The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 997 - 997 472 Narrow Path Encounter (Second Update)

Chapter 997: 472 Narrow Path Encounter (Second Update) Chapter 997: 472 Narrow Path Encounter (Second Update) “`

The child was born, and Lord Gu was finally released from the acupoints by his shadow guards. “I…I will settle accounts with you later!” Lord Gu glared coldly at Gu Yan’s two shadow guards, his steps hurried as he walked toward the Yao Family’s room.

At this time, the Yao Family was not in her own room; it had been turned into a delivery room and was being cleaned, so she was resting in the east chamber of Gu Jiao’s room.

She was so exhausted that she fell into a deep sleep.

The Liao Family had returned to the Medical Hall, and Nanny Fang was bathing the little one.

“Where is my wife!” Lord Gu asked Yu Yaya, who was tidying up the room.

“In the east chamber,” Yu Yaya replied.

Lord Gu hurried to the east chamber. The little one had already been bathed and was now obediently wrapped in a swaddle by Nanny Fang.

Lord Gu’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at the little one, but the first thing he asked was about the Yao Family: “How is my wife?”

Nanny Fang, holding the little one, stepped aside to reveal the bed behind her and said softly, “The lady is resting.”

“How is she?” Lord Gu asked anxiously, coming to the bedside and tightly grasping the Yao Family’s hand, “Is my wife alright?”

Nanny Fang sighed, having found Lord Gu to be a bit obtuse, yet caring towards his wife, and said, “The lady is fine, my Lord. Would you like to see the child?”

Upon hearing that the Yao Family was fine, Lord Gu’s heart, which had been suspended all night, finally settled back into place. His gaze fell upon the swaddle in Nanny Fang’s arms, and he asked excitedly, “Is it a son or a daughter?”

Nanny Fang smiled and said, “Congratulations, my Lord. It’s a young master.”

…

Gu Jiao had sorted through all the medical supplies, destroying what could be destroyed and deeply burying what could not, and then she checked the first aid kit again.

The first aid kit didn’t seem as broken as when she had first arrived.

As she was regaining her strength, the first aid kit seemed to be slowly recovering as well.

Gu Jiao had actually speculated that the first aid kit might not be a product of three-dimensional space; it might come from a higher dimension, otherwise, there was no way to explain how it followed her here or perhaps even brought her brainwaves to this place.

She sees it as three-dimensional because she is a person of three-dimensional space, able to perceive only this dimension.

But perhaps the first aid kit was not at all what it appeared to be. Maybe it had a wall on its left side, or perhaps a cabinet on its right, but due to the difference in dimensions, she could neither see nor touch them.

Gu Jiao tapped the first aid kit: “But why does a product of higher-dimensional space have a three-dimensional shell? Are you also a defective item that was banished by your owners to our time and space?”

A gentle breeze blew by, and the first aid kit remained as quiet as a chicken.

Having packed everything away, a sliver of dawn began to break as the busy courtyard settled into brief tranquility.

Gu Jiao felt sleepy but found that she couldn’t sleep, so she went and sat on the swing in the front courtyard.

Xiao Hen came over, leaning on his cane, not long after she had sat down.

“Have you just woken up or have you not slept yet?” Gu Jiao asked him, and in the next second, realized her question was superfluous—he had not changed his clothes, so it was evident that he too had been up all night.

Xiao Hen sat down beside her, handing her a small, yellow-orange tangerine, and said, “Congratulations to Doctor Gu for becoming a sister.”

Gu Jiao peeled the tangerine, sharing half of it into his palm: “And congratulations to Officer Xiao for becoming a brother-in-law.”

Both laughed, and it seemed as if a night’s fatigue dissipated with their shared mirth.

Gu Jiao divided the tangerine evenly, six pieces each. They ate their share of the fruit, and when only one piece was left in Gu Jiao’s hand, instead of eating it, she placed it in Xiao Hen’s palm: “Also, congratulations to Officer Xiao on your promotion.”

Xiao Hen raised an eyebrow: “Ah, so my promotion gift is just a piece of tangerine, huh.”

Gu Jiao said, “The gift for becoming a sister is also just a tangerine.”

Xiao Hen again spoke, “My gift for becoming a brother-in-law is half a tangerine.”

Gu Jiao: “…”

Why did she even bother trying to spar with a literati?

Xiao Hen laughed softly, looking at the last piece of tangerine in his palm, so neat even the pith had been cleaned off, feeling somewhat reluctant to eat it.

“How about…” He had just begun to speak when he felt his right shoulder grow heavy.

Gu Jiao had leaned against his shoulder and fallen asleep.

The golden dawn broke the darkness and pierced through the clouds to gently sprinkle over the quiet courtyard.

Xiao Hen ate the last piece of tangerine and raised his hand to shield the light from her eyes.

“Son-in-law, little…” Yu Yaya hurried over from the main hall with tiny steps, intending to call them for a bite to eat, but then saw Xiao Hen’s index finger on his lips, shushing her softly.

Yu Yaya quickly covered her own mouth!

