Chapter 11: CH 10

On the day Xiao Jingduo and Xiao Ying had their falling out, Xiao Ying, intending to teach Xiao Jingduo a lesson, indeed canceled Xiao Jingduo’s literature and martial arts courses, planning to use this method to force Xiao Jingduo to bow his head.

Naturally, Xiao Jingduo would not let Xiao Ying succeed. However, foundational education could not be delayed. Xiao Jingduo was well aware of the gap between being educated and uneducated. He needed to find a way to secure his own path under Xiao Ying’s blockade.

He thought for a moment, then set his sights on Xiao Jinghu.

When Xiao Jingduo walked into Gaoshou Hall, Xiao Jinghu was in the courtyard playing with a wooden sword, shouting loudly. Many maids around him watched nervously, afraid he might make any mistakes.

Xiao Jingduo paused briefly, then walked straight toward Xiao Jinghu. “Grandmother is still inside. What kind of behavior is this, shouting in the courtyard?”

“Who cares? Grandmother let me play here!” Xiao Jinghu had heard some rumors from his second aunt and knew that Xiao Jingduo’s current status was lower than his own. So, he became bolder and was no longer afraid of this elder brother.

The maids looked embarrassed. As expected, Xiao Jingduo frowned and scolded, “If you keep messing around like this, I’ll have Grandmother send you to the academy and assign you the strictest tutor to discipline you!”

“You…” Xiao Jinghu was infuriated. He hated school the most, avoiding the academy even when he was in the village. Now, hearing Xiao Jingduo talk about having a tutor just for him made the little tyrant Xiao Jinghu furious. He angrily ran over and gave Xiao Jingduo a push before running off.

“First Young Master…” The maids quickly gathered around. Xiao Jingduo waved his hand, indicating he was fine. “I’m okay. You should go look after Second Young Master.”

Although Xiao Jinghu was small, he had a lot of strength. If he had pushed an unprepared maid like that, she would likely have been thrown off balance. But Xiao Jingduo stood firm, unscathed. The maids couldn’t understand how that was possible. After bowing to Xiao Jingduo, they were about to chase after Xiao Jinghu when he called out to them again, “Second Young Master is rowdy and still holding a wooden sword. If he accidentally hurts himself, Grandmother will surely blame you. I suggest you take him to a spacious area and let him burn off his energy there.”

Xiao Jingduo pointed to an open area, giving the maids a suggestion, “I think that spot over there would be perfect.”

The maids looked up and saw that the area was surrounded by trees with an open space in the middle, an ideal spot for watching over a child. Grateful, the maids bowed to Xiao Jingduo, “Thank you for your guidance, Young Master.”

After the maids left, Xiao Jingduo smiled slightly and turned to go inside.

The old madam was inside, busy with the account books. She was used to being in charge and giving orders, and even in her son’s marquis household, she had to manage things. Madam Wu, constrained by her own virtuous image, could not openly compete for control, and the second and third daughters-in-law of the Xiao family had no objections. It was a joke to think they would object; as long as the old madam was in charge, they could skim money from her to support their own households.

Seeing Xiao Jingduo enter, the old madam, who was feeling dizzy from the account books, waved him over, “Duo’er, what brings you here today?”

It was rare for Xiao Jingduo to come by, as he spent most of his time at Qingze Courtyard. The old madam wasn’t used to seeing him suddenly.

“Grandson came to greet Grandmother.” Xiao Jingduo brushed off the topic lightly, then casually remarked, “I heard Second Brother’s voice from a distance. He’s so lively and robust, just like a little tiger.”

“Yes!” Mentioning her beloved grandson immediately brought a smile to the old madam’s face. She instinctively looked around the courtyard for Xiao Jinghu’s whereabouts, and what she saw startled her. “Where is Hu’er? He was just outside!”

Xiao Jingduo raised his hand and pointed towards the back window. “Grandmother, look, he’s over there.”

“I told him to play in the courtyard, why did he run so far!” The old madam exclaimed in displeasure. “What are those maids doing, taking Hu’er to the garden? I can’t see him there. What if he gets hurt?”

