Chapter 76 Tracking
Su Yuji was about to let Su Xingzhi see which of the two pieces of cloth was better, when Su Xingzhi suddenly stepped forward, held her hand, and whispered, "Don't look back."
Su Yuji was startled, then immediately understood: "Those people are here again?"
Su Xingzhi said nothing, flipped through the cloth, and asked the boss: "Boss, these brocade patterns are too common, do you have other ones?"
The stall owner rubbed his hands and said in embarrassment, "Sir, this is the best-selling round-nest double-goose-shaped silk this year. How can it be ordinary? Why don't you go out and ask? These are all the ones in the cloth shop."
Su Xingzhi showed a look of disdain and said to Su Yuji, "Let's go a little further inside and see what the Hu merchants are doing."
Su Yuji nodded, put down the cloth and left. The stall owner tried to save the situation, but he was used to it and enthusiastically invited the next customer. Su Xingzhi took Su Yuji around a corner and walked into a narrow and crowded path. A camel caravan was coming towards them. Su Xingzhi suddenly accelerated with her and ran among the densely packed stalls.
The people following behind happened to bump into a camel. After finally passing through the caravan, they saw people coming and going in front of them, and shouting one after another. How could they find the brother and sister?
They did not give up and went to search at every intersection. However, West Market was a place with rare treasures from home and abroad, and the flow of customers never stopped from morning to night. They were trapped in the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd and soon lost their way.
One person stamped his feet in annoyance, approached the leader and asked, "Boss, there are too many people in West Market, what should we do if we lose them?"
The leader glanced at the West Market and said gloomily, "Send more people to keep an eye on them. We must find out where this brother and sister live."
"yes."
Su Xingzhi dragged Su Yuji out of the West Market and ran through several streets before finally stopping panting. Su Yuji panted and wiped the sweat off his face, and asked, "Brother, is this the guy from two years ago?"
Su Xingzhi frowned and looked back in the direction of the West Market, shaking his head and saying, "I don't know. But they are well-disciplined and have a large number of people. I can't think of anyone else except that group of people."
Su Yuji was really wondering: "The Su family is just an ordinary farming family. We have no permanent property and no valuables. We have never had any grudges with anyone. Why are they staring at us?"
Two years ago, when Su Xingzhi was handling the funeral for his grandmother, he found that someone seemed to be watching them. Su Xingzhi felt dangerous and took Su Yuji away from his hometown and moved to Taiyuan City. But soon the gang came again, and they couldn't get rid of them even after moving to two places.
The brothers and sisters had no choice but to hide and join the Xuanxiao Guard by accident. With the Xuanxiao Guard's cover, they finally got rid of the tracking. Unexpectedly, two years later, they met again in Chang'an.
The person who comes from such a long distance and holds on tightly is obviously not a good person.
They changed their names and surnames in the past two years in Xuanxiaowei and lived in isolation. They just came down from Zhongnan Mountain yesterday, so it is impossible for them to reveal their whereabouts. The only thing they missed was probably watching the Queen's Procession on Zhuque Street today.
They showed up on the street to see the excitement, and then someone followed them. Does this mean that the mastermind behind the scenes is also from Chang'an, or is he the person who followed the empress back to the capital today?
Su Xingzhi looked very unhappy and glanced at Su Yuji silently.
The Su family really didn't have anything worth paying attention to, but Su Yuji wasn't. Today, the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion was also on Zhuque Street, and it was right opposite them. Were those people sent by the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion?
Su Xingzhi was in a heavy mood. He held Su Yuji tightly and said, "Let's go home first."
They had not spent these years in Xuanxiaowei in vain. The two of them went around several times and returned to the rented house after confirming that no one was following them. After closing the door, Su Yuji tied the thread to the bolt, turned around and saw the courtyard that was in ruins, and said angrily: "I was planning to buy everything in the West Market, but because of their interruption, I didn't buy anything. This group of people is simply lawless. What on earth do they want to do?"
