freenovelworld Chapter 610 He no longer wanted to see his daughter's foolish appearance.
Chapter 610 He no longer wanted to see his daughter's foolish appearance.
Zhao Yunci finally couldn't help but let out a low laugh.
He leaned back on the dragon throne, relaxing completely, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "I had no idea that your Duke of Zhenguo's mansion had become so impoverished?"
"You can't even afford a congratulatory gift for the Crown Prince, yet your daughter has to go to such lengths to raise funds for your Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?"
Gu Junze lowered his eyes, closed the booklet, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is too kind. It is I who have failed to properly educate my daughter."
"Your Majesty! This is no joke!"
Upon hearing the emperor's attitude, the Grand Tutor became anxious and stepped forward again.
"This is an act of misleading the public and undermining the dignity of the royal family! If it is not severely punished, everyone will follow suit, and the country will cease to exist!"
Zhao Yunci waved his hand, signaling the Grand Tutor to calm down.
He leisurely took the booklet from Gu Junze's hand, flipped through it twice, and his smile deepened. "Grand Tutor, you flatter me."
"I think this is not extortion, but rather innocent words from children, and the children's sincere hearts."
He pointed to the three small characters after each item and said to the Grand Tutor, "Grand Tutor, please look, this girl knows her limits. She wrote 'to be worked out' after each item, and didn't make any promises."
"This shows that she was aware of the situation and did not intend to deceive anyone."
Zhao Yunci placed the booklet on the imperial desk, his expression becoming more solemn.
"Grand Tutor, it's a good thing that the children have this spirit of unity among classmates and respect for the Crown Prince. As elders, we should guide them properly, rather than suppressing them and chilling their hearts. What do you say?"
The old tutor felt a lump in his throat, unable to exhale or exhale.
What else could he say? That the emperor was wrong? That the students shouldn't be protected? That would be going against His Majesty.
Looking at the emperor's obviously biased expression, and then at the unmoving Duke of Zhenguo standing beside him, he felt aggrieved, but also knew that this matter was unlikely to be pursued any further.
He sighed deeply and bowed deeply to the dragon throne: "Your Majesty is wise."
Zhao Yunci nodded in satisfaction, and the tense atmosphere in the imperial study finally eased.
His gaze fell back on the three little kids standing below, finally settling on Gu Qingchen, the culprit.
"Alright, I understand the matter." Zhao Yunci's voice carried a hint of curiosity. "However, Gu Qingchen, I would like to ask, with so much silver raised, what kind of earth-shattering gift have you prepared for the Crown Prince?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingchen abruptly raised his head.
Her mind went blank for a moment, as if a buzz had gone off.
congratulations?
What gift?
Her face turned from white to red, then from red to white again. Her bright eyes were first filled with confusion, then replaced by a look of fear.
These days, she first thought about how to get money from Manager Liu, and after failing, she thought about how to "crowdfund" from her classmates. After getting the money, she devoted herself to "purchasing goods" and setting up a stall to sell jewelry.
The original purpose, the pretext of preparing a congratulatory gift for His Highness the Crown Prince, had long been forgotten by her!
Gu Qingchen subconsciously slapped his forehead.
"Ouch!"
Lin Jiayou and Qian Zhenyun also froze. They looked at each other and saw the same surprise in each other's eyes.
They forgot too! They were too busy playing along with her antics!
Gu Junze slowly closed his eyes.
He no longer wanted to see his daughter's foolish appearance.
Zhao Yunci was taken aback by Gu Qingchen's reaction, then she understood what was going on and couldn't help but point at her and burst into laughter.
The old tutor's lips twitched as he looked at the emperor, his minister, and his daughter, feeling dizzy and lightheaded.
I felt a lump in my throat, and my vision blurred.
He clasped his hands tremblingly, his voice filled with weariness and helplessness: "Your Majesty, this old minister... this old minister will take his leave now."
"Go on, go on." Zhao Yunci waved her hand. "Grand Tutor is getting old, he should go back and rest properly. Don't let such trivial matters upset your health."
What could the old tutor say? He could only bow deeply and turn around, his steps faltering slightly.
Only after the old Grand Tutor's figure disappeared outside the palace gate did Zhao Yunci's laughter gradually subside.
His gaze swept over the three silent children below, finally settling on Gu Junze's icy face.
"Alright, you three, you may leave now." He instructed, "Lin Jiayou, Qian Zhenyun, you two go and wait in the side hall."
The two boys, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, bowed respectfully and practically fled.
Gu Qingchen also wanted to slip away, but as soon as he took half a step, he was frozen in place by his father's icy gaze, unable to move.
"Duke Zhenguo, stay." Zhao Yunci's voice softened.
Only the emperor, his ministers, and his daughter remained in the imperial study, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.
Zhao Yunci walked down the steps and strolled to Gu Junze's side, patting his strong arm.
“Cousin,” he said earnestly, “you and Chu Ruohan don’t need to be so nervous.”
Gu Junze lowered his eyelids slightly and remained silent.
"It's just the Crown Prince's birthday; it's just an excuse for the children to play around."
Zhao Yunci's tone was reassuring, "They're all still young, marriage is a long way off."
He paused, lowered his voice, and looked intently at Gu Junze.
"Besides, I promised you."
Gu Junze finally reacted. He nodded slightly, his cold and hard face showing no emotional fluctuation, and his voice remained calm as ever.
"I understand, sir."
Having said that, he took a step back and bowed again: "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave with my daughter."
"Go ahead." Zhao Yunci nodded and sat back on the dragon throne.
Gu Qingchen shrank back, no longer daring to act rashly. He lowered his head and followed his father step by step, like a little quail being targeted by an eagle.
The father and daughter disappeared outside the hall. The solemnity on Zhao Yunci's face slowly faded, replaced by a playful smile.
He picked up the messy "crowdfunding list" on his desk, and his mood brightened.
I promised you.
He had indeed promised Gu Junze that he would never force Gu Qingchen to marry the Crown Prince by imperial decree.
The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion commands a large army and its merits overshadow the ruler, so he would not use marriage alliances to coerce or suspect him.
Can……
Zhao Yunci tapped her fingers lightly on the names in the register, the corners of her mouth curving upwards.
What if I happen to fall for these two kids?
If they develop feelings for each other over time and fall in love, then it's beyond his control as their father.
I was merely going with the flow, creating more opportunities for them to spend time together.
Seeing cracks appear on Gu Junze's usually impassive face, even in the face of imminent collapse, is more interesting than anything else.
This girl is interesting.
It would be a perfect match for his son.