Chapter 7: Escaping

  New Book Recommendation:

  "Is it flooding?"

  Zhang Heyan was resting in the Wenyuan Hall at this time, and the matter of checking the volume had nothing to do with him as the chief examiner. At noon, he was persuaded by Wang Ren, the governor of Nanjing Prefecture, to drink a few more cups of wine, so after lunch, he returned early to rest. However, he did not expect that when it reached the time of the full moon, he suddenly heard someone shouting "the water is flowing" in his daze, and with a sudden shock, he got up from bed.

  If it were somewhere else, he wouldn't care much, as the local authorities would be responsible for everything. But if it happened within the Wen Yuan Temple, he couldn't shirk his responsibility and had to rush over immediately, even if he had to crawl. Otherwise, not to mention other things, just the crime of dereliction of duty could make this year's evaluation a bad one.

  Once having received such an evaluation, there will be no hope of promotion in the next three years, and it's not even worth mentioning, but what's more unbearable is that it may become a pretext for others to attack.

  Fortunately, the drunkenness in the afternoon was not deep, and at this moment Zhang Heyan's head was still a bit unclear, but he still had some basic ability to distinguish. When he went out of the door and looked at the direction of the fire, it was in the backyard of Wenyuan Institute, and suddenly he was shocked: to know that the papers from previous years were all stored in the warehouse in the backyard, if they were burned, I'm afraid it's not just a matter of being graded as inferior, it's possible to lose one's head!

  At this point, Zhang Heyan couldn't care about anything else, and with the momentum of the wine, he ran to the backyard with one foot high and one foot low. When he arrived at the place, he suddenly realized that he was no longer in Wenyuan Temple, but had run into the backyard of Nanjing Prefecture Government. Only then did he remember that Wenyuan Temple and Nanjing Prefecture Government were connected.

  If one were to count carefully, from someone shouting "the water is coming" until now, it's only been three or four minutes at most!

  At this time, Zhang Heyan had already found that several invigilators who came with him had arrived at the scene early. It seemed that they also heard someone shouting "water is coming" in their dreams and thought it was nothing to do with themselves, so they rushed over hastily like Zhang Heyan. All his colleagues from the Ministry of Inspection had arrived - compared to these people, the prefect of Nanjing Prefecture, Wang Ren, was nowhere to be found and had not yet arrived at the scene.

  "Just based on this point alone, I'm afraid Wang Ren will get at most a 'good' grade in his annual evaluation..."

  Zhang Heyan's mind was turning with thoughts, his drunken eyes scanning left and right, seeing that the firefighting personnel were all present and the fire had been brought under control. He exchanged a few pleasantries with his colleagues on either side, and also greeted the three inspectors. Just as he was thinking of using his intoxication as an excuse to return to his room for more rest, unexpectedly someone stumbled out of the raging flames.

  He had only run a few steps when he fell to the ground with a thud.

  All that can be seen is that the man is wearing a Confucian robe that has been burned to tatters by fierce flames, his face is also scorched black, and his hands, which are holding some unknown scrolls, have many blisters from being burned. It seems he was rescuing the scrolls in the house, and even one of his shoes had fallen off, lying far away at the doorstep.

  Seeing this situation, Zhang Heyan couldn't take a step forward even if he wanted to - at least not before comforting this hero.

  This is the usual practice in official circles. If there was no supervision on site, it would be fine if no one knew about it, and it would be easy to send someone over; but if there was supervision present, you would have to leave first, and then the supervisor could record it as a case of an unkind official.

  At this time, the on-site official position belongs to him as the highest, and even among the crowd, he is also considered the first - the inspector is on the left, and the colleagues of the examiner are on the right. A line of people presents a left-right lineup, so he also takes the lead, opens up the front left and right, and without regard for that person's disheveled appearance, he helps the person who was searching for the scrolls on the ground to get up.

  "Is this strong man still healthy?" Zhang Heyan looked at the person in front of him with a slightly more intimate gaze, and only then did he realize that the person's face was actually quite pitiful. Not only was it smoked black by the thick smoke, but there were also many blisters on his hands, and his head of black hair had been burned off by more than half, looking both comical and terrifying.

  The term "hero" has been debated since ancient times, but the majority of people still refer to it as a person with great courage and bravery, often referring to someone with extraordinary courage. Therefore, Zhang Heyan's use of the term "hero" to describe the person in front of him is not only correct but also very appropriate.