Su Xingzhi was relatively calm. He had gone through the more difficult times in the village, and now that he had moved to Chang'an, there was nothing he couldn't make ends meet. He said, "The intentions of those people are unclear. Yuji, you should go out less in the future, and don't let them target you."
"But you are going to take the imperial examination next month, and you haven't prepared all your books and writing materials yet. What if you are delayed?"
"It doesn't matter." Su Xingzhi said, "At worst I can wait a year and take the exam again. It's not worth risking your life."
"That won't work." Su Yuji said, "This year's competition was specially prepared by the emperor for Xuanxiaowei. Shuangbi, Weiyue and others will take the opportunity to change their identities and enter the officialdom. If you miss this competition, you will have to compete with other scholars next year. What should you do if something unexpected happens?"
Su Xingzhi still comforted her: "It doesn't matter. If it was a different group of people, I would not have passed the exam. It's because I didn't learn the skills well enough. I can only blame myself. As long as you have real talent and knowledge, you don't have to care about the outside world."
This is just self-consolation. In fact, factors outside the exam are decisive. Even if you are the son of a prime minister, I am afraid you would not dare to say that as long as you prepare well, you will pass any exam.
Su Yuji said stubbornly with a cold face: "Brother, just concentrate on preparing for the exam. I will take care of the family affairs. I will make sure you can enter the exam room with peace of mind."
Su Xingzhi knew that she was stubborn and could not be persuaded, so he gave up and decided to pay more attention to it in private. Su Xingzhi went into the house to review his lessons, while Su Yuji sat in the main room with her purse, carefully calculating the next expenses.
Before leaving their hometown, they sold the land in the village, and then hid in Xuanxiaowei for two years, saving a lot of money. However, rice was expensive in Chang'an, and it was difficult to live there. Just renting a house cost them most of their savings.
Later, Su Xingzhi had to take the imperial examination, and he had to spend money on socializing and official affairs. After deducting all the money, there was little money left. Su Yuji calculated carefully, wishing he could split every penny into two halves.
Su Xingzhi looked up from his reading and saw Su Yuji frowning for a penny, feeling sad and guilty. Su Xingzhi put down the book and said, "Yuji, forget it. I see that the skirts worn by the young ladies in Chang'an are all new styles, different from the ones we brought from Taiyuan. Go to the clothing store tomorrow to order some clothes. You are a young girl in your prime, and we can't let you down. As for the money, don't worry, I'll find a way."
Su Yuji glanced at Su Xingzhi in between accounting and admonished him, "You are not an immortal. If the money is gone, it is gone. What can you do? You still have to take the imperial examinations. You will have many places to spend money in the future. You can't be so extravagant. I have plenty of clothes. Don't waste your spare money."
Su Xingzhi stood up, took out a bunch of money from his wallet, and forced it into her hand: "How can it be considered a waste to buy you new clothes? Take this money. If you hide it secretly, I will go to the clothing store to choose for you. Don't blame me if I buy a pattern you don't like."
Su Yuji got anxious when he heard this: "What are you doing!"
Su Xingzhi firmly held her hand, not letting her put the money back: "What other girls have, you should have too. If I can't even buy a new dress for my sister, then what's the point of me being an official?"
The two siblings were equally stubborn and both had the same stubborn temper. Su Yuji was forced to accept the money, but she still felt distressed and kept scolding Su Xingzhi: "You can't be so extravagant. How are you going to live in the future? You just calculated for a long time, and now you have to do it again."
Su Xingzhi sat beside her and let her teach him. He looked at Su Yuji's fair face under the lamp and suddenly asked, "Yuji, do you blame us for not providing you with a good life?"
Su Yuji raised his head and looked at him in surprise: "Brother, what are you talking about? You are my relatives. How can a son complain about the poverty of his family?"
Su Xingzhi listened in silence, and after a moment he asked, "Today, there are so many noble ladies and noble men on Zhuque Street. Your appearance and character are no worse than theirs. Aren't you unwilling to accept this?"
