Chapter 338 Affectionate Love (Third Update)
The incident involving Consort Jing caused such a stir that within a single day, the entire palace knew that Consort Jing had been assassinated twice in one day.
"Who do you think did it?"
In a corner of the palace, a group of palace maids and eunuchs gathered together, secretly discussing the matter of Consort Jing.
"Who else could it be? Just think about who in the entire palace least wants Consort Jing to return?"
"Could it be the Empress Dowager of Renshou Palace—"
"Shh! Keep your voice down! Do you want to be beheaded? Don't utter a single word about that person's name, keep it buried deep in your heart, and never utter it in your dreams! Otherwise, you can just wait to be beheaded! There have been hundreds, if not thousands, of palace maids and eunuchs who have died at that person's hands!"
"So brutal?"
The newly arrived palace maid was trembling with fear.
In fact, not only the palace maids and eunuchs thought so, but even Consort Zhuang, the Empress Dowager's own niece, believed that the successive murders of Consort Jing were the work of her aunt.
"Your Majesty, I have heard that the Imperial Concubine Dowager has been ambushed again. Do you already have someone in mind to suspect?" In the study of Huaqing Palace, Empress Xiao looked at the Emperor with a deep expression.
Her implication was quite clear: it was Empress Dowager Zhuang who did it.
Unexpectedly, the emperor immediately denied it: "Don't make wild guesses, it's not the Empress Dowager."
Empress Xiao was as if struck by lightning, staring blankly at the emperor.
What did Your Majesty say?
Was it not the Empress Dowager who did it?
Since when has Your Majesty begun to defend the Empress Dowager?
He would blame Empress Dowager Zhuang for every thunderbolt from the sky!
"Your Majesty..." Empress Xiao began.
The Emperor interrupted her, saying, "Alright, you don't need to concern yourself with Consort Jing's affairs. I have my own plans. Go back and restrain the palace servants, and tell them not to gossip."
Empress Xiao replied incredulously, "...Yes."
Consort Zhuang went to Renshou Palace with a smile, and stepped into Empress Dowager Zhuang's study. As she walked, she laughed and said, "Aunt! You're amazing! How did you do it? You taught that vixen Consort Jing a lesson without leaving any evidence! I heard His Majesty didn't suspect you at all! A few eunuchs in Kunning Palace were gossiping, and guess what? The Empress punished them all! Aunt, you really are—"
Consort Zhuang was speaking when she saw the Empress Dowager Zhuang's icy gaze. She shuddered and exclaimed, "Aunt! Aunt!"
"Is your mouth idle?" Empress Dowager Zhuang said authoritatively without being angry.
Consort Zhuang was so overwhelmed by her aunt's powerful aura that she could hardly breathe. She dared not look directly into Empress Dowager Zhuang's eyes and quickly lowered her head to greet her aunt.
Empress Dowager Zhuang said irritably, "I'm very busy. Don't bother me unless it's important!"
"Yes!" Consort Zhuang withdrew reluctantly.
No sooner had she left than Eunuch Qin came in with a cup of tea.
Empress Dowager Zhuang glanced at the memorial in her hand and asked indifferently, "Has the person been delivered?"
"It's here. The carriage dropped us off at the entrance of Bishui Hutong," Eunuch Qin said with a smile.
"Hmm," Empress Dowager Zhuang responded faintly, continuing to read the memorials.
Eunuch Qin walked over and placed the tea on the table, unable to hide his smile.
"What are you laughing at?" Empress Dowager Zhuang looked at him strangely.
Eunuch Qin said, "This servant is happy for the Empress Dowager!"
Empress Dowager Zhuang snorted, "What's there to be happy about? Those two ignorant little brats are so outrageous!"
Gu Jiao, dressed as a eunuch, fled into Renshou Palace as if she had been reincarnated. How could Empress Dowager Zhuang not know the truth?
"Keep a close eye on what the servants say," Empress Dowager Zhuang instructed.
Eunuch Qin said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I have taken care of everything. Today, Xiao Chuanzi went shopping, but his carriage broke down halfway. He happened to meet Xiao Xiuzhuan and returned to the palace with him. The guards saw that the eunuch in Xiao Xiuzhuan's carriage was Xiao Chuanzi."
