Chapter 131: Chapter 74 Various Forces_1

In the residence of the Minister of the Imperial Treasury, Lady Dong was sitting in front of a mirror, applying her makeup.

Today, in the afternoon, the final session of the autumn examinations would be over, and Lady Dong planned to go to the entrance of the Tribute Court to pick up Dong Lin.

She had only one son, Dong Lin, who, due to his poor health, had never participated before, to the extent that he didn’t even know which direction the grand entrance of the Tribute Court faced. This year, as Dong Lin was attending the examination for the first time, regardless of whether he passed or not, Lady Dong wanted to show herself in front of others. Naturally, she needed to dress splendidly to give her son face.

A maidservant was inserting a Pearl and Jade Hairpin into her hair bun but the action was too forceful, tugging at her hair, causing Lady Dong to exclaim in pain, "Aiyo!" The maidservant hurriedly knelt down to apologize.

Lady Dong glared at her, "Clumsy and awkward." She inserted the hairpin herself, and after checking her reflection, she finally felt satisfied and then asked the Servants beside her, "What time is it now? Are the carriages ready? Sheng Quan, Sheng Quan—"

After calling twice, the guard did not enter, but instead, a young servant boy with a panicked expression came in, knelt down as soon as he entered, "Madam, Madam, something terrible has happened!"

Lady Dong glanced at him, asking impatiently, "What’s the matter now?"

"Something has happened in the Tribute Court—"

"What?"

The young servant buried his head, his body shaking like a sieve, afraid to look at Lady Dong’s face.

"They say... they say a scholar has died in the cell."

A scholar has died in the cell.

Lady Dong originally listened nonchalantly, but suddenly, as if finally understanding the implication of the words, her complexion changed drastically.

She stood up abruptly and stared intently at the person on the ground, "Who died?"

"I, I don’t know. People passing by the Tribute Court said that there was a big commotion inside; they only caught a glimpse of someone wearing vermillion clothing. The shouting was very loud, claiming that someone had poisoned the food in the examination baskets."

Upon hearing the words "vermillion clothing," Lady Dong’s body swayed, and she almost fainted.

Vermillion clothing!

The new outfit that Dong Lin wore for the examination was a new robe made of vermillion silk satin specifically tailored for him by the Tailor to bring good fortune for his first attendance.

This person could be her Lin’er!

Lady Dong called out "My son," and staggered a few steps, the maidservants quickly supported her and sat her down on a chair.

"Has this matter been reported to the master?"

"The master is still in the palace; someone has already gone to notify him."

Lady Dong gritted her teeth, "Waiting for him to return... What time is it now!" She stood up fiercely, "Quick, get the carriage ready, I’m going to the Tribute Court now!"

Not having time to wait for further news, Lady Dong immediately ordered the carriage be made ready to head to the Tribute Court. On the way there, the guard Sheng Quan rode ahead, trying to comfort Lady Dong, "Madam, do not worry, the news from the Tribute Court is unclear; the young master is blessed by heaven, surely nothing will have happened."

Lady Dong’s eyes were red as she tightly clutched the handkerchief in her hand, "What do you know! For no reason at all, why would someone come to our doorstep to spread news about Lin’er? There must be some leak." She then whispered, sobbing, "I had said we should go to fetch him earlier today, but he refused, insisting on waiting until the final session ended to allow us to go to the Tribute Court. My son—"

By the end of her words, her voice became sharp, "If something has indeed happened to my son, none of those people in the Tribute Court today shall get away with it!"

Dong Lin was the apple of Lady Dong’s eye; when it came to matters involving her son, she would lose all her usual restraint and become hysterical, so Sheng Quan dare not say more.

When the carriage arrived at the entrance of the Tribute Court, from a distance, they saw quite a number of people surrounding the court’s entrance. Several invigilators and coordinators were shooing the Commoners who were spectating at the entrance away, scolding them, "Go on, get! What are you standing at the entrance for? The examination isn’t over yet; stay away from the gate—"

Upon seeing this, Lady Dong immediately got off the carriage, lifting her skirt decisively, and strode towards the entrance. She grabbed one of the invigilators and demanded, "Where is my son?"

The invigilator did not recognize Lady Dong but, seeing her luxuriously dressed, he did not dare to take her lightly, and his tone was not as rough as before, "The examination is not yet finished—"

"Where is my son?" Lady Dong interrupted him, her voice loud and shrill, "Where is my Lin’er?"

Inside, several candidates hurried over to inquire. With her identity as a member of an official’s family and the matter being about her son, Lady Dong naturally was not afraid of them. She demanded to see the body immediately, or else have Dong Lin come out from the cell, insisting on seeing her son safe and whole.

The anxious candidates, their faces covered with sweat, said with a forced smile, "Madam, the doors to the cells are locked. If your son comes out now, his results for this year’s autumn examinations will certainly be voided. As for the body..." he glanced behind him, struggling to say, "With so many people watching outside, it might cause panic both inside and outside the cells."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read