Volume 2: Residence in the Capital Chapter 65 Before Entering the Mansion
seventh……
Zhang Shou's first reaction was that there was something wrong with his ears. His second reaction was that Ah Liu, who never joked, had learned to joke for the first time!
However, when he stared at Ah Liu and could not see any trace of joking, he could not help but take a deep breath, knowing that this matter must be true and there was no falsehood. Otherwise, he only needed to send another person to take a look to expose Ah Liu's joke.
He immediately thought about it carefully, but then he heard Zhu Ying's puzzled voice: "A Shou, I remember you said last time that it was luck that Qiliang passed the county exam. How come he performed so well in the prefectural exam this time? After all, students from all the counties under the jurisdiction of Shuntian Prefecture took the exam together, and he still ranked seventh? Could it be that the prefecture governor did it for the sake of Grandpa Ge's face?"
"Impossible!" Deng Xiaodai immediately shook his head desperately, "The prefect has always been upright and upright. Although he is a disciple of Grand Tutor Ge, he will definitely not take care of people casually. Since he took office, many clerks in Shuntian Prefecture have been keeping their tails between their legs and have become much more honest. Not to mention that Xiao Qi is at most Grand Tutor Ge's disciple, he would not take care of him even if he was Grand Tutor Ge's son."
Zhang Shou had originally considered that since Wang Fuyin was able to send people to escort Ge Yong to Rongshui Village, he might be trying to flatter Ge Yong. But after Deng Xiaodai said this , he knew that this possibility could be completely ruled out.
He was silent for a moment, then he said decisively: "Okay, don't talk in a place like this. Yingying, send someone to copy the list, or buy someone else's copy. Remember the names and places of origin."
At this point, seeing Zhu Ying immediately assign a guard to do this, he thought for a moment and then asked, "Yingying, can I take Xiao Qi and Xiao Dai to the Duke of Zhao's mansion later?"
"Why not? Compared to those guys in Cuiyun's room, they are the real disciples of Grandpa Ge!" Zhu Ying smiled at Qi Liang and Deng Xiaodai. Seeing Qi Liang's distraught look, she couldn't help but scold him, "A real man should keep calm when encountering things. What are you afraid of? Come on, go to the Duke of Zhao's Mansion with me and Shou. We can come up with any ideas when the time comes !"
Qi Liang then woke up as if from a dream. He looked Zhang Shou and saw him nod calmly. He then felt relieved a little. But when he caught up with Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying's group, he still kept his head down until he was hit hard on the head.
"You are at best an innocent person who has encountered a small but not insignificant incident. Unlike me, I stayed at home and had a sudden disaster. First, I encountered the top scholar and the head of the Imperial College looking for trouble. Then, I encountered assassins for no apparent reason. When I arrived in the capital, I was surrounded at the teacher's door. So, don't worry about it!"
Seeing Qi Liang looking up, he was dumbfounded, obviously shocked by the so-called assassin. Zhang Shou, who had just hit him, smiled and said, "So, we should learn from Yingying, always hold our heads high, be in high spirits, as if nothing can stop us and we should always be heartless!"
Zhu Ying was originally quite happy to hear Zhang Shou praising her, but when she heard the last four words, her face suddenly fell. She angrily chased after Zhang Shou and raised her pink fist to hit him, but when she saw Zhang's handsome face, she unconsciously put her fist down, then glared at him angrily, turned her horse's head and ran to the front.
Seeing the ill-tempered young lady running away, Zhang Shou couldn't help but smile. He waved and called Deng Xiaodai over, then bent down slightly on his horse and asked in a low voice: "Xiaodai, what happened to Zhu Yu who was sent to Shuntian Prefecture?"
Deng Xiaodai glanced around and saw Ah Liu protecting on the left, while several guards from Duke Zhao's mansion were all in a hurry to chase the eldest lady. He then moved closer to Zhang Shou.
"Young sir, after Zhu Yu was sent there, he was handed over to Magistrate Song by the prefect. Magistrate Song waited until yesterday to interrogate him in public. Zhu Yu still said that he was wronged. As a result, Magistrate Song made a judgment in public, saying that Zhu Yu was eloquent and slanderous. As a servant, he slandered his master, which was an even greater crime. He ordered the officers to slap him hard in the face with a bamboo stick, and his face was covered with blood."
