Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 58

Chapter 58 - Xie Shi'an as Top Scholar 

Yunchu curled her lips in a cold smile.

A leopard cannot change its spots, and Xie Shiwei would never truly turn over a new leaf in his entire life.

After receiving that brutal thrashing, he had merely learned how to put on a mask of compliance.

Yunchu spoke up, "Consort Concubine Yu says he pushed him, and you say you did not. Each has their own version of the truth, so why not let Yun'er speak for himself?"

Lowering his head, Xie Shi-yun nervously twisted his hands together.

Consort Concubine Yu was so anxious she wanted to stamp her feet. "Yun'er, Madam is right here. Just speak the honest truth to Madam; she cares for you the most and will definitely seek justice for you."

Xie Shiwei's lips twitched slightly as he intervened, "Yun'er, the tutor taught us that children must never tell lies."

"Mother, Second Brother did not bully me..." Xie Shi-yun buried his head extremely low. "It—it was just my concubine mother seeing things wrongly."

Consort Concubine Yu could hardly believe her ears and wanted to press the matter further.

Yunchu directly set down her teacup. "Wei'er says he didn't push him, and Yun'er says the same. Consort Concubine Yu, isn't this simply making something out of nothing on your part?"

Consort Concubine Yu opened her mouth to argue, "Madam, this concubine did not fabricate anything out of thin air..."

"I still have a multitude of matters to attend to; you may all take your leave." Yunchu picked up a book and began reading.

Tingshuang made a polite gesture inviting them out.

Leading Xie Shi-yun out, Consort Concubine Yu wore a frosty expression as she rebuked, "I clearly witnessed him bullying you! Why on earth didn't you dare admit it in front of Madam?"

"What kind of talk is that, Consort Concubine Yu?" Xie Shiwei sauntered over from the side. "Actually, Yun'er and I were just playing around; you were the only one who took it seriously and actually made a fuss all the way to Mother's place. Mother is so busy every day—how could she possibly have time to deal with such trivial nonsense?"

As he spoke, he threw a heavy arm around Xie Shi-yun's shoulders. "Yun'er, the tutor assigned homework; let's go write it together."

Once they had left Consort Concubine Yu far behind, Xie Shiwei's voice dropped to a cold, menacing register. "You performed quite well in front of Mother today, and I am quite satisfied. Keep this firmly in mind: in the future, my eldest brother will be the head of the Xie household. If you don't obey me obediently, once my eldest brother takes over as family head, I'll have him drive Consort Concubine Yu out of the Xie estate, cast her out into the streets to become a common prostitute, and make you unable to ever hold your head high for the rest of your life!"

"Second Brother, I'll be obedient! I'll listen to you!" The mere thought of his mother being driven away terrified Xie Shi-yun so badly that tears welled up in his eyes.

Now that Madam no longer favored him, if even Consort Concubine Yu—the only person who protected him—were to leave, what would become of him?

With tear-filled eyes, he began frantically writing out the homework assigned by the tutor. Whereas he used to write every single stroke with careful dedication, with Xie Shiwei looming over him, he could only scribble like a possessed ghost, completely oblivious to what he was even writing...

Xie Shiwei nodded in immense satisfaction. So long as his writing looked slightly better than Yun'er's, their father and mother would certainly never scold him again.

Entering the fifth month, the temperature began to rise steadily.

Awakening early in the morning, Yunchu found a thin layer of sweat already coating her brow.

"It was still as cold as winter back in April; why has it suddenly gotten so hot?" Tingshuang glanced up at the sun. "I'm afraid it's going to be bright and clear skies for the next half month or more."

Yunchu knew that it wouldn't just be half a month. For the next four or five months, right up until October, it would only grow increasingly scorching. Fortunately, there would occasionally be a few torrential downpours; otherwise, a severe drought would inevitably spark a famine, plunging the lives of the common folk into even greater misery.

She asked, "Has any news arrived yet?"

Today was precisely the day the provincial courtyard examination results were posted. She had dispatched two servant boys to view the official rankings, and by this hour, the notices should have already been put up.

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Tingsue rushed inside, panting heavily. "Madam, the yamen has sent officials to deliver the good news! Eldest Young Master has passed the provincial examinations as a certified scholar, and he secured the position of top scholar!"

A smile bloomed across Yunchu's face, though that smile failed to reach the depths of her eyes.

With all the trials and turmoils that had shaken the Xie residence over this past period, Xie Shi'an had still managed to clinch first place; she had to concede that this boy possessed a natural aptitude for scholarship.

Were it not for the fact that Xie Shi'an would later turn his spearheads directly against the Yun family, she would scarcely have wished to ruin such a pillar of the nation.

She instructed, "Quickly go summon the Old Madam, the Lady, the Master, as well as the concubines, young masters, and young misses. We are all going out to the front gates to welcome the good news!"

