The three of them stared at the closed gate, their faces filled with confusion.
The stars flow westward, the night is quiet and clear.
Xu Jiang tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She felt uneasy, not knowing whether it was because of Jiang Gu's list or because the weather was getting hotter.
She simply got up and drank a bowl of cold tea, then lit a lamp and went to the shop to burn incense and copy books.
The copy was from Xu Yuan's Cang Moss Manuscripts, which contained some of Xu Yuan's own essays and prose. Unlike the serious and rigorous writings on the interpretation and translation of classics, the writing style was quite lively and amusing, and was written in his early years.
The more Xu Jiang copied, the calmer her heart became. By the time she finished, the stars had faded and the sun had risen, and the east was already bright. She touched the handwriting on the old book, folded her own copy, and presented it as a tribute. She then offered three sticks of incense to Xu Yuan.
She didn't go back to sleep, but opened the door early.
Seeing that she had opened the shop so early, Shopkeeper Wang asked curiously, "Did the sun rise from the west?"
Xu Jiang, with dark circles under her eyes, said helplessly, "It's hot, I can't sleep well."
"Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon, and it's getting hot. There's a woman on the street who makes some nice mats. Why don't you go and order one from her?"
"That's great. Please introduce me, brother."
"It's still early, I'll take you there later."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, brother." Xu Jiang bowed and smiled at him, then sighed, "These days are counting, and it's already the Dragon Boat Festival."
"Isn't it?" Thinking that Xu Jiang had never celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival in the capital, he introduced it to her: "The Dragon Boat Festival in the capital is very lively. In addition to the temple fairs and night markets, there are also polo competitions and herbal fairs. Of course, the most lively event is the dragon boat race."
Xu Jiang became interested and asked, "Where is the dragon boat race held?"
"Longshou Township in the eastern suburbs," Shopkeeper Wang invited, "Why don't we go and see it together then?"
Xu Jiang happily replied, "Okay."
As they were talking, a breakfast vendor came by the alley shouting, and Shopkeeper Wang hurriedly invited him in. Xu Jiang was feeling lazy today and didn't want to cook, so she took a bowl from the kitchen and waited at the door.
"Come quickly, I'll treat you to dinner." Shopkeeper Wang waved to Xu Jiang.
Xu Jiang didn't hesitate and ran over with the bowl in hand.
The vendor opened the wooden barrel, and the aroma of rice wafted out. "Today we have honey-sweetened rice dumplings, ash-water rice dumplings, shepherd's purse wontons, rice dumplings, and glutinous bean porridge. What would you like?"
Xu Jiang took a look into the bucket and saw the green rice dumplings tied with colorful strings crowded together, which was very tempting.
The vendor opened another bucket, revealing three jars of wontons, rice balls, and glutinous bean porridge. The wontons were white with a hint of green, and the broth was clear and fragrant.
Xu Jiang held out the bowl and said, "I want a bowl of shepherd's purse wontons, two honey dumplings, and two ash water dumplings."
The vendor filled her bowl with wontons, picked up four rice dumplings and handed them to her, saying with a smile, "Good appetite, my lady."
Shopkeeper Wang smiled and said, "It's better to have something to eat. Give me eight of each kind of rice dumplings, two bowls of sweet porridge, two bowls of wontons, and two steamed buns." Then he shouted into the yard, "You little bastard, bring your bowls for breakfast."
After a while, the fat boy from Manager Wang's family ran out with a few bowls.
"I'll go back to the restaurant to eat." The wontons were a little hot, so Xu Jiang hurriedly took the bowl and walked towards the restaurant.
The vendor said, "Don't forget to watch the fun after eating."
Shopkeeper Wang was surprised, "Why is there so much noise so early in the morning?"
"I also heard that someone on Zhuque Street came to apologize for his crime by carrying firewood. He was an official, and many people came to see him."
Xu Jiang almost burst out laughing. Carrying firewood to ask for forgiveness? Could it be carrying a thorn to ask for forgiveness? Then she paused, turned around and asked, "Which official is it?"
The vendor said as he picked up the rice dumplings, "I don't know, but I heard his last name was Mu."
Is your surname Mu? Mu Cong?
Xu Jiang's hand shook, spilling half a bowl of soup.
“Ouch, my wontons!”
After finishing her breakfast and leaving a letter for Liang Mo, Xu Jiang rode her donkey towards Zhuque Street. Halfway through her run, she heard someone calling her. She turned around and saw it was Zeng Zhui.
Zeng Zhui caught up on a donkey, followed by some scholars and students.
Xu Jiang asked, "Aren't you going to give a lecture?"
Zeng Zhuidao said, "I had a farm holiday yesterday."
Xu Jiang understood, and then asked the students of the Imperial College nearby, "Are you released too?"
"Let him go." One of the students said to Xu Jiang, "Manager Xu, Song Xuelu asked me to tell you that you should go to the prison on the ninth day of the first lunar month to help proofread the new book."
Xu Jiang was delighted and said, "That's all saved. Thank you very much."
Zeng Zhui urged, "Hurry up, I want to see what this trick of carrying a thorny branch to apologize is." Because of the Du Hui incident, Zeng Zhui was very disgusted with the Mu Mansion, so his words were not very polite.
Xu Jiang did not try to persuade him, as it was all cause and effect.
A group of people, some riding donkeys and some riding horses, marched towards Zhuque Street in a mighty procession.
Both sides of Zhuque Street were crowded with people. With Zeng Zhui and the students leading the way, Xu Jiang easily squeezed to the front of the crowd.
She tightened the reins and looked carefully, only to see that Mu Cong had also taken off his official uniform, wearing only a white shirt, with his hair loose and barefoot, carrying a whip on his back, walking towards the imperial city step by step.
As he walked, he confessed his crime: "The criminal Mu Cong and my student Zhao Xiu were coerced by the Minister of Personnel Wang Yan and the Minister of Revenue Luo Dongchuan to conspire with them to frame the Imperial College Director Du Hui for leaking exam questions and cheating. This has caused Du Hui to suffer injustice and tarnish his reputation. I now take off my clothes and apologize for my crime, so that the world can know and restore Du Hui's innocence."
The onlookers were all in an uproar, and then it exploded and everyone started talking about it.
Mu Cong also did not stop, and walked steadily towards the imperial city under the watchful eyes of everyone.
"I, Mu Cong, am a sinner. As a minister, I have been dishonest, as a teacher, I have deceived the emperor and deceived his superiors, confusing right and wrong. I am ashamed to be the emperor and the student. I have read the books of the sages in vain and am ashamed to be supported by the people. I hereby confess my sins to the sage and ask for his punishment."
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