Chapter 663 The Adorably Fierce Little Bun! (Fourth Update)
Gu Jiao wondered if she was seeing things. How could she see Gu Chengfeng here?
Mu Qingchen, who had been resting with her eyes closed, opened them and looked at Gu Jiao with a puzzled expression.
However, that group of people had already turned a corner and gone in the opposite direction.
Mu Qingchen asked, "What are you looking at?"
Gu Jiao sat back down in her seat: "I think I saw someone I know."
Mu Qingchen glanced at the group of people outside the window, then looked intently at Gu Jiao and asked, "Do you know the Han family or those slaves and laborers?"
Gu Jiao was slightly taken aback: "Slavery and corvée labor?"
Mu Qingchen looked at her and said, "You've mistaken me for someone else, haven't you?"
Gu Jiao lowered the window: "Maybe I really did see it wrong."
Gu Chengfeng could not possibly come to the Yan Kingdom, much less become a slave.
...
At the foot of Dongshan Ridge outside the outer city of Shengdu, there is a mineral vein that is being mined by the Han family.
A while ago, there was an accident at the mine that killed a group of laborers, so the Han family immediately bought a new batch of laborers.
Most of these laborers were servants marked as slaves, including poor people from the Yan state, prisoners who had committed serious crimes, and able-bodied men brought in from the black market.
The caravan stopped at the mine's checkpoint. The guards glanced at the laborers tied with ropes and clicked their tongues in disdain: "These laborers don't look very useful. There aren't many strong ones."
A government official on horseback said, "The market is bad these days, we're lucky to have anything, let's just make do with it."
The guard said, "Alright, go to work, we're waiting!"
The officer chuckled: "Working so late? Aren't you afraid of getting into trouble again?"
The guard smiled helplessly: "That's what we were ordered to do, what can I do?"
He spoke words of helplessness, but his expression clearly showed indifference.
Indeed, they were just a group of lowly laborers; who would care about their lives?
The group entered the mine, and several officials found an open space for them to rest.
It wasn't that we were being overly considerate of them, but rather that they had traveled a long way and were exhausted; they needed to rest and eat something to regain their strength to work.
Everyone sat down on the ground.
Gu Chengfeng sat at the very back, looking completely inconspicuous.
He had endured wind and rain all the way, and was no longer the noble young master he had been in the Zhao Kingdom.
Before long, someone brought over porridge and steamed buns, and the laborers rushed over.
"Stand still! Stand still! Don't move!"
The official distributing the food lashed out with his whip, and everyone fell silent.
One bowl of porridge and two steamed buns for each person.
When it was Gu Chengfeng's turn, there was only half a steamed bun left.
Gu Chengfeng didn't say anything, but took the bowl of porridge and the hard steamed bun and ate them in big mouthfuls.
After going hungry several times, he realized that if he didn't eat quickly enough, he would have to wait until the next meal.
Sure enough, just as they finished wolfing down the half-eaten steamed bun in their hands, the officers urged them to enter the mine.
"Sir, could you give me another bite to eat? I'm not full... I don't have the strength to work..."
An elderly corvée laborer, over fifty years old, bowed and pleaded with the officials.
The officer lashed him with his whip, sending him sprawling to the ground: "Now you have strength!"
He collapsed right in front of Gu Chengfeng.
In the past, Gu Chengfeng would have helped him up, but now, Gu Chengfeng did nothing, simply walking past him and following the group forward.
The group entered the mine.
Some ores are on the surface and can be mined directly, while others are underground and require the excavation of blind wells.
They were sent here to dig a well, and several old laborers were already digging.
"Go get the shovel yourself!" the officer shouted sternly.
The group hurriedly walked over, stumbling along the muddy ground, picked up shovels, and began digging a well, imitating the old laborers.
Gu Chengfeng also picked up a shovel and started digging in a very professional manner.
They dug until midnight, until everyone was exhausted and had no strength left, before they were taken back to a large dormitory to rest.
Dozens of people were crammed into one room, and the smell was so unpleasant it was suffocating.
Gu Chengfeng lay on a wooden plank in the far corner, with a laborer on one side and a dusty earthen wall on the other.
Perhaps they were exhausted, as almost everyone lay down and fell into a deep sleep.
After the officials finished their search, they locked the door from the outside and then turned and left.
In the darkness, Gu Chengfeng slowly opened his eyes.
He wasn't here to be a laborer. Now that he'd arrived in Shengdu, there was no need for him to continue mingling with a group of slaves.
He needs to find a way to leave.
