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"Open inspection is certainly not possible, it’s easy to startle the snake that way. As for an undercover visit..." Gu Changqing didn’t set foot in that kind of place, but if it was necessary to solve the case, he also didn’t care that much.
Gu Jiao asked with some understanding, "Is it difficult to sneak in?"
Gu Changqing: "Do you know who is the backer behind the Heavenly Music House?"
Gu Jiao: "Who?"
Gu Changqing:“Empress Dowager.”
Gu Jiao knit her brows into a frown, "Grandaunt?"
Gu Changqing answered with a nod.
Gu Jiao shook her head, "Grandaunt will not harm the Tang Family, nor will she assassinate Tang Ming. Neither would she provoke a conflict between the Marquis Ding'an Estate and the Supreme Commander Estate at this time."
Gu Changqing mused, "That's the problem. Originally, the Marquis Ding'an Estate and the Supreme Commander Estate belonged to different camps. There was no need to incite a conflict between them at all. Unless that person suddenly feels the need to sow discord. Jiao Jiao."
Gu Changqing stared at Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao also looked back at him, "Hm?"
Gu Changqing said with a firm voice, "Although your invention of bellows and mortar hasn’t been announced to the public yet, some people still know that it is you. You have won the appreciation of His Majesty and the favor of Empress Dowager——"
Gu Jiao pondered for a moment, "So that person thought that the two of them might reconcile because of me?"
This idea was simply naive.
Even without Gu Jiao asking, she knew that Grandaunt and the Emperor had been fighting in the palace for hundreds of rounds.
Gu Changqing, too, didn’t think that the two people would let go of their enmity for so many years just because they both valued his sister highly.
More importantly, "Your relationship with His Majesty and the Empress Dowager is unknown among the common people, and not many people in the palace know about it as well."
Gu Jiao said, "That person knows."
Gu Changqing said, "That's right."
Gu Jiao picked up a piece of tea leaves, "There is a traitor around Grandaunt."
Gu Changqing analyzed, "This person must have had something to do with Empress Dowager's leprosy back then too. Although it was His Majesty who moved his hand, this person must have helped for it to be successful. So I am thinking that the power behind Heavenly Music House is not Empress Dowager at all, but someone Empress Dowager is willing to put under her protection."
Gu Jiao's eyes turned cold, "It’s also a person who betrayed Grandaunt."
……
Xiao Liulang solved a case for the Ministry of Justice, which soon reached the ears of the Emperor.
The Emperor was so busy dealing with Empress Dowager Zhuang these days that he forgot that Hanlin Academy had a new Zhuangyuan appointed by himself.
Working under the people of Grand Preceptor Zhuang, he must have been bullied a lot.
The Emperor suddenly felt ashamed. How could he have forgotten someone he himself had appointed?
It was a good thing that the kid was a tough one and Grand Preceptor Zhuang didn’t manage to turn him into a waste.
The Emperor stretched out his hands to make it easier for the palace maids to dress himself, and then called out, "Eunuch Wei."
Eunuch Wei replied, "Servant is here."
The Emperor asked, "Is it Hanlin Academy's turn to give lectures to the Crown Prince today?"
Eunuch Wei said with a smile, "Yes, shall this servant invite Chancellor Han again? Then Your Majesty can proceed to the morning court first, and this servant will invite people."
The Emperor said, "No, invite Xiao Liulang."
Eunuch Wei was shocked, "Your Majesty, Xiao Liulang is just a Senior Compiler."
Usually, the highest official of Hanlin Academy would come forward himself to give lectures to the Crown Prince, or at the very least, there were the academician expositor-in-waiting and reader-in-waiting. When was it a Senior Compiler’s turn to take the stage?
"Invite him." The Emperor had already made up his mind.
Eunuch Wei had to bite the bullet and comply, "...Understood!"
……
Imperial princes of the right age had to go to the study hall of the palace to attend classes everyday. This dynasty’s study hall was located in a side hall of the Emperor's audience hall.
In the State of Zhao, only officials of the third rank and above were eligible to enter the Emperor’s audience hall for the morning court, so giving lectures to the imperial princes was the only opportunity for officials below the third rank to set foot in the Emperor’s audience hall.
But still, they couldn’t enter through the front door.
Eunuch Wei led Xiao Liulang to enter the Emperor’s audience hall from the small steps on the side, and then they walked through the corridor till they reached the outside of the study hall.
"The rest of the princes have finished their classes. You will give lectures to the Crown Prince alone." Eunuch Wei reminded him.
The imperial princes and the Crown Prince were attending the same classes together, and their teachers were all highly respected officials in the capital. The difference was that the Crown Prince's studies were a bit heavier than those of ordinary princes. After their classes together were over, he still had to take additional classes alone.
The Crown Prince had classes with the teachers in the morning while in the afternoon, he had to learn how to deal with state affairs with the Emperor.
Occasionally, he was also sent outside to learn through experience.
The only prince who no longer needed to attend classes was the Emperor’s eldest son, Ning Wang.
When Xiao Liulang arrived outside the study hall, it happened that the princes also came out from the inside.
The Third Prince, Rui Wang, didn’t have a good complexion. Obviously, he had a hard time in class. The Fourth Prince was as dashing as ever. He had an easy-going temper, but he seemed to be doing well in class. Meanwhile, the Fifth Prince and the sixth prince looked serious, it was unknown whether they found the lessons difficult or it was something else.
Xiao Liulang slightly bowed down and cupped his hands without looking sideways. His attitude was neither humble nor arrogant.
Eunuch Wei saluted several princes.
Rui Wang stopped and asked, "Eunuch Wei, who is this?"
Eunuch Wei said with a smile, "Responding to His Highness Rui Wang, this is Senior Compiler Xiao from Hanlin Academy, and he will give a lecture to His Highness the Crown Prince today."
"So young..." Rui Wang widened his eyes.
He didn't comment about his official rank being low.
A low official rank was nothing compared to how this teacher only looked seventeen or eighteen years old. Could he really give any lecture to the Crown Prince?
Also, he looked... very familiar.
Rui Wang stared at Xiao Liulang's face for a while.
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