clash
The two men who brought them over didn't even glance at them. They simply placed two bowls of thin porridge in front of the door, along with a pot of hot tea.
The burly man at the head of the group said in a gruff voice, "Our lady will see you later. Let's eat something first, lest we faint from hunger."
Dongfang Hongyao smiled and said, "Brothers, if I may be so bold as to ask, whose wife is your wife? My brother and I haven't seen any wives since we came to the capital. I really don't understand why we were arrested."
The burly man snorted coldly, "Eat quickly and stop arguing. You'll find out when the madam arrives."
Wei Cong didn't say anything, but obediently picked up two bowls of porridge from the ground. The two of them wolfed down the porridge and drank two large bowls of hot tea before they finally recovered. Their stomachs, which had been churning for two days, were now finally at peace.
After they finished eating, the big man quickly packed up his things and locked the door.
Having finally obtained food to fill their stomachs, and perhaps knowing that the matter was finally about to come to a conclusion, the two fell into a deep sleep.
When the sun was at its brightest outside, footsteps sounded again outside the woodshed. This time, there were more people, and the one in the lead walked steadily and unhurriedly.
Wei Cong and Dongfang Hongyao exchanged a glance, knowing that they were finally about to meet the legendary lady.
"Brother Hongyao, who do you think it is?" Wei Cong actually had a guess in his mind.
"This year's top scholar in the imperial examination is Shen Changqing," Dongfang Hongyao replied.
Someone opened the door, and the blinding sunlight almost made the two of them unable to open their eyes.
It took them a while to get a good look at the handsome man with a long, flowing beard and a kind face. He didn't seem like the kind of person who would arrest them and lock them up for two days for their illicit activities.
Shen Xiuwen looked ashamed and had the servants beside him untie the ropes binding their hands. "You two scholars, I am really sorry. I only found out today that my wife was so anxious to save her son that she did such a thing."
"The leak of the spring examination questions has greatly implicated my son. My wife originally only wanted to ask you two candidates why you did not participate in the spring examination, and whether you knew something inside. However, the way she took it was inappropriate. Please forgive her."
Dongfang Hongyao loosened his wrist, which had been stagnant for a long time and still bore purplish bruises, and his face turned ashen.
He looked coldly at Shen Xiuwen, guessing who he was. "My lord, I do not know you or your wife. Just because my brother Cong and I did not participate in the imperial examination, you suspect that I am related to the leak of the examination questions. You are just spouting nonsense."
Wei Cong also spoke up, "Two days before the Spring Examination began, we were tied up and left in an alley for one night. We caught a chill as soon as we returned to our lodgings, which is why we were unable to attend the Spring Examination. You can go find the night watchman who found us that day; he can testify that what we said is true."
One was aggressive, the other argued logically; it seemed they had truly turned misfortune into a blessing in disguise.
"I haven't asked your name yet, sir?" Wei Cong asked respectfully, bowing.
Shen Xiuwen stroked his beard, his mind racing. “My surname is Shen, Shen Xiuwen, and I am the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. My son is Shen Changqing. You two must know each other. It seems that this was indeed a misunderstanding.”
He glanced at the sun outside; it was already noon. “It was my wife and I who were wrong. Please don’t blame us, gentlemen. You two haven’t eaten yet, have you? A banquet has been set up in the hall, prepared by my wife herself, to apologize to you both.”
"You locked us up for two days, and you're just going to send us away with one meal?" Dongfang Hongyao raised an eyebrow and sneered.
The more humble Shen Xiuwen adopts, the more he is in the wrong.
If that's the case, they should really give Shen Xiuwen a good thrashing. Otherwise, it's incredibly frustrating that he was locked up for two days and almost starved and died of thirst.
"Why don't you two go to the main hall first? We can discuss the rest later."
Wei Cong lowered his head and said, "Please lead the way, Lord Shen."
Dongfang Hongyao gave a cold "humph" and followed Shen Xiuwen away.
Wei Cong had no powerful connections and couldn't act arrogantly, so he had to do this job. He took everything he got from Shen Xiuwen, whether it was gold, silver, or favors, as a matter of course.
Upon entering the hall, the octagonal table in the center was indeed laden with fine wines and dishes, almost comparable to the banquet Gu Yu had hosted for them last time.
However, the variety of dishes also suggests that it was impossible for Madam Shen to have made them herself.
"Master Dongfang, Master Wei, let's eat first."
Shen Xiuwen sighed deeply and said apologetically, "It's my wife's fault. Please tell me what kind of compensation you want. I will do my best to make it happen if it's within my power."
Dongfang Hongyao unceremoniously picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks. "Lord Shen, my brother Cong and I have been starving for more than two days. Why don't we appease our hunger first, and then talk about other matters? What do you say?"
