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The Imperial Examination Romance of Chambers
墨書 Inktalez
I, Liang Liuliu, a member of the esteemed Liang Residence, now find myself selling trinkets on this bustling street, all for the sake of that thin book, "Lessons for Women."
My stepmother desires me to be obedient, to never step beyond the threshold of our home, yet I am determined to struggle for even a sliver of freedom, even if it comes from a book she wishes for me to study.
The embroidery in my hands is my secret, the result of three years of withheld allowances, a labor of love from my secretly run embroidery shop. Each stitch and thread carries my resentment and hope.
With willow-shaped brows and almond-shaped eyes cast down, I try my best to appear like an ordinary girl in need of a livelihood. The vermilion mole on my forehead resembles a tear, silently narrating the coldness of my lineage.
Suddenly, a shrill scream pierces through the crowd from the end of the street.
A wild steed, its eyes blazing red like a feral beast, charges towards me, dragging behind it a cart emblazoned with the bold characters "Ministry of Rites." It is unmistakably carrying examination papers for the imperial examination!
Chaos erupts instantly; the sounds of vendors calling out, people gasping in shock, and the thunderous hooves create a deadly symphony.
I barely have time to react when an immense force rushes towards me, accompanied by the sharp sound of tearing fabric.
Just as the horse is about to overturn my stall and possibly harm me, a figure clad in dark clothing leaps forward like a flash of lightning.
A crisp metallic hum fills the air as a golden light flashes—it's a blade!
This is no ordinary weapon; its hilt is inlaid with gold thread, and the blade is long and narrow, exuding an ancient aura of lethality. It is indeed the legendary Jin Cuo Dao.
With that blade's gleam, the reins of the horse snap cleanly. The frenzied steed loses control and veers off to one side, narrowly avoiding me. However, the cart tips over under its own momentum, and heavy bags filled with examination papers spill out like a tidal wave, scattering across the ground.
I looked up in a daze and saw a man standing tall, exuding a calm yet oppressive presence.
He wore a dark robe embroidered with bamboo patterns, and his almond-shaped eyes had a faint beauty mark at the corner. His thin lips were pressed together, and an air of lingering sandalwood surrounded him.
It was Xie Yao, the third son of the Xie Family.
He had saved me, yet it seemed like merely a trivial act to him. The motion of sheathing his sword was crisp and decisive, devoid of any unnecessary emotion.
His gaze swept over the chaos on the ground before pausing on my face for a moment. His eyes were as still as an ancient well, yet they seemed capable of piercing through to one’s soul.
The officials from the Ministry of Rites soon arrived, flustered as they hurried to gather the scattered examination papers. The crowd around us began to recover from their shock and started to murmur among themselves.
I crouched down to help pick up the nearest examination bags. They were wrapped in thick oilcloth, bound with hemp rope, and sealed with government wax.
As my fingertips brushed against the wax seal, I felt something was off.
A proper seal should be hard and intact, but the one I touched had edges that were slightly cracked, as if it had been forcibly opened and hastily resealed.
My heart raced as memories flashed through my mind—my mother’s dying gaze, filled with unspoken words, and the strange oppression that had permeated Liang Residence over the years.
The examination papers and the unusual wax seal... Could it be related to my father Liang Wende’s corruption case involving salt licenses?
I discreetly hid the fragments of wax on my fingertips and handed the bag to the officials. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Xie Yao standing not far away, his left hand hidden in his sleeve as if he were absentmindedly rubbing something.
His gaze happened to fall on me as well. In his eyes, besides the usual detachment and indifference, there seemed to be a hint of curiosity, as if he wondered why someone as humble as I, a mere Chambers, would linger my gaze on the exam paper bag.
When I returned to the Liang Residence, the lingering stench of blood and fear from the streets seemed to cling to my nostrils, accompanied by Xie Yao's icy gaze that made the surrounding air feel chilling.
My stepmother waited inside the drooping flower gate, her expression as cold as frost. It was clear that the chaos on the streets had reached her ears, and for me, a Chambers, to appear in such a situation was, in her eyes, a sin in itself.
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