"Miss, Master Qu stood outside Tingyu Pavilion for a while just now, but he left without going in!" When Yun Qianmeng left the Fuguo Mansion and got on the carriage, Xi Lin whispered beside her!
"Cousin? How long has he been standing outside?" Yun Qianmeng paused slightly after stepping onto the stool, and glanced sideways at Xi Lin. No wonder there was no movement outside, it turned out to be Qu Changqing!
If it were someone else, the secret guards around him would have taken action long ago!
"After Aunt Lan left for a while, Master Qu came to Tingyu Pavilion!" Xi Lin diligently told Yun Qianmeng everything the secret guard had reported. However, Master Qu used to be someone who followed the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister also told them not to be wary of him before he left, so the secret guard did not take action!
"Thank you! I understand!" Nodding to Xi Lin with a smile, Yun Qianmeng led Mu Chun into the car!
Yun Qianmeng asked Mu Chun to take off the hair accessories on her head while she took out a handkerchief to wipe the makeup off her face. However, she was thinking about how much Qu Changqing had heard in Tingyuxuan today and what he was going to do next!
"Miss, let me tie your hair up again!" After putting away the hair accessories from the maid in the Marquis' Mansion, Muchun took out a peach wood comb from her small purse and spoke in a low voice!
Then, seeing Yun Qianmeng nod slightly, he immediately and skillfully combed Yun Qianmeng's hanging black hair!
It was not too early at this time. Yun Qianmeng lifted the curtain of the carriage slightly with one hand, but found that the streets were bustling with people. The gates of each mansion were tightly closed. Apart from the servants guarding the door tightly, the lively scene of the past was no longer seen!
There was the sound of orderly footsteps on the ground. Yun Qianmeng turned her eyes slightly and saw a column of city guards walking past the carriage with expressionless faces. They must be out on patrol because of the plague!
When the pedestrians on the street saw the city guards, they all dodged and retreated, for fear that they would be thought to be entering the city from outside. Apart from the sound of the wheels of the carriages rolling across the bluestone road, the only sound on the street was the footsteps of the city guards walking across the bluestone road. Everything seemed very quiet, yet so weird!
Just like when they left the Prime Minister's Mansion, the carriage stopped at the corner gate in the northwest corner. However, this time, Yun Qianmeng changed into her usual home clothes before stepping out of the carriage. She nodded slightly to Xi Lin, and then carefully walked into the corner gate with Mu Chun!
The following Autumn Examination period passed smoothly. On the day when the Autumn Examination ended, the candidates from various prefectures in Kyoto were quickly taken home by their families, and the candidates from other places were sent back to their respective inns by the city guards. The seemingly normal phenomenon revealed something unusual. Even Yun Xuanzhi, who had breathed a sigh of relief recently because of the busy preparations for the Autumn Examination, seemed to be busy again these days!
"Xi Lin, have the prince and Prime Minister Chu arrived in Luocheng?" Counting the days, about ten days had passed. Yun Qianmeng was a little worried about whether Chu Feiyang and Prince Chu had arrived in Luocheng safely!
Xi Lin, dressed in black, stood in the attic corridor. Hearing Yun Qianmeng's question from inside, he whispered, "Miss, at a normal rate, the Prime Minister and the Prince would have entered the city tonight. You two must have already entered Luocheng by now! However, five days ago, the Prince and the Prime Minister were attacked by bandits on the way, delaying them for a while!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Qianmeng's brows furrowed slightly, and the pen in her hand clenched tightly. With a hint of worry in her tone, she quickly asked, "Bandits? How could this happen? Are the Prince and the Prime Minister injured? Where are they now? Why didn't you tell me about such an important matter earlier?"
Xi Lin saw that Yun Qianmeng's words contained a hint of blame, but helplessness flashed in his eyes. The Prime Minister had instructed him not to reveal this to Miss Yun, but Miss Yun was a cautious and thoughtful person. Even if he didn't say it, based on the itinerary, she would guess that something must have happened on the way, and it would be difficult to explain then. It would be better to confess now and get a lighter sentence!
