They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 14 Reuse
At the beginning of noon, in the study of the Prince of Qin's mansion in Chang'an.

Grand Secretary Fang Xuanling accepted the purple silk edict handed to him by a palace attendant, his gaze fixed on the four characters "Master of Ceremonies" whose ink was just beginning to dry. His fingertips then paused slightly on the name that followed.

"Wei Zheng?"

Fang Xuanling raised his eyes to look at Du Ruhui, who was sitting upright to the side, and his Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly.
"Former officials of the Crown Prince have actually been retained?"

Du Ruhui's withered fingers tapped unconsciously twice on the sandalwood table, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his cloudy eyes.
"Yesterday we witnessed the bloodshed at the Eastern Palace, and today you've promoted Wei Zheng, the Crown Prince's tutor... Your Highness's intentions,"

He hesitated for a moment, then uttered four words in a hoarse voice.

"It is unfathomable."

Fang Xuanling took the yellow hemp paper from which the copy was being made; the ink was still fresh.

"Thunder and rain, both are the Emperor's grace. Such instructions should not be suppressed, but released; they should not be delayed even for a moment."

Du Ruhui's sallow face showed no emotion, and he nodded slightly.

The copy was immediately handed over to a trusted clerk and sent out of the mansion by fast horse, like a stone thrown into a deep pool, destined to stir up ripples in Chang'an.

Sun Fujia was intently writing with his brush, annotating the "Wude Code" spread out before him in fine vermilion script. This was the legal code compiled by the current dynasty, and beside the article on silk about "joint punishment for treason," the ink strokes were as winding as worms.

His bodyguard approached quickly and whispered a few words in his ear.

"what?!"

Sun Fujia flicked his wrist, and the wolf-hair brush, soaked in cinnabar, fell heavily onto the Duan inkstone with a "thud"!
"Wei Zheng...the Registrar of the Imperial Household?!"

These five words, like a red-hot branding iron, burned fiercely into his heart.

Just a few hours earlier, surrounded by those newly appointed scholars, he had made a firm assertion...

"Wei Xuancheng's head will be on the ground within a day or two!"

The resounding words still echoed in his ears, but now they suddenly transformed into the loudest slap, making him see stars and sending a chill straight up from his feet to the top of his head.

He clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, oblivious to the stinging pain that drew blood. He hissed at his equally horrified attendant, "Go now! Investigate for me! Immediately! Right now!"

Half an hour later, in the East Market of Chang'an, on the second floor of the Eight Immortals Tower.

The newly appointed second-place scholar, Zhang Changling, was beaming with pride as he sat in the main seat, surrounded by Zhou Ping and a group of fellow scholars who had passed the imperial examinations, who treated him like a star surrounded by the moon.

The boisterous aroma of alcohol filled the private room. Zhou Ping stood at the table, vividly imitating the comical gesture of the old fisherman casting his net on the Jing River a few days ago, which drew laughter from everyone present.

"...Haha! You tell me, our top scholar Chen Guangrui is probably out in Yongxingfang right now, fishing like Jiang Taigong,"

Zhou Ping deliberately drew out his words to attract curious glances, before letting out a mocking laugh.

"But he's not waiting for King Wen; he's probably hoping that Lord Wei Zheng will float ashore from the water himself!" "Hahahaha! Brilliant! Brilliant!"

"Brother Zhou's insight is brilliant!"

The room immediately erupted in even more jarring laughter and agreement.

Zhang Changling demurely picked up the celadon wine cup in front of him, his knuckles tracing the delicate porcelain surface. The sound was soft, yet it clearly drowned out the noise, carrying an air of superior confidence.

"Gentlemen, such people who are ignorant of the times and court death, even with the title of literary champion, are now trapped in such a vortex,"

He paused slightly, glanced around at the guests, and slowly uttered four words.

"It's nothing more than... there's no way to escape."

His confident tone, as if he had already foreseen the outcome, drew a chorus of heartfelt admiration and flattery.

"Brother Zhang, you have a keen understanding of the world!" "The second-place scholar's insight is truly remarkable!"

Separated only by a thin screen depicting mountains and water, the atmosphere in the corner by the window is completely different—a profound silence.

Chen Guangrui sat alone, slowly and deliberately using the tip of his chopsticks to pick up a slice of fresh raw fish that was as thin as a cicada's wing and as white as jade. He gently dipped it into the small dish in front of him, which contained green garlic paste and black fermented black beans. After dipping it in the flavor, he slowly put it into his mouth, closed his eyes, and savored the subtle taste of the salty and fresh flavor melting on his tongue.

