Chapter 62062 Provincial Examination
On August 16, Du Qingtang walked out of the Imperial Examination Hall with a foul smell.
I stayed in the cell for three whole days, during which I had to eat, drink, defecate and urinate in there, and had to endure the smell attack from all directions. You can imagine how painful it was.
Du Qingtang felt that she had been marinated, and her whole body exuded the smell of pickled cabbage that had been soaked for ten years in a stinky ditch, then placed in the same jar with stinky salted fish, fished out after half a month, and added to snail noodles as a side dish.
Perhaps we can put snail noodles as a new product and put it on the shelves of Du Ji Snacks.
Du Qingtang thought with a smile.
"Mr. Du!"
Shitou stood in the same place as always, waving with a silly smile on his face.
The fabric was soaked with sweat and stuck to his body, making him feel uncomfortable. Du Qingtang raised his hand and pulled at the collar of his clothes, exhaled a breath of hot air, and strode towards the carriage.
Shitou lifted the carriage curtain and muttered, "Mr. Du, you've worked hard. There's some cold tea and ice in the carriage. Come in and rest."
Du Qingtang stepped onto the carriage with her right foot, and suddenly she keenly felt a sticky gaze falling on her back.
It was like a cold reptile crawling up her skin, tightening inch by inch, wrapping her tightly.
Du Qingtang looked back and saw a bustling crowd of people and a constant flow of carriages outside the Imperial Examination Hall. It was very lively and noisy, but she didn't see anyone suspicious, as if it was all her illusion.
"Mr. Du?"
Shi Tou saw Du Qingtang looking back and thought it was his own young master coming out, so he also looked over, but found that he was not there.
"Nothing." Du Qingtang said calmly, leaned over to enter the carriage, picked up the cold tea and drank it all in one gulp, his dark eyes dark and cold.
About half an hour later, the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the earth, and Cao Xingcan and his three classmates Zhao, Fang, and Qian walked out of the Imperial Examination Hall with tired steps.
The five people rode in two carriages and drove towards Cao's house.
The housekeeper had already prepared a sumptuous meal and also invited a doctor in advance.
As soon as the group entered the door, they asked the doctor to check their pulse to make sure they were in good health.
The doctor took the pulses of Cao Xingcan and Du Qingtang one after another and said with a smile, "Both young masters are in good health and nothing serious is wrong."
On the other hand, Zhao, Fang, and Qian were not as physically fit as the first two. The doctor prescribed a few doses of herbal decoctions for them, and before leaving, he repeatedly reminded them: "You need to rest more while taking the medicine to make up for the loss."
After the doctor left, classmate Zhao felt a little ashamed: "In the past, I was so busy studying that I forgot that studying is harmful to my health. Now I think about it, I really didn't take care of my health all these years."
Classmate Fang echoed, "Actually, I felt unwell last night. Thinking about the provincial examination, which only takes place once every three years, and missing it means I'll have to wait another three years, I forced myself to get through it."
Classmate Qian thought of the old scholar who had unfortunately choked to death, and the many candidates who fainted or even vomited blood during the exam. He couldn't help but shudder and his face changed slightly: "I will definitely exercise diligently when I get back!"
Cao Xingcan yawned and said lazily, "The provincial examination was not bad, just a little hot. The imperial examination next year will be unbearable. It's freezing cold in February, and the Imperial Examination Hall is as cold as an ice cellar. When I was in Xiajing, I often heard that candidates got sick and froze to death."
The three of them felt like they were facing a formidable enemy, and became even more determined to strengthen their bodies.
Du Qingtang's eyelids were heavy. She hadn't slept well in the two nights at the Imperial Examination Hall. The candidate next to her had been snoring the whole time. Now she couldn't stand it anymore and got up first: "I'll go back to my room first."
Cao Xingcan noticed her fatigue and stood up: "Go to bed early. We can talk about it tomorrow if there is anything."
The five of them dispersed, went back to their rooms to take a bath, change into clean clothes, and fall asleep.