Xiao Chuanzi did indeed go out to buy things today, but after this incident, before he could return, Eunuch Qin sent imperial guards to intercept him.
When Gu Jiao left the palace, she still used the identity of Xiao Chuanzi.
The reason given was that there was a problem with the purchased fabric, and Xiaochuanzi went to exchange it.
At night, the real Ogawa would return to the palace with the changed cloth.
Eunuch Qin continued, "There are also eyewitnesses. Guard Liu from the Imperial Guard and Granny Zhou from the Cold Palace saw a woman dressed in blue carrying a small basket in the vicinity, and they speculated that she climbed over the wall from the Cold Palace."
These things weren't done by Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao at the behest of Empress Dowager Zhuang. They tricked people and then left happily!
Empress Dowager Zhuang, with a stern face, snorted, "Hmph! Aren't you afraid of being exposed! Do you really think you've covered your tracks perfectly?"
Eunuch Qin laughed uncontrollably.
She clearly liked them a lot and admired their fearless spirit, but she had to pretend to dislike them.
Eunuch Qin laughed and said, "Isn't it because they know the Empress Dowager will clean up their mess? The Empress Dowager trusts them, and they entrust their backs to her as well!"
"snort!"
I don't know how many times she's hummed like that.
Trust between people is never expressed with words, but rather through tacit understanding in actions, trust in a person's sincerity, and trust in their abilities.
It was... actually quite enjoyable.
Empress Dowager Zhuang snorted.
Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang returned to Bishui Hutong.
Tonight, the orchard owner hired an opera troupe and set up a stage in the orchard. The neighbors all went to watch the opera, and Yao and her children also went.
The house is empty.
Although they had already eaten dinner, they were both a little hungry after making a ruckus in the palace.
"Let's eat out," Xiao Liulang said, ultimately unwilling to let her cook so late at night, especially since this place was close to the bustling streets, making it convenient to eat whatever she wanted.
"Okay," Gu Jiao replied.
They went to Xuanwu Street.
Summer nights in the capital are always exceptionally lively, with shops lined up one after another, vendors' stalls stretching like a long dragon, and horse-drawn carriages and horses slowly passing by in the middle of the street from time to time, while pedestrians on both sides flow endlessly and jostle shoulder to shoulder.
In the past, Gu Jiao always walked on the outside to protect her husband, but today Xiao Liulang put her on the inside.
Xiao Liulang, leaning on his cane, used his body, which showed a noticeable increase in masculine strength compared to last year, to shield her from the surging crowd.
However, a peddler carrying a load on his shoulders insisted on cutting in from the middle of the road, almost bumping into Gu Jiao.
Xiao Liulang pulled her arm, then hesitated before sliding down to hold her hand: "Don't get lost."
Gu Jiao paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay."
My dear husband, don't get lost.
Xiao Liulang was almost dazzled by her smile. He looked ahead and asked, "What would you like to eat?"
"Yes, anything is fine!" she said. "What would you like to eat?"
He said, "I'm fine with either."
Neither of them are picky eaters.
Xiao Liulang looked east and said, "There's a new noodle shop that just opened over there. Want to try it? Their braised noodles are delicious."
"Have you eaten here?" Gu Jiao turned to look at him and asked.
"Yes." He nodded. "I ate here when I was a child. Back then, they hadn't opened branches in such a bustling area yet. You had to go to a very remote suburb to eat here. In recent years, they seem to have made a fortune and opened several branches."
He wouldn't bring up his past identity unless asked, but he wouldn't deliberately avoid it if it was mentioned.
However, he never admitted who he really was.
Xiao Liulang, the illegitimate son of Marquis Xuanping, is the identity he can now reveal to those close to him.
Not many people know this identity. In the family, only Gu Jiao, Yao Shi, and the little monk know. Gu Yan, that clever little man, may have guessed something, but he probably hasn't guessed that Xiao Heng has gone this far.
As for Gu Jiao, Xiao Liulang didn't ask how far she had guessed.
Gu Jiao didn't seem to intend to press him for details; she respected and trusted him, regardless of who he was.
Gu Jiao smiled and said, "Okay, let's go eat braised noodles!"
