CHAPTER 130: CHAPTER 130: CAN I REFUSE TO GIVE YOU FACE?

"What path did the Second Miss point out for Gongsun Yi?" The little ancestor was flipping through a book and suddenly asked this.

Tang Xiaobai was startled for a moment, then knocked on the table forcefully: "I’m here for you to tutor me on my studies! Focus a bit!"

Today, when I went to ask Mr. Zhang about Gongsun Yi, not only was I forced to sit through a more advanced lesson, but Mr. Zhang also ruthlessly assigned me homework, without acknowledging my help in bailing him out of trouble.

But since I didn’t listen carefully in class, how could I write the essay? So I had to come to the little ancestor for tutoring.

Li Mu casually grabbed a piece of paper, picked up a pen, and while writing said: "Actually, the Second Miss doesn’t need to worry too much, Gongsun Yi is not that hard to deal with."

Tang Xiaobai recalled his previous behavior and deliberately mimicked his tone, saying faintly: "So Ah Xiao didn’t want me to help after all, is that it?"

His pen paused, the side of his face as fair as jade turned slightly red, but then he gave a "mm," continuing to write and said: "These matters will naturally be handled by someone."

Tang Xiaobai sighed faintly: "So it turns out I was being overly sentimental and meddlesome, I hope I didn’t cause Ah Xiao any trouble..."

"Second Miss," his hand didn’t stop, only his face turned even redder, "the Second Miss’s help, I... Mr. Zhang must be very grateful."

"Grateful and he still wants me to write on the classics?" Tang Xiaobai flipped through the "Zuo Zhuan" in front of her, sneering.

Li Mu couldn’t help but smile slightly and said: "The academy knows the background of this batch of students well, Gongsun Yi’s situation isn’t very surprising, there might be others in the future, the Second Miss needn’t worry—" lifting his head, "whatever the Second Miss does, it won’t be in vain, if the Second Miss could cause me some trouble..." his face reddened again, "I’d be... quite willing..."

Tang Xiaobai blushed too.

This kid, normally acting so aloof, lately always blushing and declaring his feelings out of nowhere...

"Ahem!" Tang Xiaobai cleared her throat, and said seriously, "You’re still young, focus more on important things, don’t... uh... don’t waste time hanging out with me, a child!"

Li Mu curved his lips and handed her the freshly written paper: "The Second Miss just needs to copy it once."

Tang Xiaobai received it in surprise and took a look.

Can he really ghostwrite for homework?

"Mr. Zhang won’t find out?" Tang Xiaobai asked.

"He knows you didn’t listen carefully."

"Then why does he still want me to write?"

"To review for new insights."

Alright then...

Tang Xiaobai started copying the homework answers provided by the little ancestor.

For a moment, the room was silent, save for the rustle of the pen on paper, and the incessant gaze beside her.

Being stared at for a while, Tang Xiaobai finally couldn’t stand it and was about to speak—

"What path did you point for Gongsun Yi?" Li Mu still remembered that question.

...

The path Tang Xiaobai pointed out for Gongsun Yi couldn’t really be called a clear path.

Someone like him, pointing out a path? The Duke Yan Mansion wasn’t a charity.

But she knew Gongsun Yi would take this path.

The date for the provincial examination was not far off, Gongsun Yi’s ultimate goal was to make it in the imperial examinations and make a name for himself, not to keep fussing with Mr. Zhang.

Whether this path could lead to success was not her concern.

Although not her concern, Tang Xiaobai still paid some attention to Gongsun Yi’s movements.

Three days later, Gongsun Yi left the Capital City.

"How was his mood when he left?" Tang Xiaobai was extremely curious.

He left without causing a ruckus? Could he really have achieved what he wanted?

"He seemed..." The attendant responsible for watching Gongsun Yi looked conflicted, "alright?"

"What do you mean by alright?"

The attendant scratched his head: "I couldn’t understand, seemed quite emotional?"

Emotional?

Tang Xiaobai was pondering this "emotional," when the carriage stopped.

Judging by the distance, they should be home.

But why didn’t she hear the gatekeeper’s greeting?

"Is it the Second Miss Tang?" A voice asked coyly.

Cheng Zi lifted the curtain for a peek outside, then turned to report: "It’s Pingyang Princess’s maid."

Then, a gold-powdered invitation card was brought in from outside.

"Our Princess invites Second Miss to the residence for a chat!"

After Pingyang Princess entered the Taoist path, the emperor bestowed upon her a very long Taoist name, but privately everyone still called her Pingyang Princess.

The Taoist temple was named Pingyang Temple, simply modified from the newly built Princess Mansion.

Which meant, Pingyang Princess lived next door.

A Princess living next door and specifically stationing people at the gates of the Duke Yan Mansion to waylay her, was quite a sight to see.

"I sent you over twenty invitations before, haven’t I? How many have you actually seen?" Pingyang Princess asked with a pout.

Tang Xiaobai shook her head.

Not a single one.

Her sister did come several times, but never brought her along, as if guarding against something.

Pingyang Princess snorted: "Guarding me like a thief, what could I possibly do to you?"

"You’d throw a small table at me," Tang Xiaobai replied honestly.

Pingyang Princess paused, then picked up a drink from the table and pushed it towards her mouth: "That was ages ago, why hold a grudge?"

Tang Xiaobai pushed the cup away, and asked: "What does the Princess want with me? My sister might show up any moment."

She didn’t really intend to come, just happened to be curious after hearing about Gongsun Yi leaving the capital.

Maybe Pingyang Princess was looking for her because of this matter—

"That Gongsun Yi, I recommended him!" Pingyang Princess indeed brought up Gongsun Yi.

The path Tang Xiaobai had hinted at for Gongsun Yi was to take advantage of Pingyang Princess’s connections.

Even though the eldest miss wouldn’t bring her to Pingyang Temple, fearing that Pingyang Princess, who was living freely after entering the Tao, would lead her astray, Tang Xiaobai wasn’t completely isolated, and heard some rumors.

After Pingyang Princess exited the palace to pursue Taoism, she lived more freely and happily than before.

Pingyang Temple’s doors were always open; aside from holding rituals on the first and fifteenth of each month, the visitors were mostly talented young men from all over the country.

There was currently a trend among the imperial examination candidates to submit their best works to influential people, hoping to gain recognition and ensuring success in the exams.

With the Spring Exam approaching next year, talented young men were already gathering in the Capital City,

and as the emperor’s most beloved daughter living outside the palace, Pingyang Princess’s temple was naturally bustling with activity.

Tang Xiaobai even encountered a young scholar leaving when she first arrived!

Since Pingyang Princess was so fond of helping scholars, she advised Gongsun Yi to try his luck there.

As to whether this opportunity should be seized and how to seize it, or even if it was possible—

She wasn’t Gongsun Yi’s mother and couldn’t care for everything.

But at this moment, seeing the smiling Pingyang Princess as if expecting praise, Tang Xiaobai felt a bit of goosebumps.

"Why did the Princess recommend him?" Tang Xiaobai asked cautiously.

Pingyang Princess was surprised: "Weren’t you the one who introduced him to me? It’s just a recommendation for the provincial examination, how could I not give you face?"

Tang Xiaobai held her forehead.

A miscalculation...

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Since I finished writing just in time, I’ll remove the leave and resume updates~