Chapter 614 What she feared more were the evil things she had done in the past.
The New Year passed in the blink of an eye, the coldness of the capital was dispelled, and the flowers in the courtyard sprouted new buds.
The warm spring sun shone through the window lattice and fell on Chu Ruohan, but she felt that the warmth could not warm the mess left by her daughter's misfortune.
She originally thought that sending Qingchen to Bailu Academy to study, where he would be influenced by the books of sages every day, and his temperament would be calmer.
But now it seems that the results are very limited.
Ever since the prince’s birthday banquet, the “Jinghong” bow has been like a death warrant, hanging over Gu Qingchen’s head all the time.
Gu Qingchen tried every possible way, pretending to be sick, acting good, and even trying to sneak into the East Palace, but the bow seemed to have grown in the East Palace and could never be returned.
Because of this, Gu Qingchen was listless for several months and had lost his former spirit.
A few days ago, her sister Chu Yueshu gave birth to a beautiful daughter. Ying Qing was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling. She held her daughter tightly in her arms, as she finally had both a son and a daughter.
Chu Ruohan looked at her sister's family living in harmony, and while she felt relieved, there was also a sense of loneliness that no one knew about.
Ever since she was injured while giving birth to Qingchen, her belly has been quiet.
"lady."
Haitang walked in and interrupted her thoughts.
"The Third Madam has sent someone to deliver something to Young Master Lu."
Chu Ruohan picked up the teacup and gently blew away the foam.
"He didn't take it again?"
Haitang smiled slightly, "On the surface, they accepted everything, but I just heard from the servants that Master Lu immediately told his attendant to throw all those things away."
Chu Ruohan said "hmm", not surprised.
"That kid is a cunning person. The tricks used by the Third House can't be used on him."
Ever since Lu Ge'er and Lan Jie'er moved into the Duke's Mansion, she has been taking care of them all the time. The child is calm and precocious, far superior to his peers. Right now, he is only focused on preparing for the exam and doesn't care about those dirty things.
She thought to herself that after the Spring Examination, when everything was settled, the two children would have a proper routine.
In the courtyard of the third room, the atmosphere was not as warm as the spring sunshine.
Mrs. Gu San looked at her daughter-in-law Yang who had just returned from outside and asked unhappily, "Have the things been delivered?"
Yang nodded, a look of confusion on her face.
"I've sent it. But mother-in-law, why are you doing this? Lu Ge'er is going to take the imperial examination soon. If he really passes, wouldn't we be proud?"
"Idiot!" Madam Gu San's voice shrieked, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "What do you know? Are you proud of him? If he really becomes successful, the first people he'll step on will be us!"
Yang shrank her neck after being scolded and dared not say anything.
Madam Gu was furious and pointed at her, cursing, "If it weren't for your son Fang'er's hard-working performance, this family business would have almost fallen into the hands of that little bastard! A few years ago, the master had that idea!"
She had kept these words in her heart for many years, and every time she thought of them, it felt like she had been bitten by a poisonous snake.
What she didn't say was that what she was more afraid of were the evil things she had done in the past.
She was afraid that once Gu Lu gained power, he would bring up old scores...
By then, I will be doomed.
Therefore, she would never let Gu Lu get ahead.
Before daybreak, the streets leading to the Imperial Examination Hall were already jammed with carriages of the examinees and their servants.
Gu Lu was wearing a half-worn blue Confucian robe, carrying an examination basket, and standing alone in the long queue.
He looked calm, and seemed out of place among the students around him who were either nervous or excited.
The team moved forward slowly, and a middle-aged man dressed as a manager squeezed over from the teahouse next to them, holding a bowl of hot tea.
"Master Lu, drink some hot tea to warm yourself up. Don't catch a cold in this late spring."
Gu Lu recognized him as the steward of the third house, Gu Xiaowu.
He glanced at it calmly without reaching out to take it. "No need."
Gu Xiaowu put on a smile and forced the tea bowl into his hand.
"Young Master, please don't be polite. The Third Madam gave me this instruction specifically because she was worried that you wouldn't be well prepared for the exam."
