Chapter 2 Little Savage

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  "Who are you, daring to be so presumptuous in front of the Wenyuan Academy!" As he spoke, a flash of sharp light suddenly flickered across Zhang Heyan's eyes, and his heart involuntarily flashed with a few thoughts: "Hmph, let's see if these two know what's good for them! If they really don't understand..."

  "What's going on?" Tan Zong's face was taken aback, and he suddenly realized something. He quickly let go of Xu Jun and hurriedly tidied up his already wrinkled robes. Then, he bowed and replied: "Sir, please calm down. This student is from Yuhang, and because I am familiar with this Nanjing Prefecture's Xu Jun, Xu Wenlong, just now I heard that he got the top score in the imperial examination, and for a moment I couldn't contain my joy, losing my composure as a scholar. I hope sir will forgive me."

  Tan Zong said, and then quickly pulled Xu Jun beside him.

  "It's extreme, it's extreme. Tan Zong and I are good friends, we often joke around on a daily basis. Just now, I couldn't help but be happy, for a moment I wasn't careful, and offended you, sir. I hope you can forgive me." After finishing speaking, Xu Jun also bowed his head, which was considered as having matched up with Tan Zong's confession.

  "Ah, this is indeed true!" Seeing that the two had understood his implied meaning, Zhang Heyan couldn't help but praise them for their quick wit, saying "Newlyweds are truly impressive". He then turned around and asked the three yamen runners, "What do you three think?"

  Following the principle of "it's better to have one less thing", the three inspectors naturally wouldn't make a fuss over nothing. Moreover, this kind of situation has happened many times since the imperial edict was issued by the great-grandfather emperor, so it's also a case of turning a blind eye. Furthermore, one of the parties involved is still this year's top scholar from Nanjing Prefecture, and although it's uncertain whether he'll become a future champion, someone with a jinshi degree will surely be able to avoid punishment - it's only natural that such people can't be offended.

  The three men came from the same background and exchanged a glance, already understanding each other's thoughts. The first man didn't say anything either, he just waved his hand, showing that he had no opinion.

  The Censor does not speak This was also a rule set by the Taizu Emperor in those years: unless necessary, officials responsible for monitoring during the inspection are not allowed to open their mouths. This rule originated from the military's habit of supervising the army, but after the founding of the country, it was extended to the Censorate.

  Seeing the three of them and having no intention to pursue the matter, Zhang Heyan turned around and gave a slight smile to Xu Tan and the others. Then he restrained his expression and pretended to be angry, saying: "Hmph, this time you are lucky, the three Inspectors do not intend to pursue the matter further. Since that's the case, Xu Wen-chang can stay behind and wait for the entrance examination, but if you're not a top scorer, then get out of here!"

  Zhang Heyan's fleeting smile was caught by Tan Zong, who knew that this person had intentionally given him a favor, and although he didn't care about his future prospects, he couldn't help but accept it. However, Tan Zong still had a major matter on his mind and wouldn't back down so easily, so he quickly spoke up again: "Thank you, sir. But, I, Tong Sheng, dare to ask one question, who is this year's Yuanyuan?"

  "Oh?" Seeing Tan Zong's bold question, Zhang Heyan's face flashed with a strange color, but he felt that the young man in front of him was quite interesting. For a moment, he suddenly looked up to Tan Zong three points and even thought that if this person entered officialdom, his future might be better than that of Xu Jun, the top scholar.

  With a thought in his mind, Zhang Heyan didn't say much anymore. He just glanced at the imperial edict in his hand and saw that there were indeed two words "Yu Hang" behind the word "Ya Yuan". Then he saw that the names Tan Zong and Tan Meng Hua followed closely behind. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind: The person in front of him was indeed this year's runner-up in Nanjing!

  Later, I thought of the two exam papers. If it weren't for Tan Zong's slightly inferior essay, I'm afraid the champion would have been replaced. And when several examiners were chatting, they also mentioned that relying on Tan Zong's math skills alone, even at a young age, he might be qualified to work as a clerk in the Ministry of Works or the Ministry of Revenue.

  Xiang Si's mind was racing, but Zhang Heyan's expression remained unchanged, nor did he say much or exchange pleasantries. He still held his head high and recited in the same tone as before: "Ya Yuan, Yu Hang Tan Zong Tan Meng Hua!"

  "Thank you, sir." Tan Zong smiled to himself, feeling that the big thing in his heart had finally been settled, and it was also a reward for his efforts in the three-day trial.

