Chapter 8 Dreamy Recruitment

Shen Hegui stood up, sat back down at the desk, and said succinctly, "Speak."

"This humble subject has indeed acted as a proxy examiner many times and received a lot of fees for doing so. But this humble subject can swear that for all the scholars or candidates who hired this humble subject to take the exam for them, this humble subject did not write a suitable exam essay. Those essays that were too excellent had to be revised many times before they could be copied onto the examination paper. They could obtain the title, but they could not obtain the highest honor, because the essence of the essay had been lost in the many revisions."

"As for the few that don't need to be modified, they are often quite talented and insightful, but they have lost some confidence or are just having a moment of despair and want to take a shortcut."

Shen Hegui sneered: "So, you did some screening before the proxy exam?"

"Yes, but in officialdom, relationships are all about personal connections. Some people take exams for others, and I, a lowly official from a poor family, have no choice but to compromise. Besides, if I don't do it, someone else will."

She was telling the truth. Yanjing had no shortage of learned and talented scholars who could write articles. It was a small matter if she refused to offend people, but the real issue was that a mediocre person could obtain a top-ranking Jinshi degree, pass the palace examination, and make his way in the officialdom.

"Lu Wensheng, how dare you!" Shen Hegui didn't think so; the anger in his heart was finally ignited.

Born into the royal family, no matter how unfavored he may be, this officialdom is still the Shen family's officialdom. Lu Wensheng's words are tantamount to pointing fingers and cursing, implying that the Shen family has failed to manage the officialdom well.

Outside the West Warm Pavilion, Feng Gou flinched in surprise. He turned to Lin Shoubai beside him and whispered, "What does Your Highness intend to do with Editor Lu?"

Feng Gou asked tactfully, but Lin Shoubai understood that he was trying to find out whether Lu Wensheng was alive or dead.

Lin Shoubai: "If I die, what does Daiban intend to do?"

Feng Gou: "Our family needs a caring godson, and Guan Lu, the editor, would be perfect." In his view, it's better to be alive than dead; once a person dies, it's as if they have nothing left.

Lin Shoubai was born into a prominent family in the capital and possessed a noble and proud spirit, unlike Feng Gou, who had risen from humble beginnings. He thought that castrating Lu Wensheng to enter the palace was not as good as killing him directly to avoid humiliation and ridicule from the world. So he spoke up to dissuade Feng Gou from his idea, saying, "Don't worry, you won't die. At most, you'll suffer some physical pain."

After a short rest, he broke out in a sweat again, and his previously congested nasal passages became much clearer. Kneeling on the soft cushion, Lu Wensheng suddenly felt his mind become clear.

"I know that honest advice is hard to swallow, but there are some things I have to say."

Shen Hegui hadn't even ascended the throne yet, but he had already uncovered her misdeeds in such a short time, which showed his extraordinary abilities. It was better for her not to hold the official position, so she wouldn't have to live in constant fear under Shen Hegui's watchful eye.

It's truly baffling. So many parasites and rats are gnawing away at the foundation of the nation, yet he, Shen Hegui, turns a blind eye and insists on focusing on her meager survival skills in the mud.

Lu Wensheng felt a surge of resentment, but he didn't show it on his face.

"This humble official initially wanted to be a good official, but the salary given by the court was simply too low. As a seventh-rank compiler, the annual salary was ninety shi of grain. If it were actually paid in grain, that would be fine, but in reality, it was often paid in paper money, cloth, pepper, and other goods. The paper money was rampant and devalued, becoming worthless. The goods paid in kind were often useless, and their actual purchasing power was often only a fraction of the nominal standard, or even a tenth."

"I'm not afraid of Your Highness laughing at me, but my first salary was used up so much that my whole family got constipated and my mother developed hemorrhoids. After deducting rent and daily expenses, my meager monthly salary was barely enough to buy my mother some good medicine."

At this point, Lu Wensheng let loose and started calling herself a "traitor" repeatedly, saying how wronged she felt.

"Because I have no connections in the officialdom, I don't want to, and can't, be a clean and pure official, become an outcast, and then be repeatedly ostracized. In my four years as an official, I haven't been corrupt; I've earned money entirely through my own abilities, and I'm not afraid of Your Highness investigating."

“At first, I didn’t want to live on loans from the capital; I couldn’t afford to pay those high-interest loans. In the past, I needed my official position to protect my mother.” And herself.

After a brief pause, Lu Wensheng's voice lowered, "Now, it's unnecessary. I don't want to be a poor official in the capital anymore."

After Lu Wensheng finished speaking in one breath, Shen Hegui remained silent for a long time, his anger gradually subsiding.

He looked down at the people kneeling below. Unlike other disgraced officials who groveled and begged for mercy, he directly tore open the most unbearable and realistic wounds of officialdom, laying them bloody and raw before him. It was the first time someone had spoken of "the salary is too low, so I have to find another way" with such righteous indignation and helplessness.

The two sat and knelt, letting the silence spread.

Lu Wensheng's knees gradually went numb.

That damned feudal prince, she's not serving him anymore! He makes her kneel for ages almost every time they meet.

The bright moon outside gradually moved eastward, and after an unknown amount of time, the crackling sound of the candlelight broke the stagnant atmosphere.

Shen Hegui turned his gaze back to Lu Wensheng and said, "You keep saying you earn money through your own abilities, but do you know that the abilities you sell are shaking the foundation of the imperial examination system, deceiving the emperor and the people, and harming the hopes of the poor scholars of the land? This is no different from those corrupt officials you despise in that they are essentially bringing disaster to the country and its people. A meager salary is not a reason for you to openly put a price tag on your talent and trample on the law!"

Lu Wensheng bowed his head on the spot, then straightened his upper body, taking the opportunity to slightly shift his knees, adopting a submissive demeanor: "Therefore, I admit to this crime willingly. The following year, when I was short of money, in order to atone for my sins, I used all the money I had earned from robbing others to help refugees and disaster victims. Every single expense was recorded. If Your Highness does not believe me, I can go home and retrieve the account books."

She was testing Shen Hegui's attitude. If he wanted to kill her tonight or imprison her, she would use the imperial edict to blackmail him.

As Lu Wensheng said these words, Shen Hegui got up to trim the candle wick.

The charred, carbonized end was cut off, and the originally flickering, dim flame suddenly stood upright again, emitting a bright and stable orange light.

Shen Hegui raised his hand and flicked the candlelight, as if teasing and taming the flame. "According to the national law, cheating in the imperial examinations is punishable by beheading or exile, or by caning. Which one do you want, Editor Lu?"

As a seasoned official, she didn't want to choose any of them.

Lu Wensheng remained silent, offering no resistance.

Seeing that Lu Wensheng remained silent, Shen Hegui turned around, his gaze sharp as an arrow, his voice not loud, but carrying immense force, each word striking Lu Wensheng's nerves: "Is it difficult to choose?"

His gaze reminded Lu Wensheng of the deft arrow that killed the Minister of Revenue.

Lu Wensheng unconsciously rubbed his official robes and asked, "May I ask Your Highness, how many strokes of the caning punishment should be?" If a choice had to be made, the latter option would be better; between two evils, choose the lesser.

"How many strokes do you think are appropriate, Editor Lu?" Shen Hegui asked Lu Wensheng again.

Is there even a choice?

Lu Wensheng tentatively asked, "Ten times?"

Shen Hegui countered, "Ten times?"

Lu Wensheng's heart tightened. Had he said too little? Just as he was about to change his mind, he heard Shen Hegui reply, "That's fine." He thought Lu Wensheng would make a choice.

She didn't understand why Shen Hegui had suddenly become so easy to talk to.

“I can punish you leniently, but you have to do me a small favor.” Shen Hegui walked up to Lu Wensheng again and looked down at him, saying, “You took the exam for someone else for four years and were very close to Zhang Mianzhi. You must know some things that would take a long time to find out.”

Lu Wensheng's eyes widened slightly as he looked up and stared directly into Shen Hegui's eyes.

This is no small favor! He wants her to betray Prince Su and His Majesty, to become a fence-sitter who sides with the other side!

Lu Wensheng stared directly at Shen Hegui, which could be considered an overstepping of authority, but Shen Hegui did not take it to heart.

He looked at her as if scrutinizing prey struggling in a net: "What, is it hard to decide?"

In just a few breaths, Lu Wensheng's mind raced. She was considering whether to directly offer the imperial edict to Shen Hegui in exchange for it, thus escaping unscathed.

Forget it, let's keep it for now. Taking out the imperial edict is, in the end, a betrayal, and it cuts off our escape route even more ruthlessly.

"Please grant me paper and pen, Your Highness," Lu Wensheng said, yielding.

The finest Xuande paper, along with the imperial brush, was placed before Chen Hegui's eyes in his room.

Lu Wensheng selected some and listed them on the paper.

She'll just write a brief outline; let Shen Hegui investigate the ice hidden beneath the water's surface slowly, since it's only a temporary fix and won't address the root cause.

After she finished writing, Shen Hegui summoned Lin Shoubai to take Lu Wensheng away for execution, and instructed him to send the person home to retrieve the account books.

Lu Wensheng had not returned home, and the small courtyard at the end of Luanshu Hutong remained brightly lit, with Song Zhiyun and Yingniang still awake.

Lu Wensheng leaned against the familiar door, and just as he raised his hand, before he could knock, the door was gently pulled open from the inside.

Song Zhiyun, dressed neatly, stood behind the door and immediately noticed Lu Wensheng's unusually pale face. Her heart tightened, and she quickly stepped forward to take Lu Wensheng's arm, carefully leading her into the courtyard: "Why is your face so pale, child!"

Song Zhiyun's voice was filled with undisguised heartache and anxiety.

"I'm fine, Mother, don't worry."

It was past midnight, and the night was dark and cold. Lin Shoubai specially lent his cloak to Lu Wensheng. The thick, dark cloak wrapped her up from head to toe, and because it was so long, it dragged on the ground, which perfectly concealed the barely perceptible stiffness and awkwardness in her movements.

Song Zhiyun was completely unaware, thinking her daughter was just cold, and hurriedly tried to bring her inside.

Lin Shoubai withdrew his gaze from the hem of his cloak trailing on the ground, and looked up to remind him, "Editor Lu."

Lu Wensheng understood immediately, suppressing the throbbing pain in his buttocks and trying to keep his voice steady: "Mother, go and get the account book I hid in my pillow."

Only then did Song Zhiyun notice the tall figure behind her daughter, dressed in a crimson flying fish robe, and the embroidered spring knife at his waist, which gleamed coldly in the night. Having lived in Yanjing for four years, she naturally knew what this attire signified, and her face instantly paled.

This made her even more nervous.

“Wen Sheng…” Song Zhiyun clenched her sleeve, her eyes filled with worry.

Lu Wensheng almost lost his balance when he was gripped so tightly.

Song Zhiyun wanted to say something more, but Lu Wensheng interrupted her and urged, "It's getting late, don't delay the adults' work."

"Yes, Mother is going right now." Song Zhiyun was stunned by the word "office" and just wanted to get rid of Lin Shoubai, this evil god, as soon as possible. She turned around and hurriedly walked into the house, her steps quick and chaotic.

After Song Zhiyun had walked away, Lu Wensheng turned to Lin Shoubai and whispered, "Thank you for the cloak, sir. I will wash and dry it in a few days and return it to you."

"You're too kind, Lord Lu," Lin Shoubai replied succinctly.

Lu Wensheng casually started a few more conversations with Lin Shoubai to avoid an awkward silence.

After receiving the account book from Song Zhiyun, Lin Shoubai did not look through it on the spot. He simply weighed it in his hand and then said, "Now that I have received the items, I will not stay any longer. Editor Lu, take good care of yourself and remember to come to the morning court tomorrow."

"Thank you for the reminder, sir." She forced a smile and saw Lin Shoubai off.

Once the carriage carrying Lin Shoubai had completely driven away, Song Zhiyun immediately bolted the door shut.

Yingniang emerged from the shadows, carrying large and small bags, and hurried to help Lu Wensheng. She had been standing far away, so she could see clearly that her husband was injured and in pain.

Lu Wensheng: "Didn't I tell you two to leave? Why aren't you leaving?"

Qingying explained, "He left in the afternoon, but I saw that even that corrupt official, Chief Minister Zhang, came out of the palace unharmed, so I thought that if even he was alright, my lord would surely be able to escape danger as well."

Song Zhiyun nodded in agreement, "You've always been intelligent; I know you'll come out safely."

