Chapter 163 Marquis Xuanping (Second Update)
Because Li Wanwan's piano skills were indeed inferior to Gu Jinyu and Zhuang Yuexi, she ultimately tied with Zhuang Yuexi in the score, securing second place in this exam.
Although Gu Jinyu managed to retain first place, she couldn't be happy.
That piece of music was so outstanding that she could feel herself being completely overwhelmed.
She heard from Consort Shu that the Crown Princess had invited court musicians to conduct an assessment. She changed the piece to impress the musician Xie; otherwise, she could have easily gotten first place in a small test with just a casual performance.
Not changing it isn't actually that bad.
Winning first place with superior piano skills will not draw criticism.
Now, with Li Wanwan as a comparison, her music has become a joke.
Gu Jinyu never expected that her limelight would be stolen by the inconspicuous Li Wanwan.
After the exam, Xie Leshi stayed behind to give Li Wanwan some pointers on her musical skills, pointing out areas where she could improve, and presented her with a guqin (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument).
It can't compare to the Moon Shadow Fuxi Qin, but it's definitely much better than the one in Li Wanwan's hand.
Dejected, Gu Jinyu carried the Moon Shadow Fuxi Qin out of the music hall.
As I went downstairs, I ran into Zhuang Mengdie.
Zhuang Mengdie was initially quite angry because she ranked last in the exam, but after seeing what happened to Gu Jinyu, she stopped being angry.
She glanced at the Moon Shadow Fuxi Qin in Gu Jinyu's arms and said sarcastically, "Oh dear, what's the use of having such a fine zither? You still let others steal your thunder, didn't you? With that kind of skill, you even dared to revise the music? It's laughable!"
Was Gu Jinyu's revised version of the song bad?
No.
If it weren't for Li Wanwan's music, she would have been the one to amaze Musician Xie today.
Gu Jinyu didn't have Gu Jiao's arrogant attitude. She was furious and said, "I at least got first place. May I ask what place Miss Zhuang got?"
Zhuang Mengdie, having been hit where it hurt, and unable to win an argument with Gu Jinyu, could only resort to sophistry: "Fine, you dare to talk back to me?"
Gu Jinyu snorted coldly: "Speaking of which, I am the county princess, and Miss Zhuang should bow to me. However, this is a school, and we are all classmates, so I will not bother with Miss Zhuang's formalities."
Zhuang Mengdie was furious: "So, Gu Jinyu, you think you're so great just because you're a county princess? Don't think I don't know what kind of person you really are! You'd better not mess with me! Otherwise, I'll expose your secrets, and then we'll see who respects you!"
Gu Jinyu's face turned green.
She certainly understood what Zhuang Mengdie was referring to. Back at the hot spring resort, her father had told Prince An that she, Gu Jiao, and Gu Yan were triplets, but little did she know that Zhuang Mengdie already knew the truth.
How did she know?
And what about Prince An? Does he know?
He came to see her last time. Was it because he didn't know about her background, or did he know but not mind?
Gu Jinyu suddenly felt extremely confused.
Her absent-minded appearance made Zhuang Mengdie think that she was scared by her words. Zhuang Mengdie rolled her eyes with satisfaction, turned around and got into the carriage to go back to the mansion.
On the other side, Xie Leshi finished instructing Li Wanwan.
Li Wanwan didn't rush back. Instead, she took her new guqin to the pavilion where she usually practiced. It was too remote; even the cleaning ladies wouldn't come here.
"Girl, girl, are you there?" she asked, looking at the wall.
There was no response from behind the wall.
The other person used to be there at this time.
She thought for a moment, then continued looking at the wall and said, "Girl, I passed the test. Thank you for the music!"
After she finished speaking, she waited for a while until the snow fell heavily before turning around and leaving with her guqin in her arms.
On the other side of the wall, the second landlord carried the chair that Gu Jiao had asked him to buy into the yard, and asked in bewilderment, "Who's talking over there? What kind of tune is that?"
Gu Jiao lowered her eyes and flipped through the account book in her hand: "Who knows?"
The second master doesn't understand. Surely it's not a piece by his daughter, Xiao Gu? Xiao Gu is skilled at treating people's illnesses, but composing music is out of the question. Don't be fooled by the guqin in her room; it's just for show.
She's never even touched it!
The snow stopped after a while, but judging from the sky, it was going to snow again. The second landlord was worried that Gu Jiao would have trouble traveling if it got late, so he told Gu Jiao to hurry back.
Alright, today is the last day of classes at the Imperial Academy's elementary school, and she promised to pick up Xiao Jingkong.
