Taixue, Xiqing Academy, inside the study.

After the calligraphy class in the afternoon, Mrs. Chen asked everyone to stay away until Dean Lin Xiao would give a lecture.

Taixue just took a literature and history test a few days ago, and Dean Lin probably finished reading the paper.

A few students sitting in the front row asked Master Chen how Master Lin looked.

Master Chen whispered, "You are finished! You must have done poorly in the exam. The dean's face is so dark!"

Bao Yan saw Pang Yu at the next table lowering his head and chanting Buddha's name. Originally, Pang Yu knew that his sister was pregnant today, and he was extremely happy. He was very happy during lunch. Now, when he heard that the test papers were about to be handed out, he suddenly felt weak.

Ouyang Chunhua, who was sitting behind Pang Yu, also poked him, "Oh! Don't be so nervous!"

Pang Yu raised his head with a bitter look, "I guess he failed again."

"No, I've been preparing for it for a month!" Wang Qi comforted Pang Yu, "Didn't you do well on the paper we gave you before?"

Chunhua patted Pang Yu on the back, "Cheer up! You will definitely pass this time."

Pang Yu was coughing from being photographed, and Xie Yan and others around him looked at him happily - the dignified An Leye, the legendary little crab, is now most afraid of failing the exam.

While they were chatting, Master Lin walked in.

Everyone looked up at the master's face, and sure enough, Dean Lin had a stern face and looked not very happy.

Lin Xiao walked into the study without saying a word and started handing out papers one by one.

When the paper was handed out to Pang Yu's desk, the young Marquis didn't dare to look at it. He closed his eyes and prepared to recite a few lines of Bodhisattva's blessing.

Bao extended his hand to pick up his paper, and when he saw it, he was amused and poked him, "Passed!"

"Really?!" Pang Yu took it and looked at it, and sure enough! Not only did he pass, but he also did well in the exam. Several of the teachers who graded the exams all wrote comments to him, praising his rapid progress.

The young Marquis was happy, a double happiness! When he was about to enter the palace in the evening, he showed the paper to his sister.

Mrs. Lin handed out the papers, walked to an empty table, frowned, and put the papers on the table.

"Xu Yun didn't come again today?" Master Lin asked.

The students in the study room all shook their heads.

Xu Yun was a classmate of Bao Yan and the others, and his father was the great writer Xu Zansheng, a famous calligrapher and painter. There was a picture of mountains, clouds and sea hanging in Zhao Zhen's study, which was written by Xu Zansheng.

Xu Yun is also a famous young scholar in Taixue. Like Bao Yan, he is the favorite of the Taixue masters. Xu Yun is quiet and easy-going, and gets along well with Bao Yan and others.

Xu Yun has missed several classes in the past few days. He said he was ill, but he did not seem to be in good spirits.

"Wang Lin." Master Lin asked Wang Lin, who was reviewing papers with Shen Maonan Gong Qin, "Has anything happened to Xu Yun's family recently?"

Lin Xiao would ask Wang Lin because Xu Mansion is diagonally opposite Bai Mansion, and Wang Lin and Xu Yun have a good relationship and often go to school together.

"I haven't heard of it." Wang Lin shook his head, "He has been riding in the family's carriage these days. I haven't gone with him for a while."

"He seems to be a little worried recently and doesn't talk much."

"That's right! He has a butler following him when he comes in and out. I don't know what's going on."

Several students who were familiar with Xu Yun also started talking.

Master Lin frowned, a little worried.

Behind Xu Yun's seat was Lin Xiao. He reached out and picked up Xu Yun's paper, took a look at it, was slightly stunned, and handed it to Xie Yan next to him.

Xie Yan took a look and found that Xu Yun failed, and opened his mouth in surprise.

The students in the study room whispered, feeling incredible that Pang Yu had passed the exam, but Xu Yun had failed? How is this possible?

Bao Yan took the paper and looked at it carefully. The more he looked at it, the more strange he felt. Xu Yun's answer sheet was very sloppy, as if he was perfunctory. Many questions were left blank. This was not the paper of a great talent.

"Alas..." Mrs. Lin sighed, feeling anxious in her heart. She didn't know what happened to a student who didn't have to worry about him at all. Could it be that something happened at home?

Seeing that the old man was getting angry again, Lin Xiao said, "Master, let's go to Xu Mansion to see him later."

Wang Lin and the others also nodded.

"Okay." Master Lin felt a little relieved and did not forget to tell him, "If he really has any difficulties, please come back and tell me as soon as possible."

Lin Xiao and others all nodded in agreement, telling the old man not to worry.

…

On the other side, Zhan Zhao and others rushed to Nan'an Temple. Tianzun Yinwai and the others were playing games with Xiao Liangzi, the fourth son.