Xiao Hen continued to hold his hand up to shield the glaring light from her, until his arm grew numb.

In her heart, Yu Yaya started calling him a groundhog.

Ah, ah, ah, ah!

What kind of supremely good man is this son-in-law!

“`

This is too gentle!

Miss, you should just accept the master!!!

Xiao Hen waited until Gu Jiao had completely fallen asleep before he took her into his arms. One hand wrapped around her back, and the other around her knees, he picked her up horizontally and walked towards the western room.

Little Jingkong had already woken up and gone to find his little brother and sister.

Xiao Hen placed Gu Jiao on his own bed.

Although they had shared a bed before, this was the first time she had slept in his own room.

The feeling was novel and somewhat thrilling to him.

His movements were gentle, as though she were a fragile treasure.

After seeing that his little brother was just sleeping and not fun to play with, Little Jingkong returned, slightly disappointed.

When he arrived by the bed, he saw Gu Jiao sleeping on the bed that he shared with his wicked brother-in-law.

“Huh?” His eyes widened, and, without saying a word, he kicked off his shoes, “I want to sleep too!”

Before he could throw himself onto the bed, Xiao Hen picked him up.

His little arms and legs flailed in mid-air: “Let me down! Let me down! I want to sleep!”

He wanted to sleep with Jiaojiao!

“You need to go to school,” Xiao Hen said, unceremoniously carrying him outside.

Little Jingkong was frantic!

Wah!

Why do children have to go to school!!!

Although Xiao Hen hadn’t slept all night, he still went to the Hanlin Academy. After all, he had just been promoted yesterday, and it would be inappropriate to take leave today. Moreover, he wasn’t very tired; he could still endure.

“I’ll take you,” Liao Quan said. “At least you can have a nap in the carriage.”

Xiao Hen didn’t refuse.

It was still early, so Liao Quan drove the carriage slowly.

Xiao Hen leaned against the carriage wall and closed his eyes to rest.

Halfway through the journey, Liao Quan’s carriage suddenly stopped and didn’t move for a long while.

Xiao Hen opened his eyes and asked Liao Quan, “Uncle Liao, what’s wrong?”

“That…” Liao Quan craned his neck to look and said, “It seems there’s a carriage of some noble person approaching.”

That’s how Capital City was; once officials were on the move, those of lower ranks had to yield. It wasn’t just their carriage; many others, including those of officials in front, were already making space in the side alleys.

“Whose carriage is it?” Xiao Hen asked.

“You don’t know? It’s the new Junior Cabinet Secretary!” a scholar watching the commotion interjected.

Xiao Liulang’s old carriage may have made him seem less prestigious.

Indeed, in Capital City, where a falling brick could kill three dukes, a Fifth-rank Scholar-readership didn’t count for much.

But a Junior Cabinet Secretary was different.

That was a close official of the emperor.

The word “junior” was prefixed to the Cabinet Secretary role––––

“May I ask which Junior Cabinet Secretary it is?” Liao Quan asked the scholar.

Liao Quan was very familiar with the official positions in Capital City. If it was just a Junior Cabinet Secretary, it might not rank higher than his own Young Master Xiao. If that was the case, they didn’t need to yield.

The scholar said, “Which Junior Cabinet Secretary could it be? It’s the young lord of the Zhuang family, Prince of An Province! He only worked four months at the Hanlin Academy before being promoted to the Cabinet. He truly deserves the title of Capital City’s number one scholar!”

Capital City’s number one scholar? Who conferred that title?

Just for a runner-up, what should they then say of his Xiao Hen, the newly top scholar?

Xiao Hen wasn’t focused on the title “Capital City’s scholar”; when Princess Xinyang had spoken to him about the Prince of An Province’s promotion to the Cabinet yesterday, she mentioned he had been conferred the Seventh-rank Secretary role. By today, in the public’s mouth, he had become a Junior Cabinet Secretary.

Cabinet Secretary wasn’t an official position but a term of respect for a few grand secretaries of the Cabinet. Not every grand secretary had the privilege of being called a Cabinet Secretary, only the First Grand Secretary of the Central Hall and the two Deputies of the Jianji Hall and the Wenhua Hall were entitled to it.

The grand secretaries of the Wuying Hall, Wenyuan Pavilion, and the Eastern Pavilion were referred to as Junior Cabinet Secretaries.

The information from Princess Xinyang couldn’t be wrong; the Prince of An Province’s official title must have been a Seventh-rank Secretary. Above that rank were the Sixth-rank Deputy, Fifth-rank Scholar Deputy, Fourth-rank Cabinet Deputy, and the Third-rank Attendant Scholar. None of these officials were qualified to be called a Junior Cabinet Secretary.

The title of Junior Cabinet Secretary for the Prince of An Province most likely stemmed from his own background and status.

To put it bluntly, as the direct grandson of the Grand Tutor Zhuang, entering the Cabinet meant he was aiming to take over the Cabinet.

The title of Junior Cabinet Secretary was just a precursor; one day, he was bound to become a Grand Cabinet Secretary.