Su Zhen found it somewhat amusing and drank two more cups. Though she was a woman, she hadn’t thought women must win, but this reform was quite good. Did this mean that even if her female identity were exposed in the future, she needn’t worry about execution anymore?

Some thought flashed through her mind, but she was too lazy to capture it.

It didn’t matter to her anyway. She discovered that never in this life had she so despised money and faced death so fearlessly.

She drowsily thought about this, then heard them talking about seeing the real results in two days. Among them, someone was quite perceptive, telling all sorts of gossip about the examinations while others flattered and agreed noisily, covering all other sounds. The neighboring table immediately became displeased, and two men stood up to object, asking who said women couldn’t win first place?

Hearing this, the first group became embarrassed and angry, saying we have superior social experience and insights that you ants couldn’t understand, very much meaning they alone were sober while the world was drunk. The neighboring table exploded upon hearing this – damn, your being superior has nothing to do with anyone else. You can drink, and showing off isn’t forbidden, but can’t you avoid disturbing others’ enjoyment?

Thus, both sides immediately began arguing. This would have been fine, but friends in a fight naturally required loyalty from their own people. The remaining men at the original table felt their blood boiling – regardless of right or wrong, they unleashed more cold mockery and sarcasm. Soon, the argument evolved into a brawl, with some joining, some quietly leaving, some watching the excitement, and some remaining calm, continuing to drink. The madam was frantic, hurrying to mediate, but how could she stop them? She had her subordinates pull them apart, and the entire venue immediately became chaotic.

“Stop!”

Su Zhen was hit on the forehead by a flying wine cup, bleeding profusely. Drunkenly wanting to join the battle and have a fight herself, she heard a stern shout. A girl with double hair buns walked over. She wasn’t old, perhaps seventeen or eighteen, but her face was exceptionally pretty, her eyes showing fierce authority that somehow awed everyone into silence.

“You talk as if you had also participated in the examinations,” she said with a slight cold smile, looking at the men who had spoken first.

The other party stared back coldly: “Haven’t eaten pork but haven’t seen pigs run? These examinations have been held for years, and this session also has traceable patterns. Why can’t we discuss it? Could it be that the court’s series of new policies includes one to block all talk under heaven?”

The girl smiled: “So you few represent all under heaven.”

“No one has stopped you from judging whether men or women will win, but now that the specific palace examination situation isn’t out yet, talking about men exclusively winning – isn’t that hasty? When others say women will win, you can’t stand it – aren’t you also blocking others’ speech?”

“Win or lose, why not place bets? How about it?”

Reaching this point, she returned to her seat, also a woman drinking alone. Though her clothing and accessories were simple, the materials were precious. The madam watched in secret amazement and alarm, but this intervention calmed everything down. Someone brought paper and brush, actually wanting to compete.

Su Zhen remembered the gambling in the palace and realized she was seeing Lian Xin here.

She had originally wanted to quietly leave, but after thinking, still walked over: “This isn’t a place you should come to. Have you forgotten last time’s lesson?”

“Get lost!” Lian Xin coldly said to the approaching madam and a middle-aged man asking her about betting odds.

Then she turned to Su Zhen with extreme surprise, her gaze becoming cold.

“Why shouldn’t I come? This pleasure quarter is the capital’s finest. If I don’t choose the good, should I choose the bad? Rather, it’s you – having already retired to your hometown, why are you still in the capital?”

Su Zhen knew she resented her because of Marquis Murong Jing’s matter and didn’t say more, only saying “be careful yourself” before swaying away.

But Lian Xin suddenly walked before her: “I brought people – no need for your concern! Why did you harm my uncle?”

“Now my mother has no heart to manage me, so I can freely come and go, but the Ministry of Justice is no longer a place I should visit. Wuqing and I are completely finished. Wuqing rescued me in just such a flower house!” As she spoke, her eyes reddened completely, extremely sad and angry.

Su Zhen shook her head with a smile, not explaining, just wanting to return to her room to sleep.

Lian Xin glared at her hatefully, reaching out to grab her, but she was heavily drunk and stumbled first, fainting. Lian Xin was somewhat shocked, momentarily at a loss. The madam, however, was unsurprised, quite composed, waving for two servant girls to carry this dead drunk inside.

Su Zhen felt as if she had slept for a very long time, dreaming of encountering Lian Xin, then remembering nothing else. She wanted to get up but couldn’t open her eyes. It was like sometimes when you know you’re dreaming but can’t wake up no matter what.

She was very afraid of falling ill again – after all, drinking like this every day. But if she didn’t drink, she couldn’t sleep at all! Fortunately, these days her body didn’t seem worse than when she was ill. Feng Shaoying was still alive, and not having killed Lian Yu, she didn’t dare die before him.