"Alright, alright, you guys eat first."
At this moment, the steward of the mansion also came in and whispered something in Shen Xiuwen's ear.
Shen Xiuwen's expression suddenly changed. "Really?"
He then walked out of the hall, leaving the two of them looking at each other in bewilderment.
Seeing that Wei Cong hadn't touched his chopsticks yet, Dongfang Hongyao quickly said, "Brother Cong, what are you thinking about? This is something that the old man owes us. Whatever I ask for later, don't refuse."
"I heard what the steward in the manor said. Shen Changqing has returned."
Wei Cong had sharp hearing and eyesight since childhood, so even when the steward lowered his voice, he could hear everything clearly.
Dongfang Hongyao paused in his chopsticks, his expression unchanged. "So be it. His imprisonment had nothing to do with us. We've been dragged into this and suffered for two days. Surely Shen Changqing isn't starving in prison all the time..."
“Brother Hongyao is right.”
After the two finished their meal, they drank two cups of tea before they regained their strength.
Wei Cong looked at him thoughtfully, "Brother Hongyao seems to have decided what he wants?"
"With such a thing happening in the imperial examinations, it seems there's no hope this year. We might as well ask for some money and wait for the next imperial examinations in three years."
Dongfang Hongyao's thinking went even deeper than that. If Shen Changqing came out, then all those who bought the test questions should have been investigated.
As for why it was so fast, it must be...
He remembered Gu Yu's confident assertion that Shen Xiuwen would definitely come to question him, and he couldn't understand why Gu Yu was so certain.
In his view, given Shen Changqing's talent and learning, there was absolutely no need for him to buy exam questions; whether he was innocent or not was only a matter of time.
But after two days in the woodshed, he finally figured it out: the one selling the exam questions was Shen Xiuwen, which was why he felt guilty.
Three years ago, during the imperial examinations, the leak of exam questions and cheating was a true story. The entire Tang family was innocent and wronged. He recalled the poem Gu Yu wrote at the poetry gathering.
Gu Yu was telling the truth all along, but he had been skeptical at first, thinking it was just baseless speculation from a young lady.
"Gentlemen, I'm really sorry."
Shen Changqing, who approached from outside the hall, had finished bathing and changed into a blue silk robe. His hair was still damp, and his face looked much thinner than when he had seen him briefly at the last poetry gathering.
But his eyes remained bright, unchanged by the unexpected disaster.
"We parted hastily last time, and I never expected to meet again in this situation. Brother Shen, you still have such an extraordinary demeanor."
Upon seeing the newcomer, Dongfang Hongyao stood up and greeted him with the courtesy due to a peer.
"Brother Shen," Wei Cong also stood up and bowed in greeting.
There were still quite a few dishes left on the table, but both of them guessed that even though Shen Changqing was hungry after being released from prison, he wouldn't touch anything that others had touched, so neither of them tried to persuade him to eat anything.
"To be honest, I am ashamed when I heard what my mother did. Please do not blame my mother. If you want any compensation, please just say so."
Shen Changqing took a new wine cup, poured himself a cup of wine, and drank it all in one gulp. “I will use this wine as punishment. You two may do as you please.”
Dongfang Hongyao chuckled, "A mother's love for her child is understandable. Fortunately, neither my brother Cong nor I are in any danger. I'll drink this cup of wine."
Wei Cong naturally saw through Shen Changqing's intention to downplay the matter, and said, "I don't drink alcohol, so I'll use tea instead."
"However, Brother Shen, I'm a little curious. What exactly happened during the imperial examinations? Why were you also imprisoned? My brother Cong and I have been ill for over ten days and know very little about what's going on outside..."
Shen Changqing smiled and said, "This matter is indeed a bit strange. The imperial examination questions were leaked, as you two should know. However, the questions were written on paper dragonflies and floated all over Shengjing City on the first day of the examination."
Dongfang Hongyao's pupils dilated slightly, clearly hearing about this for the first time. "This is quite strange. If someone obtained the exam questions, a righteous person would at least take evidence and report it to the judicial authorities. If they were just an ordinary person who bought the questions, they should have hidden them carefully..."
"Why would someone do something like that? It's like... it's like they're trying to..."
"...as if they want to brazenly make this imperial examination a laughing stock for the whole world." Shen Changqing's smile vanished completely, and his sharp gaze fell on the two of them.
Dongfang Hongyao muttered to himself, "Since your father sold the exam questions, this year's imperial examination was a joke. It was only by someone exposing this that the imperial examination became fair."
