His Majesty personally adjudicated the case, declaring Taiyuan Prefecture’s local examinations free of fraud, rightfully restoring Lian Mu’s honor as Jieyuan, summoning the Grand Tutor back to the Capital. At the sa ti, the scholars of Taiyuan Prefecture who conspired to spread rumors and unwarranted accusations were stripped of their academic titles, barred from participating in the imperial examinations for the next twenty years, thus vindicating the Grand Tutor and Lian Mu and upholding the integrity of the imperial examination system.
When he heard this news, joy welled up in his heart. He had passed His Majesty’s scrutiny, and his other exam paper must have been kept by His Majesty. What a relief...
After the results ca out, he no longer needed to stay at the Imperial Academy, so he imdiately packed his bags and planned to head ho at once.
He worried about how Xiao Bao and his family were faring; despite the constant stream of ssages, he couldn’t help feeling anxious.
But leaving was easier said than done.
Walking from his residence at the Imperial Academy to its main gate, a journey that should have been brief, inexplicably took him an entire day.
Minister Jia and Brother Liang, by all ans, would not let him leave imdiately. Such a happy occasion, they insisted, could not be postponed to another day; it must be celebrated today!
The other instructors and students of the Imperial Academy were even more reluctant to see him go, surrounding him and engaging in fervent conversations.
While he was surrounded by everyone, Minister Qin, who had been absent for several days, returned. He looked a far cry from his usual refined appearance: his scholarly face was scruffy, his clothes wrinkled, bearing a bit of a reckless and unruly air.
Upon returning and seeing the crowd around him, he simply declared that he would teach today’s lessons at the Imperial Academy. Dragging him to Chongwen Pavilion, he insisted that he give the students a lecture centered on the concept of "integrity."
Whether it was Minister Jia, Liang Qi, or even Minister Qin, every person at the Imperial Academy had offered him much help.
He didn’t decline their request and understood the profound implications behind Minister Qin’s actions. Since he had so energy to spare, he agreed to fulfill their request.
Before starting his lecture, he made a special request for soone to go outside the Imperial Academy and find Wu Sheng, so he could send word ho that he would be back later.
This delay lasted quite so ti.
As he was finally about to leave, the people from the Imperial Academy ca to see him off at the gate; when he looked out, he was stunned once more.
The entire Shanxue Square was crowded with people who had co just to see him—ordinary folks and students alike.
So had reportedly been waiting for a whole day, unwilling to disperse.
Seeing the gates of the Imperial Academy open, the crowd surged forward, blocking the exit completely.
He felt helpless and finally understood the burden of fa.
He bowed to the crowd, offered a few words of persuasion, and with the help of students from the Imperial Academy, as well as Minister Jia’s "persuasion" (intimidation), the crowd gradually dispersed.
At last, he could return ho.
To avoid any trouble, he deliberately took the back door of the Imperial Academy, declining Minister Qin’s offer to escort him, and set out alone with his baggage on the less-traveled paths.
Yet, he hadn’t expected to encounter Xue Ping.
He had already heard about Xue Ping’s situation and a significant question had lodged itself in his heart.
The Imperial Heir had t with misfortune, embroiling many people, including Xue Ping’s daughter, Noble Consort Xue, and the daughter of Great General Xu, Consort De, from within the Harem.
There was one person, however, who seed to have been overlooked, almost as if deliberately downplayed, barely appearing in the gaze of the Capital’s populace—the consort carrying the Imperial Heir.
Who was this consort, and what had beco of her now?
The folks knew nothing about it.
Xiao Bao hadn’t sent any word regarding this either; he hoped it was just his overthinking...
Harboring these concerns, he was not mindful of the path beneath his feet and was almost run down by Xue Ping’s rapidly approaching carriage, leading up to the previous scene.
After the incident was resolved, he bid farewell to the friendly citizens and hurriedly set off in the direction of his ho. It was then that soone touched him from behind.
He turned his head to look and saw an old man wearing a Confucian robe and a silk headdress, thin and wiry, with a face full of delighted surprise as he smiled at him, "Are you Lian Mu? I recognize you."
Lian Musu was puzzled, "Who are you?"
He didn’t recall ever seeing this person before...
Within Canglan Court.
Master Huang Zude sat with an air of maturity in a cottage that Lian Hua had asked Xiao Qing and a few others to "carefully" arrange as a guest room.
To his left on the table was a dicine chest, and to his right were lon seeds, pastries, and tea; none of the pastries had been touched, though so of the tea had been drunk.
At that mont, he was passionately discussing with Xiao Jizi matters of dicine, pharmacology, acupuncture, and complex diseases, and so on...
Xiao Jizi would occasionally chi in, but, actually, he didn’t need to—Huang Zude could keep going on his own.
He felt utterly despondent inside.
How to put it—no one else was to bla; he had underestimated the task his own master had given him.
He had thought the task would be quite easy; just invite soone over, have so tea, and chat a bit. What was so hard about that? It was supposed to be a sure thing, wasn’t it?
The difficulty lay in the fact that Huang Zude was no ordinary person—he was a consummate dicine fanatic, interested only in The Art of Qihuang, apart from the Emperor; he found everyday household chatter utterly uninteresting and was not versed in it!
Xiao Jizi, having seen the visitor to the guest room and seated him, spoke up, "Would Master Huang care to dine?"
"Mm, let’s begin."
He instantly opened the dicine chest, ready to take his patient’s pulse.
Xiao Jizi, following the planned delaying tactic, said, "Xiao Qing is still attending to our master, and Xiao Linzi has gone on an errand as ordered by our master. Could I trouble Master Huang to wait a bit longer, perhaps have so pastries or snack on so lon seeds in the anti?"
His excuse was that Xiao Linzi had a subtle and sowhat unntionable ailnt, and Xiao Qing, who had experienced a stomachache and taken dicine during her last nstrual period, was due for a follow-up examination to review her condition. Both were good servants taking care of our master and His Majesty, and it was especially important for them to be in good health to do their work well, which was why they had specifically requested Master Huang’s visit.
After he finished speaking, Huang Zude nodded and glanced at the pastries and lon seeds.
At that glance, Master Huang’s dark face furrowed into a frown, asking if Beauty Lian also ate such pastries?
Xiao Jizi, not understanding the reason for the question, thought to himself that his master probably did eat them, so he honestly expressed his thoughts, "She does eat them."
His master ate everything, and surely she ate such tasty pastries.
This was trouble—Huang Zude imdiately stood up, intending to treat his master, saying that such fried pastries were very drying, and since Beauty Lian was just recovering from dryness due to pregnancy, she absolutely should not eat them.
If she had indeed eaten them, as an Imperial Physician, he must attend to her and, if necessary, prescribe dicine.
Xiao Jizi was startled—great heavens, if his master knew he had led the physician to feel her pulse, and he even intended to prescribe dicine, she would surely beat him to death with a rattan cane.
He quickly explained that his master did eat such pastries, but she hadn’t eaten these particular ones.
In his rush, he had not expressed himself well, leaving Master Huang completely confused by his contradictory statents.
Only after speaking did Xiao Jizi realize he’d spoken incorrectly.
He reorganized his thoughts and explained that at first, he misunderstood the question, thinking it was about whether his master liked such pastries or would eat this type of pastry.
The earlier "She does eat them" ant his master presumably liked such pastries, but in actuality, Nanny Qi, who was responsible for supervising, didn’t allow her to eat them, hence she hadn’t eaten any.
After the explanation, Master Huang felt reassured and resud his seat.
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