“Maybe they didn’t want to disturb you,” Xiao Jingduo suggested calmly. Then, he furrowed his brow slightly, showing a hesitant expression. “Grandmother, there’s something I’m not sure if I should say.”

“Speak freely. There’s no need for formalities with Grandmother,” she replied.

“When I was coming in, I happened to see Second Brother. He was almost poking himself several times with his wooden sword, so I said a few words to him. But instead of listening, he pushed me. However, when the maids intervened, he listened to them. Look, Grandmother,” Xiao Jingduo pointed to the back window, where they could see an open area surrounded by trees. “Second Brother has already thrown away his sword and is playing hide-and-seek with the maids.”

The old madam watched Xiao Jinghu and the maid chasing each other, her eyebrows unconsciously knitting together. Female elders have a peculiar sense of possessiveness over their own bloodline. This applies to their sons as well as their grandsons. They hope their descendants will be close to and dependent on them, yet they don’t want to see them getting close to other women.

The old madam could never have imagined that everything she saw was orchestrated by Xiao Jingduo, and with a slight reversal of cause and effect, the scene presented to her was completely different from the truth.

Xiao Jingduo continued, “Second Brother is lively and clever, but spending too much time in the inner quarters might not be good for him. Especially since the second household is filled with women, both Yufang and Yuli depend on him, and when he’s outside, he’s always surrounded by maidservants. These women cater to his every need. I’m worried that over time, he’ll become soft-hearted and lose his masculine spirit.”

“You are right. We can’t let these people spoil my Hu’er,” the old madam agreed, nodding and racking her brains for a solution. “What should we do then? Should we find some male playmates for him from outside the residence?”

“Grandmother, how could you forget,” Xiao Jingduo said, seeing that the old madam still hadn’t gotten to the point, and he gently steered the conversation. “The academy is full of children his age. Wouldn’t it be best to send Second Brother there? The academy has teachers to guide him. Learning to read and write under the teachers’ supervision would be far more beneficial than being cooped up at home.”

“Right, right, why didn’t I think of that?” the old madam murmured. Even though their status had drastically changed, her thinking hadn’t quite adjusted yet. She instinctively thought they were still a poor village family without the spare money to educate their children. With Xiao Jingduo’s reminder, she realized their current status was much different, and sending her grandson to school was not difficult at all.

However, just as the old madam made up her mind, Xiao Jingduo’s next words made her hesitate. “Although the children in the academy like to fight, Second Brother is strong and robust. Even if he gets into a fight, he won’t suffer much as long as he avoids being targeted by a group.”

“This…” The old madam was alarmed. “Do they really fight?”

“Kids will be kids, Grandmother. You know how it is, even in our village, boys aged seven or eight often end up in fights, even with adults watching over them. At the academy, the teachers can’t always keep an eye on everyone, and with so many boys gathered together, fights are bound to happen.”

“No,” the old madam refused firmly. “Our Hu’er is precious, even a small injury is unacceptable. How can we send him there to be bullied by common children? Absolutely not.”

Not long ago, the Xiao family were commoners themselves, and now they were looking down on the children of commoners. Xiao Jingduo felt a twinge of irony but appeared to be swayed by the old madam’s words. “Grandmother, you’re right. Sending Second Brother to an outside academy isn’t appropriate. I’ve heard that in Chang’an, the families of high officials and nobles invite learned teachers to their homes to privately tutor their children. Grandmother, why don’t we hire a tutor for Second Brother?”

“How much would that cost!” The old madam, thinking about the expense, was ready to refuse without a second thought. But Xiao Jingduo’s mention of noble families doing so gave her pause, and she hesitated, unsure of what to do.

Xiao Jingduo, seeing her hesitation, feigned confusion. “Is it really that expensive? I thought education was quite affordable. I’ve heard of a destitute scholar living two streets away in Tongshan Lane. A few years ago, when the imperial court announced the civil service exams, he eagerly went to the capital to take the exam. However, before he could pass, war broke out. The previous dynasty could barely sustain itself and had no resources to support these exam candidates, so he ended up stranded in Chang’an, living in poverty and often hungry. Given how difficult it is for scholars to make a living, I thought hiring a tutor would be quite cheap.”

