The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 547 - 547 271 Jiaojiao of My Sorrow (Two updates combined

Chapter 547: 271 Jiaojiao of My Sorrow (Two updates combined into one)_3 Chapter 547: 271 Jiaojiao of My Sorrow (Two updates combined into one)_3 “Yes.” Master Zhuang bowed and said, “After the Empress Dowager fled from Mafeng Mountain, she ended up in a small village in the countryside. She was found by the emperor’s people, who temporarily kept her under house arrest.”

Empress Dowager Zhuang impatience queried: “Whom do you mean by ‘they’?”

Master Zhuang declared solemnly, “The newly crowned top scholar, Xiao Liulang.”

“Xiao, Liulang?” Empress Dowager Zhuang furrowed her brows; she found the name strangely familiar, but couldn’t recall where she had heard it. However, it did seem plausible if she had stayed with his family.

Master Zhuang continued, “Xiao Liulang is one of the emperor’s men. He communicated with the emperor while in the village and brought the Empress Dowager to Capital City under the pretext of appearing for the examination. As a matter of fact, Hengheng had already discovered the whereabouts of the Empress Dowager in county town and even visited her, unfortunately, she did not recognize him at that time and even injured him. Considering the delicacy of the situation, Hengheng didn’t dare to act strongly and returned to the capital to consult with me. I had no choice but to coordinate with my allies and compel the emperor to reopen Guozijian. Now that Xiao Liulang had to come to the capital, he wouldn’t leave the Empress Dowager in the countryside.”

However, the actual situation at that time was far from this; it was clear that they were using Xiao Liulang. But when Master Zhuang later reflected on the whole series of events, he perceived Xiao Liulang as having pre-planned everything.

If Master Zhuang was deceiving Empress Dowager Zhuang with lies, she possibly could have detected the inconsistency. However, this is genuinely what he believes.

Empress Dowager Zhuang withdrew her gaze from his face and asked, “With one more person in the family, didn’t anyone suspect anything?”

Master Zhuang explained, “Xiao Liulang was a poor lad from a far-off place and claimed the Empress Dowager as his aunt. As no one from his family came to him, there were no suspicions raised. My Empress Dowager, you suddenly asked about them… did they visit you?”

Zhuang Yuexi had already informed Master Zhuang about the event that happened in the palace yesterday. Of course, she didn’t mention her visit to Gu Jiao, only the unexpected encounter in the Imperial Garden.

Master Zhuang stated, “They drugged the Empress Dowager causing her to lose her memory and took the opportunity to get close to her and capture her heart. Please, Empress Dowager, do not let them blind you.”

The recognition that they only wanted to use her left Empress Dowager Zhuang feeling deeply upset.

However, wasn’t it odd?

Shouldn’t she be angry and infuriated? Shouldn’t she issue a decree to annihilate their entire family?

Yet, why was she feeling distressed?

The weather was pleasant, with a clear sky and no clouds.

Lord Gu had not visited Bishui Alley for some time. Today he was on his way to supervise the construction of the residence for the Empress Dowager, and as he passed by the alley, he decided to visit Yao Family.

As he approached the courtyard door he encountered Gu Jiao who was returning, carrying little Jingkong.

Little Jingkong was sleeping, leaning against Gu Jiao’s chest, with tears sparkling on his eyelashes.

Gu Jiao’s expression, however, was colder than ever.

Lord Gu hadn’t seen his disobedient daughter for quite a while, and she seemed to have grown taller, her brows and eyes becoming more similar to Yao Family.

“Where have you been?” he asked her, sounding irritated.

Ignoring him, Gu Jiao continued walking into the courtyard.

Lord Gu gritted his teeth: “I’m talking to you! Can’t you hear?!”

Gu Jiao turned towards him, her gaze icy: “Today, do well not to provoke me.”

Her icy stare unsettled Lord Gu, causing him to tremble, dropping the blueprint from his hands.

