good season

Wenlan's heart pounded. She instinctively reached out her hand, but just as her hand touched the corner of the envelope, she heard Feng Yalan's voice.

"Wenlan, what are you doing?"

Wenlan looked up and saw Feng Yalan looking at her.

She rolled her eyes, concealing a hint of unease: "What do you mean? Do you think I would steal from you? What's there to steal from this shabby house of yours?"

Wenlan looked around seriously, her face full of disdain.

"That's good." Feng Yalan walked over, took the letter in front of Wenlan, opened the box, and put the letter inside.

Wenlan looked insulted and said loudly, "I heard you were all alone and sickly, so I came to see you out of kindness, but you treated me like a thief. You're biting the hand that feeds you, and you don't appreciate my good intentions. You've really ruined your reputation. Humph, even if you invite me again, I won't come!"

After saying that, she flicked her sleeve and stormed off. As she passed the young nun, she said irritably, "It's all your fault for bringing me to this wretched place, it's so filthy!"

Young nun: Didn't you ask me to bring you here?

Wenlan moved swiftly, eager to deliver the news to Scholar Yang.

Thinking of Scholar Yang, Wenlan felt a sweet warmth in her heart.

Yang Zhuangyuan was such a good man, yet he was entangled with Feng Yalan, a shameless woman who had ruined his reputation. He finally managed to break off the engagement, but Feng Yalan, relying on her family's power, actually tried to force Yang Zhuangyuan to resign from his official post and marry her!
She has such a big face! What Yang Zhuangyuan is most worried about now is that the Feng family will still support Feng Yalan. She originally thought that Feng Yalan had lost her innocence and the Feng family would definitely abandon her. But that letter was clearly written by the Prime Minister Feng to his daughter.

The Feng family is really something. It would be better to strangle a slut like Feng Yalan with a rope. Why keep her around?
Yang Zhuangyuan said that as long as he and Feng Yalan have no further relationship, he will find a way to redeem her.
For someone as high-ranking as Yang Zhuangyuan to become his concubine is a blessing she has accumulated over many lifetimes.

Watching Wenlan's departing figure, a faint smile appeared on Feng Yalan's lips.

She walked up to the young Taoist nun and said, "I'm sorry, I made you get scolded by her."

The young nun shook her head with a grin: "It's alright, I even ate her pastries."

The innocent smile of the young Taoist nun warmed Feng Yalan's heart. She said, "I can make a lot of pastries, but the ingredients here are not all available. However, let me think, I'm sure I can make a few."

The young nun's eyes widened in surprise; "Really? You really know how to make it? That's wonderful, I'm so lucky!"

Silvery laughter echoed in the simple hut, while outside, a stream murmured and tree branches swayed in the wind.

The gatekeeper of the Feng residence found it rather strange. This Scholar Yang hadn't come for a while, but in recent days, he would come as soon as he finished his duties at the yamen, even when the master was not there.
Although Yang Shengqiu came frequently, Feng Ke's attitude towards him was not as good as before.

Since the unfortunate death of his eldest son, Feng Ke, a white-haired man, had to bury his black-haired son. The Feng family had become much more restrained than before, and even the exceptionally talented Third Master Feng had not held any poetry or painting gatherings for a long time.

In fact, Feng Ke thought highly of Yang Shengqiu; otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to marry his daughter to him.

However, Yang Shengqiu's performance in the Ministry of Revenue was less than satisfactory. First, he was very ineffective in the matter of the Emperor Emeritus's Buddhist ceremony, pleasing neither side. The Minister of Revenue's face was dark for the entire first month of the lunar calendar.

Later, there was the incident where he pretended his house was on fire to ask for leave. That incident became a laughing stock and quickly spread throughout the Six Ministries. Eventually, even Feng Ke heard about it.

It was just a simple request for leave, but it's turned into this mess.

Then there's this recent incident: Yang Shengqiu actually lost the documents from Changxing Prefecture. When Prefect Liu of Changxing Prefecture learned of this, he ignored Yang Shengqiu and instead submitted a memorial impeaching the Vice Minister of Revenue, saying that he was a licentious official who did not live up to his position, was not virtuous enough, and was lax in managing his subordinates, and had even lost the documents sent from the local area.

Feng Ke later learned that when Prefect Liu was young, he had asked a girl for her hand in marriage, but she refused. However, a few days later, she betrothed her daughter to the newly appointed top scholar in the imperial examination, who is now the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Prefect Liu was so angry that he was sent to a post outside the capital.

Feng Ke suppressed this memorial; otherwise, it's conceivable that the emperor might not have paid attention to the confrontation between the two, but the Vice Minister of Revenue would certainly hate Yang Shengqiu to death, and Yang Shengqiu's future would be even more difficult.

A person's value comes either from their position, the power behind them, or their own abilities.

