Chapter Fifteen

This Zhou Huan was a notorious playboy in Qiling County. Because his family was wealthy, he had been fond of excitement and chivalry since childhood. He spent his days in brothels, competing with his patrons for women.

Until his mother fell seriously ill, she died with resentment, muttering that Zhou Huan was useless.

His mother's death suddenly brought this prodigal son to his senses. He severed ties with his former cronies, buried himself in his studies for several years, and eventually passed the imperial examination to become a scholar.

Zhou Huan was generous and had taken good care of Li Zhi, who was nearly ten years younger than him, when they were studying at the county school. Since they hadn't seen each other for a long time, Li Zhi agreed with a smile.

The four of them happened to meet, found a restaurant on a bustling street in Xiandu Prefecture, and noisily asked the waiter to find them a table on the second floor. After sitting down, they began to chat excitedly.

Although Li Zhi was the youngest of the four, Zhou Huan and the others all said they were not as composed as him. At the table, Zhou Huan kept pulling them to discuss the questions to be tested in the autumn examination, while he just silently drank his tea and listened with a smile.

Zhou Huan, seeing this, teased him, "Li Zhi, we've been guessing riddles here, and you haven't said a word. Are you going to memorize our guesses so you can go back and write a couple of masterpieces and outshine us all?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi barely managed to laugh out loud. He quickly put down his teacup and begged for forgiveness, saying, "If I had this in mind, would you still ask me to help you with the questions every time there's a big exam at school?"

Zhou Huan was just joking. Knowing that he never liked to show off, he let it go and ordered the fried meatballs and braised venison that had just been served, saying, "If you don't like to talk, then eat more. Otherwise, your mouth will be of little use."

He then asked the waiter for a small jar of wine, insisting that he and his classmates have a few drinks together.

After a few drinks, their faces flushed.

"This is truly Xiandu Prefecture. Even a random restaurant can serve such fine wine," Zhou Huan remarked, chewing on peanuts. "I probably won't pass the exam this time, but it's good to broaden my horizons."

Upon hearing this, the expressions on the other two scholars' faces also became complicated.

A short man named Zhao Jing sighed, his lips twitching slightly. He raised his cup with a smile and said, "Actually, we scholars take the imperial examinations only to realize our ideals and ambitions. If we fail once, we'll try again. Since they are ideals and ambitions, how can they be realized so easily?"

"I think Zhao Jing's words are particularly well said!" Zhou Huan put down his chopsticks and clapped.

Another scholar named Gu Chen shook his head and said, "Actually, even if you don't pass the exam, you can still help others. It's just another way to get ahead."

Although these words sounded slightly discouraging, it was normal. Just as Zhou Huan was about to speak, Gu Chen said something surprising: "This time, I don't plan to take the exam."

Zhou Huan sprayed a mouthful of wine all over Gu Chen's face.

Li Zhi quickly took a handkerchief from his sleeve and handed it to Gu Chen.

"Brother Gu, this only happens once every three years, what's going on?" Zhou Huan looked at him in surprise.

Zhao Jing, however, seemed to have known about this all along. He reached out and patted Gu Chen's arm, saying to Zhou Huan, "Everything has its own destiny, and Brother Gu has his own path to walk."

"No." Zhou Huan scratched his head anxiously. "Scholars, students, isn't our path to success the imperial examinations? Otherwise, what are you doing in Xiandu Prefecture?"

Gu Chen comes from a wealthy family and is the only son in the family. If he doesn't take the exam this time, he can stay in Qiling County and be comfortable. Why bother traveling all the way to Xiandu Prefecture? Zhou Huan was a little puzzled.

The three people at the table were exchanging pleasantries, and although Li Zhi didn't say anything, he was also preoccupied with many thoughts.

The images of the three people were reflected in his eyes.

“If you don’t want to take the test, then you don’t have to. I’m sure you two brothers have your reasons,” Li Zhi suddenly interrupted Zhou Huan’s questioning.

Zhou Huan wiped his sweat and looked at Li Zhi suspiciously: "Don't tell me you're not taking the exam either. If you, a child prodigy, say you're not taking the exam, I will personally escort you into the examination hall."

Li Zhi chuckled, but before he could speak, Zhao and Gu started arguing with Zhou Huan again.

The meal lasted for more than an hour, and finally ended with the three of them arguing.

Zhou Huan had drunk too much and was unsteady on his feet, so Zhao and Gu suggested that they take him back to his residence.

“You just said you live outside the city. It’s getting late, and if you don’t leave the city soon, the gates will probably close. You should go back now.”

Zhao Jing and Gu Chen supported Zhou Huan from both sides and said to Li Zhi with difficulty.

“That’s right, then you should go back first. Be careful on the road, and come find me when you have time,” Zhou Huan said with a simple smile.

Li Zhi sighed inwardly, thinking that these two classmates probably had something to hide.

This matter involves Zhou Huan, and even he, in his current state, cannot turn a blind eye to it.

Therefore, Li Zhi did not agree, but smiled and said, "It's alright, it's good to go and check out Brother Zhou's place, it will be convenient for next time."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jing exchanged a subtle glance with Gu Chen across Zhou Huan.

"That's fine too." Zhou Huan nodded frantically, his tongue slurring.

Since their master, Zhou Huan, had agreed, Zhao and Gu naturally had no reason to object. They could only reluctantly serve as human crutches for the robust Zhou Huan, until their veins bulged from exhaustion.

Li Zhi followed behind them with his hands behind his back.

The four arrived at a quiet courtyard, which was Zhou Huan's property in Xiandu Prefecture. There were also several servants inside, responsible for taking care of Zhou Huan's food and clothing for the past few months.

