Chapter 629 His Daughter (Second Update)
If we find him, Gu Yan can have the surgery.
Gu Jiao: "Well..."
Mu Qingchen coldly interrupted her: "Don't even think about it, I will not take you to the Imperial Preceptor's Hall."
Gu Jiao paused for a moment: "You can't get in at all, can you?"
Mu Qingchen: "..."
Gu Jiao has a basic understanding.
Gu Yan's hope for surgery lies in the Imperial Preceptor's Hall, but the Imperial Preceptor's Hall is a very important place in the capital, and even a young master from a prestigious family like Mu Qingchen cannot enter at will.
Knowing it's in the Imperial Preceptor's Hall is good enough; she'll find a way to get there eventually.
Mu Qingchen escorted Gu Jiao to the entrance of Tianqiong Academy as before, and then left, while Gu Jiao walked back to her residence.
Nan's wife and Master Lu were waiting for her in the main room. When they saw her return, they both breathed a sigh of relief.
They didn't have to worry today.
"Jiaojiao hasn't eaten yet, has she?" Nan Shi Niang asked.
"Not yet," Gu Jiao said.
"I'll get you some." Mrs. Nan went to the kitchen and brought over the food that was still warm in the pot. "It's been warm for a while, so it might not taste as good anymore."
Gu Jiao said, "It's alright, everything my master's wife makes is delicious."
The truth is, Mrs. Nan's cooking skills are really not very impressive.
But no one who has been poisoned by Xiao Liulang's terrible cooking would think that Nan Shi Niang's cooking is bad.
May in Shengdu has already entered summer, but it is not hot in the morning and evening. Nan Shi Niang was sweating because she was anxiously waiting for Gu Jiao. Now that Gu Jiao has returned, she is calm and cool, and she no longer needs the fan in her hand.
She tossed the fan to Master Lu and asked Gu Jiao, "How was it? Did you get anything?"
"Yes," Gu Jiao nodded. "The Imperial Preceptor's Hall might have what I want."
"The Imperial Preceptor's Hall?" Nan Shi Niang gasped.
Nan Shi Niang's reaction basically illustrates the difficulty level of this task.
Gu Jiao asked, "Does Madam Nan know any way to enter the Imperial Preceptor's Hall?"
Given Gu Jiao's past behavior, Madam Nan quickly reminded her, "Sneaking in is definitely not going to work. I won't allow you to do that. The Imperial Preceptor's Hall is full of experts. Do you know how the Yan Kingdom's assassins were originally recruited?"
Gu Jiao asked, "Is it related to the Imperial Preceptor's Hall?"
Nan Shi Niang nodded and said, "That's right, they were trained by that Grand Preceptor. Didn't the late Emperor of Zhao also buy a batch of Yan Kingdom assassins? Those weren't the top assassins; the top ones are all in the Grand Preceptor's Hall."
If Gu Jiao had regained all her strength, she might have been able to make a run for it, but for now... it's best to use strategy instead.
Gu Jiao asked, "Then how can I get in?"
“This…” Madam Nan stood up and paced around the room. “Either you have to pretend to be a disciple of the Imperial Preceptor’s Hall to sneak in, or… you have to get someone from the Imperial Preceptor’s Hall to willingly take you in. But neither of these methods is very feasible.”
The first method is easily detected, while the second is almost impossible.
Mrs. Nan sighed: "Go and rest first. I'll think about it carefully tonight, and I'll tell you when I have an idea."
Gu Jiao said, "Thank you for your trouble, Master's wife."
Madam Nan said gently, "Don't be so formal. My wish is for Yan'er to recover as soon as possible."
In the dead of night, after the children had all gone to bed, Mrs. Nan changed into a night outfit, opened the door, and went out.
...
In the Duke's Mansion in Shengdu, the glazed lamps and candles shone brightly under the corridors.
After returning to the inner city, Mu Qingchen immediately went to the Duke's Mansion and found the Second Master. He told him that he had accidentally discovered several suspicious people loitering outside the Duke's Mansion when he passed by earlier, and hoped that he could strengthen the security of the Duke's Mansion, especially the courtyard of the Duke of Anguo.
The Second Master Jing of the Duke's Mansion did not doubt Mu Qingchen's words. Although Mu Qingchen's family was at odds with the Duke's Mansion, Mu Qingchen herself had been taken care of by the Duke of Anguo when she was young, and she had no ill intentions towards the Duke of Anguo.
"Don't worry, I'll personally guard your courtyard tonight!"
Although Master Jing and Duke Anguo were not born of the same mother, they had a very good relationship since childhood. In his heart, his elder brother was like a father, and he would never allow anyone to harm his elder brother.
After Mu Qingchen left, Second Master Jing selected the most skilled assassins in the manor to surround his elder brother's courtyard, while he himself carried a bedding set and lay down on the ground in front of his elder brother's bed.
In a half-dreaming, half-awake state, he vaguely heard indistinct voices coming from his elder brother's bed. Realizing what was happening, he opened his eyes wide and exclaimed, "Brother! Were you calling me?!"
