The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 1288 - 1288 626 Secret History (Second Update)

Chapter 1288: 626 Secret History (Second Update) Chapter 1288: 626 Secret History (Second Update) His face was etched with pride that screamed, “How can my sister be so awesome? She’s just the best.”

Mrs. Nan and Master Lu stared at Gu Jiao in surprise.

They were familiar with Yan Country and naturally understood that a new student could not possibly have the qualifications to treat the Duke.

As if perceiving their confusion, Gu Jiao said nonchalantly, “My desk mate appears to be the descendant of a noble family, deeply connected with the Duke Residence. I heard him mention the Duke’s illness by chance and offered to have a look. He’s a kind person and agreed to take me there.”

Being renowned as the Royal Academy, Tianqiong Academy naturally saw numerous scions of noble families come to study. More than their identities, Mrs. Nan was more curious about that particular Duke.

“Which Duke?” Mrs. Nan asked.

“Duke An,” Gu Jiao remembered seeing the Plaque inscribed with Duke An’s Residence.

“Him?” Mrs. Nan was astonished.

“Does Mrs. Nan know him?” Gu Jiao asked.

Mrs. Nan smiled faintly, “Not personally, but I’ve heard of him. The Duke was a famous figure in his youth, strikingly handsome and immensely talented, having captured the hearts of countless maidens in Shengdu.”

Master Lu suddenly looked a little stern.

His wife praising another man in front of him? Really?

“What happened to him?” Mrs. Nan, having been away from Yan Country for a long time, was not aware of the recent events in Shengdu.

Gu Jiao said, “He was poisoned and fell from his horse three years ago, and has been in a vegetative state since then.”

“Vegetative state?” Mrs. Nan was bewildered.

“It means he’s been in a coma,” Gu Jiao explained.

Mrs. Nan uttered an “ah,” “You mean, like a living dead person?”

So here they call a vegetative state a living dead person, Gu Jiao mused, “Sort of.”

Mrs. Nan sighed with pity, “How could such a thing happen? The life of Duke An has truly been full of misfortunes.”

Gu Xiaoshun asked in confusion, “He’s a Duke of Yan Country, yet his fate is considered misfortunate?”

Mrs. Nan sighed once more, “You don’t know the half of it. Duke An lost his mother when he was young, his wife when he was an adult, and later his daughter… a true solitary figure.”

Gu Xiaoshun clicked his tongue, “That’s terrible.”

It was inevitable to gossip at home, and as the conversation reached this point, Mrs. Nan decided to tell the children about the Duke’s past exploits.

The current Duke An was the legitimate eldest son of the old Duke, who passed away early without leaving behind any brothers or sisters for him. It was only after the old Duke remarried that a son and a daughter were born to the stepmother.

The Duke was a generous man who treated his half-siblings very kindly, and they got along well.

After the old Duke passed away, as the legitimate eldest son, he inherited the title of Duke An.

Gu Jiao uttered, “So the second lady I saw in the residence is his sister-in-law?”

Mrs. Nan nodded, “Exactly, he married only once in his life and never took any concubines.”

Gu Jiao stroked her chin, such devotion from a man was rare in ancient times, “Then his wife…”

Mrs. Nan sighed, which might have been the umpteenth time that evening.

Master Lu’s face went completely dark.

What? Sighing over a man?

Don’t I have any dignity at all?

Indifferent to her husband’s pride, Mrs. Nan said with pity, “This is something we can only speak of behind closed doors, not something to be mentioned outside.”

“Why is that?” Gu Jiao inquired.

Mrs. Nan hesitated a moment before answering, “His wife came from the Xuanyuan Family.”

Gu Jiao glanced at the Red-Tasseled Spear hanging in her room, “You mean Xuanyuan Li’s Xuanyuan Family?”

Mrs. Nan confirmed, “Yes, back in the day, the Xuanyuan Family was regarded as the foremost military family of Yan Country, with the power to command a million soldiers, their status so high it overshadowed even the Royal Family. Boys and girls from the Xuanyuan Family were all brave and skilled in battle. Unfortunately, the Xuanyuan Family chose the path of rebellion. History shows that rebels rarely meet a good end, and the powerful Xuanyuan Family was no exception. In the decisive battle, all Xuanyuan generals perished. To save her father and brothers, Duke An’s wife—pregnant at the time—donned armor and went into battle and ultimately died, with the unborn child also lost, leaving behind only a two-year-old daughter.”

“This incident nearly implicated the Duke Residence. The King of Yan Country pressured the Duke to hand over the remnants of the Xuanyuan Family, meaning the two-year-old girl. The Duke went to great lengths, even willing to resign his official post to save his daughter’s life. The kids from the main Xuanyuan line weren’t so lucky, every male bearing the Xuanyuan name was put to death, the youngest still a babe in arms; the women were all sent to the Performing Arts Bureau, thus reduced to mere performers.”

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