Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 1166 - 1163_1

Chapter 1166: Chapter 1163_1

When Gu Qiling heard that he would take her with him in the future, her heart was filled with honey-like sweetness. She was supposed to follow him in the future, but she felt she should also do the same this time: "But I want to go now."

"You’re being biased, second brother! You only take Qi Qi with you in the future and leave me behind! Therefore, this time I must follow you no matter what!"

"That cannot happen this time! I’ll arrange for someone to send you both home tomorrow!" Jinghao’s decision this time was extremely firm!

He couldn’t allow the two young girls to arbitrarily follow him to his new post, especially considering the place he had just captured, was the chaotic Nangong Country.

Jinghao decided that the next day, he would have his servant send them back to the Imperial Capital, and then ask his family and master to watch over them! Such bravery and presumptuousness!

"Even if you send us back tomorrow, we will still find a way to return to the south secretly! I don’t believe that over the span of a few years, I won’t find a chance to head south to meet you!"

"Therefore, elder brother, for our safety, bring us along! We won’t disrupt you at all! When we get there, we will behave and stay quietly in the government office!" Gu Qiling quickly added her assurance.

Jinghao felt a headache coming on as he watched their determined expressions, with an unswerving resolve to follow him.

Jinghao believed that if he sent them back to the Imperial Capital, the two would surely find a way to head south by themselves.

He was now feeling a bit regretful. Was it a mistake to be engaged to his little junior sister? Having such a wife, would he have to live in constant dread for the next few decades?

But handing his little junior sister over to another man, would he feel relieved? Jinghao pondered the idea of her marrying into another family with her personality—would others tolerate it? Such thoughts made him worry even more!

Eventually, Jinghao concluded that he must have owed her a lot in his previous life, and now was the time to repay her!

...

Jinghao deliberately ignored the girls’ pleas and returned to his cabin to write a letter using Pigeon Post to his family, easing their worries.

The next day, Jinghao did not mention sending the girls back to the Imperial Capital again.

He was indeed worried that if he sent the girls back today, they would sneak off tomorrow!

Since the outcome was going to be the same anyways, it would be safer if they stayed under his supervision.

Imperial Capital, Marquis Shengping’s Residence

After sending off Jinghao and returning home, Mrs. Liu went to Xi’er’s courtyard to see if her fever had subsided. Upon finding her room empty but with a note left behind stating: "My fever is gone. I went to visit Gu Qiling at the Grand Scholar Mansion," Mrs. Liu didn’t think much of it.

Xi’er often visited the Grand Scholar Mansion to play with Gu Qiling, so Mrs. Liu didn’t give it much thought.

By evening when Xi’er hadn’t returned, Mrs. Liu sent someone to the Grand Scholar Mansion to enquire about her. It was then that she learned that the two girls had left early that morning and hadn’t returned yet.

Everyone at the Grand Scholar Mansion assumed they were at the Marquis Ping’s residence.

So in other words, no one knew where these two girls had truly gone!

When Mrs. Liu’s maid relayed this information, Mrs. Liu immediately set off herself to the Grand Scholar Mansion to find out more.

Shen Chengyao had just returned from his daily duties at the government office and upon hearing this news, he said he would go to Prince Rui’s palace to see if the girls had gone to visit Xiaoxiao.

Once Mrs. Liu arrived at the Grand Scholars Mansion, Mrs. Gu promptly received her.

"After sending off Jinghao, I returned home. Xi’er left a note saying she went to play with Qiling. Did Qiling mention where they were going to play?"

"When Qiling left, she said she and Xi’er were heading to Shen Ping Marquis Mansion to see the lotuses. Didn’t they go to Marquis Shengping’s residence?" Because Jinghao was about to take up his post, in recent days her daughter had been frequently visiting Marquis Shengping’s mansion. Mrs. Gu speculated that her daughter couldn’t bear to part with Jinghao and hence didn’t restrict her visits.

Wait, she couldn’t bear to be parted from Jinghao?

She couldn’t have secretly followed Jinghao to his post, could she?

If it was true!

God, before the engagement was even official, she had already followed a man, how could she be so shameless!

Upon this thought, Mrs. Gu immediately rushed to Gu Qiling’s room, with Mrs. Liu swiftly following her.

Mrs. Gu searched Gu Qiling’s room and found a note in a chest which read, "Xi’er and I are following Jinghao to his post, don’t worry about us!"

"These two children, they’re simply ridiculously reckless!" Mrs. Gu exclaimed with anger.

Mrs. Gu handed the note to Mrs. Liu. Upon reading it, Mrs. Liu couldn’t help but scold, "These insolent girls! They are too recklessly bold! The south is so chaotic, what on earth are they doing there!"

"It’s already late and there are no passenger ships available. Tomorrow I will send someone to bring them back! I’m sorry, Mrs. Liu. It’s all Qiling’s fault for leading Xi’er astray!" Mrs. Gu blamed herself profusely.

In fact, she blamed herself and felt awkward for her own daughter’s bidding farewell to Jinghao. The recent days of lost appetite made her conclude that her daughter was the one who persuaded Xi’er to follow to Jinghao’s post!

Moreover, her own daughter was older than Xi’er by two years, which made her look like the instigator convincing a child!

Moreover, she had done this in front of her future mother-in-law and spirited away her future sister-in-law, with the reason being to follow her own fiancé!

Damn, where was her face!

Mrs. Gu felt her face had been entirely shamed by her own daughter!

Seeing Mrs. Gu’s face filled with self-reproach, Mrs. Liu shook her head, "This isn’t Qiling’s fault. I know my own daughter. Xi’er is adventurous at heart. When she was younger, she wanted to run after her elder brother. As she has grown older and more independent, she has become even more wilful!" Xiaoxiao had been the same, always running around at a young age. Mrs. Liu didn’t understand why her own daughters were so brave and loved running around so much! Other people’s daughters usually grow up secluded within the family’s courtyards!

So she didn’t blame Gu Qiling for spiriting Xi’er away. Instead, she opined that it was Xi’er who persuaded Gu Qiling to follow Jinghao to his post!

After all, her own daughter had a past record!

"I always found Xi’er to be quite obedient. On the contrary, Qiling is the one who gives us heartaches! Qiling is a daughter we had in our old age, and hence her father dotes on her. All her spoiled behavior can be blamed on her dad! Whenever I want to discipline her, her dad steps in! Ahh, motherhood is indeed difficult!" Sighed Mrs. Gu.

When children misbehave, it’s the mother who’s first to receive the blame for not raising them properly!

"Indeed. Now that we know that the girls are following Jinghao to his post, I need to return home and let everyone know there’s no need to search for them. Even her father went to Prince Rui’s palace to inquire!" Mrs. Liu was concerned that once Xiaoxiao found out, he would have Shangguan Xuanyi send people everywhere looking for Xi’er, so she needed to hurry and relay the news to Xiaoxiao.

"Okay!" After seeing Mrs. Liu off, Mrs. Gu went to find her husband!

Running after a fiancé before marriage, no matter what the circumstances, was a matter that would damage a girl’s reputation!

The elder scholar Gu was busy in his study. Upon hearing the news, he said: "All right, why are you so flustered? She’s just following Jinghao to his post! Jinghao will take good care of her! If I didn’t know better, it would seem as if Qiling had eloped with another man!"

The two were already engaged, and his daughter was bound to follow Jinghao sooner or later. Elder scholar Gu thought that an earlier departure made no difference.

If Mrs. Gu knew the elder scholar Gu thought this way, she would probably want to die!

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