The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Chapter 422 Preparations for the Provincial Examination
"You're overthinking it. How could I be angry with you? We're cousins, after all. It's just that the provincial examination is approaching, and I'm not as smart as you, so I have to work harder. I didn't expect that my studying every day would cause you to misunderstand."

The cunning Gu Jingzhe would never show any dislike for Gu Ruinian in front of Grandpa Gu.

Even though he was extremely annoyed by his cousin.

What my cousin just said was a trap, both openly and subtly, for him.

How could he fall for that?

Why not just bring one person along? Mother has said before that since Gu Ruinian is always up to no good, it's safer for us to keep him by our side.

Gu Ruinian pretended to be embarrassed and said, "I'm glad that Brother Jingzhe isn't angry with me. Grandpa always says that you can't write two 'millet' characters in one stroke. We are all Grandpa's grandsons, and we should work together to help Grandpa bring honor to our ancestors."

Gu Jingzhe also pretended to be sincere and said, "When it comes to bringing honor to our ancestors, we will have to rely on you. My cousin is smarter than me. I studied hard since I was a child and only passed the first level of the imperial examination, while you passed the first level of the imperial examination after studying for half a year. This time you will definitely pass the provincial examination and become a scholar with ease, but I am not so sure. Master Su said that I have a lot of knowledge that is not solid."

Gu Jingzhe spoke with a tone of frustration.

Gu Ruinian said calmly, "Brother, you are so diligent, Heaven will definitely not let you down. Both of us brothers will pass the imperial examination this time."

But in his heart he didn't care.

He was eager for Gu Jingzhe to pass the imperial examination with him, as long as Gu Jingzhe didn't steal his thunder.

He even hoped that he would become a prime minister in the future, and Gu Jingzhe was his right-hand man.

Grandpa Gu was very pleased to see the deep brotherly bond between Gu Jingzhe and Gu Ruinian.

"You two are not only my most promising grandsons, but also the most promising descendants of our Gu family. Our ancestors have blessed me, allowing both of my grandsons to excel in their studies. As the saying goes, 'Brothers fight tigers together, fathers and sons go to war together.' This time, you two will go to the prefectural city together and strive to pass the imperial examination to become scholars."

"Yes."

"Yes."

Gu Jingzhe and Gu Ruinian looked very respectful.

"Jingzhe, you are the older brother. Now that we're in an unfamiliar place, you need to take good care of him." Grandpa Gu made a new request to Gu Jingzhe.

"Yes, Grandpa," Gu Jingzhe replied verbally, but inwardly he sneered.

Gu Ruinian isn't a three-year-old who needs his care.

I'm afraid that once he gets to the prefectural city, Gu Ruinian will let himself go.

He had heard that Gu Ruinian often cheated old man Gu out of money to go out to town for food and drinks.

"Jingzhe, where will you stay in the prefectural city?" Old Madam Gu suddenly asked.

“My second brother bought a courtyard house, and I’ll be staying there,” Gu Jingzhe said.

The courtyard was said to have been bought by Gu Dashu, but in reality, it was bought at Tong Huaqiong's behest, and thus naturally ended up under Tong Huaqiong's name.

Old Mrs. Gu, Old Mr. Gu, and Madam Jia were quite uncomfortable when they heard that the eldest son's family owned a house in the prefectural city.

Grandma Gu said, "Then let Ruinian live there with you."

Gu Jingzhe noticed a hint of displeasure on Gu Ruinian's face and said, "That depends on Ruinian's opinion."

Grandma Gu said unhappily, "I think your mother is just stingy. So what if your cousins ​​are taking the exam with you and living in your mansion in the prefectural city? Even when your father was alive, he wouldn't have objected."

Gu Jingzhe remained silent, but Gu Ruinian spoke up: "Grandma, you misunderstood. It's me who doesn't want to stay at Brother Dashu's house. If I go, I'm afraid Brother Dashu will be busy taking care of me. I'm used to reading alone, and if I'm not used to being taken care of, it will hinder my performance."

Gu Ruinian had no desire to live with Gu Jingzhe.

