Retired Villainess Transmigrates into a Cannon Fodder

The Strongest Fox-Demon (74)

Li Yufeng then released some gossip, which made the officials think they had discovered them by themselves. Many people knew that Chu Xiang had opened a number of shops and funded scores of scholars and young children. They also found out that Chu Xiang and her sister were divine doctors, one was treating the plague, and the other was providing disaster relief in the south, both of whom were benevolent benefactors.

Before Chu Xiang showed her face, the good name of Prince Xiao Yao’s consort spread far and wide, and her status was  elevated to a height invisibly.

Regardless of how extensive these news have reached, it was even more widely known among the officials, and candidates like Zhuang Yulang knew not a bit of it. At most, he heard that there was a new Prince Xiao Yao in the capital, but did not know who he was. He came out of the examination hall and found no one at home. After asking his neighbors a question, he was alarmed and scared, not knowing what exactly had happened.

Later, Li Yufeng remembered him and sent someone to bring him a letter. He said that Bai Yi met an old acquaintance in the village and knew that a distant elder of her family had passed away, so she went home to mourn and visit her parents’ grave along the way. He told Zhuang Yulang to wait for her to return. He also sent someone to Prince Qi’s residence and told him to release Zhuang Liu.

Zhuang Liu went home in such a daze. As soon as she got home, she grabbed Zhuang Yulang and cried, saying that Li Yufeng, Chu Xiang, and Bai Yi had somehow offended a nobleman. Maybe they have already absconded in fear of punishment. She also said that those people who interrogated her always questioned her about demons. She suspected that Chu Xiang and Bai Yi were both demons.

Zhuang Liu’s babblings were confusing, but Zhuang Yulang became much wiser after taking the Snow Lotus Pill, and he connected the dots almost immediately. Chu Xiang and Bai Yi were more beautiful than the other, and more capable than the other. It was as if any problem was not a problem in front of them. This was not something ordinary ladies were capable of, not to mention that Snow Lotus Pill. Even the imperial doctors’ family heirlooms probably lacked such a treasure. What business was Bai Yi’s family engaged in? Could they produce even a Snow Lotus Pill?

If they were supernatural entities, then everything would make sense. Thinking about it further, the family backgrounds of Chu Xiang and Bai Yi have never been clarified. They were indeed too suspicious.

Zhuang Yulang was somewhat scared, and he didn’t want to believe his own deduction. After all, when Bai You told his fortune, he said that Bai Yi was his destiny and his destined wife, so how could she be a demon? Zhuang Yulang fell into a deep contradiction. He could hardly calm the apprehension deep inside his heart, so for a rare period, he stayed at home and did not go out. It just so happened that he avoided a lot of things and was left safe and sound.

Soon the court examination arrived. The Emperor intended to stop Li Yufeng from taking the exam again because he didn’t have to. However, Li Yufeng insisted on hiding his Prince identity and take the examination together with the other scholars.There were few scholars who knew his true identity, and those who did know tactfully kept their mouths shut. Hence, he took the court exam with Zhuang Yulang.

Seeing him, Zhuang Yulang immediately stepped forward and asked, “Brother Li, where have you been? Where is Sister-in-law?”

Li Yufeng smiled lightly and said, “We met someone we know, and we are temporarily staying at his house, so we won’t be going back. By the way, Bai Yi left in such a rush and only left a note. Don’t worry, she will come back after a few days.”

“I see.” Zhuang Yulang observed Li Yufeng and asked hesitantly, “Brother Li, is Sister-in-law alright? Are you both okay?”

“Of course, we couldn’t be better.”

Zhuang Yulang watched Li Yufeng walk away suspiciously, doubts filling every corner of his heart. However, he had no choice but to take one step at a time. At the end of the court examination, Li Yufeng was handpicked as the champion scholar with an overwhelming victory, while Zhuang Yulang was named Tanhua(the third in an imperial examination) because of his excellent essay and outstanding appearance.

Zhuang Yulang never thought that Li Yufeng was good at studying, and he used to parade his superiority in front of him. He thought he would win the top spot. Against all odds and expectations, he actually lost to Li Yufeng. Tanhua was already a height that the original him couldn’t even imagine, but after taking the Snow Lotus Pill, he was full of confidence in himself, so much that he couldn’t feel a sprinkle of happiness now that he ranked third. Despite this, he reluctantly smiled amidst the congratulations of the other scholars.

As soon as the good news was released, the Jiang family presented a big gift to Zhuang Yulang. Miss Jiang dropped by to visit and happily congratulated him. She was even more happy when she heard that Bai Yi had returned to her hometown. In a moment of inattention, she “twisted” her foot and fell right into Zhuang Yulang’s arms. It was definitely the best choice for her to marry the handsome Tanhua of the current dynasty, not to mention a handsome Tanhua with true skills and genuine knowledge!