Jingkong nodded seriously, his hands behind his back looking just like the teacher in the class, even his tone of voice was similar. "You've heard praise all day, so I won't say any more. Don't become arrogant just because you've heard so much praise. You need to be humble and study harder, otherwise people will laugh at you if you don't get first place next time!"

Xiao Liulang looked at him: "Who's laughing? You?"

Xiao Jingkong snorted, "I'm not that bored! If you don't get first place, you can't support your family, and I'm not even grown up yet!"

Xiao Liulang said with a half-smile, "Didn't you say before that it didn't matter if I didn't do well on the exam?"

The small air purifier suddenly stalled.

Xiao Liulang chuckled and said, "Have you remembered now?"

"No, you're mistaken! I never said anything like that!" Little Jingkong decisively exercised his childish privilege: denying his debt!

This is knowledge he learned in elementary school, taught to him by his classmate who sat next to him for a day!

Then Xiao Jingkong quickly moved to another location to go and be Gu Jiao's little follower!

During dinner, Gu Jiao brought up the matter of Xiao Liulang going to study at the Imperial Academy.

"Aren't you going?" the old lady asked.

Gu Jiao said seriously, "What would I go there for? I don't study, I'm not curious about the capital, not at all!"

Everyone looked at her with disbelief, wondering who it was that had cried and sung about going to the capital that night. Hehehe.

The family can't do without Gu Jiao. She can manage for a day or two, and Xue Ningxiang can handle it, but if it goes on for too long, it will kill her.

Finally, the family unanimously decided to go to the capital together.

"But can one travel permit take our whole family?" Gu Jiao didn't want to leave anyone out.

“One isn’t enough,” Xiao Liulang said. “But we still have Feng Lin. Using him should be enough for us to get to the capital.”

Manager Liu thought he had made a good plan, but little did he know that he had been outmaneuvered by Xiao Liulang. If he hadn't schemed against Xiao Liulang in this way, Xiao Liulang wouldn't have been able to get what he wanted.

The Imperial College starts at the end of October, and it's already September, so we need to hurry and get going.

Gu Jiao entrusted the task of clearing the mountain to Luo Lizheng. Although Luo Lizheng was not well-educated, he could still read and write, and besides, his son had passed the imperial examination. He could understand the blueprints and plans left by Gu Jiao.

There wasn't much of value in the house, just Liu Lang's books, and Xue Ningxiang said she would help take care of them.

"By the way, Uncle Gouwa is also in the capital. If you go there, please visit him for me. I'll bring him some things!"

"good."

Gu Jiao agreed.

Xiao Liulang went to Tianxiang Academy and a private school to process the withdrawal of his three younger brothers.

Gu Yan dislikes school, so he's overjoyed to be able to drop out!

Gu Xiaoshun only went to the academy to learn how to carve characters on wood, but he could have learned that from Xiao Jingkong.

As for Xiao Jingkong, his level is already so high that he can't find a suitable class in the private school. If he skips a grade, he will be in a class that specializes in the imperial examinations.

The Imperial Academy has a primary school, and there are many young geniuses from Zhao Kingdom in the primary school. Xiao Liulang felt that Xiao Jingkong was more suitable for that school.

Xiao Liulang also went to greet Dean Li.

Dean Li had mixed feelings. He had been looking forward to Xiao Liulang going to the capital to take the imperial examination, but now that he was actually going, he suddenly felt very reluctant to let him go.

He sighed, "So be it. No matter where you go, you will always be my disciple."

Xiao Liulang hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

As for apprentices, you'll probably never get your wish in your lifetime.

“Speaking of which, I should have had a junior brother in the capital,” Dean Li suddenly said. “Unfortunately, he died young, and I never even had the chance to meet him.”

Xiao Liulang glanced at him indifferently, walked out of the Zhongzheng Hall, and sneezed loudly!

Gu Jiao took Xiao Jingkong to the temple.

Xiao Jingkong bid farewell to the abbot, his fellow disciples, and his friends.

I didn't get to see my master.

However, Xiao Jingkong is used to it; his master is rarely at the temple throughout the year.

"Are you going on a long trip too?" asked the young monk Jingfan.

Four young monks sat on the temple steps, each holding a string of vegetarian meatballs made by Gu Jiao.

