153 – Five People Suddenly Got a Strange Illness

After hearing that, Qu Zongwen cupped his hands in obeisance to Lei Xiangzhi and Huo Sirui, and teased, “Congratulations to Brother Lei and Brother Huo. Later, when you two parade in the street, take us along, hahaha!”

Both Bu Qingyun and Zhao Tianhe chimed in with a laugh.

Lei Xiangzhi shook his head as he laughed. “It’s too early to say that.” Then, he asked Lei-Qin Le, “Who are the other three in the top five? Is there a Gu-gongzi?”

Lei-Qin Le, Lei-Qin Zhong, and Lei-Qin Shun all laughed dryly.

Lei-Qin Zhong said, “Fifth-gongzi, to find your names faster, Lei-Qin Le was looking from the top to the bottom, while this servant I and Lei-Qin Shun were looking from the bottom to the top. We’re only looking for your names, so we didn’t pay attention to others.”

Lei Xiangzhi didn’t mind and said, “It’s fine, just asking. Thanks for the trouble.”

Huo Sirui looked at the door of the inn; more and more scholars came back. “We’ll know by listening to other people.”

When the inn manager saw that they had finished talking, he wore a smile on his face and quickly walked over to congratulate Lei Xiangzhi and the others. He was especially enthusiastic toward Lei Xiangzhi and Huo Sirui.

Qin Mian lifted his teacup as he thought, I’m afraid the odds at the corner of the stairs will change. He suddenly felt a jolt in his heart and reached for the pouch on Lei Tie’s waist.

Lei Tie didn’t understand. Still, he took the initiative to raise his left arm to facilitate his wife’s action.

Qin Mian took out a 50-tael silver ingot from the pouch, called Lei-Qin Le over, and quietly ordered him in a few words while Yuanyuan and Manman didn’t notice.

Lei-Qin Le nodded repeatedly and ran to the counter carrying the silver ingot. After thinking about it, he followed his Little Master to lay a bet of one silver tael.

They sat on the first floor for a while. The top five in the result list were as follows: Zhao Xianzhi from the Capital City, Lei Xiangzhi from Qingtian Prefecture, Zhang He from the Capital City, Gu Youran from Xishan Prefecture, and Huo Sirui from Qingtian Prefecture. These five people were the most popular candidates to compete for the Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua.

The Capital City was full of talented scholars, so it was not surprising that it occupied two places in the top five, but for Qingtian Prefecture to occupy two places, it exceeded all expectations. The scholars in Swan Goose Path Inn gathered around and made friends with Lei Xiangzhi and Huo Sirui. In a short time, the table was surrounded, very compactly.

The group lose no time to retreat and went to Qin Man and Lei Tie’s room on the second floor.

When they had stood still, Lei Xiangzhi found that his sachet was torn off by someone at an unknown time; he palmed his forehead in silence. Huo Sirui and Qu Zongwen were all disheveled; they looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Qin Mian amusedly looked at them. “I haven’t officially congratulated you. At noon, A-Tie and I invite you to Yingbin Building to have a meal…”

Before he finished speaking, the door was knocked. Outside, stood the manservant who had brought them to the inn.

“This servant I pay respects to the gongzis.”

“Ping’an.” Huo Sirui walked over and asked, “Why are you here? Did Uncle Yuan order you?”

Ping’an smilingly said, “Congratulations to the five gongzis. When our Old Master learned that the five gongzis were on the list, he felt honored and will hold a banquet in the residence to celebrate the five gongzis at the end of the rooster hour¹ this evening. Do the five gongzis have free time?”

By situation, Yuan Anshi had given them a lot of care. By reason, if they became officials in the future, they should continue to deepen their friendship with Yuan Anshi from now on. None of the five refused this opportunity.

“It’s our great honor to be invited by Uncle Yuan. Tell Uncle Yuan that we’ll arrive on time.”

“Yes, this servant will take his leave.”

Taught by Dean Huo, Huo Sirui was more skillful in dealing with people. He reminded Lei Xiangzhi and the others, “Uncle Yuan has taken care of us a lot, so we can’t refuse this time. Since we haven’t taken part in the palace examination, we should be more restrained in our words and deeds. Later, if someone invites, it’s better to decline.”

Lei Xiangzhi and the others nodded to express their understanding.

Near noon, the group came to Yingbin Building and asked for a private room. Qin Mian and Lei Tie treated Lei Xiangzhi and the others to a generous meal so that they could make up for the last nine days.

Lei Xiangzhi’s group of five also co-operated to gather money and gave Lei-Qin Le, Lei-Qin Zhong, and Lei-Qin Shun a table of good food and wine. Although these three people were servants, they were not their servants. Therefore, they couldn’t take the three men’s protection and care for granted.

In the evening, Lei Xiangzhi’s group of five went to Yuan Residence to take part in the banquet.

To make them more convenient, Yuan Anshi arranged a study-attendant for each of them.

The palace examination was in a month. In the following days, Lei Xiangzhi, Huo Sirui, Qu Zongwen, Bu Qingyun, and Zhao Tianhe resumed their former days, in which they often went to participate in the students’ meet to prepare for the palace examination one month later.

After Qin Mian’s family had toured the Capital, they began to roam around the Capital to the surrounding towns, practically seeing all the beautiful scenery around.

The last place they went to was Four-colored Mountain. After visiting Four-Colored Mountain and resting in the Capital for another two days, they would be ready to leave for home. They had been away for nearly two months.

