Tao Qingyun felt a headache coming on during the imperial examination and said helplessly: ...
Tao Qingyun asked, "Can that token be counterfeited?"
Chu Yening slightly raised his chin and looked at Jiang Yuanjun: "With the Crown Prince of a country here, what could possibly be difficult for him?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuanjun stood up and said to everyone, "For the Qin family and for Uncle Chu, I am happy to do it."
When Qin Weixi heard the rumors about him being born at the hour of Wei, he recalled his encounter with Zhou Quan the day before and pondered for a moment before saying, "In that case, I have another plan, but I don't know if it's feasible."
Tell me about it.
She then asked, "Do you have a map of the city?"
Jiang Yuanjun quickly ordered someone to bring the map and unfold it. Qin Weixi scanned the city's appearance on the map, seeing the intricate network of alleys and streets of all sizes.
Seeing that she remained silent, the others showed no impatience, simply waiting for her to speak. After a short while, she pointed to a crossroads on the map and said, "Yesterday, Uncle Zhou mentioned the Minister of Rites and the Liang family. It was just a trivial remark, but the fact that Uncle Zhou specifically sent the Zhou family residence to leave me here under the pretext of a damaged carriage means he had something important to tell me."
"But for Uncle Zhou, every word and every sentence is crucial."
“I think that since Liang Xu had dealings with the son of Prince Jing’s concubine, perhaps Uncle Zhou also learned about this by chance.”
"This cross street connects four alleys, and Xingyuan Alley is the only way for Liang Xu to return home after work. Dong Er Hutong is the most lively alley at night, where the locals linger the most."
"If you want to spread rumors that someone in the Qin family is still alive, why not scare this Liang thief first?"
Tao Qingyun suddenly burst into laughter: "That's a great idea!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Yening raised an eyebrow, her face showing considerable approval.
Jiang Yuanjun pondered for a long time before saying, "But Liang Xu is cruel and arrogant..."
Qin Weixi smiled faintly, yet his expression was one of absolute certainty: "Fifth Brother, what is Liang the scoundrel most afraid of?"
He feared Penglai Xiaoding the most back then, and he personally killed Qin Shuoguang, the heir of the Duke of Dingguo, whom he had known since childhood but was not a friend but a classmate.
If Liang Xu had a guilty conscience, he would surely, like her, encounter that kind and gentle brother in countless midnight nightmares from which he could not escape.
But unlike the brother she saw in her dream, what Liang Xu saw must have been the wronged souls of hundreds of Qin family members coming to claim his life.
Tao Qingyun immediately patted his bottom and waved his folding fan: "I can't wait until tomorrow, nor can I wait until the day after tomorrow. Let's go down the mountain today!"
"This time, he's in the open, while we're in the shadows!"
As night fell, lanterns were hung on the doors of every household in the city.
Liang Xu had just finished his shift and was heading back to his residence via Xingyuan Lane. The incident at the Star Gazing Tower in spring, Gao Jian's death, the Li family's exile, and the painting that appeared out of nowhere had already given him a lot of trouble. Meanwhile, the so-called illegitimate son of the Prince Jing's heir kept pestering him.
He had no intention of having much interaction with this person; what he wanted to do was to curry favor with the family of Prince Jing's heir.
Prince Jing was mediocre and had no great ambitions, but he had an ambitious eldest son, Jiang Zhao.
He had already completely offended the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace because of the Qin family incident. If the Crown Prince were to ascend the throne smoothly in the future, his Liang family would be completely powerless and like stray dogs.
However, if Jiang Zhao were to seize the throne and become emperor, the Liang family would certainly be even more prominent than the three great families of yesteryear, given his status as a meritorious official.
But the thought of his mistress and her son, whom he couldn't shake off, made him grit his teeth in anger. With a swift motion, he smashed the cup in his hand to the ground.
The servant driving the carriage was startled by the sound of a cup shattering on the ground. After a moment, he composed himself and cautiously asked, "Young Master, how about I take a few strong thugs and kill that Sun Zheng?"
