Miss Tang’s young and delicate features drooped, her originally bright eyes seemed clouded, and her soft sigh felt like a needle prick in his heart. He couldn’t help but say, "It’s not that there’s no way—"
"You have a way?" The young girl’s eyes suddenly brightened.
Li Mu was touched as he watched and blurted out, "Second Miss wants to drive Lv Xia away because of me?"
As soon as he asked, his face heated up, feeling a bit frustrated with his own lack of composure.
The last time was the same; when Miss Tang asked if he disliked Lv Xia, he had also rashly expressed his opinion.
Even if Lv Xia’s presence had disrupted his plans, he should have pondered solutions himself or discussed them with his advisors. Why was he expressing his opinion to a young girl?
How did he become so childlike after spending so much time with a young girl?
Thinking of this, Li Mu adjusted his expression and changed his words: "I was just asking casually—"
"No!" The young girl gave a radiant smile, "I’m doing it for myself!"
Li Mu was momentarily stunned, and his face grew even hotter.
"I don’t like that Lv Xia. Does Ah Xiao have any way to stop him from becoming a teacher at the Gu Family School?" Miss Tang asked with a smile.
When her eyes weren’t smiling, they were round, but when she smiled, they turned into crescent moons, and her mouth had two little dimples, looking exceptionally cute.
What was even more adorable were her words.
Clearly, it was for him, yet she was afraid he’d feel embarrassed and insisted on taking the responsibility herself.
How could there be such an understanding girl? And she was so kind to him...
Li Mu looked at her for a while, couldn’t help but smile slightly, and said, "The Gu Family didn’t reject Lv Xia, not because they don’t want to or can’t, but because there’s no suitable reason—"
"What’s a suitable reason?" Tang Xiaobai pursued.
Li Mu glanced at her.
This young girl was indeed perceptive and discerning and knew how to leverage power.
Otherwise, how could she have quickly found Lv Xia’s flaw? But even after finding it, it was still to no avail.
He understood all too well the limitations of a child’s abilities; even someone as noble as the Crown Prince had been powerless due to being young.
If he couldn’t achieve something by himself, he had to leverage resources—
"For example, if there were someone more suitable than Lv Xia." Li Mu said softly.
Tang Xiaobai frowned and asked, "Is there such a person?"
Lv Xia was the person arranged by the Emperor; what kind of person could allow the Gu Family to rightfully reject the Emperor’s arrangement?
"Could the Empress Dowager also recommend someone?" But the Empress Dowager wouldn’t listen to her.
Li Mu’s eyes sparkled, "If there were a teacher so renowned that even the Emperor couldn’t invite them..."
Tang Xiaobai was astonished, "Would such a person come to teach at a child’s school?"
"Not just any child’s school would attract the attention of the Prime Minister."
Tang Xiaobai suddenly understood and asked again, "Is there really such a teacher?"
The boy said nothing, just looked at her with those beautiful eyes, as if he had words unspoken.
Tang Xiaobai solemnly nodded, "I understand now!"
...
"Is there such a teacher renowned across the world that even the Emperor can’t invite them?" Tang Xiaobai asked.
Zhou Xun glanced at her strangely. Although he didn’t know why she was asking, he answered first, "Naturally, there is, in Qizhou, there is one from the Zhang Family—"
He stopped abruptly in mid-sentence.
...
The Eldest Aunt Gu returned to the Duke Yan Mansion just seven days after her last visit.
"... By coincidence, on the previous day, the Seventh Son met a traveler at Jingyu Temple while studying stone tablets. They conversed happily, which led to an invitation to our home for a night of conversation, only then realizing the distinguished guest was none other than Mr. Ximeng’s grandson!"
Gu Family took a sharp intake of breath.
Tang Jiaojiao also gasped in surprise.
Tang Xiaobai did not gasp; she was an honest child, if she didn’t know, then she didn’t know.
"Do you know who it is?" Tang Xiaobai skeptically asked her sister.
Tang Jiaojiao, as usual, gave her an incredulous look as if to say, "You don’t know this?"
If you know, then say who it is!
Tang Xiaobai was ready to retort when Eldest Aunt Gu heard her question and answered with a laugh, "Mr. Ximeng hailed from Qizhou’s Zhang Family, entered service during the reign of the Taizu, served over three reigns, and rose to the rank of Minister of Rites. He oversaw the establishment of imperial exams and recommended talents, earning nationwide acclaim—"
This time, Tang Xiaobai also took a deep breath.
Presiding over the imperial exams, that was indeed the realm of the powerful!
"Hasn’t the Zhang Family of Qizhou always been secluded and devoted to studying? How did this Mr. Zhang come to the Capital City?" Gu Family questioned curiously.
Eldest Aunt Gu laughed, "Mr. Zhang said that while most of their family resides in Qizhou studying, they don’t restrict young members from traveling to learn, though Zhang Family members are typically low-profile. Initially, Mr. Zhang didn’t reveal his background, only confessing after hitting it off with the Seventh Son—"
"How do you know he is truly from the Zhang Family of Qizhou?" Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help but ask.
Zhou Xun had just mentioned the Zhang Family of Qizhou, and Little Uncle Gu randomly ran into one on the street.
Wasn’t this efficiency a bit too high?
Honestly, she didn’t believe Little Uncle Gu could have the luck to pick up a hidden powerhouse on the street; such things were usually reserved for male and female leads.
In response to her doubts, Eldest Aunt Gu only smiled and said, "Your Second Uncle has also met Mr. Zhang."
Tang Xiaobai knew that Second Uncle Gu was married to the Emperor’s sister, Princess Puan, the one who recommended Lv Xia, who was a mole.
From Eldest Aunt Gu’s tone, it seemed Second Uncle Gu was the most learned in the Gu family.
Tang Xiaobai suddenly understood.
This Mr. Zhang was likely not just picked up but found through the coordination of Mr. Zhou and the Gu family, with Second Uncle Gu confirming his identity, then logically inviting the grandson of a grand figure, thus justifiably rejecting Lv Xia.
So, is this Mr. Zhang genuinely from the Zhang Family of Qizhou?
"There’s really no issue?" Gu Family asked quietly, as if sharing a similar concern.
Eldest Aunt Gu, however, was much calmer, nodding with a smile, "No issue, truly from the Zhang Family of Qizhou."
Really? Was it really such a coincidence that the grandson of a grand figure was conveniently waiting in the Capital City for them to find?
Why didn’t she quite believe it?
Whether Tang Xiaobai believed it or not, this time the recruitment of teachers for the clan school was concluded for real, and a new enrollment date was set for April 25th.
On that day, Tang Xiaobai donned new clothes and shoes, took along her maidservant and attendant student, and headed to the Gu Mansion in a carriage with her mother and sister.
Coincidentally, both Gu Mansion and Princess Ji’s residence were located in Changxing Village.
Princess Ji’s residence was west of the Zhenzhou Imperial Court, while Gu Mansion was west of Princess Ji’s residence, adjacent to the north gate of Changxing Village.
All very close.
Once Tang Xiaobai boarded the carriage, she felt they’d not traveled long before coming to a stop.
"So quick?" Tang Xiaobai muttered, preparing to disembark, but was stopped by Gu Family.
"What’s going on?" Gu Family asked sternly.
The servant replied, "There’s a procession outside Gu Mansion; it seems an envoy from the Palace has arrived..."
Tang Xiaobai’s heart skipped a beat.
Is it for Mr. Zhang?