The Prime Minister's Darling

Chapter 442: 223 Couple (two episodes combined into one)_3

Gu Jiao wiped his sweat, “Were you good today?”

“Good! I’m the best!” Little Jingkong earnestly replied.

“Is that so?” Gu Jiao held his hand, “What did you learn today?”

Little Jingkong held Gu Jiao’s hand, hopping and skipping forward: “Today I learned the ‘Analects of Confucius’, and also arithmetic!”

“Did you learn everything?” Gu Jiao asked in a soft voice.

Little Jingkong patted his chest: “Of course! I’m not as stupid as my brother-in-law!”

Gu Jiao corrected him: “Your brother-in-law is not stupid, he’s very smart.”

Little Jingkong held serious doubts about his evil brother-in-law’s intelligence.

How could he always rank last if he’s smart?

As the two of them happily chatted, they crossed the streets, arrived in front of the shops, passed a few of them, turned a corner and entered Bishui Alley.

Just as they rounded the corner and had only taken a few steps, Gu Jiao suddenly perked up her ears, grabbed Little Jingkong, lifted him up, and took a big step to the side!

Thud!

A large flower pot smashed to the ground where they had just been standing, shattering into pieces, with soil and broken flowers scattered all around.

Little Jingkong’s eyes widened.

Gu Jiao held him in one arm and shielded his head with the other hand, not letting him look, making him rest on her shoulder.

She coldly stared at the window above, speaking gently, “It’s okay, it just accidentally fell.”

Gu Jiao didn’t chase after it and carried Little Jingkong all the way home.

On this side, Gu Jiao returned home; on the other side, the Crown Princess, who had been teaching Weiqi at the girls’ school all day, also returned to the Imperial Palace.

She first went to Kunning Palace to greet Empress Xiao and report on the teaching situation.

Noble Consort Zhuang was also there.

“Greetings to Empress Mother, greetings to Noble Consort Zhuang Mother.”

Strictly speaking, she didn’t need to bow to Noble Consort Zhuang, but firstly, Noble Consort Zhuang was the birth mother of the eldest prince, her status was not ordinary; secondly, the Zhuang family wielded enormous power, and in the Imperial Harem, Noble Consort Zhuang was second only to Empress Xiao.

Noble Consort Zhuang smiled.

Empress Xiao asked: “Come sit, I heard that Rui Wangfei left at noon, how come you came back so late?”

The Crown Princess sat down beside Empress Xiao and softly explained: “There are too many students; I added two classes in the afternoon.”

Doesn’t Empress Xiao know that she added classes? Wasn’t her question to show off in front of Noble Consort Zhuang?

She assigned the Crown Princess to go to the girls’ school to teach, Noble Consort Zhuang didn’t want the credit to go to the Crown Princess alone, so she called Rui Wangfei to teach at the girls’ school too.

As a result, hardly anyone attended Rui Wangfei’s classes, wasn’t this just humiliating herself?

Empress Xiao was satisfied, she held the hand of the Crown Princess and affectionately patted the back of her hand: “The palace just received the news that emissaries from Liang Country are arriving; His Majesty has assigned you to prepare for the banquet.”

If the palace banquet was hosted by the Crown Princess, most of the duty to entertain the emissaries would also fall on the Crown Prince.

The eldest prince and His Majesty’s secret visit to Jiangnan left Empress Xiao extremely envious, but now she could consider this a victory to her credit.

All thanks to her capable Linlang.

Noble Consort Zhuang rolled her eyes and laughed without a change in expression: “So, His Majesty has appointed the Crown Princess to host the palace banquet? That’s wonderful, the Crown Princess’s capabilities are evident to all… unlike Ning Wangfei and Rui Wangfei, who are clumsy and incapable, they can’t do anything, and would only cause trouble if they went. They’d be better off staying at their residences, nurturing their pregnancies.”

The Crown Princess paused slightly at the words.

Empress Xiao clenched her handkerchief, swallowing the sudden surge of rage, she said to the Crown Princess: “Noble Consort Zhuang came here to share good news with the palace, Ning Wangfei is also pregnant.”

Mentioning this, Empress Xiao felt like she had been stabbed in the heart.

Rui Wangfei’s pregnancy was just about bearable, but how come in just a few days, Ning Wangfei was also expecting? This would be Ning Wangfei’s third child; her previous two births were both girls and weren’t highly regarded by His Majesty. But if she were to bear a son this time, it would be even harder to shake the eldest prince’s position in His Majesty’s heart.

His Majesty indeed had profound feelings for his eldest son, when Noble Consort Zhuang gave birth to the eldest prince while His Majesty was still just a little prince. Back then, the deposed crown prince and the Liu family’s influence were strong, stifling brothers who were not in their alliance.

His Majesty’s residence didn’t even have a nanny, and the eldest prince lacked milk, so it was His Majesty who personally milked sheep for him.

His Majesty took great care in raising this son; so, even if he didn’t get along with the Zhuang family and was indifferent to Noble Consort Zhuang, he never neglected his eldest son.

Empress Xiao suddenly regretted assigning so many tasks to the Crown Princess. Her main duty should be to bear His Majesty’s grandson as soon as possible.