Chapter 175: Prelude to the Imperial Examination (Part 1)
Afterward, Liu Sheng went straight to bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
This day had been truly long, with too many things happening, and the social interactions had consumed a large amount of energy, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted.
The rotating Liu Shengs, however, cooperated with Little Tentacle and the world, maintaining good post-sleep study habits, not wasting a single minute or second.
Especially after hearing what Ling Yuke said, they needed to strengthen and consolidate the parts about the Supreme God.
Invigorating Theology, cultivating the divine book, building temples.
What these all meant still required thorough research and discussion.
Liu Sheng did not doubt what Ling Yuke said.
Given her father's status and her flamboyant personality, if she had conveyed incorrect information, she would definitely be too ashamed to face anyone ever again.
Thus, a night of flipping through books passed quickly.
The next morning, as soon as Liu Sheng woke up, she hurriedly searched for her spirit message.
Upon opening it, amidst the many cluttered messages, she finally saw Wen Weilan's reply, and the anxious heart she had been carrying finally settled down.
“All is well, do not worry. We will meet in Chang'an in a few days to discuss in detail.”
Liu Sheng read this short line of text over and over again. These cold words were indeed Miss Wen's style.
However, she still hadn't clearly explained what exactly had happened.
But since she said, “We will meet in Chang'an in a few days to discuss in detail,” Liu Sheng's heart immediately leaped with joy. She had originally thought they wouldn't meet again until after the Examination, but now it seemed the wait would be much shorter.
With this, Liu Sheng could now focus on preparing for the Examination with peace of mind.
After all, before Wen Weilan left, she had gnashed her teeth and threatened Liu Sheng to make sure she passed the Examination, so as not to betray her kind intention of funding her from her dowry.
After washing up, Liu Sheng and Wang Dongdong ate the breakfast delivered by Yunxian Residence, then each immersed themselves in their studies.
There were only four days left until the Examination, and time was truly tight.
Even Wang Dongdong, who had always loved to play and mess around, felt it was better to stay indoors after yesterday, to avoid bad luck and unexpected complications from going out.
Just like Yang Qing, who was also supposed to participate in the Examination, was now imprisoned, and it was unknown what would happen to him.
...
At this moment, inside the Dali Temple prison, a jailer wiped the blood from his hands and walked out the door.
Outside the door, a person was walking towards him, with an ordinary appearance and common clothes.
“The… the subordinate has already dealt with it… no traces were left,” the jailer whispered as he passed by that person, handing over something.
That person did not speak, took the item, and then very discreetly shook a Storage Pouch from his sleeve, passing it to the jailer's hand as they brushed past each other.
The entire process was very quick, and there was no one else in the courtyard, so the transaction was completed just like that.
The jailer walked into the courtyard and stretched, hiding the Storage Pouch deep in his sleeve, then glared fiercely at that person.
That person, however, lowered his head, with both sleeves clasped, as if he had been scolded for mistakenly walking into this place, and timidly hurried out.
Outside Dali Temple, that person circled a few times before finding a parked cloud sedan in an alley.
That person handed the item clasped in his sleeve to the person inside the sedan. His sleeves hung down, full of bloodstains.
Then, a piece of clothing was thrown out.
“Put it on; give me the old clothes.” Inside the cloud sedan, a steady male voice was quite cold.
“Yes, Sir.” That person was very respectful, quickly changed his clothes, and passed the blood-stained old clothes through the curtain.
“Is everything handled?” The person inside asked.
“Yes, Sir.”
“What about the jailer?”
“He'll be unable to speak soon.”
“Then that's fine. You know what to do, don't you?”
“Don't worry, Sir, I will definitely keep my mouth shut. Your kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain; I will never betray you,” that person guaranteed nervously.
The person inside the cloud sedan did not speak.
Subsequently, the cloud sedan ascended, leaving that person standing still, head bowed, in the same spot.
He stood there, motionless, for a very long time.
Until a peddler, carrying his load, walked into the alley, wanting to sit down and rest his feet.
After resting for a while, he realized that the person hadn't moved at all from head to toe, and then he realized something was wrong.
The peddler tiptoed over and gently pushed, and that person shattered into countless pieces of flesh.
Thus, a scream broke the morning peace of Xingningfang Market.
...
Outside the Ministry of Rites.
Jiang Cai Zhi disembarked from the cloud sedan, checked his hands again, and then hurried inside.
“Officer Jiang, why are you only just arriving?”
Upon reaching the office, Officer Jiang, who was also a minor official in the Ministry of Rites like Jiang Cai Zhi, raised her eyebrows and asked when she saw his appearance.
“Well, my mother wasn't feeling well today, so I took her to see a doctor. I also told He Shilang about it.”
“Officer Jiang is indeed a filial son,” Officer Jiang said indifferently.
Jiang Cai Zhi smiled apologetically, “Did I delay your work?”
“Not at all, but He Shilang seems to have forgotten that you would be late and kept asking if you were here. It seems he has something important he wants to entrust to you,” Officer Jiang said coldly, without lifting her head.
“Alright, thank you for letting me know, Officer Jiang. I'll go find him now.” Jiang Cai Zhi seemed not to notice her attitude and still maintained a cheerful and friendly demeanor.
Officer Jiang grunted noncommittally and then lowered her head to busy herself with her documents, no longer paying attention to Jiang Cai Zhi.
Jiang Cai Zhi turned around, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
He was already used to this and didn't care much; after all, being favored by his superiors was the most important thing.
Then, humming a little tune, he walked briskly towards He Shilang's office.
“He Shilang, I heard you were looking for me?”
Jiang Cai Zhi knocked on the door, and only after receiving permission did he enter. Upon entering, he bowed and then eagerly asked in a respectful tone.
He Shilang saw Jiang Cai Zhi's eager and ambitious look, like a new public servant eager to prove himself, and secretly chuckled.
“Cai Zhi, you've been in the Ministry of Rites for two years now, haven't you? Are you still accustomed to it?” He Shilang did not answer Jiang Cai Zhi's question but instead started chatting about everyday matters.
Before getting to the main point, beating around the bush is a common trick used by all superiors.
Jiang Cai Zhi naturally understood this and simply followed He Shilang's lead, replying, “To answer He Shilang, it has been exactly two years, no more, no less.”
“Yes, another year of the Examination. It was around this time three years ago that you passed the Examination to enter the National Academy, and then within a year, you joined the Ministry of Rites.”
“I remember that year, you were the third-place graduate, weren't you?” He Shilang tapped his forehead, as if just remembering.
“Yes, He Shilang has a good memory.” Jiang Cai Zhi understood that this was He Shilang expressing his closeness, and he quickly took the hint.
“After all, such a handsome person befitting the name of the third-place graduate is rare,” He Shilang chuckled, “It's a pity my daughter is still young, otherwise I would definitely take you as my son-in-law.”
To be fair, Jiang Cai Zhi had a “good son-in-law” face that put elders at ease: regular features, soft edges, and a gentle, honest demeanor.
Although he still had some of the impetuousness of youth, this was also a good thing, indicating drive. Among his peers, he was already considered extremely steady and practical.
“He Shilang overpraises me,” Jiang Cai Zhi quickly said modestly.
“Two years have passed, it's time for a promotion,” He Shilang suddenly said.
At these words, Jiang Cai Zhi's breathing paused for a moment.
After a while, he understood He Shilang's meaning.
“This subordinate thanks He Shilang for his appreciation. I am truly ashamed…”
“Let's not talk so much empty talk. First, I'll give you a task,” He Shilang interrupted Jiang Cai Zhi's polite remarks, getting straight to the point.
“He Shilang, please speak.”
“Please deliver this letter to the Yuan Zheng of the National Academy. Remember, you must hand it to him personally.”
He Shilang took out a thin envelope and placed it on the table.
Although a smile still lingered on his lips, his gaze was sharp as lightning, as if trying to see into Jiang Cai Zhi's heart.
Happy May Day!