Chapter 4

After being tormented for a whole day, Lin Zhao was already exhausted. The first night after the穿越 (穿越 means "穿越" which is a term used in Chinese for time travel or being transported to a different world, but it's not commonly used in English, so I'll translate it as "transportation") transportation, he not only didn't suffer from insomnia but slept particularly soundly! He was so deep in sleep that he didn't even notice the rooster crowing or the sunrise, and slept until the sun was high in the sky, shining on his buttocks!

Why didn't the alarm clock go off? Why didn't he hear the drill instructor's roar? Lin Zhao was still drowsy and a bit puzzled. But when he opened his eyes and saw the wooden beams and blue tiles of the ceiling, he finally woke up completely...

This is the Song Dynasty, and I'll have to get used to it slowly!

Just as Lin Zhao was sighing, a knock on the door sounded, and then his young cousin, Gu Yuelun, pushed the door open...

"Brother, it's time for breakfast!" Gu Yuelun came forward with a tray, and the fragrant flatbread and a bowl of porridge came into view. Only then did Lin Zhao realize how empty his stomach was.

How fortunate, to have a young girl serve him breakfast—this must be one of the rare benefits of being transported here! Such treatment in his previous life would have made many otakus envious.

"Cousin, you got up so early to cook for me? You must have worked hard, I'm really moved..."

Gu Yuelun said with a huff, "It's still early? The sun is already high... " After a slight pause, she added apologetically, "Brother usually gets up at the rooster's crow. I guess today it's because of your injuries... Father specially asked me to stay and cook breakfast for you..."

It seems the previous Lin Zhao was a diligent child, and now the pressure is on...

"Alright, Brother, get up and have breakfast!"

"Okay!" Just as Lin Zhao was about to lift the quilt, he stopped in time and smiled awkwardly, "Cousin, could you go out for a moment? I need to get dressed..."

"Okay!" Gu Yuelun nodded slightly, a bit shy. As she walked to the door, she turned back and said, "By the way, Young Master sent someone to say that you should come over after breakfast. I'm going to the embroidery room now..." Then she left.

Lin Zhao finally lifted the quilt and sighed, "Do I need to change this habit of sleeping naked?"

Damn, are ancient underpants like this? They're not very comfortable! I should try to improve them when I get the chance, and my cousin is a seamstress... Oh no, I'm being evil again. Lin Zhao shook his head vigorously, put on his clothes, and picked up a piece of flatbread to eat heartily...

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In February in Jiangnan, the sun was bright, and the willows had already sprouted new buds. The morning breeze still carried a chill. After breakfast, Lin Zhao set out, heading for Young Master Meng Ruogu's study.

Living under someone else's roof means you have to follow their orders, but fortunately, this Young Master Meng is as humble as his name suggests and treats people well. However, this cannot stop Lin Zhao's determination to gain freedom and establish his own household...

When he entered the courtyard again, Lin Zhao felt a stir in his heart. This is where he was transported and reborn, and where he was betrayed. Now, the west room was quiet, unlike yesterday when it was filled with moans and groans.

At this time, Li Shi, that despicable woman, should be paying respects to the old lady.

Without much thought, Lin Zhao headed straight for Meng Ruogu's inner study. As soon as he entered, he saw a young scholar-like man sleeping soundly at the desk, none other than the eldest son of the Meng family, Meng Ruogu.

Lin Zhao was about to leave, but coincidentally, Meng Ruogu woke up just then and saw him, smiling, "Dongyang, you're here. Did you wait long?" Dongyang is Lin Zhao's courtesy name, which Meng Ruogu had a teacher from the state school give him when he was about to reach adulthood, as a way to show his appreciation for literature.

Lin Zhao nodded, "No, I just arrived..."

Meng Ruogu stretched and stood up, with dark circles under his tired eyes.

Lin Zhao asked, "Young Master, did you stay up all night again?"

"Yes, Mr. Zhang Zai's articles are so profound, I couldn't put them down..."

"Young Master, you must take care of your health!" Lin Zhao shook his head inwardly. Poor Young Master Meng. Now that he thinks about it, the affair with the green hat (a euphemism for being cuckolded) is somewhat related to him.

He often spent several days at the state school, reading late into the night, and when he returned home, he stayed up all night. Li Shi, left alone, couldn't bear the loneliness and started to have affairs with men...

But Meng Ruogu was completely unaware. He reached over and picked up a book, smiling, "A good article, you should read it carefully one day!"

