Testing the Waters (Part 1)
Shen Changqing recalled the injuries on Xu Qiu's body. He probably wasn't lying; he had indeed been punished for doing something wrong.
“He has a mistress. If he goes to any courtyard, check the owner of that courtyard.”
"Yes." Xiao An received the order, but he also found it strange. Rumor had it that the ruthless Jade-Faced Asura was actually lusting after a beautiful woman and had taken a mistress?
"Young master, before leaving the manor, he said that your return to the manor this time was all thanks to Lord Li Shiqin. His son's tenth birthday banquet is in two days, and you should personally bring generous gifts to express your gratitude."
"Okay, I understand."
Shen Changqing, whose nerves had been on edge for several days in the imperial prison, finally relaxed for a moment when he returned to his bedroom.
The father pushed the list of test-takers to Shi Zhixuan's residence. Would Shi Zhixuan really sit idly by and wait to be slaughtered?
No, that's impossible.
Therefore, it is essential to maintain good relations with Li Shiqin.
He needed to know Shi Zhixuan's statement, to find out where things went wrong, and who got the test questions.
With such an incident in Shengjing, Li Shiqin's position as commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is certainly in jeopardy.
He would definitely try to curry favor with the Shen family, hoping they would support his younger brother after he lost power.
Many thoughts popped into Shen Changqing's mind, but perhaps because he hadn't rested well in the prison, he quickly fell into a drowsy sleep as soon as he lay down on his bed fully clothed.
In his dream, he was still drawing a portrait of a lady at his desk, with the Ding Sheng cake she had bought for him on the table.
The next moment, he was imprisoned, and Gu Yu looked down at him with a cold glare, "Don't you think you did something wrong?"
Did he do something wrong? What did he do wrong?
He frowned, unable to understand why Gu Yu had asked him that. He reached out to grab the hem of her skirt as she turned to leave, but his grasp fell on empty air...
It was already broad daylight outside the window. He had slept for a long time, from yesterday afternoon until dawn today.
While in the imperial prison, he worked backward from the outcome, considering many possibilities, but he couldn't figure out who would benefit most if the Shen family fell from power.
However, the only thing he was certain of was that someone was targeting the Shen family behind the scenes.
Perhaps this person was behind Guan Yiyun's affair from the very beginning.
Zhu Huxi, refugees entering the city, Gu Jin.
Guan Yiyun, Poetry Gathering, Yunxian Pavilion, Xu Qiu.
And then there's Dongfang Hongyao, Wei Cong... These two are incredibly talented; if they had participated in the imperial examinations, they would definitely have made the list. How could they have been secretly framed and eliminated, leaving behind a clean and innocent reputation?
Moreover, most of these people knew Gu Yu, and Gu Jin was Gu Yu's brother. Could it really be a coincidence?
Gu Jin and Xu Qiu were originally two distinct paths, but at some point they intersected and converged.
If Gu Yu also knew Xu Qiu, that would be an even greater coincidence than coincidence; there aren't that many coincidences in the world.
He still couldn't figure out what Gu Yu had done, but since he had suspicions, then so be it.
She wasn't the mastermind, but she probably knew something too.
When he was young, a pageboy who had been with him since childhood stole his articles and gave them to others, causing him to be stigmatized as a plagiarist.
What happened to him in the end? He was probably beaten to death, and now the grass on his grave is three feet tall.
Ah Yu, Ah Yu, please don't let me down, otherwise I don't know what I might do?
Li Mansion.
"My son is turning ten today. Thank you all for coming. Please enjoy yourselves. If there is anything we have done poorly, please let us know."
Li Shiqin stood among the crowd, his hands clasped in front of him, his dignified face full of smiles, his fleshy face twisted into a bunch of wrinkles.
Knowing that his official position would be in jeopardy after this incident, he could only try to win over more colleagues and old friends before leaving office. He also took his younger brother to various places to make acquaintances and offer toasts, hoping to pass on these connections to his brother.
Shen Changqing's personal visit was as he had expected, and he brought a generous gift as a token of his gratitude, which he accepted without hesitation.
"Young Master Shen, this is my younger brother, Li. He currently works in the Ministry of Justice. I urge you, Lord Shen, to keep an eye on him. If he makes a mistake, please don't consider my influence; punish him accordingly..."
Shen Xiuwen secured a minor seventh-rank position in the Ministry of Justice for him.
Li Shiqin was a military officer by birth and had no clever or shrewd mind. He only hoped that his younger brother would have more protection in the officialdom.
He filled a large bowl with wine, drank it all in one gulp, and was very bold and unrestrained.
