Chapter 590

The fifteenth year of Emperor Jia Zhao, March 15th, at sunset.

The teahouse opposite the Huang residence had sparse business after noon.

But in the elegant room on the left side of the second floor, every hour, a new face appeared by the window.

At both ends of the street below the teahouse, there were two fixed vendors doing business listlessly, not attracting any attention at all.

But the flow of people passing in front of the Huang residence could not escape the vision of the two vendors.

When the setting sun radiated golden red, a thin servant holding a package knocked open the main gate of the Huang residence.

He spoke a few words to the gatekeeper and entered the Huang residence.

It was only a short time later that the servant came out, slightly hunched over, tossing a piece of silver in his hand with satisfaction; it seemed to be the reward he had just received.

In the elegant room by the window on the second floor of the teahouse, a spy from the Court of Investigation saw this scene and asked his companion, "Is that kid a clerk from some southern goods store?"

The other person glanced out the window and said, "The southern goods store has delivered goods three times in the last few days; the first time it was the lady from the store, and the last two times it was this kid, that's right."

The person who asked took out a charcoal pencil and recorded in his notebook that the southern goods store had delivered goods several times recently, which was common and not worth anything.

It was already past sunset, and according to past situations, after this hour, there would likely be no more people entering or leaving the Huang residence.

Moreover, Huang Hong-cang had started his leave at home a few days ago and had been staying behind closed doors for the past few days; he would enter the examination hall on the evening of the 16th to seclude himself in preparation for the Spring Examination.

In the past few days, apart from a visit from a censor of the Censorate, there had been no other guests visiting the Huang residence.

I don't know if Huang Hong-cang was too upright and not good at official social interactions, so his friends and relatives were sparse, or if it was because of his status as the chief examiner of the Spring Examination, and others were avoiding him.

In short, this situation made the people of the Court of Investigation quite disappointed, because in such a critical period, the less Huang Hong-cang interacted with the outside world, the more difficult it would be to find flaws.

As for the only visiting censor of the Censorate, Zheng Ying-quan, his identity had long been investigated; he was Sun Shou-an, the censor who was commended by the current Emperor for impeaching Jia Zheng for clinging to the main hall of the Rongguo Prefecture.

But this person had just received imperial favor and was recommended as a subordinate official for the Spring Examination, and he was currently in the limelight, so Zheng Ying-quan did not dare to act rashly and only arranged for manpower to pay attention to his actions.

……

These two spies from the Court of Investigation had both received instructions from Zheng Ying-quan that as long as Huang Hong-cang entered the examination hall for seclusion, everything would be settled.

They only needed to monitor and wait for another day and night; if they could discover any unusual movement, it would naturally be a good thing.

If everything was normal, it would be all right, and they would have fulfilled their duties; other matters would be left to their superiors to worry about...

The two determined that tonight would be like usual, likely a calm and waveless night.

Lady Wang had already set her heart on Miss Xia and was just looking for an excuse to visit the Old Matriarch more often. If the Old Matriarch were involved, things would be more logical in the future, so they naturally hit it off.

Thus, she took the Xia mother and daughter, exited the black-oiled gate of the East Road Prefecture, and took a detour to the West Prefecture to pay respects to the Old Matriarch.

She just hadn't expected that before even entering Rongqing Hall, she would run into Yuanyang and Wu'er at the entrance.

Lady Wang didn't mind seeing Yuanyang, but seeing Wu'er also appear at the entrance of Rongqing Hall, she couldn't help but slightly knit her brows.

Perhaps it was a case of "hating the house and its crow"—Lady Wang loathed Jia Cong, so naturally, she found all the maids around him eyesores.

She always felt that those maids were all born looking seductive and couldn't be anything good.

Because Zhi Shao usually stayed in the East Prefecture and rarely moved about in the West, and because she had some connections to the palace, which made people wary, Lady Wang didn't dare show her ill will.

Qingwen was originally the Old Matriarch's maid and had some standing in the West Prefecture; Zhen Ying Lian was not a slave of the Jia Prefecture at all, and furthermore, she was so beautiful that even the Old Matriarch looked upon her with favor.

Lady Wang couldn't easily show a cold face to any of them, but Wu'er was the only one in her eyes whom she felt was just the daughter of a kitchen servant, so she could show her disdain without any reservations.

Moreover, Wu'er had been appointed by Jia Cong to assist Wang Xifeng in managing household affairs in the West Prefecture. Lady Wang, clinging to her old position, felt even more that she was being climbed over by a lowly maid.

