Chapter 2: This story is somewhat familiar...

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Scholar Chen, if you encounter something strange, don't hide it. People can die from that...

When the time came to be appointed an official the next day, Chen Qing's mind was still replaying the words of the Judicial Court's junior minister from yesterday. Was the other party warning him, or giving him a hint?

If it was a warning, then were a group of people putting on a play? Deliberately forgetting Cui Yan's wife?

But what would that mean?

If it was a hint... Could it be that he really had seen a ghost?

"Scholar Chen, you're back? Come on, tell us, what position were you granted?"

Upon hearing the voice, Chen Qing snapped back to reality and saw a group of familiar faces. His expression relaxed slightly. The place where he stayed was a Confucian Temple in the southern suburbs of the Capital City, donated by a kind-hearted person from the Capital City for the poor scholars to stay in while preparing for the exams. At this moment, Chen Qing had just returned and was immediately surrounded by a circle of classmates who had once studied together.

"Qi County in Youzhou. As a second-ranked individual from the bottom, what good place could I be assigned to?" Chen Qing replied with a smile.

"That's not bad either..." said a plump fellow with a round face. "With our kind of family background, being able to pass the Imperial Examination and become an official is already like the ancestral grave emitting green smoke. How can we afford to be picky? You and Cui Yan passed as soon as you came the first time, unlike some of us..."

"Exactly..." another tall, thin man also said, "Some of us have a bit of family foundation, so we can afford one or two attempts. Many of our classmates here at the temple already left for home yesterday, preparing to become teachers in local county schools..."

Chen Qing felt a wave of emotion when he heard this. It wasn't easy for sons of farming families to study—the cost of writing materials, paying for a teacher, and the expenses of studying at the county or provincial government offices. How many real farming families could afford that?

Just like himself, his father had passed away early. If it weren't for the family's tofu business being quite good, he wouldn't have been able to afford it, and yet even with this, they had ended up selling off family property. More than half his older brother and sister-in-law's income went to supporting him, and his younger sister still had no wedding dowry arranged.

If he hadn't succeeded this time, it would have been very difficult for his family to come up with several hundred taels for him to go to the Capital City to take the exams again!

"By the way, Scholar Chen, why didn't Cui Yan come back with you? We were hoping to bask in the glory of the top scorer!"

Chen Qing was startled and looked at the plump fellow who had spoken. This plump fellow was called Zhou Haitao, also from Lyuzhou, who had come to the Capital City to prepare a year earlier than Chen Qing and Cui Yan and was an old schoolmate from the prefectural school.

Seeing that the other party seemed completely unaware of Cui Yan's death, he had a thought. It was true, in ancient times, unlike today, where a major event could spread across the country within a few hours, the Confucian Temple was remote, and the scholars who had always lived there were naturally not as well-informed as the Imperial Scholars like them. It was very normal not to know about the sudden death of Cui Yan...

With that in mind, Chen Qing looked at Zhou Haitao: "Haitao, Cui Yan was so handsome. Why did he never discuss marriage?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Zhou Haitao curled his lip. "With his talent and good looks, he has to look for a good family to marry into in the Capital City. If I were him, I wouldn't settle down either!"

Hearing this, Chen Qing stared intently at the other, but the expression on Zhou's round face was completely natural, not at all like he was acting!

"Pangzi, do you remember the narcissus poetry gathering from three years ago?"

"I told you, don't call me 'Pangzi,' and you're not allowed to when I become an official!" Zhou Haitao glared at Chen Qing, then furrowed his brows and rubbed his chubby chin: "What narcissus poetry gathering?"

At this, Chen Qing felt a chill in his heart, devoid of any further wishful thinking.

Three years ago, when he had just been selected and went to study in Lyuzhou, a spring snow, a once-in-a-decade occurrence, graced the city. North of the city, daffodils bloomed all over in the Qing Garden. The rare and splendid scene led the Magistrate and various scholars to hold a grand poetry gathering.

At that event, Cui Yan, only sixteen at the time, awed everyone with a verse about the spring snow. His fame for his talent spread widely, and he caught the eye of several daughters from different families, reaching the peak of popularity.

It was also then that the daughter of Master Huang took a fancy to Cui Yan, prompting Master Huang himself to personally ask for Cui Yan's hand in marriage.

