After the death of the previous emperor, the Empress Dowager became arrogant

She is only a Pingzhou native in name. She takes the imperial examination here in order to use Gong Bin's identity to gain a position in the capital. She will definitely stay in the capital in the future, and the possibility of her coming back is basically zero.

Facing a group of simple ordinary people, she simply couldn't open her mouth to say this.

"Brother Bin has studied hard for two years. He must want to make a name for himself in the capital and benefit the people of Pingjin Prefecture." Shang Zhe smiled at her with his mouth curled up. "Isn't that right?"

I always felt that there was something malicious in that smile.

The ominous premonition in my heart came true.

Just after Meng Qiu and others left, a group of black-robed soldiers rode towards this side on horseback.

Yuan Qing had seen this kind of dress before. It came from the capital.

The leader didn't have time to explain, he dismounted and walked to Yuan Qing and took out the order:

"Your Majesty's oral order: Gong Bin of Pingjin Prefecture is suspected of bribing the examiner. His title of first place winner is now withdrawn. He will be immediately arrested and brought to the capital for investigation!"

Yuan Qing had long anticipated that the journey to Beijing would be difficult this time.

She didn't expect those people to be so impatient. Before she entered the capital, they wanted to cut off her retreat in Pingjin Mansion, making Wen Chengyu's plan fail.

Yuan Qing did not resist and let them tie his hands.

There was a peaceful scene just a moment ago, but suddenly the once glorious scholar became a criminal.

It was really just a temporary glory.

Because there was no direct decree to convict him, he was simply tied up and taken to the capital in a carriage.

Someone followed a few steps behind and called out, "Young Master..."

Now that his title of Jieyuan has been taken away, he naturally can no longer be called master.

Yuan Qing stopped, looked back, smiled widely, and said, "I'm just going to visit the capital. You all wait for me to come back!"

The Shang Mansion was also within the scope of the investigation. Shang Zhe was asked by officers and soldiers to return to the Shang Mansion and be under house arrest pending investigation. Before leaving, he glanced at Yuan Qing who was pretending to be relaxed.

Yuan Qing also noticed his gaze, looked back, and stopped smiling, "Shangzhe, we'll see you in the capital in the future."

Shang Zhe thought that what she said was just a last-ditch struggle, so he didn't take it to heart. He moved his lips and said a few words to her silently.

Yuan Qing understood those words.

Outside the city of Pingjin.

The carriage had just left the city and was speeding along the official road. Yuan Qing's hands were tied tightly behind his back, trapping him in the carriage.

No matter how hard he struggled, his wrists were rubbed raw, but the knot didn't loosen at all.

She suddenly thought of an idea.

I've seen it on the Internet before. You just need to wrap your bound hands around from the back and then move them to the front and slowly untie them.

Fortunately, it was summer, I wasn't wearing much clothes, and I was thin, so it didn't take much effort to put my hands over.

Although the process was not difficult, the knot was too tight and it took a long time to bite it open.

Hearing the noise in the carriage, the officer next to him opened the curtain and shouted, "What are you doing in there?"

Yuan Qing quickly huddled in the corner of the car, hiding all the untied ropes behind him, and grinned, "Nothing, I'm just a little tired of sitting, and I want to change my posture."

These officers and soldiers are all on duty in the capital, and the ones they usually see are handsome young men from wealthy families.

Even the officials in the capital were all fair-skinned men. They had never seen a black man like Yuan Qing before, so they said with disdain, "Okay, we are still a long way from the capital. You have to bear with your hunger and thirst for now."

Seeing his expression of disdain, Yuan Qing's mouth widened, his eyes narrowed to a slit, revealing a mouthful of bright white teeth, "Okay!"

It was the first time I saw a prisoner being escorted to Beijing smiling so happily. He was really a freak.

The officers and soldiers lowered the curtain and muttered to themselves, but they did not dare to speak out in front of Yuan Qing.

Since he hasn't been completely convicted yet, that means there's still a chance he can turn things around. There are too many such things happening in Beijing, so it's better to be careful with your words and actions, otherwise you might lose your life someday.

Hearing the person walking away, Yuan Qing took his hands behind his back and rubbed the wound carefully, but he was thinking secretly in his heart.

In theory, candidates who cheat in exams generally do not need to go to Beijing. They only need to be locked up in the local government jail and wait for the verdict from Beijing to come down. Whether they live or die is just a matter of one word.

But now she was brought to the capital with great fanfare. Either the examiner she bribed was an important official in the capital, so she had to go to the capital to be investigated, or Wen Chengyu did it deliberately and wanted to use her to stir up trouble.

She did not think that officials from the Dali Temple or the Ministry of Justice, the prison departments, could bypass Wen Chengyu's order and directly issue a killing order against her.

Since we have already left Pingjin Prefecture, let’s rule it out first.

Although the capital city is in chaos, it is under the emperor's rule, so it is basically impossible to take action.

The only place to take action is during the escort.

There were a total of twenty officers and soldiers accompanying them, which were enough for the purpose of arresting ordinary criminals.

But what if there is an assassination along the way?

She is Wen Chengyu's person. Although this matter has not been publicized, it has not been deliberately concealed. As long as someone asks around, they will know it. It is not a secret.

Killing him with a single knife on the road would not only eliminate the possibility of any evidence, but would also put an end to Wen Chengyu's idea of placing his own confidants in the court, thus achieving the best of two worlds.

Yuan Qing lamented his miserable life.

Wen Chengyu just told her to be prepared.

He didn't tell her anything about what preparations he was making.

I originally thought that this trip to Beijing would only involve some minor hardships, but who would have thought that it would be another struggle for survival in the wild.

Oh my God, what kind of life is she living!

Other girls who traveled through time were all covered in silk and satin, eating delicacies from land and sea, watching dances and listening to music, surrounded by beautiful women, served by handsome men. Halfway through, a domineering prince came down from the sky and fell in love with her deeply.

What about her?

Running around everywhere, taking the imperial examinations to become an official, and engaging in intrigues with a bunch of men. There is a system, but it is often disconnected and cannot be found.

There are beautiful women, but they are all kept in the palace and I haven't seen them for several years.

The handsome man has one daughter, with whom he has some unclear emotional entanglements, and the remaining one is still a minor.

The domineering prince...it’s better not to mention it.

Yuan Qing held his chin with his hands, staring blankly at the embroidery on the curtains.

Suddenly, there was a "whoosh" sound, and an arrow went straight through the car window and hit the other side of the inner wall.

The surrounding officers and soldiers hurriedly protected the carriage, drew their swords from their waists, and stared at their surroundings.

The soldier knocked on the car body and asked, "Are you okay?"

Yuan Qing had just escaped from an arrow and whispered, "It's okay, what's going on outside?"

"I don't know." The soldier waved his sword. "I don't know how many enemies there are. We brothers can't guarantee to protect you. You should be careful. If the situation doesn't go well, you should..."

Before he could finish, another arrow shot over.

Yuan Qing reached out and grabbed the soldier's clothes on his chest and pulled them back. His head hit the body of the car and he narrowly avoided the fatal arrow. The arrow only grazed his back and tore a small hole in his clothes.