"Miss, don't worry. The Prime Minister and the Prince are all fine! Those bandits are just civilians who have wandered out from Luo City. They robbed passers-by because they were hungry. The Prime Minister and the Prince have already sent people to settle them down!" Xi Lin kept other things secret and picked out the smallest thing to tell Yun Qianmeng!
"Did they encounter any assassination on the way?" However, unexpectedly, Yun Qianmeng had already thought of this, which made Xi Lin feel nervous!
"Why do you ask this, Miss?" Assassination is inevitable. The prince lives in seclusion all year round, but the Prince of Chu's Mansion is impregnable, and those with bad intentions cannot enter. Therefore, he will never let go of such a good opportunity!
However, Xi Lin originally thought that Yun Qianmeng, as a lady, was only worried about the safety of the prince and the prime minister. As long as the two of them could arrive in Luocheng safely, she would be relieved!
Unexpectedly, Yun Qian's dream was so deep and far-reaching that even Xi Lin, who had long been able to face various emergencies with ease, was frightened by her question and broke into a cold sweat!
Just thinking of the Prime Minister's instructions, Xi Lin gritted her teeth and replied, "Miss, you are worrying too much. The Prince and the Prime Minister are all well!"
It took so long for Shixi Lin to give her an answer, but Yun Qianmeng already had another answer in her mind!
In Western Chu, there were many people who wanted to kill Chu Feiyang and the King of Chu. Now that the two of them were clearly standing by his side, those who originally wanted to deal with him had to temporarily shift their targets and wanted to get rid of the King of Chu and Chu Feiyang first!
It seems that someone wants to take advantage of this plague to cause trouble, and the only thing I can do now is to protect myself, at least not to hold Chu Feiyang back!
Holding the pen tightly in his hand again, Yun Qianmeng continued to practice calligraphy with full concentration, listening to the sound of rain outside!
Ten days later, the results of the autumn examination were announced at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall, and many candidates went to see the list in person!
"The first place winner... Han Che? Who is this person? Why don't I have any impression of him?" Everyone crowded in front of the not-so-big list, carefully looking for their own names. A candidate who had already found his name on the list had nothing to do, so he recited the names on the list. Compared to other names that they remembered, this first place winner Han Che really felt unfamiliar!
"Looking at the name, he doesn't seem to be a Kyoto noble! Could it be that the champion this time is a candidate from a poor family?" Another noble candidate who came with the previous candidate frowned and spoke, feeling very annoyed in his heart. If it was really as he said, then the nobles in Kyoto would lose face!
The people under the emperor's feet were actually no match for a kid from a remote village! What's more, the masters and teachers hired by these young masters were all top scholars in Western Chu, but they lost to an unknown kid. It really made people feel humiliated!
"Could this person be the candidate who had a conflict with Yun Yiheng's brother that day?" Another candidate who was quick-witted suddenly thought of this when he recalled the faces of all the candidates entering the examination room that day. "That candidate is quite proud. It's not surprising that he made the list!"
However, his rather pertinent words attracted the stares of other nobles, among whom Yun Yiheng and Yun Yijie, who were standing outside the crowd, were the most noticeable!
Yun Yiheng stared at the name on the list that was above him and occupied the title of Li Yuan with a frosty face, and there was a hint of anger in his eyes!
Yun Yijie's frivolous eyes scanned the list carefully, and when he found that his name was almost at the end, a smile appeared on his face. He couldn't help but feel relieved in his heart that with his level, he really couldn't make the list. It seemed that with the support of the Prime Minister, it was really easy to get things done!
However, the words of the other candidates made Yun Yijie's good mood disappear in an instant. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the word "Han Che". The appearance of the candidate from that day appeared in his mind. Yun Yijie snorted coldly and said to his brother, "Brother, why bother about what those candidates say? There are many who failed the exam among them. They must be jealous of us and are trying to sow discord. They are just waiting to see us cause trouble for Han Che. If we are disqualified from the exam, that will be what they really want! Besides, in my opinion, Han Che is at most a poor scholar. What's the use of his pride? Can it be converted into money to buy an official position or even to make a living? Even if he becomes the top scorer, without any background, he will still be exiled to a remote town to be a seventh-rank official. Why bother with him, brother!"
