Knocking left, knocking right, and even crouching down to crawl into the messy wooden shelves, he tapped each brick on the floor in this corner one by one.
“What are you doing?” Nanzhu asked from above, surprised and puzzled.
He and Mu Aotie had roughly understood the meaning, but neither of them had heard anything unusual in the knocking sounds.
“Ao… ao…”
The little creature that had been caught was making noises. Mu Aotie quickly clamped its mouth shut.
Yu Qing, who had not detected any unusual sounds from his knocking, did not reply. He stared intently at the floating dust for a while longer, then raised his hand again. With subtle internal energy gathering in his knuckles, he began to slowly tap the floor bricks one by one with a “dong… dong…” sound.
With force applied, the sound finally revealed something unusual. In a certain area, there was a faint metallic tremor.
Yu Qing reached upward. “Give me the lamp.”
Mu Aotie quickly took it from Nanzhu hand and leaned down to hand it to him.
Several stools were tucked under a wooden table. Yu Qing passed the oil lamp underneath and discovered something unusual in the gaps between certain floor bricks. Most of the gaps between bricks were clogged with dust, but the brick lines formed by several bricks under this table and stools were not completely blocked by dust.
Looking again at the undulating reaction of the floating dust, the subtle changes in air currents were indeed coming from beneath these brick lines.
He moved the oil lamp aside and placed it on the ground nearby, then began to remove the stools from under the table. Mu Aotie took them one by one and stacked them on top.
Once the space under the table was cleared, Yu Qing used his fingers to pry open a floor brick. Both Mu Aotie and Nanzhu, looking down from above, showed expressions of surprise as they saw a metallic object below. As Yu Qing moved the bricks aside one by one, a metal plate was exposed.
The metal plate even had a recessed handle.
Yu Qing grasped the handle and slowly lifted the metal plate, revealing a pitch black hole below, along with steps leading down. This was clearly a secret tunnel.
The three martial brothers, positioned at high, middle, and low stances, could not help but look at each other in surprise.
What surprised Nanzhu and Mu Aotie even more was that this Old Fifteen perception was truly too powerful. How could he have discovered a secret tunnel here? If it were them, they absolutely would not have found it. Even if they moved everything away and walked through the area, they still would not have discovered it.
Yu Qing placed the opened iron plate against the wall, took the oil lamp, and probed into the tunnel. Then he crawled under the table, crouched down, and descended the steps.
The tunnel was not spacious, only wide enough for two people to walk side by side.
It was pitch black ahead, and it was unknown where it led.
He was about to move forward to explore further when Nanzhu suddenly whispered from above in a hushed voice, “Old Fifteen, dawn is breaking. There is no time left. Come back. People outside are searching for this puppy everywhere. Someone might come in at any moment. This below is definitely a secret passage of the Wen family. It is not appropriate to explore this during the day. We will do it tonight when no one is disturbing us. Hurry back.”
He could already faintly hear footsteps running past outside the courtyard.
Thinking about it, Yu Qing suppressed his curiosity and quickly emerged. He covered the iron plate, replaced the floor bricks, and swiftly put the stools and other miscellaneous items back in their approximate positions.
After leaving the storage room, the three of them exchanged glances. Their curiosity about what lay inside the tunnel was obvious.
Nanzhu said, “We did not expect there to be a secret passage under this storage room. Our situation here is different from yours. Regardless of day or night, we cannot be away for long periods of time, so we cannot come here to explore with you. If you truly want to investigate below, you do not know what the situation is down there. You must be extremely careful.”
He looked around and pointed to the courtyard wall under the eaves near the bedroom door. “Before entering the tunnel, place a stone on that wall. If you disappear, we will at least know that something happened to you in the tunnel. Regardless of whether we can save you, we will at least know the direction of the incident and think of a way to help.”
Yu Qing hummed in agreement. Seeing him reach for the puppy in Mu Aotie hands, Yu Qing immediately grabbed his wrist. “I say, this merit cannot always go to just one person, can it? Is it proper for you to always be the one finding the puppy? I will not say more, but Old Nine is still doing hard labour. Let him earn some merit too, alright?”
Nanzhu pushed his hand away. “Look at you two. Do you think I am that kind of person? What is there to snatch about a servant merit? This trivial merit is not even enough to share as a snack. If the merit goes to me alone, it is different. I can already enter the inner courtyard. With accumulated merit, perhaps I can change into blue robes and move about in the inner court. Then it will be more convenient to gather information.”
The other two were left speechless by his words, feeling that there was some logic to it.
Nanzhu turned and walked away with the puppy. “By the way, walk one by one. Do not follow too closely.”
Yu Qing said, “Do not say that I found this.”
“Rest assured, I will not. I am not a fool. If you found it, how could I be the one bringing it? I will definitely say I found it in the bushes.” Nanzhu turned back and gave this reply. He had already reached the doorway, gently opened the courtyard gate, poked his head out to check, and upon confirming no one was around, quickly slipped out.
Yu Qing fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, “Although his words make sense, why do I feel like I have been tricked by him?”
“Not strange.” Mu Aotie left a somewhat meaningful remark and also strode away.
Yu Qing turned around, took his cleaning tools from under the eaves, opened the door, and walked out. Carrying a broom on his shoulder, he patrolled his assigned cleaning area.
There was truly nothing dirty. He only swept up a few leaves, then dumped them together with leftover food into the designated garbage area.
He returned, washed up briefly, and went to the mess hall.
Breakfast was congee with two steamed corn buns.
There was also a pinch of pickled vegetables made from who knows what. Hearing people at the next table say, it was made from the skins of some melon that the masters in the inner quarters did not eat.
These dishes seemed not to be made by the same cook. Yu Qing could still manage to eat them.