Xiao Jingkong took a bite of a meatball, sighed, and said, "Yes, my bad brother-in-law passed the imperial examination and got into the Imperial Academy. Our whole family will be going to school with him. But why did you say 'also'?"

Jingfan said with a grin, "Because we're going on a long trip too! The abbot is taking us to a Buddhist conference!"

"Oh." Xiao Jingkong was actually a little tempted, but this might be the price of going down the mountain. With Jiaojiao by his side, he was destined to give up some things.

In his heart, Jiaojiao is still the most important person!

Gu Jiao brought a lot of delicious food, including vegetarian meatballs, vegetarian roast duck, vegetarian Dongpo pork knuckle, and two boxes of osmanthus cakes she bought from Li Ji.

The four young monks enjoyed a wonderful afternoon together.

Gu Jiao also went to the clinic to say goodbye to the second boss, but was told by Manager Wang that something had happened to the Hu family and that he had already returned to the capital.

Perhaps we can see them in the capital.

Gu Jiao went to Dean Li's house and brought some mountain produce and hawthorn cakes for Old Madam Li. Old Madam Li was still in a daze, but her complexion had improved a lot.

The servant said that when Madam Li was lucid, she said she had a grandson and was very happy!

Hot Spring Resort.

After several days of recuperation, Lord Gu finally recovered from the injuries on his face and body, and he went to Yao's courtyard to find her.

Madam Yao was instructing her servants to pack their luggage.

Lord Gu was taken aback: "Madam, what are you doing? Aren't you staying at the manor anymore? Are you leaving?"

"Yes, we're leaving." Madam Yao nodded.

Lord Gu panicked and stepped forward to grab Yao's hand: "I was wrong! I will never bully that girl again! I will not try to drive a wedge between them! You're angry! Don't go!"

Now it was Yao's turn to be stunned: "My lord, what are you saying? Who are you bullying? Jiaojiao? You...you went to them and threatened them to get a divorce?"

Lord Gu felt a sudden panic!

"My lord!" Madam Yao cried out in anguish as she withdrew her hand.

Lord Gu quickly denied it, saying, "I didn't! I meant I planned to!"

Madam Yao was shocked and furious: "You...you still intend to?"

Lord Gu shook his head like a rattle drum, his cheeks rippled with each shake: "I...I won't, I won't now, I'll listen to whatever you say, please don't go!"

After calming herself down, Madam Yao said to Lord Gu, "How can I return to the capital if I don't leave?"

Lord Gu exclaimed, "So you're finally going back? You've come to your senses? But what about Yan'er and... cough, what about Jiao Jiao?"

Yao smiled but remained silent.

The old nanny standing nearby said with delight, "My lord, you probably don't know yet, but the young master has passed the provincial examination with top honors and is going to study at the Imperial Academy. The young master and young lady will also be going to the capital with him."

Lord Gu was stunned for a moment. Had he heard correctly? That little cripple had become the top scholar in the imperial examination?

He had just scolded someone for being useless, and that person then showed him how he passed the imperial examination with top honors.

What does that mean? Did they come here specifically to embarrass him?

Lord Gu curled his lip. "Just a top scholar from a small provincial capital, what's so great about him? There are twenty or thirty top scholars like him in the entire Zhao Kingdom, and he's probably the worst one among them!"

However, it did solve his immediate problem.

If we don't return to the capital soon, Jinyu will have to suffer the inconvenience of having her coming-of-age ceremony at the mountain villa!

Gu Jinyu also heard that Yao was packing her luggage. She happily came over to help Yao pack, but unexpectedly overheard Yao's reason for agreeing to return to the capital.

It turns out it was just because Gu Yan and Gu Jiao were going to the capital...

Gu Jinyu felt as if something had stabbed her in the heart.

Her mother kept saying she treated her like her own daughter, but in her heart, the one she loved most was always her own flesh and blood.

"Ah, right." Lord Gu suddenly remembered that the Gu family's son was also taking the provincial examination this year. What was that kid's name again?

Gu...Gu...Gu Shunzi? Gu Shunfeng?

Gu Dashun!

"Did Gu Dashun pass the exam?" Lord Gu asked.

Madam Yao went to the government office to check the list herself, and she remembered the names on the list clearly. There was no candidate with the surname Gu.