Yun Yiheng knew that his brother's words were a little exaggerated but true. However, whenever he thought of what happened that day, he couldn't swallow the anger. He frowned and said through gritted teeth, "I will never let him become the number one scholar!"
After saying that, he turned around and left the Imperial Examination Hall. Seeing this, Yun Yijie immediately withdrew his gaze and followed Yun Yiheng away!
"Look at how proud those brothers are! Yun Yiheng seems to be very smart, but he is actually a fool. He only got second place. He is so embarrassed this time!" When the others saw the Yun brothers leave, they started talking again. Compared with the low voices just now, everyone was much bolder this time!
"Hmph, in my opinion, the rankings of Yun Yiheng and Yun Yijie are probably inflated! You all know that Yun Yijie has been pursuing women all day long, and has never put his mind on his studies? I'm afraid he has a strong backer and someone is helping him!" A failed candidate stared at Yun Yijie's back fiercely and spoke viciously!
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and found that the candidate who spoke was usually the closest to Yun Yijie. The two had common hobbies, but they both disliked studying. But now that Yun Yijie won the Asian Yuan, he got nothing. No wonder he was jealous!
However, what he said was not without reason!
The deputy examiner for this autumn exam was Su Yuan, the Minister of Justice. Wasn't Su Yuan's sister the most favored concubine in Prime Minister Yun's mansion? With this connection, getting things done would naturally be much easier!
Just as Yun Yiheng and Yun Yijie were about to mount their horses, they saw Han Che, still wearing a sky blue cotton robe, walking towards the Imperial Examination Hall!
"Oh, isn't this the newly minted Han Jieyuan? This outfit you're wearing is the same one you wore when you took the exam twenty days ago. How come your family is so poor that you can't even afford a set of clothes? I smell it, and you really smell of poverty. I wonder how many days you haven't taken a bath!" Yun Yiji gave a look, and asked the servant beside him to block Han Che's way. Then he walked up slowly and spoke with a sneer on his face!
Han Che glanced sideways and saw Yun Yijie, dressed in brocade, approaching with ill intentions. He didn't want to get entangled with this man, but there was a roadblock blocking his way. He could only pause slightly, staring at Yun Yijie with eyes as bright as stars and a face as calm as water. He said in a calm voice, "I didn't expect that I would get along so well with you two gentlemen, and even meet you on the day of the results announcement! But, Mr. Yun, can you please keep an eye on the servants in your house to prevent them from running around and scaring others!"
Although Han Che called the boy a servant, the following words clearly referred to him as a guard dog. The boy was filled with anger and wanted to curse immediately, but Yun Yijie beat him to the punch, "Han Jieyuan, are you jealous? Your family is so poor that you don't even have a servant. No wonder you study so hard and work hard for future glory and wealth!"
This was extremely insulting, as if Han Che was studying hard just for the sake of pleasure. Yun Yijie seemed to have forgotten that he had used such vulgar methods not long ago in order to marry Wu Qinqin!
Seeing Yun Yijie so arrogant, Han Che smiled slightly. His uniquely clear eyes flashed with an extremely sincere look, but behind that look, he concealed disdain for Yun Yijie. He only heard him slowly reply, "Young Master Yun is truly interesting. Even if I studied hard for future glory and wealth, at least I have received the recognition of the elders. And Young Master Yun was born into such a prominent family, why haven't you achieved anything?"
At this time, the candidates who had seen the list were walking out one after another. Seeing that Yun Yijie and his brother were blocking the way of the new champion, they immediately rushed over here out of curiosity!
Although everyone had no good impression of Han Che, the dark horse that suddenly broke through, they were even more disgusted with the Yun brothers who relied on unconventional means to achieve their goals!
Especially when they saw Yun Yijie's servant blocking Han Che's way without distinguishing between high and low, the students from disadvantaged families immediately supported Han Che and said, "Han Jieyuan, congratulations!"