Therefore, she naturally didn't have a good face when she saw Wu'er. Even when Wu'er and Yuanyang greeted her according to the rules, she only nodded to Yuanyang and treated Wu'er as if she were invisible.

However, Miss Xia, who was on the side, was different. She had just arrived at the entrance of Rongqing Hall and noticed Wu'er almost at a glance.

That day, Lady Wang had slandered Jia Cong in front of them, saying he only chose the prettiest maids in the household to use and even brought beautiful nuns and actresses from outside into the prefecture.

Hearing these words, Miss Xia felt resentful that Jia Cong was too flirtatious. But as of now, Jia Cong and she were still worlds apart; such thoughts were too ridiculous.

Her mind seemed to have been cursed by this matter; she was somewhat sickly and strange. Upon entering the West Prefecture, she kept looking at the passing maids to see if there were any beauties who could catch Jia Cong's eye.

But along the way, there were many maids in Rongguo Prefecture who looked decent, but she hadn't seen any who deserved the word "beautiful," which made Miss Xia feel satisfied.

It wasn't until she reached the entrance of Rongqing Hall that she suddenly noticed Wu'er.

Miss Xia had seen Yuanyang at Lady Wang's birthday banquet, but this was her first time seeing Wu'er. She saw that this girl was pretty, delicate, and graceful; she was truly born looking very pleasing.

Miss Xia had always been proud of her beauty, but seeing Wu'er's grace, she felt a hidden pressure.

She also saw that Wu'er's clothes were exquisite, adorned with gold and jade, and she was dressed in an uncommon way, not at all like a maid's attire, but rather like a young lady of the household.

But at Lady Wang's birthday banquet, she had seen all the young ladies of the Jia family, and none of them looked like the one before her.

She didn't know the reason behind it, which was simply that Jia Cong doted on and protected his personal maids and didn't like them to be dressed in the rigid, red-and-green attire of ordinary maids.

Ever since he established his own household, he had purchased new clothes and jewelry for his maids. How could they not look good? Now, from Zhi Shao downwards, who in his room still wore a maid's outfit?

Because Wu'er had been dispatched by Jia Cong to assist Wang Xifeng in managing household affairs in the West Prefecture, and because she was already doted on by Jia Cong and had the standing of the East Prefecture, her daily attire had to be elegant.

Wang Xifeng, knowing she was Jia Cong's confidante, naturally wouldn't fail to win her over with her own slickness, sending her many top-quality clothes and jewelry.

Therefore, Miss Xia saw that Wu'er was not only outstandingly beautiful but also dressed in a way that didn't look like a maid at all.

After Lady Wang took the Xia mother and daughter into Rongqing Hall.

The Old Matriarch loved liveliness, and Mother Xia was a person with a sharp tongue. Just by exchanging a few pleasantries with the Old Matriarch, she made her very happy.

In high spirits, the Old Matriarch couldn't stop praising Miss Xia for being beautiful and having the demeanor of a young lady from a great family, saying it was very rare, and so on.

Seeing the atmosphere was harmonious, which suited her wishes, Lady Wang echoed her words. Mother Xia felt more and more certain in her heart, feeling quite like she was sitting firmly on the fishing platform.

At this time, Yuanyang carried the exquisite bamboo basket and told the Old Matriarch about the southern goods Wu'er had sent.

The Old Matriarch also felt she had some face in front of others and said, "Cong-ge'er only knows how to hide in his room and study foolishly, not paying attention to household matters. But this Wu'er is more attentive than him and understands human relations."

Yuanyang smiled upon hearing this, naturally not exposing the truth.

Now there were only the Second Young Mistress and the Old Matriarch as masters in the West Prefecture. Just now, listening to Wu'er's words, the Third Young Master actually only sent things to the Second Young Mistress and probably didn't even mention the Old Matriarch. It was mostly Wu'er helping her master save face.

Hearing the Old Matriarch praising that dead maid Wu'er in her words, Lady Wang felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Suddenly, she heard someone beside her ask, "The woman who was talking to Sister Yuanyang just now, which young lady of the prefecture is she? She sounds like she's from the East Prefecture. Why haven't I seen her before?"

Lady Wang and Mother Xia were both surprised that Miss Xia had suddenly spoken up and asked such an irrelevant question.

They didn't know that Miss Xia's desires were twisted. Because of Lady Wang's slanderous words, she had developed a strange obsession with beautiful women moving about in the West Prefecture.

