Chapter 215 Slapping Faces to the End (First Update)

"What I feared most has come to pass" is not even an adequate description of Consort Shu's feelings at this moment. She never expected that the Emperor would propose testing the Fifth Prince's studies at this time.

His Majesty is extremely busy with state affairs and doesn't have much time to test the princes' studies. He only pays the most attention to the eldest prince and the crown prince.

One was his eldest son, and the other was his legitimate son.

For someone like the Fifth Prince, who was neither the legitimate heir nor the eldest son, the Emperor at most only randomly checked his essays. However, with Gu Jinyu's help, the Fifth Prince's essays were always quite good.

The emperor would occasionally call the fifth prince over and ask him questions about the articles, questions that Gu Jinyu had taught the fifth prince in advance.

Despite his poor performance in class, the Fifth Prince is exceptionally gifted when it comes to cheating.

Gu Jinyu only needs to say, "His Majesty might test you on this later, and that's how you answer," and he'll remember it!

So, despite having Gu Jinyu cheat for so many years, the Fifth Prince has never been caught.

Consort Shu's heart was trembling.

"His Majesty……"

She tried to stop it all, but the emperor was determined. Meanwhile, the three little ones finished making the mortar and went to paste the wall with their little buckets.

Having lost his enjoyment of the spectacle, the emperor rose and returned to his study.

Empress Xiao, Consort Zhuang, and others rose to see them off.

The emperor went to the imperial study.

The Fifth Prince was also summoned.

He didn't quite understand what had happened yet, but he felt that the palace servants all looked strange, and the emperor's expression was even stranger.

"Father."

He entered the imperial study and bowed.

At this moment, the three little ones were already carrying their little buckets and huffing and puffing as they came to paste paper on the wall outside the Imperial Study.

Eunuch Wei was really worried that his little darlings might accidentally smear the emperor's image while they were still painting, so he quickly had someone bring over some blue bricks.

If you don't want to wallpaper the walls, wallpapering with bricks is also a good option.

Several people squatted down and slowly applied the paste with small brushes.

Xiao Jingkong painted the paper the most diligently, but because he was too small, his control over the force was not precise enough, so his papering was the worst.

Next is Xu Zhouzhou, whose performance wasn't great either.

If we're talking about a true master of wallpapering, Qin Chuyu is the only one.

Qin Chuyu initially let his two friends play along, but as he continued to paste, he discovered that he was the best at it and gradually found enjoyment in pasting walls.

"I can be a painter in the future!" Qin Chuyu said proudly.

Xiao Jingkong wholeheartedly agreed: "That's right, you did the best job!"

Xu Zhouzhou nodded in agreement.

Wei Gonggong, who was standing to the side, trembled all over and even dropped the whisk in his hand in fright!

My lord, you're a prince! Is your grand ambition to become a painter?! Can't you be a little more ambitious?!

Inside the Imperial Study, the Fifth Prince was no less frightened than Eunuch Wei, but his fright came not from his brother who was to become a tiler, but from the Emperor's soul-searching questions.

The emperor tested the emperor with a passage from Mencius: "The city walls were not low, the moats were not shallow, the weapons were not weak, and the grain was not scarce; yet they abandoned it. This shows that geographical advantage is not as important as popular support. What comes next?"

Fifth Prince: "Yes...yes..."

Xiao Jingkong shook his head and swayed as he scribbled: "Therefore it is said: governing the people is not about the boundaries of the territory, securing the country is not about the dangers of mountains and rivers, and dominating the world is not about the advantages of weapons. Those who follow the Way receive much help, while those who stray from the Way receive little help. When help is scarce, even relatives turn against you; when help is plentiful, the whole world submits to you. With the support of the world, you can attack those who have turned against you by your relatives; therefore, a wise man may not fight, but if he does, he will surely win."

The four-year-old's voice was crisp and clear, with a touch of babyish sweetness.

The entire imperial study fell silent.

The emperor glared at the fifth prince and said, "People easily change their words."

The Fifth Prince could not answer.

Xiao Jingkong: "I have no responsibility."

The Emperor said, "My relationship with the country is..."

Xiao Jingkong: "I have done my best."

He wasn't actually trying to outdo the Fifth Prince; he just overheard it and blurted it out without thinking.

It's like listening to music on a normal day; when you hear the first line, you hum along to the next line, that's all.