Seeing everyone congratulating him, Han Che smiled faintly and replied, "Thank you!"
Then he looked at Yun Yijie and said calmly, "Since I already know my ranking, there's no need to go in and look at the list! I'll take my leave now and see you next year at the Spring Examination!"
After saying that, Han Che bowed to everyone, and no longer paid attention to Yun Yijie. He turned around and walked towards the inn where he was staying temporarily!
"Hey, Brother Luo, did you also announce the results today?" At this time, among the several candidates who came over from the martial arts arena, someone spoke up and greeted the candidates on the civil service examination side!
The candidate whose name was called saw that it was someone he knew, so he immediately stepped forward with a smile and asked, "Yes, the results are announced today! I wonder who will be the champion of this martial arts exam?"
"Alas, the champion from now on is the son of the Han family, the family of the late Princess Duan... Han Shaomian! His martial arts skills were so good that even Prince Chen praised him!" The candidate who was asked sighed slightly, but he was convinced of his defeat in his heart!
After all, the martial arts exam is where you really show off your skills, and you can't make any mistakes. Otherwise, no one will sympathize with you if you die in the arena!
Han Shaomian's swordsmanship was so superb that it really shocked all the candidates and examiners at that time. Everyone knew that he would be the top scorer of this year's exam. But when they saw Han Shaomian's name on the list today, they still felt a little disappointed. They could only blame themselves for not being well-trained and not being as skilled as others!
When the candidate surnamed Luo saw his friend like this, he knew that he must have failed the exam like himself. His mood suddenly improved, and he immediately moved closer to the candidate surnamed Luo. The two of them encouraged each other and left the examination hall!
"Yi Jie, let's go!" At this time, Yun Yiheng suddenly spoke, then he mounted his horse and rushed towards the villa where his parents lived at the moment!
For Yun Yiheng at this moment, Han Che is his biggest competitor! Han Shaomian, who was born in the martial arts examination, is not within his scope of concern!
When Yun Yijie saw that Han Che had already gone far away, a hint of viciousness appeared in his eyes. He then returned to his mount, stepped on the servant's back to get on the horse, and the servant led the horse slowly towards the villa!
Seeing that there was nothing exciting to watch, the others said goodbye to each other and went back to prepare for next year's Spring Examination!
Meanwhile, the palace where Emperor Yugan usually rested was crowded with people. The Queen Mother sat beside Emperor Yugan's bed, anxiously looking at the imperial physician who was taking his pulse, and from time to time she would ask, "What's going on? What's wrong with the Emperor?"
The Queen and Concubine Rong were standing by the bed, staring solemnly at Emperor Yugan, who was lying on the dragon bed with a flushed face and frowning brows. Worry could not help but appear in their eyes!
"Replying to the Queen Mother, the Emperor seems to have a high fever, but he does not have any chills. In my humble opinion, the Emperor might have been poisoned! Only poisoning would lead to this kind of situation!" The imperial physician withdrew his hand, carefully placed Emperor Yugan's hand into the dragon quilt, and then knelt in front of the Queen Mother and replied in a low voice!
The Empress Dowager, the Empress, and Concubine Rong were all stunned after hearing this. Then, their faces turned pale. The Empress Dowager glanced at the palace servants who were busy coming in and out, and her face suddenly became murderous. She said solemnly, "Everyone, get out!"
When the palace maids saw the Queen Mother's expression, they were suddenly startled and retreated without saying a word!
"Noble Concubine Rong, you should go back and have some rest too!" But the Queen Mother was still worried and wanted to send Noble Concubine Rong away!
Concubine Rong glanced at Emperor Yugan on the bed, and seeing the murderous look in the empress dowager's eyes, she bowed slightly and then quietly left the bedroom!
"Tell me, what happened? How could someone poison the emperor? Aren't the eunuchs tasting the meals, cakes and tea every day? How do these idiots serve the emperor? They even dare to feed him something poisonous. Do they want their entire clan to be exterminated?" Seeing that only herself, the queen and the imperial physician were left in the bedroom, the queen dowager immediately questioned. However, the wrinkles between her brows showed that she was extremely worried at this moment, and she wished she could find the murderer immediately and punish him according to the law!
