Chapter 407: Mourn the Third Old Friend

The servant replied, "Master, after passing the Censorate, we will reach the Dali Temple."

"The Censorate?" Zong Qiyun remembered that it was the place where all officials were supervised, and it was also the place that could control Zong Zhao. He shouted repeatedly, "It's okay to go to the Censorate. Let's go to the Censorate. It's close, it's close!"

"Yes." The servant just responded when he saw an arrow brush past his cheek and pierce into the carriage.

"Puff——" is the sound of the arrow entering the flesh.

The servant lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw that his master had been shot in the throat by an arrow and was nailed to the wall of the carriage.

He died on the spot.

“Ah——someone’s dead!!”

…

Xu Wan waited in the room for half an hour, and saw Zong Zhao coming back clean and tidy. He looked no different from usual, with no blood stains or smell of blood on his body. He was as calm as if he had just gone out for a walk.

"Are you done?" Xu Wan stood up and asked him.

Zong Zhao replied: "It's done."

Xu Wan heaved a sigh of relief and said, "That's good. Zong Yan's revenge has been taken. I'll give it to him when the time is right..."

"I don't plan to make it public." said Zong Zhao.

Xu Wan was stunned for a moment and asked, "Are you worried that your father-in-law will not be able to handle it after he finds out?"

Zong Zhao said calmly, "The revenge has been taken, and there is no dirty water on Zong Yan. It doesn't matter whether it is made public or not. Let Dad think that this is the truth."

The truth was so painful that he planned to hide it from his parents for the rest of his life.

Xu Wan thought about it and realized that it was true. She replied, "Then another person died tonight. What if my father-in-law and mother-in-law become suspicious?"

Zong Zhao said, "I don't admit it."

Xu Wan: “…”

That makes sense. Even if the old marquis really has doubts, he can't really suspect Zong Zhao. Isn't that putting the blame on his own son?

Moreover, given the old couple's trust in Zong Zhao, they would definitely believe Zong Zhao's explanation completely.

The next day.

As soon as the old marquis and the old lady got up, they heard the servant come in and report: "Master, another old friend of yours has passed away."

Old Marquis: “???”

The old lady was also confused. She asked back, "Why didn't I realize that so many of your old friends died together in the past few days? I have to pay my respects to each family after each one."

The old marquis suddenly started to worry: "Could it be that we have reached the age?"

The old lady glared at him and hit his arm: "Pooh, pooh, pooh, what are you saying? Pooh, pooh, pooh."

The old marquis obeyed and said: "Ah, bah, bah, bah..."

Servants: “…”

This really means they don't treat us as outsiders.

The old marquis asked again: "Which old friend is missing?"

The servant replied, "He is from our side branch of the Zong family, Zong Qiyun."

“Boom—”

The old lady's hand loosened the belt, and the belt fell heavily to the ground.

The old marquis was startled and asked again: "Who?"

The servant replied again: "Zong Qiyun."

The old marquis looked at the old lady and said, "Didn't he come to our house last night? I thought he looked fine then."

The old lady also felt something was wrong. She said, "When he left, his face seemed a little pale."

The old marquis's face darkened, and he asked the servant, "How did he die?"

The servant replied, "I heard that he died at night. The Dali Temple received a report and came to investigate overnight. They said it was a normal death."

"Died of illness?" The old marquis was even more confused. "What kind of illness can kill a healthy person in such a short time?"

The old lady soon realized something was wrong: "If he died of illness, why did they report it to the Dali Temple?"

The servant shook his head: "I don't know either."

"Go and have a look quickly." The old marquis didn't even bother to have breakfast and went there with the old lady.

In stark contrast to the old couple, the young couple ate their breakfast warmly.

Xu Wan asked Zong Zhao, "Do you have nothing to do next?"

Zong Zhao picked up a dish for her and replied, "A little bit, but it's not a big deal. What's wrong?"

Xu Wan said, "Aren't the teachers preparing for the exam? I originally wanted to ask Mr. Baili to help with the questions, but Mr. Baili came here to teach Jincheng anyway, and he didn't complain when I gave him four more children. But if I add a teacher now, I'd feel bad."

Zong Zhao hummed and said, "Do you want me to go to Mr. Baili to talk about this, or something else?"

Xu Wan put down her bowl and chopsticks, and said to him with a smile: "I want you to help me come up with questions, is that okay, No. 1 Scholar?"

Zong Zhao listened to her playful voice, met those expressive eyes, and couldn't help but look at her rippling lips. His Adam's apple rolled and his heartbeat quickened slightly.

He asked, “Are there any rewards?”

"Reward?" Xu Wan tilted her head and thought about it. It seemed that she had never thought about this question. Every time she asked Zong Zhao for help, Zong Zhao always agreed directly. This was the first time he asked her for a reward.

Xu Wan was unsure of what to thank him for, so she asked, "What reward do you want?"

Zong Zhao paused and asked, "Whatever reward I want, I can give it to you."

Xu Wan thought about it, nodded and said, "As long as I have it, as long as I can do it, I will do my best to do it for you, is that okay?"

Zong Zhao nodded and said, "Okay."

He lowered his head and continued eating, but the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and he looked very happy.

Xu Wan was very curious, so she asked, "Why are you laughing? Have you already decided what you want?"

Zong Zhao still had a faint smile on his face. He replied, "I've thought about it. I'll ask you for it after I'm done."

"OK."

After dinner, the two went to the large study. The teachers were studying on the first floor, so they went up to the second floor with the examination papers from previous years.

Xu Wan told him: "The palace examination questions are only for reference, mainly based on the examination questions of previous years. They should be similar but different, and be able to test whether they have the ability to continue to tutor the children."

Zong Zhao nodded and replied, "It would be more reasonable to refer to the palace examination questions."

Xu Wan said with a smile: "That's too difficult. Let's hold the test in a few months, so as not to drive the teachers into isolation. They are still just human beings now."

"Okay, let me take a look." Zong Zhao picked up the test paper and looked at it carefully.

Because the imperial examination only lasted for three days and only had one question, it was easier for students who had taken the exam to remember it, so Xu Wan collected questions from past decades. This question bank was larger than that of the autumn examination.

There was a faint emission of green smoke from the incense burner on the second floor.

The couple sat in front of the window and carefully selected the questions. From time to time, they would talk aloud about their ideas for the questions, and after the discussion, they would continue to look at the questions.

At noon, Cuizhi came up and reported: "General, Madam, the old marquis and the old lady have returned and asked to see the general."

Xu Wan paused with the test paper in her hand and looked up at Zong Zhao.

My father-in-law and mother-in-law noticed it and came to interrogate me.

Zong Zhao calmly put away the test paper, stood up and said to her, "It's almost noon, you should also get ready for lunch. I'll go over and take a look."

Xu Wan grabbed his arm, then quickly stood up and said to him seriously, "Let's go together."