The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 1341 - 1341 652 Jiaojiao Takes Action (Double Update)_3

Chapter 1341: 652 Jiaojiao Takes Action (Double Update)_3 Chapter 1341: 652 Jiaojiao Takes Action (Double Update)_3 The second wife said, “That’s not it. Just now, the eldest brother grasped Miss Mu’s hand and called her Yinyin; he mistook Miss Mu for Yinyin!”

Jing Erye waved his hand, “How could that be? How many years has it been since Yinyin passed away?”

“Of course, I know Yinyin is gone, but didn’t the eldest brother hurt his head?” the second wife pointed to her own head, “Maybe he doesn’t remember at all.”

Jing Erye decisively shook his head, “No, the eldest brother would remember.”

The second wife said, “Alright, let’s say he remembers. Let me ask you, didn’t the eldest brother start to get better after Miss Mu came to our residence? Wasn’t it after Miss Mu saw the eldest brother, that he started calling out for Yinyin at night?”

Jing Erye kept recalling, “That seems… to be the case.”

“Just now the eldest brother was grabbing her and calling out Yinyin again!” the second wife emphasized the matter once more.

“What are you trying to say?” Jing Erye asked.

The second wife smiled mysteriously, “I mean, the eldest brother wants a daughter, and Miss Mu is about the same age as Yinyin. If the eldest brother really likes her, it wouldn’t be a problem to recognize her as his daughter.”

“This…” Jing Erye hesitated.

The second wife said, “If Miss Mu calls him father, maybe that would wake the eldest brother up.”

Jing Erye frowned, “Wait a minute, didn’t you disbelieve this method of speaking to the eldest brother? The schoolmate of Mu Qingchen suggested it, and you drove him away as a quack.”

The second wife said irritably, “Can’t I believe it now?”

Jing Erye raised an eyebrow, “Oh.”

So his 500 taels for the consultation fee weren’t given in vain.

The second wife had great respect for the Duke, and her intentions were good. Since marrying into the Duke Residence, she had never been mistreated or suffered any wrongdoing, and whenever her family faced any troubles, without her needing to speak up, the eldest brother would actively have Erye provide silver to help her family out.

She truly hoped the eldest brother would wake up.

“But the young lady might not be willing,” Jing Erye said.

The second wife smiled, “I’ll go test the waters with her first.”

Soon after, the second wife went to the Duke’s room and called Miao Ruoxin to the courtyard, softly explaining Yinyin’s identity to her: “She is my eldest brother’s daughter.”

Miao Ruoxin nodded, “I see.”

The second wife spoke with a smile, “You are about the same age as my eldest brother’s daughter, and you’ve been accompanying my eldest brother these days. You must have reminded him of his daughter.”

“The status of the Duke Residence’s daughter is prestigious, and I dare not compare myself to her,” Miao Ruoxin, though proud, would never equate her status to that of a daughter from an upper-class family of Shang Country.

“Haven’t you asked Miss Mu’s mother?” the second wife said.

Miao Ruoxin spoke dejectedly, “My parents passed away early, and it was my master who raised me.”

“You’ve really had it hard.” The second wife took her hand and gently patted it, “If Yinyin were alive, she would be about your age as well.”

…

After the second wife left, a maid asked Miao Ruoxin, “Miss, what did the second wife mean? Why did she suddenly say so many strange things to you?”

Miao Ruoxin looked at the hand that the Duke had just grasped and said indifferently, “Who knows?”

The next day, a piece of gossip spread quickly through the Duke Residence.

A few maids gathered in the garden to do some cleaning.

Maid A said, “Have you heard? The Duke is going to recognize Miss Mu as his adoptive daughter!”

Maid B asked, “Who told you that?”

Maid A replied, “Never mind where I heard it from, the question is if you believe it or not!”

Maid B said, “I don’t believe it!”

Maid C joined in, “It’s absolutely true! I heard it myself! The Duke was holding Miss Mu’s hand and calling her his daughter’s name!”

Maid D also chimed in, “Is the Duke awake now?”

Maid A said, “He only wakes up when Miss Mu is with him.”