The Queen's eyes were filled with tears, and she clutched the handkerchief tightly in her hands. Without waiting for the imperial physician to reply to the Queen Mother, she also spoke anxiously, "Is this poison fatal? Is the Emperor's life in danger? What kind of poison is it? Why didn't the palace servants notice it?"
The imperial physician pondered for a moment before whispering, "To reply to the Empress Dowager and the Queen, I can only confirm that the Emperor has indeed been poisoned! However, there are many different types of poisons, and many are similar, making it difficult to distinguish. We can only go back and study them carefully to determine which one it is! Judging from the Emperor's current symptoms and pulse, the Emperor is not in danger of death for the time being. He just can't wake up and can only sleep like he is now! I am worried that if the Emperor lies in bed for too long, it will also be harmful to his body!"
"In that case, why don't you tell me what solutions you have? I naturally know that lying down all day is not good for your health, but you are the imperial physician, responsible for the emperor's illness, how can you just sit there and watch? Besides, there have been so many things happening recently, how can the emperor just lie down like this? If it causes unrest, can you bear the responsibility?" At the end of her words, the empress dowager became angry and pointed at the imperial physician and cursed!
The imperial physician was so frightened that he immediately prostrated himself on the ground, with his forehead pressed tightly against the carpet in front of him, not daring to say a word!
"Mother, there is no point in blaming the imperial physician now! We can only ask him to find the antidote as soon as possible to cure the emperor!" The queen was also extremely anxious. Seeing that the queen mother was angry, she could only comfort the queen mother!
The Queen Mother was about to speak when she saw the eunuch close to Emperor Yugan walk in. He then bent down and whispered in the Queen Mother's ear, "Queen Mother, Prime Minister Yun, Prince Chen and others wish to see the Emperor!"
Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother's eyes, which had been filled with worry just now, suddenly flashed with a sharpness. She then coldly instructed the imperial physician, "For the next few days, you will serve the Emperor here well. I'll give you two days. If you can't find the antidote, I will kill your entire family!"
"I will do my best to cure the emperor!" The imperial physician was already sweating coldly. If he didn't express his feelings now, he was afraid that the empress dowager would be furious and would kill his entire family!
The empress dowager left the queen to look after Emperor Yugan, and followed Eunuch Yu out of the bedroom. Sure enough, she saw Yun Xuanzhi, Prince Chen, Su Yuan, Lord Guan and others waiting outside the hall!
When everyone saw the Queen Mother come out, they immediately bowed and said, "Greetings, Queen Mother!"
"Why are you all here? The emperor seems to be feeling unwell, so he asked me to come out and take a look!" When everyone heard the empress dowager say this, they were all a little unsure whether Emperor Yugan didn't want to see them!
Seeing that the Empress Dowager was standing next to Emperor Yugan's personal eunuch, his doubts were inevitably dispelled. Su Yuan smiled and handed the memorial to the Empress Dowager, saying, "Your Majesty, this is the list of candidates who passed the Autumn Examination for both the Civil and Military Examinations. The Ministry of Rites has already announced the results, and we have come here to have Your Majesty's review!"
The Empress Dowager looked at the two memorials in Su Yuan's hands, then glanced at Eunuch Yu. Eunuch Yu immediately understood what she meant, walked over, carefully took the memorials, and held them in his hands!
"Is that all? If there's nothing else, go back!" The Queen Mother obviously didn't want to stay here for long, so she spoke directly!
"Empress Dowager, if the Emperor is not seriously ill, your ministers would like to meet Him in person and report to Him about next year's imperial examination!" At this time, Prince Chen suddenly spoke up. Standing face to face with the powerful Empress Dowager, Prince Chen, a rising star, was not inferior at all!
The Queen Mother looked at Prince Chen with a cold gaze and replied calmly, "The Emperor has already taken his medicine and is resting. Let's discuss anything in a few days! Besides, the Spring Examination is next year, so there's no need to rush!"
