Top Scholar

Chapter 429 is over... (Please vote with your monthly tickets!)
Su Lu and Zhu Zhishan also came out of the cabin and looked at Tang Bohu reciting poetry to the moon.

"Brother Bohu, have you truly let go?"

“How could that be?” Zhu Zhishan shook his head and sighed, “‘I won’t board the emperor’s ship, I won’t sleep in Chang’an.’ These are all ironic statements, expressing what he desperately wants. He may never be able to get over it in his life…”

As he spoke, he asked Su Lu, "Isn't your school of divination very advanced? Could you prescribe a remedy for him?"

"Knowledge and action must be one." Su Lu said in a deep voice, "Since we can't get out of this situation, we can only face our inner demons—by ascending to the Emperor's Hall once!"

"As I just said, I can never enter the examination hall again." Tang Bohu didn't turn his head, took out his weapon and splashed it into the Qinhuai River.

"How can there be so many forever?" Su Lu shook his head and said, "Liu Jin even permanently disqualified people from Yuyao from being selected as officials in the capital. Do you think that's possible?"

"Of course not, it won't count once he's defeated," Zhu Zhishan said matter-of-factly.

"So, as long as someone speaks up for Brother Bohu and reinstates his exam eligibility, what's the big deal?" Su Lu said.

"Who can speak for me?" Tang Bohu asked.

"How would I know?" Su Lu shook his head and said seriously, "But I know that heaven helps those who help themselves. First, I have to cheer up and then keep working towards my goal!"

He chuckled and said, "Maybe in a few years, I'll be able to speak up for you."

"Thanks, brother!" Tang Bohu finally finished relieving himself, turned around, shook the thing, and put it away. "But you're in a precarious situation yourself, so you should worry about yourself first."

“Yes, Liu Jin will not let you off the hook. You will at least be exiled to the army.” Zhu Zhishan nodded.

"What if I get through this safely?" Su Lu asked with a smile.

"Then I'll pull myself together and find a way to break this deadlock!" Tang Bohu said in a deep voice.

“It’s a deal!” Su Lu nodded emphatically.

"Let's make a pact with a high five!" Tang Bohu then raised his hand.

"Get out of here, did you wash your hands after you peed?" Su Lu said with a laugh. "Trying to trick me? Not so easy."

"Hahaha, it's not that easy to trick him." Zhu Zhishan laughed heartily.

"Hahaha!" Tang Bohu also burst into laughter.

~~
The painted boat docked near Shangshu Lane in the south of the city.

Su Lu repeatedly declined the second half of the event arranged by Tang Bohu and Zhu Zhishan, and with great perseverance, he went ashore.

"Brother, if you've changed your mind, tell me sooner rather than later! Otherwise you'll definitely regret it in the future. The Qinhuai River won't follow you north!" Zhu Zhishan was still shouting at him even after the painted boat had sailed far away.

"..." Su Lu was speechless. Didn't they know that the other person had just gotten married?
"Oh, what a pity. Godfather should have gone with him." Qian Ning appeared out of nowhere behind him.

"Who's your godfather?" Su Lu said irritably, "With you guys watching over me, what can I possibly do?"

"Don't worry, godfather, you're free now..." Qian Ning said quietly.

"..." Su Lu froze upon hearing this, and after a long while, he turned to look at Qian Ning. "Really?"

“It’s true.” Qian Ning nodded and forced a smile. “Congratulations, godfather. When you were on the ship, you received an urgent message from above, telling us to quickly return to base and not to bother you anymore.”

"Let me see." Su Lu held out his hand.

“This is against the rules,” Qian Ning said, looking troubled.

"Does calling me godfather make it legal?" Su Lu snorted.

"Hey, godfather, please take a look." Qian Ning had no choice but to take out a secret order from his pocket and hand it to Su Lu with some hesitation.

Su Lu took it and looked at it by the light of Qian Ning's lantern. He saw several lines of large, fiercely angry characters written crookedly on it:
"Fuck you, Qian Ning! Release Su Jieyuan right now, withdraw all your spies, and come back here to skin you alive!"

The signature is Shi Wenyi, and the stroke of the character "yi" is drawn out very long, which shows the writer's anger.

Finally, the official seal of the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was affixed...

"Phew..." After reading it, Su Lu let out a long sigh of relief, then laughed and ran away.

"Hahahaha!"

"Godfather, wait for me..." Qian Ning ran after him.

"Didn't I tell you to get lost? Stay away from me!" Su Lu ran towards Shangshu Lane without turning his head.

“I have to protect you,” Qian Ning said.

"No need, I don't want to see you again today!"

"Sigh..." Qian Ning had no choice but to stop in his tracks, feeling dejected.

~~
Su Lu ran in the dark until he reached the gate of the top scholar's residence before slowing down.

He straightened his slightly disheveled clothes, caught his breath, and quietly called for the door to open. He tiptoed back to his residence. There, he saw a light on in the main room, and a slender figure was reflected in the window. It was Huang E reading and waiting for him to return.

Hearing the soft noise in the courtyard, Huang E immediately put down his book, got up, and pushed open the door.

Then she saw her husband standing at the door, his brows now free of the faint melancholy of the past few days, replaced by barely suppressed joy and relief!

"Husband, is there some good news?" Huang E asked softly.

