Chapter 41 Chapter 41

Gu Huaisheng's fingertips stroked the gold foil. Under the refraction of light, the gold foil refracted some light and reflected in Gu Huaisheng's pupils.

His eyes were still fixed on Jiang Jingchun, and he asked her, "So, cousin, have you made up your mind?"

He is such a bad person.

It was obvious that he had forced her into this state, into a place where she had no way out, yet in the end he still had to pretend to be gentle and kind and ask her if she had made up her mind.

Jiang Jingchun was so angry that her eyes turned red, but this time Gu Huaisheng looked at her tears without being moved.

He added, "If you agree, I will help you deal with Song Xuan'an's mess right away."

Although he was reluctant, what did he have to do for his cousin?

Jiang Jingchun stopped struggling. She wiped her eyes to clear the moisture from them, looked at him and said coldly, "You must keep your word."

He left without looking back, leaving Gu Huaisheng alone in the house.

The thin mist from the incense burner seemed to take shape under the sunlight, and the mist lingered and wrapped around Gu Huaisheng's body.

After Jiang Jingchun left, Gu Huaisheng did not respond for a long time. At this moment, he remembered the fortune he had drawn at Miao'en Temple.

Now he finally had an answer.

It is indeed possible to get what you want by forcing it.

He had been enduring since the beginning, and now, veins seemed to be throbbing on his forehead, and a thin layer of sweat oozed out. He stood up and went to the clean room in the compartment, and came out after an incense stick of time.

He sat back at the table with a cold expression, and seemed to have returned to his old self.

Gu Huaisheng looked at the gold foil in front of him, and then called Shuliang outside. After Shuliang came in, he said to him: "There are five pieces of gold foil here. Ask someone to make five pieces of the same size and then have them copy something on them..."

Gu Huaisheng thought for a moment and said, "Let's just write some Buddhist sayings to bless people."

When the time comes, he can just say that it was the blessing that Madam Song prayed for him from the Buddhist temple. As long as it has nothing to do with anything related to the imperial examination, he will let it go and nothing will be a big deal.

If he is really held accountable, he will be punished.

Jiang Jingchun had just come to visit, and the young master was about to do such a thing. Shu Liang naturally guessed what was going on. He responded to Gu Huaisheng's words, but then said, "Young master, is this really okay?"

Gu Huaisheng said, "Go get the utensils for handling the metal fittings. Be careful not to let others see it, and then nothing will happen."

After hearing what Gu Huaisheng said, Shu Liang knew that he was determined to protect Song Xuan'an. He sighed and said, "Young Master, why do you have to bring disgrace upon yourself for him?"

He was an honest man, but he did such a thing for Song Xuan'an. Even if no one knew about it, he was already dirty by taking this step.

After a while, Shu Liang finally heard Gu Huaisheng speak. He said, "I don't care, and it's not for him."

Gu Huaisheng didn't care about this. After all, in such an officialdom, the ultimate outcome would be death without a burial place.

The death of his teacher also made him understand this truth even more clearly.

So now, even if he does such a thing, he won't feel any guilt.

He once told someone that he was not a gentleman, and that was by no means a self-deprecating lie.

Of course, he did not do all this for Song Xuan'an. He knew clearly that he did it for his own selfish desires, in order to trick his cousin to be by his side.

There is no such thing as having everything you want. No one can get anything without paying anything.

In this deal, he gained his cousin, but also seemed to have lost her.

The laws of nature are hard to predict, but the lots drawn in the temples had already explained everything.

He didn't want to force her, but was he going to just watch her marry another man?

No, absolutely not.

She wanted to marry many people, but she had never thought of him. He could definitely give her the home she wanted.

The five pieces of gold foil on the table were finally melted cleanly. Soon, five more pieces of almost identical gold foil were sent over, but this time the words on them had become Buddhist language.

No one has evidence to accuse Song Xuanan of cheating anymore.

*

Jiang Jingchun went back to Chen's house as soon as he came out of Gongyuan. Along the way, he was confused by what had just happened.