Lin Zhao flipped through it briefly, and the margins were filled with dense annotations and notes. On the latest page, it read: "First night of the second month..."

The content, full of classical Chinese, made Lin Zhao's head spin. Could this be how his life used to be? Truly, two bookworms!

"How about it?"

Lin Zhao smiled faintly, "I just skimmed through it. I'll read it carefully later."

"Of course! But it will be a month or so..." Meng Ruogu smiled faintly.

Lin Zhao asked curiously, "What do you mean, Young Master?"

"It's like this. On March 17th, it's my grandmother's 70th birthday. As a grandson, I should prepare for her birthday. However, I have a few articles that are not yet finished, and I want to complete them before April and submit them to Governor Wang..."

"Do you know? The imperial court has issued an edict, appointing Wang Anshi, the governor of Jiangning, as the imperial censor. He will soon be promoted to a position in the capital. With Governor Wang's knowledge and experience, his appointment as chancellor is just around the corner. If my articles can gain his favor, it will be very beneficial for the imperial examination next year!"

Wang Anshi? If it were someone else, Lin Zhao might not know! But the famous Wang Anshi reform in history is well-known to him. He didn't expect Wang Anshi to be in Jiangning now. Meng Ruogu's ambition to gain his favor is not bad! But what does this have to do with him?

Meng Ruogu continued, "To focus on my studies, I plan to stay at the state school for a while to read and write. However, on the day of my grandmother's birthday, there will be many guests, and a lot of preparations need to be made. If I'm not there, my younger sister will have to do everything, which will be too much for her. So, I plan to trouble you to stay in the mansion and help my sister with the preparations, which will also be a way to show filial piety to my grandmother..."

"Are you asking me to help Meng Ruogu... assist the young lady?" Lin Zhao didn't expect Meng Ruogu to give him such a task.

Meng Ruogu nodded, "Yes, I'll trouble you for a while!" The scholar was modest and polite.

But Meng Ruoying didn't have such a good temper. Just from yesterday's "three-hall trial," it was clear that the young lady was used to giving orders and being in a high position. Helping her would mean following her commands, and life wouldn't be easy.

Lin Zhao frowned, but he couldn't refuse. Fine, I'll endure this for now. Once the old lady's birthday is over, I'll find a way to leave this place as soon as possible...

"Alright, that's settled..." Meng Ruogu patted Lin Zhao's shoulder and said, "I'll go wash up and head to the state school. Thank you for your help..."

Lin Zhao said, "Young Master, diligent study is important, but health is the capital of revolution!"

"What?" Meng Ruogu was curious.

"Nothing," Lin Zhao smiled, "Young Master, you should take care of your health!"

"Okay, noted!"

Lin Zhao left, wondering how he would report to Meng Ruoying.

Damn... As he walked through the garden, his wide sleeves got caught on a branch. Lin Zhao groaned. Is it really necessary to practice walking in ancient times?

He reached out to free his sleeve, but the corner was already torn. Lin Zhao sighed and decided to go home and ask his cousin to mend it...

Just this pause allowed Lin Zhao to notice a pile of discarded medicine residue under the flowers...

Who would dump medicine residue in such a hidden place? If not for this chance, he might not have noticed. Lin Zhao looked around and realized that this place was not far from Li Shi's west room. A light bulb went off in his head, and he remembered that when he discovered Li Shi and Chen Xuan's affair yesterday, there was a small stove boiling medicine outside the west room...

It seems they used the excuse of boiling medicine to cover up their affair. Unfortunately, the servant, Xiaotao, had just left, and couldn't stop Lin Zhao in time to warn the master, leading to the discovery of the affair...

Boiling medicine... Lin Zhao looked down at the medicine residue, which was clearly recently dumped...

Could there be a connection?

Lin Zhao knew that Li Shi and Chen Xuan would eventually come after him. Whether for self-preservation or to "repay" the Meng siblings, gathering more evidence would be beneficial...

With the sensitivity of a criminal investigator to clues, Lin Zhao immediately decided to collect the medicine residue.

Without a plastic bag, it was very inconvenient! Lin Zhao noticed that his wide sleeves might come in handy, and he seemed to have a handkerchief on him...

Taking advantage of the absence of people around, Lin Zhao quickly wrapped up the medicine residue! Damn! Why are there porcelain shards? Lin Zhao picked up a blue, curved porcelain shard from the medicine residue. If he hadn't noticed it in time, his hands would have been cut to pieces...

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As he was about to turn the page, an ad appeared.

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As he was about to turn the page, the ad ended.