This matter had once made Chen Qing complain for a long time, because in many historical novels, it was the transmigrated protagonist who dazzled with poetry at such a gathering and won the hearts of young maidens—it was Cui Yan who had taken the script meant for him, Chen Qing!

Unfortunately, he was a man of science in his previous life, focused on coding for years after graduation, and had long forgotten most of Tang and Song poetry. He couldn't become a literary plagiarist. Although he switched to studying the humanities after transmigrating, to callously push through the Imperial Examinations had taken a Herculean effort—where would he find the time to delve into poetry? He couldn't pull off such a feat...

Little did he expect that Cui Yan, who had acquired the protagonist's script, would end up like this. Even less did he expect that all traces of the past had been erased!

Chen Qing, looking at Zhou Pangzi's guileless demeanor, no longer hesitated and quickly went back to his room to pack his belongings.

"Hey, Scholar Chen, what are you doing?" Zhou Haitao and others followed him, and they were confused to see Chen Qing packing up: "Are you leaving already? We were planning to throw you a congratulatory feast!"

"No need for that..." Chen Qing said without turning back, waving his hands: "This time the Ministry of Personnel is pressing us and only gave us twenty days. I still have to go back to Lyuzhou to fetch my mother and brother, so I really can't delay..."

He wasn't lying about that; the timeline given by the Ministry of Personnel was indeed tight, and he was truthful about needing to bring his mother back. However, quickly leaving the temple, not even for the time it would take to have a meal—now that wasn't necessary.

He just wanted to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible and even a bit faster to bring his family away from Lyuzhou, completely leaving behind the place that had once been marked by Cui Yan's presence!

He had made up his mind: the climate in Youzhou was not as favorable as Lyuzhou's picturesque mountains and clear waters, but what's the point of good scenery if life was tough? At least in Qi County of Youzhou, he would be a County Magistrate, the local father figure. If the environment was harsh, it would be the people below who suffered, not him, as the magistrate reaped the fat of the land. How bad could his life be?

Moreover, his family had sold off all their ancestral properties, so there was nothing left to miss. Bringing his family to his post, his mother could enjoy some peace, no longer needing to push tofu at her age, and his brother and sister-in-law could start their own small business. He himself could arrange a good marriage for his younger sister, and even plan for his nephew's education. Wouldn't that be much better than staying in this eerie Lyuzhou?

After packing his belongings, he bid farewell to Zhou Pangzi and the others and hurriedly prepared to set off.

But he hadn't gone far from the Confucian Temple when a carriage stopped him, and the person who descended caused a jolt in his heart. It was none other than Wang Ye, the Judicial Court's junior minister who had questioned him the day before!

"Oh, what a coincidence, Scholar Chen... oh no, now I should call you County Magistrate Chen."

Your big head, a coincidence...

Chen Qing rolled his eyes and bowed in salute, "Where is the Lord headed to?"

"To Lyuzhou..." The other person replied with a smug grin, "To see if the testimonies you gave are accurate."

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"Young man... the subordinate has already said it was a drunken slip of the tongue, why must you persist in this manner?" Chen Qing was getting anxious. What was happening? He couldn't afford to offend, and now he couldn't even hide?

"Whether it was a slip or not, won't we know once we get there?" Wang Ye smiled. "I also hail from Lyuzhou. It's a good reason to visit my relatives there."

"Lord Wang is from Lyuzhou?" Chen Qing frowned.

"Yes…" His counterpart's smile faded, and he said seriously, "That's why I absolutely cannot tolerate any strange incidents that may disrupt my hometown."

Chen Qing felt a chill and forced a smile, "A strange incident? What do you mean by that, my lord?"

"Doesn't Lord Chen know?" Wang Ye watched him intently, "I thought you'd be aware."

After a few moments of silence, Chen Qing gathered his courage and asked, "What are you referring to, my lord?"

Wang Ye looked at him and smiled again, "Get in the carriage, we'll talk on the way…"

Chen Qing hesitated as he looked inside the carriage.

"You're not scared of me, are you?" Wang Ye joked. "I am a Fourth Rank official, and on my way to Lyuzhou, I am accompanied by the Royal Guards dispatched by His Majesty. Consider whether it's safer for a delicate scholar like you to travel alone or with me."

