The Marquis of Zhenbei happened to be going out when he came across the top scholar riding his horse through the streets in front of his house.
With just one glance, he saw Lin Rui'an sitting majestically on horseback, and at that moment he felt a pang of unease.
It tastes sour, astringent, and bitter.
He couldn't say it.
Soon, Lin Wanwan appeared out of nowhere in the crowd, riding on a man's shoulders, smiling radiantly.
The man was actually... the Regent?
A bastard child, and the regent treats her like a treasure? He even personally rides on her neck?
The whispers of passersby gradually reached the ears of the Marquis of Zhenbei, nearly driving him to his death with anger.
"I think this scheme backfired. If it weren't for the Marquis of Zhenbei's scheme against Ye Lanyin, he wouldn't have such an outstanding son. It seems the bloodline is quite good."
"I also think it's because of good bloodline, but I don't know which powerful family the biological father is from."
"Why didn't I have such a background?"
"You? Come on, get back to tilling the land, haha..."
“Hey, don’t interrupt. This time, Marquis Zhenbei has really lost both his wife and his back. Even if this son wasn’t his own, if his affair with Zou Shuang’er hadn’t been discovered and he had been devoted to Ye Lanyin, the secret might not have been exposed, and this child could have brought honor to his family.”
"Come on, he's been scheming for over a decade! How could a treacherous person be devoted to Ye Lanyin? I think Ye Lanyin, though divorced, is a woman of strong character."
"Who says otherwise? Blame it on the Marquis of Zhenbei for being blind and having eyes in his backside, falling for a wicked woman like Zou Shuang'er. The child born to him may be clever, but he is wicked."
"That's right. In life, besides a thoroughbred horse, you also need a discerning eye. The right time, the right place, and the right people are all essential. If you have to blame someone, blame Lin Shixuan for his bad timing."
With his face trampled underfoot, Zhenbei Hou looked at Ye Lanyin's smug expression and then at Zou Shuang'er's resentful face.
He truly regrets his actions.
If it weren't for Zou Shuang'er, Lin Rui'an would still be calling him "Dad" now. Although he's not his son, Lin Rui'an's success would have benefited him, and he wouldn't be in his current situation.
My promising future is all gone.
Looking into the Zhenbei Marquis's staring eyes, Zou Shuang'er bit her lip and said, "Ye Lanyin is really lucky. When Lin Rui'an was in the manor, his health was deteriorating day by day. Now he not only passed the imperial examination as the second-highest scorer but can also ride a horse."
"Master, you're not having second thoughts, are you?"
Seeing that Zou Shuang'er was deliberately bringing up a sore spot, Lin Shixuan angrily stepped forward and raised his hand to slap Zou Shuang'er hard.
"Smack!"
The sound was so loud that even Ye Lanyin, who had already walked away, could hear it clearly.
"Mother, are you trying to drive me to my death?"
Zou Shuang'er's face stung from the slap, and looking at her once beloved son, she could no longer hold back.
Why does Ye Lanyin always win against her? Why is her son so outstanding, yet she still loses to Ye Lanyin?
She glared at Lin Rui'an and said angrily, "You want to be angry? You think I'm going to be angry with you now? I went to great lengths to make you recognize Ye Lanyin as your mother so that your future would be bright. You have no ability yourself, and you blame others for saying such things?"
"Back then, how much money did I spend on your wedding, and how much of my own savings did I use to send you to school? How have you ever repaid me?"
"Wanqing is dead, I have nothing left, and I still have to serve your grandmother every day. Now even my own son is bullying me!!"
Lin Shixuan snorted coldly and looked into the distance.
"Isn't all of this your doing?"
"It was you who insisted on going to the brothel and exposing yourself; it was you who gave Ye Lanyin leverage over you. Who can you blame?"
"Father." Lin Shixuan looked at the old man in front of him: "Lin Rui'an is now a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, a seventh-rank official. When you see him on duty in the future, you should avoid him."
He would absolutely not allow Lin Rui'an to have the chance to humiliate him, not even once.
Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Zhenbei nodded guiltily, "Don't worry, we're not in the same place, we won't see each other."
"Hmm." After saying that, he stretched his hand in front of the Marquis of Zhenbei. "Has this month's salary been paid? Give it to me."
"Shixuan, your grandmother is not well these days and needs money, so let's not give you any this month?"
"Grandmother is getting old. Are you sure you want to spend so much money on her medical treatment?" Lin Shixuan felt disgusted when he thought of that old woman. If she hadn't always exploited Ye Lanyin, how could Ye Lanyin have ever come to her senses?
To be honest, it's all that old woman's fault.
Looking at his son, who no longer recognized his own family, the Marquis of Zhenbei's eyes were completely devoid of the love he once had for Lin Shixuan.
This son is such an ingrate.
His mother was so good to him back then, but now she won't even give him a single copper coin. If he were to fall ill and be bedridden in the future, would she treat him the same way?
"The money hasn't been paid yet. I'll give it to you when it's paid."
Lin Shixuan's brow twitched. "Haven't sent it yet?"
Feeling somewhat guilty under Lin Shixuan's gaze, the Marquis of Zhenbei avoided his eyes. "You know the current predicament of the Marquis's mansion. How many people in the officialdom are impeaching me? Do you think His Majesty will give me the silver immediately?"
He then glanced again at the procession that was gradually disappearing into the distance, and pretended to be dissatisfied as he walked into the mansion.
Originally, all these honors belonged to him. How could he have thought that only Lin Shixuan could pass the imperial examination?
The Ye family has a history of over a hundred years, and their bloodline is definitely not inferior. If he had known the outcome back then, he would never have let Zou Shuang'er be discovered.
As they paraded through the streets, many women followed them, each expressing their affections to the three men on horseback, hoping to win their favor.
Some candidates who passed the imperial examinations and became Jinshi or Tongjinshi dared not say their names on the street, for fear of being dragged away and unable to return home.
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