Chapter 238 Reputation
After a moment's thought, Zheng Yanling decided to have someone keep an eye on the woman in charge to avoid alerting her.
She said we should go into the mountains, so there shouldn't be any problems. We have enough guards, and the surrounding hills all belong to the Zheng family, so there's no need to worry about anything happening.
After lunch, the two girls changed into their riding outfits and went out.
Two hours later.
The three-day imperial examination finally came to an end today. The gates of the examination hall were wide open, and guards lined up in two rows at the entrance. Some candidates, their steps unsteady, stumbled out.
After several generations of improvements, the Qi State's civil service examinations have become much more humane. At least they are no longer like before, where one had to be confined to a cramped examination room for seven or eight days straight, making it difficult to even turn around. However, the three-day examinations, which last from dawn to dusk, require one to be on edge for five or six hours straight for three days, are still quite unbearable for most people.
As soon as Xie Tingzhou stepped out of the examination hall, his steps were unsteady and his body was numb and stiff, when he was caught by a stranger and questioned.
"Is this gentleman surnamed Xie, and does he live in Liyuan East Lane, Huiyin Bridge?"
"Indeed, what is it, young boy?"
The child stared intently at him. Normally, he would have sensed something was wrong and wouldn't have dared to agree. But now, after three days of exams, even with daily medication, his health had improved considerably compared to six months ago. He was feeling a bit dizzy and just wanted to go home and get some sleep.
“Your sister is in trouble. She’s being held by our boss in Luogu Lane. They say you’re taking an exam here and they need us to come find you and ransom her.”
Xie Tingzhou was startled. Xie Yunyun had been a troublemaker for a long time, but she was used to bullying the weak and fearing the strong. She was the one who always suffered at the hands of others. Today, someone had actually been detained, which must be no small matter.
"I'll trouble you to lead the way, young boy. I'll head over now."
Xie Yunyun was his half-sister, and her mother was his aunt, making them even closer relatives. He usually disliked her noisy and mercenary ways, but when something really happened, he couldn't just ignore it no matter what.
Along the way, when asked what had happened to Xie Yunyun, Xiao Tong only said that he was just running errands and didn't know the specifics. He said that his employer would explain when they arrived at their destination.
He followed the boy in blue through several alleys until there were hardly any people left. Suddenly, the boy stopped, turned around, and looked at him with a smile.
By the time Xie Tingzhou realized something was wrong, everything went black and he lost consciousness.
The warm spring breeze, carrying the earthy smell, lingered around her nose. Qi Yuxuan moved her arms and realized that her hands were tied behind her back and her legs were bound so that she could not move.
The cabin was dilapidated, like a temporary shelter used by hunters in the past. Because it had been unused for many years, it was messy and disorganized, with moss growing in many places.
She tried to untie the rope herself, but the knot was tied tightly and securely. The more she struggled, the tighter it felt. Just as she was sweating profusely, she suddenly heard footsteps outside.
"Lock him up inside."
A male voice, lowered and deliberately unreadable, rang out.
Qi Yuxuan closed her eyes, pretending to still be unconscious.
A rustling sound came from outside, like the sound of burlap sacks.
A loud "thud" was followed by a man's muffled groan of pain: "Ugh..."
Qi Yuxuan closed her eyes, guessing what they were going to do. Her breathing was even and long, but her heart was pounding like a drum.
She and Zheng Yanling went horseback riding on Zhuangshan Mountain. Whether it was good luck or bad luck, they encountered wild boars that came down the mountain to forage for food in the spring.
The wild boar, with its foot-long tusks, startled the horses beneath them, causing them to stumble and fall into a hunter's trap in the dense forest. They were thrown off balance, and even the guards who rushed over couldn't catch up. Qi Yuxuan tumbled straight down the mountain.
Her head had hit a tree or a rock, and she was in so much pain that she felt dizzy. When she looked up, she saw two burly men with cold faces carrying sacks walking towards her.
When I opened my eyes again, this was the scene before me.
When you're down on your luck, even drinking cold water can cause problems. She immediately recalled the time last summer when she broke her leg at Jici Temple. She checked her whole body; her limbs were mostly fine, but the back of her head still ached dully, and she was afraid she had developed vertigo from the fall.
I wonder how Zheng Yanling is doing, and why the guards haven't come looking for her yet.
Most importantly, she had no idea what the situation was. The people who kidnapped her must know her identity and seemed to have a backup plan. But the sky outside was completely dark, and the commotion outside was neither too loud nor too quiet. She was so flustered that her palms were sweaty.
"Bang--"
The door was pushed open roughly. Qi Yuxuan didn't open her eyes, she only heard the sound.
It seemed a man had been roughly thrown in, and he was gasping for breath in pain.
Qi Yuxuan loosened her grip and realized that the restraints on her hands and feet had also been removed.
The people standing outside the door were whispering among themselves:
Did you bring your things?
"Light it."
"Locked up, let's go!"
The footsteps faded into the distance, and the surroundings became quiet again. Qi Yuxuan twitched her nose, as if a strange fragrance was spreading, and it also had a somewhat indescribable familiarity. She knew something was wrong and immediately opened her eyes.
By the light of the moon streaming in through the narrow window, she saw Xie Tingzhou lying face up on the open ground in front of her, his life hanging in the balance.
He looked like he had just come out of an exam, wearing faded old clothes, with a slightly haggard chin, his eyes closed, and a pained expression.
Beside him was a lit pink incense cake that had been casually tossed in. Wisps of pinkish-purple smoke rose into the air, dispelling the still fresh scent of herbs and plants in the room, while the sweet fragrance lingered for a long time.
Qi Yuxuan knew why she felt it was familiar; the smell of this sachet... was exactly the same as the one in Xiao Yuyao's bamboo leaf sachet from before.
But later, too many things happened, and she forgot to find out what it was. In the end, there was no longer any possibility between the Fourth Prince and Xiao Yuyao, so she didn't need to worry about it anymore.
"hot……"
Xie Tingzhou murmured unconsciously and reached out to pull at his shirt.
Qi Yuxuan was startled. Ignoring her numb legs, she scrambled to her feet and stomped out the incense cake.
Even so, the overpowering aroma still lingered in the small wooden house like a maggot clinging to a bone.
Qi Yuxuan's heart pounded faster and faster; she roughly knew what this was.
The Western Regions have a honey fragrance that can arouse passions, making it a common aphrodisiac in brothels and pleasure quarters.
With this, plus Xie Tingzhou who was knocked unconscious and brought in, what else could Qi Yuxuan not understand?
She took a few steps back, leaned weakly against the corner of the wall, completely baffled.
Why Xie Tingzhou? And who would resort to such a despicable method to deal with her?
If you're ruthless, just kill her and pretend she rolled down the mountain and got hit by a rock, damaging her brain. Why go through all that trouble and go to the capital to find a scholar?
This wasn't to kill her easily, but to completely ruin her and Xie Tingzhou's reputation.
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