After returning to Chen's house, Mrs. Song was already waiting for her at the back door. When she saw her coming back, she immediately went to meet her, grabbed her hand and asked, "Xiaochun, what's the matter? Has your cousin agreed?"

Jiang Jingchun had been riding in a carriage all the way back and felt a little dizzy. When he stepped on the ground, it felt like he was stepping on cotton.

She replied to Mrs. Song, forcing a smile, and said, "It's not a big deal, it's just a misunderstanding. I think I can be released today, and it won't delay tomorrow's provincial examination."

After hearing Jiang Jingchun say that it was not a serious problem, Mrs. Song finally put down her worries. As long as it was alright, she didn't expect Song Xuan'an to pass the imperial examinations. As long as he could come out of it safely, it would be fine.

Unexpectedly, the relationship between these two cousins ​​is so good, and Gu Huaisheng actually listened to her.

She looked at Jiang Jingchun and wanted to say something, but saw that her face looked unusually ugly. Madam Song and Chen Muqing didn't know what was wrong with her. Her complexion was not very good, but her lips were unusually red.

Chen Muqing couldn't figure out what was wrong with her, but Mrs. Song was an experienced woman, so she knew what her bright red lips meant.

It was obviously a trace of love between two people.

Seeing the marks on her lips, Mrs. Song couldn't help but speculate in her heart.

How did this happen?

The person she was looking for just now was Gu Huaisheng... Could it be that it was done by Gu Huaisheng? !

She remembered that Gu Huaisheng was a cold-hearted and cold-faced man who usually looked like he wasn't interested in beautiful women, but in private he was so reckless?!

This is really a bit too harsh a kiss, and it is impossible to ignore such traces.

Was it just a kiss, or did they do something else?

Doubts were almost filling up her heart. Looking at Jiang Jingchun's gloomy expression, she became more certain of her own thoughts.

I'm afraid Jiang Jingchun exchanged something with Gu Huaisheng for her son.

She could hardly think any further.

It was all her husband's fault. His own son was thrown into jail, but he still joined others in speculating and slandering him. If they were useful, they would not have let Jiang Jingchun do such a thing.

But if you really think about it, the only way to solve this problem is to let Jiang Jingchun go. To others, Gu Huaisheng is probably still that inhumane.

After Mrs. Song guessed this, her nose was a little sour. She grabbed Jiang Jingchun's hand and said, "Xiaochun, I was wrong about you before. You are a good child. When Xuan'an comes back, I will go to the Jiang family to propose marriage."

Mrs. Song knew clearly how important chastity was to a woman. It was not a joke that men and women should not touch each other. If a woman did such a thing with someone other than her husband, it would be shameful.

But she was doing this today all for her son, and it was she who begged her to go see Gu Huaisheng. If she dared to say anything bad, she would be worse than a beast.

She is not such a heartless person.

But Jiang Jingchun didn't look happy when she heard this. She just looked at her and shook her head. She said, "Aunt, I won't marry him... I don't like him anymore."

A few days ago, she said that if he failed the exam, he could wait for three years, but why did she say she didn't like it anymore? This was really a bit strange, even Chen Muqing noticed that something was wrong. She didn't know what happened after she went to look for Huaisheng just now, but looking at her like this, she was afraid that it wouldn't be a good thing.

What exactly did Gu Huaisheng say to her?

Mrs. Song was still regretting that she had forced them to do this, and now things had turned out like this. In the end, Song Xuan'an had done nothing. When he came out of the tribute courtyard, he knew that this matter might turn out to be a mess...

When Chen Muqing was about to speak, Jiang Jingchun had already gone inside. Madam Song grabbed Chen Muqing and said, "Xiaoqing, tell her that her kindness is remembered by her aunt. This matter... both aunt and Xuan An owe her. You go and comfort her. Aunt will go home first."

Chen Muqing nodded, watched Mrs. Song leave, and then followed Jiang Jingchun.

Seeing that Jiang Jingchun didn't look well, she didn't say anything for a while, but just followed her to her residence. Later, she saw her go straight into the purification room.

