After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

The July sun hangs quietly in the sky, always making one imagine a hissing sound, like a red-hot furnace with endless firewood burning inside, the fire raging and making people sweat and feel anxious.

Fortunately, the precious tree in the home of the book-loving family is lush and growing well. Its branches spread over the roof like a green canopy, blocking most of the golden sunlight, which makes the main room much cooler than the outside.

Ning Nan gulped down the ancient herbal tea that Yang Qiniang had brewed.

Perilla drink. Roasted perilla leaves were simmered over low heat for an hour, with licorice and a little white sugar added. It is both delicious and cooling.

After listening to Miss Zhu's explanation for a while, he roughly understood the whole story.

Miss Zhu remembered something, and then guessed that Qin Yuanyao had secretly sent someone to contact her. When Master Zhu heard that his daughter was getting better, he was overjoyed and immediately wanted to bring her back to the mansion.

"This is a good thing."

Ning Nan said with satisfaction,

"Now that you've recovered, your father has sent someone to pick you up and take you home. Once you're home, the environment will be better, and you'll see more familiar things, which will help your body and memory recover faster." Ning Nan smiled sincerely.

He was genuinely grateful to Miss Zhu. He was able to obtain the household registration largely thanks to the life-saving grace he had shown to Cui Cui and Miss Zhu, which earned him Master Zhu's trust... Well, Miss Zhu's life-saving grace only counted as half... It was mainly thanks to Doctor Jiang who helped Miss Zhu overcome her allergy that he had the opportunity to save her life.

Otherwise, Miss Zhu's life-saving grace would all belong to Li Yanting... Actually, Master Zhu was quite good to Li Yanting.

He still needs to find a way to risk his life to kill Black Tiger Mountain and expose the mastermind behind it all.

Li Yanting, however, stayed comfortably at home for a few days before receiving an opportunity from Master Zhu. A few days ago, he entered the Bailu Academy in the capital to study, and it is said that he has become the direct disciple of a certain great Confucian scholar.

Cui Cui's wife said that Master Zhu would be responsible for all of Li Yanting's expenses for the imperial examinations, and would even give Li Yanting a monthly allowance for his daily social interactions.

As expected of the male lead… Ning Nan felt a slight toothache.

Luck is damn powerful.

He subtly inquired with Cui Cui's wife how much silver it would cost if he wanted to go to Bailu Academy.

Cui Cui stared at him for a long time before inexplicably saying, "The academy factions are too complicated in the court..."

"It's not suitable for you," she said, nodding her chin in refusal.

"Not suitable for me, my ass..." Ning Nan muttered to himself, cursing his wife.

He felt that his wife looked down on him, thinking that he wasn't as talented as Li Yanting, who was a bookworm.

But upon closer reflection, it seems that what the woman said does make some sense.

If I were to actually go to Bailu Academy and have formal teachers, I would be faced with a whole host of social obligations and obligations... Just thinking about it is incredibly troublesome.

Besides, the academy faction in the court has always prided itself on being a pure and upright group, opposing the faction led by Chief Minister Qin, and also opposing the emperor's reform faction... The factions are indeed complicated... I might really not be suitable.

Li Yanting, a moral gentleman who is genuinely virtuous, is more suitable... He can't even fake it.

At this moment, Zhu Qingmian glanced at Ning Nan and said with a hint of bitterness, "I did give you a gift on the day you married your cousin."

Ning Nan smiled and said, "Yes, I received it. The silver ring is very beautiful, and Cui Cui likes it very much... Thank you."

That silver ring is quite large and its design is indeed exquisite; it must be quite valuable.

"Oh..." She lowered her eyes and nodded slightly. "Hmm... I'm glad you like it."

Around late afternoon, a beautifully decorated carriage entered the village and picked up Miss Zhu.

Ning Nan led Er Lai and the others to the stone bridge to see them off.

Watching Miss Zhu board the carriage with the help of two maids, Ning Nan's feelings were still somewhat complicated.

To be honest, I even thought about winning Miss Zhu's favor and hooking up with this rich young woman to try and find a way out.

