As for whether he would doubt himself for pretending to be stupid because of this incident, that was even more impossible.
Fu Zhiyu knew his previous character very well. When encountering this matter, he might help out of pity, but he thought too much before and was afraid of causing trouble to Liuli Palace, so he would never show up himself. Basically, he helped secretly. Things like directly punishing people would never happen in the past.
However, it is more comfortable to come forward directly than to do things in secret, and living completely according to your own wishes is indeed much better than being bound by your hands and feet.
"Sometimes, ordinary people live happier lives than smart people," Fu Zhiyu and Yuan Mingdao said with emotion, "The more you think, the less happy you are."
After hearing this, Yuan Mingdao felt relieved. As for the Thirteenth Prince, he didn't care much about him.
I can't keep watching him all the time. We are not familiar with each other to begin with. It's already great that she came to help as he asked. There are too many poor people and unfair things in the palace. It's not something Fu Zhiyu can handle alone. I have done my best to protect his safety for a while.
"It depends on his own fate," Fu Zhiyu sighed, "Everyone has his own way of living."
What happened later was almost the same as what Fu Zhiyu had imagined before.
Nanny Gui returned to the palace with her hands covering her face in anger. When Fu Rongli saw her like this and heard the whole story, his face instantly darkened.
He is almost fully recovered now, and Fu Rongli had sent him to help with the imperial examination before. So it doesn't matter whether he drinks the medicine or not.
"I said Fu Zhiyu is not stupid!" He seemed to have caught something and said angrily, "You still speak in such a sinister way, you always make people angry! Let's go, let's go find mother and brother!"
However, Fu Rongye is busy now and is not in the palace. When Concubine Xue heard about this, although she was angry, she did not agree with Fu Rongli's views on some aspects.
"Li'er, this anger must be taken back. Nanny Gui will not suffer this in vain. No matter whether it is the Liuli Palace or that Hua Ruixuan, mother wants them to know which direction the wind is blowing in this palace now." Concubine Xue reached out and touched the pearls and jade on her head, glanced at him, and changed the subject, "However, we still can't easily conclude that Fu Zhiyu is not stupid. He was never so arrogant before, and he always did bad things in secret, just like her mother, with a white lotus appearance, but actually a black heart. Now he dares to be so straightforward, which just shows that his brain is broken and he is no longer able to work."
"Mother!" Fu Rongli jumped anxiously, "Why don't you believe me?"
Concubine Xue has been seriously brainwashed by Fu Rongye's ideas. As far as the imperial examination is concerned, all the current glory of Linyue Tower comes from it. If Fu Zhiyu was not really stupid, how could he give up such a good job
"It's not that mother doesn't believe you," Concubine Xue said patiently, "You should also learn more from your brother. Sometimes you should not act on impulse, but should present facts and reason, right?"
Fu Rongli was so angry that she said angrily, "I won't tell you. I'll tell my brother! He will definitely believe me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Rongye walked in. However, his face looked unhappy for the first time in a long time. He was gloomy and asked in a low voice as soon as he came in: "What are you arguing about?"
Concubine Xue was very happy when she saw her eldest son. She waved her hand and said, "Come on, come on, sit down. Mother just asked the kitchen to make your favorite..."
"What else is there to eat?! I'm not in the mood for that right now," Fu Rongye's expression became even uglier, "Something big has happened!"
Concubine Xue was startled, and quickly dismissed the attendants, asking, "What's wrong?"
Fu Rongye sat down on the side and said in a deep voice, "It's about the imperial examination."
"Isn't it over? The Emperor is obviously very satisfied..."
"The Censorate found out about cheating and said the test questions were leaked. Father already knows about this and has ordered someone to investigate." Fu Rongye's face became worse and worse as he spoke, and his face was about to drip with black water. "If it's true, it will be a big trouble for us. I suspect there is something fishy going on."
"It must be Fu Zhiyu!" Fu Rongli seemed to have guessed something, "It's him! I said he's not stupid!"
"What do you know?" Fu Rongye glared at him as if he were an idiot. "What does this have to do with him? I'm talking about Fu Lingxiao!"
Fu Rongli was scolded by her brother and didn't dare to speak. She lowered her head and said hesitantly after a long time: "Then... what about Aunt Gui?"
"Why are you still caring about Aunt Gui at this time?" Fu Rongye warned him, "If there is really a problem with the imperial examination, we and the entire Xue family can't escape, and you can't be spared either. Put all your attention on this, be quiet recently, and don't cause trouble for me outside!"
Fu Rongli hummed and moaned for a long time, but he knew the seriousness of the matter, so he listened attentively and stopped talking.
When Linyue Tower was in chaos, Fu Zhiyu had already boarded the carriage bound for the Yuan family, and slowly crossed the street in front of the palace and walked into the market.
At this hour, it was already bustling outside. He smelled the aroma of steamed buns and the mixed aroma of oil and wheat pouring over the noodles. He had already had breakfast and was a little hungry.
Fu Zhiyu really couldn't help it, so he asked someone to buy a bowl of plain noodles and shared it with Yuan Mingdao.
He did not go directly to the Yuan family, but took a detour and wanted to go to the pastry shop in the east of the city to buy some pastries that his family liked. However, if he took this route, he would pass by the home of Xu Daxueshi.
When the carriage passed by, he couldn't help but lift the curtain and take a look.
