"Miss, the head maid sent someone to say that Madam just met an old woman who is in charge of cleaning in the Prince's courtyard and gave her something. She secretly followed her and found that the old woman went up to the second floor of the Prince's study and then came down empty-handed."
"..."
Jiang Shuwan stood up from her chair.
"Is there no one in the Prince's courtyard? How could they so easily let an old woman into the study?"
“That old woman was born into the Marquis’s household and has been working in the young master’s courtyard since he was born. Moreover, she is mute, and she has always been the one who cleans the young master’s study.”
Xiao Tao said blankly.
She didn't know why Jiang Shuwan was so sensitive tonight, but she sensed it must be something serious, so she lowered her voice and said again,
"The young master is not in the courtyard tonight. Even his personal attendant, Xiao Wuyinquan, is serving in Concubine Liu's courtyard. The young master's courtyard is quite relaxed..."
Grabbing the water glass next to her, Jiang Shuwan took two big gulps, then turned around and went to the closet to find a black cloak to put on. She pulled the black hood over her head, and the girl disappeared into the darkness.
"Miss, I'll go with you."
Qingxing followed her closely, without even lighting a lamp, and the two of them made their way to Pei Yanzhi's courtyard in the dark.
I thought it was unusually quiet and dark when I saw this place from afar.
Now that we're closer, we realize there really isn't a single light. The huge courtyard looms like a monster in the darkness, with the two gates at the entrance wide open like the mouth of a giant beast, and there isn't even a gatekeeper.
Qingxing lowered her voice, "The gatekeeper must have gone to drink; I heard it's Aunt Liu's place hosting a dinner."
Jiang Shuwan pulled her cloak tighter and remained silent.
When she passed by Liu Yunyan's courtyard on her way back from the old lady's courtyard, she noticed that the lights there were too bright and there were too many people talking. She guessed that Liu Yunyan had secretly set up a few more tables for the sake of liveliness.
When she entered, the old lady had only set up two tables hastily, and those without status couldn't eat at all. She had to host several banquets for others, especially those from Pei Yanzhi's courtyard.
That's good, it makes it easier for her to go in and investigate.
Be careful.
Calling out to Qingxing, Jiang Shuwan carefully lifted her skirt and walked inside.
The snow was so heavy that her footprints were completely covered by the fresh snow as soon as she stepped out.
Pei Yanzhi's courtyard was even larger than hers.
The roads were slippery from the heavy snow, and it was pitch black. Fortunately, she had been here a few times before. She walked along the snow-covered cobblestone path, through bamboo groves and ponds, and finally arrived at the dark second-floor study.
She had been to Pei Yanzhi's courtyard more than once or twice. She could enter the main house at will, but she had never entered the study. Apart from the cleaning servants, only Liu Yunyan had ever been inside.
"Miss, it's too dark here."
Qingxing followed Jiang Shuwan closely, saying the same thing.
As soon as they entered the library, they were met with pitch blackness, with no sound coming from anywhere except for the faint echoes of their footsteps and tense breathing.
By the faint moonlight streaming through the window, all I could see were bookshelves, densely packed together, so numerous that they completely overwhelmed me.
The books, ancient books, and bamboo slips on the bookshelves are piled up one after another, numbering in the hundreds and thousands, which is difficult to estimate.
There were also some paintings and calligraphy, but it was hard to make out what they depicted. However, many of them were hanging around the area, and when the cold wind blew, they swayed and their shadows trailed on the ground, looking like menacing monsters.
They didn't dare to light the lamps, and Qingxing shrank her shoulders in fear.
Jiang Shuwan cautiously made her way forward, every movement extremely careful, afraid of making the slightest sound.
After wandering in the inky darkness for a while, I finally found the stairs to the second floor.
The stairs seemed exceptionally long in the darkness, each step feeling like crossing an invisible chasm. Her heart was in her throat as she nervously watched for any movement around her, and Qingxing was also very cautious.
Finally, the master and servant arrived at the second floor. The layout of the second floor was different from that of the first floor. Half of the bookshelves with calligraphy and paintings were missing by the window. There was a low table, an oil lamp, and writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones. It was probably where Pei Yanzhi usually read.
There were also open books on the low table, lying around carelessly.
"Miss, how am I supposed to find this? There are so many books."
Qingxing stared wide-eyed in despair. The head maid had sent word that the mute old woman had gone upstairs, but there were hundreds or even thousands of books and bamboo slips upstairs. It was dark, and if one person hid the books, a hundred people would search for them. How could they possibly find them?
"You stay outside and keep watch for me while I go in to look."
Jiang Shuwan took out a tinderbox from her bosom, blew on it, and lit a small lamp on the low table. The lamp's light was dim, illuminating only a half-meter diameter around her. In addition, the bookshelves around her blocked the view, so no one outside could see that the lamp was lit on the second floor.
Holding the lamp, Jiang Shuwan carefully went inside.
The search was like looking for a needle in a haystack, but the mute old woman was not tall, and the things she hid were meant to be found anyway—with these clues in mind, Jiang Shuwan saved a lot of time in her search.
About an incense stick later, she took out a book on tea from the second shelf of the three-tiered bookshelf in the east.
The thickness of the tea classic was different as soon as I got my hands on it. When I opened it, a piece of paper folded into a square slid out.
Next to the low table.
Jiang Shuwan carefully placed the oil lamp on the table, pressing the paper under her palm. She took a deep breath before unfolding the paper and leaning close to the lamp to take a look. Several pages of large characters revealed that they were questions from the upcoming imperial examination, including classics, history, philosophy, literature, and policy essays.
My heart was filled with a dense, rhythmic drumming sound, like a theatrical performance.
Jiang Shuwan broke out in a cold sweat at that moment.
The first person she thought of was the Wen family.
With Wen's limited resources, she wouldn't be able to get the exam questions if she didn't have connections.
Her framing of Pei Yanzhi was nothing more than a ploy to secure Pei Yunzhou's future.
If a court official who is highly regarded by the emperor were to cheat during the imperial examination, it would be a huge scandal, and Pei Yanzhi's position as heir apparent would certainly fall into the wrong hands.
Holding the exam questions tightly in her hand, Jiang Shuwan didn't let go until her fingers turned white.
She remembered the old lady.
She didn't need to concern herself with this matter at all. Since Pei Yanzhi would eventually help the young emperor ascend the throne and hold great power, she already knew the outcome, so why should she create any unnecessary complications?
But the old lady treated her well...
The cheating during the imperial examinations landed Lord Yun in prison, after which he fell ill, resigned from his post, and eventually died of illness…
She had met Lord Yun twice, and Madam Yun had also taken good care of her.
She could stop it right now; all she had to do was burn it.
But by burning the exam questions, they were completely at odds with the person who delivered them.
The chief examiner for this imperial examination is the Grand Secretary Yun, a man of high rank and great power, and few people can actually obtain the examination questions.
Furthermore, given that the other party was able to approach the Wen family undetected by posing as a member of the Wen family's maternal relatives, there were very few others like them...
The eldest prince, the crown prince, and the fourth prince, Li Chengyun...
All three are possible.
If the mastermind behind this found out that she was the one who burned it, they would definitely grind her to dust.
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