Chapter 150 Domineering Protection (First Update)

Gu Jiao didn't know; she was just guessing.

Xue Ningxiang found the token where Xiao Liulang had fainted. The beautiful monk and the Third Prince's wife both said it was the token of the Marquis of Xuanping's residence, so there shouldn't be any mistake.

This man is also called Young Master Xiao Liulang.

Combining all these pieces of information, we arrive at the question posed to Steward Liu earlier.

Steward Liu came to see her this time intending to use her to persuade the young master to return to the manor. He did not intend to hide his identity, so he answered truthfully: "That's right, the young master is the young master of the Xuanping Marquis's manor."

Gu Jiao took a moment to process it: "Oh."

oh?

Manager Liu was puzzled. "This isn't the first time you've heard of this, is it? Your reaction is too calm!"

Gu Jiao was not someone who valued status; whether Xiao Liulang was the master of the Xuanping Marquis's mansion or a servant made no difference to her.

However, there was one thing she didn't understand.

"Since he is the young master of the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion, why is he unwilling to go back with you?"

It wasn't that she was deliberately trying to pry into each other's secrets; rather, the other party had come knocking on her door, and she couldn't very well sell her husband out without knowing the details.

Manager Liu sighed: "It's a long story. If the young mistress isn't in a hurry, would you like to sit down at the teahouse?"

There was a teahouse nearby, and Gu Jiao didn't refuse, going there with Manager Liu.

Manager Liu thought to himself, "This young mistress isn't quite right in the head. She just went with a stranger like that? Didn't she even bother to check his token or anything?"

If Steward Liu knew Gu Jiao's abilities, he would be the one worried.

Manager Liu was indifferent to Gu Jiao, but had no ill intentions towards her, nor did he ever intend to break up the young couple.

I believe the Marquis wouldn't do that.

The Marquis himself is powerful enough that he does not need to rely on his son to form a marriage alliance to consolidate the relationship between the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion and the major aristocratic families.

As for whether they are a good match in terms of status...

Although she grew up in the countryside, she is still a legitimate daughter of a marquis's family. As for her, she's barely a match for this young master!

Manager Liu requested a side room on the second floor.

Facing the street, you can see the bustling Xuanwu Avenue when you open the window.

The two sat down facing each other, and Steward Liu asked, "Does the young mistress prefer Biluochun or Longjing tea?"

"It doesn't matter," Gu Jiao said.

Manager Liu smiled and brewed a pot of Longjing tea: "This is this year's new tea."

Gu Jiao wasn't a fan of tea, so she mixed it with some cold water and drank it all at once.

She was indeed thirsty.

Manager Liu was dumbfounded.

The young master is quite an oddball, and his wife is no less so.

"Let's get down to business," Gu Jiao said calmly.

"Eh!" Steward Liu came to his senses, sighed, and told Xiao Liulang about his background, "Actually... young master is the Marquis's illegitimate son."

This story begins eighteen or nineteen years ago when the Marquis went south to manage the floods.

That year, a major flood struck Jiangnan, destroying thousands of acres of fertile land and displacing many people. The cause was not only a natural disaster but also a man-made one.

"The funds allocated by the imperial court for the construction of the dikes were embezzled by local officials, who then cut corners on the construction of the dikes, which is why they failed to stop the flood and caused irreparable damage."

Back then, the Marquis did not wield the immense power he does today. His Majesty dispatched him to Jiangnan to investigate the truth behind the dikes. The local bullies attempted to bribe the Marquis to conceal the truth.

The Marquis refused to associate with them, which resulted in their retaliation. On his way back to the capital, he was stabbed seven or eight times by assassins.

"I remember it was near Songxian County at the time," Manager Liu recalled.

Steward Liu had followed Marquis Xuanping since he was a young man and was one of the few people who had helped him conquer half of the country. However, for more than ten years, he was sent to other places by the Marquis and was only recalled by the Marquis last year.

"There were no clinics there. After the Marquis was injured, he found a doctor nearby. Because his injuries were serious, he had to stay at the doctor's house."

The doctor's skills were not very good. Although he saved the Marquis of Xuanping's life, he left him with a lingering illness. But that's another story.

