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Grand Preceptor Zhuang said all that needed to be said. This di grandson had always spared him worry, so he didn't say anything more as he got up to leave.
But suddenly recalling something, he turned around again to face him. In the dark, his seemingly turbid eyes revealed the shrewdness and sharpness that young people couldn't match, "Do you have someone you fancy?"
An Junwang was stunned, "Why is grandfather asking this?"
Grand Preceptor Zhuang said, "You’re not that young anymore either. Your aunt said it’s time to choose a marriage partner for you."
An Junwang's eyes quivered slightly, "I have yet come of age. What's the hurry?"
State of Zhao’s men came of age when they were twenty years old. Only then would they really be regarded as an adult. Men from most families with great backgrounds marry after twenty.
Grand Preceptor Zhuang said, "I'm not asking you to get married now. Just choose and have a look first. I originally planned to marry Princess Hui to you, but something happened to her, and your aunt gave up the idea. If you have a woman you like, who is an appropriate match with our family, with excellent behavior and appearance, tell your aunt."
An Junwang's mind flashed a small figure in dark-colored attire with a basket on her back. He answered, "There is none."
Grand Preceptor Zhuang turned and left the room.
An Junwang sighed slightly.
An appropriate match?
The Marquis Ding'an Estate seemed neutral, but Old Marquis was the Emperor's right-hand man just like Marquis Xuanping. Just based on this, she could never be with him.
As for appearance.
He didn’t care about her appearance, but his aunt would never allow him to marry a girl who had a flawed appearance and had been married before.
"Heh." An Junwang smiled self-mockingly, "What's the use of asking me?"
……
While the whole city was immersed in the huge impact brought by the apricot list, Gu Jinyu in the Ministry of Justice hadn’t heard any news from the outside world.
She was trapped in the interrogation room, unable to eat or sleep well.
His Majesty seemed to have made a decision to destroy her will, never letting anyone extort a confession from her, but neither would he give her any response.
She was all alone, and she was getting more and more unable to hold on.
She hadn't taken a bath for several days now. She wasn’t Gu Jiao who grew up in the countryside and didn’t care if she didn’t take a bath for ten days or a half month. She loved being clean!
Fortunately, Grannie Qi around Imperial Concubine Shu was here.
[T/N: Grannie Qi was previously translated as Wet Nurse Qi.]
At the sight of Grannie Qi, Gu Jinyu immediately cried with grievance.
"It’s alright, it’s alright, princess, don't cry. Her Highness will feel distressed if she sees you like this." Grannie Qi wanted to come forward and give her a hug of comfort, but the smell coming from Gu Jinyu was too much for Grannie Qi to bear.
Grannie Qi cleared her throat, and in the end, simply stood beside Gu Jinyu and handed her a clean handkerchief.
Gu Jinyu took the handkerchief and sobbed, "Thank you, Grannie, for visiting me."
Grannie Qi said, "Her Highness instructed me to ask you, what exactly is going on? Did you really break the imperial jade seal or did you do something else that angered His Majesty?"
Gu Jinyu's eyes flashed when she heard this, "Her Highness… Did she hear any rumors?"
Grannie Qi’s purpose for coming here was to figure things out, so she said frankly, "Some people in the palace are saying that it wasn’t you who invented the bellows, but someone else."
"Someone else… Who?" Gu Jinyu asked carefully.
Grannie Qi thought, "I have no idea. The rumors didn't say who it was."
Gu Jinyu bowed her head guiltily.
Who was the source of the rumor? His Majesty, the old blacksmith, the carpenter? All three of them knew about that girl, didn’t they?
Gu Jinyu wasn’t clear about the exact situation. After a pause, she asked, "Then, did Her Highness believe those rumors?"
Grannie Qi replied, "How could Her Highness believe it?"
Gu Jinyu breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, her efforts over the years were not in vain.
Grannie Qi sighed, "But these rumors are strange. Think about it carefully. Who has touched your drawings, or who have you mentioned the bellows to?"
It seemed that her father hadn't told Imperial Concubine Shu about her and Gu Jiao “both inventing" the bellows. A long time had passed already, it should be unlikely for him to tell people about it.
Gu Jinyu hesitated to speak about Gu Jiao herself.
Imperial Concubine Shu didn't have a very good impression of Gu Jiao. First, Imperial Concubine Shu didn't like Yao shi, and this dislike naturally extended to her children. She treated her fondly mainly because she was talented and was of a great help to the Fifth Prince.