  After all, among the people on the scene, although there were not a few who were putting out the fire, Zhang Heyan naturally saw that some of them seemed to be rescuing, but in fact they had other things on their minds. They carried water buckets without taking water, and instead walked around the entire courtyard, as if looking for someone or something.

  For these people, Zhang Heyan was the highest-ranking official on the scene, but after all, he was an outsider and couldn't say much. He just felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. At this time, seeing someone risking their life to rescue Zongjuan from the fire, and being burned to such a miserable state, he couldn't help but feel a sense of comparison in his heart, and thus a few points of concern arose in his heart.

  "The student thanks the adult for their concern, the student is fine." The man in black initially struggled a bit, but now seemed to have recognized the person in front of him. He was stunned at first, and then a hint of surprise flashed across his face.

  Seeing this person claiming to be a student, Zhang Heyan was stunned. Only then did he realize that the man was wearing a Confucian robe that only a scholar could wear, which was distinctly different from ordinary people's long shirts. He couldn't help but feel astonished and hastily asked: "Oh? Who are you?"

  "Student Yu Hang, surname Tan, name Zong, courtesy name Meng Hua, was seen by the adults when the list was posted this morning." Tan Zong bowed again, but this time he accidentally dropped the volume in his arms to the ground.

  A fiery glow was burning below, and the rolled-up thing fell to the ground and suddenly spread out into a piece, which seemed to be an account book. The cover had some faintly written characters that looked like "Nanjing Prefecture".

  "Tan Zong Tan Meng Hua?" Zhang Heyan was taken aback at first, then reacted and said: "Isn't it the second place in Nanjing this year?"

  "It's exactly the student!" Tan Zong bowed again, and was about to pick up the account book, but unexpectedly a hand suddenly stretched out from beside him and snatched it away.

  Tan Zong raised his head and took a look, but saw that the person was backlit, and his face couldn't be seen clearly, as if the whole person was hidden in the darkness.

  "This brother, this thing is the Nanjing Prefecture's official account book. It must be very important, you absolutely cannot take it privately, and it should be handed over to the prefectural governor." Tan Zong said, wanting to take it again, but unexpectedly, the man withdrew his hand and put the thing into his bosom.

  Tan Zong frowned, but before he could speak, Zhang Heyan spoke up: "Hey, what's wrong with you? Didn't you hear what Tan Aiyuan just said? How did it end up in your pocket?"

  "Sir, calm down, sir, calm down."

  At this time, however, a man suddenly ran over from the side and interjected: "This person was originally an old servant of the governor's family, and he is extremely loyal. He was just born unlucky, being mute since birth, unable to speak, I hope your honor will pardon him."

  "Hmph, since that's the case, take him away from here and don't let him get so close to the fire scene again. Otherwise, another accident might happen." The person speaking was also someone Zhang Heyan recognized, having seen him once at the Wang Manor during lunch. However, Zhang Heyan felt embarrassed on his face, so he turned around and left without looking back at that person.

  It seemed that Zhang Heyan had already become somewhat disheveled, and Tan Zong couldn't help but feel a wave of amusement in his heart, but he didn't dare show it on his face. Instead, he composed himself and said seriously: "Everyone please wait for a moment. When I came out of the fire earlier, I saw that there were still several account books on the desk inside. If we hurry, we might be able to salvage a few more." After finishing speaking, Tan Zong pretended to want to leave.

  Just as Tan Zong was about to make a move, someone grabbed his sleeve from behind.

  Tan Zong was actually waiting for someone to hold him back, after all, this hero had already done enough in front of the leaders, there was no need to risk his own life again. But when he turned around, he found that it wasn't Zhang Heyan who held him back, but rather the person from the Wang Fu who spoke earlier. At first, he was stunned, then immediately put on a furious expression and said: "How dare you! Haven't you seen the fire raging? If we're late, I'm afraid the tent will be burned to ashes! Can you bear this responsibility?"

  It's just that the words spoken by Tan Zong were repeated again, but that person put on a gentle smile and said: "Yuanyuan Gong please calm down, how dare I be so presumptuous. It's just that Yuanyuan Gong's identity is not ordinary, and his body has already been injured. If he rushes into the fire scene again, he might have an accident, and at that time, even if it's my fault, I won't be able to escape death. Gentlemen, isn't this reasonable?"

  Zhang Heyan seemed to be moved by that person's words, and took another close look at Tan Zong. He saw that Tan Zong indeed had many injuries on his body, especially on his left arm, which had already been burned to a layer of charred skin. Suddenly, he responded: "Tan Yuanyuan really can't go in again."

