The streets were filled with noise all night long, with sounds of firefighting, cries for help, and crying all around!
At this time, the doctors from Rongshantang who got the news rushed over to bandage and treat the injured students. Rong Yunhe stood under the restaurant opposite the inn, quietly watching everything in front of him, but his brows couldn't help but frowned, thinking that what happened tonight was really too strange!
It was not until the second half of the night, after the fire was put out by the city defense forces, that the shouting of the crowd gradually died down. However, the sudden decision of King Chen made the hearts of these poor students change from hesitation and fear to surprise!
They never imagined that this life-threatening fire would bring about this once-in-a-century opportunity!
On ordinary days, they rarely see the prince or the prime minister, and even the officials in the government office are rarely seen. Now, they are lucky enough to live in Prince Chen's Mansion. It is really a blessing from their previous life. They can't help but feel a spirit of devotion to Prince Chen who comes to their rescue in his time of need. Everyone follows Prince Chen's mount with joy on their faces, and walks towards Prince Chen's Mansion with surging emotions. From time to time, they even whisper to each other to express their excitement!
Jiang Muchen was riding on horseback, listening to the whispers behind him, a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes. He couldn't help but look forward, only to see a dark blue figure standing at the corner of the dark street, and in the darkness there were two extremely dazzling eyes flashing, as if they were the finest obsidian, making people feel that they had found a treasure!
However, those two gazes were filled with strong sarcasm and disdain, which made Jiang Muchen feel curious. He whispered to Ning Feng behind him and asked him to lead the group of students to Prince Chen's Mansion. He turned his horse around and galloped to the blue figure, looking down at the young man standing in the darkness with cold eyes!
Although the young man's robe was a little torn and dirty, and his face looked a little pale, he looked calm and composed, unlike the other students who were panic-stricken. Especially the calmness in his eyes made Jiang Muchen look at the young man in front of him with admiration!
A closer look at the young man's eyebrows and expression reminded Jiang Muchen of the candidate he met at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall more than 20 days ago. The two had almost the same demeanor and posture, so they might be the same person!
Seeing the slightly embarrassed look of the young man in front of him, Jiang Muchen asked in a deep voice, "What's your name? Are you also a candidate staying at that inn?"
"I am Han Che, the humblest person, honored to meet His Majesty. I am indeed the examinee from that inn!" Han Che listened to Prince Chen's question and answered calmly!
When Jiang Muchen heard the young man's name, his pupils tightened slightly. No wonder the young man's expression was different from others. It turned out that he was the top scorer in the civil service examination in this autumn. He was indeed different from others!
Everyone else was overjoyed to be able to enter Prince Chen's Mansion, but he stood aside with a calm expression. There was no ecstasy on his face, and no superficial pride in his eyes. He just stood aside with a calm face, watching everything happening in front of him with clear eyes and a clear mind!
Such a talent actually made King Chen want to recruit him, so he slowly said, "Why is Han Jieyuan standing here motionless? Didn't you hear what I just said?"
Upon hearing this, Han Che's eyes lit up with a smile, and he then said in a clear voice, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness! But I'm afraid that this will cause any inconvenience to Your Highness!"
"How dare you! How dare you speak to the prince like that? Who do you think you are? You are so rude to the prince. Do you want to be charged with disrespecting your superiors?" At this time, the guards standing behind Prince Chen immediately shouted!
Facing the guard's loud scolding, Han Che showed no fear at all. There was only a hint of smile in his eyes as he looked at the guard, but there was an imperceptible sneer hidden in his eyes. But before he could say anything, he heard the cold voice of Prince Chen ringing in his ears, "Han Jieyuan, are you looking down on me and want to go against Prince Chen's Mansion?"
Although Prince Chen's voice was not loud at this time, his light question was filled with supreme majesty and innate sharpness. The guard who had just angrily scolded Han Che could not help but feel the temperature around him getting colder. But when he looked at Han Che, he found that he still had a fearless smile on his face, but there was a clear change in his words. "I dare not! Your Highness, I dare not disobey your kindness!"
