Three days later, Wang brought the teaching nanny as promised.
I heard that she was an old nanny who retired from the palace and returned to Jiangnan to retire last year.
The governess's surname was Zhou. She was once one of the most famous governesses in Kyoto, and her strictness was evident from this.
Gu Xiaoqiao saw that she was wearing a dark green dress with dark gold peony flowers embroidered on the collar and cuffs. The cuffs and legs were made of the finest silk, and she looked quite elegant.
"Madam Zhou, these are our two useless daughters. Please teach them and take care of them."
Wang's attitude was very humble, not at all as condescending as when facing the people in the mansion.
Madam Zhou nodded and said, "Madam, please rest assured. I will do my best."
"Which one of you two is going to be the concubine to be selected into the palace this year?" Nanny Zhou glanced at the two of them indifferently.
"Madam, it's me."
Gu Xiaoqiao stepped forward and bowed to her.
Nanny Zhou looked at her appearance carefully and was slightly surprised.
This girl's appearance is even more stunning than the one in the palace. With such a beautiful appearance, it's no wonder that Lord Gu sent the butler to invite her in person.
Although she is still young, her every frown, smile, and gesture reveals a calm and restrained charm.
She nodded. "Come with me."
"Yes, Mammy."
Even Gu Jinjiao was unusually well-behaved today. Normally, she was so arrogant when she saw Gu Jinqiao, but now she lowered her head and followed behind her quietly as a chicken.
Gu Xiaoqiao didn't care about her attitude. After all, there wasn't much time left before she entered the palace. As long as she didn't cause trouble, she wouldn't make things difficult for her.
"Miss Gu San, you should be sixteen years old this year, right?"
Nanny Zhou walked in front and asked casually.
"Yes, I just turned sixteen this year."
Gu Xiaoqiao answered respectfully.
"Well, the palace is different from the common people. There are many rules. If you are interested in participating in the election, then you should learn the rules carefully. It will not harm you."
Nanny Zhou's tone remained unchanged.
Gu Xiaoqiao nodded and said, "Thank you for your advice, Madam. Xiaoqiao will definitely keep it in mind."
"You are a very polite girl, which is rare."
Nanny Zhou glanced at her, with admiration flashing in her eyes.
In the following days, Gu Xiaoqiao continued to learn various etiquette, rules, and some simple talents.
Apart from making a few sarcastic remarks occasionally, Gu Jinjiao did not take any other action.
Soon, half a month passed.
The day has come for Gu Xiaoqiao to set off for Kyoto, and the people who will receive the selected beauties into the palace are specially assigned people sent from Kyoto, so there is no need to worry too much about their safety.
Before leaving, Gu Mingyuan specially held a family dinner and invited Qin to the table, which was a rare occasion.
"Xiao Qiao, you must work really hard this time when you enter the palace. If you can be chosen to be the first to give birth to a son or daughter for the Emperor, then our Gu family will be honored, hahahaha...
And remember, no matter what happens, you must remain calm and never act rashly. "In the harem, just like in the previous dynasty, one wrong step could lead to eternal damnation," Gu Mingyuan admonished her, holding a wine cup.
Looking at his daughter's outstanding appearance, he even imagined that he, Gu Mingyuan, would rise step by step in the future.
Gu Xiaoqiao nodded solemnly, a faint smile on her lips. "Don't worry, father. I will do my best. But I hope you won't forget what you promised me."
"That's right! As a father, I will certainly remember it!"
Wang watched the conversation between the two and suddenly had a bad feeling in her heart.
She reached out and took the wine glass and poured it for Gu Mingyuan. "Master, you look so happy. What did you promise Xiao Qiao?"
Gu Mingyuan took the wine glass and glanced at her unhappily, "You don't have to worry about this lady. If you have this spare time, you might as well take care of Jiaojiao and make more plans for her to see if she can catch the Liang family's eye."
When Gu Jinjiao heard about the Liang family, she immediately became like a cat with its fur standing on end. "Dad, I don't want to marry that Liang guy. He's so ugly, how can he be worthy of me?"
Gu Mingyuan frowned, "Nonsense! What kind of family is the Liang family? They have a brother who is the Right Prime Minister backing them up. It's a good thing you caught the eye of Madam Liang, and you're still so picky."
Gu Jinjiao curled her lips and disagreed.
Without the comparison with Gu Jinjiao, Gu Mingyuan liked his third daughter more and more. He also did not forget to criticize her, "Look at you, you don't know how to sit or eat properly. This is all you have learned from following Madam Zhou for half a month? You can't even keep up with your sister..."
Gu Xiaoqiao couldn't help but complain in her heart. After all, it was because she was useful that she was given some care by the mother and daughter.
Gu Jinjiao was so angry that her teeth were itching, but she didn't dare to refute.
Wang Shi couldn't hold back her expression when she heard Gu Mingyuan scolding her daughter. She glanced at Gu Mingyuan and said, "Everyone, please enjoy your meal. I'm not feeling well, so I'll leave now."
After saying that, she stood up and left, and Gu Mingyuan did not try to keep her.
He knew that Wang was unhappy about the recent events between Qin and her daughter, so he didn't bother to pay attention to her.
When Gu Jinjiao saw Wang leaving the table, she wanted to get up and leave with her, but was scolded by Gu Mingyuan again. She had no choice but to sit down and eat her food.
During this time, Gu Mingyuan even took the rare step of picking up some food for both Qin and Gu Xiaoqiao, which made Gu Jinjiao even angrier when she saw this.
After dinner, when Gu Xiaoqiao was about to cross the corner of the covered bridge, a piece of skirt hem was exposed at the corner wall.
With a smile in his eyes, Gu Xiaoqiao took a big step to avoid the man's suddenly stretched out foot, and at the same time turned around and stepped on it hard.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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