Chapter 160: 112 Empress Dowager (first night watch)_2

The Prince of An raised his hand and knocked on the door.

The door was opened by Little Jingkong.

On that day, before Gu Jiao made a move, Little Jingkong was taken into the private school by Gu Yan, so he didn’t know what happened afterwards, nor did he see the Prince of An.

However, after getting in the carriage, the Prince did glance back and saw Gu Jiao leading Little Jingkong out of the private school by the hand. There was also a young man who looked strikingly similar to Lord Gu following them, likely the Gu Yan who was diagnosed by the imperial physician as terminally ill.

How peculiar, why would this little guy be here?

“Is this your home?” The Prince of An asked.

Little Jingkong didn’t fully open the door, only revealing a round little head through a crack in the door: “Of course this is my home, who are you? What are you doing at my home?”

The Prince of An spoke gently: “I was just passing by and would like a bowl of water to drink.”

“Then wait a moment!” Without inviting him in, Little Jingkong closed the door. In a little while, he brought him a bowl of water, “Here.”

This little one is rather wary…

The Prince of An took the bowl and drank all the water, then returned the empty bowl to him: “Are you home alone?”

Little Jingkong instantly became vigilant, even narrowing the crack in the door: “Are you a kidnapper? Why are you asking this?”

The Prince of An calmly responded: “Ah, no, just that I had your water and wanted to give thanks to your elders.”

Little Jingkong said seriously: “I brought you the water. Just thank me!”

The Prince of An didn’t expect such a response from this child. Startled for a moment, he said, “Ah, thank you then. By the way, could you tell me the way to Daniu Village?”

If it was about Xinghua Village or Yangliu Village, Little Jingkong would know, but the location of Daniu Village was beyond his knowledge. He was stumped on the spot.

With a smirk, the Prince of An asked, “Could you help me ask your elder?”

“My elder is busy. Go ask elsewhere. Go east, the seventh house is a family named Luo. Uncle Luo drives a bullock cart, he knows all the villages!” After giving him the direction, Little Jingkong decisively closed the door, not forgetting to bolt it!

Jiaojiao warned him never to let strangers in when the adults are not home!

He was a child and his granny was an old woman, neither of them were adults!

As someone who had traveled abroad, he was experienced but he didn’t expect to be refused at the door by a child.

But he wasn’t so easily deterred. If the front door wouldn’t work, then he would try the back door.

He had to see that elderly lady today.

The Prince of An circled around to the back door.

The kitchen’s back door was closed too, but it wasn’t locked.

The Prince of An paused for a moment, gently pushed the door open, and stepped inside.

His footsteps were so light that they made no sound.

Just as he took a few steps inside, a figure suddenly emerged from behind the door, wielding a rolling pin and aiming a strike at his head.

With a muffled thud, the Prince of An was knocked unconscious.

The old lady tossed the rolling pin back onto the chopping block, looking down at the unconscious Prince of An with his face facing down, she scoffed disdainfully, “Sly and sneaky, you can tell he’s no good.”

She had heard the entire conversation between the Prince of An and Little Jingkong. He kept asking if there were any adults at home, and even after being rejected, he still tried to sneak in. He was a thief, a definitive small-time thief!

It wasn’t unusual for the old lady to be suspicious. After their family’s livelihood had improved, there had indeed been some petty thieves eyeing their property. But those thieves only came at night when Gu Jiao and Gu Yan’s bodyguards were around and could be dealt with easily.

She didn’t expect the thief to be so bold as to break in in broad daylight!

The old lady looked at his handsome face and clicked her tongue in disapproval, “With your face, you should be doing something better than being a petty thief. But… why does this boy look familiar… have I seen him somewhere before?”

The old lady’s blow was hard. When Gu Jiao, Gu Xiaoshun, and Gu Yan returned from chopping firewood on the mountain, he was still unconscious on the kitchen floor.

Gu Jiao, Gu Xiaoshun put down the two bundles of firewood from their backs, and Gu Yan also put down his half-basket of dry branches and leaves.

“Jiaojiao, we had a thief at home, granny is so powerful, she knocked out the thief!”

Little Jingkong instantly turned into a broadcasting machine, repeatedly detailing the events.

But Gu Jiao quickly recognized that he wasn’t a petty thief, but the lavishly dressed young man she had seen outside the private school a few days prior – the Prince of An, as referred to by Gu Jinyu.

Gu Jiao did not have a particularly good or bad impression of him. He didn’t defend his sister but apologized to Lord Gu and her. At such a young age, he was so considerate. She didn’t know whether he was inherently just and kind, or if there was more to him.