It was already past afternoon and approaching the afternoon. The sky was not as bright as before. Mottled light and shadows shone into the house through the skylight. A breeze penetrated through the window slits, bringing a hint of coolness.

Chen Muqing didn't quite understand why Jiang Jingchun rinsed his mouth as soon as he came back.

She felt strange and couldn't help asking, "What are you doing? Why are you cleaning your mouth in the daytime?"

Jiang Jingchun was too embarrassed to tell Chen Muqing about this, and just said vaguely: "Nothing, I bit something dirty."

Gu Huaisheng is such a bastard. It’s fine if he just kissed me, but why did he even stick out his tongue towards me? Isn’t he mean enough to do that?

On normal days, he is more obsessed with cleanliness than anyone else, but why does he not care about that when he starts to act like a hooligan?

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She couldn't help but use some force in her movements. Chen Muqing felt a toothache when she saw it. "Be gentler...it will bleed soon."

Jiang Jingchun slowly came back to his senses and his hands finally slowed down.

Chen Muqing relayed to her what Mrs. Song had just said. Jiang Jingchun still showed no emotion after listening to it and just nodded lightly.

Seeing that she still looked unhappy, Chen Muqing asked worriedly, "Are you really okay? You look so ugly. How about calling a doctor to take a look?"

As for why she suddenly said she would not marry Song Xuan'an, Chen Muqing did not delve into it further for the time being.

Until Jiang Jingchun took the toothbrush out of her mouth, she suddenly said: "I'm going to marry Gu Huaisheng..."

Chen Muqing was stunned, as if she didn't expect her to suddenly mention this, so is this the reason why she doesn't want to marry Song Xuan'an?

Even if she wasn't very smart, she could guess the reason.

I'm afraid she was forced by Gu Huaisheng to make such a decision today. Song Xuan'an may be fine, but he wants his cousin to marry him.

Chen Mu* Qing had never realized that Gu Huaisheng was such a villain who would take advantage of others' misfortunes. He was really wrong about him. He thought he was an upright gentleman.

"He's quite heartless," said Jiang Jingchun.

When she liked him, he didn't like her anymore. When he didn't like her anymore, he refused to let go.

He would feel better only if he goes against her, right?

Jiang Jingchun brushed his mouth and then wiped his face, and he finally calmed down a little.

Chen Muqing could see that Jiang Jingchun didn't want to marry him. If not, she wouldn't be so upset. She thought for a moment and asked, "Does the Marquis know about this? Did your aunt and the others agree?"

Jiang Jingchun didn’t know whether the Marquis’ Mansion knew about it or not.

Jiang Jingchun had no idea whether her aunt agreed or not.

But, Gu Huaisheng...can they control him?

If I could really control him, I wouldn't have allowed him to remain unmarried.

Chen Muqing obviously thought of all this, and then she immediately said, "What about your grandmother? Your grandmother loves you, so if you tell her, it might be helpful."

Jiang Jingchun also thought seriously about what Chen Muqing said, but she felt that Gu Huaisheng might not listen to the old lady.

From Gu Huaisheng's inconsistent behavior today, she could tell that this man was definitely not a gentleman.

If you are not a gentleman, you won't have to be so cautious.

My grandmother is already old enough and should have been enjoying her retirement, but she has been faced with one trouble after another. If she can't help but take care of Huai Sheng at that time, it would be a waste of worry, and she would almost vomit to death in the middle of the night.

Why should she be kept awake all night because of the younger generation's affairs?

Jiang Jingchun shook her head. "It's no use."

Chen Muqing still refused to give up. She thought of something and suddenly grabbed Jiang Jingchun's hand, "Xiaochun'er, run away."

Jiang Jingchun was stunned, obviously shocked by her words.

"Where are you going?" She replied hesitantly to Chen Muqing.

The more Chen Muqing thought about it, the more she felt that this move was feasible. She explained excitedly, "Gu Huaisheng has been staying at the Gongyuan these days. He is the interim supervisor and said that he can't leave the Gongyuan for at least three days. So he won't come to your house to propose marriage, and he doesn't know where you have gone. Take advantage of this time and run away quickly, take the money and go out to have fun for a while. Think about it, Gu Huaisheng is now 21, and he will get married within two years. When he gets married, you can come back, isn't it wonderful!"