As he spoke, his body moved closer to Gu Lu without leaving any trace, and his other hand quickly touched the edge of Gu Lu's exam basket, then he stepped away as if nothing had happened.
Gu Lu held the bowl of tea, his fingertips paused slightly, then he placed the tea on the stone block beside him with an expressionless face and turned around to continue queuing.
Gu Xiaowu looked at his back, a sinister smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, he turned around and blended into the crowd and disappeared.
When it was Lu Gu's turn, the soldier in charge of the inspection turned his examination basket upside down with a serious face.
Pens, ink, inkstones, water bags, and even dry food were all opened and inspected one by one.
"Wait." A soldier suddenly stopped and took out a tiny folded piece of paper from the interlayer of the examination basket.
He unfolded the piece of paper, which was covered with densely written tiny characters, which were the essence of several policy essays.
"We found the smuggled goods!" the soldier shouted.
The candidates around were in an uproar, and everyone's eyes were focused on Gu Lu.
An examiner patrolling the exam came over quickly, took the cheat sheet, and his face turned ashen.
"You bold lunatic! How dare you cheat in the imperial examination? Capture him!"
Two soldiers as ferocious as wolves and tigers immediately stepped forward and held Gu Lu's arms on the left and right.
"It's unfair! Sir, I didn't do it!" The blood drained from Gu Lu's face. He struggled desperately, his voice filled with tears.
"This isn't mine! I don't know where it came from!"
However, with the witnesses and evidence present, his defense seemed weak and powerless.
"Take him away!" The examiner waved his hand impatiently. "Report him to the chief examiner, and have his academic title revoked. Never hire him again!"
"No! Sir! It's unfair!"
Gu Lu's wailing gradually faded away and was soon drowned out by the noise at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall.
Gu Xiaowu, who was hiding on the second floor of a teahouse not far away, saw the scene clearly.
He proudly drank the tea in the cup, threw down a few copper coins, and ran briskly towards the third branch of the Gu family.
In the courtyard of the third room, Mrs. Gu was pacing back and forth anxiously.
"Madam! Madam!" Gu Xiaowu rushed in with a look of joy on his face, forgetting even to perform formalities. "It's done! It's done!"
Mrs. Gu San grabbed his arm and said in a sharp voice: "Tell me! What happened?"
"I saw it with my own eyes!" Gu Xiaowu gestured excitedly.
"Right at the entrance to the Imperial Examination Hall, they found smuggled materials in that boy's exam basket! He's been taken away, and the examiner himself said his academic title will be revoked and he won't be accepted again! His life is over!"
"Haha! Hahahaha!" Mrs. Gu San was stunned at first when she heard this, and then she burst into extremely happy laughter, laughing so hard that tears came out.
"Good! Good! God is helping me!"
She pointed at Yang beside her, her face full of ferocious pleasure.
"Did you hear that? That little bastard is finished! He'll never get the chance to bully us again!"
Seeing her mother-in-law's almost crazy appearance, Yang was so frightened that her face turned pale and she nodded and dared not say a word.
At the same time, in a dark alley opposite the Imperial Examination Hall.
A tall figure slowly walked out from the shadows. It was Gu Lu.
He was still wearing the same green Confucian robe, his expression calm, but his dark eyes revealed a depth and coldness that was inconsistent with his age.
The person who was just captured was just a poor scholar of similar build whom he hired with money, wearing his human skin mask.
A long-servant quickly turned around the corner and whispered, "Master, the one called Gu Xiaowu from the third room has already gone back."
"Yeah." Gu Lu responded lightly.
The attendant couldn't help but sigh, "Thanks so much to the Duke's wife. If she hadn't figured out this 'escape plan' in advance, the one who would have been captured today would have been you, Young Master."
A hint of warmth flashed across Gu Lu's eyes. He straightened his clothes, his tone filled with sincere admiration and gratitude.
"Aunt is right. When dealing with people like that, simply defending will always lead to mistakes. The only way to achieve victory is to proactively set a trap and lure them out of their hole."
He raised his foot and walked towards the dragon gate that determined the fate of countless people.
The sunlight penetrated the clouds and fell on his young and determined face.
"Let's go, it's time to go in."
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