When Marquis Xuanping was recuperating at the physician's house, a family of three lived next door. The male head of the household was a gambler and an alcoholic, and his youngest son was only a few years old.

Marquis Xuanping could hear men beating and scolding women and children almost every day, but this was someone else's family matter, and Marquis Xuanping couldn't interfere.

Unexpectedly, one time, the man lost the child to someone else while gambling. The woman clung to the man's leg, begging him not to take the child away. The man then punched and kicked the woman, almost beating her to death.

The Marquis of Xuanping next door could no longer tolerate it, and being young and hot-blooded at the time, he rushed over and gave the man a good beating.

The man fled, but was killed on the way by debt collectors.

The woman became a widow.

Marquis Xuanping took pity on her and gave her some silver.

As luck would have it, the doctor's relative was a flood victim who had brought his family to seek refuge with him.

The physician had nowhere to stay, and Marquis Xuanping needed treatment for his injuries but couldn't travel too far.

"If you don't mind, my benefactor, please come and stay at my house," the woman said.

Gu Jiao could easily imagine what happened after that without Manager Liu having to explain.

"The Marquis stayed there for half a year until his injuries were completely healed. The Marquis asked her if she wanted to go to the capital with him, and she hesitated. The Marquis did not like to force people, so he gave her a token and told her that if she thought it through, she could go to the capital to find him at any time."

Steward Liu sighed, "Oh dear, my lord... you still don't quite understand women."

Gu Jiao was not involved and therefore will not comment.

Steward Liu said, "Many years have passed since we parted. If it weren't for the young master bringing that token and the Marquis's clothes from back then to find the Marquis four years ago, the Marquis wouldn't have known that she was pregnant and had secretly given birth to their son."

Gu Jiao asked, "You mean, Xiao Liulang only went to the capital four years ago?"

Manager Liu: "That's right."

Gu Jiao: "Has he lived in the capital for a long time?"

Steward Liu shook his head regretfully: "No, young master's timing wasn't good. Several murders occurred in the capital, and the Marquis was at the Ministry of Justice and hadn't returned home. He finally returned to the Marquis's residence... but then a major event happened: the young Marquis passed away. He was the Marquis's only legitimate son. The Marquis was greatly affected and refused to see any outsiders. At the time, young master entrusted his belongings to a servant of the Marquis's residence, and it was only much later that the servant reported it to the Marquis. By then, young master had already left the capital."

Gu Jiao paused for a moment: "So... he only stayed in the capital for a few months?"

Manager Liu recalled for a moment: "It should have been less than a month."

Gu Jiao seemed thoughtful: "Oh."

Manager Liu said, "Young Master's mother only told him about his background before she passed away. Young Master and his half-brother went to the capital to find their father, but they did not find their father. In addition, the brother accidentally came into contact with leprosy patients. Young Master was worried that his brother would be arrested and sent to the leprosy mountain, so he took his brother and left the capital quickly."

Gu Jiao nodded: "I see."

"Huh?" Manager Liu didn't understand what "I see" meant.

Gu Jiao looked at him and said, "Go on."

Steward Liu said, "After that, the Marquis sent people to inquire about the young master's whereabouts. It wasn't until last year that they found out that the young master was studying at Tianxiang Academy in the county town. The Marquis asked me to bring the young master back. I tried to persuade the young master many times, but he was probably still unable to let go of those old stories and refused to return to the mansion with me."

Gu Jiao believed that what he said was true, but she didn't know if there was anything he hadn't said.

Sometimes, distorting a fact doesn't require lying; it only requires revealing a little less of the truth.

Moreover, no one can guarantee that what Manager Liu knows is the whole truth.

She believed that there was indeed a Xiao Liulang who came to the capital to find his father four years ago.

But is this Xiao Liulang really the same Xiao Liulang?

Gu Jiao took a sip of tea, spread her hands, and said, "Unfortunately, if he doesn't want to return to the manor, there's nothing I can do."

No, after listening for so long, this is all you're telling me?

Shouldn't you be weeping bitterly, grieving for your husband's background, and saddened that father and son cannot recognize each other?

Don't you have any self-awareness as a country girl?

Manager Liu panicked. If sympathy didn't work, he'd have to play his trump card!