The scenery of the Four-colored Mountain was particularly peculiar. It had four colors throughout the year: purple in spring, white in summer, yellow in autumn, and red in winter. The reason was that the mountain was full of purple hyacinth, white jasmine, yellow chrysanthemum, and red wintersweet. As a result, the colors were different every season. What’s stranger was that these four kinds of flowers were not planted intentionally; it had been like that since hundreds of years ago.

Qin Mian came at the right time. The hyacinths all over the mountain were in full bloom. The purple was like a huge purple sweater covering the mountain. When the wind blew gently, the smell of fragrance assailed one’s nostrils, making one intoxicated.

There was an inn on the hillside. Qin Mian’s family stayed in the mountain for three nights before they returned to the Capital.

Near noon, at the south city gate, Ping’an walked around looking anxious. When he saw the familiar carriage, he burst into tears. He was so excited that he almost got run down by the carriage.

“Hush—” Lei-Qin Le quickly stopped the carriage, “Ping’an, even if you miss us, you don’t have to be so excited, do you? Don’t want to live?”

Ping’an wiped a handful of tears and anxiously asked, “Brother Le, don’t make fun of me. Are Lei-gongzi and Qin-gongzi in the carriage?”

Qin Mian noticed that his voice was not right. He leaned out his head and asked in puzzlement, “Ping’an, what happened?”

His calmness gradually calmed Ping’an down, who wiped his face and said quickly, “Qin-gongzi, you and Lei-gongzi, please go back to the inn and have a look. Lei-gongzi and Huo-gongzi are very ill. The doctor said, said…”

“What?” Qin Mian’s face abruptly changed and he made a quick decision. “You get on the carriage and tell us in detail. Lei-Qin Le, go back to the inn immediately.”

Ping’an hastily said, “Qin-gongzi, go to Yuan Residence. Our Old Master has taken them to the residence.”

Qin Mian nodded to himself, Sir Yuan is very thoughtful.

As soon as Ping’an got on the carriage and sat down, Qin Mian said in a low voice, “Ping’an, don’t be anxious. Let me ask you first; why are they both fell ill at the same time? Or is it contagious, are the others ill?”

Yuanyuan and Manman seemed to be aware of the seriousness of the atmosphere and sat quietly in Lei Tie’s arms. Yuanyuan even gave Ping’an a handkerchief.

“Many thanks, Yuanyuan-gongzi.” Ping’an smiled at Yuanyuan and answered Qin Mian’s question, “Huo-gongzi’s group of five are ill. The other scholars are not ill.”

Qin Mian had a lot of doubts in his heart. “Are the five of them sick at the same time, or is there a sequence?”

Ping’an replied, “They fell ill at the same time.”

At the same time, and only five of them are sick. Qin Mian felt even more strange, “Now, you’re to tell me the cause and effect of the whole thing.”

“Yes.” Ping’an calmed down completely and narrated in an orderly way, “Qin-gongzi, this is what happened. Three days ago, Huo-gongzi’s group of five went to the Garden of Many Flowers to attend the students’ meet. When they came back, they all felt a little uncomfortable. Just because it was windy that day, they thought it was cold and didn’t care. Who knows, the next day near noon, they were still asleep. Their study-attendants felt that it was not right, so they called in a doctor. The doctor said that five of them were infected with a cold. He prescribed two doses of medicine, but they didn’t improve. The study-attendants were not at ease and reported the matter to our Old Master. Old Master sent someone to Rejuvenation Hall, the largest medicine hall in the Capital, and invited a highly experienced doctor. The doctor concluded that it was not cold, but he could not find out why they remain unconscious. Old Master then spent a large sum of money to invite the Imperial Doctor. The Imperial Doctor said that they were afflicted with a strange poison. The antidote requires several rare herbs, which can only be collected from the Medicinal Storehouse in the Inner Palace. He also said that if they don’t wake up within five days, they will never wake up again… Huo-gongzi and the others are so young and knowledgeable; this servant I envy them. If they just… How unfortunate ah…” He kept shaking his head and sighing as he spoke, and then began to wipe his tears.

Qin Mian’s face turned cold, and he said to Lei Tie, “A-Tie, it seems that someone had cast a poison. However, their interpersonal relationships are extremely simple, so they should not have formed such a big feud with others. Could it be accidental?”

Lei Tie’s eyes were full of cold glint. He grabbed his wife’s shoulder and shook his head slightly. “Wife, you are too simple-minded.”

This was the first time that someone thought he was simple-minded; Qin Mian felt strange. “What do you mean?”

Lei Tie said in a dull voice, “I can’t think of any other reasons except for the palace examination.”

Qin Mian was taken aback.

Ping’an sighed, “To tell you the truth, our Old Master also has this suspicion. Qu-gongzi, Bu-gongzi, and Zhao-gongzi are most likely implicated by Huo-gongzi and Lei-gongzi. Now, this matter has spread all over the Capital. There are all kinds of rumors. Some people said it was done by the gamblers, some said it was done by someone in the top ten, and others said it was the five gongzis who refused to be rope in by a certain Sir… Even more, some said that they can’t bear the pressure and poison themselves… Really… Public opinions are divergent, a mixture of true and false. The more people think about it, the more confused they are.”

Qin Mian had a look of dumbfounded and endlessly sighed. The water in the Capital was very deep. It was no wonder that his A-Tie preferred rural life.

While talking, the carriage arrived at Yuan Residence.

As Ping’an leading the way, Qin Mian walked fast in front. Meanwhile, Lei Tie, who was carrying the two children, had not fallen behind at all.

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Footnotes