Chapter 19: The Palace Examination Ruined (19)
19
In Prince Jing’s mansion.
Prince Jing grabbed Pei Xuan by the collar, and Pei Xuan also grabbed his collar.
Prince Jing didn't know when Pei Xuan became so strong and even knew boxing skills.
King Jing shouted sternly: "Someone come! Someone come!"
He was ready to ask people to capture Pei Xuan, as he couldn't defeat him alone and he still had attendants.
However, no one seemed to answer him.
King Jing turned around and shouted, "Someone come!"
At this moment, there was finally movement outside, but it was not the sound he wanted.
"Master Zhu! Master Zhu! You can't go in!"
"The prince is hosting a banquet, Master Zhu, how can you ride a horse in the palace?"
The next second, Zhu Qingchen, holding a sword in his hand, rode on a horse, directly crossed the railing and came to the corridor.
It was late at night, Zhu Qingchen was riding on a tall horse, the wind blowing his bright red official uniform, making it rustle.
Prince Jing's back was covered in cold sweat, and he was already seven-tenths sober.
Zhu Qingchen, isn’t he setting the test questions in the palace?
How could he...
Zhu Qingchen looked at him coldly and said calmly, "Let go."
Prince Jing got the confidence from nowhere and shouted, "Someone come! Someone come! Pei Xuan seduced the prince, and Zhu Qingchen broke into the palace at night, intending to assassinate me! Arrest both of them and send them to the Dali Temple tomorrow morning!"
All the servants of Prince Jing's palace came out, armed with weapons, and surrounded the garden.
The two sides are in confrontation.
Zhu Qingchen didn't want to say more to him and tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword.
Under the moonlight, the sword tip flashed, and a silver light passed through King Jing's hand that was grabbing Pei Xuan's collar.
Prince Jing only felt a pain in his hand, and then blood gushed out.
How dare he...
Zhu Qingchen held the sword in his hand and pointed it at Prince Jing's neck. If he moved, the tip of the sword would cut his throat.
"I said, let go."
Prince Jing broke out in a cold sweat, his Adam's apple twitching up and down, and he tried his best to maintain his dignity: "Zhu Qingchen, get out!"
Zhu Qingchen lowered his eyes and looked at him: "It was the prince who said that I was going to assassinate him and wanted to send me to the Dali Temple. Since the prince said so, there is no reason for me not to respond."
The sword in Zhu Qingchen's hand swayed, moving all the way down, passing through King Jing's neck, shoulders and chest, and finally stopping at his heart.
"I will stab two holes here. Tomorrow the prince will send me to the Dali Temple. I will have something to say in front of the Dali Temple Lord."
"However, I am a civil official and not good at swordsmanship. If I accidentally stab you in the wrong direction or stab you too hard, the prince will have to report me to the King of Hell."
Prince Jing tried his best to hide the trembling in his voice: "Zhu Qingchen, you are so brave!"
Zhu Qingchen suddenly shouted: "Fu Wenzhou, you are so bold!"
Fu Wenzhou is the name of Prince Jing. Not many people have ever called him that. Even Prince Jing himself felt a little dazed when he heard it.
"On the eve of the palace examination, they bullied others, beat up students, and even detained them. They were lawless!"
"In front of the Master, you speak nonsense, confuse right and wrong, and make up rumors. You are disloyal and unfilial!"
"Let Pei Xuan go, and have all your men withdraw. I will let you live through the night. If you refuse, my students are outside the palace now. I can't get out for a quarter of an hour. They will report the case to the Dali Temple immediately."
"We are all scholars. We don't know how to wield swords, but we can write poetry. Tomorrow morning, your actions will be made into a nursery rhyme and spread throughout Yong'an. By then, if the prince wants to cover it up, I wonder if the palace can hold so many students?"
Prince Jing was speechless, his chest heaving violently twice.
In the original book, he dared to bully Pei Xuan.
It was because Pei Xuan came from a humble background, had no teacher to protect him, and had never made any classmates.
It was unheard of that the prince raped students on the eve of the palace examination.
Even if Pei Xuan told others, no one would believe him and would just think he was talking nonsense.
Naturally, he can cover the sky with one hand and do whatever he wants.
But now, Pei Xuan's teacher was pointing a sword at him, and Pei Xuan's classmates were waiting outside.
He can't afford the gamble.
His true nature, which he had concealed for so long, could not be revealed at this moment.
Prince Jing hesitated for a moment, then let go of Pei Xuan's hand and pushed him towards Zhu Qingchen, "Get lost."
But he still said stubbornly: "Master, please keep an eye on your students and don't barge in."
Pei Xuan was like an enraged puppy and wanted to turn around and bite him, but Zhu Qingchen grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.