Gu Jiao didn’t care about his things, but it was lying there in plain sight and she couldn’t ignore it. She stopped in her tracks at the sight.

Lord Gu quickly picked up the blueprint and dusted it down while giving Gu Jiao a glare, “What are you looking at? It’s not the blueprint for your residence!”

Having spoken, he remembered this was a rare opportunity to show off in front of this damned girl, he dusted down the blueprint once more and said to her, “Do you know what this is? It’s the blueprint for the residence that the Empress Dowager commanded the Ministry of Works to construct for Miss Zhuang.”

“What’s this?” Gu Jiao asked, pointing to a small dot on the blueprint while holding sleeping Jingkong with the other hand.

Lord Gu raised his eyebrows: “Old well.”

“And this?”

“Begonia tree, it has to be large with grass stuffed around the trunk, they say it should be big enough to hold a child.”

“Why does it need to hold a child?”

“How should I know? If you’re so curious go ask the Empress Dowager!”

Feeling emboldened for once, he was rather audacious with his words! He reflexively raised his hand to protect his head after his statement!

But, surprisingly, Gu Jiao didn’t hit him.

Gu Jiao continued to ask curiously, “What’s this?”

Today might have been the longest conversation between them since their reunion. They had exchanged so many words, and this brat amazingly hadn’t started beating him yet!

Had this brat finally learned to respect him? Life was indeed wonderful!

“This is bamboo, this is the doghouse, this is the chicken coop, over here is a birdcage, and there is the vegetable patch, over there is the east room, and this is the west room…”

Lord Gu was animatedly explaining when he suddenly noticed something strange.

Upon looking at the blueprint and then at the surrounding courtyard…

What the hell? Wasn’t this house the exact one in the blueprint?

Gu Jiao realized it too.

She took out her purse from her pocket and stared at it carefully for a long while.

“I don’t need you anymore.” – these words, she must hear it directly from her aunt.

The following day, using the excuse of a follow-up medical consultation for the emperor, Gu Jiao made a trip to the Imperial Palace. This time, though, she went missing – she disappeared during a visit to the Greeting room.

The palace was guarded, but it wasn’t hard for her to avoid them.

She went to the Imperial Garden.

Perhaps it was due to the nice weather, or perhaps Empress Dowager Zhuang didn’t want to stay in Renshou Palace, but she often sat idly in the garden of late.

When Gu Jiao came, she was fixated on a potted West Residence Begonia.

“Who’s there?” Old Eunuch Qin saw a shadow on the ground and spun around to see Gu Jiao, his voice alert: “It’s you again!”

Hearing his voice, Empress Dowager Zhuang turned around as well.

Upon setting her eyes on Gu Jiao, Empress Dowager Zhuang’s heart leapt for a moment. But the very next instant, she was reminded of something and her heart turned cold again.

“What are you doing here?” Empress Dowager Zhuang asked in a deep voice.

Gu Jiao replied, “I’ve come to find my aunt.”

Empress Dowager Zhuang dismissed her, “There’s no ‘aunt’ for you here.”

“Yes, there is.” Gu Jiao responded, a hint of grievance in her voice.

Something clenched within Empress Dowager Zhuang’s heart. She tightened her grip on her fingers and hissed, “Don’t play such cheap tricks with me. When I was fighting my way through the Imperial Harem, you weren’t even born. You’ll have to do better if you wish to deceive me!”

Without rushing to retort, Gu Jiao extended her hand, opened her palm to reveal the purse in her hand.

Empress Dowager Zhuang didn’t initially realize that she had lost anything. But the very moment she saw the purse, she was instantly aware that this was the thing she had been searching for.

Her gaze turned even colder, “How did my thing end up with you?”

Gu Jiao dropped her gaze, looking particularly wronged yet obedient, “Someone gave it to me, telling me that you gave it back to me, saying you didn’t want me anymore.”

How could I not want you? You’re my Jiaojiao…

These words flashed across Empress Dowager Zhuang’s mind suddenly—