Love is More than a Word, Chapter 86: The First Comes First (5)...

Love is More than a Word《识汝不识丁》Shi Nu Bu Shi Ding
Love is More than a Word, Chapter 86: The First Comes First (5)...
The horse carriage entered Tangyang County and sent Gu-She back to the Gu family residence.

Tao Mo followed Gu Xiaojia and watched as he settled Gu-She down before reluctantly returning to the county office.

Master Jin was in no hurry to return home after being away for a few days, so when he arrived at the courthouse, he dragged Tao Mo into the study.

As soon as the door closed, Master Jin's face fell, “Master... Do you have someone in mind to replace him?”

Tao Mo still had Gu-She on his mind and froze at the news, “Why the replacement?”

Master Jin said, “Master, don't forget who is responsible for this unjust disaster!” When he remembered this, he was furious. When he and Tao Mo left the magistrate's office, the affairs of the magistrate were entrusted to the dictator for the time being, as a sign of trust in him.

Tao Mo frowned, “But he was telling the truth.”

Master Jin has been with Tao Mo for a long time, so he knows he can't convince him from a personal point of view, so he said, “That's not the way to say it. If he is unhappy with his excellency, he can tell him so but why did he file a complaint with the Prefectural Magistrate's office? This is overstepping one's bounds and it's a taboo and wrong thing for officials! Why else would the complaint board be for?”

Tao Mo started to think deep about it.

“Besides, Master Clerk Cui didn't sue for his county or his people but for his own selfish desires. If he was honest and selfless, he wouldn't have bribed the landlord in the first place. First he bribed and then he turned against you, which is a villainous act.”

Tao Mo paced around the study, walking back to Master Jin, “But he wasn't terribly wrong.”

“A great mistake has not yet been made but sooner or later it will be, given his nature. To prepare for the unexpected is to prevent it from happening before it happens.” Master Jin tried his best to encourage, “Cui Jiong and his excellency are already at odds, so even if they work together, it's against their will. For Tangyang County, it's not good for them either.”

Tao Mo asked, “And in Master Jin's opinion?”

Master Jin knew it well, “The clerk is also an official of the court and if you want to move him, you have to go through the Prefectural Magistrate.”

Tao Mo frowned, “All this trouble.”

“It is no trouble.” Master Jin's eyes narrowed to a smile, “and the Prefectural Magistrate is the easiest way to go.” Now that the Tang City Prefecture’s Magistrate can do so much for you, it's a piece of cake.

Tao Mo said, “But with him gone, won't the position of clerk be vacant?”

Master Jin said, “The Prefectural Magistrate will naturally send someone else, so don't worry. Maybe this time, they will send the magistrate and the chief magistrate with them.” In the past, Tangyang County was a hard nut to crack and most people with connections were reluctant to come here. And those with no connections or skills couldn't stay, so there were vacancies. The Prefectural Magistrate wants to impress Gu-She this time, so he'll probably pick some decent ones and send them over.

Tao Mo saw the corners of Master Jin's mouth rising higher and higher and wondered, “Why would Master Yao be so obliging?”

Master Jin restrained himself: “I am just thinking of Tangyang County's future prosperity and stability under the Lord's leadership and my heart rejoices.”

Tao Mo shyly said, “Master Yao is flattering. I, I don't really know anything.”

Master Jin said: “You can learn to understand if you don't understand, fear will only make you worse than when you want to understand.”

Tao Mo said, “Of course I'm willing to learn, willing to understand. I made a promise with Xianzhi, that I will study hard.”

Master Jin said, “Gu Xianzhi is the greatest genius in the world and it is a great blessing for his excellency to be able to worship him as his master.”

“The world's greatest talent?” Tao Mo was stunned.

Master Jin, observing the words, cautiously asked, “His excellency wouldn't know that Gu-She is Gu Xianzhi, the world-famous genius, right?”

Tao Mo said: “I know that Gu-She is Gu Xianzhi but the world-famous talent does not know.”

Master Jin then asked, “Does his excellency know that his father is Imperial court officer, Minister Gu-Xiang?”

Tao Mo was completely startled, “Prime minister Xiang? You mean the Emperor's side...”

“The Emperor's best man, the head of all officials in the imperial court.” Master Jin seemed to know what he wanted to ask.

Tao Mo's face gradually turned pale from bewilderment to pallor and only a few moments later said, “How many pints is that?”

Master Jin made one gesture.

Tao Mo's lips quivered, smiling in a very unnatural way, “He doesn't look anything like that.”

