The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 831 - 831 384 Spousal Abuse Scum (two updates)_2

Chapter 831: 384 Spousal Abuse Scum (two updates)_2 Chapter 831: 384 Spousal Abuse Scum (two updates)_2 The late emperor had not managed to revoke the regent power of the virtuous empress dowager before he passed away.

Xiao Liulang guessed that the late emperor probably felt that since he had left an imperial edict for the virtuous empress dowager to be buried with him, whether he revoked her power or not did not matter anymore.

Unfortunately, it was one step too short, as the imperial edict was stolen by the serene imperial concubine.

The virtuous empress dowager was supported as regent by the late emperor, and her continued regency under the new emperor did not stir as much resentment from the late emperor’s former officials.

But as soon as this imperial edict came out, the former officials of the late emperor would, like ravenous wolves, inevitably drag the Dowager Empress Zhuang to the imperial mausoleum.

So Gu Jiao was right; the imperial edict could not remain in the hands of the serene imperial concubine. They had to find a way to steal it back and destroy it.

However, with the Dragon Shadow Guard around, it would be difficult for them to succeed.

“Dragon Shadow Guard.” In the darkness, Xiao Liulang narrowed his eyes slightly.

The next night, Gu Jiao indeed came, bringing the spicy beef that Xiao Liulang loved to eat, skewered on bamboo sticks and placed in jars. The two sat in the room, enjoying their skewers.

“Shall I come again tomorrow?” Gu Jiao asked him when leaving.

Xiao Liulang laughed softly, “The exam ends tomorrow, and I can go back. You don’t need to come over.”

Gu Jiao: “Oh.”

She actually wanted to come.

Sitting with him in the middle of the night, secretly enjoying skewers, was fun.

Xiao Liulang was an invigilator and did not take part in the grading. After the exam ended, he packed up and left the Imperial College.

The time was not too late, so he first went to the Hanlin Academy to deal with the work he had missed over the past three days.

Ever since he had faced off against Dowager Imperial Tutor Zhuang outside the Hanlin Academy, not many there had dared to openly trouble him anymore. Everyone knew he was there to invigilate the exam, not to play around, and they did not dare to assign him too much work; it was nothing more than sorting through some classics.

He spent an afternoon getting the classics sorted, and then delivered them to Scholar Han.

When he returned from Scholar Han’s office, he bumped into Ning Zhiyuan loitering near his office.

“What’s up?” he approached and asked.

Hearing this, Ning Zhiyuan turned around and said, “I just heard you’re back. How was it? Did the invigilation go smoothly?”

Thinking of the scenes of enjoying skewers with someone at night, Xiao Liulang couldn’t help but smile, “Quite smoothly.”

Ning Zhiyuan looked at him strangely, “You lad… your smile is not normal.”

Xiao Liulang pressed down the corner of his lips and restrained the smile between his brows, seriously responding, “Did you come here just to say hello to me?”

Getting to the matter at hand, Ning Zhiyuan stopped joking, “Um…”

Ning Zhiyuan scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed as he spoke, “I brought my family to the Capital City, just my sister-in-law and them. My sister-in-law asked me to invite some friends over to our place, and I don’t have many friends in the Capital City, so I was wondering if you… might have some free time…”

He was actually very nervous as he asked this; despite being in the same class as Xiao Liulang in the imperial examination, their statuses and experiences were, in fact, very different.

He was also favored by the emperor, but the emperor’s treatment of him was ultimately different from his treatment of Xiao Liulang. Of course, the main reason was that their abilities were different, and Ning Zhiyuan was well aware of it, without any jealousy.

Just… a bit inferior.

Not only was Xiao Liulang favored by the emperor, but he also seemed to have a good relationship with the empress dowager, or else he wouldn’t have been able to suppress Dowager Imperial Tutor Zhuang.

To be friends with such a person, was he reaching too high?

Moreover, he didn’t have much silver, and his mansion was rented; his home was quite modest.

With these thoughts, Ning Zhiyuan didn’t wait for Xiao Liulang to answer and hurriedly declined on Xiao Liulang’s behalf, “But the Hanlin Academy has been quite busy recently, and I suppose neither of us has the time…”

“Okay.” Xiao Liulang said.

“Huh?” Ning Zhiyuan was taken aback.

Xiao Liulang said, “I’ll go back and ask when my wife is free, and we’ll make a visit together.”

Ning Zhiyuan was stunned, “Ah…”

Was this an acceptance?

…

After meeting with Xiao Liulang twice at the Imperial College, Gu Jiao had provided him with some updates on the current situation. He decided to make a trip to the palace.

“Your Majesty, Xiao Xiuzhuan requests an audience.”

Within the Imperial Study Room, Eunuch Wei reported softly.

The emperor’s hand, which was reviewing memorials, paused. He rubbed his slightly fatigued head and said, “He hasn’t come for several days.”

Eunuch Wei hastened to add, “Xiao Xiuzhuan has been to the Imperial College to invigilate for the past three days.”

“Ah, the six ministries’ exam.” The emperor almost forgot about it—the six ministries had an assessment once every year, usually in June. Because the emissary from Liang Country visited this year, the Palace Examination was delayed by a month, let alone the six ministries’ assessment.

This assessment was not for all officials, just a spot-check, supervised by the Hanlin Academy, but it was very strict nonetheless.

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