Chapter 452: Chapter 447: Master Tao’s Innate Goodness—Tao Gu Extra (Part 13)

As winter faded and spring arrived, it was already the first year of Zhengyuan.

Perhaps influenced by the impending visit of the Tibetan delegation, the young Emperor and Empress became fascinated with polo.

Upon learning that Gu Qinglan was invited to join the Empress’s polo team, Tao Fen hurried to his family’s horse farm.

He had seen Gu Qinglan’s mount before, still the same one as before.

Previously, Tao Fen also thought that the horse was good, gentle in temperament, suitable for a young lady.

But now, it seemed inadequate.

Gentle enough, but not clever or resilient enough.

How else could Yuwen Hao have driven it mad with just a little trick?

It was better to change to another one!

However, after inspecting all the existing horses, he failed to find a suitable one, so he ordered a batch to be selected and sent from the horse farm in Qinzhou. After several rounds of selection, he finally picked a mare with Yanqi horse bloodline.

The coat color was a mix of blue and white, gentle in nature, yet robust, with which Tao Fen was very pleased.

Just as he was preparing to send this horse to the Gu family, he suddenly received a summons from Empress Tang.

Empress Tang’s first words shocked Tao Fen tremendously —

“I heard Master’s newly acquired horse is a Yanqi horse?”

“It’s not a purebred Yanqi horse, can’t compare to the one Your Majesty has.” Tao Fen immediately replied.

“Oh?” Empress Tang displayed a curious expression, “May I have a look?”

Tao Fen instantly wore a bitter face: “This horse, I have… a use for…”

Empress Tang laughed straight away: “I didn’t say I would take your horse, look how scared you are!”

Just as Tao Fen was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he heard her gently sigh: “Master was such a generous person before, and now just asking a question has him guarding it like a thief, how long has this self-interest been growing?”

“Ahem…” Tao Fen was at a loss for words.

What self-interest? It was merely pre-decided to whom he wanted to present it.

“So, Master, this horse is intended for whom?”

“Uh…” Once given away, Empress Tang would definitely know, but at this moment, Tao Fen inexplicably felt embarrassed to say.

“Is it for my Fifth Sister?” Empress Tang asked with a playful smile.

Tao Fen was at a loss for words, feeling unexplainably guilty.

“Does Master have a fondness for Fifth Sister Gu?”

“No, no!” Tao Fen hurriedly denied.

Empress Tang looked at him with a smile and remained silent.

Tao Fen himself wavered.

“I see her… just as a pitiful young girl…”

Empress Tang smiled and said, “Fifth Sister doesn’t need your pity that much, although she’s born without parental ties, she doesn’t lack care—”

“When she was born, her eldest sister, who was not yet thirteen, upon hearing that no one had named her, personally pleaded with the Eldest Princess to name her Qinglan, taking her by her side, caring day and night, protecting her like a jewel. From childhood to adulthood, her poetry, books, and etiquette were all taught by her eldest sister;”

“Although the Han Family did not leave a dowry for Fifth Sister, the Eldest Princess has been saving a dowry for her since she was three, a privilege she shares only with the eldest cousin among all the grandchildren of the Eldest Princess;”

“As for the other branches of the Gu family, they’ve also shown great care for Fifth Sister. Even the Duke Yan Mansion doesn’t stand by idly, and even my sister, knowing she’s been distressed lately, invited her to play polo together—”

“Then why is she still looking so haggard?” Tao Fen mumbled.

Empress Tang laughed: “Everyone has their own emotions, experiencing a phase of distress and haggardness is quite normal, especially when she’s at the age of growth. Losing some weight is no big deal either. Last year, I was also quite thin, yet why did Master not find me pitiful then?”

Tao Fen was speechless.

Last year, Miss Tang, who was still the Crown Princess Consort, indeed thinned significantly, but since she was indulged by the Crown Prince with utmost affection, who would find her pitiful?

“If you want to talk about pitiful young girls, there are countless others in this world who are a hundred thousand times more pitiful than my Fifth Sister. What exactly is Master feeling compassion for?”

Tao Fen continued to be speechless.

Empress Tang sighed softly: “You’re still here pitying her, but today, she’s gone to Qujiang with the young gentleman of the Xue family—”

…

When Tao Fen left the Imperial Palace, his mind was in a muddled state.

By the time he came to his senses, he was already on the banks of Qujiang.

In early summer, by Qujiang Pool, flowers and people blended, willow trees hung like smoke.

Tao Fen stared blankly, uncertain of where to go.

Talking about compassion, it indeed was a bit self-deceptive.

When did this self-interest start? On careful recollection, no traces could be found.

Among the willow trees, pairs meandered past.

If it were a daughter of the Gu family with a young gentleman from the Xue family, they would surely appear even more as a talented gentleman and a beautiful lady than these pairs, wouldn’t they?

Should he just leave?

With this thought, Tao Fen’s feet, however, refused to move.

After all, he was already here…

Thinking this, Tao Fen lifted his foot, just about to move forward—

“Meow!”

A gray shadow leapt into his arms.

“Grey Slave is running wild again!” An exasperated complaint and the sound of chaotic footsteps approached.

Tao Fen turned around and caught sight of a wisp of purple skirt hem, and in an instant, nervously tugged at the fur of the raccoon in his arms, causing the little creature to let out a disgruntled “meow”.

He quickly soothed the little hero with a couple of pats, then straightened his back to look at the beautiful maiden walking through the flowers and willows.

“So it’s Master Tao,” she remarked with surprise, lightly saluting, her bright eyes glancing at the raccoon, and smiling with her lips pursed, “Grey Slave still misses its old master.”

Having said that, she made a gesture as if to come and hug the raccoon.

Tao Fen handed over half of the raccoon, and as she approached to take it, he suddenly asked in a low voice, “Am I just a good person?”

She paused, her jet-black eyelashes lifted, her eyes filled with astonishment and puzzlement.

Such a close, clear, and transparent reaction.

It seemed as if he could learn anything he wanted to know at that moment.

Tao Fen swallowed and asked again, “Am I, in Fifth Miss’s heart, just a chivalrous and virtuous good person?”

Her eyes, as serene as a clear lake, suddenly rippled as if struck by a gale, complex and unsettled.

Instead, this gradual turmoil made Tao Fen calm down, as he maintained his unwavering gaze into her eyes, waiting for an answer.

Who knows how long had passed when the ripples in her eyes gradually subsided until they glistened like a spring breeze caressing the water, so beautiful that Tao Fen felt intoxicated.

“Not really…” she spoke so softly, lowering her gaze after she finished, and hurriedly turned away with the raccoon in her arms.

“Fifth Miss!” Tao Fen hurriedly called out to her.

She paused her steps but did not turn around, her head slightly bowed, an expression that Tao Fen found unspeakably endearing.

Tao Fen silently grinned and said, “I recently acquired a Yanqi horse, very gentle. Would Fifth Miss like to have a look?”

She half-turned, swiftly lifted her eyes to glance at him, and said, “Please trouble Master Tao to send it to the Gu Mansion, and see if it’s suitable.”

Ever since Gu Qinglan uttered “not really,” Tao Fen found that his gaze was somewhat odd. For instance, at this moment, despite her dignified and graceful demeanor as a lady, he perceived a sense of cuteness and sweetness.

After nodding in haste, seeing her about to leave, he quickly added, “I also recently acquired a new batch of embroidery bags, should I send them too for Fifth Miss to have a look?”

In the past, she always wore that old embroidery bag given by the Han Family.

But the last time he saw her, it was gone, and she hadn’t replaced it with a new one.

Tao Fen kept it in mind and brought back good embroidery bags whenever he saw them.

But embroidery bags are ultimately personal items, so Gu Qinglan didn’t respond as she did with the horse, instead lifting her eyes and casting a slight, half-annoyed glance at him.

Tao Fen’s heart wavered, and he continued, “I also have a few new storybooks—”

“What does Master Tao intend?” Gu Qinglan said, half amused and half exasperated.

Tao Fen touched his nose and said, “If I intended something, would Gu Third Son throw me out?”

Gu Qinglan said nothing, merely glanced back.

Tao Fen looked over as well.

Not just Gu Wei.

The three sons of the Gu family’s first branch stood in a row, all glaring at him without expression.

Tao Fen grinned.

No Xue Family’s young master either!

…

After the marriage of the eldest daughter of the Gu family’s third branch was arranged, it stirred up quite a bit of controversy.

Gu Ling, especially at the Secretariat where scholars gathered, heard much of it, with some even pointing at his nose and cursing—

“Does your Gu family know no shame!”

The elder with hair and beard all white looked pained and indignant.

Yet the outstretched finger was unknowingly pricked by something, causing him to instinctively pull it back.

Gu Ling’s eyes flickered, and he gave a slight smile to the old scholar, took his leave while mounted, and bid farewell with hands cupped.

He had barely taken two steps when mutterings reached his ears, “Why are you so meek? Just let them point and scold at you like that?”

Gu Ling replied good-naturedly, “Back then, when my father married the princess, and later when my sister married into the Tang Family, they scolded us too. It doesn’t matter, as long as we’re happy ourselves.”

“Your family’s Fifth Miss marrying a minor official from a merchant background makes you happy?”

Gu Ling smiled, “I find it amusing.”

“What’s amusing about it?”

“Her ex-fiancé will soon be calling you Auntie. Isn’t that amusing?”

“…”

“What do you think?”

“…”

“Have there been stories like this in the novels?”

“No…”

“If you married me, there would be one immediately.”

Zhong Chuchu paused and looked at the handsome young man on the horse ahead.

Hmm…

There really was a bit of temptation…

———-

(Tao Gu’s extra Chapter ends)

(Next is the extra Chapter about Jiaojiao, planning to write it all and post together.)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep