Joy of Life: Starting from Teacher Fan Xian

Chapter 19: The Mastermind of the Niulan Street Case
Calm and steady.

This was Teng Zijing’s first impression of Linruo.

Since getting on the carriage, the young gentleman seldom spoke, except for comforting the young lady from time to time, and then closing his eyes to rest, as if he was thinking or exploring something.

So when the young gentleman lifted the curtain for the first time and looked at the scenery outside, Teng Zijing became subconsciously alert.

"What's the matter, sir?"

"It's okay, just some fresh air." Lin Ruo let out a long breath and stretched. He didn't expect that it would take some effort to understand the cheat.

Realizing that he had been too abrupt, Teng Zijing looked a little unhappy, and sat on the other side of the carriage with a sullen face. It was quiet for a long time, and the carriage became cold again, with only the ups and downs of the bumpy road ringing from time to time.

Ruoruo was very well aware of the rules. If her master didn't speak, she wouldn't speak either. There were hundreds of servants in the Fan Mansion, and there were many people like Teng Zijing. She didn't recognize any of them, so there was no need for her to speak.

Until Teng Zijing could no longer bear the dead silence, he would definitely not get in the car and go if the count had not instructed him to do so.

"Where are you from, sir?" Teng Zijing laughed awkwardly.

Lin Ruo looked straight at him and said very straightforwardly, "My ancestral home is Bohai County. I am over seventeen years old. My father is a local teacher and is well-known. Lord Earl should know him. This time I came to Beijing mainly to participate in the Spring Examination. I am sorry to bother you and stay at Fan's house temporarily. Although I am the teacher of the two young masters and young ladies, Lord Earl does not need to treat me well."

Teng Zijing was stunned. He could never have imagined that just asking a random question would lead to so many questions.

Lin Ruo smiled apologetically and said, "My Lord Earl, is there anything else you want to know? Guard Teng can just speak up. I think the old lady has explained these things very clearly. However, I really don't know what to say, so I can only repeat it like this."

Smart, too smart, he saw through his thoughts at a glance. Fujiko Kyo felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, and could only bow and say, "Sir, you are very smart, I admire you."

"Oh, by the way, although I am devoted to literature, I also know a little about martial arts. I think the Earl doesn't know this." Lin Ruo thought for a moment and said frankly.

He is a person who is used to smiling when communicating with others, and with that face, it is very easy for people to like him.

Teng Zijing smiled and thought it was just a joke and didn't take it seriously.

The atmosphere in the car is much better.

Fan Ruoruo's face was filled with smiles, and she tugged at the corner of Mr.'s clothes: "Brother always said that Mr. is a funny person. At first, Ruoruo didn't believe it, but now it seems that he is really funny."

"Compared to Young Master Fan Xian, it's still a little worse." Lin Ruo sighed.

Fan Ruoruo couldn't stop smiling, and thought that after returning to Beijing, she would write down the teacher's praise to her brother exactly as it was, so that her brother could see it too.

At this moment, Lin Ruo's mind moved. He looked out the window calmly, then retracted his gaze and turned back to say seriously, "Someone is watching us."

This remark is very inappropriate in the current cheerful atmosphere.

Teng Zijing cried out in confusion. Although he did not quite believe it, he still got out of the car and led the guards to check. He only came back when nothing happened.

There were dense forests on both sides of the official road. If there were anyone hiding there, it would be difficult to find them without making any moves. Teng Zijing did not dare to jump to conclusions and could only say, "No suspicious signs have been found yet."

He wondered why the young gentleman didn't point out the exact location if this was true.

Lin Ruo was silent and said, "Just keep going as usual, they will come to us on their own."

Teng Zijing was skeptical and didn't say anything. But not long after, someone broke his silence. A guard reported: "Sir, there are people blocking the road ahead."

Teng Zijing looked at the young man sitting opposite him in disbelief. He felt ashamed when he thought that he, a fourth-rank warrior, led a group of fifth-rank guards, but could not see as clearly as a scholar. He got off the car with a serious face. Putting the words just now in front of him, Teng Zijing had no good feelings towards the person who blocked the road, and thought about tying him up first.

The man who blocked the road was a scholar in his early thirties, dressed in a plain robe and looking very shabby.

Teng Zijing said sharply: "Who are you? How dare you block my way here?"

The scholar was neither humble nor arrogant, and his tone was slightly pleading. He said, "I am Wu Bo'an, and I am sorry for blocking the road. There are many muddy pits on the road ahead, and the carriage accidentally got stuck in one and couldn't get out. I am just a servant with me, and I really can't clear it. So I disturbed you. I just want to ask for some help. I have no other intention. I wonder if I can meet your master?"

Is this the person who was spying on him? Could he be looking for an excuse to get close to him? Although this scholar didn't look like someone who could follow him all the way, Teng Zijing still felt uneasy.

He immediately refused and said, "My master works day and night and has no time to take care of these trivial matters. I will take charge and send some people to go with you."

The scholar looked disappointed, but thanked him anyway.

At this time, a guard came over and said to Teng Zijing, "Let the gentleman in the car pass."

Teng Zijing had no choice. Although he was unwilling, he was just a servant after all. The young gentleman was an honored guest of the mansion, and he could not do that in front of everyone in the carriage. So he led the scholar to the front of the carriage and supervised it at all times.

Approaching the car, Wu Bo'an hurriedly said, "Thank you for your help, sir. I am Wu Bo'an, a native of Beijing. I wonder if you are also going to Beijing?"

"So what?"

Wu Boan was startled. There was actually a young man in the car! This was a little unexpected. He thought about the young talents in the Fan family, but he couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried.

He could only continue to follow his plan and said, "I am from Beijing. If you come to Beijing, I will repay you."

The curtain of the carriage was lifted, revealing some mocking words: "I see that you are wearing coarse linen clothes, and you are traveling to the capital with only one person. You are so poor, I am afraid there is no way to repay you, so you'd better leave quickly. You don't know the etiquette, if you come to bother me again, I will definitely leave you and your two servants to fend for themselves."

When Wu Bo'an heard this, his face turned dark and he was very disappointed. He cursed inwardly, "Why is this man like this? He is so contemptible and judges people by their appearance. He must be some unknown dandy from the Fan Mansion in Beijing. There is really no need to make friends with such a person."

Suppressing the anger in his heart, Wu Bo'an bowed and retreated, no longer having his previous spirit.

Inside the car, Lin Ruo looked at the embarrassed man with a smile.

Fan Ruoruo was very confused and said, "Sir, that person doesn't seem to have any bad intentions. Why do you talk to him like that?"

Lin Ruo put away his smile and touched his head: "Ruoruo, if there was no Fan Mansion logo on this carriage, he would not have come. People who curry favor with the powerful should be driven away."

Wu Bo'an was one of the masterminds of the Niulan Street case who conspired with Lin Gong to assassinate Fan Xian twelve years later. He was a two-faced man who hovered between the crown prince and the second prince, but was hidden under the prime minister of the dynasty. He was self-righteous and was afraid that the world would not be in chaos.

How could Lin Ruo not know what despicable intentions such a person had?

"If your brother were here, he would do the same thing as me, sir."

　Second update today, another update tonight

　　
　
(End of this chapter)