“I have already heard about your situation from Father. You were both harmed by a jealous and envious villain during the imperial examinations. Why don’t you tell me the details of what happened that day? I can have someone investigate who this villain is. Otherwise, if this person continues to hide in the shadows, aren’t you afraid that something like this will happen again?”
"Brother Shen's considerations are very thorough."
Dongfang Hongyao nodded in agreement, "I originally intended to use my own money to investigate thoroughly, but since Brother Shen is willing to help us, I naturally won't refuse."
Dongfang Hongyao tugged at Wei Cong's sleeve, asking him to recount everything that happened that day.
"What is the name of that scholar Wen from the South City Guild Hall?"
“Wen Zheyuan,” Dongfang Hongyao said suspiciously, “Brother Shen, are you perhaps doubting Brother Wen? Brother Wen is highly talented, and although he has failed the imperial examinations many times, he doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would do something like this.”
"Whether it is or not, it wouldn't hurt to check."
Shen Changqing squinted, toying with the wine cup in his hand. "However, after the Spring Examination incident, this year's Spring Examination is probably invalid."
"Alas!" Dongfang Hongyao sighed, "Whether it counts or not, I won't even be able to participate in the imperial examination. I'm the only one from my family who came to take the exam this year, and now I'm afraid I'll have no face to go home!"
“Both of you are from out of town, and the journey back and forth will probably take a lot of time. Why don’t you stay in Shengjing?” Shen Changqing said with a friendly smile. “I have a small courtyard near Guangqumen. You two can focus on preparing for the next imperial examination there. You don’t need to worry about food, clothing and other necessities.”
"I'm afraid..."
Dongfang Hongyao feigned reluctance, for these were turbulent times, and he naturally could not leave Shengjing. Moreover, he always felt that since Gu Yu had dragged him into this situation, it was not something he could easily extricate himself from.
He knew about Congdi's family situation; they were destitute, and returning home to prepare for the imperial examinations for three years would likely mean starvation.
If one could stay in Shengjing City without worrying about expenses, that would be ideal.
But a nagging feeling lingered in his heart that the Shen family's affairs were not yet over...
Shen Changqing had originally wanted to win over the two men, and seeing that they did not refuse outright, he understood the situation. "Please do not refuse."
Dongfang Hongyao looked ashamed. "To be honest, Brother Shen, we have spent a lot of money in Shengjing City these past few days, and I am already short of money. If I return home, I will have no face to face my elders. Originally, my brother Cong and I only wanted to ask Lord Shen for some money for our journey home."
"In addition, I will give each of you one hundred taels of silver as compensation. I would also appreciate it if you two could completely let bygones be bygones regarding my mother's matter." Shen Changqing readily agreed.
"Of course, of course. My brother Cong and I were just guests at your residence for three days."
Dongfang Hongyao was extremely satisfied with the result. The process was a bit tortuous, but the result was what he wanted.
He thought for a moment and then brought up Gu Yu, "Brother Shen, Miss Gu came to ask me questions herself. She is genuinely worried about you. Now that you have been released from prison, why don't you go and see Miss Gu yourself?"
"What did she ask you? And when did she ask?" Shen Changqing asked, his eyes half-closed and his expression indifferent.
"That's why I didn't participate in the imperial examination. I don't remember the exact time, but it must have been a few days after the examination ended."
Dongfang Hongyao was alert. Shen Changqing was indeed perceptive. Just because he mentioned it casually, he actually began to suspect Gu Yu, or perhaps he was just overthinking it.
However, he was unsure of the exact timeframe of Gu Yu's interactions with Shen Changqing, so he could only vaguely describe the duration of their conversation; otherwise, Shen Changqing would surely notice something amiss.
Sigh, what kind of things does he do? And he has to deal with Shen Changqing, who is full of cunning. It feels like he's going to shorten his lifespan if he stays there for even a quarter of an hour longer.
Shen Changqing looked at him with a probing gaze, "Your relationship with Ayu has always been very good."
He tapped his index finger lightly on the table, a gesture he often made when deep in thought.
Dongfang Hongyao replied in a distant manner, "Miss Gu has helped me and Congdi many times, and we are naturally grateful to her."
"Um."
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Shen Changqing saw the two off with a gentle expression and headed towards his courtyard.
He asked Xiao An, who was standing beside him, "Where is Ayu?"
"Miss Gu went to Chengtian Temple yesterday and has not yet returned to the capital."
Xiao An assumed that his young master hadn't seen Miss Gu for many days and missed her dearly, which was why he asked about her whereabouts.
"Have the people Xu Qiu sent to keep an eye on things reported back?"
"Nothing unusual happened. He returned to his courtyard and stayed inside, without going out to see anyone. The guards who were originally stationed around his courtyard also left."
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