Prince Jing said sternly, "What happened tonight is written off. It was because I was drunk and Pei Xuan was running around that this misunderstanding occurred. What do you think, Master Zhu?"
Zhu Qingchen ignored him, held Pei Xuan's head and looked down at his injuries.
Pei Xuan had a fight with King Jing and suffered no loss, but he also didn't gain any advantage.
His hair and clothes were messy, his face was covered with bruises and purples, and the corners of his mouth were torn and bleeding.
Zhu Qingchen turned around and said softly to Eunuch Yang: "Eunuch Yang, please be a witness."
"Yes." Eunuch Yang nodded, "I will remember the scene in the garden of Prince Jing's mansion tonight clearly."
Prince Jing didn't pay attention to what they said, and continued to talk to himself: "If Master Zhu feels that it is not enough, then we can go to the Dali Temple to discuss it. As long as Pei Xuan is willing to go to court, I have no objection."
Pei Xuan was about to rush forward again, but was pulled back by Zhu Qingchen again.
Prince Jing is now afraid and wants to keep the peace.
No matter what, he was just being immoral because of drinking. What could Pei Xuan say?
Pei Xuan beat up the royal relatives. When the Dali Temple asked him why he beat Prince Jing, Pei Xuan said that it was because Prince Jing wanted to humiliate him.
How could any man say such words?
Prince Jing felt a little more confident as he thought about this.
Pei Xuan didn't dare to go to court with him. Even if he was bullied at this moment, what could he do?
"Tomorrow is the palace examination, and the day will soon dawn. Master Zhu, please take Pei Xuan back quickly and pack up. There is still time for him to enter the palace."
Zhu Qingchen glanced at him and confirmed that Eunuch Yang behind him had taken note of everything he said. Without saying anything, he pulled the reins and prepared to leave.
Want to just let this go?
That must be impossible.
However, the palace examination was just around the corner, and there was no "chief judge" who could suppress Prince Jing. He didn't have the energy to waste words with Prince Jing. Even if he won the debate, it would be of no benefit.
Zhu Qingchen held the reins with one hand and pulled Pei Xuan with the other, turned the horse's head, and whispered to Pei Xuan: "Let's go."
Pei Xuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and replied in a hoarse voice, "Yes, Master."
Zhu Qingchen rode on his horse, holding his sword, pulling Pei Xuan, and slowly walked towards the side door.
Prince Jing stared closely at the direction they left with a sinister look. The hand that was stabbed by Zhu Qingchen was hidden in his sleeve, twisted into the shape of an eagle's claw, and blood flowed down his fingertips and dripped onto the ground.
Once Zhu Qingchen retreated far enough, he could raise his arm and call on the guards to rush forward and capture them both alive.
But he couldn't, there were students outside the door.
This group of intellectuals are like weeds. If you can't burn them all in one fire, don't pull them out one by one. Sooner or later, they will fight back.
But the king couldn't swallow this humiliation.
He was still trying hard to restrain the urge to take action.
Zhu Qingchen seemed to know his intention. He stared at him from beginning to end, holding the sword tightly in his hand.
Prince Jing had no doubt that as soon as he raised his hand, Zhu Qingchen would swing the sword in his hand and cut off his hand.
They maintained the superficial calm.
Zhu Qingchen pulled Pei Xuan and slowly left through the side door.
The horses completely retreated from the side door. A lantern was hung under the eaves, and the candle flame flickered, reflecting on Zhu Qingchen's face.
King Jing finally reminded him: "Master Zhu, this matter ends here."
Zhu Qingchen smiled but did not answer. In King Jing's eyes, this meant "reaching a consensus".
Prince Jing finally raised his hand: "Close the door."
Zhu Qingchen raised the sword he was holding, and when he heard him say "close the door" instead of "release the arrow", he put down the sword.
After coming out of Prince Jing's mansion, Zhu Qingchen pulled the reins, grabbed Pei Xuan, and walked towards the street corner.
He didn't stop until he was out of the street.
Liu An also came up with a group of fellow apprentices: "Master?"
They looked at Pei Xuan and were shocked to see him beaten like this: "How did it happen? Pei Xuan, were you beaten by the servants of Prince Jing's mansion?"
Zhu Qingchen rode on his horse, looking at Liu An and other students, interrupting their greetings: "You have worked hard today. Tomorrow is the palace examination. Don't stay here for long. Go home and rest quickly."
No matter how curious the students were, they could only suppress their thoughts and bowed, “Yes.”
Zhu Qingchen glanced at Pei Xuan, whose face was bruised and swollen, and paused for a moment, his tone becoming a little cold: "Do you want to go to the clinic, or go home to get medicine?"