The three exams, which lasted for nine days, almost drained all of Du Qingtang's energy. He slept soundly and did not wake up until the next day, the afternoon of August 17th.
At that time, the officials behind the curtain had already begun marking the papers in full swing.
The marking of the papers was completed five days later, the sealed envelopes were opened, and the list of admitted candidates was announced on August 22.
......
Qingyuan County.
During the three days off, Fu Ci either worked as a waiter at Du Ji Snack Shop, taught Ruan Ran to read, or took care of Du Qinglan's children.
Last July, Du Qinglan gave birth to a daughter and named her Gu Yajun.
Sister Jun just turned one year old and was at the age of being very cute. Although Fu Ci did not plan to get married, she liked children, especially the children of Sister Du.
Since he happened to be free on his holiday, Fu Ci volunteered to help take care of the children.
Du Qinglan watched Fu Ci taking care of Jun Jie'er meticulously and teased, "Awen is eighteen this year and it's time for him to get married. When you have a child, you will definitely be a good father."
Fu Ci laughed it off and continued to play hide-and-seek with Jun Jieer.
Jun Jieer was amused by her and giggled, her white little feet were lifted up.
After the holiday, the students who participated in the college examination returned to the academy.
Fu Ci already had the title of scholar, so it was natural for him to be promoted to the scholar class D.
After the promotion, classmate Li took the initiative to ask: "Classmate Fu, can I sit with you?"
If Du Qingtang was here, Fu Ci would definitely sit with her.
Unfortunately, since she was not around, Fu Ci didn't care who he sat next to.
"Of course." Fu Ci said with a smile.
Classmate Li is a bit of a chatterbox. After sitting down, he chatters non-stop, enthusiastically sharing his daily interesting stories with his deskmate, from the chicks at home to the newly bought books.
Fu Ci responded with good temper until——
"Classmate Fu, let me tell you, when I returned home this time, I found three strange people in the village."
"What weirdo?"
"Their tongues were cut out, the parents lost several fingers, and the son was even worse off, paralyzed in bed for years, needing help with everything from eating and drinking to defecating and urinating."
"I was telling the villagers that you had become a scholar before you even reached adulthood when that aunt suddenly rushed over and grabbed me, yelling and screaming, as if she was provoked by something."
Fu Ci paused while grinding ink.
"My mother said they were thrown to the village entrance one night three years ago. They must have offended someone, were being sought after, or perhaps learned some secret, which is why they ended up like this..."
Classmate Li was still chattering, but Fu Ci didn't hear a word he said. His description of the three weirdos kept echoing in his mind.
Based on Fu Ci's understanding of Du Qingtang, could she not guess the fate of her parents and brother?
Of course she could guess.
But Fu Ci is a selfish person. She cares more about herself than her relatives who only use her.
She wants to study.
She wanted to continue to be Fu Wen, rather than Fu Ci, who was coveted by her biological father and was about to be sold into a brothel.
Now that he knew about their current situation from the few words of classmate Li, Fu Ci thought, it is indeed so.
They knew her secret of disguising herself as a man to take the imperial examination. She could either die or be made to never reveal her secret.
So their tongues were cut out and they could no longer speak.
Fu Wen's limbs were disabled, so he could not write and could only be trapped in Lijia Village forever like a puddle of mud.
The fact that Fu's father and mother had their fingers cut off completely eliminated the possibility of them revealing Fu Ci's secret in writing.
The mouth cannot speak and the hands cannot write.
What a meticulous plan, with not a single flaw in it.
This also reflects how cold-blooded and ruthless the person who planned all this is.
But if she asks herself, will she be afraid of Du Qingtang and distance herself from him because of this?
No.
Never.
Because Fu Ci knew that the sharp blade in Du Qingtang's hand was always pointed at outsiders.
Many years ago, she was taken into Du Qingtang's protection circle and was protected by Du Qingtang in a very tight manner.
