Upon returning to the Yan residence, Yan Tongshu was immediately besieged by Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu, who demanded to know whether she had received the news long ago.
Yan Tongshu explained the whole matter from beginning to end.
Yan Liangrong was instantly filled with fighting spirit. Yan Liangyu, on the other hand, had not really made up her mind—she did not even know whether she wanted to take the examination. But seeing how ambitious her elder sister was, she was unconsciously infected by her enthusiasm and decided to take it as well.
The two of them immediately shut themselves in the study and applied themselves to their books.
The study lights remained on until well into the night. Yan Tongshu had to drive them back to their rooms three times before they reluctantly went to bed.
The next day, Yan Tongshu arrived at the Ministry of Rites. Most of the officials’ examination papers had already been graded, and the top ten papers had been sorted out and brought to her so she could determine their final rankings.
After making her decision, Yan Tongshu entered the palace with the Minister of Rites to see the emperor.
Although there were no clearly defined rewards or punishments for the annual examination, the rankings still had to be determined. The emperor would then issue an imperial edict and offer verbal commendations to the top three, granting them the honor of it. That counted as a reward of sorts.
When the two arrived at the palace, Qin Yi was seated in the Imperial Garden, taking a rest.
The garden was filled with brilliant red blossoms and tender green leaves. Thousands of branches displayed their vivid colors, while clear dewdrops adorned the peach blossoms, forming a breathtaking painting.
Yan Tongshu and the Minister of Rites presented the examination papers of the five candidates they had carefully selected from among the top ten. Qin Yi was to decide the top three.
Qin Yi reviewed the papers one by one.
As he did so, Yan Tongshu stood in place, brimming with energy and looking radiant.
Since Qin Yi was reviewing the papers, and she was in a good mood, she did not find the wait boring. Her eyes wandered about the Imperial Garden as she admired the beautiful scenery.
While reviewing the papers, Qin Yi occasionally studied Yan Tongshu from the corner of his eye.
What puzzled him was what, exactly, he was so curious about when it came to her.
The more he watched her, the more curious he seemed to become—curious about just how happy Yan Tongshu was.
What a pointless question.
What a pointless curiosity.
Qin Yi withdrew his gaze and continued reviewing the papers carefully.
At last, he finished and determined the top three.
Lu Xi neatly gathered the papers from the stone table.
Qin Yi told the Minister of Rites to take the papers and leave, keeping Yan Tongshu behind alone.
Qin Yi lifted his teacup and took a sip of hot tea before asking casually, “Are you very happy about the establishment of the Bureau of Justice?”
Yan Tongshu nodded furiously and showered him with flattery. “His Majesty is wise and mighty, a ruler of unparalleled talent and strategy, and loves his people as though they were his own children. With Your Majesty ruling our Wuzhao, the people are truly blessed, and the nation is truly fortunate.”
“Is that all?” The corners of Qin Yi’s lips lifted slightly as his deep eyes fixed unblinkingly on Yan Tongshu.
Was he… dissatisfied because her flattery had not been good enough?
Yan Tongshu thought for a moment. “Your Majesty, please wait a moment.”
With that, she turned and ran off. After a while, Yan Tongshu returned, both hands clasped behind her back. Her eyes were bright and lively.
“Your Majesty, this subject begs your indulgence.”
Yan Tongshu raised both arms and flung them into the air. A shower of flower petals burst overhead like fireworks, blooming brilliantly above Qin Yi’s head.
She shouted, “Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor! Ten thousand times long live the emperor!”
After finishing her performance, Yan Tongshu stared at Qin Yi with wide eyes, as if asking whether His Majesty was satisfied with her flattery.
Qin Yi stared at her face for a long while before looking away.
“Average.”
Yan Tongshu ground her teeth. He was impossibly difficult to please.
Unable to help herself, she glanced at Lu Xi. How had he managed to put up with such a difficult master for so long?
Qin Yi slowly said, “You may withdraw.”
Yan Tongshu cursed him inwardly as she respectfully took her leave.
Lu Xi escorted Yan Tongshu out. When he returned, he stood carefully to one side, discreetly observing Qin Yi’s expression from the corner of his eye and preparing to serve him at any moment.
Smack.