Lu Wensheng didn't know whether to cry or laugh, but since this chapter was over, he didn't intend to say anything more.

"I'm not in any immediate danger, but Your Highness punished me with ten strokes of the cane." Before Song Zhiyun could exclaim in surprise, Lu Wensheng quickly reassured her, "It's not serious, it was just for show, I'm only a little swollen now."

"Ten strokes?!" Song Zhiyun gasped, her voice rising instantly. Even her own mother couldn't bear to punish her!

Lu Wensheng sighed. She knew it would turn out this way.

Lu Wensheng gestured for Yingniang to help her into the house, and then said, "Mother, the neighbors are all asleep, so please keep the noise down."

Actually, if you walk slowly enough and use very little force, the pain is still within a tolerable range.

"Okay, okay." Song Zhiyun responded softly, and rushed to Lu Wensheng's side in a few steps. Without hesitation, she bent down and showed her not-so-broad back to her daughter, saying, "Mother will carry you inside, don't walk anymore."

It's all the fault of this world. Her perfectly good daughter has been tormented to this extent. These sins are not something a girl like her should have to suffer.

Looking at her mother's slightly hunched back, Lu Wensheng felt a pang of sadness, but without hesitation, she carefully leaned over and gently wrapped her slender arms around Song Zhiyun's neck.

Song Zhiyun was used to doing housework and farm work, so her arms, waist, and legs were strong. She steadily supported Lu Wensheng, who weighed just over 100 pounds, and with the strength of her waist and legs, she stood up effortlessly and walked steadily into the house.

Since Yingniang couldn't support Lu Wensheng's buttocks, she could only support her legs instead to ease Song Zhiyun's burden.

Yingniang followed slowly behind the two, her eyes filled with envy. How wonderful it would be if her mother were like her lover's mother.

In the quiet night, the three of them walked slowly and steadily toward the lamp that had been left lit for Lu Wensheng.

...

That night, Shen Hegui lay on the new couch and had a very beautiful dream.

In his dream, the air was filled with mist and warm fog, and the water ripples, carrying vibrant flower petals, washed over him, yet they could not quell the inexplicable heat rising in his heart.

Two steps away, a slender and well-proportioned figure stood with her back to him, her black hair flowing like a waterfall, clinging wetly to her smooth back. Water droplets rolled slowly down her graceful curves, eventually disappearing into the secluded, alluring depths beneath the water.

Uncontrollably, Shen Hegui lifted his leg and moved closer. The water rippled gently with his movement, disturbing the tranquility of the pool.

His fingertips slowly touched that slightly cool back, and his heart pounded with excitement.

The woman's slender, warm arms wrapped around his shoulders, then briefly touched his throat before moving downwards.

As the steam dissipated slightly, her hazy face was revealed. She seemed to want to say something, but in the end, only a very soft murmur escaped her lips.

The sound was like a feather, gently scratching his heart and bringing a tingling sensation.

He wanted to hold her, but his fingertips, against his will, brushed against a strand of damp hair that had fallen beside her temple. The scent on her hair was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had smelled it before.

“Your Highness…” she murmured.

He heard a low, hoarse whisper escape his throat in response.

The next moment, he could no longer restrain himself and suddenly pulled the person into his arms.

Their hot bodies suddenly pressed tightly together.

The wide pool water seemed to boil instantly, scalding their skin. She trembled slightly in his arms, like a startled bird, and her feeble resistance only fueled his predatory desire.

After an unknown amount of time, his desire subsided slightly, and he leaned down, attempting to capture those two rosy lips...

But the woman in his dream suddenly rebelled, her expression changing as she bent over and thrust her body towards his most vulnerable spot.

"Hmm!"

He Gui suddenly woke up, sat up from the bed, his chest heaving violently, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

The moonlight outside the window was cool and clear, and the moonlight shone through the window frame onto the ground.

The bedchamber was deathly silent, with only his own rapid breathing clearly audible.

He subconsciously raised his hand, his fingertips still seemingly retaining the delicate moisture he had touched in his dream, and his nose seemed to be surrounded by that faint, alluring fragrance.

Shen Hegui closed his eyes, took a deep breath of the cold air, and tried to suppress the restlessness and lingering heat in his body.

No, no, he hasn't felt this way in a long time.

A note from the author:

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