After dinner, Meng Anzhi went to the study and paused as she passed the chessboard. " Anci... not bad, you actually found a breakthrough..."
Meng Anci looked up from his book and asked her in confusion, "What breakthrough?"
Meng Anzhi pointed at the chessboard and said, "Didn't you make this move?"
Meng Anci's heart skipped a beat. He quickly got up to look and, sure enough, the chessboard had been turned around, and the situation where the black pieces were surrounded was instantly resolved. When he realized who was behind it, he was instantly amused and annoyed.
You, Zhao Zhiyuan, putting on such a respectable act, making everyone think he really came to borrow books, were you waiting for him here?
The white pieces remain still, while the black pieces move.
Their wolfish ambitions are blatantly obvious.
Meng Anzhi was drawn to the chess game, pondering how the white pieces should move, when she caught a glimpse of Meng Anci's strange expression out of the corner of her eye. Remembering the two people who had come to visit earlier that day, she immediately guessed that Zhao Zhiyuan had moved the chessboard.
Meng Anci never hid her emotions at home, and when she was caught, she said angrily, "Sister, what are you planning to do next? Anyone who touches the chessboard without permission is a despicable hypocrite! We're not playing chess with him."
Meng Anzhi chuckled, "Why are you so angry today?"
Meng Anci's chest heaved with anger. How could he not be angry... Zhao Zhiyuan had done something under his very nose, and he hadn't noticed at all.
Damn it, no one can ever come to his house again.
The next day, Meng Anci arrived at the academy and gave Zhao Zhiyuan a cold look. Zhao Zhiyuan didn't say a word, picked up the water bottle, poured some water onto the inkstone, and began to grind ink.
He ground the ink to the perfect consistency, and not only that, he thoughtfully placed the brush on the inkstone.
Shiyan, sitting behind the two, was completely bewildered. He nudged Zhao Zhiyuan in the back, "Are you crazy...? You actually offered to grind ink for Meng Anci?"
Seeing that Zhao Zhiyuan didn't turn around, he stretched his neck and said, "Why don't you help me grind it too?"
Zhao Zhiyuan glanced at him indifferently, "Every time you grind ink, there's either too much or too little water. If I grind it for you, who will grind it for you during the provincial examination?"
Shiyan was stunned. Every time he heard Zhao Zhiyuan speak, he felt that something was wrong... something was off. Just as he was confused, Master Li walked in.
He put down his book and said, "The imperial court has already issued a decree that the provincial examinations will be held next August. It's September now, so there's still a year to go."
Next, the academy changed its exam schedule from once every three months to once every two months, and the exams were held in the examination cells.
The provincial examination consisted of three sessions, lasting a total of nine days and six nights. This meant that the students would spend almost all of their remaining days in their examination cells. The students who had just been laughing and joking were now completely unable to laugh.
Life returned to normal, and the days went by uneventfully.
Constable Wang patrolled past the entrance of the Anzhi Hall, he saw Jin Shanyao standing outside the shop, looking up at the sky. He leaned closer and whispered, " Zhou Yan and He Liangzhong from Jing'an Prefecture, and all those involved in the case related to Cloud Brocade Workshop, have been beheaded."
Jin Shanyao her head back, her eyes stiff as she glanced down at him. "The entire Bai Household is dead?"
"All the men are dead... the women have been sent to an island to make salt."
Jin Shanyao a soft "hmm," "Those who reap what they sow... they deserve it..."
"What are you looking at?" Constable Wang his arms and followed her gaze to the sky... A clear blue sky, fluffy white clouds, and a few birds flying by.
Jin Shanyao, her tone indifferent, "I'm locked eyes with Laozi (the Taishang Laojun). Whoever blinks loses."
Constable Wang was speechless. "I'm saying, if you have all this free time, why can't you lend Anzhi a hand?"
He gestured towards the shop with his lip, "Look how exhausted the child is! She has to hire people, keep accounts, see patients, and even study by lamplight at night... Can't you let her catch her breath?"
Jin Shanyao conceded defeat, glancing at him sideways. "She doesn't understand anything. This is nothing. I still have a whole host of palace intrigue and power struggles to teach her."
"No..." Constable Wang looked completely bewildered, "You're all alone, what do you know about palace intrigue and power struggles?"
Jin Shanyao didn't say anything, she just looked at him.
Constable Wang felt extremely uncomfortable. "What are you doing? Let's talk this out. You can't resort to violence..."
Just then, Meng Anzhi came out and was pulled back by Jin Shanyao. "I have a question for you. Which hurts more if you get hit on the foot, a pound of iron or a pound of cotton?"
Constable Wang quickly replied, "Iron pain?"
Jin Shanyao a light hum, glancing at Meng Anzhi, "You tell me?"
Meng Anzhi laughed, "My feet hurt..."
Jin Shanyao her hand with satisfaction, "Go on with your work..." Then she looked at Constable Wang, "See? With a brain like hers, she can't possibly get tired. You should be thinking about how to patrol East Street and West Street more efficiently..."
After saying that, she put her hands behind her back and slowly walked into the shop. She had been teaching children for five or six years, and she knew more than him... Why not use that new brain of hers now, and wait until she's senile?... Hmph, it's all for nothing.
Constable Wang glanced at his feet, somewhat Qi Ingestion, and Jin Shanyao through the window, "That question doesn't count, give me another one."
Jin Shanyao sat down behind the desk and, seeing that Constable Wang looked resentful and indignant, spoke again, "I have a question related to your profession."
What can you steal without breaking the law?
Constable Wang's mind went blank for a moment before he finally managed to say, "No... stealing anything is illegal, isn't it?"
Jin Shanyao held up one finger, waved it twice in the air, and said smugly, "Sneaking a laugh... isn't illegal."
"You're cheating..." Constable Wang slammed his hand on the windowsill in anger, "Again..."
Jin Shanyao glanced at the windowsill, then looked at Constable Wang, "If you keep making noise, don't blame me for hitting you..." She then glared at him, "One last question, listen carefully. Who goes to the doctor every day?"
Constable Wang interjected, "The elderly... the elderly are prone to illness, so they see doctors frequently."
"Oh dear... Brother Wang, you got it wrong again," Zhou Xiaosi came in from the backyard, poured the whole packet of medicine into the drawer, and turned around to say, "It's the doctor. Only doctors see patients every day."
"Oh dear..." Constable Wang was so angry that he drew his sword twice, barely suppressing the urge to kill someone. "What kind of problem is this... I have to go on patrol."
Jin Shanyao watched Constable Wang figure, paused for a moment, and then spoke with a rare hesitation, " Anzhi, I made you learn all this... isn't it very tiring?"
Meng Anzhi suddenly raised her head, looked at her aunt expectantly, and said decisively, "Tired."
Jin Shanyao patted her shoulder with concern, "If you're tired, take a break, then keep going..."
Meng Anzhi froze instantly. She thought her aunt was going to help, but after waiting for so long, this was the result... Watching her aunt's retreating figure, her heart shattered into a million pieces.
The curtain swayed, and then Auntie called out, " Qing He... make pig brain soup tonight, to nourish Anzhi properly."
"Okay... Is there anything else I need to do?"
After a while, the sound of Jin Shanyao came, "If there's enough time, make another amber walnut, make a lot, and bring some out for Anci."
"Yes, Master..."
Meng Anzhi stared at the swaying curtain, her lips twitching slightly...