On the table were several simple yet exquisite dishes.

Chen An, sitting opposite him, felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. His face turned red, and the veins on his forehead throbbed. The sharp, vicious taunts directed at his brother from the private room next door seemed to pierce his ears one by one.

"elder brother!"

Chen An finally couldn't hold back any longer. His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked, and he suddenly raised his head, letting out a low growl of suppressed frustration and rage through gritted teeth.

"Those bastards! I'm going to tear that Changling's stinking mouth apart right now!"

Chen Guangrui calmly put down his silver chopsticks, his gaze as serene as water, and fell on Chen An's indignant face.

Why get angry over the words of a petty person?

His voice wasn't loud, but it possessed a strange power that pierced through the noise.

"That's just how people are; they chase fame and fortune, seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune. He needs to use the title of 'top scholar' as a stepping stone to achieve his goal of becoming the second-place scholar, and only then can he earn the empty title of 'uncrowned literary champion' at the Qionglin Banquet in half a month. This is his plan. If you try to sabotage him, wouldn't you be helping him set up the stage?"

Seeing that Chen An was still sulking, a faint smile appeared on his tense face, and he joked in a relaxed tone,
"Besides, even if we don't get this official position, the sky won't fall. At worst, we can go back to our hometown of Jiangzhou. With pen and ink on our side, we can easily write a few poems and earn a few bushels of rice and a couple of jugs of wine. We won't starve, brothers."

Before he finished speaking, he actually raised his hand to signal to the waiter standing not far away.
"Waiter, could you please fetch me some paper and pen?"

The waiter dared not delay and quickly brought over a brush, ink, and a piece of slightly rough hemp paper.

Chen Guangrui rolled up the sleeves of his blue robe, calmly picked up his brush, dipped it in thick ink, hesitated for a moment, and then began to write. His brush moved swiftly and powerfully, the ink flowing freely, and lines of elegant and vigorous characters spread across the hemp paper. In no time, a poem was completed.

He put down his pen, gently folded the still-wet paper, and handed it back to the waiter.
"Take this and ask the shopkeeper to take a look. See if these words are worth today's meal."

Seeing his composed demeanor and extraordinary words, the waiter dared not underestimate him. Moreover, he had met this man once before, and others called him "Scholar Chen." He dared not be negligent, and respectfully accepted the poem with both hands, repeatedly saying yes. He then turned around and hurriedly went downstairs to find the shopkeeper.

At that moment, an old voice rang out from the side.

"Scholar Chen! We've finally found you!"

An elderly man, dressed in faded brown cloth, with a solemn expression and unusually steady steps, walked with difficulty but with a clear goal, guided by another waiter, toward the table in the corner by the window.

Chen Guangrui looked up and recognized the face of the newcomer. It was the steward of the Wei family who had coldly and uncompromisingly refused them entry to Wei Zheng's residence in Yongxingfang yesterday.

At that moment, the old steward recognized Chen Guangrui sitting there. He felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders and let out a long sigh of relief. He immediately bowed deeply, saying, "My legs are about to break! I've asked all over the southeastern half of Chang'an... Heaven has eyes! You're really here!"

He quickly stepped forward, deliberately lowering his voice so that only Chen Guangrui could hear: "The master invites the top scholar to come to the mansion for a chat tonight at 7 PM."

The butler didn't say much, but his eyes conveyed a lot of information.

Chen An remained silent, but his face still showed wariness. He was unaware of the major changes that had taken place in Chang'an and was worried that Wei Zheng would implicate him and his brother. His face was full of vigilance.

Chen Guangrui showed no surprise, as if everything was expected. He nodded calmly, "Understood."

He then took out a string of copper coins from his sleeve and placed them on the table. The amount of money far exceeded the actual value of the food on the table. Then, he straightened his wrinkle-free robe and calmly stood up. "Alright, I will definitely go tonight."

With a slight sway of their blue robes, Chen Guangrui and his servant walked unhurriedly towards a quieter side door. Their composed figures quickly disappeared into the shadows around the corner of the stairs, completely shutting out the noise behind them.

At that moment, a newly appointed scholar, perhaps late for Zhang Changling's banquet, stumbled in and pushed open the door to the private room.
"Something big has happened. All the Imperial Guards in Yongxing Ward have been withdrawn!"

(End of this chapter)