"Husband, you...I..."
Upon hearing the news, Changle was so excited that he could hardly speak clearly.
Qin Wenyuan smiled lightly and pretended to be helpless: "Madam, I told you more than ten days ago that Lord Wei came to our house because of the Divine Strategy for Governing the Country."
"And you, not only do you not believe me, you also think I'm lying. To be honest, I'm very sad to be questioned by you like this."
After saying that, he deliberately made a gesture of covering his heart.
This made Changle anxious. She hurried forward, gently stroked Qin Wenyuan's chest, and said ashamedly: "Husband, I... everything is my fault! It's all my fault that I didn't trust me. I really am, really an unqualified wife."
However, Wei Zheng was determined to shock people at this moment, and continued, "Madam Qin, your husband's achievements are far more than this."
"Not only did he write a great policy for governing the country for the court, which was praised by His Majesty, he also won the title of No. 1 Scholar of this session. Wei came here recently to announce it in advance."
"The subsequent formal appointment will be made by the Imperial Commissioner. I think he is already on the way."
The words fell.
Changle was even more confused.
She stood there in a daze, and asked in confusion, "Number One Scholar?"
Soon, Changle finally reacted and said in surprise: "What? The top scholar, it's actually the top scholar!!"
She looked at Qin Wenyuan in shock, as if she was meeting her husband for the first time.
Changle knew her husband was very smart.
But the top scholar has to compete with all the smart people in the world!
And his own husband actually won.
Just seven days of hard study can catch up with others who have studied for more than ten years or even dozens of years!
How could Changle not be shocked?
You know, all the crown princes who have appeared so far are world-famous figures.
Either you become a high-ranking official in the court, or you become a great scholar!
And at this time, her husband is actually also a top scholar?
Although she was a princess before, she had to admit that being the top scholar was a great honor.
After all, one has to stand out from the millions of talented people in the Tang Dynasty and gain recognition from the chief examiner and the current emperor.
"Husband, I...I...am I dreaming?" Changle asked excitedly and incoherently.
Qin Wenyuan sighed and gently hit Changle's head.
“Ah, that hurts!”
"If it hurts, then it's okay. It won't hurt in dreams." Qin Wenyuan said with a smile.
"Yeah……"
Changle calmed down a little, and then looked at Qin Wenyuan. She found that her husband was looking at her with a smile, and suddenly became a little angry.
She hit Qin Wenyuan's shoulder lightly and laughed angrily: "Husband, you are still laughing at me!"
"I will go to greet the imperial envoy now and will not get involved with you any more."
Changle was very excited at this moment. She really didn't want to lose her composure in front of her husband again.
Therefore, she prepared to leave and wanted to see Qin Wenyuan's appointment as the top scholar as soon as possible.
Logically speaking, she was a princess of the Tang Dynasty and the emperor was her father, so she would not be excited by a mere imperial envoy.
But this also depends on the circumstances, because the person who is appointed as the top scholar this time is your own husband!
Upon hearing that her husband was nominated as the top scholar, Changle felt like she was dreaming and was extremely excited.
"Well, go ahead. Look how excited you are, madam."
"Master Wei and I will be here soon."
Qin Wenyuan smiled helplessly and pushed Changle away with gentle force.
Soon, Changle left here.
On the way, she murmured, "My husband came back in half a day that day. In half a day, he was nominated as the top scorer in the imperial examination."
"Husband, this is too... too..."
Changle didn't know how to describe her husband's talent.
Soon, Li Lizhi came to the front hall and saw the so-called imperial envoy.
But when Changle saw the imperial envoy, he was stunned.
"Uncle Cheng?"
Changle could not have imagined that the so-called imperial envoy would be the military officer Cheng Yaojin.
Because Cheng Yaojin came here officially, many people followed him, including common people and spies of other officials. There were huge crowds of people.
They looked at the Qin Mansion with great respect, not daring to overstep the mark.
Changle stepped forward and bowed to Cheng Yaojin, "Master Cheng."
"Um."
Cheng Yaojin nodded, and even though he wanted to call him "Your Highness", he held himself back.
Then she glanced at the Qin family and said calmly, "Madam Qin, where is your husband?"
"He..." Just when Changle didn't know how to answer, Qin Wenyuan's voice came from behind him.
Qin Wenyuan and Wei Zheng walked out side by side and said, "Master Cheng, I'm here."
Cheng Yaojin smiled and nodded. Even though he and Qin Wenyuan had always been confused in their previous conversations, Qin Wenyuan saved Changle, so Cheng Yaojin liked him very much.
Cheng Yaojin smiled and said loudly: "Master Qin, Madam Qin, the imperial edict has arrived, accept it!"
Immediately, Cheng Yaojin opened the imperial edict and read: "The Emperor decrees that because the student Qin Wenyuan has performed excellently in this imperial examination, he is hereby conferred the title of No. 1 in this session's imperial examination. I decree this."