Jiang Jingchun initially thought that Chen Muqing was just dreaming, but after hearing what she said, the more she thought about it, the more she felt that it was true.

Yes, why not take advantage of the three days that Gu Huaisheng is in Gongyuan to run away?

How could he come out and arrest her?

Seeing that she ran away and he couldn't catch her, he decided to stop thinking about it. She would go out to travel for a while, and when she came back, he would definitely be married. After getting married, how could he remember the past?

He is twenty-one now, and he will get married in the next two years at the latest.

Chen Muqing grabbed her hand and said, "Xiaochun'er, I want to go with you. I'm worried about you going alone, and I've wanted to travel far away for a long time. Let's take this opportunity to go together."

Chen Muqing's words came too suddenly, but they immediately planted a seed in Jiang Jingchun's heart. In just a moment of hesitation, the seed grew into a towering tree.

Jiang Jingchun nodded, and her eyes finally brightened a little.

Chen Muqing was overjoyed, and the two of them immediately decided to run away from home and escape to a remote place.

The two walked out of the purification room, and Chen Muqing immediately began to pack her things. Seeing her in such a hurry, Jiang Jingchun couldn't help but ask, "Isn't this too fast? Are you leaving today?"

"You can't leave today. You still have to go back to the Jiang family to talk to your grandmother. Besides, it's getting dark now. I'm afraid it will be too late for us to leave the city. I can't sit still. I can't sit still when I think about leaving."

Indeed, she couldn't just leave like that, she had to inform her grandmother. Thinking of this, Jiang Jingchun planned to go to the Jiang family again later.

Chen Muqing said as he packed his things: "I've heard that Jiangnan is beautiful. I've read about it many times in travel notes. If it weren't for my stepmother watching over me at home, I would have packed my things long ago..."

Speaking of her stepmother, Jiang Jingchun couldn't help but feel a little worried. She asked, "By the way, what if your stepmother doesn't let you leave?"

"Who cares about her? I'm going my own way, and she can't stop me."

Jiang Jingchun thought that Shen Tao would definitely not agree to let Chen Muching leave. Moreover, if Chen Muching ran away alone and was discovered by her stepmother, it would be a devastating disaster.

She could see that Shen Tao was a person with a hard mouth but a soft heart, but if Chen Muqing dared to run away from home secretly, he would definitely not be shown mercy if he was caught.

She thought about it and said, "No, it will be over if we are discovered."

If Chen Muqing leaves for one day, he will probably be exposed.

Gu Huaisheng was inside the Gongyuan, but Shen Tao was outside.

After hearing this, Chen Muqing was so angry that he stopped packing his things.

If they ran away, Shen Tao would surely find them within a day. By then they would be discovered before they even leave the city gate. Then wouldn't the two of them be the late emperor's death before he could even start his career, making a huge joke.

After Chen Muqing figured it out, she lost her temper. She said, "Then I can't leave. If I leave, she will definitely come to catch me. I might be discovered before I can even take two steps."

"Xiao Chun'er, but I'm worried about you going alone." Chen Muqing looked at Jiang Jingchun, his eyes full of worry.

She was a girl who had never traveled far from home and had never encountered any major incidents since she was a child. The only time they went to play outside Beijing, she almost lost her life. How could she not worry?

Jiang Jingchun figured it out. She smiled, "Ah Qing, I really should go out and take a look. I have never been out of the capital since I was a child. I was afraid to go out before. I always thought that staying in the capital was the best. Now, I have no choice but to do it. I found that there seems to be nothing scary about this place."

They all thought that she couldn't handle the big things, and she thought so too. However, if she could get out of the capital first, that would be extremely amazing.

She said, "Don't worry about me. The world is peaceful now. How can I, an upright person, be kidnapped?"

Seeing her determined expression and some toughness in her eyes, Chen Muqing felt relieved. She turned and walked to the table, took out a travel book from the drawer, and then she took Jiang Jingchun's hand and sat down at the table.

