In the evening, Ji Xingxuan hurried back to the Ji mansion. Seeing a carriage parked in front of the door, she knew that there were guests. She called the housekeeper who was working in the front courtyard and asked, "What guest has come?"
"Miss, you've returned. It's Scholar Zhao from the Taishi Library. The Great Master is entertaining him in the warm room."
Ji Xingxuan frowned and gave the housekeeper a few instructions. Then, she quickly walked in the direction of the rear courtyard. When she arrived in front of the warm room, she first had the servant girl waiting outside go in to report before lifting her skirt and entering the room.
There were two people sitting in the tea room. The older one was Ji Huaishan, and the other was a middle-aged man dressed in cinnabar robes. He was one of the scholars of the Taishi Library, Zhao Zhixue.
"Uncle Zhao."
Zhao Zhixue said amiably, "Ah, Xingxuan, have you just returned from the library? I heard from your grandfather that you've been studying very late these past few days before returning home. Although the Dayan Examination is near, it's good to work hard, but don't tire yourself out. "
"Thank you for your concern, Uncle. Xingxuan has been rude and disturbed your discussion." Ji Xingxuan first apologized. Then, she turned to Ji Huaishan, who was brewing tea with a silver silk bamboo, and said, "Grandfather, I have a friend who wants to borrow our family's Big Dipper Ruler. Can you accompany me to get it?"
Seeing her slightly anxious expression, Ji Huaishan's eyebrows trembled. He turned to Zhao Zhixue and said helplessly, "This child has been spoiled by me. She always casually borrows valuable items. I'll go with her to get it. You sit and drink your tea. We'll continue our discussion later."
Zhao Zhixue smiled and said, "Old Ji should be content. If our Liu 'er was as sensible as Xingxuan, I would be laughing even in my dreams. You can go, I'll wait. I'm not an outsider."
Ji Huaishan stood up and walked out with Ji Xingxuan. The two of them left the Warm Pavilion and went outside. Not too far from the courtyard, Ji Huaishan waved his servants away and stopped to ask Ji Xingxuan, "What happened? Why are you so flustered?"
Although there was no one around, Ji Xingxuan still lowered her voice and said, "Someone seems to have found out about the theft."
Ji Huaishan's expression suddenly changed, and he said in a deep voice, "What's going on? Tell me in detail. "
Ji Xingxuan then hastily recounted how she received the anonymous letter at the entrance of the library after school. She then took out the letter from her bosom and handed it to Ji Huaishan with both hands. "Look, the person in the letter says that she found an old item from twenty years ago. Isn't it referring to Yunhua Yi Zi's examination paper?"
Ji Huaishan brought the letter to the light of the lantern and read it carefully. On it was written: 'Miss Ji, this lowly one has come across an old item from twenty years ago. I know that Miss is in great need of it and wishes to fulfill your wish. Don't worry, Miss, this lowly one has no other intentions but to ask for an item from Miss. If you are interested, we will meet at noon the next day on Qianyuan Street in front of the Eternal Spring Square. One item for one item, the best of both worlds. If we do not meet at that time, I will assume that you have no intention of exchanging. When Ji Huaishan saw this letter, his complexion was not much better than Ji Xingxuan's. This clearly showed that the theft had been leaked.
Although he believed that his hands and feet were clean and did not leave behind any evidence of the theft, the sudden arrival of such a letter inevitably made him feel as if there was a blade on his back. He was frightened.
"This person said that he wants me to give him an item in exchange. He did not specify what it was, nor did he specifically say anything. After thinking about it, I'm afraid that what he wants is this Calamity Blocking Stone." Ji Xingxuan hesitantly rolled up her sleeve, revealing the yellow stone bead on her wrist that was threaded with a red string.
Ji Huaishan furrowed his brows and asked suspiciously, "Even I, your grandfather, do not recognize this bead. If not for the Junior Supervisor who came to visit the estate and saw it by chance, giving you a few pointers and explaining its use, you might not have known that it was a treasure. Didn't I tell you to keep it well and not show it to others? Did you mention it to anyone and let it slip?"
"I have never mentioned it to anyone else. I don't know how this person found out." Ji Xingxuan shook her head. She held her wrist and thought, "But since he could see it, he must be someone I know. Do you still remember that day when I went with Liu 'er to the library to look for the exam papers? At that time, I sensed that someone was one step ahead of us. Maybe that person really has Yunhua Yi Zi's exam papers. Grandfather, what do you think we should do?"
The grandfather and granddaughter were silent for a moment. Ji Huaishan first said cautiously, "Regardless of where this person came from, tomorrow you will go as promised. I will send a few more guards to secretly follow you and investigate this person's identity. If he really has that exam paper in his hands …"
He paused and his eyes became fierce. "You must get it."
Ji Xingxuan lowered her head and fiddled with the small bead on her wrist. She said, "I am worried that this person might also be an examinee of the Grand Yan Examination. Since he knows the questions, how could he not answer them during the exam? If that person also leaked the questions to someone else, even if I know the answers, with Liu 'er meimei's help, we might not only get three grades for that subject. We might even get four or five grades. What's the point of that?"
To this statement, Ji Huaishan disagreed. He stroked his beard and said, "You worry too much. This is the Grand Yan Examination. Who would easily leak the answers to someone else? Even if he is that magnanimous, he has to think about whether it will bring trouble upon himself. This person must have a brain to write to you anonymously. Although he is greedy, he knows the principle of making the best use of everything. He definitely wouldn't do such a foolish thing. You can go tomorrow with peace of mind. Grandfather will definitely not let you lose this Rock of Disaster."
