The Last Secret
What is the real reason?
Wen Ruo put on a stern face, lightly stroking the air with her fingers, and said righteously, "The imperial examination system is rife with corruption and abuse of power; even the strictest laws cannot eradicate it!"
Zhu Fei's expression tightened, and he quickly looked outside, coughing softly, "These words should only be said in front of us!"
"Of course, but those are His Majesty's exact words, so there's nothing wrong with mentioning them!"
He An glanced sideways: "Then I'm quite honored!"
"It's not like I'm never coming back from this secondment! Proofreading is a thankless job, and rampant cheating is a major headache for both of you. Anyway, I'm not afraid of offending anyone. If I can solve a big case for the Court of Judicial Review, even if I don't get promoted, I'll still be happy!"
Zhu Fei composed himself, and said with a half-smile, "I feel like this position of Junior Minister is shaky!"
"Perhaps it's time to get a more durable one!"
"Don't let Lord Zhou hear this!"
"Lord Zhou must think the same way!"
The two looked at each other and smiled.
He An clapped his hands in delight.
A man with a bruised and swollen face arrived at the gate of the Sun residence, but the servants had become so used to it that they simply ignored him.
Sun Xuerong sat on the swing, looking at the hesitant, injured man who had come in. Her face darkened immediately. "Still haven't found the person who took the place of the mute that night?"
Sun Hao touched the corner of his mouth and said with a pained expression, "A bunch of people suddenly appeared today and started hitting me as soon as they saw me. It must have been Qi Guanlan who instigated them."
"I asked around about everyone who went there during that time, but I couldn't find anything. But now that I think about it, Qi Guanlan's build and attire are quite similar, could it be?"
"Shut up!"
Sun Xuerong suddenly stood up, and with a flick of her long sleeves, the porcelain cups of pastries beside her shattered on the floor! Her eyes were red, and her voice grew softer and softer, "How could this be!"
Sun Hao's gaze deepened, and his words became increasingly unpleasant, "Qi Guanlan likes her and knows about her traditional Chinese medicine; no one would remain indifferent."
Sun Xuerong's eyes reddened with anger again. She smashed things haphazardly in the yard, leaving flowerpots lying crookedly on the ground. "Sun Yueyou! You're good for nothing but causing trouble!"
Just as she was weeping, a shout came from the garden, "What are you doing?"
Sun Xuerong shuddered and quickly lowered her head, "Father!"
Sun Hao quickly stepped forward, bowed, and smiled obsequiously, "Uncle-in-law, why are you back so early today!"
"The imperial examination is just around the corner. You should stay at home and not cause me any trouble. You should give up the idea of marrying Qi Guanlan."
"Can!"
Sun Yanfang had a few strands of white hair mixed in with his sideburns. He put on a stern face and said, "But what? The extra copying department this year is already enough to give me a headache."
Sun Xuerong bit her lip, unwilling to admit it: "My daughter knows she was wrong!"
"Your mother has passed away, and I have neglected to discipline you. I will not hold Sun Yueyou's matter against you, but you must not mention it again."
"This year's imperial examination is full of talented people. I will choose a good husband for you. Just wait to get married with peace of mind."
He turned and left without sparing Sun Hao a glance. Sun Hao remained respectful and dared not utter a single complaint.
After thinking it over, Sun Xuerong said, "I've heard that Wen Ruo knows the art of disguise. Father, please be careful."
"knew!"
After the incident during the Lantern Festival, Lord Sun hired a matchmaker to arrange a marriage for Sun Xuerong. He did not seek a prominent family background, but first wanted to see if the two families' birth dates were compatible.
Meanwhile, Qi Guanlan was setting up his own business without stopping.
Zhao Heng's bookstore had been in business for five years and was already one of the top bookstores in the capital, especially with its collection of many rare and out-of-print books.
The news of the partial free service spread quickly, attracting many candidates on their way to the capital for the imperial examinations. The shop became an important venue for holding reading conferences, and scholars flocked to it.