She opened the travel journal and introduced to Jiang Jingchun the route to take after leaving the city.

The travel notes looked a little yellowed, and I guess Chen Muqing always took them to read.

She pointed to the place above and said, "When you leave the city, walk south for about a day and you will come across a mountain. The travel notes say that this mountain is full of ridges and cliffs. When you pass by, just take a look from a distance, but don't think about climbing up. When the time comes, just walk a few steps forward... Jiangnan is the most beautiful. The poet Bai Letian once said, 'The flowers on the river are redder than fire at sunrise, and the river is as green as blue in spring. How can you not miss Jiangnan? When the time comes, you can go all the way south and you will eventually reach..."

Chen Muqing talked to Jiang Jingchun for a long time. Finally, fearing that she would not remember, she stuffed the thing into her hand. She said seriously, "Xiaochun, you have to be careful on the way. You have to write me a letter at every post station, otherwise I will worry about you. Also, when the time comes, you have to wait for my father to come back for the New Year. When he comes back, I will act coquettishly to him, and then I can come to find you."

Jiang Jingchun put away the travel notes carefully. When she heard Chen Muqing's words, her eyes were almost wet. She sniffed, hugged her, and said, "It's getting dark outside now. I'm going to go find my grandmother. You wait for me to come back later. I'll sleep with you tonight."

Chen Muqing looked at the dark sky and urged her to go back to Jiang's house.

Jiang Jingchun arrived at Rongde Hall in just one incense stick's time. She did not tell the old lady that she left to avoid Gu Huaisheng, but only said that she wanted to take a walk outside the capital to relax. However, she didn't know when she would be able to come back.

How could the old lady not agree after hearing this? After all, it was too dangerous for a little girl. How could she be at ease?

Besides, didn't she say she was going to marry Song Xuan'an a few days ago? Why is she going out again now? It's very strange.

Seeing that Jiang Jingchun was determined to leave, there was nothing she could do, so she stopped asking. But since she was going out alone, the old lady was really worried, so she wanted her to take some guards with her.

However, Jiang Jingchun sternly rejected it.

"Grandma, I'm an adult now. Besides, I'm going to go on a long trip. It doesn't make sense to bring a bunch of guards with me."

There is a bunch of followers following her, and everyone has to look at her wherever she goes.

The old lady was at a loss when she heard her say this. She didn't know why she was so stubborn and insisted on leaving alone.

She asked tentatively, "Are you still sad about the past?"

So you can't even stay in the capital?

Jiang Jingchun couldn't tell her the truth, and didn't want her to worry about it anymore, so she just said, "Don't worry, grandma. I'm just relaxing. I won't be back in the future."

The old lady didn't say anything else, but still insisted that she take a female guard who knew martial arts with her, otherwise she would be worried.

On the surface, the world seems bright and clear, but who knows how turbulent it is underneath. Jiang Jingchun is young and has never been far away. She has no idea how much malice there is in the outside world towards a single woman. Those men out there are all bastards who are attracted by beauty. One look at you and a bunch of dirty thoughts will arise in their minds.

She was so beautiful, and she only had a little maid by her side. Who knew if anything would happen to her?

She was not at ease with just one female guard, but Jiang Jingchun refused to bring more people, so she could only settle for the next best thing.

Jiang Jingchun couldn't persuade the old lady, and was also afraid that she would worry about her, so she agreed.

The Jiang family is a wealthy and powerful family, so naturally they have many outstanding female guards.

The old lady asked the nanny beside her to pick a trustworthy person. Not long after, the old nanny brought someone over.

The guard's name is Xuezhao. He is tall and looks very stern, with narrow eyebrows and eyes. He looks a bit intimidating when no one is talking.

You can tell at first glance that he is a man of extraordinary martial arts skills.

I guess the old lady had already told her the whole story on the way here. After arriving, she said nothing, but just bowed to Jiang Jingchun and stood beside her.

When the old lady saw that Xue was still normal, she felt relieved.

This guy looks reliable at first glance.

The two talked for a while, and finally the old lady asked, "So when do you plan to leave?"