Pei Xuan lowered his head in grievance: "Master, my injury is not a big deal. I can get some medicine when I go home."
Zhu Qingchen pursed his lips and said seriously, "Go to the clinic. Why don't you go to the clinic after being beaten like this? If you go home like this, your mother will be scared to death."
"yes."
The Master had already made the decision, yet he still asked him.
Pei Xuan felt even more aggrieved.
Zhu Qingchen knew that he was wronged, but he didn't want to pay attention to him, so he still pulled him forward.
Liu An was startled by his action and stepped forward to pull Pei Xuan over: "Master..."
"An'er, don't worry about it." Zhu Qingchen said, "Pei Xuan's disobedience has nothing to do with you. You did a good job today, and you should go back soon."
"Yes." Liu An took his hand back. There happened to be a clinic on the next street that specialized in treating injuries and sprains, and it was still open.
Zhu Qingchen got off the horse, then helped Eunuch Yang down, and finally grabbed Pei Xuan and threw him into the clinic.
"Give him some medicine."
The young apprentice was shocked by Pei Xuan's injuries. He took them into the inner room, filled a basin with warm water, asked Pei Xuan to sit in front of him, helped him wipe the wound, and then applied some medicine.
Zhu Qingchen helped Eunuch Yang arrange the cushions: "Please sit down, Eunuch. I scared you just now."
Eunuch Yang waved his hand, lifted his coat, sat down on the cushion, and said with lingering fear: "This old servant has lived for fifty years, and this is the first time I ride a horse. Thanks to Master Zhu's blessing."
Zhu Qingchen smiled and apologized to him again: "It was really an emergency. I'm sorry, sir."
He turned around and happened to meet Pei Xuan's eyes.
Pei Xuan grimaced in pain, and the place on his face where he was hit was swollen, like a puppy that was stung by a bee.
But Zhu Qingchen was still a little angry, and looked at him with a somewhat cold look.
Although he was rescued, the accounts that should be settled must still be settled.
Pei Xuan knew he was in the wrong, so he lowered his eyes.
Before entering the palace, the Master reminded him several times to stay away from Prince Jing and not to get close to him, especially before the palace examination.
But he didn't do it, and asked the Master to come and save him personally.
After a cup of tea, the apprentice treated his wound, picked up the dirty basin, and turned to leave.
Pei Xuan lowered his head and moved in front of Zhu Qingchen: "Master, I was wrong."
When he admitted his mistake, Zhu Qingchen's anger subsided a lot.
But Zhu Qingchen still folded his hands and looked at him seriously: "What's wrong?"
"Before entering the palace, the Master repeatedly warned me not to provoke Prince Jing, but I..."
Still somewhat aware.
Zhu Qingchen said seriously: "Raise your head."
Pei Xuan raised his head and timidly met the teacher's gaze.
"You already know what kind of person Prince Jing is, so why do you insist on getting close to him? Why do you have to give him that jar of wine?"
"A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall. You clearly know that it is a dangerous wall. Do you still expect the 'dangerous wall' to have a change of heart and avoid you when it falls down?"
"Which mountain did you go to practice when I was away, and how did you become a golden bell and iron cloth shirt, making you invulnerable to gods and demons?"
"Master, I..." Pei Xuan glanced at him and explained, "I didn't want to go in to deliver the wine. I thought I would just drive the carriage back. If King Jing asked about it later, I would say I forgot about it. I would not go in even if it offended him."
Zhu Qingchen asked: "Then why did you change your mind?"
Pei Xuan glanced at Eunuch Yang who was sitting next to him, as if he had some concerns.
Zhu Qingchen followed his gaze and said, "It doesn't matter. Eunuch Yang is not an outsider. If it weren't for Eunuch Yang, I wouldn't be able to leave the palace tonight. You still have to thank him."
"Yes." Pei Xuan folded his hands, leaned down, and bowed deeply to Eunuch Yang, "Thank you for saving my life, Eunuch Yang."
Eunuch Yang waved his hand: "You're welcome."
Pei Xuan took a deep breath, made up his mind, took out a letter from his arms, and presented it to Zhu Qingchen with both hands.
Zhu Qingchen took the letter, opened it and took a look, his face changed.
This is……
The gift list and letter from General Zhenwei of the Northwest to Prince Jing contained valuable gifts, wild language and was extremely treasonous.
When he was in front of Prince Jing's mansion, Pei Xuan was about to leave, but he heard the servant in front of the door announce: "The second young master of General Zhenwei's mansion has arrived."
So he decided to go in and take a look.
Later, he heard the second son of General Zhenwei's mansion talking nonsense in the garden again.