The teacup in Qin Yi’s hand landed heavily on the table.
The palace maids and eunuchs standing nearby immediately dropped to their knees.
Qin Yi’s face was livid.
He had been affected again.
They had only been a few fallen blossoms and a couple of flattering remarks, yet he had actually become so happy.
This was utterly outrageous!
After leaving the palace, Yan Tongshu looked up at the sky.
Wow.
The sun was shining brightly, and the weather was clear. Surely every day ahead would be a good one.
Yan Tongshu climbed into the carriage. “Come on, Pearl, Jinbao. Let’s go home.”
On April twentieth, just as the sky began to lighten, Yan Tongshu sat bolt upright in bed and hurriedly brushed her teeth and washed her face.
The kitchen had prepared a light meal early that morning.
Yan Liangrong had temporarily entrusted Zheng Ke to the Zheng family.
Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu sat at the dining table, eating slowly and carefully.
Neither dared to eat too much or too quickly. The examination for the Bureau of Justice would last an entire day. Once they were searched and admitted into the examination hall, they would not be allowed to leave from morning until afternoon—not even to use the latrine. They would have to empty their own chamber pots.
If they ate too much or too quickly and upset their stomachs, it would only bring them trouble later.
Yan Tongshu was nervous too. Together with Pearl and Jinbao, she checked Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu’s bags again and again.
Writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones; their examination identity documents; the flatbreads they would eat at noon; water to drink—nothing could be forgotten. Otherwise, once they entered the examination hall, they would be utterly helpless.
Madam Yan saw them off at the door. After returning, she knelt before Guanyin and prayed devoutly, asking her to bless Liangyu and Liangrong with success in the examination.
Chen Meirong was even more excessive. The day before, she had carried the largest, thickest incense sticks up the mountain. That morning, just after dawn, she planted the three enormous incense pillars into the censer before Manjushri Bodhisattva, leaving all the monks staring in shock, their eyes nearly bulging from their sockets.
After seeing Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu into the examination hall, Yan Tongshu was terribly anxious. She stared at the examination hall gates, where countless people were still lining up to have their identities verified and undergo searches.
Yan Tongshu clenched her fists. The examination would last an entire day, all the way until the you hour.
An entire day!
How were they supposed to endure it?
Watching someone else take an examination was more nerve-racking than taking one herself.
Pearl comforted her. “Young Master, Eldest Miss and Second Miss have worked day and night these past few days. They’ll certainly be fine. You mustn’t be so nervous.”
Jinbao added, “That’s right, Young Master. Eldest Miss and Second Miss will definitely be fine. You’re making us nervous too.”
Yan Tongshu took a deep breath.
That was right. Everything would certainly be fine.
She swept her arm through the air. “Come on, let’s go eat some noodles. We’ll return this afternoon to pick up the two misses and take them home.”
Pearl and Jinbao replied cheerfully, “Yes!”
Yan Tongshu and Pearl climbed into the carriage, while Jinbao took the reins. The carriage slowly made its way out of the crowded streets, packed with parents who had come to see their children off, and headed toward Aunt Yang’s noodle stall.
The three had just arrived and had not even greeted Aunt Yang when they saw a commotion up ahead.
Yan Tongshu watched the scene before her, struck by a strange sense of déjà vu.
Coffins. Two families. A funeral procession from each side—and they had collided.
Unlike the Qiao and Ma families, these funeral processions had far more people, much more luxurious coffins, and a much fiercer fight.
There were three coffins in total.
Before Yan Tongshu could send Jinbao to call the patrolling constables, Li Fulin arrived with his men.
The two families were quickly separated.
They had been fighting in one tangled mass just moments earlier, so Yan Tongshu had not recognized anyone. Now that the two sides had been forced apart, each standing on opposite sides of an invisible boundary and refusing to yield an inch, she finally recognized the head of one family as Wang Quan'an, the Vice Minister of Revenue.
Wang Quan'an had originally been suspended pending investigation. However, with Prince Ming vouching for him, he had ultimately only been demoted two ranks and retained in office. Thus, he was still an official.
The people who dared to beat Wang Quan'an as though they wanted him dead clearly had an extraordinary identity as well.
Both families were holding funerals, and neither wanted to be the one to leave the city later than the other. This was going to be difficult to mediate.