Jiang Jingchun thought for a moment and said, "Let's leave tomorrow morning."

It’s so fast, we’re leaving tomorrow morning.

The old lady didn't know why she was so anxious and wanted to persuade her to stay a few more days, but after thinking about it, she didn't say anything.

Well, if she wants to leave, let her go. What will it change if she stays a few more days?

The old lady waved to the old nanny and whispered something in her ear. After listening, the old nanny went into the inner room.

Jiang Jingchun was a little confused until the old lady came out quickly with a locked small box in her hand. Jiang Jingchun vaguely guessed what she was going to do.

"My rich grandmother, please stop giving me money."

She had a lot of pocket money over the years, and she received a lot of gifts during the holidays, which could fetch a lot of money if pawned.

Although she had a falling out with the Jiang family, they certainly would not take the money away. Jiang Jingchun did not need to make things difficult for herself, as she would need money when she went out.

But when the old lady wanted to give more, Jiang Jingchun refused to accept it, as she already had a lot of money.

The old lady insisted on opening the box. She took out two five-hundred-liang banknotes and put them in her hands. She also gave her a bag full of small change. She said, "Keep it. Grandmother knows you don't need money, but it always helps to have some extra when you go out."

Jiang Jingchun still didn't want it, so the old lady said, "If you don't accept it, you are looking down on grandma. Grandma is old now, don't you have a thousand taels of silver in your pocket?"

Seeing the old lady was so stubborn, Jiang Jingchun finally had no choice but to accept it.

The old lady continued, "Also, when you are out, you should not spend money lavishly. If you show off your wealth, it will be easy for others to notice you. Do you understand?..."

The old lady gave many more instructions until it was already dark outside. Hua Yun came in and urged them to leave, saying that if they didn't leave, they would be hit by curfew.

There was no way, the grandfather and grandson had to separate even if they were reluctant.

Jiang Jingchun stood up and left. When she reached the door, the old lady called her, "Xiaochun."

She turned around.

The old lady sat under the lamp, and the light shone on her face, making the wrinkles on her face particularly obvious. Jiang Jingchun realized why her grandmother had aged so much.

She heard her ask, "Will you come back? Grandma is waiting for you at home."

Jiang Jingchun felt that if she continued to stay here, she would burst into tears.

This was the first time in her life that she was going on a long journey, and also the first time she felt the feeling of separation from her family.

A little uncomfortable.

She didn't dare to say anything else, but just nodded as a response to the old lady's words, and then left without looking back.

Even after she left, the old lady was still looking in the direction she left, unable to come back to her senses. The old nanny beside her couldn't help but call her, and the old lady finally came back to her senses.

Watching her resolutely leaving, the old lady sighed, her voice slightly sad, "After all, you are a grown-up child. Well, it's okay to go out for a walk. Mountains and rivers are long, but life is a place to return to."

I just don't know why he wanted to leave so suddenly, and he didn't show any sign of wanting to go out before.

The old lady's head ached from thinking so much, and she stopped thinking about it and let the old nanny help her into the inner room.

*

The next morning, when it was bright, Jiang Jingchun took the pass that Chen Muqing had gotten for her and went out with Xuezhao and Huayun.

She had made up her mind and followed the travel book that Chen Muqing gave her, heading south. She would run for three whole days so that even if Gu Huaisheng came out of Gongyuan, he would not be able to find her.

After she and Chen Muqing dropped a few more golden beans at the door, she went out.

The three of them first got a carriage and then headed towards the city gate.

The weather has been nice these days, with fresh air. It's already August, and it's not as hot as July. Even if you wear light clothes outside, it's still cool when you're walking.

The three of them sat together in the carriage. Jiang Jingchun opened the package and wanted to read the travel notes. After opening it, she found an unfamiliar peach-pink money bag. She took it out and saw that it was full of small silver coins and two silver bills of one hundred taels. She immediately guessed that Chen Muqing had secretly put it in.

She probably felt that Jiang Jingchun would have to stay outside for a year or so, and was afraid that she would suffer, so she stuffed these things in. If she had given them to Jiang Jingchun in person, she would definitely not want them, so she simply stuffed them secretly in the package.

