The four of them came out of the secret passage and arrived at a small, unremarkable courtyard. It was a simple courtyard house with a huge locust tree planted in the middle. The canopy of the tree covered the sky and the sun, leaving behind a shade that covered almost the entire courtyard.

It was the season when locust trees bloomed, so the air was filled with a sweet fragrance.

Yun Xie was the first to step out of the room. He opened the fan at his waist and asked, “Good younger brother, do you smell it?”

They had agreed in the secret passage that the four of them would disguise themselves as siblings. Feng Yao would be the older sister, while Yun Xie, Bai Su, and Duan Changchuan would be the three younger brothers.

Duan Changchuan, who was the youngest, became the youngest one. So when Yun Xie came out, he called him “younger brother”.

At this time, the young man had just helped Bai Su out and was removing the silk cloth from her eyes.

When he heard Yun Xie’s question, he immediately adapted to his new identity and calmly replied, “Smell what?”

Yun Xie strode out and said, “The smell outside the high walls.”

After saying that, he exaggeratedly sniffed a few times, “Do you feel that your breathing has become much smoother?”

Duan Changchuan carefully folded the silk cloth and put it on the table, “I don’t feel it. It’s all the same. There are many locust trees in Feng Residence, and the smell is the same as here.”

He turned around and saw Bai Su, who was not used to the sudden light and kept blinking. He said, “It’s sunny outside. Sit in the room for a while. When your eyes recover, we’ll go out.”

Bai Su nodded, “Okay, thank you … little brother.”

Because of the piercing pain in her eyes, she had a faint nasal sound. Because she wanted to disguise herself as a man, she deliberately suppressed her voice to be neutral. When it rang into others’ ears, it was too pleasant to listen to.

The moment the young man heard it, he immediately jumped out of his chair, “It’s … it’s my duty. We … uh, I’ll go outside first. When you’re better, come out too.”

After saying that, he pushed open the door and ran off like a rabbit.

Bai Su looked at the little kid who ran away, and then at the hand she had raised to grab the air …

She helplessly retracted it and pressed it against her lips.

She couldn’t help but laugh.

Didn’t she just call him “little brother”? Did she hit his nerve? Why did he look so shy?

–

The group of four took advantage of the fact that it wasn’t noon and went to the Yujin Building that Yun Xie had been thinking about for a few days.

Because of today’s student assembly, the building was especially lively.

Yun Xie was obviously a regular here. When the waiter saw him, he immediately welcomed him, “Boss Yun, you’re here? Are you going to discuss business with someone again? Then I wish you good luck with your order, and the money will come rolling in! How would you like to arrange things today? Shall we go to the private room by the window on the second floor?”

The young man responded readily, “Sure. My youngest brother’s health is not good, he can’t stand the noise, but when he heard that there was a gathering in the building today, he begged me to come. So, left a place for us to drink tea in the outer hall on the second floor too.”

The waiter bowed and invited them in at once. He straightened his back and shouted up the stairs, “Sure! Boss Yun’s private room on the second floor. Four distinguished guests, please take a seat!”

The stairs were narrow and made squeaky noises when stepped on.

Duan Changchuan was a little uncomfortable, and every step he took was very careful.

He wasn’t old to begin with, he was delicate and beautiful. He took off the complicated and cumbersome dragon robe and put on a light brocade spring robe. That noble and youthful aura was vividly displayed.

With every step he took, the ornaments on his waist made jingling noises. Who wouldn’t ask a question when they passed by, which noble family was this young master raised by?

The lady boss, who was serving dishes on the second floor, glanced down and overflowed with motherly love.

“Second Young Master, don’t be afraid. Even ten of the owners can walk on this staircase. It’s very sturdy. Later, let my husband perform a somersault on the stairs for you!”

The young man, who was carefully taking steps, paused, “I didn’t …”

Before he could finish his sentence, a burly man rushed out from the first floor. Just by looking at his body, he was three times as big as Duan Changchuan.

