Ning Hechu also had a period of extremely carefree days.
He had few relatives, as both his parents died early. Fortunately, he encountered kind neighbors who helped him out a little each day. He managed to grow up to the age where he could support himself by relying on the charity of many families.
Seeing his intelligence, the school teacher took him under his wing and allowed him to audit the classes. Later, seeing that he was gradually learning, the teacher asked him to copy some books for him. Over time, Ning Hechu mastered the knowledge.
One day, his teacher encouraged him to take the imperial examination, and as expected, he came out on top in the first exam.
Later, he gradually gained some fame, and by selling his calligraphy and paintings, he slowly built up his wealth. He was no longer confined to one place and could venture out and make more like-minded friends.
He was born into a poor family and had witnessed the hardships of the world, as well as how corrupt officials treated human life with contempt. Initially, he also had ambitions, wanting to take the imperial examination, become an official praised by the people, and cleanse the court...
He had countless thoughts like these, but he kept them buried deep in his heart and never told anyone.
So in the second and third exams, he still came out on top, fantasizing that his future would surely be as he hoped, with unlimited potential.
But sometimes fate plays tricks on us.
He found a confidant.
Or to be more precise, a confidante.
His reputation was enough for him to support his family. Families with school-aged children would occasionally ask him to tutor them. He also possessed the noble integrity of a scholar, and he would always make sure the family was clean before taking on the job.
Later, after finishing a lesson, I was packing my things to leave my host's house when I was unexpectedly hit lightly by something thrown from a high place.
He casually took it and looked at it, and found that it was a sachet.
Looking up again, the girl on the windowsill in the attic had black hair and fair skin, her eyes sparkling, and she smiled beautifully: "You must be Ning Hechu? The talented scholar my father mentioned?"
In Mingzhou, there is a custom of giving a sachet as a token of admiration. Ning Hechu was stunned when he saw the mandarin ducks playing in the water embroidered on it, and subconsciously nodded.
The girl covered her lips and chuckled twice, her eyes sparkling like a deer's, but her voice wasn't so polite: "But you look a bit dull."
Ning Hechu had never heard anyone describe him like that before. He wanted to argue, but he missed his chance and could only watch the girl disappear before his eyes.
It was only later that I learned that she was the only daughter of the host family, and also the older sister of his student, Zhong Chiying.
A lotus flower, though past its bloom, still radiant.
At that time, Ning Hechu felt that this name was truly suitable for her.
In short, the two became acquainted. He continued to teach at the school, and the girl would appear beside him from time to time, asking him about classical allusions from books. However, these questions were not entirely serious. Occasionally, he would be amused to the point of blushing, while the girl would laugh beside him.
"With your dull and taciturn nature, if you enter officialdom in the future and are bullied by others, you probably won't even be able to say anything in your defense."
Zhong Chiying always teases him like this.
After many twists and turns, he still couldn't bring himself to say "I don't know".
The family did not object to their contact. Over time, with this tacit consent, they expressed their feelings for each other, exchanged their thoughts, and even agreed that they would marry each other after he returned from taking the imperial examination in the capital.
Like countless other students full of aspirations, Ning Hechu eagerly awaited that day, hoping to achieve what he wanted.
Unfortunately, this good fortune did not last long. Emperor Shun made a southern tour and stayed at the Zhong family's residence.
At that time, Ning Hechu was away seeking books. When he returned with the books and the pastries his beloved had been longing for, he heard the news of the death of Miss Zhong.
The girl, who was innocent and lively before he left, and kept saying that she was looking forward to his return, lost her life for no reason just a few days after he left. Not only that, even the master who had always treated him kindly suddenly changed his attitude, gave him money and told him to leave quickly, without even giving him a chance to see him one last time.
After a sudden turn of events and several inquiries, Ning Hechu finally understood the whole story. The filth and corruption involved were so profound that even after losing his most beloved daughter, no one dared to speak out.
The young man was impulsive and wanted to go to the door to demand justice. Before he could take action, Zhong Ruliang discovered him and slapped him awake.
"If it were anyone else, you might still have a chance to retaliate, but that is the current emperor, the most esteemed person in the world today. Who can do anything to him? Aren't your uncle and aunt worried? In order not to implicate their relatives, they can only give up. You are just a poor scholar, powerless and without influence. You don't even know if you can get close to him, so how can you talk about revenge? You want to implicate more people because of this, is that what you want?"
Yes, he didn't have the means to retaliate.
He not only couldn't let outsiders know about this relationship, but he also had to do his best to keep it a secret.
Ning Hechu felt a surge of resentment. He lowered his eyes, clenched his fists tightly, and ultimately did not rush forward recklessly.
Later, he found the once beautiful and lovely girl in the mass grave. When she died, she had been tortured beyond recognition. Her limbs were broken, her eyes were wide open, and her once smooth, black hair was now disheveled like withered grass. It was hard to imagine what kind of torture she had suffered.
Fearing that the emperor would find out and hold a grudge, even her family could not come to bury her remains.
Years later, Ning Hechu had long forgotten what he was thinking back then—whether it was resentment, numbness from pain, or both.
He buried his beloved girl properly, then resolutely packed his bags and headed to the capital to take the imperial examination.
He craved power and revenge, yet he could only maintain a facade of humility, burying his hatred deep within his heart.
One day, he too became the sycophant he once despised, learning to flatter and how to achieve his goals through open and covert struggles.
He was a victim of the power struggles among aristocratic families and the infighting within the imperial court. He was used as a tool to rise to the position of Grand Secretary, seemingly enjoying great power and prestige, but in reality, he was not in control of his own destiny and could not do what he wanted at will.
He finally had a reason to get close to the emperor, but the people below still needed the emperor. The emperor's incompetence was actually a good thing for them, as they could take the opportunity to seize power and embezzle money.
He didn't care about the relatives who had climbed onto his coattails after he became famous; instead, he watched indifferently, almost indulgently, as his subordinates did whatever they pleased.
In the end, he finally became the very villain he once despised, the one whom everyone cursed.
He could no longer see the path he had come from.
Finally, he got to the point where the emperor was seriously ill and chaos reigned both inside and outside the palace.
This time he didn't hold back, and the once high and mighty emperor, lying on his bed, could only suffer his revenge.
As for the Crown Prince, he didn't care at first, but he was stunned for a moment when he heard that the child's mother was also from Mingzhou.
Little did he expect that this oversight would lead to his inevitable death.
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