Who should Yu Shu go to Taishi Library to find? That could only be Feng Zhaomiao. As far as she knew, the young master of her mother's family had a good relationship with Prince Xiang's son, Liu Jiong. It should not be a problem for him to help her get in touch with Prince Xiang's mansion.
Although she did not like to owe favors, Yu Shu had never been ambiguous when it was time to be thick-skinned, not to mention this was a serious matter.
Yu Shu told the guard of Taishi Library the name of "Lotus Room" and asked someone to go in and find Feng Zhaomiao.
She was lucky today. Feng Zhaomiao happened to stay in the library and did not go elsewhere to play. When he heard that there was a young man named "Lian Fang" outside the library looking for him, he immediately thought that it was Yu Shu. He did not let her wait outside and hurriedly followed the guard to find him. When he saw that it was indeed Yu Shu, he raised a smile and greeted, "What wind is it today? Are you looking for me?"
Feng Zhaomiao was not unfamiliar with Yu Shu. There was even some kindness in his words. Firstly, it was because of the relationship between Xue Rui. Secondly, last time in Tibet, Yu Shu inadvertently reminded him so that he would no longer be in a dilemma of joining the army or learning Yi.
"You don't come without a reason. I have something to ask of you." Yu Shu smiled at him. "Have you heard about the exam question of Qigong?"
Feng Zhaomiao nodded. Although he did not participate in this year's Dayan, he had heard about the exam. "I have heard about it. Didn't I ask you to help Prince Xiang find something?"
"Exactly," Yu Shu did not beat around the bush and directly stated her intention. "I want you to help me get in touch with the housekeeper of Prince Xiang's mansion and see if you can bribe him to let me go in to inquire about the news in advance. I only have ten days to solve the problem. I don't want to sit around and waste time."
Yu Shu could see that Feng Zhaomiao, who could sneak into Tibet with her to read the papers, was not a pedantic person, so she blatantly asked him to open the back door.
Sure enough, after listening to her request, Feng Zhaomiao did not show a disdainful or unwilling expression. He just looked at Yu Shu with some puzzlement and said, "You shouldn't come to me for this. Isn't it faster to ask Brother Rui for help?"
Yu Shu's eyebrows moved. She made an excuse and said, "Isn't he away from the capital on business? He hasn't returned yet."
Not to mention that Xue Rui was not here. Even if he was here, she would not go to find him.
"He's back," Feng Zhaomiao said. "Didn't you know? Brother Rui returned to the capital with Xiang Wangye and has been back for several days. A while ago, he said that he was on official business, but in fact, he was assigned to escort Xiang Wangye back to the capital. The day before yesterday, I went to the Minister's residence to look for him. "
Yu Shu was stunned. Xue Rui had returned?
Feng Zhaomiao thought that Yu Shu didn't know and continued to say to her, "This time you really should go to Brother Rui for help. I can at most let you enter Prince Xiang's Mansion. I heard that Prince is sick. If you go there, you may not be able to see him. But if you go to Brother Rui, he will most likely let you see Prince in person and find out more inside information."
Yu Shu asked suspiciously, "What do you mean? What kind of relationship does Brother Xue have with the Prince's Mansion?"
Feng Zhaomiao let out a "Ha" and said with a strange expression, "You don't know? Princess Xiang is Old Minister Xue's beloved daughter and Brother Rui's aunt. What kind of involvement do you think this is? "
Yu Shu looked enlightened. "So that's how it is."
After half a day, the famous Prince Xiang turned out to be Xue Rui's uncle!
Feng Zhaomiao looked at Yu Shu's expression. It was clear that she didn't know about this. This made him very confused. Brother Rui specifically told him that this Miss Lianfang was his sister and asked him to take care of her. Obviously, they were not ordinary friends. Why didn't she ask Brother Rui for help with the exam? Instead, she came to him?
"Miss Lianfang, is it inconvenient for you to go to the Xue Mansion to look for someone? How about I accompany you?" Feng Zhaomiao had a good impression of Yu Shu. Putting aside Xue Rui's request, he was quite willing to help her.
Yu Shu came back to her senses. At this moment, she was in a very good mood. She thought that Xue Rui was still outside the capital. She didn't expect that he had already returned, but she didn't receive any news at all. Was it because he was too busy and forgot about her? Or did he understand what she said that night and decided not to see her?
Selfishly, she didn't want to lose Xue Rui as a friend. But after thinking about it, she knew that the possibility was not high. If it was her, if she was rejected, she wouldn't be so magnanimous. Then it was very likely that Xue Rui had thought it through and planned to cut all ties with her.
Yu Shu had a plan in her heart, so she gave up the idea of asking Feng Zhaomiao for help. She shook her head at him and said, "No need. I can go by myself. Thank you for telling me this."
She came to find Feng Zhaomiao because of Xue Rui's face. However, if Xue Rui wanted to cut ties with her, they wouldn't even be friends. She had no right to ask Feng Zhaomiao for help. This was not appropriate.
Yu Shu ignored the gloominess in her heart and told herself that this was also quite good.
Feng Zhaomiao smiled, "Why are you so polite? How did you come? Do you want me to let the carriage send you?"
Yu Shu said, "I am sitting on the sedan chair. It won't be troublesome. You can go and busy yourself. I will see you another day. After bidding farewell to Feng Zhaomiao, Yu Shu went to the street and sat on the sedan chair. She didn't turn anywhere and went straight to Xiang Prince Fu.
