This scene was witnessed by Yongle and the woman in red beside her. The two hid behind the tent and whispered, "This Song Si is really bullying people by taking advantage of his power."

"Where does she get her power? She's clearly just a petty person who's gotten ahead," the woman in red laughed.

"Auntie is different; her description is more accurate than mine!" Yongle praised.

The woman in red slapped her on the back of the head. "Come on, forget about them, let's go eat roasted mutton!"

Yongle followed her around happily.

The woman in red was the emperor's younger sister, the posthumous child of the late emperor, a beautiful young woman of only fifteen. Despite her young age, she was tall and slender, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Her red dress further accentuated her heroic and unique bearing.

"Why didn't you complain about Song San to me today?" Yuwen Xian asked while eating meat.

"There's nothing to say!" Yongle had a lot of complaints to vent before, but after spending time with Song Yaozhu, she felt that Song Yaozhu was actually a pretty good person. She never spoke ill of her own people!

“In a few days, after the imperial examinations are over, I plan to hold a spring banquet. You will bring her with you.”

"Huh?" Yongle asked, puzzled. "Alright, but you think too highly of me. It's good enough that I came. Whether I can bring her over is another matter."

Yuwen Xian: "......"

Why does it feel like it's been a while since I last saw Yongle? He's talking in a strange way.

Back in the capital, it was already the eighth day since the examinations began, and the gates of the examination hall would open tomorrow. But on this very day, something happened inside the examination hall: someone was arrested.

Such things are not common. After all, they are now in the capital, not in the provincial or prefectural examinations. Those who can come to the capital have some real skills and would not stoop to cheating.

As the soldiers dragged the man out of his cell, he cried out in anguish, "I didn't cheat! I didn't cheat!"

His shouts were hoarse and terrifying, echoing throughout the entire examination hall, but after only a few shouts, his mouth was gagged and he was dragged out.

Inside the examination hall, Xie Liwei, his face bruised and purple, asked the soldiers for a few more sheets of paper. The soldiers glared at him and handed him a stack of papers.

When the shift changed, he even told the proctor about it.

"That guy, Number Ten, has gone completely mad! He's asked for a lot of paper these past few days, and he's been doodling and drawing all the time, hardly writing a single character!"

Inside, the proctor was warming himself by the fire and drinking tea. "Is that the one who kept saying he wasn't a candidate? And who claimed to be the son of the richest man and that he was arrested?"

"right!"

"Let him be! The lock will be opened tomorrow anyway, so we can't cause any trouble. As for that cheater from today, the higher-ups have told him to go to the Ministry of Justice's jail first, and someone there will interrogate him."

Another proctor's eyelids twitched. "So grand? Cheating happens every year, but we've never seen the higher-ups care this much before."

"It seems that the Emperor gave special instructions."

The proctor's eyelids twitched, and he couldn't even finish his tea. Not only that, but he felt as if needles were growing on the chair, making him extremely uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?"

"No, no, no, I just suddenly had a stomachache, I'm going to the bathroom!"

Finally, the second day arrived, and many servants or fathers and brothers gathered at the entrance of the examination hall to pick up the candidates and take them home.

After nine days of grueling training, many students had to be carried out of the examination hall. Some, too weak to walk, even fainted at the entrance. People quickly retrieved them and led them back inside; the crowd dispersed rapidly from the entrance.

At the corner at the end of the street, a carriage had been parked there for half a month. Today it finally drove away, but no one paid any attention.

Xie Liwei quickly changed his clothes in the carriage and wiped his face with a wet wipe.

Xie Mingyue helped him remove the remaining glue from his neck.

"This disguise technique is truly amazing! I want to try it next time!"

"I want to sleep for a while."

After he finished speaking, Xie Mingyue immediately shut her mouth.

The carriage drove out of the city and soon arrived at the foot of the mountain where the Jokhang Temple is located.

Xie Liwei's nerves had been on edge for nine days, and he was now so tired that his body was exhausted, but he still couldn't relax and couldn't fall asleep. When they arrived at the foot of Jokhang Temple, Xie Mingyue told him to get out of the car. He looked out through the curtain and saw that it was Jokhang Temple.

This is different from what they agreed upon beforehand.

“Your wife brought you to Jokhang Temple to worship Buddha and calm your mind, so we need to change our plans.”

"Was Peng Si sent back?"

“It was sent back a long time ago. The people from the Jingzhao Prefecture should have finished questioning us by now.”

As they talked, the two entered a side room of the temple from the back of the mountain.

Inside the room, Song Yaozhu sat flipping through a Buddhist scripture. When Caijin and Caiyin saw their master enter, they rushed forward to lend a hand, but Xie Liwei waved them away.

"Sister-in-law, come and lend a hand!"

Song Yaozhu: "......"

Do you really have to use her?

Xie Liwei was extremely weak. He had to crouch in that tiny cell for nine days straight, and with his long arms and legs, he couldn't move around much. In addition, the weather in March was unpredictable, sometimes cold and sometimes hot. He was only eating dry rations and drinking as sparingly as possible, making it even more difficult to sleep.

He had lost a lot of weight, and even with a mask on, Song Yaozhu could see his more prominent jawbone.

"I've had hot water prepared for you. Would you like to eat something first or take a bath?"

"Take a bath." Xie Liwei replied without hesitation.

He had been huddled in his cell for nine days, unable to even wash his face, let alone take a bath. Now, even after changing his clothes, he still felt smelly.

After being enveloped in hot water, Xie Liwei's tense nerves slowly relaxed. Just as he was drifting off to sleep, the door to the bathroom was pushed open.

Song Yaozhu brought in a bowl of noodles and said through the screen, "Eat something first, or you'll faint from the soup."

Having not eaten for a long time and then taking a hot bath, Song Yaozhu was afraid that he would faint in the bathtub and then choke to death.

Even through the screen, Xie Liwei couldn't help but stiffen. His heart leaped into his throat, and his nerves, which had finally relaxed, tightened again. His hand reached out of the water to grab the mask that was placed to the side.

Fearing Song Yaozhu might come in at this moment, if she couldn't protect her body, she would at least protect her face...

Indeed, people are extremely vulnerable when they are completely naked.

"I'll leave it here; you can eat first." As soon as Song Yaozhu finished speaking, Xie Liwei heard the sound of dishes falling onto the wooden table. Then he heard her say, "Your Highness, are you still conscious?"

There seemed to be a hint of urgency in her voice, as if she would burst in immediately if Xie Liwei didn't speak.

"Yes," Xie Liwei replied immediately, his voice hoarse.

"Then I'll go out."

Hearing the wooden door close, Xie Liwei slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and his whole heart relaxed.

He lowered his eyes and saw his face reflected on the water. The water rippled, and his face became distorted.

This face is not the same as before.

He was afraid that she would be disappointed if she saw him like this.