Chapter 64

When the young man returned to the noodle stand, it was almost midnight. After returning, he tied on his apron and continued to help his grandfather silently.

For those who run night stalls, this hour was already quite late. On the more secluded streets, there were almost no people to be seen. However, the old man at the noodle stand added more lamp oil to the lantern, clearly intending to stay open a bit longer, hoping to do a bit more business.

Around midnight, the sound of hooves and wheels broke the silence.

A luxurious carriage appeared on the street under the night sky, with seven or eight guards in front and behind it.

The lanterns hanging on the carriage bore the emblem of the Zhong family, and those in the know immediately recognized that it was Master Zhong of the Zhong family returning home.

As the convoy turned into the alley, the old man kneading dough at the stall suddenly stretched out the dough and slapped it on the table three times, then continued kneading.

The leader of the convoy was a large, bearded man, whose eyes constantly scanned the shadows on either side of the road.

Those nearby who knew the situation recognized him as Master Zhong's personal bodyguard and the head of the Zhong family's security, named Du Fei.

He suddenly turned his horse, stopped by the side, and dismounted. "I'm a bit hungry, I'll have a bowl of noodles." He handed his horse to someone else to lead away and walked toward the noodle stand.

The convoy arrived at the gate of the Zhong family, and Du Fei also sat down at the stall. "A bowl of noodles."

"Sure, Master Du, please wait a moment." The old man called out, turned to lift the pot, stretched out the pre-cut noodles, and put them in the pot. He covered the pot and continued kneading the dough, speaking to Du Fei with his back turned: "Someone was probing the Zhong family just now."

Du Fei, also with his back turned, asked, "What kind of person?"

The old man: "He came in a carriage, a young man, quite handsome, with a heavy sword at his waist. He doesn't seem to be from the capital, more like from Lieshou."

"Lieshou..." Du Fei thought for a moment and asked again, "What did he ask about?"

The old man: "He asked about the people in the Zhong family in a roundabout way. When he heard that the master wasn't at home, he asked when the master would return. Oh, and he seemed particularly interested in the two young ladies, asking quite detailed questions."

Du Fei: "Do you know where he's staying?"

The young man squatting nearby, washing bowls, spoke up, "At the official lodge of Lieshou. The carriage was rented from 'Shengji' Carriage Shop, and the driver is also from 'Shengji'."

"Lieshou Lodge?" Du Fei was clearly taken aback, puzzled, "The exams are approaching. The lodges of all the states should be reserved for the candidates. Could he be a candidate?"

The young man: "I don't know. There are soldiers guarding it, so I couldn't get in."

Du Fei thought for a moment and said, "You've seen him. You'll come with me later."

The young man nodded.

The noodles were ready, served, and Du Fei slurped them down. He threw down some money and returned to the Zhong family.

The noodle stand finished its last customer and began to pack up...

In the alleys, the second watch of the night rang out.

A single lamp burned on the table, and Du Fei, seated behind it, was meditating with his legs crossed and his eyes closed.

Someone hurriedly approached from outside the moon gate, bowed, and placed a letter in front of Du Fei, "Head, the basic information is here."

Du Fei slowly opened his eyes, took the letter, and read it by the light. "Lieshou, Changming Prefecture, Liangtao County, Angui Town, Jiupo Village, Ah..." His words trailed off, his eyes widening as he stared intently at the name 'A Shiheng,' and he slowly stood up.

The person in front of him was startled, "Head, what's wrong?"

Du Fei looked again, took a deep breath, and slowly closed the letter, "It turns out he's a candidate."

The person in front asked, "Do we need to investigate further?"

Du Fei waved his hand, "No, go and rest."

The person bowed and backed away before turning to leave.

With no one else around, Du Fei opened the letter again and murmured to himself, "So you've been hiding in Lieshou, young master. You've finally come!"

Morning.

In the inner quarters of the Zhong family, Lady Zhong Wenjian, dressed in a brocade gown, was still graceful and dignified despite her age. She was helping her two daughters choose their head ornaments, smiling and chatting.

The ornaments were made in the imperial palace and were brought back by Master Zhong the previous day as gifts for the three women in the family to wear when they went out.

To the southeast of the city was a scenic spot called Lingci Mountain, where the spirit rice was grown. During the season when the spirit rice flowers were in full bloom, the sea of flowers was a beautiful sight. On that day, Lingci Mountain would be open to the public, allowing some nobles to come and admire the flowers, while ordinary people were not allowed to enter. It was indeed unsuitable for too many people to be there.

For women, it was a day to show off their beauty and elegance, and they had been looking forward to it for a long time. Beautiful clothes and ornaments were essential, and Master Zhong would have been in trouble if he hadn't provided some ornaments as a gesture.

The eldest daughter, dressed in a white gown, had a delicate and refined appearance, like a graceful lotus in the summer, exuding a fresh and pleasant aura.

The youngest daughter, dressed in a yellow silk gown, was beautiful and lively, with a clever look in her eyes. She was clearly more active than her sister and kept chattering while her mother and sister talked.

