Chapter 37 Premeditation
“Crisp!”

"fragrant!"

"crisp!"

Mr. Su praised the dish repeatedly. He was not satisfied with the meal so he took the remaining half.

The three days in the Imperial Examination Hall were a shadow that Su Lao could not shake off. He could not eat or sleep well, and he had to take the exam. The heat was so strong in the autumn that the cakes and dry food he brought in would go bad in one day at most. He had to rely on the desire to make a living to survive for the remaining two days.

As the drought is severe today, I wonder how many people will have to be carried out of the Imperial Examination Hall this year.

As Old Su ate, he felt mixed emotions. Principal Song was truly a responsible and considerate principal.

Who says women are inferior to men? Men are not as careful as women.

Song Yanjin smiled and said, "Cook some instant noodles for breakfast occasionally these few days to let them get used to it."

Unfortunately, the ingredients are limited, and the seasonings are only diced meat, dried cabbage, sesame seeds and chili peppers, otherwise it would be more delicious with chopped green onions and corn.

Everyone had work to do, and as the saying goes, a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen, so Old Su couldn't help but roll up his sleeves and help.

Song Yanjin prepared some dry food to make pancakes, which had a short shelf life and could be made the day before the Autumn Examination.

After working until midnight, Song Yanjin rubbed his sore arms and returned to the principal's courtyard. It was not easy to be a principal. He had to worry about the children's studies and their health.

The next morning, when the students who came for breakfast saw that there was noodles to eat, they all abandoned their rice porridge and steamed buns and lined up to receive them.

Ye Shiran had dark panda eyes and was standing at the back of the line in an unconscious state. There was a crowd of people in front of him and soon he reached the window. The fragrance filled his nose and he opened his eyes suddenly. It smelled so good!
I looked down and saw the chef bringing out a bowl of noodles. The noodles were soaked in red soup, which was very novel.

"Ah~ a delicacy!"

At the table in the distance, Gongye Zhiqian was chewing with his head tilted back in ecstasy, sighing from the bottom of his heart.

The students who had also received their noodles sat down and started eating, and it was just as Brother Gongye had said.

Ye Shiran looked at the noodles in front of him curiously. Was it really that delicious?

He didn't like pasta, so he took it over to the table in disbelief, picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

The noodles are chewy, crispy and fragrant, and taste better than plain noodles.

"Brother Ye, drink some soup, the soup is the essence."

Yin Guanshu held the empty bowl and hinted to his brothers around him.

Ye Shiran smiled and nodded, then picked up the bowl to drink the soup, which tasted really good. The noodles in the bowl were steaming hot. Considering that his family only had a bowl of porridge every day, which was brought to the capital by his eldest brother from his maternal grandfather's home in Jiangnan at a high price, in contrast, the academy had no shortage of rice and meat for three meals a day, his life was really too luxurious.

It was not easy for Xiaoshanzhang Song to buy these expensive grains due to natural disasters and drought. The academy on Shuyuan Street had suspended classes, and students were studying at home to prepare for the autumn examination. Only the Imperial College and Qingyun Academy were operating as usual in the whole capital.

Being in a blessed situation, Ye Shiran picked up his chopsticks and ate noodles in big mouthfuls. After eating, he went to read a book, determined to live up to the good intentions of Principal Song.

The students who ate noodles at the same table had the same mentality. They used to be cynical and unmotivated, but now they have learned the truth and are full of knowledge. They will never do anything stupid again.

In the teacher's resting room, Song Yanjin was eating a steamed bun with his left hand while writing the test paper with his right hand.

Cui Yuanchang came over and politely raised his hand and knocked on the door.

Song Yanjin, who was sitting on the table, didn't even raise his head, "Come in."

Bai Zhu paused slightly while grinding ink and looked up at Sister Cui, wondering what she wanted from the young lady.
Seeing that the little girl Baizhu looked disdainful of him, Cui Yuanchang smiled slightly on his cold face, "Shanzhang, Prince Yunheng is back."

Song Yanjin stopped writing, ate the steamed bun in his hand, stood up and went out, "Where is the bastard?" "In the cafeteria."

