APSIL -Chapter 65 Before Entering the Duke’s Residence

Seventh…

Zhang Shou’s first reaction was that he had misheard.

His second was that A-Liu—who never joked—had somehow, for the first time in his life, learned how to make one.

Yet when he stared at A-Liu’s face, he found not the slightest trace of amusement.

He couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath.

This had to be true.

If it weren’t, all he had to do was send someone to verify the results, and A-Liu’s “joke” would be exposed instantly.

He immediately began thinking the matter through carefully when Zhu Ying’s puzzled voice interrupted him.

“A-Shou, I remember you saying before that it was already lucky enough for Qi Liang to pass the county exam. How did he perform this well in the prefectural exam? This was the examination for students from every county under the entire Shuntian Prefecture, and he still placed seventh? Could Prefect Wang have been giving Grandpa Ge face?”

“Impossible!”

Deng Xiaodai shook his head vigorously.

“Prefect Wang has always been upright and impartial. Although he’s Grand Tutor Ge’s student, he would never show favoritism. Ever since he took office, even the clerks at the Shuntian Prefecture have behaved themselves. Let alone Little Qi, who’s only Grand Tutor Ge’s grand-disciple—he wouldn’t give special treatment even to Grand Tutor Ge’s own son.”

Zhang Shou had briefly wondered whether Prefect Wang, who had personally sent men to escort Ge Yong to Rongshui Village, might be the type to curry favor with his teacher.

But after hearing Deng Xiaodai’s explanation, he dismissed the possibility entirely.

After a moment’s silence, he made a decision.

“All right, let’s not stand around talking here. Yingying, send someone to copy the examination list—or buy a copied version if someone’s already selling one. Make sure it includes everyone’s names and hometowns.”

As Zhu Ying immediately dispatched a guard to do so, he thought for a moment before adding, “Yingying, would it be all right if I bring Little Qi and Xiaodai with us to the Duke of Zhao’s residence?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? Compared to the people in Cuiyun Pavilion, they’re Grandpa Ge’s genuine grand-disciples!”

Zhu Ying smiled brightly at Qi Liang and Deng Xiaodai. Seeing Qi Liang standing there in a daze, she couldn’t help but scold him.

“You’re a grown man. Learn to stay calm when something happens! What’s there to be afraid of? Come with A-Shou and me to the Duke of Zhao’s residence. I’m sure we’ll think of something.”

Only then did Qi Liang snap back to reality.

He glanced at Zhang Shou, and seeing him nod calmly, finally relaxed a little.

Even so, he still walked with his head hanging low—until someone smacked him hard on top of it.

“At worst, you’re just an innocent bystander caught up in something neither too big nor too small.”

Zhang Shou withdrew the hand he’d just used to smack him and smiled.

“Unlike me. I was sitting quietly at home when trouble literally fell from the sky. First the Provincial Graduate and the National Academy Dormitory Prefect came looking for trouble. Then I somehow ran into an assassin. I had barely reached the capital before people surrounded my teacher’s residence.”

Qi Liang looked up in shock.

An assassin?

He was completely dumbfounded.

“So,” Zhang Shou continued with a grin, “we should learn from Yingying—always hold your head high, stay full of confidence, act as though nothing can defeat you… and be gloriously carefree.”

At first, Zhu Ying had been delighted to hear him praising her.

But when she heard the last four words, her face immediately fell.

“What do you mean gloriously carefree?”

Fuming, she spurred her horse forward and chased after him, raising a delicate fist as though to punch him.

Yet the moment she saw his handsome, refined face, she unconsciously lowered her hand.

After glaring at him in annoyance, she simply snorted, turned her horse around, and galloped off toward the front of the procession.

Watching the sulking young lady ride ahead, Zhang Shou couldn’t help smiling.

He beckoned Deng Xiaodai closer.

Leaning down slightly from horseback, he lowered his voice.

“Xiaodai, what became of Zhu Yu after he was taken to the Shuntian Prefecture?”

Deng Xiaodai glanced around.

Seeing A-Liu riding guard on Zhang Shou’s left while the Duke of Zhao’s guards had all hurried off after the young lady, he edged even closer.

“Young Master, after Zhu Yu was brought in, Prefect Wang handed him over to Magistrate Song. Magistrate Song deliberately waited until yesterday before holding a public trial.”

“Zhu Yu insisted he had been wronged, but Magistrate Song ruled that he’d used clever words to sow discord. As a servant who slandered his own master, his crime was even more serious.”

“The bailiffs slapped him repeatedly with bamboo paddles until his face was covered in blood.”

“After that, Magistrate Song had him caned twenty times before throwing him out of the prefectural office.”

“I secretly slipped outside afterward and saw people from the Duke of Zhao’s residence there too. They publicly declared that the prefectural office had judged the case fairly, and from then on, Zhu Yu’s life or death had nothing to do with the Duke’s residence.”

“But if he happened to die or disappear within the next ten days or half month, then someone behind the scenes must have been trying to silence him.”

“I also heard that before he was even delivered to the prefectural office, all his martial arts had already been crippled.”

“When they dumped him near Xisi Archway yesterday, he looked absolutely miserable. Even the beggars spat on him. He deserved it.”

The magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture had judged the case fairly.

The Duke of Zhao’s residence, meanwhile, clearly understood how to throw a convenient accusation onto someone else’s head.

Perhaps they were even pursuing the same objective—

Hoping someone would try to kill Zhu Yu…

Or that Zhu Yu himself wouldn’t be able to endure it and would expose the mastermind.

That was Zhang Shou’s conclusion, but he asked no further questions.

He was only interested in where Zhu Yu had ended up—not in what happened to him.

“Enough about him.”

He smiled.

“How have you been settling into your work at the prefectural office?”

For the rest of the journey, Zhang Shou carefully asked Deng Xiaodai about his experiences serving as a clerk at the Shuntian Prefecture, while also questioning Qi Liang in detail about everything that had happened during the examination.

His attitude toward each of them was noticeably different.

With Deng Xiaodai, it was simple concern mixed with curiosity.

With Qi Liang, every question was deliberate and cautious.

The two youths understood that distinction perfectly.

Deng Xiaodai spoke only of good news, never mentioning hardships.

Qi Liang, meanwhile, recounted every detail of the examination without leaving anything out.

They talked all the way until Zhu Ying suddenly came galloping back toward them.

Only then did Zhang Shou rein in his horse.

The Duke of Zhao’s residence had arrived.

Sure enough, Zhu Ying had completely abandoned her earlier act of pouting.

She squeezed Qi Liang and Deng Xiaodai aside, rode up beside Zhang Shou, cleared her throat, and said, “A-Shou, my grandmother is a wonderful person. When you meet her, don’t act too cautiously. Just be yourself.”

“She’s just like me.”

“She loves beautiful people, whether they’re men or women.”

“With your refined appearance and elegant bearing, she’ll definitely like you.”

Right…

So your grandmother is just like you… and just like my teacher Ge.

An incurable face-con.

That was what Zhang Shou thought inwardly.

Outwardly, however, he nodded obediently.

“Don’t worry. I’m meeting your grandmother, not some fearsome beast. I’ll naturally show her proper respect, but I won’t act timid.”

I’m not worried you’ll be timid…

I’m worried you’ll be too polite.

Actually… it’d be much better if you acted a little closer to her…

That was what Zhu Ying was thinking.

But with Qi Liang and Deng Xiaodai riding nearby, she couldn’t very well say it outright.

She could only mumble vaguely, “Just… make sure you get the balance right.”

By the time they reached the Duke of Zhao’s residence, the sun was already beginning to set.

Golden evening light bathed the stone guardian lions before the gates, making the already magnificent mansion appear even more resplendent.

Zhang Shou couldn’t help taking a few extra glances.

What he didn’t notice was that the same golden sunset had fallen across his own face, coating his handsome features in a warm golden glow.

The gatekeepers and servants who had come out to greet them stared at the young man standing beneath the sunset, his elegant figure almost shining.

Then they thought about all the rumors the Second Young Master had painstakingly spread while confined to the residence over the past several days…

Suddenly, they all felt rather sorry for him.

Even as the son of a Duke’s household…

The Second Young Master simply couldn’t compete with this handsome country youth when it came to attracting attention.

Just as Zhang Shou was about to dismount, A-Liu unexpectedly spoke.

“Young Master, please remain seated.”

Before Zhang Shou could understand what he meant, a cheerful, well-fed middle-aged man dressed in fine silk finished speaking with Zhu Ying before hurrying over.

He bowed respectfully.

“Greetings, Young Master Shou.”

“The Old Madam is waiting for you in Qing’an Hall.”

“Qing’an Hall is quite far from the main gate, so the Old Madam requests that you and the Young Lady remain on horseback and ride directly there. You may dismount at the inner ornamental gate.”

Hearing this, Zhang Shou’s first reaction was to glance at A-Liu.

Apparently…

Not only had A-Liu been to the Duke of Zhao’s residence before—

He even knew the Old Madam rather well.

But…

How old had A-Liu been when he first came to Zhang Shou’s home?

Madam Wu had always insisted that she had simply found a pitiful mute child by the roadside and taken him in…