  Thinking of this, Tan Zong smiled in his heart: "Before entering the examination hall, he was worried to death. After all, although he had read classical Chinese literature and was familiar with those ancient texts, it was said that the eight-part essay of the imperial examination was something he had never seen before. But who would have thought that when he got the test paper, it wasn't that big of a deal! Hey, what was the last question again? Chicken and rabbit in the same cage? This seems like junior high school knowledge!"

  "Oh, it's really you?" Zhang Heyan had already confirmed in his heart, but he couldn't help but put on a stunned expression.

  Jian and Tan looked at each other, their faces calm and unruffled. Zhang Heyan nodded slightly and said to the two of them: "You can either enter the court now or come back in the evening with the junior officials of this court. You should know that your exam papers still need to be reviewed personally to ensure there are no mistakes."

  This verification procedure was originally inherent, Tan Zong had only been in this world for a few days, but he had already heard it from others, so he didn't say much, just bowed and said he would come again at night.

  Tan Zong's answer seems confusing, but it is also a routine over the years.

  To know that the time from noon to evening is left for the examiners and their entourage to rest, even the banquets hosted by the governors of various provinces are likely to be arranged at noon, so as a student, one cannot fail to show respect, therefore, he hastily pulled on Xu Wenlong's sleeve and said: "See off your honor."

  On the other side, Xu Wen-chang also came back to his senses and sang: "Farewell to your honor."

  "You go now, and don't miss the appointed time." After saying this, Zhang Heyan swung his long sleeve and bid farewell to the three inspectors before leading his two attendants back to the mansion.

  As several people left, the gate of Wenyuan House was closed again. However, a group of children and more than ten newly promoted jinshi were unwilling to leave.

  Someone shouted: "Quickly grab that fatty who eats oily cakes and applies butter, if we don't take revenge today, we'll miss the opportunity!" Only to realize that they themselves had also been smeared with oil. Meanwhile, someone else shouted: "Quickly grab Tan Menghua, Su Da might still be waiting for news at Autumn Moon Building!"

  As soon as the words came out, all the onlookers suddenly woke up. Just now, everyone was laughing and waiting to hear the news and watch the excitement, but who knew that they were interrupted by a loud shout from that official, and it wasn't until they heard "Su's Mansion" and "Autumn Moon Building" that their souls finally returned from the Naihe Bridge, spat out Meng Po's soup, and truly came back to life. They hastily followed in unison, saying: "Yes, yes! Quickly take Tang Menghua away, we'll also go to Autumn Moon Building to ask Su Mansion for a cup of celebratory wine!"

  "So I'm saying that the most annoying thing in this world is these onlookers!" Tan Yong, who had his sleeve caught by someone, whispered to Xu Wen-chang, who was being treated the same way, "These pedestrians A, B, C, and D who are good at meddling in other people's business are really too frustrating!"

  As he spoke, Tan Zong suddenly had a feeling in his heart, raised his head and looked up at the Wenyuan Pavilion. Just as he saw a window that was about to close, a fleeting shadow appeared behind it.

  Bang!

  As the window was heavily closed, the originally bright room suddenly fell into darkness, leaving only the faint sound of music coming from behind the screen. At the other end of the room, a beauty covered her face and giggled, watching as her sister slowly poured wine from her throat into the mouth of the young master on the main seat.

  "Master, why bother with that madman? Besides, this Su Jin is just a slightly famous songstress, can she compare to us sisters who are accustomed to serving Master?" Having said that, the beauty leaned over and picked up a piece of tender lotus root, putting it into the young master's mouth.

  That beautiful young woman was indeed understanding of the situation, and just as the lotus slice was about to enter her mouth, the chopsticks paused. The young master was about to get angry when suddenly a strand of black hair covered his face, and following that, a small snake wrapped around a piece of red lotus root appeared before him.

  "Good, good, good! What a lovely lotus fragrance, it's indeed delicious!" The young master burst out laughing and immediately grabbed that bunch of green silk again.

  This lotus root is of the best quality, with a texture that is tender and connected when cut open. What's rare about it is that its fibers are unlike those of other lotus roots, but rather like blood vessels, which is why it's also known as "blood lotus root". Even in Nanjing Prefecture, where there are countless wealthy families, perhaps only one in a thousand can afford to eat it. Unless you're from a truly noble family, even great wealth won't guarantee that you'll get to taste it.

  But in early April, the only family that can enjoy such precious things is the one and only family of Wang, the current governor of Nanjing. And this young master is naturally the most prominent rich and noble son of Governor Wang Ren - Wang Dong!