Yang Shengqiu's first two qualities were insufficient to impress Feng Ke, so only his own abilities remained. Feng Ke gave him ample opportunity to demonstrate his abilities, but unfortunately, Feng Ke was disappointed.

He wants people who can work for him, not people who cause him trouble.

Therefore, although Yang Shengqiu came over every few days, Feng Ke's attitude towards him was indifferent.

A few days later, when Feng Yalan returned from the vegetable garden, she found that the small bamboo stool she had placed by the door had been moved two inches.

She remained calm and went inside to open the chest.

There were only two old clothes in the trunk, so there was no need to lock them. She never locked them, only leaving a single hair in the keyhole.

Now, that hair is gone.

The letter is still there, but only the envelope remains; the letter inside is gone.

Feng Yalan smiled. When she was a child, she admired her father and secretly copied his calligraphy. After copying it for so many years, her calligraphy is now so good that it can be mistaken for his!

These days, every time she thinks of that dream, her heart aches terribly.

She believed it wasn't a dream, but her past life. In that past life, she had been deceived and ruined by Lang Qiubai.

She could also sense that someone was helping her in secret, and although she didn't know who that person was, she was very grateful.

On this day, Yang Shengqiu failed to see Feng Ke again. He walked out of the Feng residence with a gloomy expression, not knowing where to go.

After thinking for a moment, he went to a bookstore not far from his home.

Once, that place was where he could steal a moment of leisure from his busy life. He even missed that time when he frequently entered and left the palace, full of vigor and ambition. Although he was not qualified to attend court, he was the focus of attention for all the officials.

Yang Shengqiu was somewhat dazed; it hadn't even been a year, yet everything had changed.

How long has it been since he last visited the palace?
It seems that ever since he went to the Ministry of Revenue, he has had no chance to enter the palace. The Hanlin Academy sent someone else to read to the emperor. That person was a third-ranked scholar in the same examination as him. He had read that person's essays, which were far inferior to those of the top few in the second class. He was only chosen as the third-ranked scholar because he had a good appearance.

By the way, that person also comes from a good family. His mother is the niece of the Fang family, and his uncle is the headmaster of Shuren Academy.

It is said that the third-ranked scholar originally planned to go through the motions at the Hanlin Academy before going to the Censorate, but now that he had the opportunity to meet the emperor, his family changed their strategy and let him stay at the Hanlin Academy for the time being.

Yang Shengqiu closed his eyes. He now even suspected that he was transferred to the Ministry of Revenue just to make room for this third-ranked scholar.

When did he go to the Ministry of Revenue?
This happened after Feng Yalan's accident and the annulment of their engagement!

Yang Shengqiu clenched his fist in his sleeve, then suddenly raised it and slammed it on the desk!
Fortunately, there are usually not many people on the second floor of the bookstore, otherwise the news of the top scholar smashing the bookstore in anger would surely spread throughout the capital tomorrow.

At this moment, Xiao Mo ran upstairs: "My lord, my lord, Miss Wenlan has come to your house to see you." Madam Zhou left Zizhu Temple yesterday and returned home. She stayed at Zizhu Temple for a few days. Madam Zhou was exhausted, both physically and mentally. In order to cater to the old concubine's lifestyle, she not only had to eat vegetarian food, but also meditate and chant sutras. In addition, she also had to accompany the old concubine to take care of the flower field.

Madam Zhou was very tired and didn't want to move once she returned to the mansion. This also gave those who had gone to the Purple Bamboo Temple with her some free time.

When Wenlan had free time, she immediately left the mansion. She went to the Ministry of Revenue first, but did not wait for Yang Shengqiu.

She inquired about Yang Shengqiu's residence from the guards at the gate. Thanks to the previous "fire incident," all the guards from the Ministry of Revenue knew where Yang Shengqiu lived.

Wenlan went over and saw Xiao Mo, who had returned earlier.

Xiao Mo knew that this was a maid from the Zhou family, so she couldn't bring her home. Instead, she took her to the bookstore.

"Scholar Yang, please let me see that letter. I have seen it."

Wenlan looked shy and awkward, unsure of what to do with her hands. She spoke in a low voice, her voice growing softer and softer until Yang Shengqiu couldn't even hear the last few words she said.

That letter?
"Miss Wenlan, did you get that letter?" Yang Shengqiu asked softly.

Wenlan blushed and nodded: "This servant, this servant has received that letter."

"Where's the letter? I mean, did you bring that letter with you, Miss?" Yang Shengqiu couldn't hide his joy, his voice filled with delight, which sounded like heavenly music to Wenlan.

She pulled a delicate purse from her bosom. She had carried this purse all the way with her, and it still carried her warmth and her fragrance.

She held the purse out to Yang Shengqiu with both hands, but dared not look at his face, fearing she would faint if she did: "It's right here."

The girl's fingers were snow-white and slender, and the mandarin ducks on the purse were lifelike, but Yang Shengqiu ignored them. He grabbed the purse and took out a square knot from it.

