Chapter 125: Competing for Favor (Part 1)_2


    The olddy gazed at the delicate young boy in front of her, unable to articte why, but she had an inkling that she had encountered him somewhere before.


    —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 olddy had indeed met the young Gu Yan before.


    However, she was not particrly 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 olddy looked at the syrup in her bowl, then at Gu Yan’s syrup, smacking her lips: “I’ll swap with you.”


    The olddy 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 olddy 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 olddy preferred Gu Xiaoshun the most because he was the easiest to manipte, helping her umte some extra sweet treats. As for Xiao Ling 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 olddy’s wish for syrup egg.


    For the sake of her own sweet desires, the olddy 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 vi and took out Gu Jiao’s portrait. Only then did Yao’s head begin to spin.


    “Marquis.” She stared nkly 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 be of marriageable age at fifteen, but it ismon for the daughters ofrge 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 schr was not worthy of his daughter! He decided to con the poord 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 Ling, unaware of his impending dismissal by his father-inw 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 avenuesrger, 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 ck 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-ck 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 umonlymanding presence.


    From time to time, people nced at him.


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


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


    The man raised his hand, with a gentle smile, “Don’t be rmed. 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.


    sses had just ended and the children streamed out from the Monastic School. Carrying their book bags with gloomy faces, they bolted out of the ssroom 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!