“Betrothal token and bride price?” Yu Qing’s eyes widened. “You bookworm already have a fiancée lined up?”
Ash Heng neither confirmed nor denied it, simply accepting it as fact.
Yu Qing’s face showed a mix of envy, jealousy, and hatred. He could not help asking the question young men care about most. “Is she pretty?”
A hint of longing appeared in Ash Heng’s eyes. “I do not know. We were both very young when the engagement was made. They say we met, but I have no memory of it at all. Hey, what are you thinking?”
Yu Qing gave a slightly sleazy grin. “Well, me going to your fiancée’s house pretending to be you. Is that appropriate?”
Ash Heng shot him a cold look. “I told you to pretend. Are you thinking of making it real?”
“Come on, the way you put it.” Yu Qing gave a dry laugh. He was just asking. He would never actually do it. He still had that much principle. Then he realised another issue. “You mean we are not telling your fiancée’s family about the identity switch?”
Ash Heng glanced sideways at his injured arm, his eyes filled with sorrow. “Do not tell them yet. To avoid the Zhong family overthinking it and causing unnecessary complications. Keep it from the Zhong family for now. The priority is to borrow their influence to get through the examination. Put romance aside. When the time is right, explain it to the Zhong family. If they can accept it, fine. If not, I will not force it.”
Yu Qing could read the sadness in his eyes. If the arm did not heal and he could no longer pursue an official career, would the Zhong family still marry their daughter to him? Handing a perfectly good daughter to a hopeless crippled country bumpkin would make any parent think twice.
Besides, helping with fraud in the metropolitan examination was a serious crime!
He quickly comforted him. “Your family has already fallen. If that wealthy merchant surnamed Zhong in the capital still remembers old ties and helps because of a torn painting, that would already be good enough.”
Seeing his kind words, Ash Heng gave a faint smile. He could see the guilt in Yu Qing’s heart.
He knew very well that Yu Qing had already fulfilled his duty as protector and had dealt with the threat at the time. It was his own stubborn pride in front of Yu Qing that led to the accident.
But he would not say the truth. He knew Yu Qing was not easy to control. Only by letting Yu Qing continue feeling guilty would he do his utmost to follow his instructions.
Thinking of his injury, he murmured almost to himself. “When will little martial uncle come back?”
Yu Qing knew he was pinning his hopes on little martial uncle. “The exact date is uncertain. Normally he returns once a year. He has already been gone for half a year.”
“Half a year…” Ash Heng murmured, looking lost.
His impression of that little martial uncle from Linglong Temple stopped at his early years. He was someone who liked holding a mirror and staring at himself for ages. He could fuss over a single strand of hair for a long time, as if he had peerless beauty. He was a dashing, beauty-loving man, and naturally a very vain Daoist.
The reason it was an early impression was that in the past ten years he had hardly seen that little martial uncle again. He was said to be out cultivating and training. Even when he returned occasionally, there was no need for him to specially visit Ash Heng. Every time Ash Heng only heard about it afterwards from people at Linglong Temple…
Two days later, in an ordinary civilian house near the city gate, Yu Qing stood obediently in the main hall with his travel pack on his back.
His hairstyle could no longer be wild. It was neatly tied up. The goatee he had finally grown to look mature had been shaved clean. The faded jacket he wore was Ash Heng’s. Their builds were similar enough that there was no need to find other clothes.
He had tossed his Daoist robe from the pack to Ash Heng. Anyway, Ash Heng could use it soon back at Linglong Temple.
The sword stayed at his waist. In this world, scholars carrying swords was normal. A qin and sword together was considered elegant.
In the hall were also two capable plainclothes runners, who were the ones assigned to escort this time.
Pu the clerk was pacing back and forth in the small courtyard outside, waiting for someone. He had already quietly informed Yu Qing beforehand. Ash Heng had guessed correctly. People from Sinan Prefecture had indeed intervened in the escort. They arrived yesterday, just the two of them. Now they were waiting for them.
When the morning mist had almost cleared, there came a knock at the courtyard gate. Pu the clerk hurried over to open it.
A man and a woman in their thirties entered the courtyard. The man looked dignified. The woman had the delicate look of a modest beauty, but her eyes carried a sharp spirit. Both wore ordinary clothes.
As soon as they entered, their gazes swept around. They clearly did not take Pu the clerk seriously.
Pu the clerk led them inside and immediately pretended to introduce them. “Ash Heng, these two are also part of the escort team. They will accompany you on the journey.” He did not give their names, as per their own request.
In fact, Yu Qing already knew their names beforehand. The man was Xu Jue Ning. The woman was called Tang Bulan.
Yu Qing immediately mimicked Ash Heng’s refined manner, cupped his hands, and bowed. “Thank you both for your trouble.”
More escort runners? The two runners already in the hall looked at each other in confusion. They had not known about this beforehand. Moreover, these two clearly were not from the county yamen. And how could a runner be a woman? One of them immediately leaned towards Pu the clerk and whispered, “Pu boss, how come we have never seen these two?”
“Sent from above. I will take responsibility for everything. Do not ask too much.” Pu the clerk muttered back.