He was cautious, and in the end he and Prince Jing had a fight. Prince Jing's clothes were torn apart, revealing a corner of the letter in his arms, with the words "General Zhenwei" clearly visible.
Pei Xuan reacted immediately and took the opportunity to take the letter and hid it in his arms.
Pei Xuan sat in front of Zhu Qingchen properly, with his head lowered and his hands clenched into fists on his knees.
"Prince Jing and General Zhenwei of the Northwest are suspected of colluding in rebellion. The suspicion is right in front of me. I have already arrived at the gate of Prince Jing's mansion. I can't just leave like this."
"If my mistake sows a great calamity for the imperial court, leading to wars and disasters that harm the people of the dynasty, even if I become the top scholar tomorrow, I will not be able to rest in peace."
"I cannot ruin the great cause of my country for my own gain or loss, so I..."
Even though he knew that Prince Jing had ill intentions, and even though the Master's instructions were still ringing in his ears, he still had to go in.
Zhu Qingchen closed his eyes and handed the letter to Eunuch Yang: "I'll trouble you to give this letter to His Majesty. Please send someone to continue the investigation. As for my student, he did this for the sake of the court... If the prince changes his mind one day..."
Eunuch Yang nodded and shook his hand: "Master, don't worry, this matter is of great importance. I will report everything to Your Majesty, and there will be no mistakes." "Okay." Zhu Qingchen looked at Pei Xuan, relaxed his expression, and patted his shoulder, "You are right, it is Master's fault."
Pei Xuan lowered his head and said, "The teacher is right. I am indeed too unstable. If Prince Jing finds out, I am afraid he will kill me to silence me."
Zhu Qingchen stood up and helped him up as well: "Let's go, I don't know if Prince Jing has any backup plans, let's go back to Xueguan Mansion."
"yes."
Eunuch Yang called a few young eunuchs to come and follow Zhu Qingchen, and he went into the palace to report the matter to the emperor.
Zhu Qingchen only left two young eunuchs with him, and the rest went out of the city to bring Madam Chen with him.
After all, in the original book, Prince Jing once threatened Pei Xuan with Madam Chen, and he knew how important Madam Chen was to Pei Xuan.
Madam Chen was worried about Pei Xuan, so she simply packed her luggage and hurried over carrying Pei Xuan's bookcase. She arrived at the academy at the same time as them.
They met at the door.
Madam Chen ran forward with her luggage in her arms, looked at Pei Xuan's face, and tears immediately flowed down her cheeks.
"How did you get into this state? Were you beaten?"
Zhu Qingchen looked back at Pei Xuan, who said, "I met a few hooligans on the road, and then..."
Madam Chen hit him hard on the shoulder and said, "When you saw someone from a distance, couldn't you just avoid them? Why did you insist on bumping into them? Are you driving your donkey cart and won't let them pass?"
Pei Xuan did not dodge: "No, mother, I didn't bump into him, but he insisted on beating me, what can I do?"
"Really?" Madam Chen looked worried. She came to her senses and saw Zhu Qingchen. She bowed to him and said, "Master Zhu, I'm really sorry that this kid has caused you trouble again."
"It's okay." Zhu Qingchen said, "Don't go back to the wine shop these days. Stay in the school first."
"good."
Zhu Qingchen took them back to the mansion, had someone take Madam Chen to the backyard and settle her down, and then took Pei Xuan back to the study and asked him to take a shower and go to bed early.
Pei Xuan hesitated: "Master, when will the matter of Prince Jing's mansion be resolved? Will His Majesty punish Prince Jing?"
Zhu Qingchen looked at him seriously: "This is not what you should care about now. What you should care about now is the palace examination."
"Can……"
"You took the gift list from General Zhenwei's mansion. Prince Jing will find out sooner or later and will suspect you sooner or later."
Zhu Qingchen patted his cheek.
"If you fail the palace examination, you will be sent out immediately. When the time comes, Prince Jing will strike back. The mountains are high and the roads are long. I can't save you a second time. If you die on the road, no one will collect your body for you."
"But if you rank high, stay in the capital, and serve in the Lantai, then King Jing will not dare to touch you. Then you will have the opportunity to make a complaint to him and stand in the court to debate with him openly."
Pei Xuan looked serious and nodded: "I understand, I will go to rest now."
"Well, go ahead."
Pei Xuan stayed in the study, changed his clothes that were torn in the fight, washed up briefly, blew out the candles, and prepared to go to bed.
*
The night was dark and there was a peach tree in full bloom in the yard.
Zhu Qingchen tied his horse under a tree, held his sword in his arms, and sat cross-legged under the tree, looking calm and composed, as if he had merged into the night.
