As the gates of the Gongyuan opened, the tense brothers finally breathed sighs of relief.
Zheng Ruqian was the first to tease, "I wonder if big brother got splashed with ink all over, or took a tumble landing on his back."
"Or maybe he just tripped, or was falsely accused of cheating," Chang Yan followed.
Tricks they had anxiously encountered five years ago at the entrance exam for tongsheng students, now so casually brought up.
Only Wen Zhiyun with slightly pale face was taciturn, using his eyes to search the crowd.
They saw Qi Huai, saw An Jun, saw countless students brushing past, and finally found Xu Mo standing upright amidst the surging tide of people.
The young man was as composed as always, showing no flustered confusion from intentional bullying, nor panic from scheming plots, but rather an indescribable gravitas.
Behind him were two yan runners, blades in hand, clearing the crowd as they protected him to the end.
"Wasn't bullied." Jiang Sheng cheered up, "Father's repeated warnings did the trick, the Fangs didn't make things difficult for big brother."
To be precise, Fang Yuan's sches were unsuccessful, and the Fangs didn't try anything underhanded either.
But was this really a good thing?
The previously relaxed brothers all sobered up, looking at the equally grave Xu Mo as he bid the yan runners farewell and slowly walked over.
"Big brother," Jiang Sheng had just gotten ready to rush over, but was held back.
Chang Yan pulled her back with one hand, looking left and right, and only said, "Let's go ho first."
The siblings got into the carriage one by one, Zheng Ruqian casually grabbing the horsewhip, smacking the red maned horse's bottom.
With one person sitting outside driving, and five sitting inside discussing matters, it had beco their rare dynamic.
"What's going on with you all?" Jiang Sheng sensed sothing amiss, "Shouldn't you all be happy that big brother is fine?"
Chang Yan shook his head.
No no no.
When it ca to prominent families, one couldn't just look at the superficial surface, but had to consider deeper, more penetrating thoughts.
Everyone in the city of Fengjing knew that the Fangs held a grudge against Xu Mo, both sides determined to take first place in the exams, and they clashed right before the test too.
Based on normal logical deduction, the Fangs wouldn't let Xu Mo off easily, and would definitely rack their brains to make trouble, thinking of ways to sabotage the exam.
Yet they didn't do anything.
rely leaving an uncertain sche before the exam, the Fangs actually didn't make a single move, allowing Xu Mo to perform to his fullest. They could only be brewing up a big move.
Once unleashed, it would be able to destroy heaven and earth, defeating the Xu siblings.
"Could it be they want to kill big brother?" Having experienced assassination attempts, Fang Heng clenched his fists. "Back then, they wanted to silence , and now they want to use the sa tactic?"
But they were no longer the tender youths of ten years old or younger.
Behind Xu Mo stood the Du, Qi and Zhao families. Behind Jiang Sheng stood the Jiang and Yao families. Fang Heng was also a platoon leader with three hundred troops. Wen Zhiyun's dical knowledge was slowly infiltrating the top families. Zheng Ruqian had also taken on the task of supplying lychees.
They didn't have sizzling oil cauldrons, but they certainly weren't to be bullied.
Moreover, there were countless Fengjing citizens watching this exam, watching the Fangs' every move.
"It shouldn't go as far as taking his life." Xu Mo finally spoke up, voice cold and aloof, "If the Fangs truly persecuted before the exam results, it would be the sa as admitting to cheating."
There were loopholes in his words.
Jiang Sheng also finally walked ahead of the brothers in understanding, "Then after the exam ends, they can persecute big brother?"
She grinned widely, identical to a small dog anticipating its owner's pat on the head after doing sothing right.
Chang Yan didn't have the heart to disillusion her, and could only equivocate with a nod.
"You silly Jiang Sheng, how could that happen." Zheng Ruqian was shouting nonsense from the carriage driver's seat outside. "With big brother getting first place, what reason would they have to persecute him?"
Indeed, this back and forth contention between both sides was for the sake of that top spot on the rankings.
Jiang Sheng drooped again, like an eggplant hit by frost, head hanging low in gloom.
Although she also felt she was quite smart herself, she was always just that tiny bit behind the brothers.
"Alright alright, there's still six days until the end of exams. Even if the Fangs want to persecute soone, they'd have to wait until after. No need to fret about counterasures yet." Xu Mo smiled as he changed topics. "As for little fourth, why so crestfallen? Did sothing happen?"
Ever since leaving Fan Temple, Wen Zhiyun hadn't spoken a word. Even now seeing Xu Mo, he remained silent, seeming preoccupied, yet also like he was suppressing sothing.
"Little fourth, did your brothers bully you?" Xu Mo stroked his head. "If sothing's bothering you, tell your big brother."
Wen Zhiyun pursed his lips, his chin pointy and white, exuding a feeble aura.
"I'll explain big brother." Jiang Sheng volunteered eagerly. "We went to Fan Temple today and so much happened..."
She recounted the Liao, Lv and Jiang families switching children tale with dramatic twists and turns, as captivating as a teahouse storyteller.
The little girl enunciated clearly with articulate tongue, showing no self-awareness that she was talking about herself, leaving even Xu Mo astonished at her story.
"Afterwards when that young miss sprained her ankle, little fourth probably tired himself out treating her." Jiang Sheng scratched her head. "But isn't a sprain easy to treat? How could little fourth get so exhausted, is his constitution too weak?"
Wen Zhiyun couldn't provide an answer to that, avoiding their gazes as he lowered his head.
Xu Mo sensed sothing off, seamlessly changing topics again. "Since you all haven't eaten lunch even till now, you must be starving?"
"We sure are, we're dying of hunger. But we wanted to wait for you to eat together." As if on cue, soone called out. "I hope auntie has prepared the dishes, so we can start eating as soon as we get ho."
Just then, the carriage stopped.
Zheng Ruqian standing at the reins got up to tie them, and Zhang Xianglian, hearing the noise, rushed over to open the door.
"You're finally back! Is lunch ready? The pot's still heating chicken stewed mushrooms!" She shouted loudly.
"Starving, starving to death! Auntie quickly scoop out two large bowls of rice!" Jiang Sheng shouted back equally loudly, jumping off the carriage first.
Fang Heng and Zheng Ruqian followed right after, famished stomachs rumbling.
Xu Mo and Wen Zhiyun were half a step slower, inquiring about the real condition behind the Jiang young miss's injury.
Chang Yan walked last. In his mind, his siblings' words echoed repeatedly.
"So after the exam ends, they can persecute big brother?"
"With big brother getting first place, what reason would they have to persecute him?"
Everyone seed convinced that getting top spot in the exams would end things.
No, that wasn't right. After the exams ca the palace exam. Becoming the zhuangyuan was the pinnacle of the imperial exams!
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