After he finished speaking, Han Che bowed to King Chen and then caught up with the team that had already gone far away!
Jiang Muchen sat on the horse, staring at Han Che's figure with his eyes half-closed as if thinking about something. After a while, he retracted his gaze and looked at Rong Yunhe who was standing not far away!
Tonight, Rong Yunhe was wearing a white brocade robe with dark patterns, and his long silver hair looked even more dazzling under the moonlight. However, his tall figure and straight back gave him an air of integrity like a breeze and pride, which made King Chen frown slightly. He felt that seeing two people with the same temperament at the same time tonight made him feel a little uncomfortable!
Slightly tightening the reins, the horse slowly approached Rong Yunhe. Prince Chen examined Rong Yunhe, who shouldn't be there at this time, and then slowly spoke, "The Rong Shantang has been very active recently! Not only does it deliver medicinal herbs to Luocheng, but this time it's also bandaging and healing the students. However, the Rong family seems to have never been involved in the medicinal herb business before. It seems that Master Rong is intending to carry forward the Rong family's prosperity this time!"
Jiang Muchen was in charge of the Kyoto City Defense Force, so how could he not know? Although Rongshantang was just a small clinic, among the imperial doctors going to Luocheng this time was Nie Huaiyuan from Rongshantang. Moreover, this person was granted the title of eighth-rank imperial physician by Emperor Yugan the night before his departure. A common doctor actually had such abilities, which made Jiang Muchen a little curious about Nie Huaiyuan!
Recently, Rong Yunhe has been renovating shops on the street and has been going in and out of Rongshan Hall many times. It seems that he intends to develop the herbal medicine business for the Rong family. This is not a good thing for King Chen!
After all, Jiang Muchen could still see some of Rong Yunhe's feelings for Yun Qianmeng. Although he acted very reserved, his intuition as a man told Jiang Muchen that Yun Qianmeng was probably a special existence to Rong Yunhe, who had always been a maverick. And it was this special thing that made Jiang Muchen feel more and more displeased with Rong Yunhe!
"As the imperial merchant family, the Rong family will naturally make as many contributions as possible to the emperor and the court! Yunhe is not talented enough to go to the epidemic area to do something for the people, so he can only provide them with convenience in the rear! This is just the most basic conscience of being a human being!" Rong Yunhe raised his eyes slightly, looked at Jiang Muchen with hail in his eyes with a gloomy face, and said this in a calm tone!
"Really? Master Rong, have you forgotten that the King has recently ordered the city defense forces to prohibit the people from going out after the midnight every night to prevent the spread of the plague! And it is almost the morning hour now, it seems that Master Rong has turned a deaf ear to my words!" The guards around felt that King Chen's voice was getting colder and colder, which made their hearts tremble. However, Rong Yunhe had a calm expression on his face, and there was a fearless look in his eyes, which made them feel that the young master of the Rong family was really crazy. He even dared to offend King Chen!
Rong Yunhe certainly didn't take Prince Chen's words to heart. Hearing these clearly threatening words, a faint smile appeared on his handsome face, as if he were a fallen immortal. He looked at Prince Chen with a hint of sarcasm and then asked, "Does Your Highness think that a piece of official document is more important than saving lives? This contradicts what Your Highness did just now! If Your Highness felt pity for those students who had nowhere to live and offered Prince Chen's Mansion as their temporary residence, why is he now questioning me in such a contradictory way?"
Jiang Muchen had never expected that the usually taciturn Rong Yunhe would actually be so articulate. He sneered, "Young Master Rong, where did you learn such eloquence? You've truly impressed me! There was a fire at the inn tonight, and the city defense troops were already there to help. Why would you have to go to such lengths? And you, Rong Yunhe, have ignored the imperial court's orders. If I don't punish you severely this time, I won't be able to govern this vast capital!"
Prince Chen's voice suddenly changed, becoming stern and cold. He then ordered the adjutants behind him forcefully, "You personally escort Young Master Rong back to the Rong Mansion and protect it well. If anyone is released, military action will be taken!"
