Chapter 184: Examination of Saint College

Zhou Huaijin had intended to speak with her too, but seeing that she changed the topic, he gave up and took the seat next to her, poured himself a cup of tea. Then he took a sip of the tea and asked with a face full of satisfaction. “What is it?”

Yan always had great tea here. It tasted even better than that in the court!

That was what he noticed... before anything else. So every time he visited the Qiong Pavilion, he would start by drinking a cup of tea first.

Gu Chaoyan did not know that Zhou Huaijin was speaking highly of her tea inwardly, as she asked with a serious look on the face confusedly, “Lord Ling is marrying my Second Sister, why?”

What? Hearing these words, Zhou Huaijin put down the teacup and looked confused.

Lord Ling was going to marry the Second Lady of the Gu Mansion?

That same Zhou Huailing?

“Who said so?” Zhou Huaijin looked a little serious.

“Everyone in the Gu Mansion knows about it, so the news should be true, otherwise Madam Gu would not have turned down the marriage arrangement with Duke Changning’s Mansion.” Gu Chaoyan said seriously. They could not have lied to her. As one of the officers in the court, Gu Zhenkang must have heard it from Lord Ling’s men.

Zhou Huaijin frowned. That was something really unexpected. Even he was surprised.

“Zhou Huailing has a very heavy mind. He always has a purpose for whatever he is doing. He doesn’t marry anyone who has nothing apart from their looks. He is very ambitious, especially towards that throne. His Princess Consort is the lineal daughter of the Liu Family which holds 1/5 of the military power. His Second Princess is the second daughter of the chief of the Ministry of Revenue! He has one more place left for another Princess. Apart from that, what remains are the concubines who are either the daughter of some high-ranked officers or those with minor positions. He is smart enough to gather his forces.”

“...”

“So the Second Lady of the Gu Family doesn’t make any sense. There is nothing of the Gu Family that he can make use of. So why?” Zhou Huaijin looked serious and contemplative.

Even Zhou Huaijin could not figure that out.

Gu Chaoyan started to realize that the whole thing was getting very complicated.

What was the reason?

Could he have done it for the disgraced Princess Gu? However, that did not make sense either. Princess Gu might have been granted a position as the princess, but that was only because the King liked her looks and granted her the title out of impulse. However, now Princess Gu was only allowed to live with Princess Virtue and she was childless too. So the whole thing did not make sense.

Gu Chaoyan could not help but sigh.

Hearing Gu Chaoyan sighing, Zhou Huaijin smiled gently. “Don’t worry, I can’t think it through either. I will get Fu Bao to look into this matter. Soon we will get the answer.”

“...”

“But aren’t you practising the zither, chess, calligraphy and painting these days? The examination for Saint College is around the corner! You are enrolling for the Medical Department, but you have to pass the fundamental tests too.” Zhou Huaijin reminded her.

Gu Chaoyan was not worried. Those were just simple skills. She had been involved with those things too in her previous life, and was totally skilled enough to pass the examination, but... She did need to start to make preparations.

Previously, she had no desire and just passed the examination so that she could enter the Medical Department.

However, she was supposed to marry Zhou Huaijin in the future... So that was an examination that she had to spare no efforts to perform well in.

“Also...” Zhou Huaijin was reminded of something else.