After saying that, the Queen Mother led Eunuch Yu back to the bedroom!
"Your Highness, this isn't right! If the Emperor is not feeling well, why wouldn't the Queen Mother even let us see him? Could it be that the Emperor's illness is not just a minor one?" Su Yuan looked at the closed vermilion lacquered door and spoke with a puzzled look in his eyes!
However, his words attracted the attention of Yun Xuanzhi and Lord Guan. They both looked towards the hall with puzzled expressions, feeling that the Queen Mother's behavior today was really puzzling!
"Let's observe for a while first! See what excuses the Queen Mother can come up with! What do Prime Minister Yun and Lord Guan think?" Prince Chen glanced coldly at the palace in front of him, and then asked Yun Xuanzhi and others in front of him!
Everyone felt that something was wrong, so they nodded and returned to their homes!
However, the fact that Emperor Yugan had been absent from court for three consecutive days due to illness immediately caused heated discussions among the ministers in the court. This was the first time that Emperor Yugan had missed the morning court for so many consecutive days since he ascended the throne. Especially at this time when the country was facing internal and external troubles, everyone was worried about Emperor Yugan's health!
Yun Xuanzhi and others who knew some inside information frowned and remained silent. After the morning court was over, they all walked towards Emperor Yugan's bedroom and requested to see the emperor again!
And today it was the Queen Mother who came out to stop them again, and the reason was no different from the previous few days!
"Why is the Queen Mother preventing us from seeing the Emperor? Is there something wrong with the Emperor's health?" Just as the Queen Mother was about to turn around and leave, Su Yuan immediately spoke with deep meaning!
"What do you mean, Lord Su? I regard the emperor as my own son. Is Lord Su suspicious of something? Lord Su, do you know that your current words and actions are already insubordination? Do you want me to have the imperial guards drag you out and behead you immediately?" The empress dowager has been in the palace for so many years and has experienced countless life and death crises. How could she be frightened by Su Yuan's provocation?
Instead, it was the Queen Mother's words of "insubordination" that made Su Yuan shut up immediately. He stood behind Prince Chen again and calmed down temporarily!
"Then please tell me, Your Majesty, why the Emperor has been holding court early these days? Let me explain to all the officials! Otherwise, we will never leave the palace today!" Seeing the Queen Mother so angry, Prince Chen was not the kind of person who would back down after being threatened. His tone was filled with persistence, and his eyes were empty, which made the Queen Mother frown slightly without leaving a trace!
"The Empress Dowager's motherly love for the Emperor is probably known to everyone in the court! However, the Emperor has not attended the morning court for three days, and there are already too many memorials and official documents piling up in the court that need his review. If this continues, I and others will not be able to suppress the suspicion of all officials! Moreover, the Northern Qi Crown Prince and others are still living in the inn, and they know everything about our court. If this goes on, I am afraid that Northern Qi will take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack. I hope that the Empress Dowager will put the overall situation first and let me see the Emperor!" Yun Xuanzhi thought about the emotions of the officials in the court in the past few days, and he frowned and said these words in embarrassment. He also hoped that the Empress Dowager could understand them and not keep them out of the bedroom!
Seeing Yun Xuanzhi's words, the Empress Dowager recalled what the Imperial Physician had said to her last night. She couldn't help but sigh slightly and slowly said, "This palace also understands your difficulties! However, the Emperor's illness is unlikely to be cured for the time being. The Imperial Physician has instructed that he should rest. Naturally, this palace dare not treat the Emperor's life as a joke! With you guys here to take care of the affairs of the court, the Emperor is naturally relieved!"
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. How could Emperor Yugan, who had always been in good health, suddenly fall ill and not recover for a while? If this continued, wouldn't Emperor Yugan have to miss the morning court for a long time?
This is naturally good news for King Chen and others!
However, Yun Xuanzhi and Lord Guan were afraid that this was bad news, especially since the King of Chu and Prime Minister Chu were not in Kyoto, and the King of Chen was the only one in power in the court. It was not a good time for Emperor Yugan to fall ill!
