Chapter 707: 331 See Through (Two Updates)_2 Chapter 707: 331 See Through (Two Updates)_2 Gu Jiao said, “The petals are from the Imperial Garden, used to make Fresh Flower Cakes. I had so leftovers so I bought them back to make dried flowers.”
Xiao Liulang had seen her make dried flowers before and roughly knew the process. He said, “I’ll get a sieve.”
“Mm.” Gu Jiao nodded.
Xiao Liulang got up to leave. Gu Jiao was used to being alone, yet the rare occurrence when soone was working by her side, it didn’t feel bad.
Xiao Liulang brought over a sieve. He opened the embroidered bag and poured out the petals. Suddenly, he heard a light sound, and a distinct weighted object fell out.
Xiao Liulang looked at the jade pendant that had unexpectedly appeared amidst the petals and asked with a puzzled expression, “What is this?”
He was about to ask whether the jade pendant was a gift from her grandmother, but as the words reached his lips he noticed that the jade pendant was broken. Even if it was a valuable thousand-year-old jade, her grandmother would not give such an item to Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao was not familiar with thousand-year-old jade, but she felt that the jade pendant was very sophisticated, a pity that a corner was missing.
She shook her head, “Grandmother didn’t ntion sending anything. I don’t know where it ca from. It might have been carelessly put into this bag.”
Was it carelessness?
A piece of thousand-year-old jade was carelessly placed in an embroidered bag?
Although it was not impossible, considering the abundant wealth of Renshou Palace-
Xiao Liulang paused for a mont, “Was it you who put these petals into the bag?”
“No.” Gu Jiao shook his head, “It was Feicui.”
“Who is Feicui?” Xiao Liulang asked. After all, he didn’t visit Renshou Palace often and he was not familiar with it.
Gu Jiao responded, “She is a small palace maid in Renshou Palace who is adept and quick-witted. She serves grandmother around the clock, mainly managing the empress dowager’s jewelry and clothing. I don’t know if she carelessly put grandmother’s stuff inside the embroidered bag. I will return it next ti.”
“No need for that, I’ll do it.” Xiao Liulang toyed with the thousand-year-old jade pendant and replied without revealing any emotion, “It’s a coincidence. I am supposed to go to the palace tomorrow to give lectures to the crown prince.”
Gu Jiao nodded, “That’s good too.”
The following day, Xiao Liulang went to the palace to teach mathematics to the crown prince.
Today, he didn’t make things difficult for the prince and let him off after 2 hours.
The crown prince was pretty confused. Why would Xiao Liulang be kind? He didn’t make him stay in the imperial school?
“What are you up to?” the prince asked with a cold voice.
Xiao Liulang pulled out a stack of papers from his teaching notes and handed them to the prince, “Your Highness, if you think I am being too kind to you, why don’t you finish these problems? I’ll check them next ti I co.”
The prince looked at the sudden appearance of dozens of extra pages of problems, his mouth twitching as though he had a stroke.
Why did he have to ask that?!
Xiao Liulang went to Renshou Palace.
The Empress Dowager was reading a morial. Eunuch Qin ushered Xiao Liulang in, “Should I announce your arrival?”
“No need for that, I just brought so food for her majesty,” Xiao Liulang replied and handed over the prepared food box, “These are dates picked by Jingkong. He insisted that I bring them to grandmother.”
At this mont, little Jingkong, who was having a class at the Guozijian, was unaware that he had once again been used as an excuse.
Eunuch Qin accepted the food box with a smile, “Jingkong is very thoughtful.”
Xiao Liulang casually asked, “By the way, Eunuch Qin, does Renshou Palace have any thousand-year-old jade? Could you let have a look at it?”
“There’s no difficulty in that. Xiao Xiuzhuan is not an outsider. Let get it for you,” Eunuch Qin invited Xiao Liulang to sit in a pavilion, while he ordered soone to fetch the jade pendant from the Empress Dowager’s sleeping chamber.
“Please take a look, Xiao Xiuzhuan.” Eunuch Qin personally handed the jade pendant to Xiao Liulang.
Xiao Liulang took over the jade pendant, feeling the texture and patterns, “It does live up to its reputation of being a top-notch jade. Despite the heat of sumr, it feels cold to touch. May I know where this jade ca from? Or who offered it?”
With a smile, Eunuch Qin replied, “It was a gift from the imperial prince consort to Princess Ning An. He gifted an entire piece of jade which was carved into three pieces of jade pendants by Princess Ning An. One was given to her majesty, one to the emperor, and the last one was given to Consort Jing.”
Xiao Liulang pondered for a mont before asking, “Isn’t there a fourth piece?”
Eunuch Qin shook his head with a smile, “There is no other piece left. Definitely none in the palace. I dare not speak for the outside, though it should be hard to find any. The thousand-year-old jade is a precious treasure. It was obtained by the imperial prince consort only after enduring great hardships. It wouldn’t be such a precious gift for Princess Ning An otherwise. Why is Xiao Xiuzhuan suddenly so curious about the thousand-year-old jade?”
“Oh, I just happened to read about it in a book, and developed so curiosity.” Xiao Liulang returned the jade pendant to Eunuch Qin, “Since it’s a gift from Princess Ning An, please make sure to keep it safe, Eunuch Qin.”
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