Sure enough, by the time Yan Tongshu, Pearl, and Jinbao had finished their noodles, the two families still had not reached an agreement.
Puzzled, Yan Tongshu sent Jinbao to find out what was going on.
After a while, Jinbao returned and sat down on Yan Tongshu’s right. “Young Master, do you remember when we went to Xiangguo Temple to pray for blessings? Gao Shengmei, the Wang family’s eldest daughter, and the Wang family’s second daughter were all convicted of crimes and sentenced to prison?”
Yan Tongshu nodded.
Being imprisoned did not mean a criminal could simply eat and drink and stay alive in comfort behind bars.
Modern prisoners were put to work at sewing machines; in ancient times, prisoners were naturally subjected to hard labor.
“The family holding the funeral today is the Wang family. The coffins contain the Wang family’s stepwife and their second daughter. The other family is the Zhong family of the Marquis of Glory’s residence, the maternal family of the Wang family’s eldest daughter.” Jinbao continued, “I went over there earlier and, while Magistrate Li was talking with the elders from the two families, I slipped a few coins to one of the men carrying the coffins. He told me that the stepwife and the Wang family’s two young ladies had drowned after falling into the river while repairing an embankment.”
Yan Tongshu was shocked. “All three of them died? In accidents that happened at the same time?”
Jinbao shook his head. “No. The embankment is very long, and the three of them weren’t working in the same place. The stepwife and the Wang family’s second daughter had never done heavy labor before. They were already staggering as they carried things across level ground. The section they were repairing was in the middle of the embankment. They had to carry the materials there, and it had rained the night before. They must have lost their footing and fallen into the river.”
Yan Tongshu frowned. “No one rescued them?”
Jinbao shook his head. “I don’t know the details, but they were criminals. The guards probably didn’t care whether they lived or died, so no one saved them.”
“What about the Wang family’s eldest daughter?”
“The coffin bearer said she died two days after the stepwife and the Wang family’s second daughter. While repairing the embankment, she deliberately climbed down into the river to fill a hole that had broken open. Just as she was about to climb back up, the rope suddenly snapped, and the rushing water swept her away. She drowned.”
They had all died so coincidentally?
And in the same manner.
Could it really have been an accident?
Yan Tongshu asked again, “Were their bodies examined?”
Jinbao shook his head. “I didn’t ask about that. There should have been an examination, I suppose.”
Normally, when a prisoner died, a coroner from the place where the sentence was being served would examine the body. But because they were prisoners and therefore not considered important, coroners usually handled such examinations perfunctorily.
Yan Tongshu rose to his feet, his gaze turning stern. “Come on. We’re going back to Kaifeng Prefecture.”
After returning to Kaifeng Prefecture, Yan Tongshu had someone retrieve the autopsy reports for Gao Shengmei, Wang Yuyan, and Wang Chuning.
Their times of death were recorded as the thirteenth, thirteenth, and fifteenth. After the autopsies, their bodies were claimed on the sixteenth.
Today was the twentieth. With the bodies having been kept for three days, holding the funerals now was perfectly reasonable.
All three bodies bore whip wounds. After comparison, the injuries were confirmed to have been inflicted by the guards supervising them, who had beaten the prisoners to hurry them along. The wounds were located on their arms, thighs, and backs.
There were rules governing how guards could whip prisoners: the blows could not be fatal, nor could they prevent the prisoner from working the next day.
Thus, whip wounds were mainly concentrated on the limbs, the back, and the fleshy buttocks.
However, female prisoners were forbidden to be beaten on the buttocks.
Judging from this, the guards who had watched over Gao Shengmei, Wang Yuyan, and Wang Chuning had followed the rules quite carefully.
Aside from that, Gao Shengmei had several older injuries caused by beatings.
It had been mentioned during the previous trial that Gao Shengmei’s former husband had a habit of beating her when drunk. Those old injuries had most likely been inflicted by him.
When the bodies of the three women were found, all three were lying on their backs, their faces tilted upward. Their hands were spread open, with sand lodged between their fingers. Their eyes were half open, and their stomachs were slightly swollen.
Foam, sand, and bloodstains were found inside their mouths and nostrils.
Their abdomens were swollen and filled with water.