  "Since you think it's delicious, Young Master, why bother with Su Jin? As long as I, Lotus Fragrance, am by your side every day, isn't that enough? If I'm not enough, Qing He, the slave, is naturally willing to serve you too."

  "Ah, you understand!" Wang Dong's robes were half undone as he frowned at the sudden movement of Lian Xiang, who was feeding him wine and lotus seeds. She suddenly burst out laughing and slid down along his body. Only to see that Wang Dong's waist was gently swaying, several golden branches moving rapidly, in just a moment, Wang Dong felt his blood rushing down to his lower body, and he hastily lifted up the beautiful woman who knew what was going on.

  "Disgusting!" Lian Xiang's mouth opened, but she spat out a sentence in the Wu dialect, which was different from Mandarin. The soft and gentle tone only made Wang Gongzi more tempted. When he saw the hint of grievance in Lian Xiang's eyes, it moved his heart again, and he couldn't help but want to press this charming woman under him and have her serve him properly.

  Lotus fragrance is the leader of the romantic scene, truly a high-ranking person who knows emotions and sentiments. Who doesn't know that this gentleman has already taken an interest in her? Her eyes flash with pride. Just as she was about to continue playing some tricks to let the prince taste her advantages, so as to pave the way for her future and accumulate some capital, she suddenly felt a tremble around her, only to find that someone had appeared beside her without knowing when.

  The man was dressed in black from head to toe, and even though the lighting in the room was dim, Lian Xiang still felt that this person seemed darker than the darkest part of the light. For a moment, a hint of fear flashed through Lian Xiang's mind: having stayed in this pleasure quarter for so long, she had naturally heard rumors about such high-ranking officials, and now she couldn't help but wonder if the man before her was actually one of the "followers" of the tyrannical ruler of Nanjing Prefecture.

  That person didn't greet anyone either, just nodded slightly towards Wang and said in a low voice: "The girl named Xiaoman has arrived."

  The king seemed to be already familiar with this person's habits, not taking it seriously at all. He simply pushed the lotus fragrance on his body and hurriedly sat up, while adjusting his Confucian shirt, saying: "Quickly call in Little Manchu." However, this voice was quite loud, seemingly not speaking to the person in front of him, but rather intentionally saying it for those outside the room to hear.

  As the man in black turned and left, Lian Xiang was about to speak, but heard this young master continue: "You all go behind that screen for now, remember not to let anyone discover you."

  Lotus Fragrance was taken aback, but just as she was wondering, she noticed Qinghe exchanging glances with her and suddenly came to her senses, realizing this wasn't the time for questions. She hastily stood up and followed Qinghe in a rush towards the back of the screen.

  Behind that screen was originally another world, otherwise how could it accommodate those elegant and refined musicians, at this time even if there were two more people, it wouldn't feel crowded, so they didn't worry about being discovered.

  "Sister, isn't that little servant girl Su Jin's personal maid?" Lian Xiang was originally very curious, and although she hadn't seen the person yet, in her heart she was already about 70-80% sure.

  "Hush..." Qinghe raised her finger and blew a gentle breath, casting a glance around the room at the musicians before lowering her voice to say: "Just watch, don't speak. Have you forgotten the rules of this place?"

  Lotus fragrance and Clear Lotus were meant to come and go together, even if they left the pavilion on the same day, serving the same noble guest, and when taking names, it was intentional. Therefore, in this Jiangnan wind and moon scene, they also fought for the title of "Twin Lotus". Hence, the two could understand each other's meaning with just an exchange of glances.

  Although Lianxiang is a bit rough in doing things, Qinghe is quite mature and experienced. Among the two, Qinghe is considered more senior, so Lianxiang usually shows respect to her and often seeks her advice when dealing with matters.

  She was swept a glance by Qinghe, and Lianxiang suddenly knew what her sister thought in her heart - it was a warning to herself that she had many mouths and few hands, so she hurriedly stopped talking and only opened her eyes wide to look out through the thin silk screen.

  In just a few breaths of time, another person appeared in the room.

  Lotus Fragrance saw the approaching person, her eyes widened in shock, and she felt that the most absurd thing in the world was none other than this.

  "Sister...... this......"

  "Hush, be careful!" Qinghe covered Lianxiang's mouth with one hand and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "This matter is somewhat suspicious, it's best if we don't get involved." After saying this, she seemed to think of something else, and her face flashed with a few moments of hesitation as she added: "But I hope so anyway."

  "Your Excellency."

