As soon as he said that, the carriage fell silent, with only the rapid breathing of the brother and sister audible.
The two men's faces turned pale instantly, but their expressions were quickly masked by determination.
They all knelt down and kowtowed on the ground, their voices trembling slightly: "We will obey your orders, young master."
Gu Zhixing looked at Shen Jintang and said, "Give your people a name and keep them for future use."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Shen Jintang smiled and looked at Gu Zhixing.
Then, Shen Jintang looked at the woman and said, "From now on, your name will be Xinghui."
He then looked at the man and said, "Liu Huo."
"Thank you for bestowing names upon them, Master." Xinghui and Liuhuo adapted quickly and soon recognized who their master was.
The carriage slowly drove into the Princess's residence, the wheels rolling over the bluestone pavement, making a slight "creaking" sound.
Outside the car, the high walls of the mansion cast long shadows in the afterglow of the setting sun, appearing solemn and majestic.
Gu Zhixing lifted the carriage curtain, squinted slightly, and glanced at the scenery inside the mansion. He couldn't help but be taken aback.
The once magnificent and splendid decorations are gone, replaced by a simple and elegant scene.
The carved beams and painted rafters were lightly veiled by pale gauze curtains, and the intricate patterns were replaced by the plain white walls. As if overnight, this mansion had shed its former luxurious appearance and become quiet and serene, like a Zen temple hidden in the bustling city.
"Does Your Highness like it?"
Shen Jintang's voice suddenly appeared in his ear. Gu Zhixing was stunned for a moment. Looking at the expectation in Shen Jintang's eyes, he nodded blankly.
"How about Your Highness study with me in the manor?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Zhixing felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words.
read?
Should we let him study?
How could that be!
He felt nauseous and couldn't eat for ten days as soon as he saw that book, so how could he possibly read it?
"You want to study?" Gu Zhixing thought for a long time before finally managing to utter this question.
He did feel indebted to Shen Jintang. He had originally planned to take her out to eat, drink, and have fun, and give her endless money to spend.
Even if he can't escape slavery, he will definitely make Shen Jintang happier than most people.
But now it seems that Shen Jintang's ambitions lie elsewhere.
If she wants to study, that's fine too.
He's rich enough to hire the best tutors to teach Shen Jintang; she can learn whatever she wants.
“I want His Highness to study with me.” Shen Jintang repeated, her tone very serious, emphasizing the words “His Highness”.
Gu Zhixing laughed in anger and said, "Are you crazy?"
How could you possibly get him to study?
He reads?
Gu Zhixing found it funny whenever he thought of those three words. How did Shen Jintang manage to associate him with studying?
"I'm not crazy." Shen Jintang remained calm, simply tilting her head slightly and smiling at Gu Zhixing, she said softly, "I am perfectly clear-headed now, and it is precisely because of this clarity that I hope Your Highness can study with me."
She paused slightly, her tone tinged with helplessness and self-mockery: "I am but a servant girl, how could I be qualified to invite those great scholars to teach me? Even if I were just to sit in on their lectures, I'm afraid they would think I would disgrace their reputation."
"But His Highness is different. If His Highness were to seek knowledge, I'm afraid many learned scholars and renowned figures would flock to him, vying for his attention like a swarm of locusts crossing a river, each afraid of falling behind."
"If I wish to learn, I should read the best books in the world and listen to the teachings of the most virtuous teachers in the world."
Shen Jintang walked slowly toward Gu Zhixing, her gaze firm, her words like pearls falling on a jade plate: "I could have returned to the Shen family, inherited the family's legacy, and studied the classics and history. However, because of His Highness the Crown Prince, I have become a slave and am imprisoned. This is an undeserved disaster."
Gu Zhixing was initially angry upon hearing Shen Jintang's words. However, when she mentioned the matter of the sinner slaves, Gu Zhixing's anger subsided, leaving him only with a deep sense of guilt.
He was indeed wrong in this matter and truly owed Shen Jintang a debt.
"I...I said I would make it up to you." Gu Zhixing's words lacked confidence.
"Compensation?" Shen Jintang continued to press closer, and Gu Zhixing could only retreat step by step until he had nowhere left to go and plopped down in a chair.
"How will you compensate me?" Shen Jintang stared into Gu Zhixing's eyes and asked, "Can Your Highness help me get rid of my status?"
These words immediately hit Gu Zhixing's sore spot. If it were so easy to get rid of his citizenship, Gu Yanqing wouldn't have come to tell him about it so excitedly.
“Actually…” Gu Zhixing wanted to say a few more words, but was interrupted by Shen Jintang.
"Your Highness, there's no need to flatter me anymore. I've already inquired and found out that the laws governing the release of convicts from their status in this dynasty are extremely strict." Shen Jintang spoke calmly, as if he were simply stating an ordinary matter.
"Take Liu Huo and the other two for example. They haven't broken any laws and aren't considered slaves. But even so, to rescue them, we still need to stage their deaths. How much more so for someone like me who is a confirmed slave?"
Although her expression remained relatively calm, her composed tone was like a blunt knife, piercing straight into Gu Zhixing's heart.
Gu Zhixing would rather she yell at him or scold him than see her calmly recount her fate, as if she had already given up all hope.
He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say, so he could only call out softly, "Shen Jintang..."
"Your Highness, have you taken pity on me?" Shen Jintang smiled slightly, but there was a hint of indifference in his smile. "Your Highness need not pity me; you only need to make amends."
"What do you mean?" Gu Zhixing looked into her smiling eyes and felt a chill creep into his heart.
“I’ve heard that a third-rank official can request an imperial decree for his family members. With that decree, not only can they be removed from the official register, it’s practically a get-out-of-jail-free card!” Shen Jintang’s voice remained calm, but the implication in her words made Gu Zhixing’s heart sink.
Hearing Shen Jintang's words, Gu Zhixing pointed incredulously at Shen Jintang, then at himself, and asked, "A third-rank official, me?"
“Mm.” Shen Jintang nodded.
"Are you kidding me?" Gu Zhixing suddenly stood up, his body swaying as if he had been hit by something heavy.
He paced back and forth, his face full of disbelief. "It's true that I'm rich, but what is a third-rank official? Is it something that can be bought with money?"
It's important to understand that the Minister of Personnel, who oversees the promotion of officials, is an extremely rigid and old-fashioned minister. Since he took office, any official without significant achievements has no chance of promotion. In the past, some people might have tried to coast along based on their seniority, but now they don't even dare to mention it, or they'll be severely reprimanded.
If even such a diligent official has difficulty getting promoted, how could someone who is not even allowed to set foot in the imperial court dare to dream of becoming a third-rank official?
Gu Zhixing's tone carried a hint of helplessness and sarcasm, yet also a touch of guilt towards Shen Jintang.
However, Shen Jintang simply looked at him calmly, smiled slightly, and asked, "So, Your Highness, you're just talking the talk, but you're unwilling to truly make amends?"
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