Hearing the laughter, Qi Huashan did not know why, but a chill ran through his heart.
He did not even dare look at Gao Qian in the ox cart. His chest felt tight, and he instinctively shifted his gaze outside.
As his gaze swept past, something suddenly made him pause.
What was that?
A shadow?
That fleeting shadow filled Qi Huashan with suspicion and vigilance. What was it?
On closer thought, he quietly let out a breath.
The shadow that had flashed past was not a human figure. It was a cat?
Although it was perfectly normal for a civet cat to appear in the city, Qi Huashan still vaguely sensed something strange.
Yet because of the inexplicable fear Gao Qian had stirred in him, Qi Huashan said nothing when he withdrew his gaze.
Inside the prefectural governor's residence
Night had fallen, and a light drizzle still fell. Yet the wind carried a faint warmth. The candles burned brightly, and the rockeries and corridors in the courtyard looked especially beautiful in such a night.
"Beautiful women are best viewed beneath lamplight; touring a lacquer garden by candlelight at night is no less delightful, is it?"
The two sat in a hall. The man seated in the center rested his chin on one hand as he listened to someone recite an essay.
"...The Imperial Grandson was headstrong and willful, and the calamity he caused was immense. Among all the gentry beneath the Four Seas, how many could avoid breaking themselves? Yet Wu Weisheng, dwelling amid the countryside, was still only an Examination Student, not yet supported by any commandery or county. And yet, guided by the teachings of the Book of Songs and Book of Documents, he ultimately rose in righteous indignation and struck a blow. Stirred by lofty righteousness, he