The imperial edict consisted of only a few words, without any promise of official position, money, or even title, because the top scholar was just an honorary position.
But it is this empty position that makes countless people want to win over Qin Wenyuan.
After the words were spoken, the whole place fell silent.
The people who followed behind were completely stunned.
"What...what's going on? Did I hear it wrong? The imperial edict just read out that Divine Doctor Qin was the top scholar?"
"Isn't this the imperial edict that Qin Wenyuan was rewarded for curing the terminal disease of smallpox?"
"Oh my god, Divine Doctor Qin is actually a talented person. No wonder the number one scholar in the imperial examination has not been announced these days. It turns out that this is Divine Doctor Qin's original position!"
The people were talking about it, their eyes filled with shock.
They didn't expect that Qin Wenyuan, who had solved the smallpox problem, would actually win the first place in the imperial examination. It was really beyond their expectations!
After listening to all the readings, Changle, at Qin Wenyuan's instruction, excitedly took the imperial edict with both hands.
After receiving the imperial edict, Changle could no longer hold back her joy and immediately jumped into Qin Wenyuan's arms and said loudly: "Husband, you succeeded, No. 1 scholar, it's No. 1 scholar!"
Qin Wenyuan smiled lightly. He felt that his wife was too excited.
It shouldn't be like this.
Oh, what a headache, ma'am.
…
Qin Mansion, lobby.
By noon, Qin Wenyuan and Changle had originally planned to visit the family infected with smallpox at this time.
However, because the imperial court appointed the top scholar by imperial decree, it was delayed.
Anyway, Cheng Chumo had taken the cow infected with the cowpox virus to treat that family's smallpox last night. It should be cured by now, so there's no need to rush.
Therefore, Qin Wenyuan and his wife received Wei Zheng and Cheng Yaojin with peace of mind.
Not long after the four of them had been drinking tea, Changle found an excuse and took Cheng Yaojin away.
Arriving at a secluded place, Changle hurriedly asked, "Uncle Cheng, does my father know that this year's number one scholar is my husband?"
Cheng Yaojin shook his head. "We don't know yet. We have to wait until the smallpox in Wuwei is over and the world is at peace. Then we will tell His Majesty."
Changle felt a little disappointed when she heard this. She thought that her husband had won the top spot in the imperial examination because Li Shimin had personally approved it.
It's the kind of...
The kind who knew that the top scorer was Qin Wenyuan and nodded personally.
But now, Cheng Yaojin told her that this was not the case and Li Shimin did not know Qin Wenyuan's identity.
Changle sighed and continued to ask: " Uncle Cheng, why are you here today?"
At this point, Cheng Yaojin was immediately furious, "Your Highness, it's just that Lord Wei is too impatient. He was supposed to make the appointment today."
"As a result, he was so excited that he withdrew from the morning court session and rushed directly to your Qin Mansion without waiting for the imperial edict from the Ministry of Rites."
"Then, I was forced to do hard labor!"
Changle covered her mouth and smiled, feeling pity for the treatment Cheng Yaojin received.
Then, she smiled and said, "Uncle Cheng, please don't address me like that. I am now a commoner girl named Li Changle. I am the mistress of the Qin Mansion and I am no longer a princess of the Tang Dynasty."
"It's better not to say these words, otherwise, I can't bear the guilt now."
Changle said this, directly dispelling his relationship with the royal family.
After all, she knew clearly that she was already engaged, and had even been betrothed to her cousin Chang Sun Chong many years ago.
But on the day of her wedding, she married a stranger, tarnishing her own innocence and trampling on the dignity of the royal family.
If this incident broke out on a large scale, what would be the final result? She would be condemned by thousands of people!
Because in ancient times, chastity was very important, and it was unacceptable for a bride to have her innocence taken away by another man.
He must die to atone for his sins, so this matter is more serious than anyone thought.
Therefore, it is obviously the best option for her to give up her royal status directly.
Because if Li Shimin protected her, he would surely be condemned and criticized by everyone.
Listening to Li Changle's words, Cheng Yaojin pondered for a moment and simply stopped talking about this topic.
He didn't blame him either, why Changle could call him Uncle Cheng but he couldn't call him Your Highness.
Afterwards, Changle asked Cheng Yaojin many more questions about the palace before she stopped.
…
It was sunset.
Wei Zheng and Cheng Yaojin said goodbye one after another.
Madam Changle, who had been immersed in excitement the whole day, said that a great talent had appeared in the family and she wanted to make Qin Wenyuan's favorite beef noodles.
Therefore, I threw myself into the kitchen with Xiaolin.
As for Qin Wenyuan, he was quietly drinking tea in his study for more than half an hour, as if he was waiting for something.
One day, with a creak, the door of the study was gently pushed open.
The person who came in was actually the Dog.
Qin Wenyuan glanced at him and said calmly, "Xu Gou, any news?"
