Chapter 4 The pear blossoms in the courtyard... (The sentence is incomplete and lacks context.)

The pear blossoms in the courtyard had unknowingly bloomed on the branches, and even after Su Yuanshuang entered the examination hall, Lin Mushi still hadn't seen the Lord Xie that Shan Qing had mentioned.

I visited the Xie residence a few times, but wealthy people's mansions all have formations set up. While they might not be able to defend against powerful demons, they are more than enough to defend against minor demons like him with little cultivation.

Even Su Yuanshuang's residence was set up with an array. If Su Yuanshuang, as the host, hadn't invited him in, Lin Mushi might not have gone in.

Lin Mushi, who was sitting on the veranda with his chin in his hand, was pulled back to his senses by a figure rushing past him. He looked closely and realized that it was Shan Qing, who had been anxious every day ever since Su Yuanshuang entered the examination hall.

Before Lin Mushi could even get close enough to see what was going on...

Then three people entered through the courtyard gate. The owner of the mansion, pale-faced, was being helped back by two people.

Shan Qing stepped forward and took Su Yuanshuang from one of the people, then instructed the person who had been pushed aside, "Have someone bring the prepared ginseng tea, and you go and fetch a doctor quickly."

—

Lin Mushi calculated the days and realized that today was the day the imperial examinations ended.

He stood up, dusted himself off, and followed the others into the house.

After finishing a bowl of ginseng tea, Su Yuanshuang's complexion gradually regained some color.

"Didn't your young master go to participate in the imperial examination? Why does he look so pale?" Lin Mushi asked when Shan Qing had some free time.

While watching the doctor taking Su Yuanshuang's pulse, Shan Qing replied to Lin Mushi: "Young Master has been eating and sleeping in the examination hall for the past few days, and hasn't even had a hot meal. You don't know, some candidates who are not in good health were carried out a couple of days ago."

Lin Mushi nodded as if he understood, and inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief that he was a demon.

The doctor withdrew his hand from taking the pulse. "Young master's health is fine, but he is a little weak. I will prescribe some tonics for him to drink for a couple of days and he will be fine."

The doctor picked up his medicine chest and followed the servant out the door.

Su Yuanshuang's complexion was much better than when she first entered the room. Shan Qing remembered something important and said seriously, "Young Master, a servant from the Chen family delivered an invitation a couple of days ago. The second young master of the Chen family plans to hold a poetry gathering at Chan Gui Lou after the imperial examination. Would you like to attend, Young Master?"

Su Yuanshuang didn't answer, but instead turned her gaze to Lin Mushi beside her: "Mushi, have you found out any news about the person we're looking for?"

Lin Mushi, whose name was called, snapped out of his reverie and replied, "Not yet."

"In that case, why don't you come with me to the poetry gathering? There will be many people there, and maybe we'll find news about the person Mu Shi is looking for."

...

Three days later, Lin Mushi, wearing the clothes Shan Qing had prepared for him, once again boarded the Su family's carriage.

Although the results hadn't been released yet, Su Yuanshuang had already relaxed. When she saw Lin Mushi enter the carriage, her gaze lingered briefly on the young man's face before she smiled and teased him:

"Oh my, whose young master is this? He's even more handsome than the girls."

Today, Lin Mushi was dressed in a blue robe, which was much more eye-catching than his usual drab clothes.

Shan Qing had tidied up his hair, which he usually tied up haphazardly, and the red mole between his eyebrows, which used to be faintly visible under his bangs, was now fully exposed.

With a face devoid of emotion and an aura of pristine cleanliness surrounding him, he truly resembled a disciple of an immortal at first glance.

But this feeling was quickly shattered when Lin Mushi spoke: "These clothes are too troublesome to wear, why don't I change back into my own clothes?"

Su Yuanshuang's smile revealed a hint of helplessness as she raised her hand to straighten Lin Mushi's disheveled collar: "Since you're already wearing it, just keep it on. Changing back would be too much trouble."