The emperor was furious and pointed out the window, saying, "Listen to this! You're not even as good as a four-year-old!"

Qin Chuyu asked Xiao Jingkong strangely, "What were you reciting just now?"

Xiao Jingkong shrugged: "I don't know, I heard the older boys at the Imperial College read it."

The Four Books and Five Classics were required subjects for the imperial examinations, and candidates in the Imperial College often recited them. Xiao Jingkong listened to them so much that he memorized them.

Qin Chuyu: How come I don't remember?

The emperor gave the fifth prince several arithmetic problems, but he couldn't solve a single one. The emperor was furious: "Aren't these all problems you did before? You just changed the numbers!"

The fifth prince was trembling with fear, not daring to utter a single breath.

It is now basically confirmed that the Fifth Prince's scholarship was fabricated. If it weren't for Consort Shu's outburst, the Emperor would not have suspected the Fifth Prince. He dared to claim credit for everything, so was there any element of fabrication in his previous scholarship?

"Who did your homework before?" the emperor asked in a deep voice.

The fifth prince initially intended to grit his teeth and keep quiet, but he couldn't withstand his father's pressure and stammered, "Cousin, cousin."

The emperor was so angry he nearly fell backward.

It's Gu Jinyu again!

The emperor was so angry that he ended up laughing.

He had been wondering where Gu Jinyu had learned to take credit for others so easily, but now he realized that she had been influenced by her surroundings since childhood. Her talents had been taken by others, so she started to take what belonged to others.

What do you call this? You call it "If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too"!

All the good things that Consort Shu had done suddenly made the Emperor feel terrible!

But he's my own son, I can't just abandon him.

Following the Third Prince's conferment of the title of Prince Rui, the First Prince was also conferred the title of Prince Ning. The Fourth and Fifth Princes were also getting on in years, and some ministers in the court petitioned that they should also be conferred the title of prince.

This morning, he drafted the titles for his two sons.

But now, the emperor feels that it's not quite ready yet.

In fact, the Fourth Prince's talent was genuine; the Emperor was simply hurt by the Fifth Prince, which suddenly made him suspicious of the Fourth Prince as well.

Should we also test the fourth brother's knowledge?

Or even if you pass the academic exam, shouldn't your character be tested as well?

The emperor was torn between these thoughts, but in the end he said only one thing: "The matter of bestowing the title of king will be discussed later!"

As a result, the fourth prince, who had done nothing wrong, was implicated and missed the chance to be granted the title of king.

The fourth prince was absolutely furious. What had he done to deserve this? Where could he possibly seek justice?

...

Little Jingkong spent a wonderful afternoon at the palace.

To avoid revealing his identity, Qin Chuyu didn't mention that he lived in the palace, only saying that he would go back with his father later.

Children don't have that many suspicions.

"See you tomorrow." Xiao Jingkong said goodbye to Qin Chuyu and got into the Xu family's carriage with Xu Zhouzhou and left the palace.

It was already quite late when the Xu family's carriage brought Xiao Jingkong back to the clinic. There weren't many patients at the clinic that day, so Gu Jiao waited for Xiao Jingkong in the lobby.

Xiao Jingkong was already very tired. Xu Zhouzhou was fast asleep on the couch, and Xiao Jingkong's eyelids were drooping, but he kept trying not to fall asleep.

The carriage arrived at the clinic.

Gu Jiao would glance at every carriage parked at the clinic.

This time was no exception.

She saw that it was the Xu family's carriage, got up and went out.

Since Xiao Jingkong didn't jump down, she could pretty much guess what was going on.

She got into the carriage and took Xiao Jingkong into her arms.

Little Jingkong was pecking at rice like a chick when he suddenly felt a lightness in his body. He groggily glanced at Gu Jiao and called out in a childish voice, "Jiaojiao?"

"Yes, it's me." Gu Jiao hugged him with one arm and gently supported the back of his head with the other, helping him down from the carriage.

"Be careful." The driver brought over a footstool.

"Thank you." Gu Jiao said thank you, and carried Xiao Jingkong back to the clinic.

Little Jingkong nestled in Gu Jiao's arms, his little head resting on her shoulder, fast asleep.

Gu Jiao freed one hand to grab the small basket.

A slender, jade-like hand reached out.

"I'll do it." He put Gu Jiao's small medicine box into the basket, then carried the small basket on his back, and reached out to hug Xiao Jingkong.