The adjutant immediately dismounted and knelt on one knee in front of Prince Chen. He quickly responded and then walked in front of Rong Yunhe, saying expressionlessly, "Mr. Rong, please!"
Rong Yunhe looked at King Chen coldly. Seeing his stern expression and strong murderous intent, a trace of doubt flashed through Rong Yunhe's mind. Then he walked back to Rong Mansion under the forcible escort of the adjutant!
At the same time, Prince Chen also ordered the city guards to escort the doctors and apprentices of Rongshantang back, while he himself rode back to Prince Chen's Mansion!
When Prince Chen returned to the Chen Palace and was about to enter his study, he saw Nanny Jiang and a little girl standing respectfully outside the study. Seeing Ning Feng guarding the study door, he asked in a deep voice, "What's the matter?"
"Your servant greets His Majesty! The Concubine Dowager heard that Your Majesty had worked hard for most of the night, so she specially ordered the kitchen to stew old duck and ginseng soup for Your Majesty to nourish his body!" When Nanny Jiang saw Prince Chen returning home, she immediately took the little maids to pay her respects!
But King Chen just glanced at them calmly and said, "I understand. Put down your things and leave!"
Then he turned to Ning Feng and asked, "Have you arranged everything?"
Nanny Jiang immediately winked at the little girl behind her. The little girl walked forward smartly, handed the tray in her hand to Ning Feng, and then retreated behind Nanny Jiang!
Ning Feng glanced at Nanny Jiang, then reported to Prince Chen, "Your Highness, the Concubine has just issued an order to have those examinees move into the North Garden! She said it's farthest from the backyard and has a quiet environment, perfect for studying. Furthermore, the North Garden is far enough from the Southeast and South Courtyards that those examinees won't disturb Your Highness's daily life!"
Jiang Muchen also noticed Ning Feng's small movements before answering his question. Seeing that Nanny Jiang did not leave as she said, his eyes suddenly darkened a little, and his face could not help but darken slightly. With anger that would not allow anyone to challenge his authority, he said dangerously, "Ning Feng, who are you working for? It seems that the lesson last time is not enough for you to remember!"
Ning Feng heard this, and when he heard Prince Chen speaking to him in such a tone, fear suddenly flashed in his eyes. He immediately knelt down before Prince Chen and said loudly, "I dare not! Your Highness's teachings to me last time are engraved in my heart and I dare not forget them at any time. Please understand!"
Seeing Prince Chen killing a chicken to scare the monkeys, Nanny Jiang knew that if she continued to stand there, Prince Chen would probably really attack Ning Feng. So she led the maids to bow to Prince Chen and whispered, "This old servant has to hurry to report to the Concubine Dowager, so I'll take my leave first!"
After he finished speaking, he left calmly with the maids behind him!
Seeing Nanny Jiang leave, Prince Chen's eyes cut through Ning Feng like a frost knife, and then he turned and went into the study. It was not until the sky gradually brightened that Ning Feng heard Prince Chen's order from inside to let him in. Ning Feng immediately felt relieved, wiped the cold sweat that kept coming out of his head, and got up and walked into the study without daring to delay!
"What are your instructions, Your Highness?" Ning Feng asked in a low voice when he saw Jiang Muchen sitting at the desk silently looking at the memorial in his hand!
"Does Han Che live with other candidates?" Picking up the brush, Jiang Muchen wrote quickly on the paper, but he was still able to ask Ning Feng questions at the same time!
"When we entered the palace just now, Han Jieyuan was brought into the North Garden with the other candidates! However, Han Jieyuan seemed a little out of place and didn't seem to communicate with the other candidates!" Thinking of the excited expressions of the group of candidates when they stepped into Prince Chen's Palace, Ning Feng felt that Han Che was truly different. Not only did he not have an ecstatic expression, but even his eyes were calm and composed. This made Ning Feng a little worried, so he whispered, "Your Highness, I'm worried that Han Jieyuan is..."
"Send someone to find out his background!" But King Chen's order made Ning Feng's face change slightly!
Generally speaking, when King Chen orders a thorough investigation of someone, it means he intends to use him or her in an important position!
Han Che did have his strengths, but it was also obvious that he was not easy to win over. Moreover, Han Che had the pedantic, conceited, and arrogant aura that was unique to literati, which really made Ning Feng feel uncomfortable!
But since King Chen has given the order, Ning Feng can only obey!
Such a big thing happened overnight. Not to mention the common people, even the ladies from the wealthy families could vaguely see the firelight that illuminated the night like day, and the noisy cries for escape and rescue outside that lasted almost the entire night. For a while, the people in Kyoto were in a trance, and the people were secretly discussing the recent series of events, wondering if they were a warning from God that the Western Chu would be destroyed!
"I didn't expect that so many people would die in the sea of fire overnight!" When Yun Qian woke up in the morning, he thought of the fiery red sky last night. He couldn't help but shook his head and sighed, but the vague uneasiness in his heart became more and more obvious!
Yun Qianmeng asked Mu Chun to open the wooden window. She reached out of the window and felt the low temperature outside. The cold molecules in the air made her skin shiver!
In another day or two, it will be November this year. The temperature will have changed significantly by then. Every time you wake up, you can feel the coolness in the air!
The weather has been changeable recently, with occasional drizzles in the sky and heavier frost and dew at night. However, under such circumstances, the fire in the inn can actually illuminate half of Kyoto at night, which is really unsettling!
"Yes! These candidates studied hard for ten years, and the imperial examination has not even ended yet, but they lost their lives in vain. It is really a pity! Moreover, the candidates who were burned to death this time were all students from poor families. Their families were probably counting on them to bring honor to the family, but now they have lost their lives. If their family members knew about it, who knows how sad they would be!" Aunt Mi put the tableware on the table for Yun Qianmeng while communicating with Yun Qianmeng!
However, for Aunt Mi, as a mother, this pain was probably even more real than Yun Qianmeng's. After all, what mother would want to see her son die young? Thinking of this, Aunt Mi couldn't help but feel fortunate that her son, despite his unsuccessful efforts, was living a safe and stable life. This brought her some comfort!
"Miss, I have brought breakfast!" At this time, Yingxia walked in with a calm expression, and then together with Yuandong, they silently placed the breakfast in the lunch box on the table one by one!
Yun Qianmeng's gaze shifted from the window to Yingxia, noticing that she wasn't as lively and active as usual. Although her face was calm, a hint of anxiety lingered in her eyes. She then glanced at Yuandong, who had come in with her. Her usually calm eyes were now tinged with a rare worry, which puzzled Yun Qianmeng. She couldn't help but ask, "What happened to you two today? Were you bullied in the kitchen, or are you unhappy about something else?"
Yun Qianmeng's question made Yuan Dong and Ying Xia look stunned for a moment, but they immediately put on happy smiles. Ying Xia smiled and quickly denied it, "Who dares to bully me now? It's always me who bullies others!"
However, the more they try to cover up and conceal things, the more it shows that there is a problem!
Yun Qianmeng closed the wooden window in the room, leaving only a small gap for ventilation. Then she walked to the dining table, calmly scanning the dishes and the order in which they were placed. Then she said in a deep voice, "Yingxia, you still say everything's fine? Look for yourself, there are two plates of perilla cake on the table, and why is this bowl of ginseng soup placed right in front of me?"
Upon hearing this, Aunt Mi immediately stepped forward to take a closer look, and indeed saw two plates of identical perilla cakes on the table, and the bowl of ginseng soup was blocking Yun Qianmeng's way, preventing her from seeing the dishes behind it!
Seeing Yingxia and Yuandong make such a simple mistake, Aunt Mi's face darkened. She scolded them, "What's wrong with you two? Why are you so careless? Yingxia, the young lady trusted your medical skills, so she kept you by her side to take care of her food and drink! But now you can't even do your job properly. Who said you would serve the young lady wholeheartedly? It's only been a few days, and you've completely forgotten what you said?"
As she spoke, Aunt Mi and Mu Chun removed the two plates of basil cake from the table, and rearranged the positions of the dishes on the table. Then she helped Yun Qianmeng to sit down slowly!
