It's all ruined, who cares about the chastity arch

Su Wanyu looked Yun Yi up and down, then lowered her head to examine the pattern in her hand again: "What Yun Yi said makes sense, why don't I try to make one myself and see."

Underwear such as bellybands are usually sewn by personal maids for their mistresses. For poor families, it seems inappropriate to make them by themselves and sell them as commodities.

It was quite interesting to make such a piece of clothing for Yunyi by hand.

Continuing to flip through the manual, I found that the content was rich and colorful, covering all kinds of clothing and utensils. Unfortunately, many of the drawings were crudely drawn, and many details needed to be completed by the viewer on his own.

It is truly rare that Gu Linjun was able to create such ingenious devices as elevators and telescopes based on only these simple drawings.

She immediately gave orders, requesting that the manual be kept properly, and the key be given to Siqi and Yunyi for safekeeping to ensure that it would not fall into the hands of others.

It is early summer now, the sun is shining, the days are getting longer, and everything is growing and full of vitality.

The night was as dark as ink, and the stars were sparse. Xu walked quietly into the deep courtyard of the princess's mansion under the veil of moonlight, her steps were hurried and cautious.

She walked through the long corridor with carved beams and painted buildings and came to the princess's study, where Su Wanyu was reading a file at her desk. The flickering candlelight illuminated her delicate yet slightly worried face.

"Your Highness," Xu said softly, interrupting the silence in the room, "Last night, Pei Chi'an came to the store and seemed to be asking about a girl holding a cat."

As the voice fell, the air in the study seemed to freeze for a moment.

Su Wanyu raised her eyebrows slightly, with a hint of surprise in her eyes, "He said he wanted to find a girl holding a cat?"

There was disbelief in her tone, as if the news was like a sudden autumn wind that disturbed the calm surface of the lake.

Xu nodded slightly and said affirmatively, "Your Highness, don't you remember? The person holding the cat was indeed you."

She reminded, a hint of doubt in her eyes.

However, Su Wanyu shook her head and clarified: "I was not present at the orchid lantern festival that day. The one holding the cat should be Sister Yunyi."

After she finished speaking, a complex light and shadow flashed in her eyes, as if she was reminiscing, or thinking deeply.

Come to think of it, Yun Yi did mention the encounter with Pei Chi'an at that lantern festival.

Su Wanyu couldn't help but feel a subtle emotion welling up in her heart, as if the flowers she had carefully nurtured were being stared at by a wild dog that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The feeling was both angry and helpless.

"Did he tell me why he was looking for that girl?"

She pressed, a hint of concern in her tone.

Hearing this, Xu shook her head slightly, with a trace of confusion between her brows, "Your Highness, he looked uneasy at the time, as if he had something on his mind. He hastily bought a jade bracelet and left."

She paused, as if she had thought of something, "Also, his behavior was a little mysterious, as if he was afraid of being seen."

After hearing this, Su Wanyu's originally dissatisfied look gradually changed, as if a lamp of wisdom was lit in the darkness.

She pondered for a moment, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. "Okay, if anyone asks about this again, you should pretend to know nothing, especially people in the palace."

Her orders were clear and firm.

Xu accepted the order and withdrew respectfully.

Seeing this, Su Wanyu immediately arranged for the guards to secretly protect Xu and leave safely. Then, she turned to Siqi, her eyes flashing with deep strategy, "Siqi, send Xiaosi and Yuxuan to Pei Mansion to secretly investigate and see which women have been around Pei Chian in recent years."

Siqi took the order and said nothing more. She just bowed deeply to show her determination and loyalty.

Then, Su Wanyu added, "Give the painting "A Thousand Mountains" in the mansion to Pingxuan Hou. Lord Su has been upright all his life, but he has an almost crazy love for calligraphy and painting, especially landscapes. This century-old masterpiece is not only priceless, but also a great opportunity. Using it as a gift may leave a deep impression on the Marquis."

Her tone revealed a determination that could not be ignored. After all, since she had agreed to help Tan Xinyue, she would do her best.

Now that she has been officially conferred the title and has the power to recruit soldiers, if she can win the support of the Marquis's Mansion, her power will undoubtedly become even stronger.

"As ordered, Your Highness."

Siqi took the order and left quickly.

At this time, Xiang'er was holding a cup of hot tea, quietly waiting outside the door. After Siqi left, she walked into the room quietly, "Your Highness, the two young ladies of the Zheng family are outside and request to see you."

"Are they the Seventh and Eighth Misses of the Zheng family?"

Su Wanyu asked softly, her tone calm.

Xiang'er nodded and confirmed the identity of the visitor, "Yes, Your Highness, they said they hope you can help their third brother."

"Zheng Chengyuan?"

Su Wanyu had a cold smile on her lips. "Tell them that this princess doesn't have any extra money. If they want to work and make a living, you might as well recommend them to try Zi Yan Pavilion."

Her answer was cold and direct.

Xiang'er responded and went to carry out the princess's order.

The Zheng sisters did not have much hope of getting real help from Su Wanyu. After all, they knew very well how the Zheng family had treated this woman, now a princess, in the past.

At this moment, their arrival was more out of helplessness about Zheng Chengyuan's illness.

Unfortunately, Zheng Chengyuan's legs were broken and his high fever persisted. Due to his family's poverty, they were unable to pay for medical expenses and his life seemed to be fading away bit by bit.

When the seventh and eighth sons of the Zheng family returned home, they informed Zheng Chengyuan of Su Wanyu's cold response. His heart felt like it had sunk into an icy cave. Seeing his second brother who was also in a state of desolation, the anger in his heart burned like a raging fire. "It's all because of you. If you hadn't been so mean and ruthless to my second sister-in-law, how could I have fallen to this point!"

Zheng Chengyan ignored his brother's accusation. After a long silence, he slowly stood up and said in a heavy tone, "Third brother, you must understand that you will suffer the consequences if you do evil. You are responsible for it yourself and cannot blame others."

After he finished speaking, he stepped out of the door.

"Where are you going, brother?"

The eighth son of the Zheng family hurriedly stopped him, his tone full of anxiety.

"Look at the list."

Zheng Chengyan's answer was concise and heavy, his voice full of fatigue and helplessness.

The results of the imperial examination have been announced, the joint examination has ended for many days, and now even the rankings of the palace examination have been posted.

A few months ago, he was full of longing and dreamed of winning the first prize and becoming the top scholar in the eyes of everyone. But now, he feels that his life is worse than that of a eunuch in the palace.

The place where the results were announced was crowded and noisy. Soon, the shouts of a book boy pierced through the crowd and echoed through the sky.

"The top scholar is the son of the Luo family! The second place goes to the son of the Xu family! And the third place goes to the son of the Qi family!"

The news spread quickly like a gust of wind.

"How is it possible? The top scholar is actually the son of the Luo family?"

Some people exclaimed, unable to believe it.

"That's right. Master Qi won first place in the imperial examination. Who would have thought that he would only get third place in the palace examination?"

"Whether it's the third or the first place, it's better than those young men who are boasted to the sky but can't even get into the imperial examination."