All these signs were consistent with death by drowning. There appeared to be no doubt about it.
Yan Tongshu continued flipping through the autopsy reports and found another set of reports for the three women.
She counted them in puzzlement. Each person should have had two pages, making six pages in all, yet there were twenty-four pages here.
If six pages constituted one autopsy report for the three victims, then there were four reports in total. The handwriting and confirming signatures on each report were different. The handwriting on Wang Yuyan’s second, third, and fourth reports also differed from those on Gao Shengmei’s and Wang Chuning’s reports. However, the contents were more or less the same, and the final conclusion in every report was that they had accidentally fallen into the river and died by drowning.
After thinking it over, Yan Tongshu guessed that Wang Quan’an had refused to accept the initial examination report. Suspecting that there might be something more to his wife and daughters’ deaths, he had hired three coroners he trusted to examine the bodies repeatedly.
The Zhong family, Wang Yuyan’s maternal relatives, had likely done the same. That explained why there were reports from several different coroners—twenty-four pages in all.
Could it really be nothing more than a coincidence?
Given how cautious Wang Quan’an and the Zhong family had been, repeatedly changing coroners, the autopsy reports should have been reliable.
But it was far too coincidental.
Not to mention Wang Quan’an and the Zhong family—even Yan Tongshu could not believe that this was simply an accident.
In particular, an autopsy could not clearly distinguish between accidentally falling into a river and being pushed into one while still alive.
After deliberating again and again, Yan Tongshu decided to visit the scene of the deaths.
Yan Tongshu brought Pearl to the embankment where the incidents had occurred.
The embankment stretched for ten li, disappearing into the distance.
It was 2.4 zhang high—approximately eight meters—and between 2.1 and 2.7 zhang wide, or roughly seven to nine meters.
In short, it was a small embankment that had not yet been completed.
The guards on duty when Wang Yuyan, Wang Chuning, and Gao Shengmei died had not been the same person.
Yan Tongshu summoned the two guards separately.
The guard on duty when Wang Chuning and Gao Shengmei died was named Hu Bian. He was twenty-seven years old and a native of Bianjing.
After Yan Tongshu questioned him, Hu Bian said, “In answer to Lord Yan, I was on duty when those two female prisoners died. To be honest, you aren’t the only one asking about this. Two groups have already come and questioned us repeatedly. Those two female prisoners had been specifically designated by the imperial court for strict supervision, and we were forbidden to show them any special consideration. None of us guards dared to bend the rules.”
Normally, if a prisoner’s family offered the guards enough money, many guards would take advantage of the opportunity and loosen the restrictions, assigning the prisoner easier work whenever possible.
The implication behind Hu Bian’s words was that they had not accepted any money from the Wang family. He was making it clear that they had no involvement.
Hu Bian continued cautiously, “When the two female prisoners had their accident, they were carrying crushed stone to the middle section. It had rained the night before, so the embankment was slippery. The two of them were delicate and weak, and they lost their footing and fell.”
Hu Bian pointed toward the middle section of the embankment.
There were signs that the area had been damaged and repaired. Wang Chuning and Gao Shengmei must have been carrying crushed stone over to fill the gap. It was spring, there had been rain, and the embankment was slippery. Losing their footing and drowning after falling into the river was entirely plausible.
Moreover, so much time had passed that even if it had been an accident, there was no longer any trace to be found at the site.
Yan Tongshu asked, “Were you the only one there at the time?”
Hu Bian replied, “There were several other prisoners there as well.”
Yan Tongshu ordered Hu Bian to bring those prisoners over. Sure enough, their statements matched his exactly.
After Hu Bian and the others left, Yan Tongshu had someone lead her to the section where Wang Yuyan had died. She summoned Gan Jiu, the guard who had been on duty that day.
Gan Jiu began, just like Hu Bian, by distancing himself from the matter. He stated that he had absolutely not accepted any money before saying, “Lord Yan, to be frank, when that female prisoner first arrived, she complained constantly and refused to work. But she had a fierce temper. After being whipped a few times, she gritted her teeth and started working. She worked especially hard, and she fought fiercely for food during mealtimes. Many of the female prisoners were afraid of her.