Fu Ci could only feel fortunate and grateful to Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang's actions back then not only repaid her parents' kindness in giving birth to her, but also made her identity a secret forever.
How could she have such a friend like Qingtang who was willing to go through fire and water for her?
Fu Ci's eyes were hot and he felt like crying.
"The Herald has arrived."
Li's poke brought Fu Ci back to reality from his thoughts.
Fu Ci took out the book and spread out the notebook.
She would work harder, and even if she couldn't walk side by side with Qingtang, she would try her best to follow Qingtang.
-
Five days passed in a flash.
On August 22, the results of the provincial examination were announced.
The list of provincial examinations is usually called the B list or the B category. Because the sweet fragrance of osmanthus fills the air when the results are announced, it is also called the Gui list.
Nearly four thousand candidates took part in the provincial examination, but generally only one hundred were admitted, with an admission rate of less than three percent. The competition was extremely fierce, and it was no exaggeration to say that it was like a thousand troops crossing a single-plank bridge.
The one hundred admitted people were called Juren, commonly known as Xiaolian, and the first one among them was called Jieyuan.
In addition to the treatment enjoyed by scholars, juren also enjoyed tax exemption and the right to enter officialdom.
The land under the name of a juren was exempt from imperial grain and national taxes. Common people and gentry often offered gold and silver just to have the land under the name of a juren and obtain tax exemption.
After passing the imperial examination, one has the right to become an official, although he is only a reserve official. However, if he is lucky, he can get the official position of a seventh-rank county magistrate or an eighth-rank county magistrate.
Because of this, countless scholars have spent their entire lives, even when they are old and gray, still running around in the imperial examination hall, just to gain fame and become the best.
At noon, the gates of the Imperial Examination Hall opened, and the officials in charge of announcing the results came out in a line, accompanied by yamen runners.
The yamen runners lit firecrackers, the sound of cannons was deafening, and the atmosphere was extremely lively.
The official posted the list of winners on the bulletin board, said a few words of encouragement and left.
The candidates rushed forward.
Those who passed the exam were smiling happily, while those who failed were crying bitterly.
"I won! I won, hahahaha!"
A candidate in his forties suddenly laughed out loud, took off all his clothes, danced excitedly, and hummed an unknown song with a local accent.
"I'm a juren! I can be an official now, hahahaha!"
When everyone saw this scene, they were all shocked and covered their faces with their sleeves.
"Is he crazy? How could he do that in public... It's disgraceful! It's absolutely disgraceful!"
"Someone come and take him away!"
The people who were traveling with him were embarrassed. They bowed and apologized, and dragged the man away from the scene.
The crazy laughter faded away, and there was dead silence in front of the list.
"Is he really crazy?"
"It turns out that Fan Jin's success in the imperial examination was not an exaggeration."
"What a pity! He could have become a Jinshi or even an official."
Everyone sighed and felt sorry for the scholar.
Some people, intending to liven up the atmosphere, laughed and shouted, "Let me see who this year's champion is."
"It's Du Qingtang!"
"I recognize her, the fourteen-year-old Little Sanyuan from Baoding Prefecture!"
Everyone was dumbfounded.
"Little Sanyuan? Including this time, doesn't that mean she has won four prizes in a row?"
"He passed the imperial examination at the age of fourteen, and now he's seventeen. He's truly young and promising."
"I live in Hejian Prefecture, next to Baoding Prefecture. I've heard a lot about the talent of this young scholar. I wonder if she's here. I'd love to meet her."
The candidates of Qingyuan Academy were proud that the top scorer was their classmate, and they looked around when they heard the news.
"Where's classmate Du? Wasn't she here just now?"
"I left long ago."
Everyone felt very regretful.
At this time, someone reminded us: "Have you forgotten the Luming Feast tomorrow?"
The Lu Ming Banquet is a banquet specially held for the newly-appointed candidates after the provincial examination. The Governor-General of Zhili, the chief examiner, the deputy chief examiner, and the inner and outer curtain officials will all attend.