Ji Xingxuan still wanted to say something, but Ji Huaishan waved his hand and interrupted her. He handed the letter back to her. "Take it and burn it. I still have something to discuss with your Uncle Zhao. You go back to your room and rest. I will arrange the details tomorrow morning.
Ji Xingxuan clutched the letter and watched the old man leave. She raised her head to look at the stars in the sky and frowned. She had a vague premonition that things wouldn't go so smoothly.
There were only a few days left in November. Seeing that the Grand Yan Examination was just around the corner, Yu Shu had been reading Yi Li's essays day and night, as if she was preparing for the exam.
Tonight, however, she turned off the lights early and went to bed. This made Yu Xiaoxiu, who had finally gotten used to sleeping with the lights on, feel very strange. In the dark, separated by a screen, he asked Yu Shu on the other side of the bed, "Sister, are you going to study tonight?"
"Oh, I have to go out tomorrow. Rest early." Yu Shu yawned and turned over. Her hand touched the side of the pillow and grabbed a ball of fluffy Kim Bao. She casually pushed this little thing, which had a nest but didn't sleep in, to the head of the bed. She didn't want it to squeak and wake up if she accidentally rolled over in the middle of the night.
She had business to attend to the next day, so she had to get enough sleep tonight.
"Sister, why didn't Brother Xue come to our house to play these days?" Yu Xiaoxiu asked as he rested his head on his arm. Xue Rui had visited their house frequently a while ago, so he intentionally corrected Yu Xiaoxiu's words. As a result, Yu Xiaoxiu no longer addressed him as Big Brother Cao.
"Busy yourself. Your Brother Xue is an official. He has to go to the yamen to work every day. How can he have so much free time?" Yu Shu closed her eyes and felt a little sleepy.
"Oh." Yu Xiaoxiu was silent for a while and then said, "When he came back last time, he said that he would take me to ride a horse next time when we rest in the study. I don't know if he has forgotten."
Hearing the expectation in the child's words, Yu Shu opened one eyelid, "Why do you want to ride a horse? I thought you didn't like to do it? "
The other side of the screen said shyly, "No. It's just that among my classmates, I'm the worst at riding. I'm always laughed at."
Seeing that he was willing to confess, Yu Shu was not afraid of hurting his self-esteem. She chuckled a few times and then comforted him, "Well, next time I see him, I will help you ask him. Your Brother Xue is a man of his words. Don't worry, go to sleep."
"Oh." Yu Xiaoxiu grinned and rubbed his head on the pillow. Not long after, he fell asleep. Yu Shu, on the other hand, was no longer sleepy because of his words. She thought that she should learn how to ride a horse. It was much more convenient than sitting in a sedan chair or carriage.
However, it seemed that a bad horse cost hundreds of taels of silver. The daily grass was more expensive than the food people ate. She couldn't afford it now, and there was no extra space in the yard to keep a horse. Otherwise, she could buy one first.
Imagining the heroic scene of riding a horse one day, Yu Shu gradually fell asleep.
The next morning, as soon as Yu Xiaoxiu went out, Yu Shu first changed the medicine on Jing Chen's hand, and then went into the room to busy herself.
Yesterday, she sent a letter to Ji Xingxuan to make a deal at noon on Qianyuan Street. Although she didn't really plan to show her face, she was very unlucky. In case she met Ji Xingxuan and was recognized, she decided to disguise herself.
Of course, she didn't have the ability to disguise herself, but Yu Shu still had a way to dress up so that no one could recognize her. She fished out an old dress from the cabinet, cut a few holes, tore the hem of the dress, and put it on over the cotton jacket. She untied her hair, combed it into a crooked bun, and tied it with a piece of cloth that she tore off from her clothes. She looked at herself in the mirror. Except for her pale face and delicate facial features, she looked like a beggar begging on the street.
After turning around with satisfaction, Yu Shu swaggered out. Jing Chen was sitting in the main room waiting for her. Just now, he heard her tossing and turning in the room, and when he saw her sloppy "behavior", something suddenly flashed through his mind. He was startled, and his face showed a bit of confusion. "How did you get yourself into this?"
"In case someone recognized me," Yu Shu answered vaguely. She went into the kitchen, scraped a layer of soot, and patted it on her face. She washed her hands, and then walked into the main room with her hands on her hips. She smiled at Jing Chen, showing her white teeth, and said proudly, "How is it? Can you still recognize me when I'm dressed like this?"
Jing Chen said honestly, "I can recognize you no matter what you're dressed like."
Seeing that he didn't give her face, Yu Shu didn't feel angry. Instead, she was a bit happy. She snorted and went back to the room to get the bamboo hat that she bought yesterday. She walked in front of Jing Chen, put it on his head, and tied a knot under his white chin. Her eyes stayed on his face for a moment, and then she raised her hand to pull down the white gauze on the brim of the hat, covering his handsome face.
She took two steps back, looked at him carefully, and shook her head with a smile. She wanted to dress him up as a beggar, but she couldn't help it. He was a natural beauty, and even if he wore ragged clothes, he didn't look like a lowly person.
"Okay, let's go." Yu Shu hung the key around her neck and unlocked the door.
"You still haven't told me where we're going today." Jing Chen gently twisted the overly tight rope on his chin, got up, and walked toward her.
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