  Xiao Man saw Wang Dong, who was dressed in a dignified and magnificent attire, waiting to pay his respects. However, he was suddenly grabbed by the arm. The warm feeling spread from his arms, thread by thread, directly to his heart, making him feel a little stifled, and even his face turned bright red.

  "Xiao Man, don't be so polite. If Su Dajie really enters my household, you will naturally become a member of my family too." Seeing Xiao Man's emotional expression, Wang couldn't help but flash a strange color in his eyes, secretly blaming himself for only realizing today that this little girl was actually an extraordinary beauty, and yet he hadn't noticed it before!

  The king's words were straightforward, even a bit crude, but Xiao Man didn't think much of it, still keeping her head down, not daring to look up at the handsome face that had been haunting her dreams, and said in a low voice: "Master, please don't say such things, I'm unworthy."

  "Xiao Man, you..." Wang Dong was about to continue speaking a few more words of comfort to the young girl who had just revealed her true colors, but Xiao Man interrupted him. A flash of anger crossed his face, but he quickly suppressed it before anyone could see.

  "Although I, Xiaoman, am as close to Miss as sisters, I am still her maid after all. It's just that I couldn't bear to see Miss being deceived by that madman, so I came to see you, sir, hoping to find a solution." As if speaking of something that moved her emotions, Xiaoman took a slight breath before continuing: "All my thoughts and considerations are for Miss' sake; if I had any ulterior motives, heaven would be the first to know. It's just that if in the future Miss really enters the Wang Manor, I hope you, sir, will take good care of her and not look down on her humble origins from a brothel."

  As soon as Xiao Man spoke up, two people in the room couldn't help but exclaim in their hearts: "She's really an awesome girl!"

  "Sister, although this little servant has been acting somewhat inappropriately behind Master's back. But judging from her words and actions, she seems to be a girl with feelings and loyalty. However, while we may say that Tan Menghua is no good and not worthy of anything, you and I both know that if there ever comes a day when we can enter the eyes of Lord Ya Yuan, perhaps even we would be unable to resist becoming virtuous. Unfortunately, this good fortune has been snatched away by Su Jin."

  At this time, the two were lying in a horse carriage. The style of the horse carriage was quite novel, with four wheels, small in front and large in back, and the difference was huge. Another servant wearing a house uniform sat on the front seat, waving a whip and making crackling sounds from time to time.

  If Tan Zong saw it, although he wouldn't shout loudly, he would still be astonished for a while: how could such a traditional Western-style carriage appear in the Nanjing government office?

  "My silly little sister!" Qinghe chuckled and poked her somewhat naive younger sister, giggling as she said: "Just now there were too many people around and I couldn't talk to you about it. This matter doesn't seem that simple to me, I think there's more to it than meets the eye. Now listen carefully while big sis explains it to you."

  "Oh?" Lianxiang suddenly came to her senses and hastily looked over. She had always admired her own sister, who was as wise as Zhuge, and sometimes even resented heaven for not giving her sister a male body.

  Jian Lianxiang's face suddenly turned red, but Qinghe stopped herself and said calmly: "You're thirsty, first pour me a cup of tea."

  This was what the two sisters often did when they were playing and fighting, so Lian Xiang didn't make a fuss about it. She simply took out the best Bi Luo Chun from the hidden compartment, brewed it with warm water, and presented it to Qing He, saying "Please have some tea, sister."

  "Alright, from now on when you enter the Yuans' household, don't be ignorant of the rules and offend the mistress." As soon as she finished speaking, Qinghe herself couldn't help but burst out laughing, unable to contain her amusement.

  Lotus fragrance saw Qinghe teasing her with her previous words, how could she agree, and immediately went forward to tear Qinghe's mouth. Qinghe was not willing either, and the two of them laughed and made a noise in one place, only making the car full of birdsong, and robes flying everywhere.

  After the two of them had made enough noise, they finally picked up their clothes. The good Bi Luo Chun tea spilled onto the sheepskin blanket that was woven from who-knows-how-many lambs' wool, wetting a large area.

  "You said earlier that Xiao Man is a good person who would consider his master, but in my opinion, it's not the case at all." Qinghe took a light sip of tea, feeling that although the Bi Luo Chun brewed with warm water was not top-grade, it had a unique flavor, and there was a subtle fragrance emanating from the tea that was different from others.

  "If that little savage is your maid, I'm afraid she'll sell you out and you'll still be counting the money for her."

  "Drunk Black" is an author who wrote a book called "The End".

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