Chapter 27: Wenju? Wuju?

  Each with their own thoughts, the two of them headed to Ling Yu Xuan's place. As soon as they stepped out the door, they saw Yan Liu hurrying over. Seeing the two of them, she quickly paid her respects and smiled, saying: "Both young ladies are present, that's great! Our mistress sent me over to ask where dinner will be served tonight?"

  Yan Dai and the two saw that Yan Liu's behavior was as usual, so they knew that Ling Yuan Xuan's matter had been settled, and there was no need to worry about it anymore. After a smile, Yan Dai said warmly: "Yan Liu, this time, we really owe you one!"

  Yan Liu heard this and hastily shook her head, saying: "Ninth Miss, your words are too serious! Madame and the young lady have treated me with kindness, I certainly cannot betray them!"

  Smiling and nodding slightly, Yuandai didn't intend to say anything more. Only because she had said too much, it was inevitable that there would be a suspicion of stealing the credit from others. Now that she is about to leave the Ling family, she really doesn't want to cause misunderstandings with others.

  Along with the smoke, the two went straight to Ling Yuexuan's place for dinner. Ling Yuexuan looked normal, but occasionally would slightly daze off, seemingly a bit absent-minded. The two saw it in each other's eyes, but also didn't expose it, and just ate as if nothing was wrong.

  After dinner, the two of them chatted with Ling Yuexuan for a while before getting up and bidding farewell to leave.

  Because of the two sneaking out the day before, on the second day, Xiao Chengye and Ling Yuqing both strengthened their supervision of the two without prior agreement, and they didn't find another chance to sneak out again.

  In the evening, a group of people returned to Wenxuan Hall from Pingjing. As soon as they entered the house, Xiao Chengyan couldn't help but sigh. Yuandai, who followed them into the house, responded with a smile. Perhaps because Lu Weijie was there, Ling Yuanshu had been sitting upright and silent all day, speaking little. After returning, she politely declined Xiao Chengyan's invitation and went back to her room alone.

  "Tomorrow I'll be leaving!" After a moment, Xiao Chengying couldn't help but say it out loud. As she said this, she suddenly thought of the rough man they had met on the road yesterday: "You think... will he come back?" She asked abruptly.

  She sat down beside her, took a sip of the tea that Cui Lan handed over, and then said seriously: "What you said to Brother Xiao yesterday was actually a bit too much!"

  "What did you just say?" Xue Ying didn't quite understand Yu Dai's meaning, and after a moment of contemplation, Xiao Chengxin still asked.

  "Yesterday, sister once told Big Brother Xiao that if that person really came, your Xiao family wouldn't be stingy with a meal for him to eat."

  Xiao Chengxian still remembered those words and nodded: "This is exactly what I said! But I don't know why my sister thinks this sentence is not suitable?"

  After a moment of contemplation, Yuan Dai said: "The person from yesterday is probably not an ordinary commoner, that's why I told you this, sister." Seeing Xiao Chengyan's face with a hint of surprise, she had to explain: "Sister, did you notice his accent?"

  After some thought, Xiao Chengyan said: "That person seems to be speaking in Mandarin. As for the accent, I couldn't make it out!"

  She nodded slightly, and Yuandai said: "Don't deceive sister, just by listening to his tone, I also can't tell where he's from, but I know, he is absolutely not a person from the nearby areas of Beijing." Xiao Chengyan lowered her head and thought carefully for a moment, and indeed felt that the man's accent was slightly different from that of people from Beijing. She nodded in agreement with Yuandai's words. Yuandai then said: "He is not a person from the nearby areas of Beijing, yet he suddenly appears at this moment in the capital city. Sister thinks, what identity could he possibly have?"

  She had said it so clearly, how could Xiao Chengyu not understand? After a moment of stunned silence, she shook her head and said: "This man is wearing short brown clothes, his movements are rough and impetuous, and in his conversation, there is not even a hint of a scholar's demeanor. If you say he is actually a candidate coming to take the imperial examination, I would never believe it!"