He asked with full energy, “My wife, which guest wants to see a somersault?”

He was holding a kitchen knife in his hand, “I’ll come after I finish cutting this dragon bone!”

After he finished speaking, he rushed back to the kitchen.

Duan Changchuan was dumbfounded.

When he looked up again, he saw Bai Su, who was two steps higher than him, also looking back at him. When the two of them looked at each other, she reached out a slender and good-looking hand to him.

The young man shook his head and said, “Thank you Sis … Brother, I can do it myself.”

He hurried going up in a few steps.

–

At noon, there were already scholars coming over in twos and threes.

They were wearing expensive satin robes, and it was obvious that they came from relatively well-off families. They came to this building to eat first. They would attend the assembly in the afternoon.

It wasn’t until one in the afternoon when most of the guests had left and the first scholar in coarse cloth stepped through the high lintel of the building that this lively assembly finally began.

“This assembly only invited the top twenty students. It was organized by a scholar named Guang Sui. He is the Prime Minister’s disciple and won third place in this year’s examination. He’s sitting at the second table on the first floor.” Yun Xie went out to take a look and came back to introduce him to Duan Changchuan.

Then he deliberately emphasized, “Lin Qing, the Huiyuan for this year’s spring examination is also here. He’s sitting at the third table in the middle.”

Duan Changchuan nodded. Under Yun Xie’s signal, he secretly glanced in Bai Su’s direction. Coincidentally, he saw the other person pause in the act of pouring tea.

He hurriedly withdrew his gaze as if nothing had happened and said, “I know this Guang Sui. I’ve read the essays of the top twenty students in this year’s examination. They all have their own merits and are all future pillars of the country. The Prime Minister probably had Guang Sui organize this assembly to make friends with a few people with potential so that he can recruit them for his own use after the examination.”

Yun Xie rolled his eyes, “That’s why they say he’s an old fox. It’s no wonder Prince Cheng wants to win him over. If we’re talking about connections in court, half of the officials are under his influence. Ah … if only we could provoke a fight between the fox and the tiger. When the time comes, they’ll both suffer losses and we’ll be the one who gets benefits. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? “

Speaking of this, the eyes of the young man sitting in the innermost section couldn’t help but darken, “Father … before he left, he made all the arrangements. If the marriage alliance was formed, Prime Minister Bai would naturally fight with Prince Cheng.”

This way, not only could they weaken Prime Minister Bai’s family in the imperial court and cause his henchmen to suffer a setback, but they could also strike a blow to Prince Cheng and maintain the delicate balance in the imperial court.

It could be said to be killing two birds with one stone.

In the gap between the two of them fighting, Duan Changchuan would also be able to take a breather and place his people among the factions they were fighting with.

Unlike now, where it was difficult to move forward …

The young man’s long eyelashes drooped down as he quietly looked at the teacup in front of him.

He didn’t say what he was hiding in his heart, but everyone present knew … …

He was blaming himself.

He was deeply blaming himself.

He blamed himself for not doing a good job and wasted the previous Emperor’s careful arrangements.

Yun Xie closed the fan in his hand and poured him a cup of wine, “What are you thinking about again? You can’t even control that old fox. That kind of selfish person will have to be removed sooner or later. He tied himself to Prince Cheng just to save him from being targeted later. Come, let’s drink, there’s nothing a cup of wine can’t solve.”

Duan Changchuan looked at the wine cup in front of him, his mood still didn’t improve. He faintly said, “Physician … Fang said I can’t drink now.”

Yun Xie, “…” He directly froze.

He was usually carefree, belonging to the category of “everything’s in the wine”.

Either he was happy or sad, he drowned all in wine.

In Yun Xie’s heart, five words were enough to handle all emotions, and that was “drunkenness dispels a thousand worries”

But Duan Changchuan said he couldn’t drink …

He was dumbfounded.

For a moment, the mood in the room, which was not very high, became even lower.

