The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 1135 - 1135 554 Affectionate (First Update)

Chapter 1135: 554 Affectionate (First Update) Chapter 1135: 554 Affectionate (First Update) Medical Hall, Xiao Hen was chatting with the second shopkeeper in the study room. Lately, since Gu Jiao had been staying at the Medical Hall, Xiao Hen’s visits had become more frequent.

“Big Brother Xiao, Big Brother Xiao.”

Outside the door, Little Jiang Li quietly waved at Xiao Hen.

Xiao Hen glanced outside and said to the second shopkeeper busy with brewing tea, “… Excuse me for a moment, I need to check if Jiaojiao has returned.”

The second shopkeeper hurriedly replied, “Go on!”

Husband and wife sure are affectionate, he thought to himself. Back in the day, he and his missus also clung to each other like that, but as time passed and he could no longer pay the public grain, he dared not get too close to his missus anymore.

Xiao Hen left the study room and went down to a warehouse on the ground floor with Little Jiang Li.

Little Jiang Li looked around outside, making sure no one was approaching before closing the door. She whispered to Xiao Hen, “Big Brother Xiao, someone’s been in Sister Mo’s room.”

Little Jiang Li was a pharmacy boy at the Medical Hall. On the surface, he visited Mo Qianxue to relieve her boredom, but in reality, he was a little spy sent by Xiao Hen.

After all, Xiao Hen was not the person Mo Qianxue truly knew. To some extent, he was a bit guarded against her.

“Who was it?” he asked.

Little Jiang Li shook her head, “I didn’t see her face clearly, but from her voice she’s about Sister Mo’s age, maybe a bit older, not as young and pleasant-sounding as Sister Mo.”

Having read the case file of the Xianle Inn, Xiao Hen knew that Mo Qianxue was seventeen this year. The first person he thought of who was slightly older than her was Hua Xiyao.

Hua Xiyao was nineteen and from Fu City.

Of course, one’s place of birth could be faked, as could their age, but Minister Xing had seen Hua Xiyao and he had determined that she was indeed under twenty.

Little Jiang Li said, “As soon as she arrived, she drugged me.”

Xiao Hen’s brows knitted, “You were drugged? Are you alright?”

Little Jiang Li shook her head again, feeling really good being cared for, and happily patted her chest, “Those drugs don’t work on me.”

“What do you mean they don’t work on you?” Xiao Hen asked, puzzled.

Little Jiang Li scratched at her braid, “I mean… my body’s strong, especially resistant to drugs! That’s what my brother says! I can handle my drink too!”

Xiao Hen: … You’re only nine and you can already drink alcohol?

Xiao Hen said, “You’re still young, don’t drink in the future.”

“Mmm… okay,” Little Jiang Li felt this suggestion wasn’t unacceptable, anyway, she didn’t really like drinking.

Xiao Hen continued, “Tell me what happened after you were drugged.”

Little Jiang Li recalled, “After I was drugged, I felt a little drowsy, so I pretended to be asleep. She gave me Paralysis Medicine, that’s what she said.”

That was odd.

The normal way to put it would have been, I heard her say she gave me Paralysis Medicine.

But Little Jiang Li’s words clearly indicated she knew it was Paralysis Medicine and then had it confirmed by the other person.

Xiao Hen asked, “You recognize Paralysis Medicine?”

Little Jiang Li proudly said, “I’ve been a pharmacy boy for so long, of course, I recognize it! I even know Arsenic and He Dinghong!”

Xiao Hen couldn’t help but smile, “Good, continue.”

Little Jiang Li said, “I heard that person asking, ‘The three-day deadline is up, when is Sister planning on making her move? Surely Sister couldn’t be too soft-hearted to do it, could she? Big Brother Xiao, the ‘he’ she mentioned, is that you?”

It was Gu Jiao.

Xiao Hen’s eyes grew cold, “It’s not me, anything else?”

Little Jiang Li continued, “She said, ‘The young master told me to tell you, there’s a change in plans, lure him out of Capital City within three days!'”

Within three days, lured out of Capital City?

The simpler the words, the more information they contained.

Why would the young master of Xianle suddenly give up on killing Gu Jiao? Did the young master of Xianle think Mo Qianxue wouldn’t be able to succeed, or did they feel Gu Jiao had more value to be used?

Killing Gu Jiao compared to luring her out of Capital City, the difficulty differed, but if viewed within the entire event, the essence was the same: both required gaining Gu Jiao’s absolute trust.

And if Mo Qianxue had achieved this, whether she killed Gu Jiao or lured her out of the city would be feasible.

From this, it should be the latter—the value of using Gu Jiao.

What did they want to use Gu Jiao for?

Xiao Hen closed his eyes, linking all events related to Xianle Inn in his mind, and suddenly, a bold conjecture emerged—they wanted to capture Gu Jiao outside of the city and use her to lure him out.

It was that faction!

He could almost be certain that once he fell into the hands of that group, the young master of Xianle would immediately order Gu Jiao’s death.

…

After exiting the Imperial Study Room, Gu Jiao went to visit Renshou Palace.

Little Cleansing Void was swinging in the front courtyard, while Xiaojiu was dismantling a birdcage made for him by the palace maids on the nearby snowfield.