Cui Yuanshang and Bai Zhu followed.

Everyone in the cafeteria had already finished their meal and left, but four or five empty bowls were still on the table. Xia Yunheng was not satisfied after eating three bowls in a row, so he told the eunuch beside him to bring another bowl.

Gu Jiajing, who was holding a book opposite him, shook his head repeatedly, "No matter how delicious it is, you can't eat it like this. Be careful not to overeat."

Xia Yunheng took the handkerchief handed to him by the eunuch beside him and wiped his mouth, "Brother Gu, you don't know what kind of life I have lived since I returned to Lin'an."

Song Yanjin heard this when he walked in, and walked over to stand next to his little cousin, "You left without saying a word, and you still remember to come back?"

Gu Jiajing, who was reading a book seriously, looked up when he heard the voice, his mouth twitched, and "hiss!" He closed the book in his hand and ran away!
Good luck to you, brother.

Xia Yunheng rubbed his nose uncomfortably, then stood up and tugged at his cousin's clothes to admit his mistake, "Cousin, listen to my excuse..."

Something must have happened in Lin'an. Song Yanjin had no reason to be angry because his little cousin had returned to Lin'an for his mother. He shook off the hem of his clothes and asked, "What happened in Lin'an?"

The eldest princess has done her a favor and cannot leave the capital. Far water cannot quench a nearby fire, so she has to show some concern for her.

Xia Yunheng sighed and sat down. "Don't mention it. I don't know how the bandits knew there was a secret passage behind the princess's palace. They easily entered the palace at night, burned it and looted it, catching the Qi army off guard."

"My mother was seriously injured, and now we are short of food. My uncle sent a few carts of food a few days ago to alleviate the problem."

The little cousin was able to return to the capital, and it seemed that the princess's injuries had almost recovered. Song Yanjin comforted him and continued to eat noodles. In his heart, he was full of doubts about the raid on the palace. How did the bandits know the secret passage? How could the disciplined Qi army be so vulnerable?
The only explanation is that there is a traitor around the eldest princess and it was all premeditated!

The facts were exactly as Song Yanjin had guessed. In the main hall of the Lin'an Palace, Xia Lianyi, who looked haggard and pale, with a wrist splint and a white cloth slung across her chest, listened sullenly to the report from Deputy General Shen.

"Your Highness, General Chen's deputy general was the former empress's political enemy before she ascended the throne, Shangguan Qing, the grandson of Prime Minister Shangguan. Due to natural disasters and droughts, everyone is in danger, so he took the opportunity to take revenge."

"General Chen was poisoned. After he woke up from the poisoning, he learned what the deputy general had done. He was furious and went to jail to kill the thief."

At this point, Deputy General Shen had to plead for his superior, "Your Highness, General Chen is loyal and devoted, and he cannot escape the poison this time. I beg Your Highness to vent your anger on General Chen."

As soon as he finished speaking, a teacup shattered in front of him!

All the palace maids and guards in the hall prostrated themselves on the ground, and Deputy General Shen knelt on one knee with his fists clasped.

General Chen's subordinates were responsible for the incident, so they were to blame. Deputy General Shen knew he shouldn't plead for General Chen, but General Chen had done him a favor.

goooo...

A snow-white pigeon landed on the ground at the entrance of the hall, with a small bamboo tube tied to its legs.

Xia Lianyi's maid Zhu Jin walked over, took the note from the pigeon's bamboo tube, and presented it with both hands, "Your Highness."

Xia Lianyi took it with one hand, spread the note with her white jade fingers and read the contents, and her anger subsided a little.

He turned his eyes to the kneeling people below, "Pass my order, Chen Xiao is reinstated."

Chen Xiao has followed her for many years and is a very honest person. However, he feels uncomfortable with the big brother in the Inspection Department who is very cunning.

Deputy General Shen was delighted and knelt down to kowtow to His Highness sincerely, "Thank you, Your Highness."

His Highness had a deep prejudice against General Chen, and it was definitely not his own request to let him go. His Highness only relented after reading the letter sent by carrier pigeon. His intention this time was hard to guess...

(End of this chapter)