As he pondered this, he rolled over, but inadvertently pressed on the wound on the outside of his right leg, causing him to gasp.
"Hold!"
Branding slaves with their marks must have been incredibly painful.
He couldn't help but swear.
...
After returning to the mansion, Gu Jiao told her about teaching the young princess how to ride. Since she would be visiting often in the future, it was better to explain it to her family.
Nan Shi Niang served Gu Jiao a bowl of corn and pork rib soup: "Which little princess is it? Do we have any princesses in the outer city?"
The princess was clearly a person of high status, and usually lived in the inner city.
“The daughter of Lord Yeonsan,” Gu Jiao said.
"Lord Yanshan..." Nan Shi Niang felt that the title was familiar, but she had been away from the Yan Kingdom for too many years and couldn't remember it for a while.
"The king's younger brother," Old Master Meng said casually.
As if struck by a sudden enlightenment, Madam Nan smiled and said, "Ah, yes, yes, he is the king's younger brother. No wonder that name sounds so familiar."
Gu Jiao exclaimed in surprise, "Does the king's younger brother have such a young child?"
She remembered that Prince Ming was the Crown Prince's legitimate son, which meant he was the Emperor's grandson. Prince Ming looked about the same age as Xiao Heng, so the Emperor must be at least about the same age as the old Marquis.
Nan Shi Niang said thoughtfully, "I don't know about that." She hadn't deliberately inquired about the royal family before, so her understanding of them was very limited.
Old Master Meng took a sip of soup and said in a nonchalant tone, "Prince Yeonsan was born posthumously to the Empress Dowager and was nearly thirty years younger than the King."
Gu Jiao understood then. Yan Shan Jun was the youngest brother of the king, and his daughter was of the same generation as the crown prince. Wouldn't that mean that even Prince Ming would have to respectfully call the little princess "little aunt"?
Gu Jiao suddenly laughed: "This little guy is of a high generation."
Everyone looked at her with strange expressions.
After all that, is your only focus really on seniority?
That's the daughter of Lord Yeonsan, a royal princess!
It is said that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, let alone the treacherous royal family of Yan. Nan Shi Niang was somewhat worried.
Mr. Meng seemed to be a man of great experience, so she asked him, "Is this Lord Yanshan easy to get along with?"
If someone has a bad temper, I'd rather not have the job.
"Lord Yanshan is fine," said Old Master Meng, glancing at Gu Jiao. "You didn't make the little princess cry, did you?"
Gu Jiao said seriously, "No, why would I make her cry?"
Old Master Meng nodded: "That's good. The king dotes on this young princess very much; those who made her cry in the past have all been killed by the king!"
Gu Jiao: "..."
The next morning, Gu Jiao practiced her red-tasseled spear for a while as usual. Perhaps it was because she had a hallucination of seeing Gu Chengfeng, but Gu Jiao thought of the whip she had neglected for many days and took it out to practice for a while as well.
After that, Gu Jiao and Gu Xiaoshun went to the academy.
As soon as Gu Jiao arrived at the academy gate, she was stopped by a luxurious carriage.
A young man in brocade robes stepped down from the carriage; it was none other than Han Che.
Han Che glanced at Gu Jiao with a half-smile, then turned and opened the curtain, letting another richly dressed man get off the carriage.
Gu Jiao had met him before.
It was none other than Prince Ming, who had once come to the academy to find Mu Qingchen.
This Prince Ming is very active; he gets very close to the sons of noble families, regardless of whether these sons have any conflicts with each other.
Gu Jiao assumed he was there to see Mu Qingchen again, so she turned around and planned to bypass the carriage to enter the academy.
Unexpectedly, Han Che called out to her: "Hey, Xiao Liulang! Stop right there!"
Gu Jiao did not stop.
Han Che gasped.
The Imperial Guards beside Prince Ming quickly stepped forward and blocked Gu Jiao's path.
Gu Jiao frowned impatiently.
"You go in first," she said to Gu Xiaoshun.
Gu Xiaoshun initially wanted to stay, but then a thought flashed through his eyes, and he said, "Okay, I'll go first!"
The Imperial Guards did not stop Gu Xiaoshun.
Gu Jiao turned around and looked at the two of them: "Is there something you need?"
Her unruly and arrogant attitude made Prince Ming frown slightly.
Han Che was quite satisfied with this effect; what he wanted was for Xiao Liulang to anger Prince Ming.
Prince Ming seemed to have no intention of revealing his identity. He quickly suppressed his displeasure and said to Gu Jiao in a friendly manner, "I am a friend of Mu Qingchen. I visited your academy last time."