Su Yuji listened to these words and calmed down. It would be a lie to say that there was no gap. The Su family was relatively well-off in the village. When she was a child, she didn't know what poverty was. She just thought that life should be like this. But later she went to Taiyuan Prefecture and then came to Chang'an. She saw with her own eyes that people in the world have different destinies, and the gap between the rich and the poor is as huge as the sky. Another group of people of the same age lived a life that she could not even imagine. Of course, she would be depressed, resentful, and unconvinced.
But who made her born a village girl? She had a good brother who took care of her in every way, and an enlightened grandmother who let her study with her brother. She was already luckier than many girls in the village.
Su Yuji shook his head, no longer imagining things that were impossible, and said, "Brother, with you and grandma, I don't feel hardship. In my heart, you are no worse than those noble men. They are just born into a good family and can enjoy the blessings and power by relying on the merits of their ancestors, but you are different. I believe that with your talent, you will definitely pass the imperial examination and make a name for yourself. In the future, you will definitely be no worse than those people."
Su Xingzhi stared into her serious, determined, and sparkling eyes, and felt more and more uncomfortable.
When he was young, his parents were not around and he was fostered in his uncle's house. He often heard people around him say that his grandmother was serving nobles in Chang'an and his parents were also housekeepers. When he grew up, his parents would take him to Chang'an to study. He always tried hard to eat and wanted to grow up quickly, but suddenly one day, his grandmother and parents came back. His mother had just given birth to his sister and was very weak. His grandmother asked him to come into the house to see the baby in the cradle, saying that this was his sister. He was now a brother and he had to be good to his sister in the future.
He was still young at that time, and he didn't understand why his mother was so unhappy, and why his father was hesitant to speak. He looked up and asked expectantly: "Grandma, when I grow up, will you still go to Chang'an?"
Grandmother was silent for a long time, then said, "No, we won't go. We will stay in the village and raise you and your sister."
The young Su Xingzhi was very happy. Although he could not go to Chang'an in the future, he no longer had to live in his great uncle's house. He could live with his parents and grandmother. He also had a younger sister at home, which was much more attractive than the distant Chang'an.
Su Xingzhi had the happiest time since he was born until one day when he was playing at the back window and he overheard his parents' conversation.
My mother said, "My mother is so partial. When I gave birth, she said she had to take care of the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo, and she never even came back to see me. If there was no one at home, I wouldn't have cried out to heaven and earth when my water broke, and my daughter was suffocated and turned purple and blue. She died two days after she was born. I sent her a message, but she still didn't come back. She just said casually that I should take good care of her. I was bedridden for a month, and just when I was able to get out of bed, she came back with a swaddling child, saying that she felt sorry for her daughter's death, and specially gave me a child to raise. I really got screwed for being your daughter-in-law. I can't even keep my own child, and I have to raise someone else's."
There was silence inside the window for a long time, and then the father said, "Okay, she has worked hard all her life, and it's rare for her to be willful once in her old age, so just let her be."
"I just can't get angry. The wife of the Duke of Zhenguo has servants and maids at her command. She has everything she wants. Is it necessary for her to feel sorry for her? If she had paid more attention to our family, my daughter wouldn't have died so early. Now she wants me to raise a wild girl who came from nowhere. How can this be justified?"
"Say less. If you don't like that girl, just don't visit her as much. Anyway, we don't lack food at home, so just consider it as a blessing for Xingzhi."
"Oh, you are really a good person, and I am the only evil woman? If my mother just wanted to raise a girl to relieve her boredom, would I have to go against a child? But my mother's attitude is not to raise a granddaughter, I think she is raising a young lady. If I let her empty the family property, what will happen to her in the future?"
Su Xingzhi did not listen to what his father and mother argued about. His childhood seemed to have ended from that day. His parents came back, but it was not as happy as he imagined. His sister was not his biological sister, his mother did not like her, his father was indifferent, and his grandmother was the only one who cared about her. But his grandmother was old and often had no power to help. The baby girl was already weak, and if things continued like this, would she die?
Before Su Xingzhi fully understood the concept of death, he first understood the feeling of not wanting to lose someone. From that day on, Su Xingzhi no longer ran out to play. He always stayed by the baby girl's side, worried that she would be hungry, sick, or die when he was away.
