A sudden surge of compassion welled up within him, and the man took a step back, whispering in the ear of the departing Prince Duan:
"It's a pity your mother went to the palace to pay homage some time ago and heard some rumors, which probably won't be of any benefit to you during this period. Prince Duan, you still need to know when to keep a low profile."
Upon hearing my mother mentioned, the prince's face turned a deep shade of liver. I gritted my teeth and endured it for a long while before waving my hand to signal the release of the young man. I then ignored the terrified crowd and the man around me, and led my men away dejectedly.
The young man, finally released, was still filled with fear. I stood there, my gaze somewhat unfocused. Suddenly, I heard someone call my name behind me. I couldn't help but turn around and saw a familiar figure running towards me:
“Brother Hong…”
A handsome young man was running towards me, wearing a cloth hat and carrying a white book basket on his back. Seeing that the young man looked exhausted and pale, I was startled and quickly supported my waist.
What's wrong with you?
The young man shook his head, leaning against Hong Ge, breathing softly. I raised my eyes, looking at the man with deep brows scrutinizing me, and nodded slightly to express my gratitude.
The man sneered, casually opened his fan, and turned to leave.
After finally finding an inn to stay in, Brother Hong asked about what had happened earlier, but the young man refused to talk about it. Brother Hong could only pat my hand reassuringly and turn to pack his luggage.
“Brother Hong,” the young man called softly, gently biting his lower lip with his pearly white teeth, “I don’t really want to take the imperial examination.”
Hong was taken aback, looking at me with some confusion, his eyes searching for the reason.
"The officialdom is corrupt these days, and I have no desire to get involved. If we could return home together and open a private school, we wouldn't have to worry about food and clothing. What... what do you think?"
Hong Ge softened his gaze and smiled faintly: "A-Ling, what nonsense are you spouting now? We've already come all this way, how can we possibly desert? Besides, the path of officialdom is complex and multifaceted; we still have much to learn. Don't let one's first impression breed prejudice."
The young man lowered his head, his eyes drooping, and said nothing more. I truly understood that Brother Hong was right, but what was the reason for this vague unease in my heart?
A pale yellow curtain fell from the doorway of the cubicle, and before obscuring Hong Ge's view, I glanced towards A Ling. He was sitting upright before his desk, frowning, seemingly deep in thought. Suddenly, as if sensing something, he looked in my direction. The curtain, falling with a soft rustling, gradually concealed my face and my lingering gaze.
Hong sighed inwardly and turned his gaze to the examination papers on the table in front of him. There, he felt, lay the unknown future he was facing.
The greatest joy in life is for me to take you on a ride together, adorned in red silk, as we return to our hometown in glory.
The gongs and chimes resounded, and the young emperor waved his hand. The scholars opened their examination papers, copying down their thoughts on the nation and their speculations about the emperor's mind. Unfortunately, their years of hard study were worthless; it was only a fleeting glimpse of something refreshing that brought a slight smile to the lips of the man in the imperial palace.
People say the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time to welcome the cold and worship the moon, but for some reason, this year's Mid-Autumn Festival makes everyone feel restless and uneasy. Halfway through writing, Ah Ling's cheeks were already soaked with sweat. I raised my sleeve to wipe the sweat trickling down my neck, but as soon as I raised my arm, the pen slipped from my grasp and fell to the floor with a dull thud in the quiet corner of the cubicle. Ah Ling bent down to pick it up, but the slightest movement caused a wave of dizziness. I tumbled off the bench, landing limply on the cold floor.
A pair of black boots came into my blurry vision, their silver stripes blurred into a swirling, dark cloud before my eyes. A soft sigh sounded above me:
"That's another kind of blessing for you."
Scholars yearn for the emperor's favor, hoping to serve at his side. You have this opportunity to enjoy this blessing, fulfilling your heart's desire.
A eunuch shook his head, waved to his left and right, signaling the people behind him to pull away the already collapsed A-Ling, while tightening his sleeves to conceal the strange fragrance emanating from him.
Two hours later, the drumbeat signaling the end of the examination sounded. Hong tidied up the things on the table, took one last look at the exam paper on it, and let out a long sigh. I lifted the curtain and came out of the cubicle, seeing the candidates leaving in twos and threes. Hong went to check the cubicle where A-Ling had been, but it was empty, with only an open exam paper on the table. I looked around but couldn't see A-Ling either, so I guessed that I might have left after finishing the exam. Since the examiners would be coming to collect the papers soon, and people weren't allowed to linger here, Hong had no choice but to go out and look for A-Ling again.
I have never seen such an ungrateful person, whether man or woman. After countless attempts to be intimate with me, only to be rejected each time by their fighting and struggles, I finally couldn't take it anymore. I reached out and pulled Ah Ling off the bed, slapping her hard across the face.
A-Ling was momentarily speechless from the beating, and her lips burned. I trembled, clutching my shirt, panting as I glared at the man before me.
I've read books and know the sages Confucius and Mencius. Loyalty, propriety, and a sense of shame flow in my blood. But now, these two fundamentally irreconcilable things are tormenting me in their contradiction.
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