The night wind blew, and petals fell on Zhu Qingchen's shoulders and hair.
The little blue ball of light landed on his shoulder and sat with him for a while.
The system thought he was still angry about what happened just now, so it comforted him: "You did a good job this time. You reacted quickly and rescued Pei Xuan. He was not seriously injured."
Zhu Qingchen said nothing, and the system said, "I'm sorry, I was wrong. I will remind you next time about the automatic repair of the plot."
Zhu Qingchen raised his head, exhaled a long breath, and blew the peach petals in front of him.
After exhaling in one breath, he whispered, "I was so scared, system, I almost killed someone."
system:? ? ?
"Ah? You're not angry?"
"I was quite angry just now, but now I'm not so angry anymore." Zhu Qingchen, still in shock, picked up his sword and drew it out of its sheath.
There was still traces of King Jing's blood on it.
Zhu Qingchen took out a small handkerchief and wiped the sword.
"This sword is not mine. I have to return it to the guard tomorrow. I hope I won't dirty it." Zhu Qingchen held up the scabbard, closed one eye, and looked inside. "I hope there is no blood on the inside of the scabbard? What if it gets rusty?"
system:?
"You were just worrying about this?"
"Yes." Zhu Qingchen looked at the scabbard seriously, thought about it, and grabbed the system. "Can you become smaller and go in to brush the scabbard and clean the inside of the scabbard?"
"..." The system choked, "Are you talking like a human? I am a system, not a brush!"
"You didn't tell me about the 'automatic plot repair', which caused me so much trouble. I haven't settled the score with you yet. If you can help me brush the scabbard, I will forgive you."
"..." The system would rather die than obey, "I don't need your forgiveness!"
Zhu Qingchen pinched the small ball of light and was about to put it in.
The system struggled hard, but in the end it didn't get in.
Zhu Qingchen let it go: "You are too fat, you can't get in."
The system immediately shrunk itself and went in: "Who said I can't get in?"
Zhu Qingchen stretched out his hand to block the scabbard: "Wipe it clean before coming out."
“…”
The system wants to complain! The system wants to sue him in the court of the fast-travel bureau!
This host simply doesn't know how to use the system properly!
Other hosts use the system to add points, open cheat codes, and familiarize themselves with the plot.
Zhu Qingchen uses it to blow out candles, as a street lamp, and to wipe the scabbard!
"Let me out!"
"Wipe it clean."
The system hesitated for a moment, then honestly wiped the scabbard clean: "Okay, host, let me out."
Zhu Qingchen still didn't believe it: "Really?"
"Really! I swear to God!"
"All right."
Zhu Qingchen loosened his hand, and a small ball of light flew out of the scabbard and rubbed itself on the handkerchief.
The system asked: "Is this what you are worried about?"
Zhu Qingchen thought for a moment and said, "Oh, and the horse I'm riding is also borrowed. I have to return it tomorrow. Before returning it, I have to feed the horse."
A modern virtue is to return a borrowed car with a full tank of gas.
An ancient virtue was to return a borrowed horse well fed.
"..." The system continued to ask, "No more?"
"No." Zhu Qingchen was puzzled. "Is there anything else?"
The system reminded him: "You pointed a sword at King Jing, and you stabbed his hand. Aren't you afraid that he will cause trouble for you?"
"I'm not afraid." Zhu Qingchen said, "Stabbing the prince is a serious crime, but he is scheming to rebel, which is an even more serious crime, so what I am doing is called 'eliminating harm for the people'."
"Are you sure the emperor won't punish you? If Prince Jing says you escaped from the palace and stabbed the prince, you will be in big trouble. The emperor is likely to sacrifice a pawn to save the king, and you and Pei Xuan are likely to be the pawns."
Zhu Qingchen sat quietly under the tree, with the sword in his hand standing upright, reflecting the moonlight.
He sharpened his sword on the stone. With two clangs, the sword became sharp and gleamed with silver light.
Zhu Qingchen said calmly, "No." "The emperor has been concerned about Prince Jing for a long time, but he has never had the chance to punish him. Now Pei Xuan has produced evidence of his secret dealings with military commanders and treason, and I rescued Pei Xuan. To him, Pei Xuan and I are not 'pawns', but vanguard officers."
"The emperor will not abandon us. On the contrary, he will do everything he can to protect Pei Xuan and me so that we can sue Prince Jing and pave the way for what happens next."
"If the emperor wanted to punish me, he could have done it now without waiting until tomorrow. He could have sent guards to stop me when I rode out of the palace, but he didn't."
"And, did you discover something?"
A peach blossom petal fell on the sword blade, and Zhu Qingchen gently blew it away.