The founding emperor of the previous dynasty had the radical idea of establishing the imperial examination system, allowing even commoners with sufficient education to become officials. This system attracted a lot of attention upon its inception, facing resistance from aristocratic families and scorn from officials. After the founding emperor’s death, his successor, Emperor Chen Wang, was overly ambitious, engaging in continuous conscription and causing widespread discontent. The imperial examination system gradually fell into disuse. As wars broke out, the capital itself was barely sustainable, and no one had the energy to conduct official selection exams, leaving many exam candidates stranded.

The scholar Chu Shuxin was one of the many candidates left in limbo by these circumstances.

The old madam listened and was slightly moved. She asked, “Jingduo, who is this scholar you speak of? What is their family situation?”

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“His name is Chu Shuxin. I heard he almost passed the imperial examination back then, so his knowledge shouldn’t be lacking. But now his family situation is really bad. His wife is ill, and his child is young. Scholar Chu can only copy books to make some money for the household. However, in these chaotic times, who has the mind to buy books? So Scholar Chu earns very little, and even now, he can only afford to rent a house.” After speaking, Xiao Jingduo sighed, “It’s a pity. He is knowledgeable and virtuous, yet his life is so destitute.”

The old madam thought of a brilliant idea. She clapped her knee in delight and eagerly said to Xiao Jingduo, “Jingduo, how about inviting him to our home to teach Hu’er? This way, we can help this scholar with some household expenses, and our Hu’er can study well without having to endure hardships at the academy. It’s a win-win situation. What do you think?”

Xiao Jingduo smiled, as if he had just thought of the idea as well: “Grandmother, you are absolutely right. Your grandson is ashamed of not thinking of it sooner.”

“This idea is good,” the old madam muttered to herself, becoming more excited the more she thought about it. She raised her voice and instructed the maid outside, “Quick, bring Hu’er to me!”

When Xiao Jinghu returned and heard that the old madam was arranging for a strict tutor to come and teach him, he glared angrily at Xiao Jingduo and immediately began to throw a tantrum, crying loudly, “I don’t want to, I don’t want to, I don’t want to go to school! I want to play with the maid sisters, I don’t want to study!”

“You worthless child!” Hearing Xiao Jinghu yelling about wanting to play with the maids, the old madam became even more convinced that the maids were to blame and became more determined to send Xiao Jinghu to study. What she didn’t know was that Xiao Jinghu’s resistance to studying was entirely due to Xiao Jingduo’s earlier threats. Furious, the old madam jabbed Xiao Jinghu’s forehead, “This matter is settled. I will send someone to invite Scholar Chu from the Chu family over. You better get ready and stop playing with the maids every day.”

“I won’t go!” Xiao Jinghu threw a fit, rolling on the ground and screaming.

“You…” The old madam was so angry she nearly fainted, and Xiao Jingduo hurried over to support her. Seeing Xiao Jingduo calmed her down a bit. “This disobedient little troublemaker is going to drive me to my grave! If only you were half as sensible as your elder brother.”

Luckily, the old madam did not know that today’s events were entirely orchestrated by the very grandson she deemed sensible. It was Xiao Jingduo who had instructed the maids to take Xiao Jinghu outside, yet he claimed the maids were at fault for taking Xiao Jinghu away. It was his earlier threats that made Xiao Jinghu so resistant, yet now he could calmly act as the peacemaker.

Now, just hearing Xiao Jingduo’s name annoyed Xiao Jinghu. Xiao Jingduo had just threatened him outside about hiring a tutor, and now, their grandmother had actually listened. Thinking about the harsh methods of the strict village tutor made Xiao Jinghu tremble all over. He shot an angry glare at Xiao Jingduo, then scrambled up and ran off.

“Hu’er!” The old madam called out several times, but Xiao Jinghu didn’t look back. Furious and trembling, she held onto Xiao Jingduo for support. She then turned to Xiao Jingduo with an idea. “Jingduo, you are the elder brother and should look after your younger brother more. Why don’t you accompany Hu’er to the school? It won’t take much of your time. You can watch over him to ensure he doesn’t get hurt.”