Before he finished speaking, Su Lu strode forward and embraced his wife tightly, conveying his excitement to her without reservation.

"It's over! It's all over!" he whispered in her ear, his voice trembling but filled with burning joy.

"Really?" Huang E suddenly raised his head and asked in a trembling voice.

"It's absolutely true. I've already seen the official document from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, ordering them to immediately withdraw and stop harassing us." Su Lu said, barely suppressing his excitement.

"That's great..." Huang E's delicate body trembled, and the strength she had maintained for many days collapsed instantly.

She was also a naive young lady from an official family, and she encountered such a thing right after getting married. How could she not be terrified, wronged, or sad?

But in order to appease her husband, she had always pretended to be calm and composed, hiding her worries and fears in her heart.

At this moment, all her worries finally came to an end! She no longer had to hide anything, and all her forbearance instantly turned into a torrent of tears.

Huang E hugged her husband tightly, burying her face in his shoulder, and released all the fear, sadness, and grievances that had accumulated over the past few days. She cried her heart out, yet felt a profound sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

All those anxious days and nights, those endless, agonizing struggles, that fear of the future, finally vanished in this moment. Only their warm embraces remained, and the peace of having regained what they had lost…

At that moment, the young couple truly understood what it meant for peace and safety to be a blessing.

~~
After a long while, the couple calmed their turbulent emotions and went inside together.

Huang E hurriedly took the copper kettle off the stove and skillfully helped her husband wash up... After two months, she was already able to handle many household chores.

"What exactly happened in the capital?" Huang E asked curiously as she untied Su Lu's hair. "Didn't we just say a few days ago that the Grand Secretary couldn't plead for leniency, and the 'Difficulty of Beauty' couldn't be delivered to the Empress Dowager? How did things suddenly take such a dramatic turn?"

"Yes." Su Lu sat on the edge of the bed soaking her feet, looking equally incredulous. The news they received last time had really shaken the couple; they thought they were in deep trouble. They never expected that in just a few days, everything would be completely alright.

A warmth spread from the soles of his feet, and Su Lu's tense nerves completely relaxed. "We'll have to wait a few days for definite news on the specifics. But I guess it's mostly related to the panda that my uncle sent... I wonder how many troubles my father and the others went through to get it to the Emperor's eyes."

He sighed as he spoke, "My family has suffered so much to save me this time."

"Our Su family is truly united," Huang E exclaimed sincerely. She finally understood what it meant to be "brothers fighting tigers together, fathers and sons going into battle together."

Much better than her family...

She then asked curiously, "Is the panda really that magical, capable of completely reversing the situation?"

“If you had seen what it looks like, you wouldn’t have asked that question,” Su Lu said with a smile. “Besides, gifts should be chosen according to the emperor’s preferences. The gift that Master chose is just what the emperor likes.”

“However, things are definitely not that simple.” He added softly, “Let’s stop guessing and wait for news. Time to go to bed!”

Huang E placed a hot water bottle in the bed, and the couple snuggled in, feeling warm and cozy—it couldn't be more pleasant.

Su Lu held his wife close, resting his chin on the top of her head, and sighed, "To be honest, these past two months of marriage have been filled with anxiety. Only tonight, holding you in my arms, do I finally feel completely at peace."

"Do you think I'm not?" Huang E snuggled closer to him, still feeling a bit scared. "I always have nightmares at night, dreaming that you're being arrested and tortured by the Imperial Guards. I wake up in a fright and only when I see you still there can I calm down."

Upon hearing this, Su Lu hugged her even tighter and asked softly, "Do you regret marrying me?"

“Not even for a moment!” Huang E said without the slightest hesitation, her tone absolutely firm. “In this world, how many women can have such an unforgettable experience as I have? To be able to advance and retreat with my husband and share hardships, for me, this life is without regrets.”

"Sigh, I'd rather you didn't have to go through all that fright. Let's live a peaceful life, without all those awful things." Su Lu took her small hand and kissed the back of it.

“Yes, I used to think those days were boring, but now I think they were the most precious.” Huang E agreed and said softly, “How about we don’t take the exam? I don’t want to be rich or famous. Just being with you every day, reading and writing together, is enough to make me happy.”

“Okay.” Su Lu nodded gently and said, “Now I also think that the life of a scholar that Li Qiyu envisioned is the most comfortable one.”

"His behavior is so depraved, and you still want to bully men and women?"

"Ah, selective enforcement. Only bullying men, not women..."

"Actually, I quite enjoy traveling and sightseeing..."

"Then let's travel more often..."

The couple chatted back and forth, dreaming about their wonderful retirement. Although they both knew it was impossible, at least thinking about it tonight wasn't illegal.

Listening to her husband's steady heartbeat, Huang E's fatigue and anxiety of the past few days gradually dissipated, and her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Su Lu felt the even breathing of the person in his arms, looked down at her, and saw that she was already fast asleep with a relaxed smile on her lips, so he slowly closed his eyes as well.

Inside, the candlelight flickered, illuminating the two figures embracing tightly; outside the window, the stars and moon shone brightly, casting their gentle light across the room, making the night exceptionally tender and peaceful…

P.S. This is a post I'll edit later. I'm heading to Beijing tomorrow, so please vote for me, everyone!!!
(End of this chapter)