Splendid Twins

Si Yao was unhappy but didn't show it on her face. She just pretended nothing happened and walked back home slowly. Just then, Si Qing also came back after searching for a while, and the brother and sister met at the door of their house.

"Where did you go?"

"What have you been doing?"

They both asked at the same time. Si Yao raised her eyes to signal him to speak first. Si Qing coughed lightly:

"Yaoyao, I have something to ask you."

"Okay, that's great. I have something to say to you too."

"Then let's talk in the study."

In the courtyard, Liu Niang was helping Si Qing prepare his luggage for the exam. When she saw the brother and sister come in, she immediately spoke:

"Let's see what's still missing. It's better to have more than to run out of stock."

Si Qing glanced at Si Yao and said softly:

"You are not allowed to bring extra things into the examination room. The weather is hot now, so just a long gown is enough. If you want to eat, try to make pancakes."

"Okay, then I'll pick one more."

As Liu Niang spoke, she took out the eggs from the package. If her son hadn't reminded her, the boiled eggs would have gone bad if left for too long, which would have definitely affected her son's future!

"Mom, please stop pretending. My brother will be searched when he arrives at the Imperial Examination Hall."

Si Yao frowned slightly. Her mother was a talented person. She even packed some buns and boiled sweet potatoes. Such food should be carefully checked. They were afraid that there might be smuggled goods inside. If the yamen runners crushed them on the spot for inspection, who would be able to eat it then...

Liu Niang sighed as she looked at the packages she had picked out. These things really couldn't be kept. Not only was it a waste of time, but it also wasted food.

Si Yao ignored Liu Niang and turned to walk towards the study. Seeing this, Si Qing followed her.

"What do you want to ask?"

In the study, Si Yao sat at the desk and spoke softly, with a hint of surprise in her eyes. She thought Si Qing could hold it in for a while longer.

"Yaoyao, I want to know your attitude towards the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. I'm afraid I'll meet you when I go to the capital..."

Si Qing had a conflicted look on his face. He had met the eldest son of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, who was also Yaoyao's elder brother. He was much more capable than his brother who came from a humble background.

"I thought you wouldn't ask. Since I came back, you haven't asked about Shangjing's affairs, including my brother, the prince. You have met him."

"That's what I want to say. Don't worry. Just do what you need to do. We won't cause trouble, but we won't be afraid of it either!"

Si Yao's last sentence was sonorous and powerful, with a chill in his brows.

Such an attitude made Si Qing look startled. At the same time, he began to be wary of the Zhenguo Mansion. He was afraid that Yaoyao had something unpleasant with him behind his back without his knowledge...

"Brother, I know. I thought there was someone you missed. I can visit him/her on your behalf, or you can bring some things. After all, he/she raised you..."

Si Qing expressed his concerns. Zhou Wan grew up in this family. She stole the money and left, and never came back. It might be okay for others, but her parents treated her as their own daughter. However, her attitude of not recognizing any relatives was really hurtful.

"I had a falling out with the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. They wanted me to go back and change my identity to send me to the harem. From now on, I will become a pawn of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion in the palace..."

Si Yao's tone was light, but her words shocked Si Qing's eyes. He frowned and spoke immediately:

"How can we do things without considering your wishes, Yaoyao, what do you think?"

"Of course I don't want to, so I refused. But you have to be careful. I'm afraid the Duke of Zhenguo will take revenge for personal gain because I've given him face."

Si Yao stared at Si Qing intently, as if she wanted to imprint his face deeply in her heart.

Her gaze was as penetrating as a thread, seeing through the texture of his skin, and she saw the black mist hidden between Si Qing's brows, which was a sign of the disaster he was about to face.

If he could not avoid this disaster, he would never have the chance to embark on a career in politics again in this life. However, she also caught a glimpse of an unyielding light in his eyes, which was a ray of hope deep in his heart.

Once Si Qing seizes that glimmer of hope, he will turn the situation around and thus emerge in officialdom. Although there will be twists and turns, risks and opportunities coexist, and he will surely have a smooth career and rise to prominence in the future.

When Si Qing heard this, his expression remained unchanged, but his tone became a little deeper:

"A gentleman has his own ways of doing things and his own ways of not doing things. I know what you wish for. You don't want to be bound by the shackles of the powerful. As your elder brother, I will fully support you.

Although the road to the imperial examination is difficult, I will do my best and leave the rest to fate. If the Duke's Mansion is angry with me for this, I will not be afraid. At worst, I will come back to farm."

Seeing Si Qing being so fearless, Si Yao smiled. Her elder brother was very open-minded...

"Don't be nervous. I will personally escort you to the examination room. Just do your best. The rest... is up to God."

Si Qing: “…”

Si Yao didn’t explain much. If the old fox wasn’t afraid of death, he could do whatever he wanted!

Then they talked about Zhou Wan again, and Si Yao also told her about her provocation against him. In the end, when he heard that Zhou Wan died in the fire, Si Qing's eyes were gloomy. He recalled his childhood with Zhou Wan, and a feeling of powerlessness surged in his heart.

She has been strong-willed since she was young, and she wanted to monopolize everything. She was also jealous. If he and Si Yang had a stutter, he had to share half with her. If she didn't, she would exaggerate and complain to the old woman. He once hated Zhou Wan and blamed her parents for not teaching her good character.

Later, she and Si Yang had a big fight. Si Yang wet the bed and was beaten all over by the old woman. He remembered that Si Yang was crying so hard that she couldn't speak, and she kept pulling his sleeve and shouting in pain. At that time, he cut off this sister from the bottom of his heart.

Unexpectedly, now she has become a cup of yellow earth...

They were leaving tomorrow, and when Liu Niang heard that Si Yao would be going with them, she cooked a table full of delicious food. After eating heartily, Si Yao touched her stomach to digest the food.

At the same time, the Zhenguo Mansion was unusually depressing, simply because the pillar of the mansion, the Zhenguo Duke - was sick!

When he came back, he felt cold all over. Thinking that he was very angry, he asked the court doctor to prescribe a decoction to dispel the cold and relieve blood stasis. After drinking a bowl of it, he found that it had no effect.

His entire body was shaking uncontrollably, his face was pale, and even the color of his lips was much lighter.

The old lady dragged her sick body to the study and looked at the court doctor anxiously:

"What happened?"

The court doctor was speechless. He…he had never seen such symptoms before! !

The pulse is as thin as a thread, and the lips are pale. This is a bad omen...

"Call...Changqing..."

The Duke of Zhenguo's teeth were chattering and he looked extremely weak. He knew that this was Si Yao's revenge!

He has always practiced martial arts so he is naturally in good health. The only variable is her!