Early on the 15th, a breach was discovered in the river embankment right on this stretch of road, at a relatively low position. The river water was rushing through, making the situation extremely dangerous. To fix it, someone had to be tied with a rope and jump down. We were all afraid of dying and didn't want to do it, and neither did the prisoners. No matter how we beat them, none of them were willing.
Then that female prisoner surnamed Wang suddenly volunteered to go. I was quite glad someone took on this difficult task. I even told her to perform well and that if she did, I'd report it and she might get her sentence reduced.
At first, things went smoothly. We tied a rope around her and held it on the shore while she carried gravel and tools on her back and jumped into the river to slowly fill the embankment. Who would have thought that suddenly, the rope in our hands went loose and snapped. She disappeared into the river without a trace.
Yan Tongshu frowned and thought deeply, "She volunteered on her own initiative."
Gan Jiu said, "Yes, it really wasn't our fault. We held the rope tightly in our hands and never let go."
Yan Tongshu couldn't figure it out. This whole thing seemed very fishy no matter how she looked at it.
She asked again, "Was the rope checked?"
"Of course it was checked," Gan Jiu said, patting his chest in case Yan Tongshu suspected him. "We checked it several times. Besides, it was a matter of life and death. Wouldn't the female prisoner herself check it carefully?"
After a brief thought, Yan Tongshu asked Gan Jiu to call over all the people involved at that time.
Everyone chattered, and their accounts were almost the same as what Gan Jiu had said.
Then Yan Tongshu went to the three women's rooms.
The female prisoners had to return to the collective prison cell at night.
It was a large dormitory with everyone sleeping together. Apart from their prison uniforms, there were no other personal belongings.
Yan Tongshu was puzzled.
So, was it just a pure coincidence?
Was it really that coincidental?
Wang Chuning, Gao Shengmei, and Wang Yuyan all accidentally fell into the water and died one after another?
Wang Yuyan even volunteered bravely and sacrificed herself?
Several coroners had examined the bodies, and there should be no problem.
The confessions of the yamen runners and the prisoners at the time of the incident were consistent.
The embankment was crowded with people, and it had rained, so there was no evidence left.
So, was it really just a pure coincidence?
Yan Tongshu took her doubts and Pearl back to the Kaifeng Government Office. She summoned the yamen runners and asked them to check if any of the yamen runners in charge of guarding the prisoners at the embankment had suddenly become wealthy recently.
...
In the afternoon, at the entrance of the examination hall.
Yan Tongshu, Chen Meirong, Pearl, Jinbao, and the parents of other candidates were nervously staring at the closed gate of the examination hall.
Finally, the heavy gate of the examination hall opened.
One after another, female candidates came out.
"Oh, madam, you're finally out. We were so worried outside," a middle - aged man in the guise of a butler in his early thirties quickly stepped forward.
That madam looked in her early forties, was dressed luxuriously, and still had plenty of energy after a day of the exam. She walked with vigor.
Yan Tongshu couldn't help but sigh. This must be a person with high energy.
"Out! They're out!" Chen Meirong shouted.
Yan Tongshu quickly took the water bag and went up with Chen Meirong.
Chen Meirong circled around Yan Liangyu, while Yan Tongshu supported Yan Liangrong.
Chen Meirong checked Yan Liangyu's body and asked, "How was it? Did you do well in the exam? Was there any trouble during the exam? After such a long exam, are you feeling okay?"
"Mother, I'm fine," Yan Liangyu grabbed Chen Meirong's hand. "Don't worry. I took the exam smoothly. The questions were difficult but not impossible. As for the result, we'll have to wait for the announcement."
After hearing Yan Liangyu's words, Chen Meirong felt relieved. She smiled and said, "I burned the first incense for you and Liangrong at Xiangguo Temple today. With the blessing of the Buddha, you'll definitely pass the exam."
Yan Tongshu fed Yan Liangrong some warm water and asked, "Sister, how about you? How did you do in the exam?"
Yan Liangrong looked confident and proud, raising her eyebrows and saying, "Do you think I'd fail?"
Yan Tongshu clenched her fists. Yes, she knew it would be okay.
Yan Tongshu said excitedly, "Come on, sister. Let's go home. Mother has asked the kitchen to prepare a lot of your favorite dishes. You've worked hard studying these days. Let's go home and have a good meal."
