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After dealing with Old Liang w.a.n.gfei"s affairs, Xiao Heng headed to the Hanlin Academy.
Recently, he had spent too much time at the Ministry of Justice, neglecting his official duties at the Hanlin Academy.
He was immersed in his work until the end of his shift before coming out of the office.
Feeling a bit stifled today, he wanted to take a walk outside. Just as he reached the entrance, he heard a familiar voice calling him, "Liulang!"
He turned in surprise to find Feng Lin, who had just jumped down from a carriage, looking cheerful.
Feng Lin had gone back to You Province with Lin Chengye before the new year and was supposed to return to the Hanlin Academy at the beginning of the year. However, he had extended his leave for another month due to some urgent family matters.
Xiao Heng walked towards him, and Feng Lin rushed towards Xiao Heng. They met on the cobblestone path in front of the Hanlin Academy.
Feng Lin patted Xiao Heng"s shoulder, "Long time no see! You"ve grown taller!"
"Have I?" Xiao Heng replied, "You seem to have become robust too."
"Of course!" Feng Lin beamed.
Xiao Heng had planned to walk alone, but since a friend had come, it was not a bad idea to stroll together, "You arrived just in time, I…"
Before he could finish, Feng Lin turned to the carriage and said, "Wife! Come out and meet Liulang! He"s the top scholar I told you about!"
Xiao Heng was taken aback. Wife? Feng Lin got married?
"I took leave precisely for this marriage. Only after returning did I find out why my parents were so eager for me to come home for the new year. They arranged a marriage for me..." Feng Lin explained with some embarra.s.sment.
A young woman alighted from the carriage, dressed elegantly, indicating she came from a wealthy family.
"She"s the daughter of a prominent merchant from our hometown." Feng Lin whispered, "Her surname is Hu."
Although Feng Lin"s family was not well-off, he had excelled in the imperial exams and secured a position in the Hanlin Academy. A local merchant, recognizing his potential, married his daughter to him.
Lady Hu greeted Xiao Heng politely, "Greetings, Lord Xiao."
She seemed like a sincere and pure-hearted lady. Xiao Heng returned the gesture.
Seeing Lady Hu’s physical and mental exhaustion, Feng Lin said, "We"ve been on the road for days. My wife is tired. I"ll take her home to rest and catch up with you later!"
Xiao Heng never expected Feng Lin to go home alone and return as two people. The way the two of them interacted, showing affection towards each other, clearly indicated that they were newlyweds deeply in love.
After boarding the carriage, Feng Lin pulled back the curtain and said to Xiao Heng, "By the way, Lin Chengye also got married! He"ll be back next month! Seems like his father looks favorably on his intellect and wants him to father a few more Lin heirs. I guess the next time he comes to the capital, there will be three of them."
One was Lin Chengye, one was his wife, and one more on the way.
Xiao Heng felt like he had been shot in the knees.
"Ah, Liulang, you haven"t left yet?"
Ning Zhiyuan stepped out from the Hanlin Academy, glanced at the departing carriage, and asked, "Who was that?"
"It"s Feng Lin. He"s back in the capital." Xiao Heng replied.
Ning Zhiyuan chuckled, "Finally decided to return. What about that Lin kid?"
"You mean Lin Chengye?" Xiao Heng said, "He"ll be back next month."
"Oh."
Xiao Heng really felt like finding someone to have a drink with. Feeling stifled, he asked, "Brother Ning, want to take a walk outside?"
Ning Zhiyuan must not have much going on, being married to his wife for many years, with grown-up children. As an old married couple, they surely wouldn"t be as affectionate as young couples.
Unexpectedly, Ning Zhiyuan scratched his head and chuckled, "I"m afraid I can"t today. My wife is expecting. I need to go home and be with her."
Xiao Heng, who had endured three servings of dog food in a row: “...”
After Ning Zhiyuan left, Xiao Heng took a deep breath, planning to return. Suddenly, a carriage stopped in front of him.
A masked coachman alighted and bowed to Xiao Heng, "May this humble one ask if you are Lord Xiao of the Hanlin Academy? My master invites you."
Xiao Heng looked at him speechlessly. Did he think he wouldn"t recognize him as Little San with a mask on?
How about trying a change of carriage?
