ending

A few laughs rippled through the room.

In the midst of silence, it appears abrupt, like a stone falling into a secluded well.

The crowd followed the sound and saw a kind-looking young man staring wide-eyed. He belatedly covered his mouth, his voice escaping through his fingers, "Why are you looking at me? I'm not that wild duck."

This man was Shi Yao, the second-place scholar in this year's imperial examination. He was usually unremarkable, but his words caused several scholars present to tremble.

Why is this kid causing trouble?!

But Shi Yao didn't give up. He said in an impeccable tone, "Chengzhi, your wife and you are a perfect match, a match made in heaven!"

Liu Xu smiled and said, "Xiuyuan is absolutely right."

Shi Yao continued, "I heard that so-and-so's brother-in-law went to Lady Xie's house to propose marriage a few days ago. Regardless of whether this family has any outstanding wealth or power, or even if they are slightly better off than others when they were down on their luck, how can they have the nerve to flaunt their ugly appearance and get married?"

"As the saying goes, 'Sons resemble their mothers, and daughters resemble their fathers.' Isn't this ruining that girl's life? Having a whole litter of them will make three generations ugly!"

"puff--"

Finally, someone in the room couldn't help but burst out laughing, like a blunt embroidery needle relentlessly scratching at Chen Liufang's naked body.

He hadn't expected Shi Yao to be so bold, like a leaky sieve, blurting out everything.

Chen Liufang wasn't actually that ugly, but his sleazy demeanor and perpetually cold and sinister expression truly shrouded him in the fog of being called an "ugly monster."

He said, "When did it become your place to criticize this?"

Shi Yao shook his head: "I wasn't talking about you, Liu Fang. Why are you taking it personally?"

Xie Lingxi never expected to witness such a farce during her trip. Putting aside everything else, Shi Yao's words really gave her a lot of face.

Moreover, this scandalous affair was not widely known to the public. After Shi Yao's revelation, some of the older members of the group, recalling the Xie family's former glory, felt a surge of scorn.

The Xie family of Chenliu has a history of hundreds of years. Even if they want to marry off their daughter, they have to ask the Xie family for permission. How dare the Chen family, which has just established itself in Chang'an, come to their door to humiliate the Xie family's daughter?

Even Xia Hanlin's expression changed.

It was lunchtime, and seeing the strange atmosphere inside, everyone patted their empty stomachs and scattered like birds.

Before leaving, Xie Lingxi took Liu Xu's arm and nodded to Shi Yao: "I'll have Chengzhi treat you to drinks another day."

Even after walking a distance away, I could still hear Shi Yao say, "No need for drinking, but remember to tell me any gossip you have in the future!"

...

The Southern Courtyard was in an uproar.

Yang Shuo had noticed that his waist tag was missing earlier, so he reported it and got a new one. However, the craftsman in charge of making waist tags at the yamen took leave, so he just let the days pass by without paying any attention to it.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that the waist tag that had fallen into the injured official's residence still bore his name.

That's really shortening my lifespan!

Another rumor arose in the capital, saying that the murderer was an ugly man with a scar on his forehead. Yang Shuo grasped at this like a lifeline and ordered his men to investigate.

A quick check revealed a startling discovery: among all the registered residents of Chang'an, whether merchants, farmers, or scholars, the only thin man with a scar on his forehead was Chen Tanhua!

Yang Shuo held the portrait, looking at it from left to right, then touched his own face, his expression full of disbelief: How could someone like this be a third-place scholar?

The Chen brothers sneaked to the deserted temple and found only ashes from the burning of the door frame and a few tattered pieces of clothing, but no charred corpse.

I've been tricked!

While the two brothers were feeling lost, Chen Liufang's cousin frowned and pondered deeply. He then made an excuse and ran away. Chen Liufang returned to the Chen residence alone and was ambushed by Yang Shuo, who had many eyes and ears, in a secluded alley.

The two tigers fought and wrestled all the way to the Dali Temple.

Xiao Yin, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, suppressed a laugh and led the man into the interrogation room.

Inside the hall, the table was covered with files, portraits and confessions were piled up haphazardly, and next to it was a precious purple jade inkstone, uniquely shaped, with a xiezhi carved on the top, looking very heroic.

Several mahogany chairs were neatly placed on the left and right sides, simple and elegant, complemented by the black orchids.

Amidst the chaos before them, Chen Liufang and Yang Shuo were still wrestling, while on the other side, Lord Zhang, whom they had just dragged from his home, was trembling as he was about to smash his head against a pillar.

"Your Excellency is wise! Since I became an official, I have devoted myself to my duties every day. How could I betray my principles for the sake of a small gain!"

Xiao Yin sat in the main seat, his expression somber. "Whether it is true or not, we'll have to investigate to find out."

The gavel slammed down on the table, sending the scrolls of paper flying.

"You say you didn't change the rankings, but can anyone testify to that?"

Zhang Shitu: "This ranking was the result of a collaboration between me and several colleagues, and they can all testify to that."

"But how do I know they aren't colluding with you?" Xiao Yin pointed at Chen Liufang. "If the list is accurate, how could someone with his appearance become the third-ranked scholar?"

At this moment, Chen Liufang and Yang Shuo had fought several times, their hair disheveled and covered their faces without any regard for their image. They stared with rat-like eyes and remained silent with pouting lips.

Zhang Shitu was stumped for a moment.

"this……"

Yes, ever since the imperial examinations, the one with the best appearance among the top three has been called the third-ranked scholar. How come this year...

After a moment, he realized, "This is the Emperor's own decree; how can we question it?"

Xiao Yin sneered: "I think His Majesty is blind!"

These words, which disregarded social hierarchy and age, startled Zhang Shitu. "Lord Xiao, you mustn't speak so recklessly!"