Granny Fang sneered disdainfully, "The young master is talking about that family's son, isn't he? I heard he also went to the provincial examination, but unfortunately he didn't even pass the provincial examination! He's far inferior to our young master! There's a saying, 'Like begets like,' and 'A mouse's child knows how to dig a hole!' That family, apart from the deceased Gu Sanlang and his wife, isn't a single good person. They think they can pass the provincial examination? Bah! Maybe in their next life!"

These words were a bit harsh; one shouldn't lose one's composure like that in front of one's master. However, that family had indeed treated Gu Jiao very badly, so even the mild-mannered Madam Yao didn't refute Granny Fang's words.

Although Lord Gu was somewhat displeased that Granny Fang had praised the little cripple so highly, he agreed with the rest of her words; that family was indeed hateful.

As for Gu Jinyu, Lord Gu never regarded her as a member of the old Gu family, so he didn't feel at all that she had also been scolded.

Granny Fang didn't mean to scold Gu Jinyu; she was only referring to the Gu family members.

However, the speaker may not have meant anything by it, but the listener took it to heart.

Gu Jinyu's face turned bright red, even more humiliating than when Gu Jiao slapped him in the street.

She ultimately did not go in to help Yao check her luggage. Instead, with tears in her eyes, she turned around and silently returned to her room.

“Granny,” Yao Shi suddenly spoke from inside the room, “You should say such things less often in the future, lest Jin Yu hears them. That child is sensitive, and I’m afraid she’ll overthink it.”

“Yes, Madam,” the old woman replied with a bow.

Looking at the three sets of clothes in the box, all of which she had made herself, Yao was so eager to make up for Jiao Jiao's absence that she had neglected Jin Yu.

These three outfits were all made by her for Jinyu.

Knowing that her daughter was uncomfortable with them, Madam Yao did not insist that she travel with her. Instead, she arranged for her daughter to have the best coachman and carriage from the Marquis's mansion.

Lord Gu had no objection to this, after all, Gu Yan was in poor health, and a good carriage could greatly reduce the bumps.

Sitting in the bumpy carriage, Gu Jinyu felt increasingly insignificant in this family.

They gave her three sets of clothes, but gave Gu Jiao a carriage!

Gu Jinyu looked out the window, her face full of grievance.

On a bright and sunny morning, Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang set off for the capital. The weather was kind to them, and after more than a month of travel, they arrived in the capital.

Feng Lin did not travel with them; he was going home by water. Feng Lin's travel permit was in Xiao Liulang's hands, and his aunt and Xiao Jingkong were registered on his travel permit.

He was a student of the Imperial Academy and could enter the city with his admission documents.

Gu Jiao and Gu Xiaoshun were registered on Xiao Liulang's road pass. This type of school district road pass is different from ordinary road passes. It allows family members to come with them, but only a maximum of two.

As for Gu Yan and the coachman, they were originally from the capital.

When they entered the city, it was still early, so they went to the nearest post station to rest and feed the horses, and also to inquire about residences in the capital.

On the way here, Gu Jiao had already discussed with Xiao Liulang that they would try to stay near the Imperial College to make it convenient for him to go to school.

They spent some money clearing the mountain, and now they have a thousand taels left. A thousand taels can buy several houses in the county town, but not in the capital.

The best way is to rent.

They were lucky; there happened to be a dentist at the post station.

A broker, also known as a guarantor, is similar to the intermediary in Gu Jiao's previous life. They are registered with the government and legally buy and sell servants, property, and livestock.

The guarantor's surname was Zhang, and he was a young man in his early thirties.

Upon hearing that they had come to study at the Imperial Academy, Zhang Baoren immediately cupped his hands in respect, saying, "So you're students of the Imperial Academy! I'll have to help you with this! Don't worry, whichever location you fancy, I'll give you the lowest price!"

Gu Jiao was unfamiliar with the capital city.

Xiao Liulang told her the approximate location of the Imperial College, which was at the northeast corner of the intersection of Chang'an Avenue and Xuanwu Avenue. It was closer to Chang'an Avenue, but Chang'an Avenue was a commercial street and was very congested, so the two streets were actually about the same.

Zhang Baoren asked in surprise, "Young man, have you been to the capital before? You seem very familiar with the city."

(End of this chapter)