  "The adults are wise." The steward responded with a nod, and then smiled and said: "Fortunately, our royal guard is thick-skinned, even if he goes in once or twice, it's not a big deal, so let him go in."

  "Right on, right on!" Zhang Heyan saw that the man was reasonable and couldn't help but applaud in agreement: "Just please be careful, sir, if the fire situation is not good, prioritize your own safety first."

  As soon as Zhang Heyan said this, Tan Zong couldn't help but curl his lip.

  Just now he had been secretly observing the steward and this so-called mute servant, although at first he didn't think much of it, but by now he could be certain that this person was indeed the one who had sent him to Wenyuan Courtyard earlier - it was just that kind of indescribable non-existent feeling was too special, even if he wanted to forget, he couldn't.

  Therefore, Tan Zong was almost certain that this person was absolutely not a mute or a servant, but rather a person of great status within the palace - Li Xi had mentioned earlier that tonight's matter was known to very few people in the palace, except for a small number of people whom Wang Zhifu trusted extremely, most people were just following orders and taking action: For example, the inspectors and guards who were bribed in the Wenquan Temple.

  So, Tan Zongye also knew that the person who entered the fire scene to save the account book was fake, and burning the account book was true. Moreover, what was burned might not be the original contents inside, but rather more likely the one in that person's arms.

  Tan Zong had already planned ahead of time and wasn't afraid that the man would burn the account book. Moreover, escaping was the top priority at this moment, other things could be said later. Therefore, Tan Zong didn't say a word, just watched as the man rushed into the fire scene with a seemingly heroic appearance.

  At this point, Tan Zong deeply knew that the situation tonight had already been broken by himself for more than half, and there were still some notes to be nailed one by one. At this time, although there were many people and mouths, from another perspective, the more people, the more witnesses, which was exactly a good opportunity.

  A dark alley voice said, "If not now, when?" Tan Zong hurriedly pretended to look at the night color and then bowed his head to Zhang Heyan, saying, "The student is guilty, missed the time for checking the volume, and asks the adult to redeem the crime."

  When Zhang Heyan heard Tan Zhong's request for punishment, he was still somewhat unclear, but when Tan Zhong mentioned the examination of the volume, he suddenly understood what Tan Zhong meant and hurriedly said: "Tan Yuanyuan personally rescued the fire and protected the safety of the prefecture, which is a great achievement. What's the need to be so concerned about the trivial matter of examining the volume? Do you gentlemen think so?"

  As soon as Zhang Heyan said this, anyone with discerning eyes could tell that he was completely biased towards Tan Menghua. Moreover, Tan Zong had indeed made a great contribution, and even Wang Ren, the prefect of Wangzhou, would probably have to thank him first in person, so it wasn't excessive. Therefore, several deputy examiners who were present with Zhang Heyan all praised his words as excellent, and some even called Tan Zong a young hero.

  It's just that the matter of checking the papers has nothing to do with this proctor, but rather it has a great deal to do with those three inspectors, which is also why they dared to get drunk during lunch.

  Generally speaking, the sedan chair is carried by people, as long as the parties involved have not committed any mistakes, officialdom has always been so, so several people did not expect that the inspectors would slap themselves in the face.

  But this time it seemed a bit different, those few inspectors looked at each other, and even Tan Zong seemed to feel that these people were exchanging something with their eyes, his heart unexpectedly skipped a few beats, and he couldn't help but feel some worry.

  After a moment, the leader first bowed to several people, then saluted Zhang Heyan, and finally said to Tan Zong: "Originally, there were several adults who witnessed the fire with us. Even if the verification time is delayed, it's just a small matter."

  At this point, the speaker paused for a moment, looked at the expressions of several others, and couldn't help but smile.

  It should be known that the review of the volume is the last link in the county examination, although it is said to be just a formality. However, before Tong Sheng reviewed the volume, this identity was indeed insignificant. Therefore, the inspector's address to Tang Zong as Tong Sheng is not wrong. But precisely because this matter is just a formality, there are not many people in the officialdom who pay attention to it. At this time, being suddenly mentioned by the inspector, it can't help but be a bit embarrassing.

  It turned out that when they spoke earlier, whether it was Zhang Heyan or the manager of the Wangfu, they all referred to Tan Zong as Tan Yaoyuan, clearly acknowledging his identity as a Nanjing Fu Yaoyuan this year. However, at this time, the inspector called Tan Zong a Tongsheng, which was equivalent to slapping Zhang Heyan in the face.

  They only keep an eye on the directly affiliated cabinet, and usually don't interact with other systems. Even if they meet on the street, being able to nod at each other is already considered a rare friendship. If they bump into each other and ignore each other, that's just normal.

