Chapter 189 I have never pitied you
"Young Master, what if Madam and Young Mistress find out..."
Unlike Gao Zhian's good mood, the servant behind him was filled with fear, clutching the huge wooden box, afraid of being punished when he returned home.
Gao Zhian turned and glanced at him. "If you don't tell me, who will know?"
"Moreover, this is my own private property."
As he turned to get into the carriage, someone called out to him from behind.
"Brother Zhi'an."
The Fengshui River has long since thawed, and the flower boats on the river have finally set sail.
The two stood by the river, neither of them speaking for a moment.
My former classmates, who once sat one after the other studying at the Imperial College, are now facing very different life circumstances.
"Is Lord Zhou taking pity on me?"
Gao Zhian tightened his grip on his sleeve, his expression hardening.
Zhou Congxian said, "I have never pitied you. Your martial arts skills are among the best in the capital."
"Now that the Marquis of Xingyang in the capital is not involved much, you are a suitable candidate."
Your Majesty now wants to centralize military power, so you need to place your own people in each army.
Gao Zhian was once a courtier, so his mistake wasn't too serious.
Compared to corruption and collusion, chasing after palace maids while drunk is indeed not a big deal.
However, what the officials witnessed that day was Gao Zhian's shameless boast: "It is your good fortune that I, the young master, have taken a liking to you. Rather than serving His Majesty in the deep palace, you would rather serve me, the young master."
It's not a big deal for His Majesty to bestow a palace maid upon him.
However, in front of all the officials, Your Majesty must punish him severely.
A close court official was stripped of his post and thrown out of the capital.
Now, more than half a year has passed, and I've had enough of being relegated to the sidelines.
He recommended Gao Zhian, but only Gao Zhian, after His Majesty had deeply reflected on his mistakes and repented, was able to start anew.
That matter was then completely over.
Gao Zhian glanced at him sideways, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
"Do you think that by standing high and mighty in front of me now, you can regain the face you once lost?"
Zhou Congxian's journey was not without its challenges.
Although the Duke of England's mansion was a ducal mansion, it was in an awkward position in the capital.
Therefore, during his time at the Imperial College, he only had two close friends, Chai Sijiu and Gao Zhian.
However, Gao Zhian had a group of friends, among whom there were always people who secretly humiliated Zhou Congxian in order to curry favor with him.
Gao Zhian's vanity was greatly satisfied.
This matter was not started by Gao Zhian, but his silence angered Chai Sijiu.
The friendship between classmates fell apart.
Later, Zhou Congxian passed the imperial examination with flying colors and became a third-ranked scholar.
Gao Zhian was granted the title of a sixth-rank official through hereditary privilege.
From then on, the two went their separate ways.
Zhou Congxian's current composure and resilience are also inseparable from his childhood growth path.
“Brother Zhian, I have never cared about the past. I don’t mind, so why are you making trouble for yourself?”
After enduring so many years of cold shoulders in Beijing, the first lesson he learned was: be able to take things on and let them go.
"I'm just making trouble for myself." Gao Zhian laughed a few times, tilting his head back.
"Now Lord Zhou holds a high position and is a favorite of His Majesty."
He suddenly looked at him, his eyes reddening, "You casually said 'you're just asking for trouble,' but I'm stuck in a quagmire! Wherever I go, all I get is their ridicule!"
"Everyone, everyone come and step on me!"
His face flushed red with anger. "This young master has no need for your sympathy!"
"One day, I, the young master, will rise again!"
Gao Zhian flung his sleeves and left, his jaw clenched so tightly that he almost ground his teeth to powder.
Zhou Congxian frowned as he watched his departing figure.
He never imagined that Gao Zhian, who was once so full of vigor, would end up like this.
Ji Xiaoman snorted in dissatisfaction, "He deserves to be degenerate, like a dog biting Lü Dongbin. You didn't need to help him up, sir."
Zhou Congxian withdrew his gaze, his voice becoming indifferent, "Let's go."
The jewelry store is doing very well.
Zhou Congxian did not disturb them. On the recommendation of his maid, he bought some jewelry for the women in the household and then left.
Even after Gao Zhian got into the carriage, his anger had not subsided.
The servant standing to the side didn't dare to breathe.
Once you arrived at the mansion, his voice came coldly, "What should be said, and what shouldn't be said."
The servant lowered his head. "Today, the young master met Lord Zhou and chatted for a while, which delayed his return home."
When Zhou Wanqing got home that evening, it was already quite dark.
Gao Zhilin left her her favorite dishes. "Why are you so late today?"
He also had some complaints. The newlyweds should have been enjoying a blissful marriage, but his wife had recently become enthusiastic about running her shop.
She completely ignored him, her husband.
Zhou Wanqing's smile remained, "Compared to a man's love, money is naturally better."
"If you ever get tired of me, I still have plenty of money to rely on."
"Pah, pah, pah! What nonsense are you talking about!"
Gao Zhilin stepped forward and embraced his wife, saying, "I, Gao Zhilin, swear to God that I will never betray you in this life! May I be struck by lightning if I break this vow!"
Zhou Wanqing raised an eyebrow. "Alright, I'll believe you for now."