Lately, for some reason, he had a bit of a penchant for destruction.

“Jiaojiao!”

As soon as Little Cleansing Void spotted Gu Jiao, he stopped swinging, hopped off the seat and dashed toward her with an excited pitter-patter.

In the snowy weather, he was playing hard enough to work up a sweat.

Gu Jiao took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off him, then touched his neck, which was also drenched with sweat.

“Go change into another set of clothes,” Gu Jiao said.

“Ok, Jiaojiao!” Xiao Jingkong obediently agreed, holding Gu Jiao’s hand and bouncing into the inner hall.

The Empress Dowager Zhuang was sneaking some preserved fruits in the Sleeping Palace when she heard Xiao Jingkong’s patter of little footsteps and quickly hid the treats.

“Auntie,” Gu Jiao greeted the Empress Dowager Zhuang as she entered the room.

“Hmm,” the Empress Dowager Zhuang opened a document on the desk with a serious demeanor and pretended to read it.

Although she no longer intervened in state affairs, some documents were still sent to her. However, recently there had been fewer, which likely meant that Grand Tutor Zhuang was gradually estranging himself from her.

Xiao Jingkong had stayed in the Renshou Palace before, so his clothes were kept there.

Gu Jiao searched inside and out for a set of clothes for him to change into.

While changing clothes, Xiao Jingkong said to Gu Jiao, “Jiaojiao, the young master agreed. When will you go see him?”

Gu Jiao replied, “Anytime is fine. Is he in the Bixia Hall now?”

“He is, he is!” Xiao Jingkong finished speaking and then suddenly froze, “Eh? How did Jiaojiao know it was the young master from Bixia Hall?”

Gu Jiao curved her lips, pointing at his shiny forehead, “Because I have magic that can see through your thoughts.”

Xiao Jingkong quickly clutched his little head, “I’m not thinking about skipping classes! Not at all, no!”

Gu Jiao couldn’t help but burst out laughing!

Gu Jiao seldom laughed, and even more rarely did she laugh out loud.

Her sense of humor was always a bit strange.

The Empress Dowager Zhuang didn’t laugh at Xiao Jingkong’s words, but upon seeing Gu Jiao laugh heartily, she couldn’t help but let out a chuckle herself.

After Gu Jiao had her fill of laughter, Xiao Jingkong’s face had turned beet red.

“I really didn’t think about skipping classes,” he said guiltily.

The Empress Dowager Zhuang had no objections to Gu Jiao treating Huangfu Xian’s leg condition. She had sent Eunuch Qin to make a trip to the Bixia Hall.

Soon after, Eunuch Qin came back with a sheepish expression, reporting, “Young Master Xianxian won’t come over; he said… he refuses treatment.”

The Empress Dowager Zhuang asked, “Did he say that himself?”

How could this question be asked? Could it be that Princess Ning An spoke on his behalf?

Eunuch Qin then said, “Yes, he said it himself, and he was quite adamant.”

The Empress Dowager Zhuang sighed, “Then let him be.”

If he was unwilling, they couldn’t just tie him up and bring him over; this wasn’t a minor illness that could be treated by forcing down a bowl of medicine.

If he didn’t cooperate, the doctor couldn’t treat him.

Nor could they use an imperial decree to pressure him; that child looked like someone who would defy orders.

“Serve the meal,” the Empress Dowager Zhuang said to Eunuch Qin.

Xiao Jingkong was disappointed.

On the ride back home, Xiao Jingkong remained silent.

His little mood was quite dejected.

Gu Jiao didn’t know how to comfort him and patted his little mushroom head, gently asking, “Do you want a hug?”

Xiao Jingkong turned and threw himself into Gu Jiao’s arms.

Gu Jiao embraced his soft little body, rhythmically stroking his small back.

“Why doesn’t the young master want to treat his leg?”

“Maybe…”

he had given up hope on life? Lacking the will to live on, whether having legs or not, standing, sitting, or even kneeling and crawling, he didn’t care about any of it.

Xiao Jingkong, feeling sad, eventually fell asleep in Gu Jiao’s arms.

Gu Jiao took him back to Bishui Alley.

As she was about to carry Xiao Jingkong off the carriage, Xiao Hen stepped out from the courtyard ahead of her, extending his hand, “Let me.”

“Alright,” Gu Jiao handed the sleeping Xiao Jingkong to Xiao Hen.

Away from Gu Jiao, Xiao Jingkong struggled a bit, but once he settled into Xiao Hen’s embrace, he continued to sleep soundly, his head resting comfortably in the crook of his arm.

Xiao Hen placed the little guy back into the western room, removed his jacket and shoes, and pulled over the blanket to cover him.

Gu Jiao was planning to go to the Medical Hall, but Xiao Hen came out to stop her, “Jiaojiao, I have something to tell you.”

The two went to the eastern room.

Gu Jiao lit an oil lamp.

Xiao Hen adjusted the lamp wick to its brightest and then lit another oil lamp.

In fact, Gu Jiao liked a brighter room, but she hadn’t told anyone.

Gu Jiao sat in a chair, hand propping her cheek, watching Xiao Hen, who was seriously adjusting the lamp wick, and suddenly felt a warmth in her heart.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.