  She coughed lightly and said slowly, "What if... he wasn't a literary candidate but a martial one?"

  Suddenly hearing this sentence, Xiao Chengyan couldn't help but stare blankly for a moment: "Wu Ju Ren..." After thinking carefully for a moment, Xiao Chengyan finally sneered: "Maybe! But to me, both Wen Ju and Wu Ju are nothing special!"

  She said this, and Yu Dai herself did not continue to say anything else, but jokingly said: "If he is really a martial arts champion, then Sister's clothes are worth dying for! After all, no matter how precious a piece of clothing is, it's just an inanimate object, how can it compare to the glory of being a slave to a martial arts champion? If that reckless fool has some luck, maybe he can even win first place in the martial arts competition. At that time, this dress will be worth even more!"

  Xiao Chengxian couldn't help but laugh at these words, and pointed at Yuande saying: "Sister is getting more and more straightforward! However, although the military champion isn't as noble as the literary champion, it's not easy to get one every three years. How did that rustic fellow manage to get it?"

  The Great Zhou Dynasty now has the northern Di as a threat, but the court's emphasis on literature over military affairs is still strong. This emphasis on literature over military affairs is reflected in the imperial examinations for civil and military officials, so naturally the top scholar in the literary field is much more noble than the top military officer.

  Yan Dai smiled, but didn't confirm or deny, and then chatted with Xiao Chengyan for a while. Seeing the sky outside gradually darkening, she got up to bid farewell and return to her room. Just as she stood up, before she could say anything, Xiao Chengyan grabbed her arm and said: "Sister, wait! I still have something to discuss with you!"

  Yuan Dai heard this and sat back down again, asking in confusion: "I don't know what's going on?"

  After a brief moment of hesitation, Xiao Cheng finally spoke up and asked: "Sister, do you think that person... he... will come looking for us?"

  A faint glimmer of astonishment flashed across her eyes, but Faraday did not reveal it on her face, and instead lightly laughed: "From what I see, the possibility that he came to find us should be around 55%!"

  Xiao Chengxian heard it was just between five and five, but didn't frown, without a word.

  Seeing her dissatisfaction, Wei Dai smiled slightly and said: "But what I said about the five elements is not entirely accurate! Sister also knows that we only have a superficial relationship with him. People's hearts are changeable, how can they be seen through at a glance? However, I think that if he comes to find us before the imperial examination, it shows that this person is pure and has no ulterior motives!"

  Xiao Chengxian raised an eyebrow and asked back: "Little sister, what do you mean by this?"

  Yan Dai smiled and said, "Yesterday, when I saw you, I said that the clothes on your body were cloud brocade from Jiangnan, which was worth an inch of gold for every inch. This person didn't think carefully at the time, but after thinking about it later, he must have known that your identity is not ordinary. In this situation, if he can bear to wait until after passing the imperial examination and then come to visit us again, it would be because he has the intention of making connections and currying favor. But even if you are very bold, I don't think you would dare to make a newly appointed Wu Jinshi enter our door as a slave! This kind of behavior, if we say something serious, is almost equivalent to the great crime of usurpation and rebellion!"

  With a thoughtful nod, Xiao Cheng said: "Sister, are you saying that if he had come to find us before the start of the new semester, it would have meant that he was indeed a trustworthy person and had already made up his mind to sell himself into slavery?"

  With a faint smile, Yuan Dai said: "Exactly!"

  Xiao Chengxian thought for a moment, but still felt uneasy in her heart. She said: "Maybe this person is actually very cunning and willing to take a risk, betting on his own luck! If he's lucky, maybe he'll even win the favor of a noble!"

  Yan Dai heard a "pfft" and laughed: "If sister is him, dare to bet? Sister should know that the imperial examination, if not passed this year, there's still next year. But once sold into slavery and entered the slave register, one must be stripped of their official title, from then on there will be no hope of turning things around!"