“...” He felt like it. Such grace, such refinement and such arrogance. Master Jin didn't point it out and said quietly, “I've been away from home for a long time, so I should go back and come back in the morning but if you're not busy, you should get some rest.”

“Yeah.” Tao Mo answered unconsciously, then stumbled back behind his desk and sat down.

The sun was setting, the light was fading and it was retreating from the house.

I don't know how long after that, Hao Guozi came looking for someone with a light.

“Young Master?” he pushed open the door, shone a casual light on the lantern, was about to leave, then suddenly turned back, carefully nudged the lantern in the direction of the desk and whispered, “Young Master?”

“Yeah.”

“...” Hao Guozi clapped his chest, “Young Master, you were there, why didn't you say anything. You scared me!”

Tao Mo said: “I want to be alone for a while.”

“Young Master, it's time for supper.” Hao Guozi brought the lantern to him.

Tao Mo said: “Do you know who Gu Xianzhi is?”

Hao Guozi said, “Isn't that Gu-She? The Young Master of the Prime Minister's Office, the greatest talent in the world! At first, I was... Well, it's a good thing he doesn't mind.”

“You know he's the Prime Minister's son.” Tao Mo's face looked so lost.

“Also? Doesn't Young Master know?” Hao Guozi's glee immediately turned to anger.” Could it be that Gu-She has been deceiving Young Master and never confessed?”

Tao Mo quickly refuted: “No. No, it's not. He told me he was Gu Xianzhi but I didn't know Gu Xianzhi turned out to be so great.”

Hao Guozi remembered that Tao Mo didn't like to read, so he must have no knowledge of the world-famous genius, so he sighed, “Young Master. Actually, whether it's Gu-She or Gu Xianzhi, they're all the same person. I think he's from a famous family but he's quite approachable and he doesn't have any intention of bullying others. He's not the one who took a beating from the Prefectural Magistrate for Young Master, right? If he really cared about the Young Master's identity, he wouldn't have come to this little Tangyang County and he wouldn't have befriended the Young Master.”

Tao Mo put his hands on his face and said sadly, “I feel like I've gotten him into trouble. He's so... It's good and it's wrong to befriend me.”

“What's wrong with that? Young Master has a good heart and treats people honestly. He's lucky to have a friend like the Young Master!” Hao Guozi protected his master's heart and said, “and besides, it's just a friend, so there's no high or low opinion. It's not like we're looking for a daughter-in-law, we're not even looking for a match.” The last words came out of his mouth and afterwards, Tao Mo's face turned red and white.

“Young Master.” You don't look so good. Are you all right? Are you sick?” He reached out his hand to touch Tao Mo's forehead.

Tao Mo ducked, “It's okay. I'm, I'm... I'm hungry!”

Hao Guozi saw him jump up and run towards the door and said, “Slow down, Young Master! Be careful of falling.”

As soon as he finished speaking, there was an” Aah!” , Tao Mo tripped over the threshold and fell to the ground.

“Young Master.” Hao Guozi rushed over but someone else was one step ahead of him.

Lao Tao picked up Tao Mo, waved his hand at Hao Guozi and said, “What are you standing here for? You're making a mess.”

Hao Guozi grieves, “I'm worried about the Young Master.”

Lao Tao said, “Go to the kitchen and bring some food to study, I'll eat here with Young Master.”

Hao Guozi promised to go.

Lao Tao helped Tao Mo sit down in the chair, softly saying, “Where does it hurt?”

Tao Mo rubbed his knee, shaking his head, “It doesn't hurt.”

Lao Tao pressed his thumb against the knee and Tao Mo took a deep breath.

“You said it didn't hurt.” Lao Tao got up and lit the lamp, then took the medicine out of his arms, saw his trouser leg rolled up and his knee was really red.

Tao Mo sees him busy with himself, depressed.

“Still thinking about Gu-She?” asked Lao Tao carelessly as he gave him some medicine for his wounds.

Tao Mo denied it at first but then thought it was too much to deny and whispered.

Lao Tao casually said, “You still like him?”

Tao Mo's body froze.

Lao Tao lifted his stiff leg with one hand, put the medicine on his palm with the other and gently pushed him.

Tao Mo held his breath, not a word.

“Actually, it's not like...” Lao Tao thought of what he was going to say and was reluctant but couldn't bear to see Tao Mo trapped in love, so he struggled for a long time before he blurted out, “It's not all hopeless.”


~ Love is More than A Word ~
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