Second, Gu Jiao refused to return to the Marquis Estate, disrespecting Old Madame Gu, as well as Imperial Concubine Shu, her aunt.
According to reason, she should have gone to visit Imperial Concubine Shu in the palace upon coming to the capital, but that girl didn't.
Gu Jinyu dared not bet that Imperial Concubine Shu would trust her unconditionally like her father.
In case Imperial Concubine Shu wanted to find Gu Jiao in order to confirm things, and in case Imperial Concubine Shu learned that His Majesty actually favored Gu Jiao, could Imperial Concubine Shu still stand up for her?
After much deliberation, Gu Jinyu finally abandoned the claim that Gu Jiao had stolen her inspiration.
She shook her head and said, "I don't know. I haven't mentioned it to anyone."
Grannie Qi stared at Gu Jinyu for a moment, "Then tell this Grannie, are you really the one who invented the bellows?"
So her aunt still didn’t believe her?
After helping the Fifth Prince with his homework many times and substituting for him in so many exams, she still didn’t trust her?
Gu Jinyu laughed at herself inwardly, but on the surface she put on a wronged look and said, "Grannie, is it you who doesn’t believe me or is it my aunt? I vow to the Heavens that I invented that bellows. If I am lying, may the lightning——"
Grannie Qi hastily covered her mouth with a handkerchief and said angrily, "You can't talk nonsense! Her Highness definitely believes you. I'm the one who talks too much, so don't take it to heart."
Gu Jinyu said softly, "I understand, Grannie’s actions are also for my aunt's good."
Grannie Qi sighed again, "Her Highness has already checked, the imperial jade seal has long been broken. It was His Highness the Seventh Prince who dropped it. I'm afraid that the reason for His Majesty’s anger towards you is that His Majesty still believed those rumors, that someone else invented the bellows. The top priority is to prove that you are the original inventor, but there is nothing Her Highness can do about it either... "
Gu Jinyu was awakened by this remark. She could no longer use the bellows to turn things around, but she could take advantage of something else.
She thought of what she saw in Bishui Alley that day.
Gu Jinyu narrowed her eyes, saying, "Grannie, it's been too long since I came up with the bellows, and I didn't leave a more conclusive drawing at the beginning. I can't say things for sure, but I have more than this idea."
Grannie Qi was immediately surprised, "You, you have something else? Then why didn't you say anything about it earlier?"
Gu Jinyu smiled, "It only occurred to me in the last few days. Even when I was locked up here, I didn't give up on myself. Instead, I settled my heart down and asked myself what else I can do for the court, and then I remembered something I had done unwittingly in the villa.”
"What is it?" Grannie Qi asked excitedly.
"Glutinous rice mortar." Gu Jinyu didn't actually witness its efficacy with her own eyes, but now she could only bet on it. "The mortar made of glutinous rice soup is extremely strong, and is the best material for building. If Grannie doesn't believe me, she can go back to the palace and give it a try. My aunt has cherished me all these years, and I ought to repay my aunt. I am willing to give this credit to His Fifth Highness."
Thereupon, Grannie Qi went back to the palace nonstop and told Imperial Concubine Shu about the glutinous rice mortar, especially emphasizing that this credit could be given to the Fifth Prince.
Imperial Concubine Shu smiled pleasantly, "Is this true?"
Grannie Qi said, "The princess said it herself, how can it be fake? Your Highness, this is a great contribution!"
……
On the other hand, in the Imperial Academy’s elementary division, Little Jing Kong had finished today's homework and came to the appointed place with his friends.
Last time, Qin Chuyu promised to show his two little friends around the palace. After getting in touch with his sister-in-law, the Crown Princess, he was finally given the permission to take his little friends into the palace.
Adults would wonder how they could enter the palace, but they were children and naturally didn’t have this worry.
Xu Zhouzhou told the servant who came to pick him up about it. This servant knew Qin Chuyu's real identity as an imperial prince and did not dare to disagree.
Little Jing Kong went to the medical hall and told Gu Jiao that he was going out to play and would come back by the carriage of the Xu Family.
Gu Jiao was fine with it.
Xu Zhouzhou and Qin Chuyu often came to the medical hall to play.
The three of them happily sat in Qin Chuyu's carriage.
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