"Yeah! Why didn't I think of that!"
The candidates who were interested in getting to know the new champion left satisfied. They had to prepare well and try to impress the new champion tomorrow.
On the other side, the new champion, as everyone was talking about, had already boarded the carriage back to Cao's residence.
In the carriage, Du Qingtang and Cao Xingcan sat opposite each other.
Cao Xingcan stared at the person opposite him and sighed softly after a while: "Congratulations."
As the saying goes, if we have Yu, why do we need Liang?
Cao Xingcan became famous at a young age and had great ambitions. Everyone in the capital was jealous of his talent, but he happened to meet a powerful opponent, Du Qingtang.
For the past five years, no matter whether it was a major or minor exam, or a county or prefectural exam, Du Qingtang always ranked first, and he could only be second, and even fell to third place several times.
This time is no exception.
Du Qingtang was ranked first in the list of top scorers and became the top scorer.
Cao Xingcan came in second and became the runner-up.
It really proves what Fu Ci said, "Always second."
"Du Qingtang." Cao Xingcan sat upright and said calmly, "I'm going back to Xiajing."
Du Qingtang skimmed off the foam with the cup lid and opened his eyes.
Having known each other for several years, Cao Xingcan knew Du Qingtang was a man of few words, so he said directly, "Ten years ago, my grandfather arranged a marriage for me. We had originally planned to get married when I came of age, but just as the wedding date was approaching, the other party's father passed away, so it has been delayed until now."
Cao Xingcan is twenty-three years old this year. In ancient times, he should have had many children, but he has not yet married. It turns out that it is because the girl is in mourning for her father.
"Congratulations." Du Qingtang paused, "Will you return to Baoding Prefecture after the wedding?"
Cao Xingcan shook his head: "I will study at the Imperial Academy."
He did not tell Du Qingtang that the reason he stayed in Xiajing was that his father thought he was wasting his time in Baoding Prefecture, so he wrote to reprimand him and ordered him to return to Beijing immediately after the provincial examination.
Cao Xingcan did not think that he was wasting his time. He studied hard day and night.
It was just bad luck that I met Du Qingtang.
Well, I have to go back to Beijing sooner or later, it’s just a few months in advance.
Du Qingtang took a sip of herbal tea and said, "The Imperial College is great. When do you plan to leave?"
Cao Xingcan replied: "Half a month later."
Du Qingtang put down his teacup and bowed slightly: "Then I wish Yuanzhong a safe journey. See you in Xiajing next year."
Cao Xingcan leaned against the carriage and said, "Then you and I will no longer be classmates, but colleagues."
Their eyes met and they both smiled at the same time.
......
The next day, the Luming Banquet was held as scheduled at the Governor's Office.
Before the banquet began, the chief examiner, dressed in his official robes, led the deputy examiners, the academician and others in performing a ceremony of thanksgiving to express their gratitude for the emperor's grace.
The newly-appointed candidates entered the venue accompanied by drums and music, met with the chief examiner and other officials, and then took their seats according to their ranking on the list.
In Daxia, the left is the most respected seat, and Du Qingtang, as the top scorer in the imperial examination, sat at the first seat on the left.
All kinds of gazes came from all directions, including curiosity, admiration, and jealousy.
"She is the top scholar Du Qingtang."
"She's so young. Sharing a room with her makes me look older."
"Zhu deeply agrees."
"This man is handsome and has an extraordinary bearing. I wonder if he is engaged. I have a younger sister at home..."
"I thought she was incredibly talented, but now it seems she's nothing special. I wonder how she managed to win four prizes in a row."
Du Qingtang remained calm, sitting quietly with his eyes closed.
Cao Xingcan sat in the first seat on the right, listening to the mixed comments about Du Qingtang, and suddenly felt that being ranked second was not bad.
Not long after, the music of "Deer Singing" was played at the banquet.
The newly-appointed scholars sang the poem "Deer Singing" and performed the Kuixing Dance.
