Chapter 331: Qingsong Bookstore: A Visit

Chapter 331: Qingsong Bookstore: A Visit

"What do you want to ask, Young Master Zhang?"

Zhang Xu took a step closer, lowered his voice a bit: "Is the Miss Kou I met before really not your cousin, but Miss Xin disguised as a man?"

Duan Yunlang scowled in irritation.

He really didn’t like hearing these words now.

When he didn’t get an answer, Zhang Xu raised his eyebrows: "Cat got your tongue?"

"Yeah," Duan Yunlang responded indifferently, "Young Master Zhang, mind stepping aside, I’ve got to get back to my dorm."

"Did I tell you to leave? I haven’t finished asking!" Zhang Xu was somewhat unruly, he could hold back in front of those of higher status, but he was quite arrogant when dealing with just the nephew of a Tai Pu Temple Shaoqing.

Duan Yunlang asked, trying to keep his cool: "What else does Young Master Zhang want to ask?"

"Is that Miss Xin really a spitting image of your cousin?"

"Yeah," Duan Yunlang felt he was about to lose his temper.

Was she really like Cousin Qing?

Now, thinking back carefully, recalling repeatedly, there were actually some differences. But Cousin Qing was quiet and kept to herself, and even though she lived at home for four years, who’d really take a good look at her?

Even he, who thought he was familiar and close to Cousin Qing.

Thinking of these, Duan Yunlang was filled with regret and guilt.

Just then, Zhang Xu’s question came again: "So your cousin’s been dead for a while?"

"Who the hell are you saying died!" Duan Yunlang couldn’t bear it any longer, shoved Zhang Xu aside, and strode off.

"That son of a bitch!" Zhang Xu, with a gloomy face, was about to go after him but was stopped by two followers.

"Zhang, don’t act rashly, getting into a fight at the Imperial Academy will result in severe punishment."

Zhang Xu stared in the direction Duan Yunlang left, clenching his fists.

He’d come here angry and looking for answers.

From the moment the news that Young Master Xin was Miss Kou reached his ears, unlike others who just treated it as a curious story, Zhang Xu immediately felt something was wrong.

This Miss Xin was the daughter of Empress Xin. And the Gu Chang family had caused the death of Empress Xin. Since Miss Xin was that Miss Kou, how could she have guided and helped Dai Ze?

Zhang Xu remembered clearly how Dai Ze admired Miss Kou, even he had regarded Miss Kou as a master.

But now, knowing Miss Kou’s true identity, Zhang Xu couldn’t help but suspect that Dai Ze had been set up, and it might be related to the downfall of the Gu Chang family.

Poor guy, Dai Ze, when he was exiled to the borderlands, still regarded "Miss Kou" as a master and friend!

So, unable to see Xin You, Zhang Xu came to find Duan Yunlang.

"Let’s go!" Zhang Xu suppressed his anger, flicked his sleeve, and walked out.

Not far from the Imperial Academy, at Qingsong Bookstore, Liu Zhou pulled Hu Boss: "Boss, something’s not right!"

The young clerk glanced at the backs of the students who had come in, wandered around the hall, and left empty-handed, whispering: "Usually, a few students would come to browse the bookstore at the time of school dismissal, but today, why did dozens come? They didn’t buy books or stationery, just wandered around and left, each peeking towards the back."

"Something seems off." Hu Boss instinctively reached to stroke his beard, then suddenly thought of something, making his beard bristle.

Oh no, could the secret about the silver mountain in the storeroom have been leaked?

"They’re back." Liu Zhou reminded the suddenly tense Hu Boss.

Hu Boss glanced toward the entrance and saw three students of the Imperial Academy walking in. Leading them was the eldest grandson of Chief Minister Zhang Xu. As a driven and ambitious bookstore manager, Hu Boss had long memorized this face.

Hu Boss went over to greet them.

Zhang Xu scanned the bookstore hall, noticing a few dawdling students. He immediately knew they were all here because of the rumors.