When the servants saw that their master had come home drunk again, they smiled wryly and went forward to take Zhou Huan in, and carefully helped him to bed.

The three scholars exchanged glances, and Zhao Jing smiled gently, "Since Zhou Huan is like this, we can only talk about it another time."

"Knowing his address will make it easier to talk to him later," Li Zhi replied.

With that, the three declined Zhou Huan's servants' offer to see them off and left the courtyard side by side. When they reached the main street, just as Li Zhi was about to part ways with them, Zhao Jing called out to him, "Where do you live outside the city? Now that we know, it will be easier for us to visit you next time."

Li Zhi's eyes flickered, and he lied, saying, "I'm staying in the village."

"Oh, I see."

Zhao Jingyi bowed to him listlessly and left with Gu Chen.

Li Zhi thought for a moment, then turned back and walked towards Zhou Huan's house.

The Zhou family's small courtyard was purchased in a quiet area, close to the main street and the government office, so it must not have been cheap.

Li Zhi looked around the courtyard for a while, found a corner where he could see the entrance, and hid there.

Sure enough, a short while later, Zhao and Gu, along with a middle-aged man with a large build and small eyes, launched a surprise attack.

The three whispered something to each other at the gate of Zhou Huan's courtyard, then returned the way they came.

Li Zhi waited a while longer.

This time, Zhao and Gu did not appear; the squinty-eyed man arrived at Zhou Huan's door alone.

With a smile on his face, he cautiously looked around and quietly wrote something on the wall of the small courtyard.

It was a blood-red mark.

The next instant, the mark seemed to melt into the wall, and the squinting man disappeared as he had come.

Li Zhi emerged from the corner, stood at the door of Zhou Huan's house, and stared intently for a while.

There were no marks left on the wall.

Meanwhile, Baozhu and Saixue slipped into Chen Garden together.

Upon entering Chen Garden, one realizes that it is just as large as the neighboring Ruan Garden, and even its structure is exactly the same.

Baozhu asked in surprise, "How come the Chen family built a garden that is exactly the same as Ruan Garden?"

“That’s not all.” Sai Xue glanced back at Bao Zhu and swished her tail smugly. “Let me tell you, there’s another forbidden area in Chen Garden.”

"what for?"

"Specifically designed to counter the practices of Ruan Yuan!"

Sai Xue said in a serious tone.

Baozhu was startled and exclaimed, "Why?"

“Because,” Sai Xue said, shaking her head and taking small, quick steps, leading Baozhu toward its dwelling, “I won’t tell you.”

If she didn't want to talk, she wouldn't. The principled Baozhu scratched her head in frustration.

Sai Xue caught a glimpse of Bao Zhu's expression and felt a surge of joy, her steps becoming even lighter.

The cat and the fox soon arrived at Sai Xue's residence.

It turned out to be a proper courtyard with a main house and side rooms. There was even a dead tree in the courtyard, stripped of all its leaves and covered with many wooden planks for placing cushions.

This young master Chen!

Baozhu stared in disbelief as Saixue climbed to the top of the withered tree and looked down at her from above.

She had never met anyone who loved cats so much.

Sai Xue looked at Bao Zhu's expression with satisfaction and said arrogantly, "Isn't your family like this? If a mortal isn't good enough, just replace it with a better one. How can you not offer sacrifices?"

Sai Xue mocked him, saying that Li Zhi was no good.

Baozhu composed herself and retorted defiantly, "I don't think your young master Chen is anything special. Why doesn't he get you a golden nanmu tree instead of the one you're sitting on?"

With her sharp eyes, she spotted the scattered jade balls in the courtyard and added, "Your ball is just Xiuyan jade, nothing special. You still treat it as a toy? Oh my, they wouldn't even give you mutton fat jade."

Sai Xue stopped listening. It stood up, anxiously turned around in a circle, and stammered, "What is golden nanmu? And what is mutton fat jade?"

"I won't tell you," Baozhu said in a drawn-out, strange tone.

Sai Xue tilted her head and thought for a moment, then gave up and said, "Then I'll tell you where the Chen family is causing trouble, and you tell me what golden nanmu wood and mutton fat jade are, okay?"

Baozhu pretended to think.

Sai Xue was so anxious that she wagged her tail wildly.

"Alright."

Baozhu shrugged.

Sai Xue paused for a moment, seemingly sensing something was amiss, but after thinking for a while, she couldn't find the reason and could only hesitantly say, "Then come with me."

A fox and a cat, avoiding the servants in Chen Garden, quietly sneaked into a courtyard.

Kneeling on the open ground in the courtyard was Young Master Chen, whose eyes were swollen shut.

Sai Xue didn't even look, and led Bao Zhu around to a dark room at the back of the courtyard.

"Look."

There seemed to be some kind of formation in the dark room, preventing the two monsters from entering. They could only squeeze together, heads close together, peering through the crack in the window.

The dark room was filled with smoke, and from the ceiling to the floor, countless cinnabar talismans were pasted on it, suppressing a memorial tablet in the very center.

Baozhu squinted and finally understood that it read "Position of Ruan Tianzheng".

"Is this the memorial tablet of Minister Ruan?" Baozhu asked in a low voice.

"right."

Why would the Chen family do such a vicious thing?

This evil formation, even through a door, exudes a venomous resentment, likely intended to condemn Ruan Tianzheng to eternal damnation.

What did Ruan Tianzheng do to the Chen family?

Sai Xue tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said lazily, "I forgot. I overheard a few words last time, but I didn't take it to heart."