He frowned slightly. "What a waste of time! Folding it like that, how hard will it be to take apart?"

However, this also reminded him.

He didn't rush to open Fang Sheng, but instead put it back into his purse.

He stuffed the purse into his sleeve, clasped his hands together, and bowed to Wenlan, saying, "I will never forget your great kindness, young lady. Please accept my bow."

Wenlan covered her face with her handkerchief in embarrassment: "How could I possibly deserve such a generous gift from you, young master? I only ask that you remember me and not forget me."

After saying that, she turned and ran away, as if Yang Shengqiu would assault her if she didn't run.

She ran out of the bookstore, stopped panting, and gently patted her chest. Finally, she couldn't help but turn back. She saw the window open, and Yang Shengqiu sitting with his back to it, still sitting by the second-floor window. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on him, and his back view was as beautiful as a painting.
Yang Shengqiu didn't turn around, and of course he wouldn't know that someone had been staring at him for a long time. Even if he did know, he wouldn't turn around to look.

That letter shocked him!
Although there was no envelope and no signature on the letter, Yang Shengqiu recognized it at a glance as Feng Ke's handwriting!

Importantly, the character "怀" in the letter is missing its top stroke in every instance.

This is Feng Ke's unique way of writing. This is because Feng Ke's biological father had a single name, Huai. Not many people know this. After all, only a few people have seen Feng Ke's handwriting, and even fewer people have commented on Feng Ke's calligraphy.

Feng Ke came from a poor family. His biological father died early, and his mother remarried, leaving him and his elder brother in the clan. At that time, he was only three years old. The elders of the Feng family decided that his elder brother would inherit the family line, while he was adopted by a childless scholar in the clan.

The family was wealthy and had taken three concubines, but they still couldn't have a son or daughter. Helpless, they had no choice but to accept the adoption arranged by the clan.

The year after Feng Ke was adopted, the concubine of the scholar became pregnant one after another and gave birth to two sons and a daughter.

Although he had biological children, Feng Ke was exceptionally intelligent, with a talent for studying far surpassing his two younger brothers. The scholar and his wife adored him and placed high hopes on him, seeking out renowned teachers for him. The Feng family also devoted themselves to his upbringing. Feng Ke lived up to their expectations, passing the provincial examination at eighteen and achieving top honors at nineteen. From then on, the Feng family was proud of him. In addition, he was still young when he was adopted, and over time, no one knew that he was an adopted son.

It was by chance that Yang Shengqiu discovered Feng Ke's different way of writing the character "怀". Being always observant, he didn't dare to ask, but instead inquired in secret and finally learned that Feng Ke's biological father was someone else.

The character "怀" in the letter that Wenlan stole was clearly written by Feng Ke himself.

In his letter, Feng Ke expressed his deep gratitude to Feng Yalan for setting aside past grievances and promptly informing his family of what Master Yudan had said. He soon sent someone to Tongzhou.

The letter was mostly filled with Feng Ke praising his daughter, while the words of Master Yu Dan were only mentioned in passing.

After reading the letter, Yang Shengqiu felt an intense urge to read it.

He knew that Master Yudan was Princess Jiarou's master, and Master Yudan's master, Xiaoyaozi, was the Emperor Emeritus's mentor.

Back then, the retired emperor sent someone to invite Xiaoyaozi from Yuyao Mountain and treated him with the respect due to a national teacher. Even the old site of the Longevity Palace was the place where Xiaoyaozi ascended to heaven.

Yu Dan Zhenren received the true teachings of Xiaoyaozi and successfully predicted an earthquake in her early years, allowing Prince Jing, who was then the crown prince, to escape a calamity. As a result, the retired emperor made his youngest daughter, Princess Jiarou, become her disciple.

And recently, Master Yudan has been at Zizhu Temple!

So the question is, what exactly did Feng Yalan hear from Master Yudan?
It now appears that the prophecy of the Jade Elixir Immortal was not reported to the emperor, indicating that even she herself could not be certain.

However, even things she couldn't be sure of were of great importance to a high-ranking official like Feng Ke.

What exactly happened?

By the way, Feng Ke said he would send someone to Tongzhou soon.

Tongzhou?

Yang Shengqiu disregarded everything else and went to the Office of Transmission, asking a colleague there to help him search for archives and records related to Tongzhou. Finally, he asked them to check if there had been any flash floods, tsunamis, or earthquakes.

Three days later, news came from Tongke that the three places bordering Tongzhou had suffered from floods more than a decade ago. Although Tongzhou was also affected, the dikes were solid and no major damage was caused.

Flood?

Did the Jade Elixir Immortal predict the flood in Tongzhou?

It now appears that Master Yudan was unsure of his own prophecy, and therefore did not submit it to the emperor.

However, regardless of whether this prediction comes true, it is a good opportunity for Feng Ke.

Next, Feng Ke will definitely make arrangements, starting with the Ministry of Works! (End of Chapter)