Xiao Jingduo nodded, displaying a filial demeanor. “Alright. It’s my duty to ease Grandmother’s worries.”

Yet, out of sight, he allowed himself a slight smile.

Objective achieved.

Xiao Jingduo had often pondered why Xiao Ying dared to act so brazenly. On the surface, it seemed because Zhao Xiulan was an only daughter, her father had passed away, and there were no brothers in the family. This left her at Xiao Ying’s mercy, unable to protest even when stripped of her rightful position as the main wife. But ultimately, the root cause was that Xiao Ying was an official, while the Zhao family were mere commoners.

Poor people shouldn’t contend with the rich, and the rich shouldn’t contend with officials. This principle has been applicable from ancient times to the present.

To have the power to resist Xiao Ying, and even to confront him on equal footing, he must also become an official. Nowadays, becoming an official relies on family background and ancestral influence. If one’s grandfather or uncle holds a position in the court, they can arrange for their descendants to enter the government. However, since the Xiao family is not a noble family and Xiao Jingduo does not want to rely on Xiao Ying, he has to take a much harder path.

Although the imperial examination system of the previous dynasty was only in place for a few years, it was an earth-shattering opportunity for countless commoners. For thousands of years, officials had always been officials, and commoners remained commoners for generations, with no possibility of changing their status. However, the previous emperor’s unprecedented method opened a path to success for countless children of humble families. Even though the chances were slim, it provided a glimmer of hope for changing one’s fate.

Now, a new dynasty has taken the throne and renamed the land. Although the imperial examination system has not yet been reinstated, Xiao Jingduo has a nearly unwavering intuition that the current beautiful and warlike new royal family will not abandon this path.

The power of noble families has been too great for hundreds of years, firmly occupying high positions and ruthlessly seizing power and wealth while preventing others from rising. The noble families implemented a selection system based on family background, which greatly disadvantaged humble families, leaving commoners almost no chance to change their fate, except for seizing opportunities in chaotic times. This poses a great danger to the country and to the monarch.

Thus, Xiao Jingduo is confident that the imperial examination system will be reinstated. What he needs to do is to prepare in advance by studying and practicing calligraphy, so that when the examination resumes, he can register and enter the court as an official. He manipulated the situation to have the old lady invite Chu Shuxin to the mansion to teach, precisely because of Chu Shuxin’s background as an aspiring scholar. To this end, Xiao Jingduo intentionally provoked Xiao Jinghu to ensure he could legitimately attend the lessons.

Sometimes Xiao Jingduo felt that he himself was a terrifying person. His mother had been in critical condition several times, and while Xiao Ying was certainly the main culprit, the old madam was also an accomplice. Yet he could sit in the same room with the old madam, maintaining a neither-close-nor-distant relationship. He knew the old madam felt guilty towards him, so he deliberately kept her at arm’s length, making her feel that with a little more effort, she could melt the barrier in Xiao Jingduo’s heart. As a result, she continuously accommodated him.

However, strangely enough, while he was willing to maintain a facade with the old madam who had aided the villain, he was not willing to compromise with Xiao Ying at all. In fact, he didn’t need to go through all this trouble. If he just asked, someone would naturally arrange a good tutor for him, and even arrange his future official position. The prerequisite was that he had to bow his head and submit to Xiao Ying.

But Xiao Jingduo was unwilling to do so.

So he could only rack his brains and use various unorthodox methods to achieve his goals.

Xiao Jingduo was quite open about using these unorthodox methods. He admitted that his intentions were not pure, but as long as he could grasp the possibility of the imperial examination and hold onto that sliver of hope for an official position, he was willing to give it his all.

The journey to become an official had just begun.

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Author’s note:

Small scene:

Old Madam: These maids are really troublesome; they only know how to play with my grandson all day.

Maid: ?

Old Madam: What’s more infuriating is that Tiger (Xiao Jinghu) doesn’t listen to me, but as soon as they speak, he puts down his wooden sword and follows them outside to play. It really makes me furious!

Maid: ???

Maid: What happened?

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