The number of people in the afternoon was not lesser than the morning. There were a few who didn't submit their invitation during the day and went to queue again. In the end, after standing for an entire afternoon, Yu Shu's name was still not called. However, there were a few people who came from the center who went in early.
When the sky darkened, Xiang Prince Fu closed the doors and rejected all visitors. Before closing the door, he left behind a sentence which made the group of people who had waited bitterly for an entire day in front of the door so angry that their mouths twitched.
"It's getting late. Those who didn't line up today, please come back tomorrow to submit your invitation."
Yu Shu was silently in the crowd. After listening to the notice, she turned her head and left. The first thing she did when she got home was to take out a hundred taels banknotes from the money box. She wrote a new invitation, sealed it with a hard letter and stuffed the banknotes inside.
Tomorrow, she would rely on this one hundred taels to enter Xiang Prince Fu. If she couldn't enter, then she would wait for another two days. There were so many people accompanying her and she wasn't the only one who was cheated.
On the third day of the examination of the Art of Arcane Arts, Yu Shu waited outside the Xiang Prince's Mansion before dawn. As soon as the gates of the Xiang Prince's Mansion opened, she squeezed to the front. Yesterday's invitation cards were all wasted, so she had to line up again.
Before Yu Shu went out, she did a divination and knew that today would not go well. But she didn't think that it would be in such a way.
The housekeeper opened the letter and saw the banknotes in it. Without saying anything, he hid it in his sleeve and told her without blinking to wait for her name to be called.
At this time, Yu Shu still didn't know whether this matter was successful or not, so she retreated and waited. After lunch, when the door of Xiang Prince Fu closed again, there were guests coming and going, but it was still not her turn to enter.
Before the door closed, Yu Shu squeezed to the front and shouted "Housekeeper Zhao" a few times. Her voice was so loud that it attracted the attention of the surrounding people. However, the housekeeper in charge of receiving the invitation did not even turn his head and she was pushed by the guards outside the door.
Yu Shu knew that this was a guy who didn't care about his face. It would be a lie to say that she wasn't angry. One hundred taels of silver was wasted. Besides feeling distressed, she couldn't do anything.
This was the situation. She had to bow her head.
It was no wonder that people joked that this strange skill did not test one's ability but one's family background. Those with a little family background had already entered the Prince Fu. The rest of the people could only endure and rely on their luck.
Being snubbed, Yu Shu left Xiang Prince Fu and went to the Human Training Hall. There was no other way. She couldn't enter the Prince Fu, so she could only listen to some gossip outside. It was better than nothing.
Her trip to the Human Training Hall was not in vain. After two days, as more people entered the Prince Fu, one or two pieces of insider information came out. Those who heard it were surprised.
Firstly, the 'lost item' that Prince Xiang was looking for was not a treasure like the golden horse or the emerald carriage, nor was it a bird or a cat, but an ordinary painting.
This was guessed correctly.
Secondly, the painting was lost on the way back to the capital. Before it was lost, Prince Xiang had been keeping it, but he couldn't remember when he lost it.
Someone deduced that it could have been stolen by someone else.
Most people thought so, even Yu Shu was no exception. Since it was a treasure, of course it would be taken good care of. If it disappeared for no reason, it must have been stolen by someone.
If that was the case, then it would be more difficult to find it.
Someone was dissatisfied and complained, "This theft should be investigated by the officials. Why did it become our exam this year? We are testing Master Yi, not constables. How can we be involved in solving cases?"
"Yes, yes. This question is not good. Not good!"
"Really, it's even more difficult than the astrology exam!"
There were people below who agreed, but there were also people who didn't agree. They said coldly from the second floor —
"This is the Da yan examination. If the questions were too easy, wouldn't everyone be able to pass and become Master Yi? What's the point of testing? We, who study Yi, should aim to know what will happen in life, to become a Master Yi, and to have a good life. If you don't have this awareness, then why are you participating in the Da yan examination? Go home early."
Hearing this, the examinees who were shouting about how difficult the questions were all flushed with shame. Yu Shu looked up with interest at the person who mocked them. She saw that it was a young man, not more than seventeen or nineteen years old. He had delicate features and thin lips. He looked like someone who didn't hold back his words. Yu Shu agreed with his words. She saw that he was magnanimous and wanted to chat. She ordered a pot of wine from the waiter and brought it up to the second floor.
The young man was dressed plainly and sat alone at a table. There was only a plate of peanuts and a plate of pickled radish on the table. He held a book in his hand and there wasn't even a pot of wine.
"Brother, shall we share a table?" Yu Shu put the wine pot in her hand on the table in front of him and asked with a smile.
The young man raised his head from the book and glanced at Yu Shu. He pointed at the table opposite him and said, "Sit."
Yu Shu took the empty cups on the table and poured two cups of wine. She handed one to him. She didn't care if he was drinking or not. She took a sip first and initiated a conversation, "My surname is Yu and my name is Shu. May I ask for brother's surname?"
"Wen Shao 'an." This person didn't beat around the bush.
"Brother Wen," Yu Shu changed the way she addressed him. It was obvious that she was familiar with him, "May I ask, have you been to Xiang Wang Fu?"
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