The Marquis Mansion’s Elite Class

Xu Wan smiled like a wicked queen: "It's just a test of your knowledge to see if you meet the admission standards of the Hanlin Academy."

If she didn't knock some sense into this kid, he would never understand that his "two taels of ink" were only enough to get him through the entrance exam, and nothing more.

Zong Jincheng was usually quite confident.

But when it came to the unfamiliar term "exam," his heart couldn't help but tremble.

What would the entrance exam at the Hanlin Academy cover?

Would it include things he was good at, like cricket fighting, horse racing, or cuju?

Surely they wouldn't start by making him recite poetry and prose...

No, that couldn't be.

According to his friends, many young masters his age couldn't even recite the Four Books and Five Classics.

After all, those academies were still in it for the money. They wouldn't set an excessively high threshold and turn away a direct grandson of a marquis's household, would they?

Zong Jincheng made up his mind.

Attending the Hanlin Academy was the quickest way for him to escape Xu Wan's clutches.

There was no mountain of swords or sea of fire waiting for him.

He would go!

"Alright, I'll take the exam. I'll go tomorrow!"

It was just a small exam; Zong the Young Master wasn't afraid at all!

Xu Wan nodded, feeling somewhat relieved, and said to Cui Zhi, "Then go prepare."

Cui Zhi: "Yes, the Hanlin Academy already has writing materials, so I'll just prepare some dry rations for the young master."

Zong Jincheng was about to leave.

But upon hearing this, he was suddenly confused: "???"

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"Dry rations? What dry rations??"

Wasn't he just going to take an exam?

Why did he need to prepare dry rations?

He wasn't about to move out of the marquis's residence immediately!

Cui Zhi smiled and explained, "Young master, you may not know, but the Hanlin Academy is the best academy in our capital. There's even a saying that 'entering the Hanlin Academy is like stepping into a career in government.' That's why scholars from all over Great Chu are desperate to study here. The entrance exam is naturally more difficult than usual, lasting from morning till evening. One needs to prepare dry rations in advance to avoid going hungry."

"..."

The little devil's face visibly turned from white to green, from green to black, and from black to purple.

An entrance exam that tested so much—was this something a human could handle?!

"I'm not taking it! I'm not going!" Zong Jincheng, facing the difficulty, decisively gave up.

Come on, with that amount of work, he'd lose all face and dignity if he went.

It was better to give up early!

Xu Wan was unexpectedly caught off guard by this turn of events.

She hadn't expected Cui Zhi to reveal the difficulty of the Hanlin Academy so candidly, scaring the little devil into giving up before she could even lure him there.

Xu Wan frowned and shot a cold glance at Cui Zhi, who quickly lowered her head.

Cui Zhi was, after all, a senior maidservant by the old lady's side. Although she was usually quite steady, she didn't regard Xu Wan on the same level as the old lady, which led to her casual tone and this slip of the tongue. She was now filled with regret.

But Xu Wan only glanced at her once.

Then, as if nothing had happened, she said to Zong Jincheng, "If you want to go to an academy, you can only go to the Hanlin Academy. As for elsewhere, I don't permit it."

Her words were neither light nor heavy, yet they carried a forceful tone, as if declaring her dominance.

Xu Wan knew that she couldn't trick Zong Jincheng anymore, so she decided to lay her cards on the table and simply forbid it.

If he really had the ability, then he could try to pass the exam.

Zong Jincheng was both angry and frustrated.

But under Xu Wan's authority, there was nothing he could do except vent his impotent rage: "You just want to force me to study! I've already seen through you!"

Xu Wan admitted without flinching, "Yes, so what?"

Did seeing through her make any difference?

Could it knock her down to the ground?

Could it overthrow her authoritarian rule and let him become the master?

The answer was, of course, no.

Zong Jincheng clenched his fists in anger, then released them, and turned to run out.

Damn it!

Damn it!

This wicked woman!

Just how many lifetimes of bad luck had he accumulated to meet someone like her to torment him!

Zong Jincheng's anger and resentment grew stronger. He started to resent his grandparents for not caring about him, then his mother for being absent, and finally his cousin Zong Zhao for not coming home. Otherwise, how could he, the direct grandson of the marquis, be living such a miserable life!

The marquis's residence was supposed to be his home, yet now it felt like he was living under someone else's roof!

It started to rain, fine rain falling from the sky, wetting Zong Jincheng's eyes.

Behind him, Shunzi's anxious voice called out, "Young master, please slow down. The road is slippery in the rain. Be careful not to fall. I have an umbrella..."

Zong Jincheng ignored Shunzi's voice. He wiped the rain from his face and ran forward with his head down.

Wicked woman.

Don't think I'll beg for mercy.

You can forget it. I won't cry, and I won't admit defeat!!

The rain grew heavier, but the little figure running in the rain grew faster, as if silently competing with someone.

"Ah——"

Just as Zong Jincheng ran out of the courtyard, he didn't notice the person kneeling at the corner and crashed right into them!

"Thud——"

The little devil, being tough and resilient, got up from the ground as if nothing had happened. He wiped the rain from his forehead and only then recognized who was in front of him.

Zong Wenxiu.

The second branch's illegitimate son.

Zong Wenxiu was about the same age as him and had grown up in the slums. Even after being brought back to the marquis's residence, he still wore coarse cloth clothes every day. Although they were neat and clean, he still looked like a country bumpkin to outsiders.

Zong Jincheng didn't like talking to him.

Because his friends would laugh at him for having a country bumpkin brother, which was embarrassing.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Zong Wenxiu was knocked to the ground and couldn't get up for a while, nor did he respond.

Seeing that he didn't answer, Zong Jincheng knelt down to check and noticed that the rain on his body had turned red. He exclaimed in worry, "You're bleeding?"

Zong Jincheng immediately turned to call out, "Shunzi, Shunzi, quickly call the government doctor to come and take a look."

"Yes, yes, I'll go get them right away!" Shunzi handed the umbrella to Zong Jincheng and ran out quickly.

Zong Jincheng wasn't afraid of getting wet in the rain, but with this person injured, it was better to have an umbrella.

Thinking this, the pampered young master of the marquis's household held the umbrella over both of them: "Are you alright? The family doctor will be here soon."

With the umbrella blocking the rain, Zong Wenxiu finally got up from the ground. He said he was fine and knelt back in place.

The young boy's posture was as straight as a pillar, and even with blood streaming from his nose, his clear eyes remained unchanged, as if the blood wasn't his.

Zong Jincheng stared in amazement, finally noticing his posture, and asked in surprise, "It's raining, and you're injured. Why are you kneeling here? Did that woman also torment you?"

They say that the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Thinking this might be Xu Wan's doing, Zong Jincheng immediately felt he was no longer alone.

He wanted to join forces with Zong Wenxiu to defeat that wicked woman who had taken over his home!

Little did he know, his imagination was all wrong.

Zong Wenxiu raised his head, the rain sliding down from above. His thin frame was now completely soaked, making him look like a homeless kitten.

After a while, he said, "I came to beg an audience with the Lady."