Hearing Aunt Mi angrily scolding Yingxia, Yuandong stepped forward and admitted her fault, saying, "Miss, this has nothing to do with Yingxia! I went into the kitchen to get breakfast, and it was my negligence that led to this mistake. Please punish me, Miss!"
As he spoke, Yuan Dong lowered his head and knelt in front of Yun Qianmeng!
Yun Qianmeng patted Aunt Mi's hand, signaling her not to get angry over such a small matter. She then reached out and pulled Yuan Dong up, saying gently, "You've always been cautious and careful. You're the most steady of the four girls around me. You haven't made any mistakes in the past few months with me! If you didn't have something on your mind, I don't think you would have made such a basic mistake today! Tell me now. If I can help, I won't let you work around me with worries on your mind!"
Hearing this, Yuan Dong's heart was instantly filled with gratitude. She couldn't help but lift her eyes slightly to look at Yun Qianmeng. She only noticed that the young lady was smiling lightly at this moment, her eyes full of sincerity and honesty. However, Yuan Dong really didn't want to tell such a beautiful young lady what she had just heard. She shook her head stubbornly and firmly denied it, "It was because I didn't get enough rest last night that I got dizzy and took the wrong breakfast! There is really no other reason. Please believe me, young lady!"
Seeing that Yuandong was still unwilling to tell the truth, Yun Qianmeng would not force her anymore. She then asked her and Yingxia to deliver breakfast to Yingqiu, while she quietly ate her breakfast!
"Miss, why don't I go and ask around?" Seeing that Yun Qianmeng seemed unhappy, Mu Chun scooped a bowl of corn porridge in front of her and asked in a low voice!
But Yun Qianmeng shook her head. She couldn't even find the answer, so Mu Chun certainly didn't have the ability. It would be better to let Xi Lin find out later. Maybe there would be some results!
In less than an hour, Yun Qianmeng guessed the reason why Yuan Dong and Ying Xia made frequent mistakes. Prince Chen had openly placed the Rong family under house arrest!
Such behavior is really puzzling!
If Prince Chen has the intention of rebellion, although the Rong family is the richest man in Western Chu, they are not the first choice to be captured!
After all, if you want to win by surprise, you must first control the royal family in Kyoto, and then these aristocratic families!
However, Prince Chen bypassed several other royal palaces and targeted the Rong Mansion alone. Such behavior is indeed puzzling!
"Didn't Concubine Rong go to ask the Emperor for help?" After something like this happened, I believe Concubine Rong would not be able to sit still. Emperor Yugan and Prince Chen have always been at odds, and he would definitely not allow Prince Chen to be so presumptuous!
"To answer Miss, the emperor is seriously ill right now!" When Xi Lin's deliberately lowered voice reached Yun Qianmeng's ears through the wooden window, all the problems seemed to have a solution!
However, it was truly a coincidence that Emperor Yugan was seriously ill at this time, which made Yun Qianmeng very curious. The Queen Mother was so concerned about Emperor Yugan, so why did such a mistake happen? Or was it that Prince Chen's power had reached a point where even the Queen Mother couldn't control it? And why didn't Prince Chen take advantage of Emperor Yugan's illness to force his death, instead of just focusing on the Rong Mansion?
Judging from Rong Yunhe's personality, he would never surrender to anyone. I wonder if he has suffered any pain!
"Is everything okay in the Rong Mansion?" No wonder Ying Xia Yuandong lost her composure like that. Anyone with a conscience and caring about old friendship would worry about their former master!
"Don't worry, Miss. Prince Chen only banned everyone from entering or leaving the Rong Mansion, and he didn't torture her severely!" Xi Lin told everything he knew, and he also knew that Yun Qianmeng might have other purposes for asking all this, so he tried to explain it in as much detail as possible!
"Thank you, you go back first!" Yun Qianmeng got a lot of useful information from Xi Lin, and she needed time to digest it, so she asked Xi Lin to go back to Prime Minister Chu's residence first, and she asked Mu Chun to go to Yingqiu's room and call Yingxia and Yuandong to her!