Many poetry and song gatherings, both large and small, were held, but He An returned empty-handed, not enjoying a good meal and wine, but instead hearing a lot of complaints!
"Money can make the devil turn the millstone! Big shots won't come to ordinary poetry gatherings."
"What else did you hear?"
"Someone is watching you!"
"The Ministry of Personnel is certainly aware of your abilities when it comes to hiring people."
When Wen Ruo finished her shift in the evening, she arrived at the bookstore. The shop assistant immediately came to greet her, "Lady Wen, please come in!"
Qi Guanlan leisurely descended from the second floor, dressed in a white robe, looking sleepy as if he had just woken up. He was so carefree and unrestrained, not at all like a shopkeeper. "Who has offended our Lord Wen? Why is he looking so sullen?"
"Young master, the account book."
Qi Guanlan casually put it into his sleeve, pulled Wen Ruo up, and turned to go into the backyard. The shop had been expanded by Zhao Heng to become the tallest and most luxurious on the street, but the backyard remained unchanged.
Wen Ruo took the teacup and slowly sipped it. Even the sweetest pastries tasted bland to her.
"What's wrong?"
"Why is it so hard to earn merit?"
Qi Guanlan chuckled, then sat closer, cupped her chin, and teased, "You're already in such a hurry."
"Some people can stay in one place for five years because they seek stability, but you can't even sit still for three months?"
"How do you know?" A glint of light flashed in Wen Ruo's eyes. What she said was absolutely right, but what good was her stable position?
Qi Guanlan snorted and gently pinched her. "I've been influenced by what I see and hear all day long. My uncles and aunts are always saying that one should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation. Tell me, how many days has it been since you last came to see me?"
Wen Ruo snatched her cheek back. "That's true. You can't rush things. These people have been eating rice for decades longer than me. They're cunning and shrewd, so they're not easy to catch."
"But you know that someone is cheating, and I can't catch them. Do you understand that feeling of having a treasure right in front of you, but being able to only look at it and not touch it?"
Wen Ruo put her hands on his shoulders, sounding very frustrated. Qi Guanlan was dizzy from being shaken by her, so he quickly wrapped his arms around her hands and nodded with a deep expression, "I understand. For example, you are right in front of me, but I can't marry you!"
Wen Ruo laughed out loud, amused by him and no longer able to stay angry. "You've learned how to read account books?"
Qi Guanlan straightened his long legs and boasted, "Of course!"
Wen Ruo leaned over and followed him through the entire book. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "I understand!"
"Know what?"
"You're such a lucky star!"
Qi Guanlan's lips unconsciously curled up into a smile. "Tell me."
"I can tell a lot about someone's knowledge just by looking at what they read and write. If I can figure out their background, I'll know whether they cheated or not."
"The mountain cannot see me, yet I see the mountain. I admire your boldness, Lord Wen! With so many people, do you really intend to see them all?"
“That’s true, yours isn’t complete either.” Wen Ruo’s eyes shifted, her brows furrowed, and she sighed to herself.
Qi Guanlan glanced at them and comforted them, "Those people are behaving themselves now, which is a kind of deterrent, and wouldn't you say that counts as a meritorious service?"
"You believe cats don't steal fish?"
Qi Guanlan paused, "Do you need my help?"
Wen Ruo shook her head, "What difference does it make if you go or I go? What else would he dare to do?"
"That's right, we're one!"
Qi Guanlan then said, "Why don't I invite my cousin's teacher, the Crown Prince's tutor, to give a lecture? Not to mention these poor students, even the sons of noble families will come running over eagerly. There will be many people and things will get complicated."
Wen Ruo: "You've got a smarter touch!"
"You're too kind!"
A few more people arrived at Baiyuzhai, the base of Honghu Academy. Wen Ruo had just pushed open the door when the sound of gunfire from inside was fierce and powerful, along with Lü Ming's helpless admonition, "Mingyue, take a rest!"
