There is a god in the sky

Chapter 403 Thoughts

A small measure by the imperial court can change the lives of many people.

The Ji family was the first to receive the news.

Upon learning that the coroner's son could also participate in the imperial examination, Old Master Ji knelt down and bowed in gratitude towards the direction of the imperial city.

Overjoyed, he wept, pulling his grandsons close and crying, "Our Ji family finally has a chance to change its social standing!"

The sons are too old to start school now, but the grandsons can still give it a shot.

Even if all else fails, there are still great-grandchildren.

He even wanted his grandson, who was to inherit his mantle, to go to school.

Ji Zeqian was left speechless, both amused and exasperated.

"My grandfather believed everything he heard. Studying is not so easy. Many students study for decades and still may not pass the imperial examination. If I start studying at my age, I'm afraid I won't even pass the lowest level of the imperial examination."

"Nonsense! You were a promising student from a young age, but you were limited by your social status before. How come you couldn't keep up with others in your studies?"

Ji Zeqian has become much more mature this year.

He was still quite young before, but now that his grandfather is old and in poor health, he has basically taken over his grandfather's position and become an indispensable coroner in the yamen.

Perhaps before long, people won't add the word "little" before calling him anymore.

“Grandfather, I’m doing quite well in this line of work. Look at Miss Shen, she’s even a coroner appointed by the emperor. Maybe I can earn an official position in the future.”

The Ji family had always been envious of Shen Lan's circumstances.

But ever since Shen Lan beat the drum to appeal, the Ji family has fallen silent.

Ji Zeqian had liked Shen Lan before, but later his admiration for her outweighed his liking. After learning about her experiences, he felt pity for her.

“Grandfather, if Miss Shen is willing to take me as her disciple, I would like to become her apprentice.”

"Didn't she already reject you?"

Where there's a will, there's a way. Maybe she's willing now?

Ji Zeqian understood that Shen Lan's initial refusal to accept him as a disciple must have been due to unresolved family vendettas.

Now that she has avenged her great enemy and put her mind at ease, she should be able to take on disciples.

After the Criminal Investigation Department was burned down, Xiao Ji chose a piece of land to serve as a temporary government office.

This place was originally the official residence of a second-rank minister. After the entire family's property was confiscated, the house was left vacant.

Nowadays, there are many vacant houses like this in Bianjing (Kaifeng), and many people come to the capital to buy houses.

However, some houses cannot be bought simply because you have money.

Next to this mansion, there is an empty house with a five-courtyard layout, pavilions, and towers, which is quite unique.

The day after Shen Lan went to the yamen, she discovered that someone next door was moving things in and out.

Out of curiosity, I asked and found out that the house next door had also been sold.

It was a trivial matter, and she didn't take it to heart after hearing about it once.

Who knew that when the court session ended, Xiao Ji returned from outside and quietly told Shen Lan that the person who bought the house next door was actually Li Ge.

With his official rank and wealth, Li Ge certainly had the means to buy a five-courtyard mansion.

He certainly owns more than one property in Beijing.

She returned home and saw Li Ye busy in the kitchen.

Li Ye doesn't know how to cook, but that doesn't stop him from wanting to learn.

No one knows how he messed things up, but thick smoke billowed from the kitchen, and a burnt smell wafted out.

Shen Lan leaned against the door, watching him frantically add water to the pot, instantly creating another cloud of steam.

"The first thing to do after the pot catches fire is to put the lid on and remove the firewood from the stove, and the fire will go out by itself."

Li Ye was so frightened he almost dropped the spatula.

He turned his head.

Shen Lan saw the soot on his face and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"How could you smear dust on your face while cooking?"

She went over, first pulled the firewood out of the stove, then glanced at the food in the pot.

It's turned into charcoal; you can't tell what it was originally at all.

"What are you making? Roasted vegetables?"

Li Ye blushed deeply with embarrassment and wiped the dust off his hands onto his clothes.

"I see that you usually cook very simply and your dishes are very delicious, so I would like to learn how."

Shen Lan's cooking skills are indeed quite good, and she can make a variety of dishes.

However, Li Ye grew up in a temple and ate only bland vegetarian food, which Shen Lan couldn't teach him.

"Wash the pot."

The fire in the pot has gone out, leaving it all black and charred. I don't know if the pot is still usable.

Li Ye took the pot to the yard to scrub it, cleaning not only the inside but also scraping off all the ash from the bottom.

Every time I return to this little courtyard, I feel a sense of peace and tranquility.

Shen Lan craved this feeling, as if she had returned to the feeling of living with Old Master Wei.

"Li Ye, you are now the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards. Have you ever thought about staying in the capital?"

Li Ye answered without looking up, "No, I don't like it here."

"Once you reach a high position, the emperor will not let you leave easily, and you cannot hide your identity forever."

This is what Shen Lan is most worried about.

A cough came from outside the courtyard.

Shen Lan and Li Ye both became alert.

Li Ye put down the pot, ran to open the door, and pulled out the person hiding by the door.

"How did you come?"

It turns out to be Li Ge.

He was dressed in a colorful shirt, wearing a turban, and holding a fan in his hand, looking much like a student on the street.

He gestured for Li Ye to close the door and sat in the seat he had just been sitting in.

“You speak without any restraint, aren’t you afraid of being overheard?”

Since no one lived next door to Shen Lan's courtyard, she had indeed forgotten about it for a while.

Given Li Ye and Shen Lan's hearing, it would have been difficult for anyone to get close without them noticing.

Shen Lan glanced at his shoes; they were cloth shoes with very thin soles, no wonder he walked without making a sound.

"Does the Emperor know you're leaving the palace at this time?"

“I know. I told him that I had just bought a big house and needed to go and check on the place. The Emperor readily agreed and even gave me a housewarming gift.”

Shen Lan asked, puzzled, "Why did you buy a house next to the Criminal Investigation Department? That's not a good place."

The original homeowner's property being raided is never a good thing, and many families avoid buying houses with such a "haunted" reputation.

The Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office is a government office; there's no need to avoid these things.

"Just dead people. Where else can you find more dead people than in the palace?"

Li Ge didn't care at all.

He bought a house next to the Criminal Investigation Department simply because he wanted to be Shen Lan's neighbor.

“I think Xiao Ji has ill intentions towards you. I’ve sent some people to stay in that house. If you need anything, you can go next door to find someone.”

Shen Lan knew he was joking.

But it's likely true that he wanted to plant people outside.

"By the way, what about your previous group? You mean Little Tiger and his gang?"

Li Ge told Li Ye to take the pot away, replying, "Let them live their own lives."

"Not coming back?"

"I'm not coming back. Anyone who comes to this place is doomed."

Li Ge looked up and asked Shen Lan seductively, "Little Lan'er, shall we run away? Run to the ends of the earth, so that no one can find us, okay?"

Shen Lan retorted seriously, "That's not what you said last time. Which part is true?"

Li Ge stared at her intently.

After a while, he burst into laughter, his eyes reddening from laughing.

"I was just kidding. How could I give up my mansion and my high-ranking position so easily?"

Shen Lan ignored him and went into the kitchen to cook.