He sprang to the bedside, lifted the bed curtains, and looked at his elder brother's gaunt face in the dim candlelight.
Duke Anguo remained unconscious with his eyes closed, and no one called out to him.
But the older brother was indeed muttering in his sleep.
This is a huge breakthrough!
His older brother has been in a coma for so long, and he has never spoken in his sleep!
Master Jing bent down, wanting to hear what his elder brother had to say.
As a result, his older brother kept repeating only one name in his dream: "Yinyin... Yinyin..."
His youngest niece, Jing Yinyin, died young.
...
As dawn broke, Gu Jiao woke up from her sleep and sat on the edge of the bed, dazed for a while.
"It's so strange, I think I had a dream last night, but I can't remember what I dreamt about."
She rarely dreams, but the dreams she does have are usually about things that might happen, and she generally remembers them.
If you don't remember, it's probably not important.
Yes, that must be it!
Gu Jiao dressed neatly and practiced with the red-tasseled spear and whip in the backyard for a while before going to the main room for breakfast.
Gu Yan didn't get up. He always liked to sleep in early, so it wasn't surprising. But Nan Shi Niang wasn't there.
"Master Lu, has Madam Nan gone out?" Gu Jiao asked.
Master Lu cleared his throat and said, "She went to take care of some things. You guys eat first. I bought some porridge and scallion pancakes at the market. I don't know if they'll suit your tastes."
"Master Lu, you should eat too." Gu Jiao served him a bowl of porridge as well.
"This child," Master Lu said with a smile as he took the child.
After breakfast, Master Lu stayed home to take care of Gu Yan, while Gu Jiao and Gu Xiaoshun went to the academy for class.
"Sis, have you done your homework?" Gu Xiaoshun asked.
Gu Jiao was suddenly struck by a soul-crushing blow!
I forgot to do my homework again!
I haven't been a student for many years, and I'm not proficient in my work anymore!
Gu Jiao entered the classroom and walked silently toward Zhong Ding's seat. Just as she was about to sit down, she suddenly sensed something was wrong.
"It's you?"
What about bronze bells and tripods?
How did Mu Qingchen become the person in his seat?
Mu Qingchen casually took out a homework assignment and threw it on the table: "Here, take it."
It's as if to say, "Here, you can copy this. It's better than the bronze inscriptions. You're welcome."
Gu Jiao's lips twitched, and she turned to look into the classroom. Everyone had their heads down, eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to everything.
Gu Jiao spotted Zhong Ding in the last row, the seat that originally belonged to Mu Qingchen. Without saying a word, she walked over and sat down next to Zhong Ding: "Let me copy your homework."
Zhong Ding was completely dumbfounded.
He glanced at the expressionless Mu Qingchen, then at Gu Jiao, who was acting like a flustered chicken: "You...you didn't copy Young Master Qingchen's homework, but instead copied mine?"
Gu Jiao: "Take it out!"
Under the intimidating aura emanating from Mu Qingchen, Zhong Ding reluctantly took out his homework.
Gu Jiao finished copying it in a few quick strokes.
Zhong Ding whispered, "There's no homework this morning since it's not Master Jiang's or Master Tong's class."
Gu Jiao's face darkened instantly. Why didn't you say so earlier!
In the morning, there is a riding and archery class. Tianqiong Academy has its own pasture and stables, where dozens of strong and healthy horses are trained. Their riding and archery instructor is surnamed Wu, and it is said that he was once the top martial arts champion of the Yan Kingdom.
He originally held an official position in the court, but since he had no background and disliked the power struggles in officialdom, he resigned and became a martial arts instructor at Tianqiong Academy.
The students of Mingxin Hall first went to the stables to choose horses. In principle, two people shared one horse and took turns using it. However, many students of Mingxin Hall had good horses brought from home, so the horses in the stables were more than enough.
"I...I don't know much about horses, can you help me pick one?" Zhong Ding said awkwardly to Gu Jiao.
"That one will do," Gu Jiao said, pointing to a tall, fine horse at the far end of the stable. "It's gentle and won't throw you off."
Zhong Ding was still a little hesitant to enter the stable.
Gu Jiao went inside and led the horse out: "Here you go."
Zhong Ding asked with lingering fear, "Really...really docile?"
Gu Jiao tossed him the reins: "It's the most docile one here."
Zhong Ding instinctively hugged himself: "How did you know?"
Gu Jiao frowned in annoyance: "Give it to me if you don't believe me?"
Zhong Ding quickly turned his back, clutching the reins, and exclaimed, "I believe you! I believe you! I believe you!"
In fact, from the moment he approached the horse, Zhong Ding had already sensed its docility. He was not a good rider and had fallen off a horse before, so he dared not ride a horse with a strong temperament.
By this time, the other students had also made their selections.
Gu Jiao didn't like crowding around, so she waited until everyone had finished choosing before she went to lead out a horse.
Suddenly, someone called out to her from behind: "Xiao Liulang!"
Thank you everyone for your monthly votes. There will be three updates today.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