"The capital is dangerous, so I must train harder."
"who?"
A gust of wind tore through the night, hurtling through the air. Wen Ruo instinctively held her breath as the sharp aura swept past her.
An arm pulled her aside, flew past her, and with palms facing each other, two dark figures landed on the roof in an instant.
"You scoundrels, prepare to die!"
The spear moved like a dragon, leaving a silver streak on the wall. This was the first time she had ever seen Gu Ying's skill. She nimbly spun around, and her wrist guards, made of some unknown material, jingled.
Back and forth they went, making Wen Ruo's eyelids twitch. "That's Gu Ying, one of our own."
She thought Mingyue would stop there, but the two fought even more fiercely, so she had to ask for help from the side, "Lu Ming, say something."
Mingyue listened to Lü Ming's every word.
Lu Ming was also at a loss, shaking his head helplessly and saying, "She's in the middle of something, it's no use me saying anything."
After a stick of incense had burned, Gu Ying seemed to have gotten tired of it, dodging and glancing at her every now and then. Wen Ruo was already tired of watching, so she moved a small stool over, cracked some melon seeds, and said leisurely, "Stop hitting me!"
She glanced at the roof beam in the distance, then at the books beside her. Twins, yet their personalities were worlds apart.
One lives a peaceful and tranquil life, while the other is constantly tearing the house apart.
"Isn't Gu Ying even more capable?"
"Thank you for your kind words, Lord Wen."
Gu Ying descended gracefully, shifting her body slightly. A dagger suddenly appeared from her wrist, perfectly blocking Ming Yue's spear tip. The piercing sound of the weapon still made people frown.
Lu Ming was clearly furious. "Mingyue, stop making a scene!"
"yes."
Wen Ruo breathed a sigh of relief and handed over the tea, saying, "We're all family here, why don't you sit down and have some tea?"
Gu Ying nodded slightly, which was considered a greeting.
"What kind of 'one of us' wears a mask!"
Gu Yinggang had just taken the teacup when Mingyue suddenly grabbed it, splashing hot water onto her hand. Wen Ruo jerked it back, ignoring the pain, and cried out, "Mingyue, no!"
If you pick it, you have to marry him!
Wen Ruo glanced at the mask in her hand, then looked to the side. Her heart clenched, and she was speechless for a moment.
Lü Ming looked at Wen Ruo: "Is Gu Ying Qi Guanlan?"
It is obvious.
She couldn't bring herself to say "yes." Wen Ruo stood up, suppressing her bitterness, and forced a grimace. "Gu Ying, stop pretending to be Qi Guanlan."
"Senior sister, I was wrong!"
Gu Ying cut her off, snatched the mask with a swift movement, and put it back on. "I'll go get you some medicine!"
Mingyue: "Your junior brother?"
Lü Ming: "Still pretending?"
“He did this when I treated you to dinner last time. My master is unreliable, and he actually followed suit. Please excuse my rudeness.”
Wen Ruo tried her best to remain calm, but her fingernails dug deeply into her palms. The cold night wind made their faces flush red. Ming Yue put away her gun and pushed her sister into the house early.
The moonlight tapped on the doors and windows, and the people in the monastery, as if by prior arrangement, turned off their lights early.
There were few people on the stone-paved road outside. Wen Ruo put on her cloak, gently pushed open the door, and saw Qi Guanlan wrapped in a silver fur coat, his white glow emanating from the glass lamp.
Without a word, Wen Ruo's hand landed in his palm, the thin calluses rubbing against the back of her hand.
Despite it being just a small blister, he still applied a thick layer of the ointment, the faint scent of lotus root wafting to his fingertips, his ten fingers feeling cool and refreshed.
There was also incense burning nearby.
"It's me, Gu Ying. Are you angry?"
Qi Guanlan shook her sleeve, trying to lighten the mood, but his tone was tinged with apprehension, "Still scared?"
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