He steeled his resolve and said seriously, "Do you know that the young master was bullied at the Imperial Academy? What kind of place is the Imperial Academy? Countless powerful and influential people from the capital come here to study, and the instructors and officials are all backed by extremely powerful figures. It's simply impossible for the young master to stand up to them on his own! Even if the young mistress doesn't think about herself, she should think about the young master! As the young master of the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion, he can do whatever he wants in the entire capital, let alone the Imperial Academy!"

Gu Jiao's expression finally changed slightly, but it wasn't one of being moved; instead, it was one of endless killing intent and coldness.

She stood up and looked down at Steward Liu, who was sitting on the cushion: "Tell your lord that I will protect my own husband!"

How could someone bully her husband?

Okay, very good!

Gu Jiao returned to Bishui Hutong.

Xiao Liulang had already washed his soiled clothes, and there was no trace of being bullied on his face.

As Gu Jiao gazed at the clothes fluttering in the cold wind, her eyes gradually turned cold.

The next day, Gu Jiao found Feng Lin.

Feng Lin was surprised: "Xiao Jingkong said you were looking for me, what's up?"

Gu Jiao explained her purpose for coming.

Feng Lin's eyes became evasive: "Um... Liu Lang told me not to tell you what happened at the Imperial Academy."

Gu Jiao didn't say anything, she just stared at him.

Feng Lin used to hate her, but now he likes her just as much. It's not romantic love, but the kind of affection one has for a family member.

Feng Lin finally gave in and sighed, "Alright, it's true, Liu Lang... offended Zheng Siye."

Feng Lin didn't know how he had offended him. Not many people knew about Xiao Jingkong and Qin Chuyu's affair. Since Liu Lang himself didn't say anything, Feng Lin had nowhere to inquire.

Xiao Liulang is now an outstanding student who doesn't hide his talents; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to get into Shuaixing Hall.

However, he came in last place in the monthly exam, which was reportedly graded by Zheng Siye.

Others may not understand Xiao Liulang's abilities, but Feng Lin and Lin Chengye, who had taken his classes, would never believe that his grades would suddenly plummet like this.

Feng Lin said, "Lin Chengye is asking me if Zheng Siye is making things difficult for Liu Lang? And Wang Qi, Chen Duo, Luo Du, Zhao Hai..."

Feng Lin rattled off a string of names, all of whom had made things difficult for Xiao Liulang in the past few days.

Gu Jiao wrote down their names one by one in her notebook.

Several of them were coerced. Gu Jiao crossed out their names, leaving four names in the end—Luo Du, Zhao Rui, Zhou Fengping, and Zheng Siye.

Luo Du and Zhao Rui were students of the Imperial Academy, while Zhou Fengping was the educational commissioner.

Shuaixing Hall is the head of the six halls, and generally speaking, no one would dare to bully the students of Shuaixing Hall.

Zhou Fengping is Zheng Siye's henchman. Zheng Siye is about to become the new chief priest, and Zhou Fengping is expected to become the next chief priest, following Zheng Siye's lead.

As for Luo Du and Zhao Rui, these two are quite influential in the capital: one is the young master of the Luo family, and the other is the youngest son of the Minister of Works, who is also the superior of Marquis Gu.

But in Gu Jiao's eyes, none of this mattered.

No one can bully her husband!

Lord Gu is in the crucial stage of his annual performance review, racking his brains every day on how to please his superior.

Little did he know that just as he finished giving someone a generous gift, his daughter beat that person's youngest son until his head was swollen!

Even their parents wouldn't recognize them!

On the way back to his residence, Lord Gu looked up at the sky with a puzzled expression. Why did he still feel uneasy despite sending so many gifts? Instead, he had a feeling that a great disaster was about to befall him.

This feeling intensified after Gu Jiao beat up the young master of the Duke of Luo's mansion.

Lord Gu felt a chill run down his spine.

He didn't do anything, so why does he feel like he's doomed?

After Gu Jiao beat up Zhou Fengping, the academic director of the Imperial Academy, Lord Gu was so drunk that he choked on his water in his mansion!

My heart is pounding, I'm really panicking.

In the dark alley, Gu Jiao took out her notebook and crossed out the third name, Zhou Fengping.

Her gaze fell on the last name, and Gu Jiao, dressed in black, curled her lips into a wicked smile.

(End of this chapter)