Little San a.s.sumed he had disguised himself well and said, "Can Lord Xiao grace us with his presence?"
Xiao Heng looked at him indifferently and replied, "Alright, I"ll grace you with my presence."
Little San: “...”
That easy?
Shouldn"t he have asked who his master was? Did he memorize his lines for nothing?
"My master..."
Little San still decided to finish his lines, but Xiao Heng, not wanting to listen, got directly onto the carriage and said, ”Let"s go.”
Little San: “...”
Little San drove the carriage to a pavilion on the outskirts of the city.
Night fell, and a gentle breeze blew.
The pavilion was draped with misty gauze that fluttered in the wind.
The lanterns hung at the corners of the pavilion emitted a faint glow. In the light, a graceful figure sat behind a stone table, delicately playing an ancient guqin with slender hands.
Little San tactfully exited.
Xiao Heng stared at the shadow behind the gauze, slowly walking towards the pavilion.
Undeniably, the scene was incredibly beautiful, with the person amidst the scenery, and the sound of the guqin resonating and captivating.
Standing on the last step leading to the pavilion, Xiao Heng felt his heartbeat accelerate.
Just then, a gentle breeze blew in, causing the gauze to drift to his feet, and he accidentally stepped on it.
That gauze pulled down the entire canopy, crashing down on him——
He was knocked unconscious on the spot——
Gu Jiao: "...!!"
To be honest, the canopy wasn"t heavy. It was made of gauze and a few poles. Ironically, the only solid pole hit Xiao Heng.
Gu Jiao held her head, "What kind of luck is this?"
Xiao Heng woke up a quarter of an hour later, sitting on the stone stool of the pavilion, head resting on the stone table.
The pavilion was now clean, and the f.u.xi guqin was gone.
Gu Jiao sat obediently across from him.
Rubbing his slightly sore head and looking around, Xiao Heng asked Gu Jiao, "Did you call me here just to hit me with a pole?"
Gu Jiao seriously replied, "I don"t need a pole to hurt you, one hand is enough."
Xiao Heng: "..."
Gu Jiao picked up a box from the ground and placed it on the table, "I have something interesting to show you. No one has seen this before, you"ll be the first."
Hearing that he would be the first, Xiao Heng"s eyes flickered but maintained an indifferent expression, "I"m not interested."
"It"s fun." Gu Jiao said.
Opening the box, she took out a small bamboo tube with a strange thread at one end.
She asked, "Do you have a flame stick?"
Xiao Heng took out a flame stick from his pocket and handed it to her.
Gu Jiao removed the cap from the flame stick, lit it, and ignited the thread of the bamboo tube.
Then she threw the bamboo tube, which exploded with a series of loud bangs!
Xiao Heng looked puzzled, "Was that... a firecracker?"
No, firecrackers were made of bamboo, but that clearly wasn"t it.
The air was filled with a strong smell of black gunpowder.
Smiling slightly, Gu Jiao said, "It is a firecracker! But made of black gunpowder, with different ingredients. It doesn"t explode upon impact, only when ignited. Want to try?"
Xiao Heng responded coldly, "What"s there to try?"
Raising an eyebrow, Gu Jiao teased, "Are you afraid it might explode in your hand?"
Xiao Heng replied sternly, "Why would I be afraid?"
"Here." Gu Jiao handed him a small bamboo tube.
Xiao Heng"s fingers trembled slightly as he reluctantly took it.
"And the flame stick." Gu Jiao added.
Holding the firecracker in one hand and the flame stick in the other, Xiao Heng hesitated.
Gu Jiao rea.s.sured him, "I made the fuse long enough; you"ll have enough time to throw it."
Xiao Heng lit it.
Gu Jiao came up behind him and held his stiff hands, "Like this..."
Guiding him, Gu Jiao helped him ignite the firecracker, "Quick, throw it!"
Xiao Heng tossed it——
Bang, bang! Bang!
The firecracker exploded!
Xiao Heng"s eyes widened instantly.
Men were absolutely defenseless against firecrackers.
Gu Jiao handed him another.
One after another.
Someone got carried away.
When only one firecracker remained, feeling overly confident, Xiao Heng lit the fuse… and threw the flame stick out——Raz P."s Thoughts
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