"Since you are here, I will tell you what the emperor instructed me this morning!" The empress dowager saw that their expressions were different, and she knew that Emperor Yugan's illness had caused them to have different thoughts in their minds. However, since they could not hide it, it would be better to tell the truth. The best strategy was to use calm to control the situation!
"Please give your instructions, Queen Mother!" Since it was Emperor Yugan's oral order, the few of them naturally did not dare to neglect it!
"This plague is serious and has caused the loss of hundreds of thousands of people in Western Chu. The emperor has thought about it again and again and decided to advance the spring examination! In this way, the court can focus more on the plague. What do you all think?" The empress dowager frowned and said this!
When several people heard this decision, their hearts were stirred again!
Yun Xuanzhi looked up at the Queen Mother, not understanding why Emperor Yugan would make such a decision.
Although the emperor is wise in considering the people, if the imperial examination is ended early, Qu Changqing cannot follow Prince Chen openly. If Chu Feiyang has not returned to the capital by then, the situation in the capital will be dangerous!
Especially at this moment, no one knows the physical condition of Emperor Yugan except the Empress Dowager and the people who serve Emperor Yugan. If Prince Chen forces the emperor to abdicate one day, there will probably be many casualties in the palace and the court!
Is Emperor Yugan going to gamble the lives of so many powerful people for the sake of the people? Is this really a fair deal?
The Queen Mother's words also aroused Prince Chen's vigilance. If it was said that Emperor Yugan was sick, Prince Chen would believe it to some extent. After all, how could people not get sick if they ate grains?
But the Queen Mother knew full well that the Imperial Examination was Emperor Yugan's weapon to contain her during Chu Feiyang's absence, so why would she decide to shorten it now? This made no sense, emotionally or logically. Or had Emperor Yugan already thought of other ways to deal with her? Was he feigning illness and using the Queen Mother as a cover? After all, these two had been connected for so long, so it wasn't impossible that this was all a show!
The Queen Mother carefully took in the subtle expressions in Yun Xuanzhi and Prince Chen's eyes, then spoke again, "Since that's the case, this examination will be held on the first day of next month! Everyone, please hurry back and prepare, or else someone will take advantage of this opportunity to cheat!"
"Empress Dowager, I have something I want to ask you!" But Su Yuan still did not give up and was determined to speak up even if it meant risking the crime of insubordination!
"Lord Su seems to be talking a lot today! You also know that the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics. I was just conveying the emperor's will just now!" The empress dowager shot a cold gaze at Su Yuan, as if blaming him for his rudeness!
"Please ask the Empress Dowager to pass this memorial to the Emperor on my behalf!" However, Su Yuan took out a memorial that had already been written from his sleeve and handed it to the eunuch Yu who was accompanying him. Then he withdrew with the others!
"Your Highness, look, what conspiracy are the Queen Mother and the Emperor playing?" Inside the carriage, Su Yuan looked at Prince Chen nervously!
When Su Yuan heard the news that Emperor Yugan was seriously ill from the Queen Mother, he felt very happy for a moment!
However, when he later stole a glance at Prince Chen, he saw that his expression remained unchanged, so he knew that there might be something fishy going on. Only then did Su Yuan fall silent under the Queen Mother's rebuke!
"Lord Su, just focus on your own job!" Jiang Muchen glanced at Su Yuan indifferently, knowing that Su Yuan did not eliminate the Yun brothers in the autumn examination this time. He was probably not satisfied with just destroying the two brothers Yun Yiheng and Yun Yijie!
As long as Su Yuan doesn't touch his bottom line, King Chen will regard Su Yuan's actions as his consent!
Seeing that King Chen did not blame him for his presumptuous decision just now, Su Yuan felt relieved!
On the evening of October 28, Yun Xuanzhi received an imperial edict at home, appointing him as the chief examiner of this joint examination!
After hearing this imperial edict, the old lady was so excited that she couldn't speak for a long time. The anger she had a few days ago because Yun Yiheng didn't become the top scorer in the exam had finally dissipated for the most part!
Even when facing Aunt Liu and Yun Yan, he was smiling and immediately sent someone out of Prime Minister Yun's residence to the villa to announce the good news!