Although Chen Muqing has no shortage of money, it will take a long time to save up this much money.

Jiang Jingchun rubbed her red eyes and put the purse back. She opened the travel book and looked at the next route. There were indeed many interesting places in the travel book. Jiang Jingchun thought, since she ran away, Gu Huaisheng might not chase her. Even if he did, he would not be able to find her in such a big place. It would be better to just swim slowly along the travel book and not be in a hurry.

She has "abandoned her relatives and friends" to come out, so she can't let herself be wronged.

Jiang Jingchun made up his mind and began to discuss the itinerary with Huayun and Xuezhao.

Xuezhao had a cold face and a cold heart. When she saw Jiang Jingchun trying to talk to her, she just kept silent and ignored him. Jiang Jingchun was bored but not annoyed, and continued chatting enthusiastically with Huayun.

In this way, Jiang Jingchun walked for three days, neither fast nor slow. After three days, he just left the capital and arrived at a neighboring town.

Because Xuezhao was always by her side, no one dared to bother her during these days. Jiang Jingchun had a great time and had no idea that three days had passed and Gu Huaisheng had already come out of the Gongyuan.

*

After the Autumn Examination was over, Gu Huaisheng stayed in the Gongyuan for three full days, supervised the examination for three days, and was finally allowed to go out.

Today was the last day of the Autumn Examination, and the Minister of Rites who was in charge of this matter also came here to finish. After the examination was over, he immediately went to look for Gu Huaisheng.

As soon as Gu Huaisheng came out of the examination room, the Minister of Rites came to meet him, and the two of them went towards the outside of the Gongyuan together.

The Minister of Rites said, "You have been very hard-working these past few days, young marquis. With you here, this year's autumn examination will be particularly smooth. When I am done with this, I will definitely thank you very much."

Gu Huaisheng rubbed his brows. He had been here for three whole days and supervised the examination for three days. He was indeed a little tired. He stopped the minister from continuing the polite conversation and said, "It's enough. I'll leave this place to you, sir. I'll go back first. You don't have to see me off. I'll go back by myself."

After hearing this, and seeing that he looked a little tired, the Minister of Rites did not continue talking. However, he still had something else he wanted to ask Gu Huaisheng.

He said, "Young Marquis...what happened to the young master of the Song family? I heard that he was arrested and imprisoned the day before, but how come he was released later?"

This is actually a bit strange. Generally speaking, there is no reason for people who go to prison to get out.

Gu Huaisheng's expression did not change, and he said in a calm voice: "It was a misunderstanding. When the gold foil was first found, I thought it was a cheat sheet. After checking it, I found out that it was some Buddhist scriptures. I think it was a blessing from his family. After all, he is the grandson of Mr. Song, so it is not easy to punish him severely. If you think this is not good..."

He even deliberately dragged up the topic of Song Gelao. After hearing what Gu Huaisheng said, the Minister could understand a little. He quickly interrupted him and said, "What's wrong with this? Buddhist words... Buddhist words are Buddhist words. It's not a big deal. It has nothing to do with the Autumn Examination. We are all officials in the same court. It doesn't matter if we turn a blind eye to it."

It was he who asked him to help in the first place, so if something really happened, of course they had to listen to him.

The two of them stopped talking at this point and bowed to each other in farewell.

As soon as the minister left, Shuliang came over to greet him.

Gu Huaisheng had previously asked people to keep an eye on Jiang Jingchun, and their people had been watching outside the Chen Mansion until a few days ago, when they discovered that Jiang Jingchun had actually left the city.

They also couldn't understand what Jiang Jingchun was thinking.

You could say she wanted to escape, but she was just playing around leisurely. You could say she didn't want to run, so why did she have to leave so eagerly while Gu Huaisheng was in Gongyuan?

They didn't know whether they should take action to stop it, and Gu Huaisheng had been inside the Gongyuan. As soon as the exam started, the Gongyuan was sealed off, and no one was allowed to enter or leave. They had no chance to talk to him.

It was not until the end of the day that I was finally able to tell him about this.