The Old Matriarch smiled and said, "She is Cong-ge'er's personal head maid, Wu'er. She's no young lady; she's a maid born into the Jia family, but she is clever and capable."

Mother Xia flattered her on the side, "The Rongguo Jia family is worthy of being a noble family of military merit. The Old Matriarch's management of the household is also remarkable. Just now, I saw with my own eyes that even a maid is so outstanding. It truly opened my eyes."

The Old Matriarch beamed with joy, feeling satisfied in her heart, and smiled, "This Wu'er has served Cong-ge'er since she was a child, so her appearance is naturally better."

"Now she even helps Cong-ge'er manage the West Prefecture's household affairs. It's not that every maid in the household is like this."

Yuanyang smiled inwardly upon hearing this. The Old Matriarch's words sounded as if she herself valued the Third Young Master and had specially chosen a good maid to serve him, which was also a good way to save face in front of outsiders.

The Old Matriarch continued, "Originally, after Cong-ge'er turned fifteen, I was prepared to pick a good one for him to take into his room, but he insisted on having this Wu'er first. He is also one who protects his own."

Mother Xia was somewhat accustomed to such things in great families and didn't take it to heart, just echoing a few words.

Miss Xia, who was on the side, felt a surge of sourness rush to her head upon hearing this, and her whole person became somewhat twisted.

After all that, that woman was just a slave of the Jia family, Jia Cong's head maid, and he even wanted to take her as a concubine! No wonder she was born with that seductive look!

She had thought Jia Cong was a good person, but it turned out he was also a lecher who only liked this kind of flirtatious type. She didn't know if the nuns and actresses he had were also this kind of goods.

The Jia family was also a place without law. Jia Cong had no proper wife to discipline him, so his actions were inevitably reckless, actually holding a slave maid in such high regard!

Love Shenjing, Wenhan Street, Xiao Family Bookstore.

After Sun Shouzhen left the Huang residence, he didn't immediately return to his own residence but called for a carriage and headed toward Wenhan Street to find the Xiao Family Bookstore that Huang Hongcang had mentioned.

He was grateful for Huang Hongcang's kindness in promoting him and had long heard of Huang Hongcang's talent and literary reputation. After their conversation in the Huang residence's study, he felt even more admiration for his knowledge and breadth of mind.

Hearing Huang Hongcang speak so highly of Liu Jichuan's articles, he naturally became even more curious.

When he was a young man studying, he had occasionally heard of Liu Jichuan's deeds. Because this person missed the former Song Dynasty, he had once written articles criticizing the founding of the Great Zhou by the Taizu Emperor. Although the Taizu Emperor did not punish him for this, it was inevitable that this person would not be recognized by the Great Zhou government and would even be intentionally cold-shouldered and excluded.

For the first fifty years of the Great Zhou's founding, Liu Jichuan's articles and books, although not officially banned, were probably in a state of semi-prohibition.

But even so, Liu Jichuan's literary reputation still circulated among the literati, which showed that he must have had extraordinary qualities.

For someone like Huang Hongcang, a talent of the second rank, and other famous figures in the official and literary circles to hold his articles in such high regard, it showed that his literary foundation was extraordinary.

In fact, when Sun Shouzhen was young, he had not been without the urge to explore such taboo figures as Liu Jichuan.

It was just that a young scholar in his prime would inevitably yearn for strange and adventurous things, but Liu Jichuan's literary records were rare, and he had never had the opportunity.

The Great Zhou had been founded for nearly a hundred years. With the passage of time, no one cared about Liu Jichuan's old business, but it was still difficult to change the narrow circulation of his writings.

Now that he had received Huang Hongcang's guidance, Sun Shouzhen naturally wouldn't miss out on such an elegant interest.

Of course, Sun Shouzhen cared about this matter, and as soon as he left the Huang residence, he went looking for the Xiao Family Bookstore; there was another hidden reason for this.

When he went to pay his respects at the Huang residence, he saw that the classics were piled up on Huang Hongcang's desk in the study, many of which were in a state of being read, and there were several sheets of rice paper filled with writing.

!

Although it wasn't convenient for him to look closely, he could guess that Huang Hongcang, as one of the chief examiners for the spring examinations, bore the responsibility of drafting the examination questions.

Those piled-up classics and those ink-stained sheets of rice paper must be Huang Hongcang racking his brains to compile the examination questions.