"Since my father has recommended Lord Li, he naturally trusts Lord Li's abilities. Lord Li need not underestimate himself."
Shen Changqing finished the wine in his cup in one gulp. “I heard my father say that Lord Li has done a good job and could be promoted even further if given the opportunity.”
Then look at Li Shiduo, who is called Little Master Li. He is sturdy, with a face that is whiter than Li Shiqin's. He has wide and thick ears, round and small eyes, a big nose and thick lips. He has a very auspicious appearance.
He knew his elder brother was paving the way for him. He was probably the lowest-ranking official present. He rarely spoke during the banquet, always wearing a smile like that of Maitreya Buddha, nodding and praising anyone who flattered him.
Hearing Shen Changqing say this, a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes. These were the words of Shen Xiuwen from the Ministry of Personnel. If he said this, it meant that if he was careful, he would soon be promoted.
He didn't care why the Shen family was helping him; the benefits were undeniably coming his way, and that was enough for him.
"Young Master Shen, please convey my regards to Lord Shen." He stepped forward excitedly to offer a toast.
Shen Changqing accepted it with a smile, "Definitely, definitely."
He found a quiet spot and discussed the matter with Li Shiqin.
“Commander Li, this leak of exam questions involves me. I have a feeling that the person behind this is targeting me and trying to smear me. In that case, the Shen family will definitely be involved in this matter as well.”
"Commander Li, please tell me how Shi Zhixuan leaked the exam questions?"
Li Shiqin nodded and said, "It's embarrassing to admit, but someone tampered with the brick wall of the south gate of the examination hall, and that's how the questions were leaked out."
"So Shi Zhixuan created and sold the exam questions himself?"
“We found some evidence at Shi Zhixuan’s residence. This matter will soon be settled. Please rest assured, Young Master Shen. Since someone is trying to shift the blame, I will not be led by the nose.”
"Yes, I hope Commander Li will take good care of this matter and find out the truth as soon as possible, so as to clear my name and the other scholars' names."
Looking at it this way, it seems that Shi Zhixuan has no interaction with anyone else. Could it be that the test questions were really leaked from his father?
Or are they the people who bought the test questions?
“Of course, of course.” Li Shiqin nodded repeatedly.
As if he had just thought of something, Li Shiqin said, "Young Master Shen, the banquet in the backyard is hosted by my wife. She invited many female relatives. A few days ago, she went to Chengtian Temple to pray for her son and met the young lady from the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion, so she invited her as well."
“Miss Gu is very worried about you. If you haven’t seen her since you were released from prison, you might as well take this opportunity to catch up with her.”
Shen Changqing's smile didn't reach his eyes. "It really is time to see her."
"Then I'll arrange a quiet courtyard for you two. Why don't you go there and have a chat? You and Miss Gu are probably getting married soon..."
A hint of mockery flashed in his eyes. "Miss Gu is truly devoted to you. Look, even after you were imprisoned, she didn't break her promise. She even went out of her way to find out about you and made arrangements for you..."
He smiled and said, "Thank you for the arrangements, Commander Li."
Shen Changqing stepped into a secluded courtyard in the Li residence. The courtyard was filled with magnolia trees, and the magnolias were in full bloom, making it a perfect place to discuss romance and nature.
The courtyard was covered in patches of blue and white, bathed in the warm spring sunshine, as if a layer of gold had been added to the white.
He was standing with his back to the courtyard gate, intently admiring the flowers, when he heard very light footsteps behind him.
"Chen Lang." Gu Yu called to him, and Shen Changqing turned to look at her with his usual gentle smile.
"I just heard from Madam Li that you have also come to the Li residence, so I thought I would come and see you."
Gu Yu said, "I went to Chengtian Temple a few days ago to pray for you and your father and brothers. The Bodhisattva there is still so efficacious."
“It’s A-Yu who has put in a good thought. I didn’t do those things. Once the Three Judicial Offices have investigated and found out, I will naturally be released,” Shen Changqing said.
He invited her to sit for a while at the stone table and benches under the tree.
"Isn't it a coincidence? I actually ran into an acquaintance at the banquet in the front hall. He was wronged and suffered the same fate as me before, and now he's out with me..."
"I don't know if you know this person. His surname is Xu and his given name is Qiu. His godfather is Xu Shanhai."
"Ah?" Gu Yu exclaimed in surprise, "Why is he here? I've heard of him, my brother has told me about him too..."
She deliberately lowered her voice when speaking ill of others, "He's not a good person, and you shouldn't associate with him. My brother doesn't seem to like him either."
