The Marquis' Wife
The trap for Lu Xiang

Miao Sheng glanced at Lu Xiang a few times until his brother-in-law noticed his gaze.

"Tell me what you want to say, don't look at me". Lu Xiang closed his reading book and stared pushyly at Miao Sheng.

"That's.. Sister-in-law".

Miao Sheng's face reddened in embarrassment of wanting to say what was in his heart.

"That's... Can I borrow money from you, brother?". Miao Sheng asked in a small voice.

Lu Xiang's eyebrows shot up. "You don't have enough money to take the exam".

Miao Sheng's jaw hardened, he hated his grandmother who embarrassed him in the presence of Lu Xiang, the last person he did not want to see him in such a miserable state because of the ego he had, he said, anyone except Lu Xiang because usually it is the one who sees the humiliating situation of the man is not the other way around.

"Yes brother". Grandma Miao Lan only gave him a small sum of money which was just enough to use in the trip and the cost of the exam registration due to the disappointment that he lost to Lu Xiang, who was not the best, her grandmother even said that she had to ask for money from Adelia as compensation because the woman's husband put her family to shame.

His father and mother had to take their meager savings as all the income had to be handed over to Miao Lan's grandmother. The money was the result of his father working in the city as a labor worker that his father secretly kept.

"How much do you want to borrow?". Lu Xiang spokeless with the actions that Miao Lan's grandmother did. How could the old woman be sure that she would lend money to her granddaughter regardless of their bad relationship? Did he think that way because of Miao Sheng's guarantor? Didn't Miao Lan's grandmother think that she could change the person that would be a guarantee for her? And what are the advantages for Miao Lan's grandmother if her grandson does not pass the exam due to lack of money?. The various questions Lu Xiang was thinking about increasingly made him skeptical.

Miao Sheng clenched his hands, he felt contemptible sitting before Lu Xiang and asked for money like a beggar. "I don't know".

He did not know how much lodging and other necessities he had spent in Fucheng, he no longer wanted to ask Lu Xiang for money.

Lu Xiang took the money bag inside his underwear pocket and gave Miao Sheng 15 silver coins, making Miao Sheng surprised.

"Use the money well". Lu Xiang then closed his eyes without waiting for an answer from his sister-in-law.

Miao Sheng was stunned, though, he thought that Lu Xiang had only given him a few silver coins because of their unkind relationship for the sake of maintaining the image and it was given after insulting him who had no money to follow but still insisted on going to fucheng city.

However he did not expect that Lu Xiang did not say anything that would embarrass him and instead give him enough money.

"Thank you brother-in-law".

Along the way, both Miao Sheng and Lu Xiang did not speak breaking the silence between them but their relationship started to improve a little as Miao Sheng no longer looked at Lu Xiang with envious and jealous gazes.

Zhao Fan's entourage stayed at the small-town inn at night and set off back in the morning until they reached the much larger city of Fucheng without any hindrance.

The inspection in Fucheng was stricter compared to the city of Qincheng, the scholar who drove the carriage had to pay 1 silver coin just to enter the city. This was done to reduce the number of residents so as not to enslave because many people from other villages and cities who want to complain about the fate of the city.

The bodyguards completed their duties and reported to the yamen office in Fucheng before returning back to Cheng city.

Zhao Fan's entourage was lucky to get an empty inn in the inner city of Fucheng because they were longer to arrive because they chose a road trip.

Zhao Fan let his student son check in and rest before tomorrow going to the governor's yamen office to register for the exam. Unlike the Hsien exam, the Fu exam can be applied up to three days before the test starts.

Lu Xiang paid the inn 12 silver coins for 17 days much larger than the inn in the city of Qincheng, he tidied up his belongings and sorted out the files he would carry tomorrow before laying down on the bed.

&&&

Later that night Lu Xiang went down to the first floor for dinner together with Chen Xirang and was stunned by Miao Sheng's greeting.

"Yes" Lu Xiang replied awkwardly, he was unfamiliar with the familiarity Miao Sheng displayed.

Shao Yunan and Zhang Yunlei were also astonished by Chen Xirang, miao Sheng's expression did not show the usual hypocrisy the man showed to show others that he and Lu Xiang had a close relationship.

"What do you want to order, brother? Let me bring it".

"No need I can order by myself, have you had dinner?".

"I just finished together with Yunan and Yunlei". Miao Sheng smiled which made Lu Xiang's lips throb even more skeptical.

"alright". Lu Xiang immediately ordered and had dinner together with Chen Xirang.

His friend looked at Miao Sheng who returned to the room then asked with a gossipy face. "What happened to you two? Why is Miao Sheng greeting you? Not usually".

"I don't know". Lu Xiang himself felt puzzled, was it possible just because he had loaned money? Not likely.

"How do you not know? I see his expression is sincere when greeting you".

"Not ask much. Quickly finish your dinner".

Chen Xirang snorted riled up but continued his meal anyway.

The next day Zhao Fan started discussing the Fu-shih exam last year and giving questions and homework to scholars after his students finished enrolling. The morning they practiced answering essays about Confucius's analect book, the afternoon trying to make a poem based on the keywords Zhao Fan gave and the night solved the arithmetic problem.

Fucheng's prefect Zhong Jiazhen had different thoughts to mayor Li. Zhong Jiazhen thought more practically than theory, many scholars who only struggle with books without knowing the actual condition of the kingdom of the books they read have failed many when taking the fu-shih exam.

Therefore, Zhao Fan gave some questions around ideology and morals as well as some issues that were going on in Murong Kingdom to his students to answer.

A week passed quickly and slowly for the scholar who was taking test after test from Zhao Fan, their brains in the press were so heavy that not a single person came out of the room during the day off before the exam given by Zhao Fan.

"There are a few things you should know, first, as I said in the previous exam, you have to be careful with the other exam candidates and be more vigilant and double check your belongings before you are checked by the exam security officer".

"Second, don't drink much during the exam so you have to go to the toilet and get a black stamp. Third, you should have a little lunch. Remember, success must be done by sacrifice".

"And lastly do not be rash in answering the problem, understand first about the new you answer. Do you guys understand?".

"understand! Master Juren Zhao!"

Zhao Fan nodded in satisfaction, he took off his student to take the exam.

Lu Xiang and his friend were waiting for their turn, although it was still early in the morning but the atmosphere in front of the examination hall was very full of candidates from various cities and villages.

Lu Xiang looked at three more people before his turn, he checked the test cards and the stationery he was carrying and the steamed bread in the bamboo basket but his eyes grew bigger and saw a piece of paper lying next to the ink.

Why is this paper in the bamboo basket?! Lu Xiang even made sure to wear clothes that had no pockets so that no one would put anything in his pocket without him noticing.

Yet still he did not escape the intentions of the evil candidate who did not want him to take the exam!!. His heart beat so fast that his face turned deathly pale.