A group of old men were divided into two groups. One group set a question and wrote something on a piece of paper for Xiaosi and Xiaoliangzi to see. The two children were not allowed to speak and made movements to imitate the thing. The other two old men guessed.

At this moment, the fourth child is learning to make a teapot. Yin Hou and Tianzun are guessing the duck and the goose. The anxious little fourth child is sweating.

On the side, Xiao Liangzi helped Xiao Sizi perform "pouring tea", but the two old men became even more confused.

The demon king was having fun while feeding the fox with dried meat. When he saw Zhan Zhao and the others coming, he waved to them.

Zhan Zhao and the others went over to sit down at the stone table and asked the Silver Demon King about the red fox.

When Tianzun and the others heard this, they all felt that if Xue An had not killed the fox, it was probably the one they saw just now! That one indeed looked like it had become a spirit.

"The fox has been here before? What did it come for?" Zhan Zhao was curious.

"I don't know, it seems like I came here to sleep."

Gongsun knocked on Zhan Zhao with a fan, "What a vixen you are, don't think about having something but not having it. This trend of the Xue family is like destroying the whole family. Have you offended someone?"

Zhan Zhao also thought that he should investigate the background of the Xue family.

"Xue An's family members all say that he is a modest and steady man and has no enemies." Zhan Zhao just asked everyone in Xue An's family, but no one could tell who Xue An would offend.

"The old man and the old lady have lived in seclusion for these years, and I have never heard of anyone being an enemy."

"How about going to the Ministry of Punishment and asking?" Gongsun suggested.

"Actually, there is someone who should know him better than his colleagues." The Fifth Master reminded everyone, "The eldest lady of the Qin family."

"Yes, his wife." Everyone felt that judging from her behavior, Miss Qin was not an ordinary person.

"She is in the Taoist temple in Mingyang Mountain now, right?" Zhan Zhao thought for a while, "Mingyang Mountain...isn't it the place of Master Mingxi..."

Everyone looked up and thought about the fierce master, and couldn't help but tremble...

"If she knew that Mrs. Xue passed away, she would come back, right?" Zhao Pu said, "How about I talk to Lao Qin and let him take his daughter back first? He definitely doesn't want his daughter to become a monk."

Everyone thinks it is a solution.

After leaving Nan'an Temple, everyone divided into two groups.

Lin Yehuo, who had finished joining in the fun, dragged Zou Liang to go shopping.

Zhan Zhao and the others first went to the Ministry of Justice to inquire. Xue An's colleagues all said that Xue An had no enemies and had not had any quarrels with anyone recently.

After finding nothing, everyone had to return to Kaifeng Mansion.

Bai Yutang wanted to go back to Baifu first, so he took a few people to take a detour and arrived at the gate of Baifu. He met Bao Yan, Pang Yu, Wang Lin and Lin Xiao.

The young talents all came up to say hello.

"Why are you guys here?" Zhan Zhao asked, "Are you visiting the Bai Mansion? Are you here to see the little four-legged snake? This is best seen at night!"

Bao Yan and the others were all curious, "Four-legged snake?"

Gongsun's eyes also brightened a bit, "Which ones will shine?"

Fifth Master helplessly held his forehead.

"Ahem." Wang Lin quickly changed the subject and pointed to the Xu Mansion across the street from the Bai Mansion, "Let's go see a classmate."

After saying that, several people ran to Xu Mansion and called the door.

In the Bai Mansion, Bai Fu ran out and showed Mr. Wu some bills of goods arriving at the wharf, as well as some accounts to be collected.

The fifth master stood there flipping through the pages, while Zhan Zhao and the others were waiting aside, while looking back at Bao Yan and the others.

The door of Xu Mansion was closed tightly. Bao Yan and the others knocked on the door for a while, but no one answered.

Zhan Zhao looked up and looked at the house. It looked similar in size to the Bai Mansion. There was no way such a big house could be empty, right? Why didn't you open the door?

Bao Yan and the others also found it strange that no one answered the door of such a big house?

Pang Yu looked left and right, then put his ear to the door to listen, "Strange..."

Bai Yutang looked at the account book and the manifest, briefly told Bai Fu, and then called Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao is now looking at Bao Yan and the others.

"Master." Bai Fu also saw it and said to Bai Yutang, "Everyone in the Xu family moved out this morning. This house is going to be sold."

Fifth Master instinctively said, "Want to sell? Buy it."

Look up to the sky.

"A lot of people want to buy his house. It's a good house. It suddenly became known a few days ago that it was for sale." Bai Fu said, waving to Wang Lin.

Bao Yan and the others all ran back.

"The Xu family suddenly wanted to sell their house." Bai Fu said, "They seemed to be in a hurry. They sent all the maids and servants away the night before yesterday. This morning the whole family pulled a few carriages and left. The house was entrusted to a friend for sale.

.”
To be continued...