Hence, he had all 1000 sets of the exam paper brought to him, so that he could look for other promising talents.
Upon their delivery, instead of reading the exam papers right away, Emperor Wu sent his steward to fetch Grand Secretary Fang first.
The Fang manor.
Feng Wu was chatting with Grand Secretary Fang and trying to steer the topic toward the sale of his residence.
“Old Master, are you really going to sell this house?” asked Feng Wu.
Grand Secretary Fang nodded.
“But why?” Feng Wu was bewildered. “I’m sure you’re not doing it for the money. Why don’t you leave it to your children?”
Grand Secretary Fang smiled bitterly. “This manor hasn’t always been ours, and we were very lucky to receive it as a gift from a man of noble character. My family has lived here ever since, but after studying it for so many years, I still can’t figure out its secret. It’s time to hand it over to the next special person.”
“Study it?” Feng Wu narrowed her eyes.
Was it possible that Grand Secretary Fang knew about what was going on under the manor as well?
Grand Secretary Fang smiled helplessly. “Yes, there is a big secret buried in this manor, but no one has figured it out yet.”
After some thought, Grand Secretary Fang sighed again. “According to the mysterious seller, if the Fang clan isn’t able to figure out the secret in a hundred years, we have to sell the manor to someone else. Otherwise, the whole clan will die out!
“I didn’t believe it at first…” Grand Secretary Fang smiled bitterly. “But my clansmen have been dying in the past few years. My wife, my daughter…
“I’m the only one left in this family.” Grand Secretary Fang’s face was full of pain. “If I don’t sell the house now, Xuan Yi might get involved and could get hurt.”
Feng Wu was about to say something when hasty footsteps came from outside.
“Master, Master, we have a visitor from court.”
Soon, the chief steward was let into the room.
He smiled at Grand Secretary Fang. “Master Fang, please come with me. His Majesty asked for you.”
Grand Secretary Fang asked, “Is it about Imperial College’s exam?”
The chief steward wasn’t at liberty to reveal any information, but he still dropped a hint. “The papers have just been delivered.”
Grand Secretary Fang took the hint right away!
The chief steward turned around and smiled at Feng Wu.
“Oh my, may I ask who this beautiful girl is? She looks amazing! Master Fang, is this your granddaughter?”
Grand Secretary Fang smiled. “I wish. Master Wang, you’ve met this girl before, when she was little.”
“I have?”
Anyone who served the emperor was anything but mediocre. The chief steward had a very retentive memory and could remember all the faces he had ever seen. However, after searching his memory, he gave Grand Secretary Fang a wry smile. “Master Fang, please tell me who the girl is.”
Grand Secretary Fang smiled as he walked out.
“Grand Secretary Fang —” the chief steward asked again once they were outside.
“Feng Wu.”
“Feng Wu? F- Feng Wu?!” Astonished, the chief steward took a moment to digest the information. “As in… that Feng Wu?”
“Yes. That Feng Wu.” Grand Secretary Fang gloated.
The chief steward sighed with emotion. “It’s only been five years and the girl has become…” Such a beauty!
Serving Emperor Wu day in and day out, the chief steward was used to seeing all kinds of beautiful women in the imperial palace. However, none of them could compare with Feng Wu.
“Who could have known…” the chief steward exclaimed.
She had just been another pretty little girl five years ago. But now, her beauty was unrivaled!