"I think you two are worried about the Rong Mansion!" Looking at the two people standing in front of her without saying a word, Yun Qianmeng spoke lightly!
As she expected, after hearing her words, Yuan Dong and Ying Xia both raised their heads suddenly, their eyes full of surprise. It seemed that they didn't understand how Yun Qianmeng knew about this!
"Yingxia, Yuandong, now that you are here to serve the young lady, you should serve her wholeheartedly. How can you worry about your former master?" What Aunt Mi couldn't stand the most was servants having two minds!
Especially now that Yun Qianmeng’s identity is different from ordinary people, there cannot be any unfaithful people around her, for fear that Yun Qianmeng will be hurt!
Yun Qianmeng naturally knew why Aunt Mi had such a reaction. Firstly, she had not been loyal to Qu Ruoli in the past, which made Aunt Mi feel guilty and blame herself for the rest of her life. Secondly, Aunt Mi probably hoped that there would never be someone like her around her again, so she seemed a little excited!
"Madam, it's not their fault!" Yun Qianmeng reassured Madam Mi with her eyes. Yuan Dong and the other two hadn't done anything wrong to be driven to Rong Yunhe's side! The fact that they were able to serve Rong Yunhe clearly showed that he trusted them. How could such a master-servant bond be severed so easily? It was only natural for her to worry about the Rong Mansion and Rong Yunhe.
Yun Qianmeng was actually somewhat glad that they would react in this way, as it showed that they were both very affectionate and not heartless people!
"Miss, how did you know that?" After a while, Yuan Dong slowly spoke!
She looked at the elegant smile on Yun Qianmeng's face, and her heart suddenly calmed down for no reason. It seemed as if her previous worries and anxieties were soothed by that smile, and she was able to calm down and think about things!
"Where in the world is there a wall that is impenetrable? But I can tell you that everything is fine in the Rong Mansion now! The people in the Rong Mansion are just restricted in their movements, but they are not hurt. You can rest assured!" Seeing Yuan Dong return to his previous appearance, Yun Qianmeng's smile became even wider, and he briefly recounted the current situation of the Rong Mansion!
Only then did Yuan Dong and Ying Xia finally feel relieved. They knelt before Yun Qianmeng and swore, "This servant will serve the young lady with all his heart and soul!"
Yun Qianmeng was surprised that she could gain the loyalty of two people with a piece of news, so she immediately asked them to go downstairs to have breakfast!
At this time, the poor students who were temporarily staying in Prince Chen's Mansion had not yet recovered from the joy of last night, but they were frightened into breaking out in cold sweats by the imperial edict that had just been issued!
They originally thought they would have to stay in Prince Chen's Mansion until next year, but unexpectedly Emperor Yugan issued an edict to advance next year's spring examination to the first day of next month. Counting on their fingers, they found that there were only one or two days left. This made all the candidates panic. They had no mood to appreciate the beautiful scenery of Prince Chen's Mansion. They all held books in their hands and read silently!
Compared to the nervousness of the others, Han Che seemed quite calm and composed, flipping through the pages of the book in his hand at his usual reading speed. This calm personality made another candidate who shared a room with him quite envious, and they couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Brother Han really is so confident and calm, it really puts us all to shame!"
Hearing this, Han Che's eyes slightly left the page and looked at the person sitting opposite him. He smiled gently and said, "Brother Kong, you are too kind. I just read slowly! I really envy the speed at which you can recite poetry. You really can read ten lines at a glance and remember everything you read!"
The candidate, in turn, was praised by Han Che. He looked a little embarrassed and waved his hands, saying, "What do you mean by photographic memory? I think it's just forgetting everything you see! But yesterday, Prince Chen strongly invited Brother Han to live in the Prince Chen Mansion. It can be seen that the prince is very fond of Brother Han. I believe he must have full confidence in Brother Han!"
Hearing the admiration in Kong Fan's tone, Han Che just smiled faintly, then lowered his head and continued to look at the scroll in his hand!