Even if His Majesty heard this, he wouldn't be willing to kill me.

Xiao Yin smiled gently at him, flicked his sleeve, and turned to look at Chen Liufang, "Lord Chen, oh no, I should call you Young Master Chen now."

Seeing Chen Liufang's bloodless face and murderous gaze, he pulled out a stack of papers, with ink flying across them.

"I recently acquired some things and have been wanting to show them to you. It's not easy, but I'm so glad you've finally come."

—From the dust, they all fell away; there were several exam papers.

The sheet laid out in front of him was hardly a masterpiece; even the handwriting was merely neat. The first few paragraphs showed a deliberate attempt to imitate the style of others, but the true nature of the writing was revealed in the later parts.

Below is a masterpiece, a testament to the author's skill.

Chen Liufang collapsed to the ground in despair.

Xiao Yin pointed to the signature on it, "I had someone find these scrolls and also collected your calligraphy. Is this scroll titled 'Clear Source of the Qu River' yours, or someone else's?"

"You're a pawn to be discarded, don't you understand?"

...

The Chen family's schemes were meticulously planned and interconnected, with plagiarism, proxy exams, and exam paper swapping forming an unbreakable industrial chain. Led by an insider in charge of the imperial examinations, even if the secret were to leak out, it would be enough to silence the person forever.

Then they framed Tang Zexue, who did not pay homage to any faction.

Although this move is risky, the chances of success are extremely high.

Unfortunately, they did not expect that Xiao Yin, a tough nut to crack, would suddenly appear in the middle.

Logically speaking, with the recent influx of princes from other regions into the capital, the Dali Temple was receiving numerous case files daily, so how could they possibly have noticed a nobody like Tang Zexue?

Xie Lingxi knew that she and Liu Xu were probably involved in this as well.

Because of her request, Liu Xu frantically inquired about Tang Zexue in Chang'an, which had already attracted Xiao Yin's attention, not to mention his unknown relationship with Mo Shen.

A breeze rises in the evening; it is now the height of summer.

Xie Lingxi took the candied hawthorn from Liu Xu's hand and pondered, "I didn't understand before, but now that I think about it, you must have had a mentor back then to be able to enter the palace examination."

Liu Xu wiped the sugar stains from the corner of her mouth for her. "My lady is very insightful."

"My first meeting with my teacher was not at Huichuntang."

Xie Lingxi exclaimed in surprise, "Is it Grand Tutor Du?"

Liu Xu nodded.

"His Majesty was aware of this cheating scandal long ago, and he simply watched us fight amongst ourselves with a cold eye."

Xie Lingxi broke out in a cold sweat. "No wonder...no wonder Xiao Yin was so bold."

Presumably, the reason for summoning Elder Du to the capital was for this purpose.

The Emperor did not care about Tang Zexue's life; nor did he care to know who had taken the exam for someone else.

If a scholar or official were to be accidentally injured, the emperor, sitting alone on a high platform, would at most best offer a few scrolls of Buddhist scriptures for burning incense and brewing tea.

Unfortunately, the emperor did not believe in Buddhism.

Even sages vie for power; the act of boiling beans with a winnowing basket is merely a matter of one faction overthrowing another.

Xie Lingxi thought, "The world is bustling, and the common people are being treated like fish on a chopping block."

The lowly are used as pawns by others.

She looked at Liu Xu again, her voice bitter: "And you? Did you already know?"

Liu Xu gently cupped her hand in a comforting gesture, "I don't know."

"I am not His Majesty's man."

He looked at his wife, who was trembling slightly, with the sunset glow reflecting on her snow-white, sweat-drenched face, like peach blossoms rippling on spring water.

"My teacher taught me the art of diplomacy, which is to establish a livelihood for the people. I come from the countryside of Jiangzhou, so I understand this perfectly well."

Xie Lingxi calmed down and looked up at him: "You're wrong."

"What?"

"Master Du taught you how to navigate the complexities of politics, aiming to benefit all under heaven, not to fight for power and profit. But if you don't fight and grab, how can you stay in Chang'an for long? Who can guarantee that your head won't roll off your shoulders?"

Xie Lingxi bit into the last hawthorn berry, which was coated with sugar. The sweet and sour taste in her mouth reminded her of the plum juice in June of her previous life.

"Since you've accepted the invitation from my Xie family..." She wanted to say something ominous, but hesitated for a moment before softly uttering, "You absolutely mustn't betray me."

...

Liu Xu swore repeatedly that he had no intention of disobeying Xie Lingxi.

He even recounted in detail the scene when he was summoned to the Imperial Study. Seeing that Xie Lingxi still had a stern face, he said helplessly, "Lingxi, I didn't mean to keep it from you. It's just that I didn't know before either. It was only today, when His Majesty tested me, that I confirmed my thoughts."

Xie Lingxi asked, "What did His Majesty test you about?"

"Ask me what I think of the Chen family."

“My family and the Chen family are definitely not birds of a feather.”

As Liu Xu walked, he tried to put his arm around Xie Lingxi, but she dodged him.

Her light blue dress fluttered like a beautiful butterfly in the alley. As the sunset faded, it seemed to capture the starlight in Xie Lingxi's dress, blending the blue sky and the red flowers.

"Yes, yes." He made a gesture with one hand, while holding a pastry from Babaozhai in the other. "I said I was born to be my wife's person, and I will die to be my wife's ghost. I will definitely side with my wife in everything."

"How will His Majesty think of you?"

"What's the big deal?" Liu Xu said nonchalantly. "Isn't His Majesty also afraid of Empress Lu?"

Xie Lingxi finally took Liu Xu's hand; the tips of her beloved's fingers were warm, as if they were burning.

They say the ten fingers are connected to the heart.

She murmured, "But His Majesty also wants to kill Empress Lu."