Chapter 110 Crushing Victory (First Update)
This is quite awkward. Gu Jinyu's calligraphy is renowned in the capital. Although this Miss Zhuang is the niece of Governor Zhuang, she is likely to suffer a crushing defeat against Gu Jinyu.
Miss Zhuang doesn't seem to be very magnanimous. If she really loses badly, who knows what kind of trouble she'll cause Gu Jinyu.
Lord Gu looked to Prince An for help, hoping he could stop his sister, but Prince An didn't say a word.
Lord Gu secretly broke out in a cold sweat and subtly winked at Gu Jinyu, hoping that Gu Jinyu would deliberately lose to Miss Zhuang.
When Madam Yao saw Gu Jinyu being harassed by Miss Zhuang, she inexplicably thought of Gu Jiao. Gu Jinyu was a young lady who grew up in a noble family, yet she still encountered difficulties. If Gu Jiao, who grew up in the countryside, returned to the capital, would she face similar hardships?
The group entered the flower hall.
The servant brought over a writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
"Miss Zhuang, how would you like to compete?" Gu Jinyu asked, neither humble nor arrogant.
Miss Zhuang raised an eyebrow and said, "Each of you will write a poem, and my brother and Lord Gu will be the judges to see whose calligraphy is better!"
"The same poem?" Gu Jinyu asked.
Miss Zhuang snorted: "Of course! Otherwise, how can we determine who is better?"
This is what an amateur would say. Gu Jinyu saw through it but didn't say anything: "Please, Miss Zhuang, bestow a poem."
Zhuang Mengyun thought for a moment, then with a flourish of her hand, wrote a poem by Prince An.
This poem was written by Prince An in his second year in the State of Chen. He was not yet ten years old at the time, yet he had already written a seven-character quatrain full of homesickness.
His talent astonished the state of Chen.
The ruler of Chen cherished his talent and thus refrained from killing the hostage to vent his anger after Chen's defeat.
Gu Jinyu knew which poem it was after reading just the beginning. This poem was widely circulated in Zhao Kingdom. While admiring Prince An's talent, she wrote the entire poem in a smooth and flowing manner, even faster than Miss Zhuang.
After the two put down their brushes, the servants on either side took their works to Prince An and Lord Gu for evaluation.
Lord Gu originally intended to insist that Miss Zhuang was more capable no matter what, but after seeing the two women's handwriting, he didn't even have the courage to lie through his teeth.
Is this really handwriting?
Miss Zhuang is, after all, the granddaughter of Grand Tutor Zhuang, and her uncle is the literary master Prefect Zhuang. It can be said that the Zhuang family is full of scholars, and there is not a single bad one among them. How come it took such a big turn when it came to Miss Zhuang?
Lord Gu broke out in a cold sweat.
My daughter, didn't I tell you to give in to Miss Zhuang?
Forget it, the handwriting is so bad, there's no way to make it up to you.
Miss Zhuang clapped her hands and asked arrogantly, "So? Who won?"
Prince An smiled faintly: "Is there any need to say that? Of course you won."
Lord Gu was taken aback.
How can someone be so adept at lying through their teeth?
Gu Jinyu was also surprised.
Was Prince An the kind of person who would accept the truth but ultimately suffer injustice?
Miss Zhuang smiled smugly, about to say something to ridicule Gu Jinyu, when she heard Prince An speak again: "When it comes to eagerly making a fool of oneself, who can compare to you?"
Miss Zhuang was stunned.
Lord Gu and Gu Jinyu were also dumbfounded.
That's so disrespectful to her own sister...
After her initial shock, Miss Zhuang jumped up and down, hands on her hips, exclaiming, "Brother... how could you say that to me?"
Prince An said casually, "Even a three-year-old child's handwriting is better than yours. If you can't even see that, then it's not that your handwriting is bad, it's that your brain is bad."
Miss Zhuang was so choked up that her face turned red and her neck bulged.
Prince An said, "If you want to continue making a fool of yourself, then let's do it again. This time, do you want to compete in poetry, or do you have to lose to everyone in every aspect, from poetry to songs?"
Miss Zhuang was so angry that she didn't want to talk to him anymore. She flicked her sleeves and stormed off!
Lord Gu said awkwardly, "Prince An's way of teaching his sister is truly ingenious."
