Chapter 333 - If this continues, we would end our friendship

Hearing Fang Zhijun’s words, Zhuo Jun’s eyes flashed again.

He glanced at Xiao Hanzheng, whose expression did not change, before forcing a smile. “We’ll talk about it later.”

Fang Zhijun was more blunt in his words. He smiled and said, “You’ve been engaged for three years, right? It’s time to marry someone so that you can enjoy her gentleness and warmth and have someone by your side.”

He used to be classmates with Zhuo Jun in the academy.

Later, they came to the capital together for the exams, so they had a good relationship.

Because of this, he couldn’t help but care about his good friend’s life.

Zhuo Jun was a little annoyed and changed the topic. “We’ve been out for so long. They must be waiting anxiously.

“The clothes that Jinyu and I left to dry are almost ready. Why don’t we go back first?”

Fang Zhijun didn’t think too much about it. “Alright, let’s go back then.”

The three of them quickly returned to the courtyard.

Midway, while Zhuo Jun was being pulled by a few other people to compose a poem, Xiao Hanzheng and Fang Zhijun started chatting.

“Did you guys stay at the prefectural school before?”

Fang Zhijun replied, “Yes. Our prefectural school has strict requirements. Everyone has to stay there. There are four days in a month when we can go home.”

Xiao Hanzheng smiled again and asked, “So you and Henglong live together?”

Fang Zhijun shook his head. “No, we didn’t.

“It was supposed to be two people in a room, but Henglong’s roommate felt sick the day we moved in. He took a long leave of absence after that.

“He didn’t come back until we came to the capital for the exams.

“At that time, we envied Henglong for being able to live alone.

Xiao Hanzheng smiled and said, “It is indeed very convenient to be alone.

“When you were at the countryside examination, did the officials also prepare the clothings inside and for all of you to change into after entering?”

Not long after the exam started, a very serious incident happened.

When an examinee entered the examination hall, he had been searched and groped by the bailiffs.

After being insulted, he wrote a self-denying letter and actually hung himself in the examination hall with his belt at night.

His death placed the body searching procedure on the spotlight.

The vast majority of examinees also felt that being searched and groped by the bailiffs was very insulting.

A few great scholars also stood out to criticize such behavior.

At that time, the late emperor had just ascended the throne.

In order to quell such matters, he changed the policy of body search.

Before every examinee entered the examination hall, they had to report the size of their clothes when they registered for the exam.

The officials would prepare all the clothes inside.

When the examinees entered the exam venue, they would line up and enter a common room.

They would take off their clothes and shoes, and the bailiffs would give a body search.

The examinees would go into the inner room to change into the clothes that were distributed by the officials.

After they left the examination hall, they would put on their own clothes and shoes.

This way, not only would it prevent people from cheating on their clothes, it would also protect the examinees’ dignity.

Fang Zhijun nodded. “That’s right. Isn’t this consistent across the whole nation? Are you guys doing it in any way different?”

Xiao Hanzheng’s expression didn’t change as he replied, “It’s the same. Because I once heard that the northern border countryside examination was somewhat different from our southern one, so I was curious and asked.”

Fang Zhijun didn’t suspect anything. “Actually, it’s about the same.”

Xiao Hanzheng thought of something and said with a smile, “I realized that Brother Zhijun has a lot of friends. No wonder you like to write invitations for gatherings.

“Recently, I’ve received more than a dozen of your invitations.”

Fang Zhijun couldn’t help but laugh. “You only come here once in a while, don’t you think so?

“Actually, more than half of the gatherings were proposed by Henglong.

“This guy asked me to host gatherings, but he only comes here once in a while. His body is too weak. He will feel unwell on the day of the gathering.

“But he seemed to be here when you came.”

Fang Zhijun joked, “Did you two make an appointment?”

Xiao Hanzheng immediately cleared his name. “How is that possible? I’m just a casual friend of Henglong. We’re not even close.”

Fang Zhijun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “If Henglong hears what you said, I’m afraid he won’t be happy.”

Xiao Hanzheng raised his eyebrows. “Why? Is Henglong so short-tempered?”

Fang Zhijun drank a few glasses of wine and started to talk more. “He just likes to be short-tempered.

“In the past, at the prefectural academy, someone joked with him. He immediately cut ties with that person.

“On another occasion, when we went out for a gathering, a classmate joked that he looked like a woman. He was so angry that he threw the wine in that person’s face and immediately left.”

At that time, although everyone thought that that person was joking a little too much, Zhuo Jun’s radical action, everyone didn’t approve of his way of handling matters.

Xiao Hanzheng seemed to be curious and asked, “Is Henglong’s popularity at the school good?”

Fang Zhijun replied, “His popularity is quite good. After all, he is basically number one in every exam. Moreover, as long as he doesn’t joke around, his personality is still easy-going.

“He’s also a generous person. He often buys food and drinks when he goes out.

“But he doesn’t get close to anyone. He was mostly alone. Occasionally, he would attend some gatherings.”

Xiao Hanzheng smiled. “I see.”

Then, he changed the topic. If he continued to ask, he was afraid that Fang Zhijun would suspect something.

Soon, Zhuo Jun and the others came back and drank another round of wine.

Zhuo Jun’s face was flushed red as he sat next to Xiao Hanzheng.

Occasionally, he turned his head to look at Xiao Hanzheng.

There was a hint of charm in his eyes that even he himself might not have noticed.

Xiao Hanzheng did not like this kind of gaze.

The doubts in his heart had been solved today.

He pretended that he could not handle the alcohol and suggested that he should go back first.

Zhuo Jun also stood up and said the same thing.

He even invited Xiao Hanzheng to take the carriage back with him.

If he didn’t find anything wrong, Xiao Hanzheng wouldn’t have rejected Zhuo Jun when he thought of him as a friend.

But now, he said without hesitation, “I’m really sorry. I promised to pick up my wife, so I have to go back quickly.”

Zhuo Jun curled his lips. “Your wife is so troublesome.”

She was just a village woman.

Was there a need to be like this?

Xiao Hanzheng’s originally smiling face instantly darkened. “Brother Henglong, your words are too harsh.

“I offered to bring my wife home. No matter how much trouble it caused me, I’m willing to do it.

“I’m one year older than you, and we’re also friends. You have to address my wife as ‘sister-in-law’, your words just now were too rude.

“If you can’t respect my wife, then it’s better that we don’t interact in the future.”

2

Zhuo Jun’s expression changed slightly. “That’s not what I meant.”

As he spoke, he wanted to nudge Xiao Hanzheng’s sleeve. “I might have drunk too much today, so I said the wrong thing. Jinyu, don’t be angry.”

However, Xiao Hanzheng avoided him. “Then I hope that you’ll respect my wife more in the future.”

After he finished speaking to Zhuo Jun with a cold face, he hugged Fang Zhijun and the others. “I’ll take my leave first. See you later!”

After saying that, Xiao Hanzheng turned around and left with his entourage, leaving the few of them looking at each other in dismay.

No one had expected that Xiao Hanzheng, who had always been as gentle and elegant as jade, would actually be angry at Zhuo Jun because of a single sentence.

He had even said that he wanted to end his friendship with Zhuo Jun.

However, from this matter, everyone could see that Xiao Hanzheng really loved his wife.

They couldn’t even comment otherwise.

Saying that he loved his wife wasn’t just saying for fun or for a show.

They had to pay attention to this in the future.

After all, Xiao Hanzheng had a bright future ahead of him.

He was the person they wanted to befriend.

They couldn’t offend him just because they didn’t pay attention to these details.