vrcanaries Chapter 211: Wasted Efforts
Chapter 211: Wasted Efforts
At the Wu'an Marquis Mansion in the capital, Shen Junxing, who had been reinstated and returned from court, sat in the room for a long time holding the list of candidates for the academy examination that he had obtained from Yang Zhengxue.
After returning from Taihe County last time, as soon as I returned to the capital, Doctor Jiang told me that Master Guanghong had found the antidote, and Shen Ruyi's poison had been resolved. She only needed to rest for a year or two to recover.
Shen Junxing was stunned by the sudden news. He thought that Master Guanghong had developed a new detoxification method during his absence, which luckily saved Shen Ruyi's life.
He had no idea that the person who actually saved Shen Ruyi was Qin Ruo, who had made him so angry that he lost his mind just because of a letter.
Although Qin Ruo asked someone to send the antidote, she didn't want to have anything to do with the Shen family at all. She retired after accomplishing her mission and became completely invisible.
Before going to Taihe County, Shen Junxing didn't have the face to face Shen Ruyi again.
After going to Taihe County and learning that Tang Qingmei's evil plan had not succeeded, he dared to appear in front of Shen Ruyi again.
When we met Shen Ruyi at Guanghong Temple after she woke up, her physical and mental condition was obviously much better than before.
He then felt relieved and immediately submitted a letter of apology to the emperor.
The emperor had previously suspended Shen Junxing from his official position, but that was just a superficial effort under pressure from his ministers.
The old Marquis Shen Weishan of Wu'an Marquisate had made great military achievements when he was young, and was also a meritorious official who had followed the current emperor in his campaigns.
Now he has volunteered to guard the border with his second son Shen Junye and his family. This alone is not enough to strip Shen Junxing of his official position.
The execution of slaves was a common occurrence among the nobles in the capital, let alone a wicked slave who betrayed his master and intended to murder him.
The mistake Shen Junxing made at that time was that he did not report the matter to the government, and then executed the betrayed servant after obtaining permission from the government.
After Shen Junxing submitted his letter of apology, the emperor simply summoned him into the palace, made him kneel outside the Golden Throne Hall for two hours, and then let him go back by himself.
The next day, it was announced at the morning court that Shen Junxing's official position would be restored, but he would be fined one year's salary.
This result was within Shen Junxing's expectations. A fine of one year's salary had basically no impact on the Marquis' Mansion.
After leaving the court for half a year, Shen Junxing was busy with government affairs every day after resuming his official position. He urgently needed to consolidate his position in the court and no longer paid attention to Qin Ziyan.
His son also took part in the college entrance examination this year.
When the list was announced, Shen Junxing was caught off guard when he saw that the top winner was Qin Ziyan.
His son Shen Mingji also passed the college entrance examination and his results were not bad.
But with such a good example before him, Shen Mingji seemed to pale in comparison.
This year's first place winner went to a student from a farming family in Taihe County, Ganzhou.
Coincidentally, this student is the younger brother of the woman who was previously named Princess Ning'an.
The emperor briefly mentioned this matter in front of his court officials.
Qin Ziyan had just passed the college entrance examination and had already registered with the emperor.
When the list was first announced, Shen Junxing didn't believe it and thought it was a mistake.
It was not until he found an opportunity to read Qin Ziyan's test paper himself that he realized that he had really underestimated him.
The handwriting on the test paper was neat and elegant, and one could see the solid foundation at a glance.
The article has clear arguments, sufficient evidence, and strict logic, which even Yang Zhengxue praised highly, and called it a rare masterpiece in recent years.
Shen Junxing did not suspect Qin Ziyan of favoritism and fraud, because the Dasheng Dynasty had a strict imperial examination system, especially in the academy examination stage for selecting students, there were layers of strict screening, and there was no such opportunity at all.
Shen Junxing, who had stayed in the room for a long time, suddenly stood up and went to the villa in the mansion with the list.
After he had a falling out with Tang Qingmei that day, he had kept Tang Qingmei under house arrest in a separate courtyard.
Those guarding Tang Qingmei were all Shen Junxing's own people. Even his son Shen Mingji and daughter Shen Lanxing had no chance to get close.
In the remote courtyard of the Shen Mansion, Tang Qingmei was sitting in the room in a daze.
Her face no longer had the former beauty and boldness; her energy and spirit seemed to have rapidly withered away, and her face looked extremely haggard.
Since being placed under house arrest, the difference in food, clothing and other expenses has become even greater than before.
Seeing Shen Junxing appear in the room, Tang Qingmei did not conceal the hatred in her eyes at all, and there was also a hint of gloating in it.
"What wind brings you here today, Lord Shen? It's really strange." Tang Qingmei didn't stand up, but kept her back straight, her tone full of mockery.
Ever since the Shen family was purged by Shen Junxing, her former relatives were either executed or sold out.
Shen Junxing's madness made Tang Qingmei feel afraid.
At first she still held out a glimmer of hope. After all, the matter was already done. Even if Shen Junxing was too excessive, he should stop considering that she had given birth to a pair of children for him.
Later, she found out that she was wrong and Shen Junxing was really cruel.
Since she was confined here for half a year, she not only couldn't go out, but she couldn't even see her own children.
I know nothing about the situation outside.
Gradually, after countless days of waiting, she became completely desperate.
Shen Junxing came to the villa only a few times, and every time he came here, it was only to get Shen Ruyi's antidote.
How could Tang Qingmei possibly do as Shen Junxing wished? That was the last bargaining chip in her hand to save her life.
"If you want the antidote, do as we said before. Otherwise, there's no point in talking. The worst that can happen is that both sides will be destroyed. How about you go back and think it over before coming back? I can wait, but I don't know if your good sister can."
Shen Junxing's silence finally made Tang Qingmei lose her patience and she thought about forcing Shen Junxing again.
What Tang Qingmei was most thankful for was that before these things were exposed, Shen Ruyi's children went to hell before her.
And Shen Ruyi's life is still in her own hands, she has not lost.
Unfortunately, she didn't know that the weather outside had already changed.
"The results of the college entrance examination have been announced." Shen Junxing glanced at her indifferently and said nothing more.
"Where is Ji'er? How did our Ji'er do in the exam?" Shen Junxing's random words instantly diverted Tang Qingmei's attention, and she completely forgot her current situation.
"The student who won the first place in the academy is named Qin Ziyan, from Changhe Village, Datong Township, Taihe County, Ganzhou..."
"What did you say? Qin Ziyan won the first place in the court case? No! Impossible! You are talking nonsense, I don't believe it!" Tang Qingmei suddenly stood up and rushed to Shen Junxing, with red eyes and a ferocious look on her face.
Nanny Tian clearly said in the letter that everything had been settled. How could that little bastard from the Qin family possibly show up at the entrance exam?
What's more, he had a backup plan, so there was no chance that Shen Ruyi's son would escape. This must be Shen Junxing deliberately trying to make him angry.