The petals fell slowly to the ground, Zhu Qingchen stood up and sheathed his sword.
The system was puzzled: "What's the matter?"
Zhu Qingchen said calmly, "I left the palace and entered Prince Jing's mansion, running around like a little mouse, swaggering through the streets, and no one stopped me on the road. There was no one from the palace guards or the city guards."
With a clang, Zhu Qingchen sheathed his sword, raised his eyes slightly, and called out to the outside of the courtyard wall: "My lords, come out?"
The two secret guards hid in the shadows on the other side of the courtyard wall, hesitated for a moment, and talked in a low voice.
"His Majesty asked us to protect Master Zhu, but he didn't say whether we should go out if we are discovered."
"Why don't we just go out? His Majesty didn't say we can't go out."
The two secret guards discussed it, looked at each other, and then stepped out of the courtyard wall and clasped their fists towards Zhu Qingchen: "Master Zhu."
If there hadn't been someone following him and helping him to take care of the rest, he would have been caught as a criminal by the city guards as he rode his horse and held a sword on the long street.
Zhu Qingchen looked at them seriously.
Well, he has a tiger back, a bee waist, and mantis legs. He is the secret guard in the palace.
Zhu Qingchen said softly, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. I wonder when did you two start protecting me personally?"
"This..." The two secret guards looked at each other, unable to say it out loud.
Anyway, it was a long time ago.
"Thank you for your secret protection." Zhu Qingchen did not force them to answer. He walked past them and handed them the swords. "The situation was urgent at the time. I stole a guard's sword in the palace. The horse also belonged to the palace. I have to trouble you to return the things."
The two took the swords and said, "Master Zhu, you are too kind."
Zhu Qingchen said, "I think by now, several adults in the palace have already decided on the examination questions, so it's not convenient for me to return to the palace. I have to wait until tomorrow to go to the palace and explain the situation to His Majesty. I'll have to trouble you two adults tonight."
"I don't dare."
"Thank you for your hard work."
Zhu Qingchen folded his hands and prepared to go back to his room to sleep.
The two secret guards quickly followed him.
Zhu Qingchen looked back in confusion: "Protect Pei Xuan, he is more important."
"Master Zhu, rest assured. His Majesty has sent someone to protect the school. The school is like an iron barrel. Not even a fly can fly in. The two of us are here to protect Master Zhu."
"All right."
Zhu Qingchen returned to the room. Since the two secret guards were exposed, they no longer hid themselves but stood guard at the door openly. After all, they were very tired after staying on the roof and being blown by the cold wind all night.
The two men stood with their swords in their hands, like two huge iron Buddhas, and they looked very safe.
Zhu Qingchen felt relieved, washed up simply, and prepared to go to bed.
It wasn't until it was time to go to bed that he realized what was happening.
The clothes and bedding he was used to wearing were still in the palace.
He can only make do with one night's sleep today.
Zhu Qingchen lay on the bed, looking at the tent.
Uncomfortable.
I miss his soft undershirt and his soft bedding.
I miss home.
The system is used to it: "Go to sleep, I'll play a requiem for you."
Zhu Qingchen lay stiffly on the bed: "What song?"
"Ohhh, a lullaby."
*
A dreamless night.
The next morning, Pei Xuan got up early, changed his clothes, and tied his hair.
Madam Chen also got up early, went to the kitchen to make breakfast, and asked someone to send a portion to Zhu Qingchen.
Master Zhu treated their family so well, and she felt embarrassed to live and eat for free in the school, so she thought about doing something within her ability.
Zhu Qingchen did not sleep on the familiar bed and did not sleep well all night. When he woke up in the morning, there were still faint dark circles under his eyes.
Zhu Qingchen ate something simple and thought it was about time, so he prepared to take Pei Xuan into the palace.
He was still a little worried, fearing that the plot would automatically repair itself and send Pei Xuan to the palace again. He had to make sure Pei Xuan entered the palace.
The area where Pei Xuan was hit was treated with medicine early on, and after one night, the swelling had gone down, but it still looked a little red.
Just as described in the original book, today is a good day. The sun hasn't come out yet, but the sky is clear and cloudless.
Pei Xuan was wearing the jade-white clothes sent by the government. He was tall and graceful, and even had the temperament of a nobleman. He followed behind Zhu Qingchen.
Zhu Qingchen took him to the palace gate.
The palace gate had not yet opened, and the students who arrived early were already waiting outside the gate.
Zhu Qingchen looked around and waved to Liu An: "An'er."
Liu An stepped forward quickly and said, "Master, were you well last night?"
"It's okay." Zhu Qingchen pushed Pei Xuan forward and said, "Follow my brother. Just do whatever he does. Don't run around."