Liang Xu hissed, "Foolish! If anything happens to Sun Zheng, the Crown Prince will suspect us first!"
The servant choked on his words, but quickly added, "How about... we let that clever Yao Zizhu come up with a solution?"
Liang Xu clenched his teeth, his face grim. Suddenly, he let out a cold laugh, his words full of contempt: "Him? It's a miracle he even came back alive!"
The servant, still trembling with fear, wielded the reins and drove the carriage, pondering how to respond, lest the young master, in a moment of displeasure, throw him into the lake to feed the fish.
Lost in thought, several round, spherical objects suddenly rolled out from a distance and landed precisely under the moving carriage wheels, causing the carriage to stop.
The servant got off the carriage and saw that it was a mallet for playing polo. He then glanced around the bustling street and saw a group of children dressed in colorful clothes with their hair styled in childlike buns, holding mallets and laughing happily.
The servant hurriedly said, "Young Master, the children were playing polo and accidentally rolled the hammer ball under the carriage."
Because they were in a crowded market, Liang Xu seemed to be suppressing his anger: "Go and deal with it immediately!"
Meanwhile, Chu Yening and Tao Qingyun were surrounded by a group of cheering seven- or eight-year-old children.
Tao Qingyun said smugly, "Was my prediction accurate? But if anyone asks, don't give us away." As he spoke, he made a throat-slitting gesture.
But perhaps because the two were so good-looking, the children showed no fear whatsoever; instead, they jumped and cheered.
Tao Qingyun felt a headache coming on and said helplessly, "I never deal with children. You have experience, so you do it."
Chu Yening: "What experience do I have?" As she spoke, she went to pick up a few sturdy children by the collar, just like she had picked up Xiao Jiubao that day.
Luo Ling, carrying a full bag of candied fruit and sweets, smiled gently and patted the children's heads, saying with a laugh, "Looks like you snuck out, and so did we. If our parents find out when we get home, we'll get a good spanking!"
The children's eyes lit up at the sight of the sweet candied fruit, and they nodded vigorously, puffing out their chests as if to vouch for it like little adults.
Inside the Liang family's carriage, Liang Xu, having waited for his servants for a long time without them returning, was growing impatient and was about to drive the carriage back home himself. As he lifted the curtain, he subconsciously looked ahead at the crowd of people, only to suddenly meet the eyes of a face he had not forgotten for ten years.
"Qin Shuoguang!" he called out subconsciously, but in the blink of an eye, that face disappeared without a trace in the sea of people.
Liang Xu leaped off the carriage and was about to chase after the crowd when the servant who had disappeared suddenly returned. He looked at his young master with a look of panic and ashen face, as if he had seen a monster.
The servant asked, "Young master?"
Liang Xu snapped out of his daze and gritted his teeth, saying, "I'm asking you, did you see the heir of the Duke of Dingguo just now?"
"The heir of the Duke of Dingguo? Which heir?" The servant was momentarily stunned, then suddenly shivered, his whole body trembling uncontrollably. "Young master, what are you saying?"
It's not yet Ghost Festival, so the gates of hell are not yet wide open.
Liang Xu was momentarily dazed, feeling dizzy and lightheaded, almost fainting in the bustling city. In his dazed state, he managed to utter, "Return to the manor."
The moon hangs high in the sky, and people are fast asleep, lost in their dreams.
Suddenly, someone broke into the main courtyard of Minister Cao's mansion, located in the prestigious Kuan Lane in the east of the city.
With his head of white hair, Minister Cao, by the light of an oil lamp and with his thin, weak hands that could no longer hold a pen, managed to write a secret letter addressed to the emperor. Then, with his old and heavy body, he shakily climbed onto a wooden chair and wrapped the white silk around the roof beam.
Jiuqu and Mutong, who were keeping watch outside, worked together to rescue the old minister.
That night, the Luo family and the Jingning Marquis's residence were both lit up, and Qin Weixi and Chu Yening met Cao Mo at the old Minister's residence.
