"The examination hall is like a battlefield, where both calligraphy and eloquence are sharp blades. May Father and Yanzhao's sword energy traverse thirty thousand miles, and may their sword light chill nineteen provinces." Gu Nanjiao said boldly, then picked up a cup of tea on the table and drank it all in one gulp.
"I'll do it, you can do whatever you want."
"Ha ha ha ha."
Father Gu laughed heartily at Gu Nan's coquettishness: "It seems Yanzhao has taught you quite a bit, as you can actually spout out a couple of lines of poetry in such a refined manner."
Gu Nanjiao was taken aback for a moment, then looked at Lu Yanzhao and saw that his face was expressionless. He even rolled up his sleeves and put a chicken leg on her plate.
"That's right. I've learned a lot from Yanzhao recently. She might become a talented woman in the future."
The tense atmosphere eased somewhat after Gu Nanjiao's few words.
Both Lü Siniang and Gu Nanjiao believed that the two looked unwell because they were nervous about the upcoming imperial examination.
Now that the tense atmosphere has dissipated, Gu Nanjiao is very gratified.
She had long heard that many students failed their exams because of nervousness. Now that only the final hurdle remained, she couldn't afford to let nervousness or fear ruin her chances.
The most important thing is to relax. If you're relaxed, you might just become a dark horse that breaks through the competition.
At night, Lu Yanzhao tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He was almost certain that the bandit incident was related to Chu Luoxun.
I never imagined this person was so ruthless. If he were to ascend the throne as His Majesty, how could I possibly spare the life of someone as suspicious and selfish as him?
If he hadn't followed Chu Luoxun, he might have faced certain death as well.
Although he was talented, Zheng Shanchang had devoted himself to nurturing him. Given Chu Luoxun's personality, he would never allow his pawns to favor someone else.
This type of person is the type who, if they can't have something, will destroy it.
A pair of soft little hands wrapped around Lu Yanzhao's waist from behind. Lu Yanzhao turned his head and saw Gu Nanjiao's sleepy appearance.
Gu Nanjiao muttered, "Why aren't you asleep yet? The imperial examination is coming up soon, and not sleeping well will affect your performance."
Lu Yanzhao kissed her forehead: "Go to sleep now!"
For the sake of his family and wife, he made up his mind that if he passed the spring examination, he would make a three-point agreement with Chu Luoxun, and if he failed to do so, he would not hesitate to turn against him.
...
Before we knew it, the spring examinations were upon us. Similar to the autumn examinations, there were three sessions, each under closed management. Everyone inside had to drink and relieve themselves there; news from inside couldn't get out, and people outside couldn't find out anything.
These past few days have been extremely difficult for many family members. Gu Nanjiao and Lü Siniang, however, didn't seem to care and were busy with their shop's business.
It's good if they pass the exam, but it's okay if they don't. At worst, they can just live off their wives.
After sending Gu's father and Lu Yanzhao to the examination hall, Lü Siniang returned to Jiaoniang Pavilion beforehand. Gu Nanjiao then went to Yunshang Pavilion to deliver the completed design drawings.
"Oh, you busy person! It's been a few days since I've seen you. You've finally come." As soon as Gu Nanjiao entered the door, Manager Yun teased her in a sarcastic tone.
"Manager Yun, please don't tease me. The drawings were just finished, and I brought them to you right away. They're still warm."
Today, Gu Nanjiao did not wear a veil, and her every move attracted the attention of the shop assistants and customers.
Especially for male customers, with beauties everywhere in the capital these days, such stunning looks are truly rare, and one glance is enough to leave an unforgettable impression.
Manager Yun took the blueprints and looked at them for a while, a look of surprise on his face.
"I must say, Manager Gu is a real talent. His ready-made clothes are novel and eye-catching, with a unique style."
Gu Nanjiao smiled shyly: "Please stop flattering me. If you keep praising me, I'll become arrogant."
Manager Yun laughed heartily: "What I said is true, Manager Gu, there's no need to be so modest."
After exchanging a few pleasantries and complimenting each other, Gu Nanjiao said goodbye and left.
Just as I stepped out, an elderly woman in her forties called out to me, "Young lady, please wait."
"May I ask your name, young lady?"
Looking at the kind-faced woman in front of her, whose eyes gleamed with shrewdness, Gu Nanjiao took a step back and asked, "My surname is Gu. Did you come to me to design clothes?"
The woman shook her head, carefully examining Gu Nanjiao's features, her smile ambiguous.
"I just felt that the girl looked exactly like someone I know."
Gu Nanjiao "..."
This wasn't the first time Gu Nanjiao had heard such words. Chu Luoxun had once said that she looked like his father's concubine.
Now that she knows Chu Luoxun's identity, doesn't she look like one of the old emperor's concubines?
Gu Nanjiao was ashamed!
She took in the woman before her; her clothes were made of fine silk, and her hair was neatly secured with a hairpin. She wasn't wearing a traditional ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) typical of wealthy women; instead, she wore a white, indigo, and beige jacket. She looked more like a matron from a wealthy household.
Especially the way this old woman looked at Gu Nanjiao, it was as if she was looking at someone else through her eyes.
Her intuition told her that this old woman's purpose was not ordinary.
Gu Nanjiao said calmly, "This old woman, I am just an ordinary woman who came from a remote county. You must have mistaken me for someone else."
"But you really do look a lot like my master. May I ask who else is in your family?"
Gu Nanjiao keenly sensed the word "master" and her intuition told her that this master was no ordinary person.
She frowned: "There are so many people in the world who look alike. I have a father, a mother, a brother, and a sister. The reason I look like the master you mentioned is just because I have a common face. Some people even say that I look like his mother."
Seeing that the old woman remained silent, as if deep in thought, Gu Nanjiao left without saying goodbye.
The old woman beckoned to the figure in the corner: "Follow her secretly, but don't alert her."
"yes!"
The old woman narrowed her eyes slightly. How could two people in the world look so alike? Who would believe there was no connection? Recalling the recent events and rumors in the mansion, she had no choice but to take it seriously.
If this woman is the same baby girl from back then, it would be best to eliminate her completely as soon as possible.
Gu Nanjiao always felt that someone was following her, so she turned and twisted her way to a secluded alley and hid.
After quite a while, she finally turned back in the original direction.
The two people following behind searched for a long time but couldn't find Gu Nanjiao. They then realized they had lost her and had no choice but to go back and report.
The spring examinations ended quickly.
Gu Nanjiao had been feeling like someone was following her for the past two days, so she told Lu Yanzhao about it.
Lu Yanzhao naturally noticed the situation as well. They had just arrived in the capital and had not offended anyone, so who was following her?
It couldn't be Chu Luoxun. He and Gu Nanjiao had known each other for a long time. If he wanted to know something, he would have found out long ago. There was really no need for him to follow her and observe her in secret.
But who exactly is it?
Lu Yanzhao couldn't figure it out, so he went to Chu Luoxun and asked him to investigate what was going on.
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