And that "Liu Jichuan's Literary Records," the only book title he had clearly seen, was also in a state of being read. Was it also related to Huang Hongcang compiling the examination questions...

Sun Shouzhen speculating like this wasn't because he had any bad intentions; it was mainly because he was currently a co-examiner for the spring examinations, so he would naturally pay more attention to matters related to the spring examinations.

When the carriage driver found the Xiao Family Bookstore for him, Sun Shouzhen couldn't wait to enter.

The Xiao Family Bookstore was quite spacious and was one of the larger bookstores on Wenhan Street.

Perhaps because the spring examinations were approaching, most of the candidates were studying behind closed doors, and very few people would come to the bookstore to stroll around.

Plus, in the current world, books were luxury items for scholars and officials; ordinary people were busy with their three meals and keeping warm, so who had the spare money and heart to buy books?

Therefore, in the large bookstore, there weren't many people coming and going to buy books, and the popularity seemed somewhat sparse.

He saw a young man at the counter wearing a light brown, round-patterned, dark-patterned long robe. His appearance was neat, and his expression was calm. He was clicking an abacus and checking account books, looking like the bookstore manager.

In the shop, there was an old man doing odd jobs, aged fifty or sixty, with wrinkles on his cheeks and a face full of wind and frost. He wore clean, coarse cloth clothes and was holding a feather duster, slowly dusting the bookshelves.

Seeing Sun Shouzhen walking in front of the bookshelf, the old man smiled and asked, "Is this official looking for any books?"

Sun Shouzhen asked, "Old man, I heard that your shop has printed and sold 'Liu Jichuan's Literary Records.' I don't know where it's placed."

Hearing this, the old man's gaze slightly condensed, and he said, "This official, please follow me."

He took Sun Shouzhen to a bookshelf, took out a book, and handed it to him. On the cover were written the words "Liu Jichuan's Literary Records."

Sun Shouzhen smiled. "Liu Jichuan's books are very rare. I heard that only your shop sells them. It's true."

The old man also smiled. "Although Liu Jichuan himself is not very famous, his articles are quite unique. This official specifically looking for his literary records shows at a glance that you are a learned and well-informed scholar."

Sun Shouzhen had just seen the old man cleaning the bookshelf and thought he was just a servant in the bookstore, but he didn't expect his conversation to be quite extraordinary, which made him feel slightly strange.

However, he didn't care. It was reasonable for an old man doing odd jobs in a bookstore to be able to read and write and have some ink and eloquence in his belly.

He asked casually, "Liu Jichuan's fame is not obvious, and his literary records are even rarer. Only your bookstore in the Love Shenjing has them. Are there many people who come to buy them?"

The old man smiled. "This book is obscure, and not many people know about it. Even fewer know that our shop has printed it, so it doesn't sell much usually."

"But we can always sell a few copies every month. A few days ago, two young men came to buy it. Listening to their tone, they were candidates for this year's spring examinations. Although Liu Jichuan's reputation is not obvious, his literary name still circulates."

"Our manager is also a person who loves books and literature and doesn't want to rely on Liu Jichuan's literary records to make money; it's just to promote the articles of the former sages as an elegant interest."

Hearing these words, Sun Shouzhen's face also showed a smile, and he felt an extra sense of favor for this Xiao Family Bookstore.

The old man doing odd jobs in this bookstore had an ordinary appearance, but his conversation was elegant and he spoke in literary phrases. He must have been a scholar when he was young.

The manager hiring such a person to do odd jobs was mostly a business tactic to make people entering the shop feel that "there are no unlearned people among the visitors," which was also quite interesting.

Moreover, the manager knowing that Liu Jichuan's literary records couldn't make money but still printing and selling them—this kind of act of spreading literary spirit could be considered a Confucian merchant with literary spirit, which was enough to be praised.

Sun Shouzhen smiled and paid for the book, holding the volume as he exited the Xiao Family Bookstore, but just as his foot stepped out of the entrance, he suddenly stopped.

He thought of the situation in Huang Hongcang's study and just heard the old man say that candidates for the examinations had come to buy Liu Jichuan's literary records a few days ago.

Since this book was so obscure, why would candidates for the spring examinations specifically come to buy it? Was this just some kind of coincidence...

Sun Shouzhen had been an inspecting censor for several years and had long since formed a fixed way of thinking of getting to the bottom of things and reporting rumors, which was probably what later generations called an occupational disease.