Su Yuanshuang has also noticed in the past few days that Lin Mushi is a simple and honest person. The roundabout ways that work for scholars simply don't work on him. It's better to be straightforward and explain things to him directly.

—

At Chan Gui Lou, Lin Mushi sat alone by the window eating pastries prepared by the host, while Su Yuanshuang was surrounded by a crowd.

It wasn't that everyone intentionally isolated Lin Mushi, but rather that games like the "Floating Wine Cups on a Winding Stream" and the "Flying Flower Order" were hardly considered amusement for someone like Shi Tou who could barely read a few characters.

It brought Lin Mushi far less pleasure than the plate of pastries in front of him.

As for Lord Xie, the only information Lin Mushi gleaned from the conversations was that Lord Xie was serving as the chief examiner for this year's imperial examination.

Thinking of this, Lin Mushi couldn't help but sigh. Putting aside the conditions for participating in the imperial examination, even if he actually met that Lord Xie, what could he do? Even if he did meet him, he couldn't be sure for a while whether Lord Xie was the heartless man who murdered his wife and children.

Lin Mushi sighed again, no longer thinking about things that were still unseen, and instead lowered his eyes to look at the osmanthus tree in front of the window.

He noticed as soon as he entered that there were many osmanthus trees in the Chan Gui Lou, and even though it was still March, the osmanthus trees were in bloom.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the osmanthus flowers were not real flowers, but rather gold and silver carvings shaped like osmanthus flowers and attached to the branches.

Smelling the faint fragrance of osmanthus in the air, Lin Mushi searched for a place to place the incense.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced out the window and saw a group of people dressed as imperial guards appear outside the building.

Lin Mushi was, after all, a demon, and his hearing was far beyond that of an ordinary person. He heard the leader say from afar, "Do not let anyone in the building escape."

Before Lin Mushi could understand the meaning behind the Imperial Guard commander's words, he saw the well-trained Imperial Guards disperse, with one group breaking into Chan Gui Lou and the rest surrounding it.

The Imperial Guards rushed into the building in pairs and herded the scattered crowd together.

Lin Mushi's first reaction was to jump out of the window and escape, but looking at the crowd surrounding Chan Gui Lou outside the window, he changed his mind. Even if he could escape with magic, there were many capable people in Yanjing who were loyal to the royal family. He could escape Chan Gui Lou, but he might not be able to escape Yanjing. Besides, he did not want to reveal his identity as a demon for the time being.

"Go over there."

Therefore, as the Imperial Guards pushed and shoved behind him, Lin Mushi obediently followed their instructions and walked towards the courtyard.

As Lin Mushi passed by Fang Qian, the commander of the Imperial Guards, he noticed that Fang Qian's brows furrowed slightly and his expression changed for a moment when he saw him, but he said nothing and watched calmly as the Imperial Guards took Lin Mushi away.

As instructed by the Imperial Guards, Lin Mushi arrived at the outer courtyard and saw Su Yuanshuang in the crowd. He raised his hand and waved to her, but before he could lower his hand, he felt a movement of air behind him.

Lin Mushi didn't dodge, but was pushed a few steps by the Imperial Guards behind him. "Behave yourself."

At this moment, Su Yuanshuang also saw Lin Mushi, who had just entered the outer courtyard, and gently shook her head, signaling the latter to observe the situation.

After standing in the outer courtyard for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, one of the Imperial Guards ran up from behind and reported to Fang Qian, "Commander, everyone is here."

Fang Qian nodded and said to the imperial guards in the courtyard, "Take them all away."

A wealthy-looking man dressed as a merchant, who appeared to be the manager of Chan Gui Lou, put on a fawning smile and cupped his hands towards Fang Qian: "Commander Fang, I wonder what my humble shop has done to warrant such a fuss?"

Fang Qian turned around and gave Manager Wang a meaningful look: "Manager Wang, you'll know soon enough."

Manager Wang's face turned deathly pale. Fang Qian seemed not to notice the sweat on Manager Wang's face, and then ordered the Imperial Guards, "Take him away."