  So, the inspector didn't seem to be hated by Zhang Heyan, and a faint smile appeared on his face. He said directly: "I'm just curious, why didn't Tan Zong come to check the volume, but instead ran to this wall-separated government office to put out the fire? We already thought we were quick, but Tan Xiucan seems to have arrived even earlier than us. Moreover, I heard Tan Xiucan's voice, which seemed extremely similar to that of the person who shouted 'fire'. How can Tan Xiucan teach me?"

  As soon as this remark came out, it was almost like saying that you suspected Tan Zong of arson, and Tan Zong was shouting "thief" at the thief. Therefore, not to mention Zhang Heyan, even the two deputy hands beside Zhang Heyan were somewhat unhappy.

  Since ancient times, civil officials have formed a separate system. Throughout the dynasties, civil officials and military officers, as well as eunuchs, have been like fire and water. Since the founding of our dynasty, with the establishment of the Censorate, civil and military officials have gradually merged, but it has still been difficult for them to get along with eunuchs, and even more so with the Censorate, which is like fire and water. Fortunately, this Censorate is nominally under the jurisdiction of the Grand Secretariat, so although there are some differences between the two, on the surface they can be considered harmonious.

  As the second-in-command of Nanjing Prefecture, although it is not necessarily possible to advance to the top three in the imperial examination and be personally nominated by the emperor in the Golden Hall, being a jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest level of the imperial examination) is an identity that cannot be escaped. In the future, being appointed as an official outside the capital is only a matter of time.

  At this time, the inspector was suspicious of Tang Zong's arson in Nanjing Prefecture, and it was inevitable that Zhang Heyan and others who belonged to the same literary system would be offended.

  It's just that the power of supervision is great, and at this time it is also proper to have the right to supervise all matters, so Zhang Heyan and others can only secretly resent but have no way.

  But whoever would have thought that at this moment, Tang Zong not only didn't feel anxious or afraid, but instead couldn't wait to kiss the inspector a few times, all because the inspector's question happened to help Tang Zong nail down the last piece of evidence he needed.

  Fortunately, Tan Zong was naturally calm and composed, so his face still had an unhurried and unflustered expression. As seen by Zhang Heyan and others, they suddenly felt that Tan Zong indeed had the demeanor of a gentleman, being mature and steady.

  "This is an easy matter, sir. I have something to report." Tan Zong smiled slightly and pointed at the fire scene in the mansion: "I actually arrived at the gate of Wenyuan Hall around 9 pm last night. As soon as I got here, I found that the guard at the door had been knocked unconscious and was lying behind the door. I immediately became suspicious and was about to call for help when I discovered a black-clad person sneaking out from the shadows and hiding in the back yard."

  To be honest, the student also has to bear some responsibility. Because during lunchtime, he was celebrating with a group of classmates and had a bit too much to drink, inevitably getting somewhat drunk. For a moment, his intoxication took over, and all he could think about was catching that thief. However, due to his heavy drunkenness, his legs weren't steady, and as he chased after the thief, he ended up losing him. Just as he was about to call for help and alert others, he saw the thief secretly setting fire in the courtyard. In a state of panic, the student took advantage of the thief's momentary distraction and launched a surprise attack from behind, managing to subdue him after a fierce struggle. Only then did he shout for help and call out for people to come put out the fire.

  "As you said, is the thief still in the fire scene?" Zhang Heyan suddenly interrupted.

  Seeing Zhang Heyan's words, Tan Zong's heart moved, knowing that Zhang Heyan was really biased towards himself - as long as he could find that thief and bring him back, everything would be solved easily! However, to prevent any unexpected situations, Tan Zong had been hiding in the scene earlier, so he saw very clearly: before Zhang Heyan and others arrived, someone had already secretly carried away Li Xi.

  So if Zhang Heyan pinned his hopes on that scoundrel, it would clearly be futile.

  However, Tan Zong had long been prepared for this and pretended to be puzzled, saying: "There is still something that the student wants to report. Just now when the student rescued the account book, he clearly saw that the thief was mixed in the crowd and sneaked away, and there were people supporting him on both sides, which is indeed a strange thing."

  "Could it be that this thief has an accomplice?" Zhang Heyan asked doubtfully, his eyes intentionally or unintentionally scanning the surroundings, thinking of his previous suspicions - could those people be the thief's accomplices?

  "Drunk Black" is an author who wrote a book called "The Drunken Master".

  Hot Recommendations: