The Prime Minister’s Darling - Chapter 15
For Gu Dashun to be able to do so well, it took more than simply being smart; he had to do his due diligence.
He had woken up earlier than Madam Zhou and Gu Yue’e and was studying in his room. When he heard his father calling him, he put down his book and walked out. “Father, what is it?”
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the middle-aged man outside the door.
He vaguely felt that he looked familiar, but could not remember where he had seen him before. However, the presence he gave off was anything but ordinary. He had no idea why he had come to their house.
“Father, what were you saying just now? I was studying, so I didn’t hear you clearly,” he turned to Gu Changhai and said.
Gu Changhai pointed at the middle-aged man and said with a smile, “This is the steward from Divine Academy. He’s here to deliver the admission documents to you!”
“Admission documents?” Gu Dashun was as puzzled as Gu Changhai. The academy had already informed the candidates that the results would be released three days after the exam, and the admission documents would be ready in seven days, whereupon they would go to the east gate of the academy to collect them.
There were still three days before the seventh day. Why are they already prepared? And even delivering them to our doorstep?
The middle-aged man realized it at this moment. He smiled and said, “So there’s another examinee in your house. However, Master Gu, I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood. The document in my hands is not for this examinee, but for another Young Master Gu.”
Gu Changhai replied strangely, “But only Dashun in our family is an examinee.”
The middle-aged man maintained a polite smile. “I suppose I didn’t make myself clear before. May I ask if Young Master Gu Xiaoshun is here?”
Both the father and son were stunned.
Gu Changhai took a while to find his voice. “You, you… you must be mistaken, right? Gu Xiaoshun didn’t take the exam.”
Gu Xiaoshun is a ruffian! A scoundrel! He would never take the exam even in eight lifetimes!
And even if he did, he would definitely not be able to get in!
The middle-aged man smiled warmly and said, “I’m not mistaken. It’s Gu Xiaoshun. My master personally recommended him. He’s allowed to enter the academy without an exam.”
Gu Changlu, who had just woken up, heard his son’s name. He walked over and said, “What’s going on with Xiaoshun? Did he get into trouble again? That bastard! I’ll go beat him up now!”
Gu Changlu had just woken up and his appearance was really sloppy, but the middle-aged man’s smile did not fade at all. “My master had ascended the mountain and hurt himself when he fell; fortunately, Young Master Gu was around and saved him. I suppose I’ll have to trouble you to hand the admission documents to Young Master Gu. He’ll be enrolled at the academy in four days.”
“Our family can’t afford to pay two tuition fees!” Gu Changhai exclaimed.
Gu Changlu was still confused and did not understand what was happening.
The middle-aged man looked at Gu Dashun, then at Gu Changhai. This time, there was no smile in his eyes. “It’s written on the document that all tuition fees are waived. In addition, the books and uniforms have also been prepared. Please pass them along with the admission documents to Young Master Gu.”
His own father and second uncle had not noticed, but Gu Dashun had. The man had addressed him as ‘examinee,’ but always referred to Gu Xiaoshun as ‘Young Master Gu’.
Moreover, he had gotten second place, but the man actually did not know that this was his house.
Gu Dashun’s face did not look too good.
He wanted to ask about the man as well as the identity of that old master in detail, but after the middle-aged man handed a mahogany brocade box to Gu Changlu, he had left in the carriage.
For a while, Gu Changlu could not quite grasp the situation. “Big Brother, was that person… saying that Xiaoshun… can also go to school?”
During breakfast, the whole family found out about this.
“When did you go up the mountain? Who did you save? Why didn’t you tell your family?” Madam Liu kept asking him a number of questions.
“I… How would I know? I… I just saved him.” His sister did not want him to tell anyone, so he could only take the blame. However, he did not expect the outcome to be like this. He was going to school? Just like that?
“Ahem, since there’s no need to pay for tuition, why not let Xiaoshun go? Better than him causing trouble outside all day,” Gu Changlu said.
“If he leaves, who will help out in the fields?” Madam Zhou was dissatisfied.
They did not have to pay for tuition, but they were the ones who would be exhausted with one less person working in the fields!
Gu Dashun looked at Madam Zhou. “Mother, it’s a good thing to have more scholars in our household. I can help in the fields after school.”
“How can I ask you to do it?” Madam Zhou flatly refused. Her son was born to study, not to dig in the fields!
Upon hearing this, Madam Liu was dissatisfied. So her son’s of noble-bearing, but my own son is of peasant-stock? However, it was true that Gu Xiaoshun was indeed useless. On the other hand, if Ershun were to be stopped from studying, Madam Liu would definitely retort.
“It’s just that… Xiaoshun needs to change. At the very least, he needs to be able to sit still like Ershun,” Gu Dashun said again.
His words hit the nail on the head. That’s right, with Gu Xiaoshun’s personality, can he even study at all? What if he offends the teachers and drags Gu Dashun down with him?
“Why don’t we… let Ershun go instead?” Madam Liu asked.
Not only is Ershun smarter, he’s also more well-behaved than Xiaoshun. If he’s allowed to study there, he’ll definitely be able to become a scholar-officiate!
However, Madam Zhou did not find this agreeable. She felt that while Ershun looked eager to learn, several times when Dashun was teaching him, he did not absorb anything at all.
He was also unsuited to studying. Madam Liu was simply indulging in her wild fantasies, as she had always pinned her dream of being a scholar-officiate’s mother on Ershun.
But this time, the men at home did not object, so Madam Zhou did not say anything.
Throughout the entire process, no one asked for Gu Xiaoshun’s opinion.
Three days later, Xiao Liulang and Gu Dashun each received their admission documents and uniforms at the academy.
They had to prepare their own materials. As for Gu Xiaoshun, they knew that he did not have any, so new ones were specially prepared for him. However, now they were all Gu Ershun’s.
Gu Jiao carried a basket on her back as she sent Xiao Liulang to town.
As usual, she sent him to the academy before going to the market.
Xiao Liulang had changed into a brand new uniform. Gu Jiao had seen others wearing this uniform: Feng Lin, as well as many other students from the academy. However, none of them matched Xiao Liulang; he was tall and slender, his new clothes were as white as snow, and his eyebrows were perfect as though painted.
His person was impeccable, his appearance unparalleled.
After a while, Gu Jiao’s gaze landed on his feet.
Realizing that he was wearing the new shoes she had bought for him, Gu Jiao smiled.
“Do the shoes fit?” Gu Jiao asked.
“Yes.” Xiao Liulang nodded lightly.
Gu Jiao handed him his walking stick and they left together.
When they arrived at the village entrance, Second Uncle Luo’s ox cart was already waiting. Not many people were going to town today; aside from the two of them, there were also Gu Dashun and Gu Ershun.
The two of them had also put on their uniforms.
To be honest, everyone in the Gu family looked decent, and Gu Dashun was better-looking than most of the men in town. However, even he was nothing when placed next to Xiao Liulang.
Xiao Liulang did not do anything special, but he nevertheless looked like a painting, exuding a scholarly aura.
Gu Jiao had told Xiao Liulang about how Gu Xiaoshun had saved someone from the academy, so the two of them knew that Gu Xiaoshun should be the one going to the academy today.
However, the two of them did not show much surprise when they saw Gu Ershun appear on the ox cart in a school uniform that was obviously a size too small. It was as if they had expected the Gu family to do something so shameless.
Gu Jiao sneered.
Xiao Liulang rummaged through his bag and realized that Gu Jiao had snuck some copper coins in again. This time, there were twenty of them.
“Hmph!” Gu Ershun rolled his eyes at them.
The ox cart soon arrived near the academy.
“Just stop here. We’ll walk over ourselves,” Gu Dashun said.
Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao stayed on until they reached the entrance of the academy.
After Xiao Liulang entered the academy, Gu Jiao carried the basket to the market.