When they arrived at the Imperial College, Xiao Jingkong was already eagerly looking out the door. His small body, dressed in the Imperial College's elementary school uniform, was particularly eye-catching.
Also eye-catching was Xiao Liulang behind him.
I don't know how this person grew up, but day by day, they became more and more stunningly beautiful.
"Jiaojiao!" Xiao Jingkong saw Gu Jiao, instantly threw away his bad brother-in-law, and came to Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao rubbed his little head and looked at Xiao Liulang: "No self-study tonight?"
"No need." Xiao Liulang walked over nonchalantly.
Gu Jiao couldn't sense the terrifying atmosphere of the Imperial Academy from him. In fact, with the spring imperial examination approaching, the students of the Imperial Academy were almost going crazy.
Even Lin Chengye and Feng Lin were sleeping later and waking up earlier than usual.
The teachers didn't require us to study tonight, but Xiao Liulang was the only one who dared not to.
The family of three walked back.
As expected, heavy snow began to fall from the sky.
Gu Jiao took an oil-paper umbrella out of her basket, but Xiao Jingkong insisted on getting soaked in the snow!
Luckily, Gu Jiao brought him a small cloak and put it on him, making him look like a little wizard.
The little wizard jumped around excitedly in the snow: "Wah wah wah—"
Xiao Liulang took the oil-paper umbrella and held it over their heads, tilting it slightly towards Gu Jiao.
The two walked side by side on the main road.
The most comfortable way to get along in the world is to not speak and not feel awkward with each other.
Both of them enjoyed the tranquility of the moment, as well as the occasional soft "papapa" sounds from Xiao Jingkong.
"Oh, right." Suddenly remembering something, Gu Jiao asked him, "What month was your birthday?"
It's written on his household registration.
It's also on their marriage certificate.
The fact that she still asked this question proves that she believes the birth date on the household registration is not his real birth date.
That's just how she is; she won't break through all the barriers at once, but she always manages to gradually tear down his defenses with a gentle tone that he can't refuse.
"December," he said.
"Oh." It's December now. Gu Jiao turned to look at him, looking rather obedient. "What day?"
Xiao Liulang paused for a moment, then said calmly, "New Year's Eve."
Gu Jiao smiled.
It's not over yet.
very nice.
In ancient times, people did not celebrate their birthdays every year, but only the more important ones, such as their first birthday, their birth year, the coming-of-age ceremony for girls at fifteen, and the coming-of-age ceremony for boys at twenty.
The coming-of-age ceremony for men, known as "jiguan," signifies that they can now tie up their hair and wear a crown, and that they have become truly mature men.
However, in Gu Jiao's previous life, eighteen was also a very important birthday.
So she still wanted to give him a try.
"Little Jingkong, when is your birthday?" she called out to Little Jingkong, who was frolicking in front of her.
Xiao Jingkong squatted down, grabbed a handful of snow and made a snowball: "New Year's Eve!"
Gu Jiao hummed in agreement: "What a coincidence."
Xiao Jingkong's eyes lit up: "Is Jiaojiao's birthday also on New Year's Eve?"
Gu Jiao smiled and said, "I'm not, your brother-in-law is."
Xiao Jingkong's smile froze, and the snowball in his hand suddenly lost its appeal.
Ugh! Why does he have to share a birthday with his wicked brother-in-law? He doesn't want this birthday anymore!
Actually, Xiao Jingkong's birthday is not necessarily New Year's Eve. He was about a few months old when he was abandoned at the temple, and there was no birth date or time in his swaddling clothes.
The abbot estimated that he was born around New Year's Eve based on his size, so he simply set his birthday on New Year's Eve.
With a dark expression, Xiao Jingkong asked Xiao Liulang, "Why do you even copy my birthday?"
Xiao Liulang's lips twitched. "I'm older than you, okay? Who's copying whom here?"
"Sigh." Xiao Jingkong sighed melancholically.
"What's wrong?" Gu Jiao patted his little head. Could it be that he's upset because he shares the same birthday as Xiao Liulang?
Xiao Jingkong spread his hands and sighed, "In previous years, my master always accompanied me on my birthday. No matter where he was, he would rush back to the temple in time to attend my birthday banquet."
Xiao Liulang was completely bewildered. You little monk, you actually have a birthday banquet? What are the conditions like in your temple?
Xiao Jingkong sighed again: "The capital is too far away. I'm afraid I won't be able to see my master this year."
Gu Jiao imagined an old monk with white eyebrows, leaning on a cane, slowly making his way to the capital...
