Chapter 549 The Domineering Aunt! (Second Update)
For the rest of the night, whenever Gu Chengfeng held Gu Xiaobao, Gu Xiaobao would snuggle into his arms and nurse.
Gu Chengfeng, who had just been mocking his elder brother, finally experienced what it meant to "not get arrogant, or you'll get hurt"!
The Gu brothers had dinner in Bishui Hutong before returning home.
Before leaving, Gu Changqing taught Xiao Jingkong a set of boxing techniques. Xiao Jingkong learned them with great interest and practiced tirelessly in the backyard by himself, ignoring being called to take a bath.
"Never mind, let him play for a while. He doesn't have school tomorrow anyway," Gu Jiao said to Yu Ya'er.
Yu Ya'er said, "Then I'll take the hot water to the young master and Xiao Shun's room first, so that Xiao Shun can take a shower first."
The order of bathing at home is from youngest to oldest, and Gu Xiaobao has already been bathed.
“Go ahead,” Gu Jiao said.
Yu Ya'er went to fetch the hot water.
Gu Jiao went to the kitchen to help Granny Fang tidy up, but Granny Fang wouldn't let her do it: "I'm not so old that I can't move! I'm always doing this and that, am I just sitting around doing nothing!"
This is no exaggeration. None of the family members act like they're the boss. Even the laziest Gu Yan knows to peel corn and water the vegetable garden. The chores at home have been mostly shared, so Granny Fang is really not tired.
Seeing this, Gu Jiao didn't insist on going into the kitchen anymore. She went back to the east room to pack her things. She still had to go to the clinic later, and she wanted to say goodbye to her family before leaving.
Everyone else saw him, but Xiao Heng was neither in the study nor in the west room.
Gu Jiao hummed in response: "Strange, where did they go?"
Xiao Heng went next door.
In fact, Gu Changqing was also there.
With such a big incident at Xianleju, Gu Changqing couldn't possibly be completely unaware. After Gu Chengfeng got into the carriage to return home, he lied to Gu Chengfeng, saying he was going to the military camp, but in reality, he went to the neighboring house.
"Liu Quan, go outside and keep watch, make sure no one hears us," the old chief priest said to Liu Quan.
"Yes, sir."
Liu Quan stood guard at the door.
The three of them sat down in the study.
The old chief priest said, "Speak, what is it all about?"
Gu Changqing glanced at Xiao Heng and asked, "Something happened at Xianleju. Does your Ministry of Justice have any news?"
"Yes." Xiao Heng was even more frank with Gu Changqing than with Minister Xing. Apart from the fact that Mo Qianxue mistook him for someone else, he told almost everything, including the young master of Xianleju.
He didn't mention that Mo Qianxue told him about the young master.
Gu Changqing assumed that he had found out through the Ministry of Justice.
Gu Changqing fell silent. He truly hadn't expected such a shocking thing to happen: "I thought it was just a rumor... What is the purpose of Xianleju?"
Xiao Heng thought about it seriously and said, "The ultimate goal is unclear, but Jiao Jiao seems to be blocking the young master of Xianleju's path, so Xianleju has taken action against Jiao Jiao."
Gu Changqing's face suddenly turned icy cold!
Xiao Heng said, "However, Xianleju miscalculated this time. The people they sent can't harm Jiaojiao, so there's no need to worry about her for now."
Gu Changqing's gaze remained icy: "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Xiao Heng said, "Investigate the background of the young master of Xianle Residence, his entire past, all the people he knows, and all the things he has done, the more detailed the better. And it must be done secretly, under no circumstances should anyone find out."
Gu Changqing pondered for a moment and said, "I will tell His Majesty that I am leaving the capital to provide relief to the families of the soldiers who died in the line of duty in the Gu family army."
The old chief priest nodded approvingly; this was a good reason.
After Gu Changqing left, the old chief priest said to Xiao Heng, "Is there anything you haven't said?"
The old chief priest knew Xiao Heng too well. Others couldn't see through Xiao Heng's emotions, but he wouldn't be easily fooled.
After all, it was he who taught Xiao Heng his cunning and ruthless skills.
"That group of people might be here."
"That group of people?" The old chief priest frowned, trying hard to think of who Xiao Heng was referring to as "that group of people."
After a long pause, he frowned. "You mean... people from the Yan Kingdom?"
Xiao Heng nodded slowly.
He didn't stand in the way of the young master of Xianleju. If he were the young master of Xianleju, he would definitely prioritize subduing him. If he couldn't subdue him, it wouldn't be too late to kill him.
The person who took his life must be someone else entirely.
Many people are envious of his current position, but very few have the guts to challenge him and the ability to catch the eye of Xianleju.
The entire Zhao Kingdom can be said to have almost none.
Grand Tutor Zhuang didn't want to touch him? But Grand Tutor Zhuang didn't have the guts to challenge Empress Dowager Zhuang's bottom line.