Coupled with his appointment as a co-examiner for the spring examinations, he added an unusual amount of attention to all matters related to the spring examinations...

He walked back into the shop and asked the old man selling the books, "Old man, you said that candidates for the examinations also came to buy this book a few days ago. Do you remember their names?"

Hearing this, the old man looked quite surprised and said, "Why does this official ask this? That was several days ago. The old man's memory is a bit blurry; I need to think carefully."

Sun Shouzhen stepped forward and said, "I admire Liu Jichuan's articles quite a bit, I just want to find a few like-minded people to discuss literature and Dao together."

As he spoke, he took out a piece of silver and stuffed it into the old man's hand, smiling, "I have to trouble you to think carefully."

The old man took the silver without changing his expression, seemed to recall slightly, and smiled, "The old man isn't senile yet. I vaguely remember that those two candidates once addressed each other by their courtesy names."

"One was in his early twenties, courtesy name Xiwen; the other was nearly forty, courtesy name Brother Bao Kun. As for their surnames, the old man doesn't know."

Sun Shouzhen felt slightly disappointed. Knowing only the courtesy names without the specific surnames was equivalent to knowing nothing.

However, this matter was also a whim of his, so he asked the old man one more question. Even if he didn't find out the root of it, he didn't take it to heart.

The old man watched Sun Shouzhen's departing back, a cold smile of unknown meaning appearing at the corner of his mouth.

He opened the cabinet under the shelf, took out a few brand-new copies of "Liu Jichuan's Literary Records," and placed them back on the shelf.

He said to the young man clicking the abacus at the counter, "Jingdong, it was rainy a few days ago, and my old cold legs haven't settled down yet. I'm going to the pharmacy to buy some plasters to apply."

The young man didn't even lift his head, continuing to click the abacus, and said, "Uncle Qin, just go. I'm here in the shop..."

Love Shenjing, Qingliu Lane, Huang Residence.

After Sun Shouzhen left, Huang Hongcang polished the draft of the examination questions again, suddenly thought of something, and walked to the bookshelf to search.

But he searched for a long time and couldn't find what he wanted, his face looking somewhat anxious.

At this time, his daughter brought in another cup of hot ginseng tea. Seeing her father busy at the bookshelf, she asked, "Father, are you looking for something?"

Huang Hongcang said, "Last month, the son of my former classmate and old friend came to visit. Out of consideration for my old friendship with his father, I drafted some questions to guide him."

"I placed the draft of those questions on the bookshelf, but I don't know why, but now I can't find it?"

The woman put down the ginseng tea and also walked to the bookshelf to help her father search. After a while, she found a folded sheet of rice paper in another compartment of the bookshelf.

She opened it, took a look, handed it to Huang Hongcang, and said, "Father, is this the draft?"

Huang Hongcang took it, looked at it, and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "I placed it on the bookshelf, but it doesn't seem to be in that position?"

The woman said, "Father has been busy with the spring examinations recently and has exhausted too much energy. Perhaps you forgot where you put it."

Huang Hongcang carefully examined the draft in his hand and carefully compared it with the policy questions he had just polished on the desk, his expression quite solemn.

Seeing Huang Hongcang's unusual expression, the woman asked worriedly, "Father, is something wrong?"

Huang Hongcang said, "At the time, I wasn't sure I would be selected as the chief examiner. Out of consideration for an old friend, I drafted questions to guide two juniors. Now it seems a bit rash."

"But those two people's characters and actions seem to have some sense of propriety. It shouldn't be a big problem."

"It's just that I shouldn't have misremembered the storage location of this draft..."

"The spring examinations are a matter of great concern to the world and have always been full of dangers, making people unable to guard against them."

"Father is suddenly a bit worried. Although our household has few people, we are now the target of public criticism. Being careful and cautious is always right."

Huang Hongcang carefully organized all the drafts of the examination questions on the desk, including the final draft, into a stack, and carefully checked the study to ensure there were no omissions.

Seeing the manuscript in her father's hand, especially the final draft on top, the woman's heart also tightened.

Huang Hongcang lit a candle, ignited the draft, and threw it into the fire basin, turning it into ashes... (End of chapter)

Zhou Jun-xing hurriedly organized his mood and rushed to the main hall of the Court of Investigation to listen to the decree of Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao.

According to his estimation, the Spring Examination was imminent, and the chief examiner suddenly had an accident; this second imperial decree was likely related to the Spring Examination...

(End of chapter)