Xie Zhongcheng, who was rarely present within the residence, had returned home early to await word. Hearing that officials from the yamen had arrived with glad tidings, he charged out ahead of everyone else, striding swiftly to the front entrance of the Xie estate, where Xie Jingyu had already brought Xie Shi-an to stand at the base of the stone steps.

The heralds sent by the yamen consisted of four runners beating gongs and drums, a commotion that instantly drew every onlooker in the surrounding area.

"To pass the examinations as a certified scholar at the tender age of twelve and even capture the top spot—truly, the younger generation is to be feared and respected."

"Several years ago, Lord Xie was personally appointed as the top imperial scholar by His Majesty; in my view, this Young Master Xie will likely prove no less exceptional. Who knows, perhaps the future will see a household boasting two top scholars."

"Lord Xie and Madam Xie have raised and educated their children with exemplary methods, and with the Yun family backing them as a shield, I reckon this Young Master Xie will undoubtedly achieve the rare feat of taking first place in all three major examinations, securing a lofty position among the imperial court's high-ranking ministers!"

"..."

The gathering crowd buzzed with animated discussion, their gazes fixed upon Xie Shi'an filled with profound admiration.

Standing tall with his chest puffed out, Xie Shi'an basked in the moment. At this juncture, he felt utterly brimming with high spirits, as though he could already catch a glimpse of himself a decade into the future—even if he weren't head of the hundred officials, he would undeniably stand among the most powerful ministers of state...

The Old Madam instructed a servant to hand out a generous red packet filled with money to each of the four yamen runners, containing a full ten liang of silver per person—a remarkably lavish display of wealth.

Cupping his hands in a salute toward the surrounding spectators, Xie Zhongcheng announced, "The Xie family will host a banquet on an auspicious day; everyone is welcome to come partake in our wine and share in this joyous occasion!"

The crowd naturally offered enthusiastic assent.

Once the well-wishers had dispersed, the entire household swarmed around Xie Shi'an in celebration.

Reaching out, the Old Madam stroked his head. "An'er, our Xie family's future rests entirely upon your shoulders from this day forward."

Xie Zhongcheng chimed in, "When your grandfather was your age, he wasn't even a recognized child scholar. Seeing you capture the top rank in the provincial courtyard examinations feels like the fulfillment of your grandfather's youthful dreams. You must continue to study with unflagging diligence, striving to claim the title of top provincial graduate in the upcoming provincial capital exams."

Lady Yuan was beside herself with elated joy.

Back when An'er was only three years old, his tutor had declared that he possessed extraordinary potential for learning, urging her to secure an exceptional teacher for him at all costs.

In those days, An'er lacked proper standing and could only attend the most ordinary private schools. To secure access to a superior academy, she had repeatedly and persistently pushed for An'er to be officially acknowledged and re-integrated into the clan registry. Fortunately, all her plotting and maneuvering had paid off; An'er had not failed her expectations, and his future was boundless.

With misty, tear-blurred eyes, she gazed toward Xie Shi'an, laughing and weeping all at once.

Standing off to the side, Consort Concubine Tao furrowed her brow slightly. Granted, the eldest young master achieving the top rank was indeed an event worth celebrating, but for a concubine, wasn't her display of jubilation a bit excessive?

If it were like the legitimate wife, who had no children of her own and treated the eldest young master as her biological son, such overflowing joy would be entirely natural.

As for herself, possessing a biological child of her own, amidst the celebration she couldn't help a lingering anxiety that the Master might place excessive weight on the eldest young master while overlooking her own child...

Just what on earth was Consort Concubine He so thrilled about?

Taking charge, Yunchu ordered that monetary rewards be distributed to every single servant across the estate, before turning to ask, "Old Madam, when shall we host the celebration banquet?"

The Old Madam directed her gaze toward Xie Jingyu.

"Tomorrow happens to be the official rest day for the hundred officials, making it the perfect opportunity to widely entertain our guests." Xie Jingyu looked over at Yunchu. "I wonder if Madam will have sufficient time to prepare everything?"

Yunchu nodded in assent. "All preparations have been steadily put in place over the past few days; we are ready to host the banquet at any moment."

Lady Yuan sighed with deep emotion. "Leaving the affairs of this household in Chuer's hands means one virtually never has to worry about a thing. Ping'er, you ought to learn more from your mother."

Lowering her head hastily, Xie Ping replied, "Yes, Grandmother, I will surely study diligently."

With the banquet slated for the very next day, a mountain of tasks awaited immediate attention. Yunchu instructed Tingshuang to take Xie Ping along to handle the remaining logistical arrangements.

Tingshuang was a managerial maidservant personally trained under her mother's meticulous guidance; with Tingshuang managing things, she felt absolute peace of mind.

No sooner had she finished giving her instructions than a servant hurried in to report that Madam Dou was requesting an audience.