"So?" Gu Jiao looked at him indifferently, almost as if to say what business it was of hers.
As the eldest grandson of the royal family, Prince Ming had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth and had never been treated so disrespectfully by anyone.
However, realizing that the other party was unaware of his identity, Prince Ming felt relieved.
He was disrespecting Han Che, not himself.
Upon realizing this, Prince Ming smiled gently again: "I didn't mean anything by it. You are Qingchen's classmate, and I am Qingchen's friend. I just wanted to get to know you."
Han Che pursed his lips upon hearing this. Hadn't he already told Prince Ming, Xiao Liulang, that he was merely a man from a lower state? Why be so polite to him?
The Prince of Ming was being polite not to Xiao Liulang, but to Mu Qingchen.
Of the ten great families in Shengdu, Mu Qingchen occupies three. If Mu Qingchen is won over, it would be equivalent to winning over the Su family, the Mu family, and the Wang family at the same time.
"Not interested," Gu Jiao said.
Han Che said coldly, "Hey! Do you know who you're talking to? Don't be ungrateful! You'll regret it if you don't listen to reason!"
"Hey, Young Master Han, please don't be angry. Let's talk this out." Since Han Che played the good cop, he might as well play the bad cop.
He smiled and said to Gu Jiao, "I had something come up last time and couldn't see the polo match in person, which I really regret. I heard you have a very powerful horse. I wonder if I could see it?"
"No," Gu Jiao replied immediately.
Prince Ming nearly choked on his own blood!
Not revealing your identity won't work, right?
Han Che added fuel to the fire with a sarcastic remark: "Xiao Liulang, even if this young master beside me just wanted to see your horse, you'd have to hand it over without hesitation, understand?"
Gu Jiao glanced at the two of them indifferently: "So, you've come to steal my horse?"
Prince Ming frowned.
He was just there to take a look, but right now he really wants to snatch it.
Because from childhood to adulthood, no one dared to disobey him.
This country bumpkin is so clueless! Even if he didn't reveal his identity, shouldn't his royal bearing have intimidated him?
Inside the main gate of the academy, the students who caught a glimpse of this scene exclaimed that they were doomed.
That person is the Crown Prince's eldest son. Since the Crown Princess was deposed, he has become the eldest grandson of the Emperor.
He wanted to steal Liu Lang's horse, and even if Gu Xiaoshun called Qingchen Gongzi over, there was nothing he could do!
"What's going on? Why are you all crammed here? Don't you have classes?"
Dean Cen came over and asked.
The students turned around, and one of them whispered, "Dean, Prince Ming is here. He wants to snatch Liu Lang's horse!"
"What?" Dean Cen's expression changed.
He looked towards the door and immediately saw Prince Ming and Han Che opposite Gu Jiao.
Prince Ming didn't even come to watch the race yesterday, so how would he know about Liu Lang's horse?
It's most likely that Han Che wanted Liu Lang's horse, but he didn't want to take action himself, since he couldn't defeat Mu Qingchen even if he did, so he lured Prince Ming here.
Prince Ming can get anything he wants.
It's over, Liu Lang's horse is doomed.
"How is this robbery?" Prince Ming smiled faintly.
However, even though he said he wouldn't steal it, the Imperial Guard beside him had already placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Just as Prince Ming was about to order the swords to be drawn, a carriage sped up and stopped beside Gu Jiao and her entourage.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and a beautifully sculpted little girl jumped out.
"What are you doing?" she asked in a childish voice.
Prince Ming was greatly surprised.
The little princess, not yet five years old, jumped off the carriage, came to Prince Ming, raised her tender little face, and asked sternly, "Why didn't you greet him?"
How embarrassing! We're all human.
Prince Ming frowned, cupped his hands, and forced a bow: "Little Aunt."
The young princess looked at him, then at Gu Jiao: "What were you two doing just now?"
Knowing that the little fellow especially loved to complain to the king, Prince Ming gave the guard a wink, and the guard subtly lowered his hand from his drawn sword.
Prince Ming smiled and said, "It's nothing. I just came to make a friend."
"Is that so?" the young princess asked Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao crossed her arms: "No, he wanted to steal my horse."
Prince Ming: "..."
The young princess's face instantly fell: "Pick me up."
The personal maid immediately picked up the expressionless little princess.
The little princess stretched out her chubby little hand and slapped Prince Ming on the forehead, saying in a cute but fierce tone, "You brat! How dare you bully your aunt's teacher!"
The fourth watch of the night arrived quietly.
Thank you all for your concern, my cold is much better.
(End of this chapter)
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