The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Although Tang Bohu was slightly tipsy, his mind was exceptionally clear.

"At that time, I felt like I was probably the unluckiest person in the world. Back then, I was only fifteen years old and I passed both the county and prefectural examinations with top honors. I was so full of pride and confidence. But then, then..."

At this point, Tang Bohu couldn't help but burst into tears.

Zhou Chu and Wen Zhengming naturally knew what happened later. In the year Tang Bohu turned twenty-four, his parents, sister, and even his wife all passed away one after another. People who didn't know the situation might have thought that Tang Bohu was a cursed lone star.

"Later, I passed the provincial examination with the highest score. I was overjoyed and became unrestrained. This caused a rift between me and Zhengming. It was all my fault. I will punish myself with a cup of wine."

As he spoke, Tang Bohu picked up another cup of wine and drank it all in one gulp.

This wasn't the first time the two old friends had brought up this matter after drinking too much, and Zhou Chu was already used to it.

"You all know what happened next: cheating in the imperial examinations, and almost getting on Prince Ning's pirate ship. At that time, I thought, how could a person be so unlucky? Many times, I really couldn't hold on anymore."

Tang Bohu said, his eyes blurry with drunkenness.

Many people read Tang Bohu's poems and think that the elderly Tang Bohu was very carefree, but that's not the case. Just like many people think that Su Shi was a carefree person, it's all a misunderstanding. Their poems were carefree because they were meant to relieve their inner emotions. If they could really be as carefree as their poems, there would be no need for them to write them.

"After Jiu Niang passed away, I thought to myself, why don't I go with her? At that time, Yun Niang was watching me every day, afraid that I would do something rash. But I couldn't stay in Suzhou Prefecture. Jiu Niang's shadow was everywhere. So, on Yun Niang's advice, I pretended to be crazy and came to the capital to visit friends."

Tang Bohu talked and drank at the same time. It has to be said that Tang Bohu's alcohol tolerance was indeed extraordinary. Even when he was slightly drunk, he could still drink a lot.

"It wasn't until later, when I met Hengqi at my friend's academy, that I realized he was a very opinionated child. Lu Wenxin was still his young master at the time, but he listened to him in everything."

Tang Bohu couldn't help but laugh as he recalled that scene from years ago.

"Until later, when the Lu family ran into trouble, and I saw Hengqi struggling to survive with Yun Jin on his own while also taking care of the Lu family, I couldn't describe how I felt. At that time, I thought to myself, I have never had to worry about food and clothing in my life. Even when I was down on my luck, I had friends to help me."

"But how old was Hengqi back then? About ten years old. Although he was quite tall, you could tell from his eyes that he was still a boy."

As Tang Bohu spoke, Wen Zhengming quietly poured himself some wine and drank with him.

"This half-grown boy managed to support Yun Jin with his own abilities and earn enough money to keep bribing the Lu family. At that time, I was thinking, compared to Heng Qi, what have I really accomplished in my life besides having some talent in the imperial examinations?"

“From that time on, my originally depressed heart gradually calmed down.”

Tang Bohu then clinked glasses with Wen Zhengming.

Soon, Tang Bohu and Wen Zhengming were both drunk. Since they were drinking at the Zhou residence, they felt at ease and didn't hold back any alcohol.

After Zhou Chu arranged for his servants to help the two men to their guest rooms to rest, he returned to his study to await news of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's operation.

It was already close to midnight. Zhou Chu believed that if these people were to make their move, it would be either at midnight or at 1-3 AM, as these were the times when patrollers were most likely to get sleepy.

Just after midnight, Zhou Chu felt a slight vibration and vaguely heard a sound.