Upon exiting the Chan Gui Palace, Lin Mushi saw Shan Qing across the street, looking panicked, running towards Su Yuanshuang, only to be stopped by the Imperial Guards.

Outside the Chan Gui Tower, there was a lot of noise, with many people gathered not far away, looking at the Chan Gui Tower and discussing it.

"Hey, what happened?"

"Yes, why did they take everyone away? My neighbor's son is still working here. I need to send a letter back first."

"Could it be that the Chan Gui Lou has offended some important person?"

"Hey, if you ask me, it's not as simple as offending a powerful person. There are quite a few scholars here who were arrested today. Look, isn't that the son of Minister Chen?"

...

The chaotic discussions reached Lin Mushi's ears, but he couldn't hear Su Yuanshuang and Shan Qing's conversation clearly.

They could only exchange a few hurried words before being separated by the Imperial Guards. Shan Qing glanced in his direction from afar before quickly leaving.

—

After ordering his men to imprison everyone at Chan Gui Lou, Fang Qian hurriedly went to the residence of Xu, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, to report back.

After being led into the main hall by the servant, Fang Qian saw from afar that, in addition to Lord Xu, there was another figure in a scarlet official robe sitting at the head of the table.

His gaze swept across the man's face, and Fang Qian's eyes flickered as he bowed: "Greetings, Your Excellencies."

"Commander Fang, you've come at the perfect time. Lord Xie is here too. Tell me, how's the matter I asked you to handle?" Xu Shaoqing waved his hand, signaling the waiter to serve tea, and then inquired.

"All those who went to Chan Gui Lou today have been imprisoned." Fang Qian lowered his head slightly and reported respectfully, but his eyes kept glancing at another figure at the head of the table.

Xie Zhuo's brow furrowed slightly after Fang Qian finished speaking, but relaxed a moment later as if remembering something.

Xu Shaoqing, who was sitting next to Xie Zhuo, did not notice anything amiss, but Fang Qian, who was sitting below, subtly glanced at Xie Zhuo.

"The imperial examination this spring was marred by cheating, and His Majesty is furious. Commander Fang has been working hard these past few days." Xu Shaoqing turned to Xie Zhuo: "I wonder how the investigation is going on your side, Lord Xie?"

"I have already submitted the list of officials involved in this matter to His Majesty, and await His Majesty's decision on how to handle it."

...

The three talked for about half an incense stick's time before Xie Zhuo put down his teacup and took his leave.

Having delivered Fang Qian's message, Xie Zhuo left, and still harboring his own thoughts, he also took his leave.

After leaving the Xu residence, Fang Qian saw Xie Zhuo's carriage still parked at the gate. He instructed the servant to lead the horse back to the residence and then got into Xie Zhuo's carriage.

"Lord Xie, were you waiting for me?"

Xie Zhuo didn't answer, but poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of Fang Qian: "Sit down."

After Fang Qian sat down and drank the tea in his cup in one gulp, Xie Zhuo's voice was heard: "Commander Fang, is there something you want to say to me?"

"Lord Xie is indeed very thoughtful." Fang Qian held the small celadon cup in his hand, carefully considering his next words: "Today when I went to Chan Gui Lou, I saw a young man..."

At this point, Fang Qian paused, his eyes sweeping over Xie Zhuo's face: "He bears a six or seven-point resemblance to Lord Xie. I checked the young man's household registration and found that he is from Sishui County, is thirteen years old, and his surname is Lin."

Xie Zhuo showed no extra emotion on his face, but the ripples spreading in the teacup he held betrayed his inner turmoil.

After a moment of hesitation, Xie Zhuo took a sip of the now-cold tea in his hand. The cool liquid flowed down his throat, bringing a bitter taste to his mouth.

The teacup made a soft sound as it was placed on the table. Xie Zhu swallowed the bitterness in his throat, his eyes clear: "Thank you, Commander Fang. I will send someone to investigate this matter."

A note from the author:

----------------------