The old minister saw the newcomer by the moonlight, and a strange look flashed in his eyes, clearly indicating that he could not believe it.
“Lord Jingning…” Then look at the person next to Lord Jingning, who is wearing a veiled hat and is as tall as a woman.
Qin Weixi immediately removed the veil from her head, and this time her face was not covered with the makeup that had changed her appearance.
The old minister opened his eyes wide at that moment: "Duke Ding... Duke Dingguo".
Qin Weixi stepped forward and said with a slight smile, "Minister Cao, the Duke of Dingguo is my father."
The old minister's weathered face changed upon hearing these words.
"You're the daughter of the Duke of Dingguo? You..."
Qin Weixi smiled and nodded: "Minister Cao, a person only has this one chance to be born into this world and have a mortal body. Those of us who should live die, while those who shouldn't live live freely in this world. Minister Cao, what kind of nonsense is this?"
At this moment, Chu Yening stepped forward, holding the secret letter that Cao Moben had written before hanging himself, and said, "Minister Cao, I don't need to say more. I'm sure you also hate Liang Xu and Sun Zheng to the bone."
The old minister suddenly fell silent, but his pale eyes kept shifting back and forth between the two of them.
Upon seeing this, Qin Weixi said, "Minister Cao, you are a veteran of two dynasties and were deeply trusted by the late emperor. You must know my father's character well. Whether the Qin family has been wronged or not, you must know better than anyone else."
"My return to the capital this time is to clear the Qin family of their grievances."
The old minister only looked at Chu Yening, and after a moment said, "Then you... Marquis Jingning?"
Chu Yening laughed and said, "Minister Cao, do you think I look like someone with a filthy heart and rotten lungs who can't tell right from wrong?"
The old Minister Cao rose shakily from the armchair in his study. Chu Yening said softly, "Minister Cao, if you don't want to say a word today, we will pretend we were never here and know nothing about your suicide. But once we leave this place, we will never be able to come back."
"After all, I never turn back."
The old minister's eyes were red and tears were streaming down his face. After a moment, he said in a hoarse voice, "It is Liang Xu, the eldest son of Grand Secretary Liang."
“Last year, before the imperial examinations, my position as the chief examiner was already confirmed. He pressured me, citing my family, to recommend a tutor surnamed Han to teach a student named Sun Zheng, in order to help him pass the exams in the future. If necessary, he would exert his influence to help him achieve the highest honors in all three categories.”
"But Master Han is my friend, yet he is not bound by fame and fortune. He travels the world with his profound knowledge, only stopping at the homes of poor students who cannot afford to study."
"If I don't comply, he will have devised a plan to plunge my Cao family into utter ruin during last year's imperial examinations."
Upon hearing this, Chu Yening pondered for a moment and nodded: "...Master Han, it seems there was such a person in the capital when the late emperor was in power."
The old minister continued, "But I did not agree because of this intimidation. Liang Xu said it was alright, but if Sun Zheng passed the palace examination in the future, he would still have to do him a favor. In short, whether it was deception or trickery, he would make sure that Sun was on the list of successful candidates. If Sun Zheng rises to prominence in the future, he will definitely remember his contribution."
“How could I do something that would cost me my head? Besides, I would never stoop to such a thing. During the reign of the late Emperor, scholars from humble backgrounds and noble families were treated equally, without any preferential treatment. As a result, many upright and honest officials emerged in our Great Xia during those years. How could I let the late Emperor feel disheartened?”
"Later, my grandson, who was only two years old, went missing while walking with my son at a lantern festival. The whole family sent many people, but they couldn't find him. At the time, everyone said that human traffickers had taken my grandson away."
"But I had a feeling that this matter was not simple."
"Sure enough, Liang Xu came to visit in the evening, carrying my little grandson who was still learning to speak. He said that he saw my grandson while admiring the lanterns with his family on the street and rescued him from the slave trader."
"I know Liang Xu is forcing me to get involved in this in the future!"
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