"Then, Magistrate Song gave him 20 strokes of the cane in public, and then threw him out of Shuntian Prefecture. When I secretly went out to see, I found that people from Zhaoguo Mansion were also there, and they announced in public that Shuntian Prefecture judged the case fairly, and from now on, Zhu Yu's life or death had nothing to do with them. However, as long as the person died or disappeared within ten days or half a month, there must be someone behind the scenes who wanted to kill him to silence him."
"I heard that guy's martial arts skills were all wasted before he was sent to Shuntian Prefecture. When he was thrown at the Xisi Archway yesterday, he looked so miserable even beggars spat at him. He deserved it!"
Song, the judge of Shuntian Prefecture, was fair in his judgment, and the people of Zhaoguo Mansion were well versed in the art of accusing others. Moreover, they might have the same idea, hoping that someone would attack Zhu Yu, or that Zhu Yu would give up the mastermind.
Zhang Shou thought so in his mind, but did not ask any further questions.
He was only interested in Zhu Yu's whereabouts, but didn't care much about this man's fate.
"Okay, let's not talk about that guy anymore. Are you used to working in Shuntian Prefecture these days..."
On the way, Zhang Shou asked Deng Xiaodai about his days as a clerk in Shuntian Prefecture, and also asked Qi Liang about his experiences in the examination hall. Regarding the former, he was purely concerned and curious, but regarding the latter, he was cautious and careful.
The two young men were also very clear about the difference. Deng Xiaodai only reported good news and not bad news, while Qi Liang told them every detail.
They walked and talked all the way until Zhu Ying came galloping back. Zhang Shou stopped and knew that they had arrived at the Duke of Zhao's mansion. As expected, Zhu Ying no longer pretended to be angry. She pushed Qi Liang and Deng Xiaodai aside and drove side by side with Zhang Shou. Then she coughed.
"Ah Shou, my grandmother is the best person. Don't be cautious when you meet her. Just be yourself. She is like me. She likes good-looking people, regardless of gender. With your handsome and elegant demeanor, she will definitely like you."
Well, now I understand what you said. Your wife is just like you and my teacher Ge. They are all obsessed with looks...
Zhang Shou complained in his heart, but he looked like he was willing to accept the situation: "Don't worry, this is to meet your grandmother, not a monster. I will only treat you with respect and courtesy, and will not be timid."
I'm not afraid that you'd back off, I'm afraid that you'd be too respectful and courteous... In fact, it's better to be closer!
Zhu Ying thought so in her heart, but seeing Qi Liang and Deng Xiaodai were all beside her, she couldn't say it too clearly, so she could only say vaguely: "In short, you must know your limits!"
When the group arrived at the gate of the Duke of Zhao's mansion, the sun had already set. Zhang Shou saw the golden sunset shining on the stone lions in front of the gate, making the magnificent mansion even more magnificent. He couldn't help but look at it a few more times, but he didn't notice that the sunset also happened to shine on his face, coating his face with a layer of gold.
The doormen and servants who came out to greet him looked at the handsome young man bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, and compared them with the rumors that had been spread during the days when the Second Young Master was confined in the mansion. Suddenly, they felt that the Second Young Master was extremely pitiful.
Even though the Second Young Master is a son of a noble family, he might not be as eye-catching as this country boy when he goes out!
Zhang Shou was about to dismount when Ah Liu suddenly said something without warning: "Master, please sit down."
Before Zhang Shou understood what was said, he saw a middle-aged man in silk clothes, looking rich and cheerful, finish talking to Zhu Ying, walk up to him quickly, bow and say, "Greetings, Mr. Shou. The Madam is waiting for you in Qing'an Hall. Qing'an Hall is a little far from the main gate, so the Madam asks you and the eldest lady to ride all the way there and dismount at the Chuihua Gate inside."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shou's first reaction was to glance at Ah Liu.
It was obvious that this kid had not only been to Duke Zhao's Mansion, but he also knew the lady quite well!
But how old was Ah Liu when he arrived at his house?
Mrs. Wu often said that she saw a mute child on the road and felt sorry for him, so she picked him up!