Don't let the fact that this noodle shop is newly opened fool you; it's packed with people both upstairs and downstairs.
"Hmm, are there still so many people eating noodles this late?" Gu Jiao asked curiously.
The waiter smiled apologetically, "We're newly opened, so most of our customers are regulars. Besides, our restaurant isn't just about noodles; our cold dishes and soups are also excellent! It's hot outside, so why don't I set up a table for you two in the courtyard to cool you down?"
Several tables were set up in front of the shop, making it look just like a street food stall from a bygone era.
Gu Jiao felt a sense of familiarity.
Xiao Liulang glanced at her and said to the waiter, "Alright, go set it up."
"Hey! This way, gentlemen!" The waiter greeted them with a smile and led them into the noodle shop, past the main hall, and into the spacious courtyard.
The courtyard is large and quiet, but the view is unobstructed, allowing you to take in the entire scene of the restaurant from here.
It gives one a sense of having seen all the world's wonders.
The waiter brought over a table and a bench.
The two sat on a bench, each ordering a bowl of noodles with gravy and two plates of cold dishes. They didn't order soup, as they felt it would be a waste if they couldn't finish it.
While we were waiting for our noodles with gravy, the waiter came over with a smile and asked, "Esteemed guests, we've run out of tables, and two more customers have arrived. Would you mind sharing a table with us?"
Neither of them had any objections.
The waiter led the people over, and no one expected that it would be the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.
The two were traveling incognito, without any palace maids or eunuchs, and only had a skilled imperial guard as their coachman.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess were clearly not expecting to run into Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao here.
Now, whenever the Crown Prince sees Xiao Liulang, he is reminded of that thick stack of arithmetic problems, and his head instantly throbs!
The Crown Prince had never met Gu Jiao before, but he was quite surprised to see Xiao Liulang sitting with a woman.
I heard that Xiao Liulang got married.
Is this woman Xiao Liulang's wife or one of his shady women?
The Crown Prince didn't care. Women were always considered appendages of men. Whether this woman was Xiao Liulang's wife or not, the Crown Prince wouldn't even give her a second glance.
The crown prince frowned, somewhat reluctant to eat there.
After all, anyone would lose their appetite if they had a teacher like Xiao Liulang around, their mind would be filled with the questions he set, right?
But the Crown Prince couldn't drive Xiao Liulang away, as that would be too arrogant and domineering, inconsistent with the reputation he had built up among the people over the years.
He wanted to leave.
The Crown Princess suddenly tugged at his sleeve and said softly, "Your Highness, there is a seat here."
"He..." the Crown Prince thought to himself, "Don't you recognize who that guy is? Xiao Liulang! The son who looks like my uncle, my father's trusted minister, and my teacher at the Hanlin Academy!"
The Crown Princess said gently, "It seems to be Xiao Xiuzhuan. What a coincidence."
As she spoke, her gaze fell on Xiao Liulang's incomparably handsome face.
Just then, the waiter brought over two bowls of noodles with braised meat sauce: "Gentlemen, your noodles with braised meat sauce are served!"
Xiao Liulang didn't even lift his eyelids, as if the waiter's voice was too loud and he hadn't heard the Crown Princess's words.
The Crown Princess was slightly embarrassed.
The crown prince, however, thought she was referring to him and sighed helplessly, "Yes, it was him. What a coincidence."
The Crown Princess's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she smiled, "The capital is so big, it's only by chance that we can meet while having a late-night snack. It's fate between the Crown Prince and Xiao Xiuzhuan."
The voice wasn't loud, but it was just loud enough for Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao to hear.
Neither of them paid any attention to her.
The crown prince scoffed, "Who would want to be associated with him!"
"I'm hungry," the Crown Princess said.
"Then, then sit down!" The Crown Prince reluctantly pulled the Crown Princess to sit opposite them and said to the waiter, "Bring me all the good dishes you have here!"
"Can the Crown Prince finish it?" Xiao Liulang finally paid attention to him, but not in a friendly tone.
The Crown Prince glanced at the two bowls of noodles in front of them and thought to himself that this was too meager. He generously said, "Tonight it's my treat. Xiao Xiuzhuan, please eat whatever you like and don't stand on ceremony with me. If the salary of the Hanlin Academy is not high, Xiao Xiuzhuan can come to my residence as a nominal advisor."
Xiao Liulang looked at him calmly: "Forming cliques for personal gain is a serious crime. Is the Crown Prince sure he wants to do this?"
It is not uncommon for people to keep advisors and retainers in their residences, and emperors usually turn a blind eye. However, if the emperor keeps his own protégés, it crosses the emperor's bottom line.
Xiao Liulang said indifferently, "I am a disciple of the Emperor and should serve His Majesty wholeheartedly. The Crown Prince asked me to work in your household under a nominal name. Where does that leave His Majesty?"
The prince choked and could not utter a sound.
Just now, I was so busy teasing Xiao Liulang that I forgot that this guy was a scholar who passed the imperial examinations twice, had been summoned by the emperor, and had attended the Deer Cry Banquet. He was a true disciple of the emperor.
Am I undermining my father's position?
If word gets out, how will others view him as the crown prince?
"Ahem!" the Crown Prince said solemnly, "I was just testing you. Just remember your place."
Soon, their cold dishes were served: a plate of cold shredded vegetables and a plate of braised mutton.
Xiao Liulang picked up a piece of the tenderest mutton and placed it in Gu Jiao's bowl.
The Crown Princess glanced at Xiao Liulang, then at Gu Jiao.
This was the first time she had seen the two of them up close. Xiao Liulang's appearance kept overlapping with the boyish face she remembered, but then kept separating from it.
That sunny and carefree young boy had innocent, warm, and clear eyes.
The Xiao Liulang before him now possessed a more aloof and cold demeanor, his features having lost their former childishness and gained a more mature and heroic air.
However, the way he looked at Gu Jiao was different; it contained a tenderness that even he himself was unaware of.
He used to look at her like that, as if she were the only one in his eyes.
The Crown Princess secretly clenched her handkerchief.
What am I thinking?
Why did you mistake him for Aheng again?
The lamb at this restaurant suited Gu Jiao's taste perfectly, and she ate it with great relish.
The Crown Prince hadn't intended to pay her any attention, but Xiao Liulang had choked him, and the atmosphere was really awkward as he didn't say anything. He unconsciously turned his gaze to Gu Jiao's face.
You wouldn't believe it until you see it—her face was...
"Sir/Madam! Your food is here!"
The waiter brought out a table full of the restaurant's signature dishes.
Although there was a dazzling array of dishes, for some reason, he always felt that Xiao Liulang and the others' plate of mutton was the most delicious!
Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang had almost finished eating and were about to leave when Gu Jiao suddenly sniffed: "Waiter, what smells so good?"
The waiter smiled and said, "This is our shop's osmanthus wine. If you like it, I'll give you a jar for free! It's our new shop opening, so please come again soon!"
"Is this wine?" Gu Jiao asked, looking at the bottle the waiter handed her.
The waiter said, "It's not considered alcohol! It won't get you drunk! Young ladies love it—"
Gu Jiao took a sip.
The next second, with a thud, his little head slammed onto the table and he passed out drunk!
Fortunately, Xiao Liulang reacted quickly and placed the back of his hand under her forehead.
The waiter said sheepishly, "Sir, you really are... not a good drinker..."
The Crown Princess said softly, "We have a carriage; let the driver take you back."
The crown prince secretly pursed his lips, wondering why they were being so nice to them.
Xiao Liulang said expressionlessly, "No need."
The crown prince chuckled and said, "Look, they don't even appreciate it."
Xiao Liulang ignored the Crown Prince, gently patted Gu Jiao's small shoulder with his other hand, and whispered in her ear, "Jiao Jiao, it's time to go back."
"Hmm?" Gu Jiao's eyes sparkled.
"It's time to go home," he said gently.
Gu Jiaoteng sat up straight, her phoenix eyes wide and round, her expression extremely serious: "I'm not drunk!"
"Mmm." He coaxed her gently, a slight smile playing on his lips, "Jiaojiao isn't drunk."
That clear, youthful voice, with a touch of masculine magnetism, went straight to one's heart.
Liu Lang is spoiled terribly.
(End of this chapter)
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