The Prime Minister's Darling

—Correct, the emperor was quite fond of the twins from the Marquis Dingham Residence, and had the virtuous empress take the twins to pay respects to the empress dowager. Therefore, the old lady had indeed met the young Gu Yan before.

However, she was not particularly fond of children and, after granting them a few gifts, she promptly dismissed them. She didn’t retain any memory of this encounter now.

Young Gu Yan had been too small then and could not remember what the empress dowager looked like. As such, when they sat face to face now, neither could recognize the other.

The old lady looked at the syrup in her bowl, then at Gu Yan’s syrup, smacking her lips: “I’ll swap with you.”

The old lady had dietary restrictions, so the syrup Gu Jiao made for her was not sweet enough. Gu Yan’s, on the other hand, was perfect.

Gu Yan, unaware of the exact situation, willingly exchanged with her.

After swapping with Gu Yan, the old lady was able to taste the longed-for syrup egg!

Mmm, it was so delicious it could move her to tears!

Before Gu Yan’s arrival, the old lady preferred Gu Xiaoshun the most because he was the easiest to manipulate, helping her accumulate some extra sweet treats. As for Xiao Liulang and little monk, one was too clever, and the other too principled for her to trick.

Gu Yan obviously had more savvy than Xiaoshun and, on his first day among them, had immediately catered to the old lady’s wish for syrup egg.

For the sake of her own sweet desires, the old lady decided: she covered this young man!

—

After descending the mountain, the master of Yao family and Marquis Gu both felt an unease that they could not pinpoint. However, their thoughts were consumed by their concern for Gu Jiao, which only began to recede when they returned to the villa and took out Gu Jiao’s portrait. Only then did Yao’s head begin to spin.

“Marquis.” She stared blankly at the birthmark on the girl’s face in the portrait.

“What’s the matter?” Marquis Gu asked, leaning in to look at the portrait. He couldn’t see what she was referring to.

With apprehension, Yao said, “The Abbot said Jiaojiao’s birthmark is made from Suolong sand. But considering she’s married, why have they… Could they be having marital issues?”

At this moment, Yao was truly reproachful toward the Gu family: “They married off Jiaojiao too early. If only she were in Marquis’s residence, I would have kept her a few more years.”

In Zhan Country, girls become of marriageable age at fifteen, but it is common for the daughters of large households to only begin choosing suitors after reaching this age.

Marquis Gu didn’t share Yao’s worries. He had never intended to acknowledge this kinship from the start.

A destitute scholar was not worthy of his daughter! He decided to con the poor lad with some silver and dismiss him. Once they reached Capital City, who would know that the child had already been married? At that time, a boy from a family as prestigious as theirs would be found for her!

Although the girl’s appearance and character are far from Jin Yu, she is still the precious daughter of a Marquis’s residence. They’d definitely find a suitor.

—

Elsewhere, Xiao Liulang, unaware of his impending dismissal by his father-in-law using a sum of silver, has just finished school and is on his way to pick up the little monk from Monastic School.

Just as he started on his way, however, he was stopped by a carriage.

This wasn’t an ordinary carriage. Its wheels were different from anything seen on the avenues—larger, higher, and sturdier. The carriage itself was made of high-quality yellow pear wood. The convertible top was made of shiny, colourful silk, with hanging giant Night Light Pearls; each was worth a hundred gold coins.

The carriage driver was a man dressed in black and wearning a bamboo hat. He had a sturdy arm, a tall physique, and a powerful aura.

The horse was also very fearsome, a jet-black Mongolian Horse. Seemingly a veteran of the battlefield, it was oozing murderous intentions, which stopped any nearby cart and horses from approaching it.

A refined gentleman alighted from the carriage. The man appeared to be about the same age as the second master of the Huichun Hall. Yet, he carried an uncommonly commanding presence.

From time to time, people glanced at him.

But he seemed not to care as he approached Xiao Liulang. He closely examined Xiao Liulang to confirm, and then smiled, saying, “May I ask if you are Xiao Liulang?”

Xiao Liulang eye on him skeptically, “And who might you be?”

The man raised his hand, with a gentle smile, “Don’t be alarmed. My surname is Liu. My master has sent me to find you.”

With that, he untied a token from his waist, “I believe you recognize this token?”

—

The private school.

Classes had just ended and the children streamed out from the Monastic School. Carrying their book bags with gloomy faces, they bolted out of the classroom as if they were being chased by a monster.

The schoolmaster was unable to leave yet, because the little monk would not leave.

The schoolmaster took his hundred and eighth deep breath of the day.

If his son hadn’t been a student at Tianxiang Academy, he would’ve expelled this annoying little guy a hundred times over!