"What do you mean by 'temporarily'?" Gao Zhiling asked, somewhat dissatisfied with his wife's answer. "I have already sworn a solemn oath, and you must believe me."
"Okay, okay, you have to believe me." Zhou Wanqing waved her hand dismissively.
"I'm starving, please let me eat first."
Gao Zhilin then let go of her hand and sat down beside her.
"I don't know what got into my elder brother today. He lashed out at Heng'er at dinner."
Gao Zhongheng is Gao Zhian's eldest son. He is now eight years old and studies at the Imperial Academy.
"Why?" Zhou Wanqing asked, puzzled.
At home, Gao Zhongheng was the most favored, and no one dared to touch him.
Gao Zhilin then moved closer to her and lowered his voice, "I heard that my eldest brother and sister-in-law had a fight, and my eldest brother took his anger out on the child."
"My sister-in-law then persuaded my brother to humble himself and accept the position that our father had arranged for him."
He sighed as he spoke, "Alas, my elder brother has such high aspirations, how could he accept the current disparity?"
While eating, Zhou Wanqing curled her lip and said, "What do you mean by high aspirations? It's just that she has a bad temper and no ability."
Gao Zhilin was so startled that he quickly reached out to cover her mouth, "Keep your voice down!"
Then he muttered, "But I don't have an official position yet."
"That's easy." Zhou Wanqing glanced at him.
"I'm going back to my parents' home tomorrow to see my brother. I think I can get a small job there."
Gao Zhilin forced a smile, "My wife, please let me go."
“Ever since my elder brother was stripped of his official position, your brother’s name can no longer be mentioned in front of him.”
“If I accept your brother’s arrangement, I won’t be able to step into this house tomorrow.”
Zhou Wanqing frowned, and just as she was about to say something, Gao Zhilin picked up a piece of shredded meat with his chopsticks and stuffed it into her mouth.
"Alright, my ancestor, hurry up and eat. Stop arranging things for me, the food is getting cold."
The Gao family study.
The candlelight flickered gently, casting a slightly swaying shadow on the wall.
On the table sat the ivory and jade carving crown I had just bought that day, which looked even more luxurious in the dim candlelight.
Gao Zhian watched expressionlessly, but a hint of calculation flickered in his eyes.
At this moment, he was like a shrewd businessman, calculating whether the eight thousand taels of the crown could be exchanged for greater value.
"Knock knock knock".
"My lord." A gentle voice came from outside the door from the Crown Prince's wife.
Gao Zhian snapped out of his daze, closed the wooden box containing the crown, and before he could find a place to hide it, the door was pushed open.
"What's this?"
When the Crown Prince's wife, Lady Wu, entered, she saw her husband carrying a huge box.
She put down the bird's nest porridge and reached out to take it.
"If we put it down low, the kids might get naughty; let's put it up high."
Gao Zhian turned away, saying, "No need, I'll put it in myself."
A flash of pain crossed Wu's eyes, but her expression returned to normal.
“I’ve cooked some bird’s nest porridge. Husband, please have some while it’s hot.”
"I spoke a little hastily today and did not consider things thoroughly for my husband. I hope you will not take it to heart."
Gao Zhian's voice was somewhat cold and hard, "Just put it there."
"These small things can be done by servants. Your most important thing is to teach the children well."
His gaze never fell on Wu.
"If you're not feeling well, you should go home and rest early."
Wu pursed her lips, opened her mouth several times as if to speak, but in the end she said nothing more and turned to leave the study.
It wasn't until they returned to their room that Wu's maidservant expressed her indignation on behalf of her mistress.
"The young master is definitely up to something. Judging from the size and style of that box, it must contain a set of jewelry. I wonder which woman it's meant to be given to."
Wu lowered his eyes, and his voice faded, "When a man's heart changes, there's no point in asking questions."
"He wants to play dumb, so I'll play dumb with him."
Gao Zhian did not return to his room that night.
Ms. Wu also barely slept all night, and her already frail body became even more ill.
The maid searched the entire mansion but could not find Gao Zhian.
White Hemp Lane next to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
A familiar little horse-drawn carriage.
Green Willow stepped down from the carriage with a shy expression. She glanced around warily before hurrying out of the alley.
Shuang'er, who was just about to leave, happened to see it.
She saw the carriage leave from afar, and Green Willow slipped into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion through the side gate.
The following day.
Fu'er pleaded with him to go boating on the Feng River.
Meng Shilan looked at her daughter in surprise, "Why do you want to go on a boat trip?"
On a cruise ship on the Fengshui River, she was almost killed by Song Jiyun.
She didn't know if her daughter still remembered this incident.
Fu'er shook her mother's arm, "Go, go."
"Xuan'er hasn't gone to play yet."
It was quite obvious that the little girl had forgotten that terrible scene.
"You child, you just say whatever comes to mind. Who goes boating in this weather? Wouldn't it be much cooler to go in the summer?"
"I've already spoken with the Seventh Prince, and he said he'd like to go too."
The two children are now very close to Xiao Lin.
He is both a talisman and a money bag.
Therefore, Fu'er was very self-aware and would invite him along whenever she wanted to go out.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