Uh, that's really too cruel.
I can't come.
Gu Jiao squatted down and looked at him gently: "You can celebrate your birthday with your brother-in-law this year."
The two of them were perfectly in sync, both looking disgusted: "We don't want to."
Gu Jiao added, "Although you can't see your master, you can write him a letter."
Little Jingkong slapped his forehead: "That's right, how come I didn't think of that?"
Without hesitation, Xiao Jingkong wrote a long letter to his master that very night. The first sentence expressed his deep longing for his master, while the next ninety-nine sentences were all about showing off and boasting.
And so, a meticulously crafted letter filled with his sincere feelings was completed.
Xiao Liulang said he would take it out and send it to him.
He was worried and insisted on sending it himself.
Xiao Liulang had no choice but to skip his self-study class at the Imperial Academy the next day and take him to a very distant post station to mail a letter.
The postmaster received the letter and was about to put it in the mailbox.
Xiao Jingkong asked, "Is it being sent to Youzhou?"
The postmaster replied, "Yes."
Xiao Jingkong asked again, "Could you please repeat the address?"
Yi Cheng: "..."
The postmaster read out the address.
Baiyun Temple on Damang Mountain in Qingquan Town, Pingcheng.
"Yes, that's it." Xiao Jingkong nodded seriously. "Is it an urgent dispatch?"
The postmaster said, "Ordinary letters cannot be sent by the 800-li express courier."
Xiao Jingkong opened his eyes wide and said, "But I am not an ordinary letter."
It is a letter to my master filled with longing (only one sentence), discussions about life (bragging about growing taller), and academic exchanges (showing off how many times I got first place in exams).
As the year draws to a close, the post station is especially busy.
It was only because Xiao Jingkong was so adorable that the postmaster patiently talked to him for a long time.
But by now, the postmaster's patience had run out.
"Are you going to send it or not?" he asked.
"If it's not an urgent letter, then I won't send it." Xiao Jingkong decisively took the letter.
Yi Cheng: "..."
Xiao Liulang rubbed his forehead.
Didn't I just tell the little guy a story about an urgent message delivered on an 800-li journey not long ago? Because the information was delivered in time, they won a battle.
Xiao Jingkong had no concept of the specific speed and operation of the 800-li express courier service, but he thought the words sounded impressive, so he also requested the 800-li express courier service when sending letters!
Xiao Liulang stretched out his hand: "Give me the letter, and I'll send it to you by express courier."
"Really?" Xiao Jingkong asked with a doubtful look.
Xiao Liulang nodded: "Really, really, I guarantee the letter you send will be an urgent message delivered at breakneck speed!"
Xiao Jingkong said sternly, "You're not allowed to lie to me!"
Xiao Liulang said seriously, "I'd be a dog if I lied to you."
Xiao Jingkong didn't quite understand the meaning of this sentence. Why could his wicked brother-in-law deceive him and still turn him into Xiao Ba, when Xiao Ba was clearly such a good person...
However, he still gave the letter to his wicked brother-in-law.
Xiao Liulang went back to the postmaster, asked for a writing brush, and wrote "800-li urgent" in large letters on the envelope.
Then I asked for a large envelope and put Xiao Jingkong's letter inside.
The postmaster silently gave a thumbs up.
ox.
After mailing the letter, Xiao Liulang took Xiao Jingkong home.
He had only taken a couple of steps when Xiao Jingkong squeezed his legs together and jumped up, shouting, "I need to pee!"
Xiao Liulang took Xiao Jingkong to the outhouse of the post station.
After urinating, Xiao Jingkong went out to look for someone, but he went the wrong way and bumped into a man's leg.
Back then, that's how a certain little monk tried to scam Gu Jiao.
Xiao Jingkong fell to the ground.
The man slowly reached out and helped him up.
A simple gesture, yet it exudes elegance and nobility.
Xiao Jingkong looked up at the other person.
He was dressed in a heavy purple fox fur coat, tall and imposing, with a cold and stern expression and a face as smooth as ice and jade.
Time has not left many marks on his face.
He was handsome and imposing, and his every move exuded an aura as weighty as a mountain.
Xiao Jingkong was stunned. It took him a long time to remember that he was the one who bumped into the other person. He sincerely apologized, "I'm sorry!"
“It’s alright,” he said casually.
"Hmm... I'm off then!" Little Jingkong trotted away!
The man turned and walked toward the carriage.
The eight guards bowed in unison, shouting in perfect unison, "Lord Marquis!"
Ding! Your Marquis Xuanping has logged on!
(End of this chapter)
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