However, after putting away the imperial edict, Yun Xuanzhi turned back to his study, making it difficult to understand what he was thinking!
That night, Xi Lin came to Qiluo Garden and handed the letter he had just received to Yun Qianmeng!
After dismissing everyone, Yun Qianmeng sat behind the desk and opened the wax-sealed letter. He unfolded the rice paper, and a page full of majestic, vigorous and powerful cursive script immediately caught his eye!
But at this moment, Yun Qianmeng had no intention of appreciating Chu Feiyang's calligraphy. She was concentrating on reading the contents of the letter. She was wondering why the letter was three days later than expected. After reading the entire letter, she realized that Chu Feiyang had spent two days observing the symptoms of the disease, and only then did he write down all the symptoms in detail!
Yun Qianmeng looked at the symptoms of the plague again and saw Chu Feiyang writing carefully: chills, high fever, fatigue, headache, pain in the limbs and lower back. When the body temperature rises sharply, convulsions and coma may occur. Macules, papules, herpes, and pustules will appear on the skin in batches. People will die within 15 to 20 days after being infected!
After reading this paragraph, Yun Qianmeng was certain that the plague this time was smallpox!
Smallpox is ferocious and spreads rapidly. Once people are infected, they will die quickly. Ancient medicine is backward and lacks advanced equipment and technology. Therefore, smallpox is classified as a plague. Once it spreads, it will be out of control. Thousands of people died from smallpox in ancient times, but no good way to suppress smallpox was found!
Yun Qianmeng closed her eyes and carefully recalled the treatments for smallpox she had read before. After a while, she slowly opened her eyes, immediately opened the lid of the inkstone, quickly ground the ink, and then took out a clean piece of rice paper. She wrote down all the treatments she could think of, then selected them, and finally decided to tell Chu Feiyang the recipe for the cowpox method!
He changed a new piece of rice paper and marked all the steps of the cowpox method, the transition time of each stage, and the conditions that would occur. Then he reviewed it again and rewrote it several times. Then he blew dry the ink and put the letter into several envelopes and handed them to Xi Lin who was waiting outside!
"Send it to Luocheng as soon as possible and make sure it is delivered to him!" Yun Qianmeng whispered through the kapok window!
However, when Xi Lin looked at the five or six letters in his hand, he couldn't help but show confusion in his eyes. He didn't understand why Miss Yun didn't seal them in one letter!
"Send a few more people to deliver it separately, be careful not to get it kidnapped! There is a prescription in here to save people, we must not make any mistakes!" Yun Qianmeng seemed to know Xi Lin's confusion, and slowly began to explain!
"Don't worry, Miss!" Xi Lin nodded slightly to the figure inside, nodded to the secret guards protecting in the dark, and then turned around and walked out of Qiluo Garden!
Only then did Yun Qianmeng return to the desk and pick up the letter on the table. Although she was reluctant, she had to burn it. She brought the letter close to the candlelight and found that there was a small four-leaf clover written in dark green ink on the lower left corner of the letter. Yun Qianmeng couldn't help but smile knowingly, and couldn't help but wonder what Chu Feiyang would think when he saw his handwriting?
At this time, a fire broke out in the inn where many poor candidates lived. As it was late at night and no one noticed it, many candidates who were resting on the third and fourth floors were unable to escape from the inn and were burned to death inside!
Only the candidates on the first and second floors managed to escape, but at that time all the inns in Kyoto were full, and these candidates were all from outside the city. Fearing the spread of the plague, all the inns refused to take them in!
The fickleness of human nature immediately made these ambitious candidates from poor families feel disheartened for the first time!
At this time, Prince Chen, who had rushed over after hearing the news, was commanding the city defense forces to put out the fire. Looking at these candidates who had ambitions but no chance to display them, Prince Chen actually ordered them to temporarily stay in Prince Chen's Mansion until the imperial examination was over!
For a moment, what Prince Chen did won the favor of all the poor students. Only Han Che, who was standing on the street corner, looked at everything in front of him with clear eyes!
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