When Kong Fan saw that Han Che didn't seem to want to talk about this topic anymore, he tactfully stopped talking. However, there was a sense of restlessness in his eyes that were full of envy!
However, no matter whether everyone recited poems day and night, time still passed by bit by bit, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day of the imperial examination on the first day of November!
According to ancestral rules, the civil service examination will no longer be held in the Imperial Academy, but in the Ministry of Rites!
Different from the crowded and long queues in the Autumn Examination, the number of candidates for the imperial examination had already been determined, and after the previous round of the Autumn Examination, everyone had become familiar with each other!
However, the fire on the evening of the 28th killed several poor students who were selected in the autumn examination. Yun Xuanzhi, together with Lord Shen from the Ministry of Rites and other examiners, petitioned the ailing Emperor Yugan to move the candidates who were ranked behind to the front, in order to retain talents for Western Chu!
This proposal was approved by the Empress Dowager and Emperor Yugan immediately issued an order to add the names of several scholars. Therefore, the number of candidates taking the imperial examination today is still the number on the list!
Everyone sat down according to the seats that had been arranged in advance, then put down their daily necessities and sat behind the desk, waiting for the examiner to hand out the test papers!
However, after Han Che sat down, he found that he and Yun Yijie were facing each other. Yun Yijie must have noticed this phenomenon long ago, and was staring at him with a sinister smile on his face!
It was not until the examiner handed out the test papers that Yun Yijie withdrew his gaze and focused on the test paper in front of him!
Han Che took a general look at all the questions on the test paper, then opened the lid of the inkstone and prepared to grind ink to answer the questions, but at this moment he heard Yun Yiji suddenly speak from the opposite side, which attracted Lord Shen!
"How dare you shout in the examination room? It's so disrespectful!" When Lord Shen saw that it was Yun Xuanzhi's nephew, he frowned slightly and scolded him!
However, Yun Yijie did not seem to be afraid of such a scolding. Instead, he pointed at Han Che standing across from him and complained to Master Shen, "Master, I just saw that there is a secret hidden in Han Jieyuan's inkstone. Please check Han Jieyuan's bag carefully!"
Xichu takes cheating very seriously. Once caught, the consequences are severe! At the very least, the candidate will be disqualified from the exam and exiled to a remote area. At worst, they could lose their head and bring disaster to their families!
And today, Yun Yijie actually pointed at Han Che and accused him of cheating. Not to mention Lord Shen, even Han Che was shocked by his words!
After just a moment, Han Che regained his composure and immediately retorted, "Although there was a small misunderstanding between Young Master Yun and me, I never thought that Young Master Yun would be so malicious and use such means to frame me."
Yun Yijie, with a look of indignation on his face, said to Lord Shen, "Sir, I only glanced at Han Jieyuan briefly. I only felt something was amiss and reported this to you. I didn't mean to frame him! The imperial examination is the dream of every student. How could we allow those who are full of unorthodox practices to take advantage of it? I was only acting cautiously for the sake of fairness! Besides, if Han Jieyuan really didn't cheat, why would he stop you from searching?"
Yun Yijie made it clear that he had only glanced at Han Che in a hurry. Perhaps he had misjudged Han Che, and if he couldn't find evidence, it was simply because he was being cautious, not deliberately framing Han Che. Even Lord Shen couldn't easily convict him! Furthermore, with Yun Xuanzhi in charge of the examination hall today, the other officials would always give the best of both worlds!
Hearing Yun Yijie's words, Lord Shen frowned even more tightly. He ordered other officials to maintain order in the examination room. He then walked up to Han Che and whispered, "Mr. Han, please stop writing for a moment and let me check. If there is nothing wrong, you can answer the questions with peace of mind!"
Han Che glanced at Yun Yijie opposite him and saw him sneering continuously. He immediately understood that Yun Yijie's actions were not really proof that he had cheated. He probably just wanted to delay his time to answer the paper so that he would not have enough time to finish it!
Thinking of this, Han Che stood up cooperatively and stood beside Lord Shen, allowing the guards beside him to check the personal belongings he brought with him!
