Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
âWang Yizhi truly displayed a heartless disposition. He knew he would not survive, yet he was willing to drag his wife down with him,â remarked one individual.
âHe was quite pitiable in a way. He could forsake his own life for the sake of fame and fortune,â another opined.
âIf his wife hadnât pressured him so relentlessly, perhaps he wouldnât have come to this end,â added one of Wang Yizhiâs former innmates.
âHeartbreaking. Itâs a tale of one willing to strive and the other ready to suffer, neither of them truly virtuous, â the innmate briefly explained, touching upon Wang Yizhiâs abandonment of his ex-wife.
The family members present couldnât help but criticize Wang Yizhi, expressing a consensus that he and his wife had brought their misfortunes upon themselves.
âWang Yizhi certainly has no luck. He left his ex-wife, who was from the prestigious Hou family, nearly driven to her death and abandoned by him. This retribution is well-deserved,â one person asserted.
âIndeed, not even the heavens would pardon an ungrateful soul like him,â another concurred.
The person sharing this information continued, âMy son and Wang Yizhi were classmates, and they used to have a decent relationship. However, ever since he met his corpulent wife, he changed. He became vain and aspired to live a wealthy personâs life. He would stop at nothing to achieve his ambitions, even daring to harm his own wife.â
âIn my view, his fat wife has been the bane of his existence,â they sighed.
The family members empathized, remarking, âThe sudden deaths of both masters must have thrown their servants and maids into utter turmoil.â
âThatâs right. One servant returned to report, while the other reported to the authorities. After an investigation, the officials confirmed that it was Wang Yizhi who poisoned his wife and subsequently succumbed to exhaustion.â âTheir deaths bear no connection to anyone else.â
âThe inn is truly cursed, now serving as their makeshift morgue. Two deaths in quick succession â no one would dare to stay there anymore,â one person lamented.
âFortunately, most of the innâs occupants were candidates whoâve already completed their exams. Otherwise, it would have been quite troublesome to find new lodgings at the last minute,â another person added.
The person who sent the message inquired, âAre any of you hailing from
Meijiang Prefecture City?â
Several people promptly raised their hands. âIâm from Meijiang Prefecture
City.â
âCount me in.â
âMe too. Do you need assistance?â
The person nodded. âWeâre all from Meijiang Prefecture City. Letâs help each other out.â
Qin Zhenzhen and Su Ning werenât ones to meddle in other peopleâs affairs. They typically dressed modestly and only engaged if recognized. In this case, they had no intention of arranging Wang Yizhiâs funeral.
Their lack of involvement didnât stem from heartlessness, but rather the fact that Wang Yizhi had severed ties with their family. Both he and his corpulent wife had brought about their own demise.
The awaited moment had arrived. The door to the Gong Courtyard swung open.
Everything was now in the hands of fate.
In ten days, they would discover if Su Bin had successfully secured the title of High Scholar.
Examinees who had endured nine days and six nights of exams gradually filed out of the courtyard. They all appeared utterly drained, yearning for a long slumber lasting three days and nights.
Su Bin emerged promptly and spotted Qin Zhenzhen and Su Ning among the crowd.
Although these individuals didnât recognize Qin Zhenzhen, they recognized Sun/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Bin.
The Meijiang Prefecture City examinees halted Su Binâs progress, their expressions bearing a mix of concern and expectation. âSu Bin, Wang Yizhi used to be your brother-in-law. Now that heâs passed away, donât you think you should take the initiative to arrange his funeral?â
Su Bin responded with an air of composure, âAs youâve already mentioned, that was in the past. While itâs true he was my brother-in-law at one point, now heâs even more estranged to me than a complete stranger..â