The young man also realized that he seemed to have embarrassed his friend. He stared blankly at the calm wine cup in front of him for a while …

In the end, he picked it up, “You’re right, there’s nothing a cup of wine can’t solve.”

He said, “As for the rest … I’ll leave it to Physician Fang.”

Then, he prepared to drink the wine in one gulp.

However, before his lips touched the edge of the cup, his wrist was held by a hand.

He turned his head and his gaze fell into a pair of eyes as deep as the sea.

“He’s just a profit grubber. It’s not worth it.” Said Bai Su, then she took away the wine cup in his hand and replaced it with a cup of warm tea.

“So what if his methods are good? Isn’t he on the opposite side of the people?”

Duan Changchuan touched the teacup in his hand …

The curling mist floated up to his eyelashes, and his vision was blurred.

He couldn’t help but sniff gently and said, “It’s me who didn’t let him stand on the side of the people.”

A helpless sigh sounded in his ears.

Then, he heard the woman deliberately lower her voice to disguise her gender and said, “Then let me ask you a few questions. If a genius with excellent medical skills ends up killing people in a city with the skills he learned in his life. Is the master who taught him medical skills wrong?”

A genius with excellent medical skills and the master who taught him … …

Duan Changchuan immediately brought in Fang Moyan and Senior Huang.

He immediately answered, “The master taught him medical skills to save people, not to harm people. Of course, the master is not wrong.”

“Then how about his Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, are they in the wrong?”

The young man was puzzled, “What does his bad behavior have to do with his senior brothers and sisters?”

Bai Su nodded, “Well, his master, senior brothers, senior sisters, and his entire sect are not wrong, right? Then, let’s make another assumption. Now, this person with excellent medical skills is in Da Tong. He killed the people of a city. As the ruler of this country, what do you think we should do?”

Duan Changchuan, “Of course, issue the highest arrest warrant and bring him to justice. Punish him with death by a thousand cuts and hang his bones on the city wall to comfort the people’s souls in heaven.”

The young man’s voice was crisp and clear, yet powerful. The noble aura on his body couldn’t be hidden.

The woman turned her head and let out a low laugh, “Aren’t you good at answering it? I thought you were going to say, it’s the master’s fault, the master didn’t teach him well. Or it’s all the senior brothers and sisters fault, they didn’t guide him in time. As the ruler, one should make good use of his medical skills for the benefit of the people.”

Duan Changchuan looked at her suspiciously with an expression that said “what nonsense are you talking about?”

He hurriedly retorted, “I’m not a fool!”

He even forgot to change the way he addressed himself.

After that, his whole body froze again.

Killing the people of a city … Isn’t that the huge burial pit in Huainan?

Even though their methods were good, the bad things they did are unforgivable … Isn’t it Bai Yanyuan and Duan Jing’an?

And he, Duan Changchuan, was now the ruler of this country.

It may seem like a nonsensical question, but every word was meant to enlighten me ….

For a moment, all sorts of feelings welled up in his eyes as he looked at the other party again.

“You …” He spoke softly, as if he had a lot to say, but also as if there was no need to say anything.

The other party’s lips curved into a smile, “It seems you understand.”

Raising her hand, she bent her knuckles and gently tapped on his forehead.

“First of all, this person wasn’t taught by you. Why he did something bad instead of good has nothing to do with you, so there’s no need to blame yourself.”

“Secondly, this person has done something wrong and carries a monstrous crime on his back. In the face of these crimes, his value is worthless.”

“You are standing on the right side, there’s no need to blame yourself because others are standing on the wrong side. You are a king, not a Buddha. What? Do you want to become a Buddha?”

The first half of the conversation was serious, but then it turned into a joke.

Duan Changchuan was originally listening carefully, but when he heard the words “become a Buddha”, he subconsciously wanted to answer, “I’m not.”

The words were about to rush out of his throat when he realized what was wrong.

He quickly swallowed the words back down.

“We discussed it so well, you … why are you suddenly talking nonsense again!”

His face was angry ….

But his heart was pounding.