After the dance, local officials entered.
Du Qingtang looked up inadvertently and found that there was an acquaintance among them.
Not only her, but also the chief examiner and deputy examiner sent by the court noticed it and stood up and saluted: "Greetings to the Second Prince."
Upon hearing this, the other officials and newly-appointed scholars' expressions changed slightly. They hurriedly stood up and saluted respectfully.
"Meet the Second Prince."
The Second Prince, with his sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, was very graceful. He raised his hand and smiled humbly, "No need to be so polite, everyone. I am here on a mission ordered by the emperor. I learned that the Deer Singing Feast was being held here, so I came to take a look out of curiosity."
Everyone responded and waited until the Second Prince took the main seat before sitting down again.
The Governor-General of Zhili looked at the Second Prince, who nodded slightly. He then announced loudly that the Luming Banquet had officially begun.
According to past practice, local officials and newly-appointed scholars will then speak and compose poems.
The Governor-General of Zhili led the way and wrote a poem, which won applause from the whole audience.
After the officials, it was the turn of the newly-appointed scholars, with Jie Yuanshou being the first in line.
Du Qingtang stood up calmly and greeted the second prince, the Governor-General of Zhili, the chief examiner and other officials in turn.
The Second Prince took in Du Qingtang's appearance and raised his eyebrows slightly: "Are you the winner of this year's provincial examination?"
Du Qingtang bowed again and said, "Your Highness, I am the top scholar Du Qingtang."
The Second Prince clapped his hands and said, "What a talented young man! Great Xia needs extraordinary talents like you!"
These words praised Du Qingtang while also not leaving out the ninety-nine newly-appointed scholars present, causing a commotion at the table and making people's hearts uneasy.
Du Qingtang looked flattered, but in fact he was calm.
She was wondering whether the second prince's appearance in Northern Zhili was a coincidence or man-made.
as well as......
The second prince is here, will that bastard Qi Heming come too?
The Governor-General of Zhili noticed the reactions of the new imperial examination candidates and exchanged glances with the chief examiner, not knowing what to say.
They all knew the purpose of the Second Prince's appearance at the Lu Ming Banquet, which was simply to find and recruit useful people in advance.
In their opinion, the second prince was acting too hastily, appearing crude and greedy.
Not to mention that Your Majesty is in the prime of life, even if Your Majesty is very old, he still has two legitimate sons, the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince, and behind them is Prime Minister Cao.
Sometimes the higher you jump, the harder you fall.
Unfortunately, the second prince did not seem to understand this principle. Since arriving in Northern Zhili, in addition to doing his business, he also lavishly entertained officials, explicitly or implicitly expressing his intention to win them over.
Most likely it was because Xu Ci Fu retired not long ago and recommended Duke Changguo to take over the position of Ci Fu, which made Concubine Qi and the Second Prince want to compete for it.
But he didn't think about the fact that the Qi family was tragically wiped out several years ago, and now Duke Changguo is the only one holding a high position in the court.
How can one compete with the Queen and the powerful Prime Minister Cao behind her?
The Governor-General of Zhili shook his head in his heart, waited patiently for the Second Prince and Yayuan Cao Xingcan to finish their greetings, and looked down at Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang understood what he meant and composed a poem on the spot.
"The Moon Palace is just beginning to bloom in autumn, the wind blows through the forest, and the leaves are still fresh. Darkly drifting, the shadows of golden millet drift, the fragrance stirs the jade wheel's brilliance. The color is moist like fairy dew, and the clarity is like Taiyi's robe. Why bother to bring wine, when we are together, we can attract the fragrance." [1]
"good!"
The second prince applauded, and the other officials did not hide the admiration in their eyes.
"Come here, reward!"
At the second prince's command, his accompanying guards presented an inkstone.
Du Qingtang took it with both hands: "Thank you for the reward, Your Highness."
The Governor-General of Zhili and the chief examiner were also given rewards. The former was a top-quality sheep's hair brush, and the latter was a classic book.
