Chapter 389

At around four in the afternoon, Ling Jingxuan and others directly drove the carriage to the examination place to pick up Ling Jinghan. Like when they came in the morning, outside the place was gathering a lot of people. But no one dared to speak loudly. At about fifteen to five, the old assistant of the magistrate showed up again. Along with a sound of knocking a gong, people waiting outside all craned their necks to look inside.

“They are out…They are out…”

Suddenly someone called out, all people’s eyes looked over at the exit of the examination room. As expected, they saw a slim, slender, white and handsome student carrying a bamboo basket walking out.

“Second uncle, here, we are here…”

The first one out was no other else but Ling Jinghan. The little buns who had sharp eyes waved their hands at him excitedly. Ling Wu already elbowed through the crowd and threw himself over to hold his thigh, “Second uncle, I missed you so much! Are you tired? Daddy said you must be tired after a whole day’s exams. I’ll give you a massage after going home, OK? Daddy taught me how to do massage. Grandpa and grandma both said it’s comfortable.”

“Great. I happen to feel stiff all over. Sorry to trouble you then, our little Wu.”

After handing the basket to his younger brother who came behind, Ling Jinghan held him up.

Then Ling Wen also came with Tiewa. He pulled the lower hem of Ling Jinghan’s robes while looking up at his younger brother, “Xiaowu, get down! Uncle Han is already tired enough. Holding you will make him more tired.”

“Oh, OK.”

Hearing that, before Ling Jinghan could say anything, with a struggle, Ling Wu slipped down already. Instead, he held his hand. Ling Jinghan couldn’t help smiling. Then holding them on both sides, he walked toward Ling Jingxuan and Yan Shengrui. Seeing that extra Yan Shaoqi behind, his eyes flickered, but he didn’t say anything. After a nod at him, he calmly turned to face Ling Jingxuan and others.

People around all threw their jealous eyes at this whole harmonious family, then craned their necks to stare at the exit again. At this time, those examinees all filed out, most of whom were carrying a basket. And outside the examination place, people began to speak loudly, all kinds of sounds overlapped together. Ling Jingxuan who meant to say something could only turn around to leave. All of them then crawled onto the two carriages one after another.

“You look confident. Should have done well, right?”

Inside the carriage, Ling Jingxuan broke the silence in the first place.

“Hmm, I think it’s not bad. If everything goes well, I think I will be listed.”

Having studied so hard over ten years, because of his illness, this was the first time he took the examination for the tongsheng title. Now, holding the two little buns, Ling Jinghan was showing some sharp light in the eyes, with a confident smile hanging on his face.

“You can do it! We’ll know the result in three days.”

Ling Jingpeng’s eyebrows also danced. If it had been half a year ago, no one could ever imagine even someone who had been ill in bed for so many years and may leave this world at any minute could take a whole day’s examination.

“I think it’s not merely getting listed.”

With a faint sweep of Ling Jinghan, Yan Shengrui said. Judging from his confident look, he should be aiming at the first place!

“Hehe…Before the result comes out, we should stay low. What if I couldn’t reach that goal? Our mom will cry before us again.”

“Ha ha…”

As Ling Jinghan’s voice fell, everyone laughed out.

“Uncle Han, what was it like in the examination room? Is it scary?”

Ling Wen, who was sitting on his right side, suddenly straightened his back and asked. He was also going to take the exam in the future, so it was always good to know a little earlier.

“Well, how to say? Not very scary, but it is the examination that matters the future of the students. So when I went in, I saw a lot of people who were wearing a pale face, legs trembling, like facing a horrible enemy. Even I got a bit nervous. But after getting the paper, I chilled down. Like what you daddy said, just treat it with a common heart. As long as I do my best, it’s Ok even if I don’t get listed.”

After placing him on his thigh, Ling Jinghan didn’t play at him because he was a kid, instead, he answered him quite seriously. He knew what his nephew was thinking. He always dreamed of becoming an official. So he was also eager to see how far he could go.

“Aren’t you supposed to stay chilled? Daddy often said whatever we do, we should stay calm, or we’ll only make things worse. Those people’s daddies should have also ever told them so. Why were they still so nervous?”

Ling Wen nodded in agreement, but put forward an even stranger question. Ling Jinghan took a meaningful glance at his big brother and said with a light smile, “Their parents are not like your daddy. You also saw the appearance of your grandma in the morning, right? Who doesn’t expect their children to pass the exam? For a student, slackening off equals laziness. Only your daddy always asks us to relax and alternate work with rest!”

He was really very grateful to his big brother. One should know, people feel nervous about some unknown things. Plus, people around were so scared that even their face turned pale, which only brought more pressure to others. If it hadn’t been his big brother’s words, he also couldn’t have calmed down so quickly. And then, let alone the first place, he even might not be able to be listed.

“Our daddy is the best!”

Ling Wen smiled, wearing a proud face, Ling Wu and Tiewa also echoed. The whole family talking and laughing, soon they arrived home.

After coaxing the little buns to sleep after dinner, Yan Shengrui and Ling Jingxuan went back to their own room. Yan Yi, Yan Shan and Yan Si were already waiting in the living room. Seeing them come in, Yan Yi silently knelt down on one knee. After giving a salute to them, Yan Shan and Yan Si went to close the door. Their big brother was going to be punished, which shouldn’t be seen by other people.

“So, what’s going on?”

