At night, Little Jingkong wrote a heartfelt response for Brother Minmin and hung the letter on Xiaojiu’s neck. Holding Xiaojiu, he went to the east room and exclaimed, "JiaoJiao, I also have an eagle!"
He was going to use Xiaojiu to send the letter to Brother Minmin!
Gu Jiao found this amusing and patted his little head, saying, "XiaoJiu has never been to Liang Country and doesn’t know the way."
Besides, wouldn’t the letter fly away if it was left hanging like this on its neck?
How could this child be so playful?
Xiaojiu was no longer a fledgling, it was a true Hai Dongqing eagle. It didn’t understand what its little master wanted it to do and stared in confusion with its pair of eagle eyes.
"Uh, alright then," Little Jingkong was a bit disappointed. If he could use the eagle, his letter could especially fly very fast, and Brother Minmin would receive his letter in two days!
"Can I use the Eight Hundred Li Express?"
He really wished Brother Minmin could get his reply faster!
Gu Jiao looked at him and said, "You can’t use the Eight Hundred Li Express for ordinary letters."
Little Jingkong tilted his head and said, "But, but, I used it last time! I sent a letter to my master. Brother-in-law went with me and he sent it using the Eight Hundred Li Express!"
This little guy must have been fooled by Xiao Liulang.
Well, since Xiao Liulang was her husband, she decided not to expose him.
Gu Jiao then said, "That’s because Brother Minmin is not in Zhan Country, the Eight Hundred Li Express from Zhan Country cannot reach Liang Country."
Little Jingkong drooped his little head, "I see."
Gu Jiao looked at the little one’s downcast demeanor and couldn’t help but feel a little sorry. After thinking for a moment, she said, "How about this, we’ll go to the Imperial Palace tomorrow to meet Grandmother and ask if she has any official letters that are being sent to Liang Country soon. The official letters deliver much quicker than ordinary ones. If there are, we can include your letter."
"Okay!" Little Jingkong immediately turned happy again!
The next day after Little Jingkong finished his classes at Guozijian, Gu Jiao picked him up and took him to the Imperial Palace.
Gu Xiaoshun and Gu Yan had to study their crafts, so they did not come along.
Little Jingkong saw a red wax seal on the envelope of the letter Minmin sent to him, and asked Brother Xiaoshun to make one for him too.
Little Jingkong ran all the way to the Imperial Garden where Xiaojiu landed on the shoulder of a fat little boy.
The little fat boy was none other than his classmate, Qin Chuyu.
Qin Chuyu had been absent from school for a few days due to a cold, he was recuperating in Empress Xiao’s Kunning Palace.
Little Jingkong took Xiaojiu to the Medical Hall a few times where Qin Chuyu often went. Except for the first time when Xiaojiu nearly ate a small bird, every interaction between him and Xiaojiu had been pleasant.
"Brother Chu Yu! So Xiaojiu came to find you!" Little Jingkong ran up to him.
However, Qin Chuyu didn’t react with his usual enthusiasm. He hesitated for a moment before turning his back on him.
Little Jingkong came to his back, puzzled, "Brother Chu Yu, what’s wrong?"
Qin Chuyu hung his head low, trying hard not to turn back.
He already knew who Little Jingkong was. Although Little Jingkong wasn’t related to the Zhuang family, he called Empress Dowager Zhuang "Grandmother" and was often seen visiting Renshou Palace.
Though he was only eight years old, he vaguely sensed the Empress Dowager’s dislike for his father and mother, and even the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess.
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