Du Qingtang thanked him respectfully and sat back in his seat.
Next, Cao Xingcan composed a poem, and all the officials were very satisfied. The Governor-General of Zhili and the chief examiner both gave them rewards, but the second prince remained silent and did not accept the reward.
Cao Xingcan looked calm and didn't care about the Second Prince's nonsense. He sat down leisurely.
I originally thought that the second prince only prepared one reward, so he skipped the runner-up, but unexpectedly, after the third place winner wrote a poem, he also got an inkstone.
Newly-appointed scholar: “???”
The Governor-General of Zhili and other officials: "......"
Du Qingtang: “…”
idiot.
Even if he was dissatisfied with the Cao family, he should not have humiliated Cao Xingcan in public. This would only make him appear narrow-minded and useless.
It seems that even with two great teammates, Concubine Qi and Qi Lianmao, they cannot lead the second prince, who is a pig teammate.
He deserved to be pinned to the ground and rubbed by the Fourth Prince.
......
Because of the arrival of the second prince, the new imperial examination candidates rushed to show themselves, and each of them displayed their magical powers, which made Du Qingtang and Cao Xingcan watch the excitement to their heart's content.
Two hours passed in a flash, and the Luming Banquet came to an end.
The second prince left the scene surrounded by officials, and the newly-appointed scholars rushed forward and surrounded Du Qingtang.
"Seeing is believing. Du Jieyuan's literary talent is extraordinary. I really admire him!"
"Du Jieyuan, I was the top scorer in the Hejian Prefecture's imperial examination in the 12th year. After returning home, I wonder if I can exchange letters with you. I have many questions I would like to discuss in detail with you."
"Du Jieyuan..."
"Du Jieyuan..."
Cao Xingcan was pushed to the edge by these people and almost kicked over the table. He stood aside with his arms folded, listening to their compliments to Du Qingtang, and laughed in anger.
Du Qingtang finally got away and smoothed the wrinkles on his wide sleeves: "Yuan Zhong, it's time to go back."
We set off now and arrive in Baoding Prefecture in the evening. We will stay at Cao's house in the prefecture for one night and will be able to return to Qingyuan County tomorrow.
Cao Xingcan sneered: "You are so glorious, but I was trampled on by some people several times."
Du Qingtang lowered his head, and saw the large footprints on his shoes. "...It's my fault. I'll treat you to some snail noodles when I get back."
Cao Xingcan tutted. This man was used to using snacks to silence him. He walked out with a casual tone, as if asking casually, "What is snail rice noodle?"
"Du Ji Snacks' new products for next month." Du Qingtang stopped talking and the two of them walked out of the Governor's Office.
After entering the carriage and sitting down, Cao Xingcan said, "I'll take you back first. I have to visit a friend later. It won't take more than half an hour."
Du Qingtang paused while pouring tea: "Why don't I just walk back?"
Cao Xingcan pondered for a moment and agreed: "My friend's residence is between the Governor's Office and the Cao residence. I'm sorry to trouble you to walk for a while."
Du Qingtang didn't care. It was a good opportunity to verify his guess.
Cao Xingcan glanced at the inkstone on the small table and sneered, "Do you know that the Second Prince intends to recruit you to serve him?"
Du Qingtang drank his tea calmly and said bluntly, "I will not participate in the fight for the throne."
Cao Xingcan was stunned at first, then burst into laughter.
Du Qingtang had never seen him laugh so freely in all the years they had known each other. Reflecting on himself, he did not think his previous remarks were so ridiculous.
She had a grudge against the Qi family, so naturally she would not agree to be recruited by the second prince.
Not to mention the Fourth Prince. Once she kills Qi Heming with her own hands, the Fifth Prince will be next.
After Cao Xingcan finished laughing, he looked at Du Qingtang steadily, his tone more serious than ever before: "Du Qingtang, you must remember this sentence forever."
Don't get involved in the fight for the throne.