Pei Xuan nodded: "Yes."
"An'er, tie him to your belt and don't let him run around."
Liu An smiled and said, "I know."
Pei Xuan obediently walked to Liu An's side. Zhu Qingchen waited with them until the palace gate opened, watched them go in, and then went into the palace in front of the palace gate with other students to wait before turning around and leaving.
Everything will be fine once he enters the palace, he still has things to do.
The emperor has helped him so much, and he left the emperor alone for a whole night. Now that he has returned to the palace, of course he has to go and take a look.
A young eunuch led the way and took Zhu Qingchen towards the martial arts field.
Zhu Qingchen smiled and said to the system: "See, I knew that this emperor is not so stupid."
The system thought thoughtfully: "So he is a wise ruler."
When he arrived outside the martial arts arena, Zhu Qingchen stopped, tilted his head, and stared blankly at the people inside.
This emperor...
He is really a tyrant.
Getting up early to exercise is a wise move, but...
A new pavilion was built in the martial arts arena, which was separated by a screen. Several musicians were sitting behind the screen with their backs to him, playing music for His Majesty.
Zhu Qingchen:
The smile disappeared from his face.
Why does he like listening to music so much?
The emperor was wearing a black robe with his sleeves buttoned up. He held a long spear in his hand and waved it in the air, causing a whistling sound in the wind.
The villain system was also helpless: "We found a bug for you, right? If you have someone playing the piano beside you no matter what you do, it doesn't count as you destroying the villain's character, right?"
The emperor waved his halberd, creating a gust of wind that blew away the small red ball of light: "Go away."
The little ball of light really did roll away.
The emperor made a gesture of retracting his spear, threw the halberd to the guard, turned around and looked at Zhu Qingchen.
Zhu Qingchen came back to his senses, quickly tilted his head back, bowed and saluted: "Your Majesty."
The emperor glanced at him and asked casually, "Is everything settled?"
"Yes." Zhu Qingchen lowered his head further, "I think Eunuch Yang has already told Your Majesty everything last night. It's just that I left the palace without permission and did not return home at night. I came here to apologize to Your Majesty."
The emperor helped him up and said, "It's okay."
Zhu Qingchen wanted to report back, but the emperor did not give him a chance.
"I already know what happened last night. There's no need to tell you again." The emperor looked down at him and suddenly whispered, "Well done."
Zhu Qingchen didn't hear clearly, and subconsciously raised his head: "What did your majesty say?"
"Nothing." The emperor cleared his throat. "Have you had breakfast?"
When talking about breakfast, Zhu Qingchen's eyes lit up: "I came to the palace in a hurry and haven't had breakfast yet."
Although Madam Chen prepared food for him, he was still sleepy at that time and just stuffed the food into his mouth, chewed it and swallowed it. Now that he was awake, he even forgot what Madam Chen had prepared.
The emperor understood: "Let's eat together."
"Okay." Zhu Qingchen's tone was floating, and he followed behind the emperor, his whole body floating.
The emperor walked half a step ahead of him and asked casually, "Have you found the two secret guards?"
Zhu Qingchen followed beside him and nodded: "Yes, thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."
"I received the letter, but General Zhenwei is far away in the northwest, and I'm afraid there will be an uproar. I will first find a reason to bring him back to the capital, and then deal with him together."
"Your Majesty, please be careful."
While talking to him, the emperor untied the sleeve on his hand and raised his hand skillfully, wanting to put the cold iron sleeve on Zhu Qingchen's cheek.
Just like a close friend you've known for years.
The sleeves stopped only two or three inches away from Zhu Qingchen's cheek.
The emperor's face paused, and he realized that he had failed to maintain his image as a tyrant this time.
Zhu Qingchen raised his head slightly and looked at his face through his sleeves.
It seemed like I saw someone very familiar.
The morning sun rose slowly, shining on the east-west palace road.
The sun shone between them.
Zhu Qingchen was dazzled by the sunlight, but the emperor reacted before him. He grasped his sleeves, turned around, threw them to the young eunuch next to him, and turned around as if nothing had happened.
The young eunuch took the sleeves and put them away.
The emperor walked forward while undoing the sleeve of his other hand.
Zhu Qingchen also came to his senses and hurriedly followed him.
*
After breakfast, Zhu Qingchen followed the emperor to Xieying Palace.
It was almost time and all the students entered the palace.
Zhu Qingchen met several old school officials and walked among them.
The old scholars asked him in a low voice: "Nothing happened last night, did it?"
Zhu Qingchen shook his head: "It's a long story."