The two runners understood and immediately shut their mouths.
The two visitors from Sinan Prefecture had already fixed their eyes on the person being escorted. Xu Jue Ning’s gaze landed on Yu Qing’s sword. He slowly walked up to Yu Qing and asked indifferently, “You are Ash Heng?”
Yu Qing smiled and bowed slightly. “Indeed, it is this humble student.”
Xu Jue Ning reached out, gripped the hilt of Yu Qing’s sword, and slowly drew out a section. He said coldly, “A heavy sword?”
At these words, Pu the clerk’s heart jumped into his throat. He realised these people from Sinan Prefecture were sharper than expected.
It was not unusual for a scholar to carry a sword, but usually it was not a real weapon for fighting. Typically they were light and thin, shorter, easier to carry. Some were not even sharpened. But when Yu Qing’s sword was drawn, it was clearly a proper killing weapon.
Yu Qing showed no panic at all. Instead he asked boldly in return, “This humble student is not a weak bookworm with no strength. Do you look down on me?”
Whoosh! Xu Jue Ning slid the sword back in and let go. He asked, “Can you ride a horse?”
Yu Qing replied, “I have ridden. It is alright.”
Xu Jue Ning immediately turned to Pu the clerk. “Forget the carriage outside. Just prepare three fast horses.”
Hearing this, Pu the clerk instantly breathed a sigh of relief. He realised he had overthought it. As long as they confirmed the one going for the examination was Ash Heng himself, they did not care whether he carried a heavy sword or a light one, or whether he practised martial arts. Those things had nothing to do with going to the capital for the examination.
On the other hand, this substitute for the young master was clearly much calmer. No wonder he could kill three snake demons.
Before he could respond, Xu Jue Ning pointed at the two runners. “Having those two along would just be a burden. Leave them behind. No need for them to go.”
Pu the clerk was surprised. “How can that be? This county must escort the person and get the handover document to complete our duty. Otherwise we cannot bear such responsibility.”
“If I say it is fine, it is fine. I will sign as proof. The prefecture will send the document to you later.” Xu Jue Ning left those words and stopped talking. He turned back to stare at Yu Qing, looked him up and down, and said, “Do not dress like a scholar. Change your clothes. The back basket screams bookish. Get rid of it too.”
At this point, everyone roughly understood his intention.
Soon, three fast horses arrived and waited outside the courtyard. Suitable clothes were also brought for Yu Qing to change into.
When setting off, Yu Qing took a small bundle from the back basket. He casually tossed the back basket containing books and other items into the corner. He had long found the thing cumbersome.
Pu the clerk’s eyelids twitched at the sight. Treating books like that. Did this look like a scholar? He quietly glanced at the reactions of the two from Sinan Prefecture. Sure enough, both were stunned.
Xu Jue Ning asked in confusion, “Ash Heng, you are even leaving behind the books for the examination?”
Yu Qing acted as if nothing was wrong. He tapped his own head. “They are all in here.”
Since he himself did not care, what more could Xu Jue Ning say? He immediately tilted his head and signalled. “Then let us set off.”
“Wait a moment. The magistrate has instructions. I must represent the county to give a few words of advice to Candidate Ash.” Pu the clerk asked for permission. Once allowed, he immediately pulled Yu Qing into a room. In the corner, he looked heartbroken and spoke softly. “This is a literary examination, not a martial one. I told you not to bring the sword, but you insisted. Brother, do not do things like casually tossing books again. That is not how a scholar behaves. This Xu fellow has sharp eyes. Be extremely careful on the road ahead. Think before you act. Give yourself a reminder, alright?”
Yu Qing looked him up and down with a strange expression.
This stubborn attitude made Pu the clerk feel exhausted and even more anxious. He stomped his foot. “Brother, even if not for yourself, think of the young master!”
Yu Qing laughed. “Just this? I say, why are you worrying for nothing? They are not scholars. I do not even fully understand this examination business myself. I refuse to believe they do. Right now, when it comes to scholar matters, they are outsiders. Whatever I do is expert level. I can fool them like fools. Understand?”
It seemed to make sense… Pu the clerk was immediately speechless. Only then did he understand why this fellow could respond so casually to any question from Xu Jue Ning, even answering however he pleased without restraint.
“Alright, stop scaring yourself. Put your heart at ease.” Yu Qing raised his hand and patted his chest, then turned and swaggered away.
Pu the clerk watched him go. He realised the young master had not chosen this substitute without reason. At the very least, he was bold.
They set off. Outside the small courtyard, the three mounted their horses and rode away with clattering hooves.
Pu the clerk at the gate watched them leave. As for the two runners in the house, Xu Jue Ning had instructed before leaving that for the next two days they were not to leave this place or have any contact with the outside…
The three riders passed through the city gate, spurred their horses to speed up, and galloped away in a cloud of dust. Yu Qing never looked back.
On the road ahead, Xu and Tang said little. They did not think there was anything worth chatting about with that scholar.
Yu Qing was happy to be left alone. He hoped these two would have as little impression of him as possible. He knew deeply that for this journey, the key was to remember ‘keep a low profile and just get through it’.