The eldest daughter was named Zhong Ruochen, and the youngest daughter was named Wen Ruowei, clearly named according to their birth times.

The youngest daughter took her mother's surname.

Master Zhong was originally just a shop assistant in his wife's family. The shop owner had no children, and when he married his daughter to Master Zhong, he agreed that one of their children would be adopted by the Wen family. Unexpectedly, Lady Wen Jianhui was unable to bear a son to be adopted by the Wen family. After giving birth to two daughters, she could no longer have children, so it had to be this way.

Fortunately, the shop owner had not made a wrong choice. Master Zhong had developed the small shop that his father-in-law had operated for decades into its current state.

However, fate was cruel, and now Master Zhong seemed to face the same old problem as the late shop owner: no son to inherit the family business. It was a testament to the shop owner's foresight that even in this situation, Master Zhong did not take a concubine to have a son.

In this world, it was an incredible thing. This was not the small shop of the past, which could be given away to anyone. The Zhong family's vast estate could not be easily given away. Would it not hurt to do so?

Lady Zhong felt quite guilty and had been anxious. She had even tried many remedies, but her body did not respond. As she grew older, she accepted it. She had also hinted to Master Zhong that as long as he was willing to give half of his wealth to her two daughters as dowries, she would turn a blind eye to other matters.

The hint was quite clear, but Master Zhong did not act on it. Occasionally, he would have a mistress for pleasure.

There had been an incident where a mistress tried to elevate her status by bearing a child, but Master Zhong dealt with it easily, and it did not cause any trouble.

Marrying a Zhong family daughter meant inheriting part of the Zhong family's wealth, and with two beautiful daughters, many people were eager to marry them.

Wen Ruowei, eager to show off her chosen ornament, could not contain her excitement. She bounced around and said, "Mother, what's wrong with Father? It's already this hour, we should have left by now. Why hasn't he come?"

"Look at you, walking around with your hands behind your back. Do you look like a proper young lady?" Lady Zhong scolded her youngest daughter while helping the eldest daughter with her ornaments. She took out an ornament from the eldest daughter's hair and compared it with another. "Your father came back late last night. Let him sleep a bit longer. It won't delay your trip."

Wen Ruowei walked over, one hand on her hip and the other on her mother's shoulder. "Mother, I know you find me annoying, but don't worry. This time, I'll bring back a young man for you to be my husband when we go to Lingci Mountain."

"Brat!" Lady Zhong scolded, picking up a hairpin to poke her.

The young girl was quick and dodged, making a face and laughing, "Just kidding, don't worry. My sister hasn't married yet, so it's not my turn."

Zhong Ruochen, sitting in front of the mirror, smiled gently.

Lady Zhong sighed, thinking about her eldest daughter's marriage, which was a source of worry. The details were not something to be shared with outsiders...

In the inner courtyard, a man with a fair complexion, a long beard, and a dignified presence walked out of the house and lay down on a chair that had been brought out to the courtyard, closing his eyes to rest.

He was none other than the master of the Zhong family, Master Zhong.

The servants had already prepared hot water, and a towel soaked in it was wrung out and placed on Master Zhong's face. After a while, it was removed, and soap was applied to his face. Then, a sharp razor was used to shave his face, and finally, a wet towel was used to clean his face thoroughly.

Du Fei, the head of the guards, stood by, not disturbing him, waiting quietly.

When everything was done, Master Zhong got up and went back into the house, and Du Fei followed. After washing up and drinking a cup of tea, Master Zhong said, "Master, someone was probing the Zhong family last night."

Master Zhong, sipping his tea slowly, was not concerned. "If there's nothing special, you can handle it."

Du Fei: "It's the young master, the young master has returned."

"Uh..." Master Zhong looked up, somewhat puzzled, "Which young master?"

Du Fei took out the letter from last night and handed it to him.

Master Zhong put down his teacup, took the letter, and opened it. At first, he was puzzled, but when he saw the name 'A Shiheng,' he suddenly stood up, knocking over the stool behind him. He read it again and asked, "Are you sure it's him?"

Du Fei: "The name is unlikely to be a coincidence, and he was probing the Zhong family. It's almost certain that he has come."

Master Zhong read the letter again and sighed, "He's finally come. My daughters have been waiting for so long." He frowned and looked at Du Fei, puzzled, "He was probing the Zhong family? What does he not know about us? What's he up to?"

Du Fei: "He came to the capital but didn't come to the Zhong family. I'm also puzzled by his intentions. Also, he came to take the imperial exams. Normally, the old master would have sent a letter in advance to inform us, so we could make arrangements to welcome him."

"Yes, the old master hasn't contacted us since he sent a letter three years ago. What is this boy up to? Wait, taking the imperial exams..." Du Fei looked down at the letter again, "A candidate, he came to take the imperial exams. It seems the old master wants him to pass. Hmm, ranked 106th in the Lieshou provincial exam..." His lips twitched slightly as he looked at Du Fei.

Du Fei smiled, somewhat awkwardly, "With that provincial exam result, it's unlikely he will pass the imperial exams."