Qing Lan let out a long breath, hesitated for a moment before speaking, "My Lord, the Old Marquis has been very close with the High Priest lately. I wonder what they are researching. Now, the Old Marquis is unmarried, and the High Priest is also single. If any gossip were to spread, it might be difficult to resolve..."
Sigh, if the Old Marquis were just an old joker, always acting without proper decorum, that would be one thing. But why would the wise and calm High Priest of the barbarians want to spend time with the Old Marquis?
Gu Mingyan heard this and calmly picked up his book, continuing to flip through it. "Life is short, and true friends are few. If they get along, why should they care what others say?"
Besides, his father was in his twilight years and felt lonely every day. If he could find an old companion, his spirits might improve.
At least someone would be there to chat with him.
Qing Lan: "..."
"My Lord, do you mean you're not going to do anything?" Qing Lan was filled with questions.
This was the royal palace of Suicheng! The Old Marquis was openly laughing and chatting with the barbarian High Priest. Wasn't that a bit inappropriate...
Gu Mingyan glanced at Qing Lan. "Otherwise, they say women have long hair but short sight. I'm not ignoring it, I just can't control it. You know your father's temper. Once he sets his mind on something, ten oxen can't pull him back!"
Actually, Gu Mingyan was quite relieved. If they could win over Priest Alima, the chances of successful negotiations would be higher...
Qing Lan twitched the corner of his mouth and said nothing.
Meanwhile, in the Old Marquis's courtyard, the scene was quite different.
The High Priest grabbed the Old Marquis by the collar and angrily threatened, "Speak quickly, where is the next storybook? Hand it over at once!"
This old fellow had voluntarily given her a storybook to read, but it had no ending...
The story was at its most passionate and exciting stage, and then it just stopped. How could anyone bear that?
Because of this, the High Priest was so anxious that she visited the Old Marquis's courtyard every day, wishing she could dig out his heart, just to know what happened to the male and female protagonists...
The Old Marquis looked helpless. "Oh, Lirou, what are you doing? Let go quickly. It's not good if the servants see us wrestling like this!"
Was it worth it for a storybook?
Even children were more patient than you...
"If you don't hand over the storybook, I, this priest, will break your legs today and give you severe punishment!" Alima's eyes were red, and she almost shouted herself hoarse.
The Old Marquis: "..."
It seemed the effect was achieved.
He knew that a melodramatic storybook like that would definitely capture Lirou's attention.
Now that she was addicted, the Old Marquis was even less likely to hand over the storybook obediently.
It was much more interesting to keep her in suspense...
"Lirou, calm down, let me explain slowly!"
The Old Marquis slowly pried Alima's hands away, smiling. "To tell you the truth, I only brought a limited number of storybooks with me to the Northern Frontier. The latter half of the book you're reading was unfortunately left at my manor. So, if Lirou wants to know the ending, you can go to the Marquis's manor and finish reading it at your leisure..."
What a joke! The latter half of the book was right there in the chest, but the Old Marquis refused to take it out.
Alima was so angry she puffed up, and kicked the Old Marquis in the backside. "Then tell me, did the male and female protagonists end up together?"
Since the Old Marquis had read this storybook, he should know the ending...
The Old Marquis rubbed his hands, looking a bit troubled. "Alas, it's been too long, I've almost forgotten. It seems they didn't end up together in the end!"
As he spoke, the Old Marquis observed Alima's expression, suppressing a smile...
Alima's mouth twitched, and she looked incredulous. "What? What? They were so in love, why didn't they end up together?"
"Who says not? Sigh, it's a long story!" the Old Marquis said slyly.
Seeing Alima's disappointed expression, as if she were about to smash a vase or a table, the Old Marquis immediately changed his tune. "No, no, maybe I remembered wrong..."
Alima: "???"
There was another ending?
"I remember they ended up together, and even had a lot of cute little babies..." the Old Marquis said thoughtfully.
Alima, confused by his antics, strongly suspected that the Old Marquis was making things up to tease her.
"If you dare to lie to me, I'll tear you into eight pieces!" Alima said indignantly and walked into the bedroom, rummaging through boxes and cabinets, turning out all of the Old Marquis's belongings.
Seeing this, the Old Marquis's face changed in surprise, and he rushed in. "Lirou, you... what are you doing? It's impolite to rummage through other people's things!"
Oh no, if she found the latter half of the book, it would be all over.
"Get out of the way, don't stop me!" Alima shot him a glare and casually picked up a book. "Let me see what else you have..."
Before she could finish speaking, Alima's pupils widened in shock, stunned by the cover of the storybook in her hand.
The words "Three Thousand Handsome Men Cannot Compare to Your Graceful Smile: The Empress's Little Puppy" were clearly printed on the cover...
Didn't this old fellow say the latter half was left at the Marquis's manor?
Why was it in the book chest?
"Li... Lirou, if I said I remembered wrong, would you believe me?" The Old Marquis wiped away cold sweat.
Alima narrowed her cold eyes, her hands gripping the storybook, and she smacked the Old Marquis on the forehead. "You dare to deceive this priest! You... you are simply audacious!"
The Old Marquis: "..."
It's over, it's all revealed.
For the next three days, the Old Marquis became Alima's 'servant seeking forgiveness,' obeying her every command and not daring to retort even when scolded...
There was no other way, for he had lied through his teeth.
In the capital, at the Imperial Academy, in a spacious classroom.
All the students had left, leaving only Yao Jinsheng and Sun Tianxiu sitting at their desks, diligently working on problems...
Dean Qian, holding a ruler, paced before them with his hands behind his back, occasionally glancing at their test papers.
That's right, today was their first major examination since arriving at the Imperial Academy. The questions were personally set by Dean Qian, and the exam duration was two hours, with no restroom breaks allowed in between...
If they felt an urgent need, they were to relieve themselves in the urine bucket placed beneath their desks.
To ensure they passed the exam, Yun Jinhe had been working day and night, rising early and going to bed late, tutoring them during this period.
Although they had made some progress, it was no match for the difficulty of Dean Qian's questions. Whether they could pass still depended on their performance...
Outside the window, Yun Jinhe paced back and forth with a frown, occasionally craning his neck to look into the classroom, his heart filled with anxiety.