Scholar Xu was his respected teacher. Although he had a bad temper, he was very knowledgeable and taught him calligraphy and painting. Fu Zhiyu got a lot of knowledge from him, but now he could only disappoint him.
After Fu Zhiyu returned to the palace, she heard that he was ill. She sent him several invitations, but they were all rejected by him. The Xu Mansion closed its doors to visitors for a long time, saying that Xu Daxueshi was seriously ill and even declined the job of being in charge of the imperial examinations.
It was also a few days ago that the imperial physician Chen sent by Fu Zhiyu came in and came back to report that there was nothing wrong, but that Academician Xu was almost eighty years old this year. As he got older, his health was naturally poor, and he just needed to rest more.
Fu Zhiyu didn't know if this could be considered a blessing in disguise. In his previous life, although he found out the truth and proved his innocence due to the imperial examination cheating case, it took him a long time.
Academician Xu was a very proud person. He was so angry after being pointed at and criticized behind his back for so long that he suddenly became ill and passed away soon after.
Although he was ill now, it was much better than the acute illness he had in his previous life. At least he still had a chance to recuperate, and Fu Zhiyu felt somewhat comforted.
The old man likes to smoke tobacco and coughs easily. This time, Fu Zhiyu did not use his own blood to make pine nut candy. Instead, he made a jar of autumn pear paste for him. I wonder if he drank it every day as ordered by Doctor Xu.
Except for a few doctors, the Xu Mansion still does not accept outsiders. However, when Fu Zhiyu was about to close the curtain of the car, he saw a person walking out of the small side door next to the main entrance of the Xu Mansion.
It was the new champion Shen Yang. Fu Zhiyu heard that he was appointed as the editor of the Hanlin Academy, a sixth-rank position, which was not a good position. But for a poor student with no one behind him, this starting point was not bad.
Scholar Xu really liked him and was very good to Shen Yang, sometimes even giving money to this student. Now that Shen Yang has won the top spot in the imperial examination, it is reasonable for him to come back to thank his teacher.
Shen Yang didn't notice Fu Zhiyu's carriage. He had an obvious smile on his face, as if some plan had succeeded.
Fu Zhiyu felt a little uncomfortable when he saw this smile. He always felt that Shen Yang was a little weird, but when he thought about it carefully, he felt that he was being too suspicious.
Although it was somewhat different from his previous life, it was roughly in line with Shen Yang's characteristics. If he were reborn, there would be no need for him to talk to him. He should have skipped the middleman and gone to find Xie Ke.
"What's wrong?"
Yuan Mingdao finished eating his noodles and looked at Fu Zhiyu, who was looking outside with a serious expression. He asked, "What are you looking at, Master?"
"Nothing," Fu Zhiyu casually put up the curtain and turned back to sit in the middle of the carriage, "We're almost at the snack shop, let's get ready to go down."
Half an hour later, when Fu Zhiyu walked through the gate of Yuan Mansion with a box of snacks in one hand and a Yuanming knife in his hand, he heard a burst of laughter.
"Is what Sister Xi said true? Is it really that fun over there? Then I'll ask Daddy to take me there next time!"
This is Yuan Lu's voice. He is my uncle's son. He is eleven years old this year. He is chubby and has a cute face with baby fat. He had a very good relationship with Yuan Mingdao in his previous life. When he died, Mingdao was very sad. Since then, his personality has changed a lot.
"Of course!" A female voice answered him, sounding cheerful and lively. "I also brought you a whip as a gift. Tomorrow I will take you to ride a pony outside the city. It will be very interesting!"
The voice came from my eldest uncle's daughter Yuan Xi, who was two years older than me, eighteen years old. She had practiced martial arts since she was young and was very heroic.
Fu Zhiyu walked forward and saw a circle of people sitting in the small courtyard. Two children were sitting under a tree, and the adults were chatting in a pavilion farther away, looking over there from time to time. When Fu Zhiyu walked out of the door, Yuan Lu was the first to see him.
The scene was not like what Fu Zhiyu had imagined. Yuan Lu and he had not seen each other for three years. After he came back, he heard that he had been named King Zhao. He was different from before. When he saw Fu Zhiyu, he was actually a little scared and took a few steps back.
"Prince Zhao... Your Majesty," he said with a bit of fear on his face. He swallowed and spoke haltingly, almost kneeling down to him, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Fu Zhiyu: “…”
It was the first time he saw the little fat boy so nervous. He didn't dare to take the pastry even when it was handed to him. He was timid like a timid fat rabbit.
He had no choice but to walk up and pick up the little fat boy.
"Why call me Prince? I'm your elder brother, and there are no outsiders here." Fu Zhiyu patted the fat boy's butt and said, "Don't you remember me?"
Yuan Lu relaxed a little and said, "No..."
However, he looked over Fu Zhiyu's shoulder and soon saw the Yuanming Sword behind him, and then his eyes lit up.
"Ah, pretty sister!"
Yuan Mingdao's warm smile froze in an instant.
He was well-fed in the palace, and his hair was white to begin with, and he had long hair that was never cut. Fu Zhiyu braided his hair into a braid, which hung softly on the side of his face. He was ten years old now, and his facial features were very soft, making it hard to tell whether he was a man or a woman.
Fu Zhiyu almost laughed out loud. Yuan Lu no longer cared about him at this time. She twisted herself off him, then carefully moved to Yuan Mingdao's side and asked hesitantly, "Sister, what's your name?"
Yuan Mingdao glanced at him and replied stiffly: "I am a man."