At most, Grand Tutor Zhuang would use some political maneuvering to suppress him.
Those whose strength is inferior to that of Grand Tutor Zhuang are looked down upon by Xianleju, while those whom Xianleju deems worthy have no grudge against Xiao Heng.
After much deliberation, only one possibility remained.
The old chief priest sighed deeply: "Alas, now I finally understand why Princess Xinyang would rather let you wander among the common people and ignore you than bring you back to the capital."
The power of a superior nation is something that ordinary people cannot contend with.
They concealed themselves so perfectly, yet the other party still managed to detect Xiao Heng's presence.
The old chief priest said earnestly, "Princess Xinyang is not in the capital these days, so you must be extra careful."
Xiao Heng said, "They don't dare to make a move against me in the capital for the time being." Otherwise, they wouldn't have set up such a big trap to lure him out of the city.
There was a question the old chief priest couldn't understand: "The powerful forces of the superior state want to kill you, but they don't dare to do so too openly. What are they afraid of? Marquis Xuanping? The royal family of Zhao?"
After carefully analyzing the events, the old chief priest discovered that the group was becoming increasingly cautious in their actions. Initially, when they attempted to assassinate Xiao Heng's mother, they dared to infiltrate the Xuanping Marquis's residence, but more than ten years later, when they attempted to assassinate Xiao Heng, they only dared to use the Prince of Ning's help.
As for now, they don't even dare to make any rash moves in the capital.
There must be some reason for this.
The old priest said thoughtfully, "I always felt that your mother was not a female slave."
Xiao Heng no longer harbors this resentment. To Jiao Jiao and her family, he is simply Xiao Heng, regardless of whose blood flows in his veins.
He wasn't concerned about his situation, saying, "What it is doesn't matter. Right now, the priority is to resolve the big problem of Xianleju."
The old chief priest hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Did you tell Zhuang Jinse about Xianleju? What is her attitude? Is she biased towards Jiaojiao, or towards that person?"
The next day, as dawn broke, Ning'an got up very early.
She went to Huangfu Xian's room first. Huangfu Xian was still asleep. She looked at the injuries on his cheek and the back of his hand, took out some wound medicine from the drawer, and applied some to his wounds.
The wound medicine seemed a little different from the one she had given her, but she didn't pay much attention to it.
She then went to Renshou Palace to pay her respects to Empress Dowager Zhuang and had breakfast with her.
Empress Dowager Zhuang no longer needs to attend morning court sessions, which has given her a lot of leisure time.
While Empress Dowager Zhuang was washing up, Princess Ning'an waited quietly in Empress Dowager Zhuang's bedroom.
A short while later, people from the Imperial Household Department came over and handed a tray covered with silk cloth to Eunuch Qin.
Eunuch Qin then carried the tray into Empress Dowager Zhuang's bedroom.
"What is this?" Princess Ning'an asked softly.
"These are items sent by the Imperial Household Department," said Eunuch Qin.
"Let me see." Princess Ning'an removed the silk cloth covering it.
On the tray lay a royal purple-gold token, engraved with the words "Protect the Nation," and next to the token was a purple-gold phoenix crown.
"Is this... the token and phoenix crown of the Princess Protector of the Nation?" Princess Ning'an was so amazed by these exquisite objects that she was speechless.
Not just anyone can have the title of Protector of the Nation; it can be said that no princess in this dynasty is worthy of it.
Now, Princess Ning'an is about to be given the title of Protector of the Nation Princess.
How could Ning An not be delighted?
All the composure she had cultivated on the frontier vanished in that moment. She excitedly reached out, picked up the phoenix crown, put it on her head, grabbed the token from the tray, and turned to look at herself in the bronze mirror.
However, before she could even see her own majestic appearance, a figure dressed in a royal blue phoenix robe walked in with imposing momentum.
The figure's owner swiftly removed the phoenix crown from her head!
Everything happened so fast that Princess Ning'an had no time to react. She was sitting in a chair when her body and hair were violently pulled, and her originally exquisite hairstyle was completely messed up.
There was no pity in Empress Dowager Zhuang's eyes.
Empress Dowager Zhuang looked down at her, her powerful aura radiating out: "These are things I prepared for Jiaojiao. Who gave you the audacity to touch them?"
Princess Ning'an looked at the suddenly appearing Empress Dowager Zhuang with a disheveled and incredulous expression. She didn't know whether to be surprised by the Empress Dowager's appearance or by her words.
It was fine yesterday... how come it's like this today...?
This attitude truly caught people off guard.
Ning An looked at Empress Dowager Zhuang with surprise and hurt: "Mother?"
Empress Dowager Zhuang snatched the national protection token from her hand again and said coldly, "Don't call me Empress Dowager, you are not worthy!"
(End of this chapter)
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