Yan Liangrong nodded.
On the day of the announcement, Yan Tongshu was sitting in the carriage, holding a fortune - telling stick container and shaking it desperately.
"A lucky sign!" Yan Tongshu grabbed Pearl. "Pearl, look. A lucky sign. There will definitely be good news today."
Pearl twitched the corner of her mouth and said, "Young master, Jinbao and I have been counting. You've shaken it 37 times. You're happy when you get a lucky sign, and you throw away the unlucky and mediocre signs. Now there are only lucky signs left in the container."
"Really?" Yan Tongshu felt a bit embarrassed. "Am I really that bored?"
How could she not remember shaking it so many times?
Pearl and Jinbao both nodded and said, "Yes."
Yan Tongshu touched her nose. Was she just too nervous? There were so many candidates, and many of them were talented. What if...?
Finally, it was time to post the results. Yan Tongshu, Pearl, and Jinbao quickly got off the carriage. Yan Liangrong, Yan Liangyu, and Chen Meirong also got off another carriage. The six of them held their breath and stared at the yamen runners holding the list.
Two yamen runners walked with the long list to the posting board and carefully pasted it on the east wall of the examination hall.
They started looking from the first place.
The first place was Yan Liangrong.
"Sister is the first! She's the number one scholar!" Yan Liangyu exclaimed, grabbing Yan Liangrong and jumping up and down.
Yan Liangrong herself was also shocked. She thought she'd do well, but she didn't expect to become the number one scholar right away.
Yan Tongshu looked down the list and said, "Liangyu, you're the fifth! You're so amazing! You passed!"
"Did I really pass?" Yan Liangyu looked at the list in surprise. "Mother -"
She excitedly hugged Chen Meirong and said, "Mother, I passed. I'm the fifth, still the fifth!"
Chen Meirong was so excited that she shed tears. "Yes, yes. Liangyu, you passed! You're going to be an official!"
Yan Tongshu gave Pearl and Jinbao a look. The two immediately took out two big red flowers from the carriage. Yan Tongshu wanted Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu to wear one each.
Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu shook their heads desperately.
No, no. This was too showy.
"What's so showy about it? This is such a great occasion. Of course, we should celebrate," Yan Tongshu said and put the flowers on them without giving them a chance to refuse. "Look, how nice and fitting they are."
It was a pity that there was no parade for the number one scholar in the law department's exam. Otherwise, wearing the big red flower and riding a tall horse in a parade would be so cool.
The big red flowers, as wide as their shoulders, made Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu cover their faces. It was a bit embarrassing.
But Chen Meirong didn't think so. She thought Yan Tongshu really understood her. These big red flowers were so beautiful. Such a great occasion really deserved such wonderful flowers.
Yan Liangyu really couldn't stand it in public. She quickly pulled Chen Meirong's sleeve and said, "Mother, let's go home and celebrate at home."
"Yes, yes. Let's go home and celebrate," Chen Meirong said, smiling from ear to ear. "I tell you, Uncle Qian and your two elder brothers are waiting at the Yan Mansion to congratulate you. And Master Pei is also there."
"Mother ~" Yan Liangyu blushed even more.
At this time, Yan Liangrong had already fled into the carriage first.
Yan Tongshu let out a chuckle and got into the carriage too.
The two carriages returned to the Yan Mansion. The good news had already spread there. The messenger who came to announce the good news had already received his reward and left happily.
Lady Yan, Qian Buping, the two elder brothers of the Qian family, Pei Jin'an, Zheng Chun leading Zheng Ke. As soon as they heard that Yan Tongshu and the others had returned, they immediately greeted them joyfully.
The Yan Mansion had never been so lively before.
It was a great happy event for the Yan Mansion. Lady Yan rewarded all the servants in the mansion with one - month's monthly salary, and Qian Buping, being happy, added another two months' worth.
The maids and servants were all beaming with joy.
Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu even received so many gifts that their hands were sore.
After the banquet ended, everyone went back to their respective homes.
Zheng Chun said goodbye to Zheng Ke. Looking back at the Yan Mansion decorated with lanterns and festoons, a pang of sourness welled up in his heart.
It seemed that some people were truly drifting further and further apart.