But now, thinking about it again, their social statuses are worlds apart. If they really got together, he would probably be more likely to be a live-in son-in-law, sacrificing a lot of dignity... Unlike now, he is open and honest, earning his own living, and is a good match for Cui Cui's wife... He is very satisfied.

Miss Zhu took Yang Qiniang's hand and said with a smile, "Qiniangzi, you've had a hard time these past month."

Yang Qiniang's eyes welled up with tears.

At first, this young lady was incredibly precious and picky about food. Despite being in such poor health, she refused to eat anything, which worried her and Doctor Jiang to no end. Tingwa was even forced by her to buy beef.

But somehow, after taking care of her like a willful daughter for so many days, she suddenly felt extremely reluctant to let her go.

"Hmph!" Yang Qiniang complained, "You're all talk and no action. I offered to be your cook, to cook for you, and I wouldn't even ask for much pay, but you refused."

Zhu Qingmian sweetly tightened her grip on Yang Qiniang's hand: "I'm just worried that it's too far and you won't be able to get home easily."

"What's so hard about going back?" Yang Qiniang said, somewhat aggrieved. "It's just Nanjing! When I was young, I could walk back and forth in a day! What's there to be afraid of? I wouldn't even be afraid of wolves on the road!"

Zhu Qingmian nodded and smiled, "I know, I know... Seventh Sister is the bravest and most capable!"

Yang Qiniang's eyes were moist, her lips pursed, and she glared at a simple-looking man beside the carriage, saying with dissatisfaction, "You didn't invite me... but instead invited this butcher to work as your butcher..."

Han Donghu, carrying a bag of pig-slaughtering tools, was stunned when he saw that Seventh Lady was taking her anger out on him. He said helplessly, "Seventh Lady, it was the master who took a liking to my skills and invited me to come."

"Fine, fine, you think you're so great, so awesome!" Yang Qiniang waved her hand impatiently.

Han Donghu could only give a wry smile and remain silent.

Er Lai looked at his honest and simple father. He had only suddenly learned last night that his father was going to Nanjing, and his eyes were still somewhat bewildered.

Dad said he was going to Nanjing to earn money for him to get married. He raised his chin and told Dad that his elder brother had appointed him as the head steward, with great power and an astonishingly high salary. He could afford to take three concubines, let alone get married!

But when his father heard this, he wasn't very happy, nor did he change his mind about becoming a butcher for a wealthy family in Nanjing. He just patted his shoulder silently, and after a long time, he smiled gently and said, "Money... you can never have too much... I'll send you money back."

The sun gradually set in the west.

After Han Donghu gave his son Erlai a few final words, Zhu Qingmian's coachman cracked his whip.

Han Donghu sat down with the coachman.

Twenty mounted guards with swords followed on either side of the carriage.

Ning Nan found it strange; these twenty guards were all unfamiliar faces, none of them were Jinyiwei he had ever seen before. Each of them had an unfriendly expression and exuded murderous intent; they didn't look like benevolent people.

If Qian Sijin hadn't appeared, produced Qin Yuanyao's warrant, and repeatedly confirmed that these people were indeed Miss Zhu's guards, he would have suspected that these people were imposters and planned not to let Miss Zhu leave.

……

Just as Miss Zhu set off.

The Ning family courtyard was bathed in the orange sunlight of the afternoon.

Cui Cui opened the window, sat down at her desk and flipped through a book, the pages rustling in the wind.

"So," she said, her eyes fixed quietly on the book, "Han Donghu also left with them?"

"Hmm." Qin Yuanyao, standing behind her, nodded slightly. "We've reviewed files from the last twenty years; he must have passed on a lot of information... but at least, he hasn't taken any of our lives."

"He was originally from the Northern Dynasty. According to the information we got from the Sticky Rod Office, he was also the first Northern Dynasty princess he found... Li Erlai has made meritorious contributions in defeating the bandits, and with the help of Young Master Ning, we don't plan to touch him, but we can't tolerate him either... We talked to the Northern Dynasty, and we also talked to him... The covert sentry will become an open sentry, and he will stay at the Northern Dynasty embassy as a guard with the Northern Dynasty princess."

"Hmm." Cui Cui nodded, turned a page of her book, and said calmly, "Keep it a secret."

"Yes," Qin Yuanyao replied immediately.