He had long heard that the brothels of this era were quite unique. He hadn't had time to go before because Jia Shi was watching him all the time in the south. Now that he was in the prefectural city, how could he not go to the brothels to broaden his horizons?

I've heard that courtesans are willing to spend generously on talented men, so he can easily charm the top courtesan by reciting a few lines of poetry by Li Bai and Su Shi.

If that girl were to introduce him to someone of high rank and power, like Li Shishi in Water Margin, wouldn't that eliminate the need for the imperial examination process?

He prepared extensively for this potential meeting.

Besides, he not only wanted to raid brothels, but also to find opportunities to get close to the daughters of wealthy families. Given his cousin's rigid nature, living with him would definitely be a way for him to stop.

Grandma Gu snorted and said, "Ruinian, don't be afraid, Grandma will stand up for you."

Jia knew her youngest son well and knew that when Gu Ruinian said he didn't want to live with Gu Jingzhe, he really didn't want to live with Gu Jingzhe.

That's true. Her son is so smart; it wouldn't be good if Gu Jingzhe stole his knowledge.

Of course, she wanted Gu Ruinian to live in the mansion in the main city, which would save the family a lot of money. However, if this affected her son's performance, no one could bear the responsibility.

After careful consideration, they were willing to grit their teeth and save money to let Gu Ruinian stay in a hotel.

Madam Jia then said to Old Madam Gu, "Mother, let's listen to Ruinian and let him stay in a hotel. He's used to reading by himself."

Grandpa Gu took a puff of his pipe and frowned.

It would take at least seven days to get to the prefectural city, and Gu Ruinian spent a lot of money on lodging, food, and other necessities.

Seeing that Grandpa Gu didn't seem too happy, Gu Youtian said, "Ruinian's exam is important."

Ever since Gu Ruinian instigated his investment failure, he has remained cold towards his son.

The reason he sided with his son this time was because he thought Gu Ruinian was his hope for a turnaround. If his younger son passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, the clan would lend him money to start a business because of his scholar status.

Moreover, he was hoping that Gu Ruinian would become a scholar and find a good marriage partner.

Therefore, my son absolutely cannot make any mistakes in this exam.

Grandpa Gu slowly said, "Alright, let Ruinian stay at a hotel."

Since his son agreed that his grandson should stay in a hotel, Grandpa Gu gritted his teeth and agreed.

Gu Ruinian breathed a sigh of relief.

The old man finally agreed.

With a moved expression, Gu Ruinian assured his grandfather, "Grandpa, I promise you, just to be filial to you, I will definitely pass the imperial examination this time."

He originally wanted to say he would take the top spot in the case, but considering that Gu Jingzhe was nearby, he decided not to scare his cousin.

Grandpa Gu said with a moved expression, "I believe in my grandson."

Gu Jingzhe watched all of this with a cold eye.

Alright, he wanted to see just how capable his cousin was once he arrived in the prefectural city.

"We'll depart at dawn tomorrow."

Gu Jingzhe told Gu Ruinian the departure time, and then walked out of the old house.

Back home, Gu Jingzhe told Tong Huaqiong about how Grandpa Gu had asked Gu Ruinian to go to the prefectural city with him.

Tong Huaqiong wasn't surprised at all; she had already guessed the old house's plans.

Tong Huaqiong had already mentioned it to Gu Jingzhe, and she was afraid that Old Master Gu would let Gu Ruinian and Gu Jingzhe go together.

She didn't seem to care.

She was afraid that Gu Ruinian, this fellow townsman from the modern era, might be plotting something bad and frame Gu Jingzhe for cheating, so she instructed Gu Jingzhe to keep an eye on this cousin, and at the same time asked Su Chengmin to keep an eye on Gu Ruinian.

To her surprise, Gu Ruinian actually offered not to stay at Gu Dashu's place.

If someone who loves to take advantage suddenly stops doing so, it can only mean that they have other plans.

Therefore, Tong Huaqiong instructed Su Chengmin and Nie Xiaofeng to keep an eye on Gu Ruinian. It didn't matter what trouble he caused, but they couldn't let it implicate Gu Jingzhe.

She was still hoping that Gu Jingzhe would protect her in the future.