Holding Ling Jingxuan to walk past him, Yan Shengrui didn’t mean to let him get up at all. Instead, he directly walked to his chair with a thick mattress in, those peach blossom eyes reflecting stern light. Yan Yi knew his mistake, so he dare not complain, only kneeling there to turn to them, “It’s my negligence. I only made a rough inquiring and took him back. Please punish me.”

“Punish you? I think you just are living too comfortably, so you don’t even know who you are!”

Picking his eyebrows domineeringly, Yan Shengrui slightly narrowed his eyes dangerously. He was too easy-going, so they all took his words as bullsh*t? Jingxuan was his legitimate crown princess! They even muddled through their work when doing things for him, under the condition that he was around. If someday when he was away, wouldn’t they already climb over Ling Jingxuan and the two little bun’s heads to poop?

“Your subordinate dare not!”

Hearing that, Yan Yi knelt down on both knees, and Yan Shan and Yan Si also knelt down on one knee aside. Clearly the lord was warning all of them. If they couldn’t tell this, they really should resign themselves.”

“Is there anything you dare not do? If it was someone else, maybe I would let it go. But you, Yan Yi, you are in charge of collecting intelligence. If you are also so careless when it comes to the whole kingdom, do you think a minor punishment will solve the problem?”

Instead of softening his heart, Yan Shengrui got sterner. This was a very serious matter. He had made mistakes in his profession. It is not just a double-faced behavior now.

“Your subordinate deserves to die. Please punish me.”

Yan Yi felt extremely ashamed. This time it was really his fault. Maybe really like what the crown princess said, for his thing, he didn’t take it so seriously. He thought, only a bookkeeper, so he didn’t pay too much thought, which also led to such a huge mistake. Anyhow, he had to take the compelling obligation.

“Save it. Tell me the background of this Yuan Shaoqi.”

Before Yan Shengrui opened his mouth again, Ling Jingxuan secretly pulled him. That thing was really not their fault. It was only understandable they did so. He had no objections how Yan Shengrui would punish them. But not now. He still wanted to sleep early.

With Ling Jingxuan’s persuasion, Yan Shengrui’s anger instantly eased a lot. Then he threw a stare at him and snapped, “Say it!”

“Yes. I have gotten him investigated thoroughly. Yuan Shaoqi is the eldest son of Duke Yuan. His eldest son got attacked by the natives when he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Nanjiang, and fortunately was saved by a women there. The two of them grew affections with each other day by day. Before his eldest son left, he promised that he would go pick her some day. But he never went back again. Not long after, that woman found herself pregnant. So she went to the capital secretly to look for him, and suffered a lot on the way. When arriving in the capital, she was nearly confined. The first wife of the duke’s eldest son just refused to let that woman marry in. The duke’s eldest son who had been desperate for a son could only settle her down outside. She is really a rigorously chaste woman. After knowing that the duke’s eldest son was just fooling her, she directly left with the kid. But she didn’t go back to Nanjiang, but found a village nearby and lived there as a widow. Usually, she could only make a living by picking herbs in the mountain. Until three years ago, she died. Being too worried about his son, she could only send someone to inform the duke’s mansion. The duke’s eldest son felt overjoyed and surprised both. That was his only son. The old duke even personally went to take them home. But that woman was poor enough. She died before the duke gave her the title. For this, Yuan Shaoqi didn’t acknowledge his blood father. From now and then, he’d run out of the mansion to roam around everywhere. And this time, he escaped since he was angry that his father made an engagement for him without letting him know. It’s been half a year now. The duke’s mansion is still looking for him everywhere. The reason I mistook his identification is because when he wandered to Cangzhou and checked in in an inn, he happened to meet a scholar who was dying who got robbed by some bandits. The more coincidental thing is, they share the same name, the same age. So after that scholar died, Yaun Shaoqi used his identity to come to Qingyang town. Seen from now, he is just avoiding the duke’s chasing, who would do no harm to us.”

With no more hesitation, Yan Yi told the whole investigating thing to him. To ensure the authenticity of the news, he specially went to Cangzhou himself, only afraid to make a mistake again. One time mistake, he could say he was careless, but making a mistake for a second time, it wasn’t simply his carelessness. Even if the prince and crown princess could let it go, he couldn’t let it go himself.

“Duke Yuan?”

Yan Shengrui picked his eyebrows. No wonder he felt he looked so familiar. When Duke Yuan was young, he was also a brave general who had ever gone into wars with his uncle-in-law. Pity that his son wasn’t like him. His few sons all didn’t take up his mantle and all occupied in civil official career, but did not do that good. That was also the root cause why Duke Yuan’s mansion was far behind Duke Weiyuan’s mansion. But to Duke Yuan who had always been a straight-forward and daring person, and never married a concubine or had a maid serving him in bed, but stayed single for his deceased wife, Yan Shengrui still quite respected him.

In this kind of environment where men could have three wives and four concubines while women had to be faithful to her husband only, and even had to introduce someone to be their man’s concubine or maid serving him in bed, even his uncle-in-law Duke Zeng also had some bed-maids who his imperial aunt had arranged for him, while Duke Yuan only had one woman for his whole life, which apparently wasn’t an easy thing, especially that he was in such a high position, who would face all kinds of big temptations, which was really worth his respect. He just didn’t expect that Duke Yuan would have that kind of son. His son really lost all his face.