Prince An said unhurriedly, "She is the youngest sister in the family, and her family spoils her. I hope you will forgive her, Your Excellency."
Lord Gu chuckled dryly, "How could that be? How could that be? Miss Zhuang is clever and lively, and quite adorable."
Prince An nodded slightly: "It's getting late, I'll go and rest now, see you tomorrow."
Lord Gu, Madam Yao, and Gu Jinyu bowed to him and respectfully saw him off.
Watching his figure disappear into the night, Gu Jinyu murmured with emotion, "This prince is quite different from other princes..."
Gu Jinyu often entered the palace to accompany Consort Shu and had seen many princes and nobles. None of them were as outstanding as Prince An, whether in appearance, talent or temperament.
No woman in the world could possibly be a match for a man like that.
Prince An and Miss Zhuang were settled in the most elegant courtyard of the manor. After returning to her room, Miss Zhuang locked herself in. The maids tried to comfort her, but she chased them all out.
There was a knock on the door.
Miss Zhuang shouted angrily, "Get out! No one is allowed to come in!"
“It is I,” said Prince An.
"Brother?" Miss Zhuang stood up excitedly, but then sat down again, feeling wronged, thinking of the embarrassment her brother had caused her.
"I'm coming in," said Prince An, and after waiting a while, he pushed open the door and entered.
Miss Zhuang turned her back to him, showing him the back of her head.
Prince An said softly, "It was you who wanted to travel with me. I told you I wouldn't spoil you like your parents did, and you agreed to that."
"I..." Miss Zhuang choked. She never expected that her brother would be so decisive. She thought he would be like her parents, saying he would no longer spoil her, but in reality, he would indulge her without any limits.
She choked back tears: "I'm your sister, yet you're helping outsiders bully me!"
Prince An didn't argue with her much. He stepped forward and handed her a box the size of his palm.
"What?" Miss Zhuang asked indifferently.
"You'll know once you open it," said Prince An.
Miss Zhuang glanced at the box in her brother's palm.
My brother's hands are so beautiful, as exquisite as jade carvings. Even the finest jade in his hands cannot compare to their beauty.
Miss Zhuang sighed and took the box.
When she opened it, she found a glowing luminous pearl inside. She loved these exquisite and fun things, and her attention was immediately drawn to it.
Prince An said, “The five-colored luminous pearl is a treasure of the King of Chen. I exchanged it for two poems.”
Upon hearing that it was a treasure of the King of Chen, Miss Zhuang became even more enamored with it.
Her brother still loves her!
Miss Zhuang felt happy, but then she thought it would be a little embarrassing to give in so quickly. She cleared her throat and said seriously, "From now on, you're not allowed to help outsiders bully me!"
After comforting his sister, Prince An returned to his room.
A man in black emerged from behind the screen, bowing respectfully: "Your Highness!"
Prince An asked, "Have all your men arrived?"
The man in black said, "Now that you've arrived, lie in ambush outside the manor and await the Prince's orders!"
Prince An said, "Let them not hide in the shadows; they can simply change into civilian clothes."
The man in black pondered, "Your Highness, are you sure we're in Qingquan Town?"
Prince An pondered for a moment and said, "His Majesty's men lost contact with the Empress Dowager in Qingquan Town, which means that the Empress Dowager did indeed end up here. As for where she went, we still need to search carefully."
The man in black hesitated before asking, "Empress Dowager...does she really have leprosy?"
Prince An said, "That's right."
The man in black frowned and said, "But His Majesty's men have already turned the town upside down, and even searched the villages under his jurisdiction, but they haven't found anyone suspicious. Could it be that the Empress Dowager... is already in grave danger?"
Prince An's eyes were deep and dark as he said, "I want to see the person alive or dead. No matter what, search the place again for me!"
Everyone thought that this prince was ignorant of the ways of the world and was a weak young man who only knew how to play with words. But if he was as weak as he seemed, how could he have been a hostage in the State of Chen for so many years and still be alive and well?
No one knows how much suffering the Prince endured in the State of Chen. He never even told his own parents. However, the man in black stayed by the Prince's side and witnessed firsthand the dark and hopeless years the Prince went through.
He understood this prince's methods better than anyone else; once he set his mind on something, he would see it through to the end.
Miss Zhuang felt ashamed of losing to Gu Jinyu in their competition, so she decided to stop paying attention to him.
But instead of her going to them, they came to her door.
"What are you doing here?" The next morning, Miss Zhuang looked coldly at Gu Jinyu, who had suddenly appeared in her courtyard, and questioned him irritably.
Gu Jinyu smiled and said, "I've come to deliver a calligraphy copybook to Miss Zhuang."
Miss Zhuang's expression changed: "You dare mention calligraphy? Are you deliberately trying to humiliate me?"
Gu Jinyu shook her head slightly and smiled gently, saying, "Miss Zhuang has misunderstood. How could I possibly humiliate you? I read Miss Zhuang's handwriting yesterday and found that the problem does not lie with Miss Zhuang."
Miss Zhuang became interested and raised an eyebrow, asking her, "What do you mean?"
Gu Jinyu explained in detail: "Miss Zhuang's calligraphy is bold and grand. The ordinary woman's hairpin-shaped calligraphy is too petty and does not suit Miss Zhuang's strength. If Miss Zhuang were to change to a different font, she would definitely be able to develop a magnificent style."
No one dislikes hearing compliments, and Miss Zhuang is no exception.
Her aversion to Gu Jinyu instantly lessened: "At least you have some sense. I've always felt that the handwriting was off! No matter how I practiced it, it just didn't feel right!"
"Why don't you try this, Miss Zhuang?" Gu Jinyu took out a calligraphy copybook and placed it on the stone table.
"Whose handwriting is this?" Miss Zhuang asked.
"It's calligraphy by the young Marquis of Zhaodu," Gu Jinyu said.
Miss Zhuang instantly bristled: "You want me to practice men's handwriting?"
Gu Jinyu smiled and shook her head: "Calligraphy is not gender-specific. It's just that women have less strength, so the 'Zanhua style' is easier for them to learn. But if we're talking about beauty, the young Marquis of Zhaodu's calligraphy is still the most beautiful."
That's the truth. Gu Jinyu had practiced it in private, and even if she hadn't mastered the essence, it still looked much better than the Zanhua style.
This calligraphy copybook was something she had obtained with great difficulty from Consort Shu, who in turn had gone to great lengths to persuade His Majesty to give it to her; it was therefore incredibly precious.
It took her a lot of determination to finally bring out the post.
Gu Jinyu said softly, "Miss Zhuang, why don't you give it a try? Start with copying."
Miss Zhuang thought the calligraphy was indeed beautiful, ten or even a hundred times better than the calligraphy books her family had collected for her. Gu Jinyu also persuaded her so kindly, giving her a great way out.
She asked someone to bring her writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. After copying a few characters, she compared them with her handwriting from yesterday and found that she had indeed made significant progress.
Gu Jinyu exclaimed, "Miss Zhuang is indeed exceptionally intelligent. I practiced a lot back then but I still couldn't reach Miss Zhuang's level of calligraphy. As long as Miss Zhuang is diligent and persistent, it won't be long before she surpasses me."
Miss Zhuang said smugly, "Of course!"
After Xiao Liulang and Feng Lin went to the provincial capital to take the imperial examination, Gu Xiaoshun took Gu Yan and Xiao Jingkong to lunch. Gu Yan was the oldest of the three, but had the least life experience, making him a true "baby Gu".
Gu Baobao is also a picky eater.
"I don't want to eat noodles today!" Gu Baobao pouted.
“But we should be eating noodles today,” Xiao Jingkong said, shrugging.
Xiao Jingkong was a meticulous person, arranging his daily meals in an orderly manner. Xiao Liulang didn't care what he ate, so he went along with it, and Gu Xiaoshun was even less concerned.
Gu Yan used to think it was his brother-in-law's idea and cooperated with him out of courtesy. But ever since he found out it was Xiao Jingkong who devised the plan, he started to disagree.
"I don't care, I'm not eating noodles!" Gu Yan looked up at the sky.
Gu Xiaoshun looked at Xiao Jingkong, who was frowning, and then at Gu Yan, who was not cooperating at all. He was at his wit's end.
I really miss my brother-in-law. How did he manage to hold those two guys down?
Before Gu Yan appeared, Xiao Liulang and Xiao Jingkong were constantly at odds. After Gu Yan appeared, the internal conflict was diverted. In fact, if it weren't for the huge threat of Xiao Jingkong, Gu Yan and Xiao Liulang would still be locked in a fierce battle.
To put it bluntly, the two brothers fought like the snipe and the clam, and Xiao Liulang, the fisherman, benefited from it all.
Just as Gu Xiaoshun was at his wits' end and didn't know what to do, a familiar figure suddenly appeared before him, and his eyes lit up: "Sister!"
The two who had been arguing instantly fell silent and turned their heads sharply in this direction.
Gu Jiao arrived at the academy gate carrying a small basket on her back and looked at the three of them, saying, "Why haven't you gone to eat yet?"
"It's all because of Brother Gu Yan! He didn't eat according to plan!" Xiao Jingkong said with a serious little face.
Gu Yan snorted: "All you do all day is tattle!"
Xiao Jingkong, hands on hips, declared: "This isn't a complaint, it's a statement of facts! And my complaint isn't black; it's in color!"
What's with the black color? It's so ugly!
Gu Yan scoffed and said, "I've only ever heard of flattery, never of a rainbow shape. Besides, it was your own plan, and I didn't agree to it!"
Xiao Jingkong argued, "That's how we've always eaten!"
Xiao Jingkong has a slight obsessive-compulsive disorder. To get him to change his plans, you have to convince him logically, but obviously, most people can't argue with him.
Gu Jiao asked Xiao Jingkong, "What are we eating today?"
Xiao Jingkong said, "Yangchun noodles!"
Gu Jiao looked at Gu Yan: "What would you like to eat?"
Gu Yan glared at Xiao Jingkong and said, "Rice and fish!"
Gu Jiao nodded: "Perfect, I brought food, including fish. Let's find a noodle shop and order another bowl of noodles."
Neither of them objected to this arrangement.
Gu Yan was puzzled: "How did you know I wanted to eat fish? What if I had just said I wanted to eat meat?"
Gu Jiao smiled and said, "Because I really want to eat fish today."
Twins, a boy and a girl, are just that amazing.
The group had lunch at a noodle shop. Gu Xiaoshun returned to the academy on his own without needing anyone to take him. Gu Jiao sent Gu Yan and Xiao Jingkong to the private school. Afterward, she went to Huichuntang and sold them the herbs she had picked from the mountain.
It was still early, so she planned to go to the blacksmith shop to check on the progress of the farm tools, so she could catch up with Gu Yan and the other two when they got out of school.
Twelve days have passed since Gu Jiao left the drawings.
The piston bellows designed by Gu Jiao was made by the carpenter in three days. In the remaining nine days, the blacksmith shop indeed produced more than a thousand pieces of iron tools used in mining.
The blacksmiths were stunned.
Such amazing treasures really exist in the world!
"Old Wang, this thing is much more useful than the imperial court's water pipes!" said a young blacksmith.
The old blacksmith nodded in astonishment: "Yes, let alone the imperial court's water-powered dams, I'm afraid even the Liang Kingdom's water-powered dams aren't this powerful."
In terms of craftsmanship and various small inventions, the Liang Kingdom among the six kingdoms is undoubtedly the best. The Liang Kingdom's water-powered pumping technology has already reached its pinnacle. In the past, the Zhao Kingdom did not hesitate to exchange three mines for this technology.
Even so, the Liang Kingdom only taught the Zhao Kingdom a very basic water-powered pumping technology.
"Who exactly is that girl?" The young blacksmith thought of something and his eyes widened in shock. "Could she be a spy from the Liang Kingdom?"
The old blacksmith slapped him on the head: "Are you stupid? You think spies from Liang Kingdom would just casually pass on such amazing technology to us?"
"That's true." The young man finally realized how much his head hurt, and glared resentfully at the old blacksmith. "Don't you know how heavy your hands are when you're forging black? If you hit me a couple more times, I'll be a piece of iron by now!"
Old blacksmith: Hehehe.
The young blacksmith then asked, "What about that girl?"
The old blacksmith said, "What do you mean, what should I do? Oh, you mean the farm tools? Since she really asked me to make more than a thousand pieces of iron tools within ten days, then I will keep my promise and not take a single penny of her farm tools!"
Not only that, the old blacksmith also hoped to thank the girl in person.
Unfortunately, he waited all afternoon, but Gu Jiao never showed up.
(End of this chapter)
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