The most discussed topic in the mess hall was still that Fifth Young Master who would soon return after achieving success in the imperial examinations.
“Steward Feng said that the Eldest Master has already sent a pig and a sheep to our West Miscellaneous Courtyard. They will be slaughtered today to reward everyone.”
“That is not all. The Eldest Master also asked for a headcount from this side. As soon as Fifth Young Master returns, everyone will receive a celebratory gift of money, one hundred copper coins per person!”
“Wow, just like when Fifth Young Master achieved success in the imperial examinations!”
“Of course. The seventeenth jinshi in the history of the Wen family came from the eldest branch. With the imperial favour, he returns home in glory. The eldest branch has much face to gain.”
“Seventeen jinshi in the Wen family. Has any of them ever ranked in the first tier?”
The one who said this was Nanzhu.
Yu Qing looked over upon hearing the voice. He realised that when it came to gathering information, Nanzhu was more suitable. He would seize every opportunity to inquire. Mu Aotie, on the other hand, was like a block of wood. He rarely spoke, and even if he knew how to do something, he would not open his mouth.
The scene fell quiet for a moment. Then someone began to speak in defence of the Wen family.
“How many people are in the first tier? Only three, the top scholar, the second place, and the third place! To pass the first tier, it is not merely a matter of scholarship. One also needs luck.”
“Yes. Those who can travel to the capital for the examinations are already the most outstanding talents from various provinces. For Fifth Young Master to finally rank among the top thirty five out of tens of thousands of elite talents is already an extraordinary achievement.”
Amidst the noisy chatter, Yu Qing sat quietly in the corner. For some reason, his mind drifted to Mr Ming, who had lived a ridiculous half life. He thought of Mr Ming seemingly madly writing with fervour. He wondered how Mr Ming was doing now.
Mr Ming performance during the great examination remained a mystery to him. He still could not understand it. A person who had guided several jinshi to success, who could casually write answers scoring full marks in four subjects even while in a mentally exhausted state, yet failed the examinations so many times. It was simply inconceivable.
And his own fate had been changed by Mr Ming fluent answering.
Fate seemed to have dug a pit and waited for him there. He could not escape it. It trapped him until he had no spirit to resist…
In the late morning, the central gate of the main entrance to the Wen residence opened, set up to welcome an honoured guest.
Almost everyone, including those from the West Miscellaneous Courtyard, had been summoned. Inside and outside the main gate, the household servants stood in two rows, waiting.
The sun was quite strong. Standing outside for a long time made one feel slightly dizzy from the heat. Yu Qing also mixed in with the crowd.
Further outside, quite a few curious commoners had gathered. They all knew that an honoured person from the Wen residence was about to return.
Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter…
A horseman galloped over, rushed across the bridge, passed through the tall memorial archway, and headed straight for the Wen residence. He stopped abruptly outside the main gate, leaped off his mount, and ran into the residence while shouting loudly, “He is coming, he is coming. Fifth Young Master has returned.”
The crowd of onlookers began to surge.
Soon, a group of people appeared inside the main gate. The masters of the Wen residence had finally appeared. A large crowd of old and young, men and women.
At the centre, surrounded like stars around the moon, was an old man. He wore luxurious brocade robes and had an imposing bearing. His beard and eyebrows were white as snow, yet his ruddy complexion showed no signs of old age.
Even those who did not recognise him could tell at a glance that the clan leader of the Wen family had appeared personally.
Yu Qing sharp gaze caught sight of a woman in a long dress with a translucent emerald green outer robe standing beside the clan leader, supporting his arm.
Refined was the first impression upon looking at her.
Her hair was styled in dark cloud like coils. Her eyebrows and eyes were as delicate as a painting. Her skin was fair and smooth as water. Her bright eyes had a clear, dust cleansing quality. Her gaze carried a modest and reserved grace. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she displayed the slightly shy demeanour of a lady, yet without lacking the poised elegance of a noble family. The figure beneath her translucent robe was youthful and graceful.
It was a refined elegance, standing tall and graceful. She was so striking among the crowd, with an aura of purity without seductiveness. One could tell at a glance that she had been nurtured by scholarly traditions. She truly deserved the four words “beautiful in appearance and wise in mind”.
Moreover, being of similar age, Yu Qing heartstrings were plucked. His gaze was drawn to her. At this moment, he only wanted to know who this woman was. Regardless of everything else, he directly asked the household servant beside him, gesturing, “Who is that beautiful woman beside the clan leader?”
That person looked him up and down. “Who else could it be but the Third Miss?”
Yu Qing hummed in understanding. So this was Wen Xin. Old Seven was right. She was indeed beautiful.
Precisely because of this, a sense of regret welled up in his heart. He was born at the wrong time. She already had a marriage engagement. For a daughter of such a noble family, a poor boy like him who had nothing to offer could only look from the sidelines. It was not his place to daydream.
Just as his thoughts wavered between hope and loss, a sudden crackling sound of firecrackers erupted, followed by thunderous gongs and drums, and suona horns singing towards the sky.
The specially dispatched carriage for the welcome appeared. Ordinary carriages could not withstand the fright of firecrackers.
The servants on both sides cheered thunderously, shouting praises continuously. It was extremely lively.
The carriage passed before Yu Qing eyes and stopped in front of the steps at the main gate. A young man wearing a dark green eighth rank official robe stepped down. After exchanging pleasantries with his family members on the steps, he entered the residence together with them and disappeared just like that.
Yu Qing scoffed, finding it amusing. From beginning to end, he had not even seen the person face. Worrying about being recognised by him was truly unnecessary. He had not seen what Yan Wen An looked like, but he did notice that his official rank had risen quite quickly. He remembered that those in the second tier all started from the ninth rank. This person had ascended to the eighth rank in just a short year.