The sun came out. A cloth tent was set up on the open space in front of the hall. Nearly a hundred square tables were arranged neatly. Students dressed in jade-white clothes stood in order. When the voice of "Your Majesty has arrived" was heard, they bowed and saluted, and cheered in unison.
There was a wide path in the middle of the desk, and the emperor, holding the sword at his waist, strode through the students.
Zhu Qingchen followed behind him, looking at his back, and suddenly became absent-minded.
He thought that he died too early and did not see Li Yue become emperor.
The figure of this emperor is somewhat similar to Li Yue. I wonder if the scene would be like this after his death when Li Yue became emperor.
I don't know if he will have the chance to see it. As a subject, it is a pity that he cannot see the king become emperor with his own eyes.
Suddenly, the system's sharp voice startled him: "No! Host, you are doing the evil act of 'looking for a substitute', you will become a 'scumbag minister'! Stop! No!!!"
Zhu Qingchen came back to his senses and squeezed his hands: "I know, I can tell the difference."
He calmly took a half step back, no longer looking at the emperor's back, but looking forward.
A wise and benevolent ruler is not as good as the one at home.
The emperor ascended the nine jade steps, and the old official presented the examination questions for today's palace examination.
The emperor took a look and nodded slightly. He asked Eunuch Yang to read it, and he pulled the red silk hanging beside him.
A scroll fell down with a "swish", and written on it was today's test questions.
The emperor sat down in front of the desk, picked up a stick of incense and lit it.
Zhu Qingchen sat down at the bottom and turned to look at the students below.
Pei Xuan sat sixth in the row, next to Liu An.
Pei Xuan secretly wiped the sweat from his hands on his sleeves, then picked up the pen and began to write.
Three incense sticks are neither long nor short.
The emperor looked down bored and waved at Eunuch Yang.
Eunuch Yang understood and ordered the eunuchs to come forward and put the fruit snacks on the table.
A plate of grapes was brought to Zhu Qingchen. Zhu Qingchen came to his senses, stood up, and bowed to the emperor to express his gratitude.
The emperor held his head up, his expression unchanged.
The system asked: "Host, what do you think the emperor is thinking about now?"
Zhu Qingchen turned around, picked a grape and peeled it: "I guess he wants to call the musicians to play the piano." He paused: "If the emperor dares to let the musicians play the piano at this time and disturb my students from writing, I will dare to rebel at this time."
The system gave him a thumbs up: "As expected of you, great minister."
After three incense sticks, all the students stopped writing immediately, and the young eunuchs shuttled between the desks and collected their papers.
When the papers were collected, His Majesty first looked over them, then covered their names on them and had them judged by Zhu Qingchen, several old academic officials, and several civil servants from the library. After looking at each paper, they would mark it as "upper, middle, lower," etc.
At the same time, the students were waiting below, waiting for answers.
Zhu Qingchen graded the papers carefully, turning his head to look down from time to time.
Liu An and Pei Xuan sat together, talking one after the other.
This time, Pei Xuan did not faint again. He stood steadily, looking normal, and answered questions fluently.
Several school officials nodded repeatedly, seeming to be very satisfied with him.
Only the emperor remained unmoved. He glanced at Zhu Qingchen and saw that he was even more nervous than the student, so he snorted coldly.
Zhu Qingchen felt relieved only after Pei Xuan sat down.
This stage is finally passed.
At noon, several academic officials finished judging all the essays, sorted out a few top-notch ones, and placed them in front of the emperor's desk again.
The conversation was drawing to a close. The emperor clasped his hands together, clearly feeling a little tired, but he still managed to stay awake and listen to the students behind him finish their words.
He flipped through several articles, selected three, lined them up and placed them in front of him.
The emperor picked up the cinnabar pen on the table, hesitated for a moment, and then made a decision.
After the emperor finished marking the papers, Eunuch Yang took them away and gently removed the covered names with a scraper.
Several old scholars could not help but bow to His Majesty and move forward to take a look.
The emperor felt a little disgusted with them and hid aside.
Zhu Qingchen was no exception and squeezed in, holding up his clothes.
Let me see! Let me see!
The emperor paused and reluctantly accepted Xiao Zhuxueguan's rude behavior.
Eunuch Yang's hands moved slowly, and the others couldn't help but complain that he was too slow. Zhu Qingchen held his breath and stared at his hands seriously.
The next moment, before Zhu Qingchen had time to be happy, the old school officials all widened their eyes, reached out to grab Zhu Qingchen, and held him down: "Zhu Qingchen! Come here! Did you secretly go to Dajue Temple to burn incense again?"
Eunuch Yang came before the emperor holding the examination paper and said: "Your Majesty, the results of this palace examination are out. Your Majesty personally selected the top three in the first class--"!
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