Upon hearing this, Chen Qing hesitated no further. The other party was right—if there really was something strange, it would indeed be more dangerous to go alone!

After boarding the carriage, Wang Ye pulled the curtains closed. The guards around them, except for the one driving the carriage, all understood to keep a distance from the vehicle.

Chen Qing tensed up and moved slightly away from the other person…

"Lord Chen, having travelled to the Capital City with Cui Yan, you must have been close with him and certainly want to know how he died, right?"

Chen Qing scowled and looked down. He didn't want to know; the dead are gone and friends can be replaced. It's true that he was close with Cui Yan, but friends can always be found anew.

But it seemed he couldn't escape this topic…

He sighed and had no choice but to play along with the other party's words, "Wasn't it said that he died suddenly?"

"He was young and trained in martial arts, how could he die so easily?" Wang Ye said somberly, "His death was gruesome; his stomach was cut open, his heart and kidneys were gone!"

"How could this be?" Chen Qing said in shock, "How could someone be so brutal to a newly appointed Imperial Scholar in the Capital City?"

Wang Ye stared at Chen Qing for a while before changing his tone, "Has Lord Chen ever read the 'Record of Unusual Tales' from the previous dynasty?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Qing quickly bowed, "You jest, my lord. Books from the previous dynasty are banned, and as someone who has studied the law, I dare not break it!"

"You're right, of course…" Wang Ye nodded, "Well then, I'll make an exception and share something with Lord Chen…"

"May I choose not to listen?"

Wang Ye ignored Chen Qing's weak protest and continued on his own, "During the previous dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong was incredibly fond of Imperial Concubine Lyu. This concubine came from a scholarly family, well-known for her talent. She entered The Harem, and within just three years, she was adored so much that Emperor Xuanzong conferred upon her the title of Imperial Concubine and even considered deposing the current Empress to make room for her..."

"And then what happened?" Chen Qing looked curious, but in actuality, he was truly taken aback. This story... seemed all too familiar!

"And then she died…" Wang Ye said somberly, "She was poisoned, clearly unable to guard against the schemes of The Harem. But then strange things started happening."

"What strange things?" Chen Qing played along and asked.

"After Imperial Concubine Lyu died, a series of peculiar incidents occurred," Wang Ye continued with a smile. "Firstly, her father, the Chief of Staff from the Ministry of Rites, suddenly remembered that he didn't have such a daughter at all."

"Many in the Capital City also recalled that the poetry assemblies where Imperial Concubine Lyu had shone were a sham. Her poems and her verses, they were all written by others!"

"Didn't anyone know that before?" Chen Qing asked, trying to keep his composure.

"In theory, they should have known..." Wang Ye responded. "After all, those poems were the celebrated works that made many scholars in the Capital City famous. But strangely, as soon as Imperial Concubine Lyu became famous, everyone seemed to forget the original authors of those poems, until she was poisoned, and only then did people start to remember. Don't you find that odd?"

"It is... quite odd..." Chen Qing managed to say with a forced smile, swallowing hard.

"Right?" Wang Ye looked at Chen Qing with a teasing glint, "But it seems that Lord Chen is not as surprised; have you seen it before? Or perhaps... you know what it is?"

"You're joking, my lord; how could I know?" Chen Qing said with a bitter laugh, shaking his head, "It's just that you've told it so imaginatively, my subconscious mind took it as a story. I don't believe 'Confucius doesn't talk about supernatural beings and chaos'."

"Is that so?" Wang Ye looked at him for a long time before he finally withdrew his gaze, closed his eyes, and said, "'Confucius doesn't talk about supernatural...' Hah... even the sage has his moments of falsehood..."

Chen Qing looked down, pretending not to hear the disrespectful remark. The other party did not continue his inquiry, and the two of them fell into silence.

In this silence, Chen Qing closed his eyes and remembered a very distant memory that he had almost forgotten.

Though he had lived in two worlds, the events of his previous life happened more than twenty years ago, making the details somewhat hazy now, but he still remembered the overall picture.

Emperor Xuanzong, Imperial Concubine Lyu, the Thousand-Faced Fox!

The moment the other party mentioned it, he knew what this was all about. This was no innocent ancient world; it was a world of ghosts and gods that he had designed himself!!