Like Pearl and Jade

Chapter 33

In Purple Imperial Hall, Gu Chang Ling finished his class with Jin Yang and then gravely thanked Jin Yang for his grace.

"Teacher does not have to be so." Jin Yang walked forward and reached out to help Gu Chang Ling stand back up from his bow. "This is just Zhen's affection for Junior Sister. When a brother cares for a sister, where is there thanks to speak of?"

Gu Chang Ling looked at the emperor who had a serious expression. He said after a momentary daze, "Your Majesty treats my daughter so, how can this subject feel this is a prerogative?"

Jin Yang smiled upon hearing this and said to Gu Chang Ling, "Teacher is worrying too much."

Even if Gu Chang Ling was skilled verbally, he didn't know how to continue talking. It was not appropriate to express gratefulness again, but if he did not, it went against how a subject should act towards his monarch.

"Your Majesty, County Princess Changyan is asking for an audience." A young eunuch came in and interrupted his dilemma.

"Please, invite the County Princess in." Jin Yang took a step forward with his left foot. When he turned and saw Gu Chang Ling still present, he imperceptibly pulled his foot back. "Junior Sister has taken great care of Mother-Empress. Mother-Empress treats her like a daughter. A county princess title is nothing."

Gu Chang Ling lowered his head and thought silently, but this was not a true blood daughter. You and the imperial family doing this has caught the Gu Family greatly off guard.

"Your Majesty," Gu Ru Jiu entered the hall. She first curtsied to Jin Yang and then bowed elegantly to Gu Chang Ling, giving a bright smile.

"Junior Sister, how is it that you have come here?" Jin Yang sat down at the front and invited Gu Ru Jiu and Gu Chang Ling to be seated. "Have the palace attendants not been serving properly?"

"The palace attendants have taken great care of me. I came today to thank Your Majesty." She stood up and curtsied again. "This subject has no talent or virtue to be ennobled as a county princess, and feels great fear."

"I treat Junior Sister so in hopes that Junior Sister will be good and at peace," Jin Yang hurriedly said. "If this frightened you, it was my fault. Do not think that. My original intentions were not so."

While a person's sincerity or lack thereof could be faked through words, it could not be faked by one's eyes.

Gu Ru Jiu looked at the other's eyes and suddenly stilled. In these last years, while she had frequently seen Jin Yang in Kangquan Palace, Jin Yang had never postured as an emperor in front of her, and acted more like a gentle youth. She only thought that this was caused by the other's upbringing and innate personality, and did not feel that Jin Yang really had much sibling affection towards her.

But from how the other looked at her, she felt slightly ashamed. She was ashamed that she had relied on her so-called wisdom and knowledge to think of the other's true feelings as courtesy and their concern as politeness.

She would always judge objectively as an outsider whether he was a good emperor, and ponder his every action and word. She had never treated him like a close friend or brother.

"No, I was frightened, but also happy. Thank you, Your Majesty." Gu Ru Jiu smiled, her lips pressed together, and her eyes also laughing. "I am slightly unused to suddenly becoming a county princess."

Even if he became an emperor like those of many history books, at least he had treated her sincerely in his youth. Then she should not treat his sincerity as though it was a matter of fact.