Xu Gou nodded and said, "According to the intelligence provided by Lu Dinghai last night, and the request you gave me, Young Master, Yu Heng and his remaining men, Chou Niu has already locked on to a few people."
Qin Wenyuan's eyes flashed, and he said, "Tell me about it."
The information Lu Dinghai provided last night was very simple. When Yuheng handed Liu Fu over to him, he kept it back and got some information about the transferee under the black robe.
The transferee met him at the time and handed over the smallpox patient Liu Fu. Lu Dinghai saw from under the black robe that he was dressed in the official uniform of an official from the Ministry of War.
Lu Dinghai also said that he had worked in the Ministry of War for a period of time and he was very sure that this person had the style of a typical official of the Ministry of War.
It wasn't that Yuheng got himself a military official uniform and then found someone to impersonate him.
So, based on this information, Qin Wenyuan sent the Twelve Shadow Assassins to investigate the officials of the Ministry of War.
Secret investigation is what the Twelve Shadow Assassins are best at.
Qin Wenyuan's request to the Twelve Shadow Assassins was to find officials in the Ministry of War who had recently received a large amount of money.
Yuheng did not live in Chang'an for long, which can be seen from the twelve shadows and the understanding of the Big Dipper.
For more than a decade, they have been certain that the Seven Stars are not from Chang'an.
Therefore, Yuheng can be ruled out as an official of the Ministry of War.
And his four subordinates, Kitano Liuwen, was just a mere imperial examination examiner.
The dead Nan Yun didn't even have an official position, so it can be judged that there is more than an 80% probability that the two remaining subordinates of Yuheng will not be involved in such an important place as the Ministry of War.
If he was not Yuheng's subordinate, there could only be one reason why a mere official from the Ministry of War could work for Yuheng, who had no power or influence in Chang'an.
That is, wealth!
As for Xu Gou and others, the Big Dipper represents money!
At this moment, Xu Gou took out a list from his arms, handed it to Qin Wenyuan, and said, "Chou Niu is in charge of the investigation. He has selected three people in total who meet the requirements you put forward, young master."
"Among them, there are two people who are addicted to gambling and are in debt because of it. They are Qian Ming, a doctor, and Zhao Shun, a deputy director."
"A family member is ill and needs extremely high medical expenses, so there is also one person in the family who is extremely short of money, and that person is Zhou Changwen, a member of the Yuanwailang."
"These three people are all people who are extremely short of money recently. Money can save lives."
Qin Wenyuan narrowed his eyes.
Among the three people, one lost money due to gambling and was in debt, and one had a family member who was seriously ill and needed money for treatment.
They all meet the conditions he gave.
Because there is a need for money, there is a place where people can take advantage of it.
Money is extremely attractive to ordinary people, let alone those who need money desperately.
"Then what?"
Qin Wenyuan asked again: "Do they have a large amount of money coming in to help them solve this urgent problem?"
Xu Gou nodded, "Yes!"
"who is it?"
Qin Wenyuan narrowed his eyes.
Xu Gou looked at Qin Wenyuan and said, "These three people all have it."
"All?"
Qin Wenyuan's eyes moved, a little surprised.
Xu Gou smiled bitterly and said, "Master, I went to check it out at noon. Indeed, they all have. All three of them have obtained a large sum of money during this period of time and solved their own crises."
Qin Wenyuan narrowed his eyes, thought about it, and suddenly laughed.
"Interesting. It seems that Yuheng is really cautious enough. He considered that after Lu Dinghai found out that he was being used, he would provide all the information related to Yuheng to the government."
"So, the contact person was exposed by contact with Lu Dinghai, so they found two more people to divert attention?"
If there is only one person, then it is obvious that this person is the most suspicious.
Qin Wenyuan will definitely concentrate on investigating this person, and then start to follow the clues.
But when the number of suspects becomes three, it becomes very difficult.
There are more things to consider, and there is also the risk of misjudgment.
Qin Wenyuan sneered in his heart. He didn't care about Yuheng's arrangement and even felt that it was interesting this way.
The more complex it is, the more it shows that the direction you are thinking in is correct.
He became more and more interested and said, "Tell me how these three people got their money."
"This sounds a bit magical." said Xu Gou.
" Magic?!"
Qin Wenyuan became more interested, "Tell me about it."
Xu Gou said: "First is the doctor Qian Ming. His way of getting money is relatively normal. Didn't he lose money in gambling before?"
"But he refused to admit defeat, so he put his house and title deeds on the line, ready to gamble his life away. In the end, his luck turned, and he actually won the bet."
"Not only did I win back all the money I lost, but I also won a large sum of money. It can be said that good things come after bad times, and many people are envious of me."
Qin Wenyuan raised his eyebrows.
"You lost money, put your house deed on the line, and then you turned the tables?"
A comeback against all odds?
Xu Gou thought about it for a while before he understood the meaning of the word.
He nodded, "That's it."