As if sensing something, Xiao Jingkong frowned and clung tightly to Gu Jiao's clothes.

“It’s okay, I’ll carry him,” Gu Jiao said to Xiao Liulang.

Xiao Liulang hummed in agreement.

Gu Jiao asked curiously, "Why are you here so late? The clinic isn't busy today."

"Just passing by," Xiao Liulang said in a serious tone.

Gu Jiao: "Oh."

"Is there anything else?" Xiao Liulang asked.

"That's all, let's go home," Gu Jiao said cheerfully.

"Hmm," Xiao Liulang responded, but quickly sensed something was wrong.

Home?

Since when did he start to consider that place as his own home?

Gu Jiao stepped out the door and realized that Xiao Liulang hadn't followed. She turned back to look at him and asked, "Aren't you going home?"

Xiao Liulang opened his mouth: "Go back."

Xiao Liulang walked out, leaning on his cane.

Gu Jiao waited until he arrived before walking alongside him towards Bishui Hutong.

The streets were bustling with people.

Xiao Liulang went around to the outside and used his body to block pedestrians who might bump into him.

As he walked, he kept glancing at her beside him without making a sound.

When I first met her, she was just a silly girl, but now she has grown into a graceful young woman. Her face is still the same, but it seems like she has become a completely different person.

I promised to leave.

But I don't know when it started, maybe from the moment she insisted that he take the exam for Tianxiang Academy, or maybe from the moment she insisted on sending him to the county exam venue at all costs... step by step, we've come to where we are today.

I must not repeat my childish behavior of asking for gifts like I did last time.

He cannot have a heart, cannot have a family, and cannot have any more attachments.

creak—

Gu Jiao pushed open a courtyard gate.

Xiao Liulang said almost reflexively, "You've come to the wrong house, this isn't our home."

After he finished speaking, he was stunned.

Gu Jiao turned around and smiled, "I know, I'll bring some cough medicine to Grandpa Zhao."

Her smile was as pure as the snow on the summit of Tianshan Mountain.

Xiao Liulang was dazzled.

The news of the emperor stripping Gu Jinyu of her title and the position of princess spread throughout the streets and alleys the very next day, and teahouses were buzzing with discussions about why Gu Jinyu had been severely punished by the emperor.

"I heard that she broke the Imperial Seal of the State, and His Majesty punished her severely in a fit of anger!"

"That's not what I heard."

"What is it?"

"You all know about the accident at the Ministry of Works' furnace, right? She modified that furnace; it could only use two bellows, but she insisted on using six! As a result, the furnace exploded!"

"She can just change it like that? Don't the officials in the Ministry of Works review it?"

"So that's where the problem lies. She only provided a solution; whether or not it was used was the Ministry of Works' business. The Ministry of Works' Construction Supervision Division was primarily responsible, so there's more to the story than meets the eye when she was punished."

"Alright, alright, stop keeping me in suspense and tell me!"

"She didn't invent the bellows; it was another girl! The old blacksmith even came all the way from the county town and exposed her on the spot!"

"Ah! Is that so?"

"Otherwise, why would His Majesty punish her so severely? It's because she committed the crime of deceiving the emperor!"

"The daughter of a noble family has actually taken credit for someone else's work. How utterly shameless!"

"Isn't that right? Shameless!"

This is a small teahouse outside the capital, yet it has become such a hot topic of conversation even outside the city.

Even dressed in simple clothes, a robust old man whose dignity was still evident frowned slightly: "Young man, which marquis's family are you referring to as the daughter of a marquis?"

His voice was so authoritative that the crowd, who were engaged in heated discussion, involuntarily fell silent and all looked at him.

His hair was already streaked with silver, but he was tall and imposing, with dignified features and a powerful aura. No one present dared to underestimate him.

A young boy, full of youthful fearlessness, boldly declared, "The Marquis of Ding'an's residence."

The dignified old man said solemnly, "Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?"

The young boy trembled, intimidated by his imposing manner: "No, no, no, you're not mistaken... It's the Marquis of Ding'an's mansion! It's all over the capital, you can go ask if you don't believe me! The daughter of the Marquis of Ding'an invented the bellows and was made a princess... She hadn't even enjoyed her freedom for a few days when the bellows malfunctioned... injuring quite a few people..."

The dignified old man's gaze turned cold.

Can you guess who this old man is?

(End of this chapter)