Maid B remarked, “Looking at it this way, is Miss Mu going to become the Duke Residence’s daughter? She’s a bit too proud for my liking. I don’t really like her.”

Maid A retorted, “Does it matter if you like her? It’s enough that the Duke likes her!”

…

Gu Jiao knew nothing of the events that had transpired within the Duke Residence, as her days had been filled with training in the mornings and evenings while attending school during the day, leaving her extremely busy.

Time flew by like a shuttle, and in the blink of an eye, the sixth day arrived.

The next day was the second round of the cuju tournament.

The last time, they did not have funding and had to stay at the Academy, waking up early on the day of the match to rush there from the Academy.

This time, the Academy allocated a bonus, and Master Wu reserved a room at an inn within the inner city, where they would stay tonight.

That way, they wouldn’t have to get up before dawn tomorrow and waste energy on the road.

Competitors needed to enter the venue early, but spectators did not, so Gu Yan and Gu Xiaoshun would still go over tomorrow morning. The head of the Academy had a spacious and comfortable carriage, ensuring that the two of them would be well taken care of.

The group proceeded into the inner city with great fanfare.

The inn that Master Wu had booked was called the New Moon Inn, about two li from the Lingbo Academy.

After dismounting from the carriage, when Mu Chuan saw which inn it was, he complained with a gloomy expression, “This inn is quite far from the Lingbo Academy!”

Master Wu cleared his throat and said, “It’s only two li away, not far! We’ll be there in a short walk!”

The main reason was that the Academy’s silver was only enough to reserve rooms at this inn. Due to the cuju tournament, the nearby inns had all raised their prices.

“This inn is so rundown,” Mu Chuan said disdainfully.

The pampered son of the Mu Family, accustomed to fine clothes and lavish food, declared he had never stayed in such a dilapidated inn, even when his mother punished him to experience the hardships of common life.

“Cough cough! It only looks plain from the outside, but the inside is still quite decent,” said Master Wu, stepping over the threshold. With a clang, the plaque inside the grand hall fell off.

Master Wu: “…”

“Fourth Brother, let’s go home to sleep,” Mu Chuan whispered to Mu Qingchen.

Mu Qingchen glanced at Gu Jiao who had already gone upstairs with her bags and said indifferently, “If you want to go back, then go by yourself.”

After speaking, he too headed upstairs.

Hey! Fourth Brother—”

The rooms Master Wu had booked for them were of the highest quality, one for each person on the second floor, even better than Master Wu’s own.

Gu Jiao’s room was in between Mu Qingchen’s and Mu Chuan’s. Mu Chuan came over with his bundle: “Xiao Liulang, I want to swap rooms with you.”

He wanted to be next to his fourth brother.

Gu Jiao had no objections.

Mu Chuan happily moved into the room next to Mu Qingchen.

When Mu Qingchen came looking for Gu Jiao, what he saw was unexpectedly Mu Chuan’s annoying face.

Mu Chuan greeted him with a beaming smile and open arms: “Fourth Brother! Surprise, isn’t it a surprise?”

Mu Qingchen: “…”

Dinner was served in the grand hall, and to ensure the safety of the cuju players, Master Wu tasted each dish first to make sure it was poison-free and harmless before letting the server bring it out.

Since they had to enter the venue very early the next day, everyone went to their respective rooms to rest after dinner.

Master Wu patrolled the corridor, making sure no one came out for a stroll.

The room was getting stuffy, so Gu Jiao opened the window to let in some air.

Her chamber faced the street, and from the window, she could see half of the street’s nighttime scenery.

The nightscape of Shengdu was far more splendid than that of the Capital City of Zhan Country.

She quietly gazed at the endless stream of people. Then suddenly, she caught sight of a familiar silhouette.

The night was dark, and the distance great, but she was sure she hadn’t mistaken it!

She had stared at his portrait countless times, picturing his mannerisms in her mind’s eye.

It was him.

Nangong Li, with one arm missing, had just emerged from a shop and stepped onto the carriage of the Nangong Family.

Gu Jiao narrowed her eyes dangerously, then, with a leap, she jumped from the second floor!