Shu Liang said, "Sir, Miss Jiang has left the city."

Gu Huaisheng paused when he heard this, seemingly unable to react. After a moment, he looked at Shuliang, frowning, "What?"

The young man was gentle and refined, but at this moment the fiery red sunset falling on his face made him look a little chilly.

Gu Huaisheng usually does not show his emotions, but now it seems that he is angry.

Out of town…

He was not a fool. When he heard that Jiang Jingchun was leaving the city, he naturally knew what she wanted to do.

He endured three days in there, his mind uncontrollably filled with thoughts of marrying her, but when he came out, he heard the news that she had escaped.

Gu Huaisheng couldn't help but laugh out loud, and the sound sounded deep and muffled.

What a disobedient cousin.

Gu Huaisheng's expression became uncontrollably gloomy, and a cold aura emanated from his body.

He didn't expect that she was so unwilling to marry him that she was thinking of running away from the capital to avoid him.

She said she didn't like him, but he didn't expect that she would bother him to this extent.

But if you think about it carefully, she is a restless person to begin with, so it is not surprising that she would run away.

But why did she feel that he wouldn't be able to find her?

It's only three days, where can she go?

She wanted to escape, but she knew exactly where she was going.

He asked Shuliang, "Where is the person now?"

Shu Liang didn't dare to look at his expression again, and continued with his head down, "Miss Jiang didn't walk fast, she stopped along the way, and stopped for a long time when she came across some beautiful scenery. The secret guards often saw her holding a travel book in her hand."

After running for three days, they could reach the destination in less than half a day by hurrying on horseback.

Gu Huaisheng couldn't help but laugh after hearing this. It was true that she was running away and it was hard to tell where she was going. People who knew her thought she was running away to avoid marriage, while people who didn't think she was going to travel.

Hearing this, Gu Huaisheng calmed down again. He thought that the last incident might have frightened her, so he would just assume that she was just out for fun and relaxation. It had been three days, and she had had enough fun, so she could come back.

Disobedient cousin.

He would go and bring her back himself.

The two of them walked out of the Gongyuan, and Gu Huaisheng asked again, "Did you encounter any danger on the way?"

It was the first time I traveled far away by myself, and I was very brave to just go.

Shu Liang also knew that Gu Huaisheng was worried about her, and replied, "Nothing happened. She has a female guard who knows martial arts by her side. There are indeed some people who want to take advantage of her, but no one is going to provoke her for the time being, it's just..."

Hearing Shu Liang pause, Gu Huaisheng felt uneasy. He said, "Just something."

Shu Liang knew from Gu Huai's tone that he had misunderstood, and he immediately said, "It seems like someone else is following her, and it looks like they might have bad intentions."

Gu Huaisheng asked, "Do you know who it is?"

Shu Liang shook his head, "They haven't revealed their true colors yet. They followed her all the way, and it seems like they started from the capital. Sir, do you want to let the secret guards take care of them?"

Did you follow him from the capital?

Gu Huaisheng was silent for a moment, then shook his head, "No need for now, wait until they take action, keep her safe, it's fine if we let those people scare her."

He is so brave that he can escape whenever he wants.

It was a long journey, and she was alone with a female guard and a maid. Didn't she think about how many troubles she would encounter and how many dangers she would face on the road?

If he goes to bring her back this time, she will definitely be very reluctant and will probably cry and make a fuss again.

Her crying and making a fuss made his head ache.

It would be better to let those people scare her once, and then she would behave herself and come back peacefully. By then, she would know how scary the outside world is, and would be less noisy, and would not dare to sneak out again.

Shu Liang understood what Gu Huaisheng meant, and he said, "Okay, I'll talk to the secret guards now."

It was getting dark and it would be too late to leave the city gate, so Gu Huaisheng planned to leave the city early tomorrow morning.

After all, there were secret guards following her, and she didn't run very fast, so there was nothing to worry about.

But he thought that the longer the night, the more trouble one may have, and the sooner the better to get married, otherwise Jiang Jingchun, who was not very peaceful, would always want to cause some trouble.