The guards checked extremely carefully, even breaking the cakes in the food box into pieces, carefully holding them in their hands and looking closely to see if there were any words printed on them. The small inkstone was checked no less than ten times. Even though Han Che was upright and had nothing to fear, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat when facing such an extremely strict inspection!
An hour later, after confirming that there were no cheating tools, the guards reported everything to Lord Shen!
Seeing that the student he admired was indeed talented and knowledgeable, Lord Shen's expression relaxed. He immediately asked Han Che to sit down and answer the questions, while he walked back to the seating area with his guards!
At this time, Han Che also breathed a sigh of relief. If he had not gotten up early and left Prince Chen's Mansion and carefully checked his bag, he would have been ambushed long ago. However, he didn't know whether the person who stuffed the note into his bag was in cahoots with Yun Yijie, otherwise why would Yun Yijie suddenly and inexplicably expose his cheating?
Grinding the ink gently with one hand, Han Che's slightly narrowed eyes shot out a faint cold light, which was cast into the inky black ink, but no trace was seen!
At this moment, there was a hint of joy in the palace, as if it was about to break through the dark clouds that had been suppressing the palace for a long time!
"Imperial Physician, are you saying that the antidote can be prepared in five days?" The Queen had been serving Emperor Yugan these days. Seeing her husband in so much pain, the Queen felt uncomfortable in her heart. How could she not be excited when she suddenly heard the Imperial Physician say this?
Compared to the Empress's ecstasy, the Empress Dowager appeared remarkably calm. She stared at the Imperial Physician in front of her with cold eyes and asked cautiously, "You can't be careless when preparing the antidote. The Emperor is already extremely weak. If there's even the slightest mistake with the antidote, even the death of your entire clan wouldn't be enough!"
The imperial physician originally thought that he was about to prepare an antidote and perhaps win the empress dowager's praise, but he was actually frightened by the empress dowager's cautiousness and broke into a cold sweat. He immediately responded timidly, "I will be extremely careful. Please rest assured, empress dowager and queen!"
Seeing that the imperial physician understood her intentions, the empress dowager's expression softened slightly, and she spoke gently, "In that case, you should prepare the medicine slowly and not be careless! For safety reasons, until the antidote is prepared, you will temporarily stay in the side hall. I will have Eunuch Qu accompany you to the Imperial Pharmacy to collect the herbs you need!"
Upon hearing this, the imperial physician immediately bent down and left the bedroom!
When the Queen Mother saw that the Queen Mother actually asked the imperial physician to slowly prepare the antidote, she immediately asked anxiously, "Mother, the Emperor is so uncomfortable, how can you let the imperial physician slowly prepare the antidote? The Emperor has only been drinking rice soup these days. I am really afraid..."
As she spoke, the queen shed tears...
The Queen Mother looked at the Empress calmly, then said calmly, "If the antidote is prepared incorrectly, it could cost the Emperor his life! It's better to give the Imperial Physician more time so he can prepare it with peace of mind. This is the best way to save the Emperor! You are now the Empress of Western Chu, how can you cry so easily? How can you be a mother of the country like this? If the Emperor wakes up, he certainly won't want to see you so weak!"
Listening to the Queen Mother's reprimand, the Queen immediately wiped away the tears in her eyes, lowered her head and whispered, "Thank you for your advice, Mother. I will remember it!"
Seeing that the Queen listened to her words, the Queen Mother nodded, her face softening. She patted the Queen's hand and said, "Go back and dress up properly. How can you face others in this state? Wouldn't it make people laugh at you? I will take good care of the Emperor here. Go back and rest for a while before coming back!"
The queen also knew that if the concubines in the harem saw her like this, they would definitely laugh at her in secret, so she bowed to the queen mother and left the bedroom with her maid!
The weather gradually turned cooler, and summer clothes had long been put away in the closet. Everyone in Kyoto changed into thicker clothes. The temperature was getting lower and lower every morning and evening, which made Yun Qianmeng fall into a homesickness. She had traveled through winter and experienced spring, summer, and autumn. Now it was about to enter winter again. In the past year,
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