Everyone knew they wouldn’t actually run into "Miss Kou" here, but this was the bookstore opened by "Miss Kou," where she used to frequent often. Just being here, even without seeing her, could satisfy their curiosity.

Zhang Xu thought they were being childish.

He wasn’t here just to satisfy his curiosity.

"Boss, when will the owner be back?"

Even if she’s not Miss Kou anymore, she wouldn’t just stop coming to the bookstore.

At these words, the few students in the hall and those who had just wandered in all pricked up their ears.

Hu Boss, though wary, kept his composure: "The owner has been staying at the Young Master’s Residence and hasn’t come to the bookstore for quite some time."

Zhang Xu looked puzzled: "Boss, you really don’t know?"

Other students also exclaimed in surprise: "The bookstore hasn’t heard yet?"

"Young Master Zhang, what should we know?" Liu Zhou couldn’t help but ask.

This time, the news had trickled down from the top but hadn’t reached the common folk yet. Xin You hadn’t sent any messages to Hu Boss and the others, and the Young Master’s Residence was too busy to care about this. The students who came to Qingsong Bookstore, curious but mindful of Xin You’s sensitive identity, kept quiet.

Seeing the clerk’s confused look, Zhang Xu smiled: "Do you know Young Master Xin?"

Liu Zhou nodded.

Of course he did. "Journey to the West" was written by Young Master Xin under the pen name of Mr. Songling. Although Young Master Xin said that Mr. Songling was someone else, and he was just retelling Mr. Songling’s stories, it was still remarkable to be able to recount these stories so faithfully.

"Your boss is actually Young Master Xin. When she comes to the bookstore again, tell her I have something to discuss with her." With that, Zhang Xu turned and left.

Liu Zhou stood there, stunned, then asked Hu Boss in a daze: "Boss, did I hear that right? That Young Master Zhang said our boss is Young Master Xin."

Hu Boss: Still stunned.

Seeing that he couldn’t rely on the boss, Liu Zhou sighed and went to ask a student standing by the bookshelf. After giving the student a free copy of "Journey to the West," he successfully got the details.

Floating back to Hu Boss’s side, Liu Zhou tugged at the old manager’s sleeve, his voice trembling: "Boss, the boss is a, a, princess."

Hu Boss, who had just recovered: Continued shock.

Xin You stayed at the Eldest Princess’s Residence for a few days and then proposed to return to her own residence.

"The palace banquet is in two days. Wait until after the banquet to go back," Princess Zhaoyang advised.

This palace banquet would be the occasion for Xin You to formally meet the royal family. With Emperor Xingyuan’s attitude clear, those below wouldn’t dare to be careless, and the preparation time wouldn’t be short.

"I’ll come early on the day of the banquet and enter the palace with my aunt. These two days, I’ll go back to my residence to adjust to my new identity."

She wasn’t concerned about adapting herself; it was more about letting others adjust.

Xin You stayed at the Eldest Princess’s Residence for several days, letting all kinds of gossip run rampant outside without ever stepping out, just to give those who knew her some time to adapt.

Princess Zhaoyang knew her niece was a decisive person and didn’t insist on keeping her: "Then on that day, the residence’s carriage will go to pick you up."

Xin You expressed her thanks, took Xiaolian, who had been brought over from the Shaoqing Residence the second day she stayed at the Eldest Princess’s Residence, and Qianfeng and Ping’an, who had rushed back from the imperial mausoleum after sending a message this morning, and returned to the residence previously bestowed by Emperor Xingyuan.

"Welcome back, Miss!" The steward led the crowd to greet her.

Xin You, with her sharp memory, quickly noticed that many people had been replaced, with most male servants changed to female maids, and the number of guards had also increased.

Since these people were strangers to her, it didn’t matter if they were replaced or not. After giving the steward a few instructions, she went inside.

By noon, Xiaoba, who had gone directly from the imperial mausoleum to the suburban estate, brought the Sixth Boss with him.