The young lord from the Duke Residence, who has accompanied the Eastern Palace for many years and witnessed countless conspiracies, still appears as an innocent youth on the outside.
Compared to his mature handling of affairs and amiable demeanor, his whole persona resonates with youthful vigor.
When Ye Guixue came to Capital City, he did not interact with him much, as he was forcefully dismissed from Su Rong’s future. Hence, when they did meet later, he did not perceive him as a rival, which was in truth, a grave oversight.
Zhou Gu taught him a valuable lesson.
Ya Qiuying watched Ye Guixue and whispered, "So, does Sister Su Qi still prefer Lord Zhou..." she bit the corner of her mouth, "Lord Thursday?"
Ye Guixue nodded, "You can still call him ’elder brother’, don’t be swayed by your uncle."
Ya Qiuying pursed her lips, "Uncle, what should we do? Can you take her back?"
Ye Guixue shook his head, "I don’t know."
He changed the subject, "After a few days, I will leave. You will stay in Daliang and move into the Eastern Palace. Do not trust people lightly and do not follow blindly. What we see and hear may not always be the truth. You must learn to judge for yourself and don’t let anyone influence you. Be modest but also assertive. If you need something, don’t hold back. Just tell the palace staff. The Crown Prince of Daliang is a good prince. As long as your demands aren’t unreasonable, he will fulfill them for Sister Su Qi’s sake."
Ya Qiuying nodded, "Uncle, I got it."
She looked at Ye Guixue, "But, uncle, if I stay in Daliang, will that put you in danger?"
Ye Guixue smiled, "No, even if I break off the engagement with the princess, even if the worst happens and the Ye family no longer supports the princess, she would not take it out on a child like you. That woman, she is vengeful but she knows who to blame. She would not pick on a child to exert her threats."
Ya Qiuying nodded.
Ye Guixue patted her head, "Don’t worry. I remember I told you that when she was in Jiangning County, she asked Master Xie Yuan to build a shelter for the roaming beggars. How bad could a kind-hearted person get? She often says she’s heartless, but if she really was, how could she harbor someone in her heart that she can’t let go of?"
Ya Qiuying nodded.
Ye Guixue withdrew his hand, softly said, "The ability to love someone is always a good thing. Only then can you love everything that she loves."
Ya Qiuying cocked her head to one side and nodded.
Ye Guixue smiled, "Haven’t you taken a nap today? Go rest! Uncle is also tired today."
Ya Qiuying obediently nodded her head, hopped off her chair, "Then rest well, uncle." As she walked out, she turned back at the door and addressed Ye Guixue earnestly, "Uncle, you’re great, don’t be upset. Even without Sister Su Qi, there are still many, many sisters who like you in our Nanchu."
She worriedly and fearfully remarked, "Every time I dread going to feasts with my grandmother, your fangirls all flock around me for a chat, I always feel super tired."
Ye Guixue was amused, "Get going now."
Ya Qiuying stuck out her tongue and walked out quickly, considerately closing the door for Ye Guixue.
After Ya Qiuying left, Ye Guixue sat alone for a while, he rubbed the space between his brows and returned to his chambers.
Inside the Duke Residence, Zhou Gu had been sulking in his room for half the day. He was playing chess with himself with a chess book beside him.
Ziye squatted in front of the brazier, feeling sorry for himself. The grand princess excelled at the zither, the duchess was skilled in painting, Grand Tutor Qin of the Eastern Palace was skilled in writing, the old duke was skilled in using a Qiang spear, and the tutor they hired from the Duke Residence was skilled in swordsmanship. Most recently, they’ve invited a master swordsman from Jianghu. The young master was bright and learned quickly. Consequently, he was proficient in all of these things.
Chess alone was not Grand Tutor Qin’s strongest point, and there were no chess masters in the Duke Residence. In Capital City, even though Qin’s chess skill wasn’t extraordinary, it was quite good because he was under the instruction of a master and his chess style was orthodox. Thus, the chess skills of the young master and the Crown Prince were taught by Grand Tutor Qin.
The young master’s chess skill was commendable in the Capital City, at least better than Prince Xie’s.
Prince Xie was truly mediocre in all aspects and had no outstanding talents. Even his written work wasn’t as good as the young master’s. But when it came to leisure, he might be a bit stronger than the young master, given his ample time and lack of restriction from the Eastern Palace.
Nevertheless, it was shocking that the game of chess, which was supposed to be a fun pastime, embarrassed our young master so. It was unimaginable losing to Lady Su Qi that horrendously. It was indeed a dilemma.
Now he was engrossed in playing chess alone. He had been at it half the day, not even stopping for lunch.
If the young master doesn’t eat, that doesn’t mean he has to starve. He planned to sneak some food later. After all, missing a meal wouldn’t hurt the young master, would it?
He put down the tongs, stood up, walked past Zhou Gu, but Zhou Gu didn’t even lift his eyelids, his gaze fixed on the chessboard. Ziye didn’t dare disturb, so he just went to find something to eat on his own.
The Duchess arrived at Zhou Gu’s court, coincidentally running into Ziye headed for the kitchen, she questioned in surprise, "Why hasn’t lunch been served yet?"
Ziye immediately whispered, "The young master was having a tough game with Miss Su Qi and is now obsessed with the chessboard. I have reminded the young master three times, but he ignored me."
He scratched his head, "I’m hungry and planning to find something to eat."
The duchess chuckled, "This child, really... Alright, you go. I will go see him."
Ziye exclaimed then proceeded to the kitchen.
The duchess entered the Drawing Room, indeed seeing Zhou Gu playing chess with himself. On the table was a chess book, an intricate one, sourced from God knows where. She hadn’t seen it before.
She did not disturb Zhou Gu, instead sat across from him, watched the game on the chessboard and silently observed.
Zhou Gu noticed someone seated across and looked up, realizing it was the Duchess, he addressed, "Mother."
The Duchess asked him, "Am I disturbing you? I heard from Ziye that you have given quite some time to this. You didn’t even have lunch." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
Zhou Gu touched his stomach, making a grunt, "I am a bit hungry."
The Duchess smiled, "Chess cannot be mastered in a day. Have lunch first, I will have it brought here. You can continue with your game later."
Zhou Gu nodded, "Alright."
The Duchess immediately instructed the maid whom she brought along, "Go to the kitchen quickly and bring the fourth master’s meal over."
The maidservant nodded, immediately left.
The Duchess then asked, "Why didn’t you enter the Imperial Palace with your grandfather today?"
Zhou Gu massaged his shoulder, "His Majesty, angered to illness, is unconscious. Grandfather asked me to stay for another few days before I leave." He sighed, "His Majesty appeared to be in good shape in the past, but I did not expect ..."
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