He put his "sister" before himself, always feeding her milk before he could eat. He was a child himself, but he struggled to change her clothes and tie her hair.
Su Xingzhi often noticed that his grandmother stared at Su Yuji's back and was distracted. Her eyes were deep and complicated. At first, Su Xingzhi thought that his grandmother felt guilty towards her granddaughter, until two years ago, when his grandmother was dying, she deliberately sent Su Yuji away and called him to her bedside, where she burst into tears and revealed Su Yuji's identity.
It turned out that Su Yuji was taken away by the grandmother from the Duke of Zhen's Mansion, Wang's husband's family. The grandmother did not mention the details, but just said that there was a fierce fight in the deep mansion, and the brothers were killing each other. She couldn't bear to see it, so she took the child away and raised him in her own home.
She had sworn to heaven that she would never tell anyone about this, but she was about to die, and no one could keep it a secret. In her last moments, the grandmother passed the secret to Su Xingzhi and forced him to swear that he would never tell Su Yuji. After hearing Su Xingzhi's oath, the grandmother finally closed her eyes and passed away.
Su Xingzhi finally found out who his sister was, but he was not happy at all. Before, he could still deceive himself, thinking that she was a baby girl abandoned by her family and that it was better for her to stay in the Su family than in her original family. But after hearing what his grandmother said, every time he saw Su Yuji, he was tormented by guilt and inferiority.
She was biased towards him and always saw the good side of him, but how could Su Xingzhi not know that the imperial examination was only the starting point of an official career and the ranking could not prove anything.
Officials from a poor family have no relatives to support them, so they have to work hard on their own. How can they compare with those noble families? Not to mention anything else, the living conditions alone are far inferior.
She was a star that accidentally fell from the Milky Way, a stunning reflection that did not belong to him. If she returned to her original family, Su Xingzhi would probably have to struggle all his life to achieve the level of food, clothing, shelter and transportation she needed.
She should have never known the suffering of poverty and never had to worry about not having enough money to spend. Her husband should have been a son of a noble family like Ming Huazhang, Jiangling, and Xie Jichuan, who grew up in a pile of gold and jade and naturally carried a bookish and relaxed air. Unlike him, who was born and raised in poverty, he would never reach the heights that Ming Huazhang was when he was born.
Ming Huazhang is still going to move up, with the blessing of his family background and the recognition of the empress, I am afraid Su Xingzhi will never be able to catch up in this life. How dare Su Xingzhi say that he can give Su Yuji a better life?
Su Xingzhi looked into Su Yuji's eyes and almost told her the truth. But he thought of his grandmother's instructions before she died, so he finally held back and smiled at her: "Okay, I will definitely treat you better in the future."
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After the capital was moved, Chang'an was in a state of chaos for a long time. The old nobles were busy making connections, the Prince of Xiang and the Princess of Taiping, who had not seen each other for many years, wanted to contact old friends, and newcomers like the two Zhang brothers who had become successful in Luoyang also wanted to find their roots. Amid the hustle and bustle, September arrived, and the first national event after the empress moved the capital - the imperial examination began on time.
Because this was a temporary additional test, the number of applicants was far less than that of the regular exams, and most of them were from the capital. On the day of the exam, the entire family of the Duke of Zhenguo went out. Ming Huashang watched Ming Huazhang walk into the Ministry of Rites and then she avoided the sight of the elders and quietly left to send Ren Yao to the other side to participate in the military examination.
Ren Yao was avoiding the Pingnan Marquis's Mansion when she left. The only people who came to see her off were Ming Huashang and Jiang Ling. Ren Yao waved at them with a red spear in her hand, then strode into the examination room.
Ming Huachang and Jiang Ling felt inexplicably sad. Jiang Ling said, "Ming Huazhang, Xie Jichuan, and Su Xingzhi are going to take the imperial examination, and Ren Yao is going to take the military examination. We are the only two who have time to spare."
Ming Huashang glared at him coldly: "If you can't speak, just shut up."
Doesn't she know about this? Why would she tell it?