Throughout history, the struggle for the throne has always been cruel, accompanied by blood and conspiracy, and the winner usually sits on the supreme throne by stepping on the corpses of countless people.
Born into the Cao family, he had no choice but to be a supporter of the Fourth Prince.
When one suffers, all suffer; when one prospers, all prosper.
But Du Qingtang is different.
She has a clean background and outstanding abilities, so whoever takes that position will make use of her.
Du Qingtang was speechless for a moment, and after a long while he replied solemnly, "I will."
Cao Xingcan smiled slowly.
If we meet again someday, we may become strangers again.
That's fine.
Du Qingtang is a rare good man who saved his life regardless of past grudges.
She deserves to be free and have the best of everything.
-
The carriage stopped at the entrance of an alley. Cao Xingcan went to visit a friend, while Du Qingtang walked back to Cao's house.
I hadn't taken a few steps when the sticky gaze I felt the day after the provincial examination came back to my back.
Du Qingtang stopped and looked behind him.
It was noon and there were only a few pedestrians on the street. A carriage was following behind her, moving slowly forward.
The man driving the car was dressed as a guard from the Duke of Changguo's Mansion.
Du Qingtang turned around and looked at the carriage.
She just stood on the street corner, with a cold look of expulsion in her eyes.
Finally, as she watched, the carriage stopped at the side of the street, as if frozen in time.
Du Qingtang turned around and strode forward.
......
The thin figure disappeared from sight. Qi Heming was like a stone statue, maintaining the action of lifting the curtain for a long time, with obsession and love intertwined in his eyes.
Recalling those ice-cold eyes, Qi Heming's breath stopped and the arrow wound on his right wrist began to ache again.
She is still the same as in her previous life.
Just as beautiful, just as ruthless.
In her previous life, she had poked dozens of holes in his body, and in this life, she also left lifelong scars on his body that would be difficult to heal.
But he still couldn't let go of this love.
She can only be his, must be his.
For this, he can pay any price.
Including career.
Including relatives.
Including life.
Even if he dies, he will crawl out of hell and take her for himself!
But she hates me.
She is expelling me.
Why?
I miss you day and night.
The man seemed unable to bear it. He closed his eyes, frowned, breathed rapidly, veins bulged on the back of his hands, and his cheeks and neck turned a hidden red.
"Young Master?"
The guards outside the carriage came with cautious inquiries.
Qi Heming's breathing slowed down, and he said in a deep voice, "Follow him."
"yes."
......
Du Qingtang turned into a narrow alley.
A deep male voice came from behind me, and the two short words rolled over my lips and teeth, full of lingering sorrow.
"Atang."
Du Qingtang stopped, turned slowly, and looked at the man in brocade robe not far away.
Watch him approach step by step.
Watch him come to her.
Qi Heming looked at Du Qingtang almost greedily, and murmured: "Atang, I really want to..."
Before he could finish his words, he lowered his head in disbelief.
Du Qingtang thrust the end of the dagger into Qi Heming's chest, then suddenly took several steps back, creating some distance between them.
Qi Heming's eyebrows trembled nervously as the pain hit him. He stared at Du Qingtang intently and asked hysterically, "Atang, am I not good enough to you? Why do you treat me like this? Why do you hurt me again and again?"
He stretched out his hand, trying to grab Du Qingtang, but missed.
Instead, he lost his balance, swayed slightly twice, and fell heavily on the cobblestone road in the alley.
Blood gushed out of Qi Heming's mouth, and the knife wound on his chest also gushed out a lot of blood, soaking his brocade robe with bright red blood.
Du Qingtang stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at him, and suddenly chuckled, but the smile did not reach his eyes.
"You bastard, I've tolerated you for a long time."
Since she offered it to you, don't blame her for being rude.
Du Qingtang turned around.
Qi Heming tried his best to open his dazed eyes and growled hoarsely, "Atang, don't go!"
Du Qingtang left without looking back and disappeared at the end of the narrow alley.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