“Hehe…” Shen Changqing chuckled upon hearing this, “You can’t judge a person’s character solely by what they do.”
"Huh? How do I check?" Gu Yu asked curiously.
"Look at the results. If it benefits you, he's a good person; if it doesn't, he's a bad person."
"this......"
Gu Yu frowned, disagreeing with his view but unable to find a way to refute him. "I always feel that your reasoning is flawed."
"But many people follow this kind of fallacy. Ah Yu, good and bad are relative. Sometimes you think someone is a good person, but they do things that are harmful to you. Do you think you can continue to associate with this person?"
"Of course not."
Gu Yu shook her head, seemingly lost in thought. "So even if someone is a heinous villain, if what they do is for your benefit, then they are a good person to you..."
She spoke with an innocent expression, and Shen Changqing did not want to suspect that she had something in mind.
He lowered his eyelashes. "That's not entirely wrong."
What did your father say?
"I suppose the war is so intense that I haven't received any letters."
Gu Yu spoke of this with great concern, her delicate brows furrowed. "After all, I am not in the imperial court and do not know the specific situation in the north. Please ask Uncle Shen for me, Shen Lang."
"Okay, I'll let you know as soon as I hear the news."
Seeing her worried expression, Shen Changqing got up and picked a magnolia flower in full bloom, handing it to Gu Yu.
"These flowers are as white as snow, just like your personality."
Gu Yu reached out and took the magnolia flower, muttering to herself, "When Madam Li sees it and asks me, I'll just say you picked it. This flower was blooming so well, picking it will kill it."
Seeing her complain, Shen Changqing smiled and said, "It wasn't going to live long anyway. I just wanted to make you laugh, but it's my fault now."
"Since you gave it to me, I will take good care of it and keep it with some clean water. I don't know if it will help me live a few more days."
Gu Yu carefully examined the magnolia flower in her hand. Its pure white, oval petals were waving, resembling lotus flowers, and the tender yellow stamens in the center were very small. Even if it were broken off from the branch, it would still look beautiful.
"By the way, did you know that Dongfang Hongyao and Wei Cong came to visit me at home a few days ago?"
"I don't know." Gu Yu shook her head sincerely. "I just returned from Chengtian Temple two days ago. I'm not a deity, so how would I know these things? Shen Lang, you've been acting strangely today, sending flowers and asking questions. Did I do something to cause you trouble?"
After thinking it over, she decided to explain what had happened in the past few days. "Since the day you said that Dongfang Hongyao and Wei Cong did not attend the Spring Examination, I made an appointment with Dongfang Hongyao to ask about the situation."
"Because I've been feeling uneasy these past few days, worried about my father and brothers as well as you, I went to Chengtian Temple, which my grandmother used to take me to when she was alive. I never expected to meet Madam Li there."
"I was worried about you, so I stopped Madam Li and asked her many questions. She comforted me for a long time because of my father and brothers, and also revealed some information. Only then did I feel relieved."
“I am on very good terms with Madam Li. She invited me to her son’s tenth birthday celebration, and that’s when I met you at the Li residence.”
Gu Yu looked at Shen Changqing again, his white robes disheveled, his gaze fixed elsewhere.
She asked, puzzled, "Did I do something wrong?"
Looking at Gu Yu's tearful face, Shen Changqing said, "You haven't done anything wrong, but you are still a young lady in your boudoir, and it's really... inappropriate for you to repeatedly inquire about information for me..."
"Since you trust me, you should just stay in the manor and wait for me to return quietly. I didn't do anything, so naturally I won't be falsely accused. But your close relationship with Madam Li makes it seem as if I have some shady relationship with Li Shiqin."
“Shen Changqing, I’m worried about you. I’m afraid you won’t get out of the prison. But all you’re thinking about is whether your reputation has been damaged.”
Gu Yu fought back tears, "I always felt something was off about what you said earlier, but I never imagined you were talking about me..."
She had originally intended to throw the flowers on the ground, but paused and placed them on the table instead. "I'm stupid, not as smart as you. I don't know how to be tactful, and I don't know when to do what. So you should go find a smart lady."
Before he could retort, Gu Yu stormed off, tears streaming down her face as she left the courtyard, wondering why Shen Changqing had suddenly become suspicious of her.
Did Dongfang Hongyao say something wrong?
She absolutely must not let Shen Changqing know that she knows Xu Qiu, otherwise, how can she stay out of the things that have happened these past few days, since she knows all the people involved?
Then came the thing that worried her the most: what was the situation of the war in the north?
If something really happens to Gu's father and brothers, even if the Shen family falls, how will she fight against Sun Gu?
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