A slight sound reached her ears. She still retained some consciousness, but her body was extremely heavy and she couldn’t get up. Her throat felt strangled by something, painfully unbearable, unable to breathe. She instinctively opened her mouth—

“Who’s there?” Suddenly someone shouted loudly, followed by chaotic voices. This commotion lasted a long time, but no matter what, she couldn’t hear clearly. Suddenly, pain struck her face, she groaned, then her entire body felt bone-deep cold.

Someone helped her up and slapped her face again: “Li Huaisu! Damn you, wake up!”

This cold shock completely awakened Su Zhen. She slowly opened her eyes to meet Lian Xin’s anxious gaze.

There were also four or five armed female guards in the room!

“What’s wrong with you? Are you staying here sulking because of Gu Xiluo and being dismissed, having fallen out with my sixth brother? Just now someone tried to attack you – did you know? Lucky I happened to come looking for you!”

Her eyes flickered with flames, very angry: “You have quite a few enemies. Please be more careful yourself – don’t die without knowing what happened!”

“Like your mother?” Su Zhen half-joked, saying lightly.

“Could it be Mother’s assassin?” Lian Xin was startled, her brow deeply furrowed: “No, you can’t stay here anymore. Come with me! I’ll buy a mansion and hide you like Ah Jiao first.”

Who exactly was it? How did they know she was here? Why did they want to take her life? Su Zhen’s heart trembled. She didn’t want to live, but couldn’t die yet. Hearing this actually stirred some fighting spirit, immediately asking: “Someone wanted to kill me? What kind of person? Did you see their appearance?”

“A woman in short clothing. When I came in, her hands were already on your throat. I shouted, and my guards were at the door… When she turned around, we got a good look at each other – she had her face covered…” Lian Xin’s gaze changed as she pointed at the window.

The window was open, with a faint shoe print on the wooden table below – this was the second floor, the exit facing the main street.

Without her finishing, Su Zhen roughly guessed what had happened – someone had tried to kill her, was discovered by Lian Xin, and escaped through the window.

“I’ll come with you.” She climbed up.

But Lian Xin, who had just asked her to come along, seemed unable to react, staring blankly with suddenly strange expression.

“Let me prepare. We’ll leave by… the small path.” After thinking, she said somewhat hesitantly.

Su Zhen became suspicious, smiling slowly: “No, we’ll leave right now, taking the main road. Small paths are more dangerous.”

As she spoke, she got out of bed to put on shoes. Her movements were extremely fast – Lian Xin only had time to cry out before being swept up by the waist and leaping out the window.

But this potentially impressive move, executed by someone with a hangover, really lacked strength. During the fall, Lian Xin was firmly pressed underneath, serving as a human cushion.

Her female guards all leaped down, glaring angrily at Su Zhen with swords drawn.

“Damn…” Lian Xin was also very indignant, pushing off the Su Zhen on top of her, patting dust off her bottom and getting up, pointing shakily at her.

Su Zhen pinched her cheeks. Lian Xin angrily slapped her hand away, when suddenly she heard her ask: “What’s happening over there?”

People were crowding around, everyone rushing toward the street intersection ahead, much like nearly two years ago when she first arrived in the capital – though that was bad news, coincidentally meeting the execution of the Fu and Liu families, and encountering Lian Xin.

“Hey, Li Huaisu, Huaisu, don’t go there!”

Seeing this, Lian Xin became very anxious, her face changing.

Su Zhen intuited this was related to her earlier mention of taking small paths. She didn’t know who the assassin was, but if it was the Empress Dowager’s doing, she couldn’t involve Lian Xin further, making their relationship even icier. She had already decided to go alone. For someone like her, crowded places were indeed safer.

At this moment, glancing at Lian Xin, she slowly backed away, then suddenly sidestepped into the crowd.

“Li Huaisu, damn you, why don’t you chase her!” Lian Xin, having been shaken off, roared furiously.

Su Zhen moved forward with the crowd, about to ask people nearby, when she heard several young ladies ahead excitedly saying: “The top scholar parades before the imperial steps – yesterday His Majesty personally appointed a female top scholar! The Great Zhou’s first female top scholar. His Majesty attended in person, the Prime Minister led the way, last session’s second and third place scholars escorted her, parading all the way to the imperial city.”

“Second and third place scholars – where’s last session’s top scholar, Magistrate Li?”

“Don’t you know? She was dismissed for investigating His Majesty’s birth mother’s case, offending hundreds of officials.”

“This you don’t know,” a young man said mysteriously, lowering his voice: “Supposedly she found the culprit but, fearing powerful interests, didn’t hand over the murderer, resigning to save her own life. This is what leaked from the inner court – supposedly very reliable.”

“What?!”

Palace examination, parade, female top scholar? Had she slept for three whole days? The Great Zhou’s first female top scholar, Magistrate Li… Su Zhen’s body stiffened, momentarily dazed. Someone behind pushed her and she fell to the ground. She quickly got up, patted the mud off her hands, and wanted to go forward to see.