As the only eldest brother in the family, with his second brother Zheng Ruqian being unreliable and his third brother Fang Heng not being home, Xu Mo almost single-handedly became a role model for his younger siblings.
He was courteous, diligent, conscientious, and punctual.
Whenever Xu Mo arranged a time, he would always arrive early, never late.
Yesterday, he also told Zheng Ruqian that after returning from the Imperial College, he would help review the accounts for the past three days, gradually analyze the customer flow at Tianjiekou, and focus on developing the pastry category in the future.
It was past lunchtime, and Xu Mo was still nowhere to be seen.
Changyan was the first to stand up, frowning as he said, "Something might have happened to my elder brother."
Everyone else was startled. Zheng Ruqian stopped worrying about the pastry shop and stammered, "No...no way, my brother goes to and from school every day. The Imperial Academy is only a short distance away. What could possibly happen?"
Most importantly, this is Fengjing.
It was neither the remote Xieyang County nor the manpower-deficient Anshui Prefecture.
There were more yamen runners in Fengjing than homeless children in Xieyang County. There was a sentry post every three steps and a checkpoint every five steps. Soldiers on horseback could be seen everywhere, and there were rows of spearmen at the gate.
Who dares to snatch students from the Imperial Academy here and bully a dignified top scholar?
Zheng Ruqian thought it was impossible.
Only Chang Yan said solemnly, "Why is it impossible? Fengjing is full of high-ranking officials and nobles. With them around, what is impossible?"
Zheng Ruqian was speechless.
Jiang Sheng and Wen Zhiyun, who were standing nearby, became nervous and said in unison, "Let's go find our eldest brother."
No matter what dangers they face, they will face them together.
Zheng Ruqian and Chang Yan got up at the same time. Taking advantage of his height and long legs, Zheng Ruqian was the first to rush to the courtyard gate, opened the wooden door, and vaguely saw a human figure.
He was still in shock.
Jiang Sheng, who was behind him, shouted and rushed over, "Big Brother!"
Oh, it's Xu Mo. It's alright then.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and under the moonlight, they pulled Xu Mo up and led him into the room.
It was at this moment, when the candles were lit, that the younger siblings realized that their eldest brother, who was usually so refined and elegant, and who could always look clean and dignified even in a cotton robe, was actually in a disheveled state.
His face was covered in mud and grime, his clothes were tattered, and his sleeves were torn into strips, revealing the white cotton inside.
"Big brother." Jiang Sheng was almost in tears, frantically trying to pull off Xu Mo's clothes.
The stunned person finally came to their senses, pressed their sister's hand, and whispered, "I'm fine."
"Your clothes are all torn, I wonder if you have any wounds on your body." Zheng Ruqian also raised his voice and lifted his elder brother's cotton-padded coat, revealing his fair skin.
Thank goodness, although there were some red marks, there was no scene of flesh and blood flying everywhere.
The younger siblings all breathed a sigh of relief.
Xu Mo's cheeks flushed slightly. He covered himself with his clothes back in embarrassment and said reproachfully, "Second brother, your little sister is all grown up now!"
When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they are well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame.
While it's not a big deal for siblings to share a piece of pastry, they should still avoid exposing their skin to the younger sister. After all, there are differences between men and women, and while they may be close, they should still respect boundaries.
Jiang Sheng, standing to the side, craned her neck to look, completely bewildered, not understanding what it meant.
Xu Mo let out another breath and ruffled her little bun. "I'm fine, it's just that Zhu Sihuan gave me some news that shocked me."
Just yesterday, Zhu Sihuan and the Tao family girl exchanged betrothal gifts and signed their marriage certificate.
According to the rules of our ancestors, they were unmarried men and women who could invite each other out or keep each other company.
Zhu Sihuan and Miss Tao could be considered childhood sweethearts. However, Miss Tao was two years older than him and always treated him like a younger brother. It wasn't until they set their wedding date for January of the following year that Miss Tao truly took this husband, who was two years younger than her, seriously.
In the afternoon, the two chatted on the street. Zhu Sihuan couldn't help but express his admiration for Tao over the years and promised that he would definitely pass the imperial examination in three years and would never let the girl be looked down upon by her family.
It was at this moment that Miss Tao asked in surprise, "Didn't the Zhu family try to help you pass the imperial examination?"
"Think of a way?" Zhu Sihuan was stunned.
What solutions are needed?
The imperial examination for the title of Juren was not the fairest and most impartial examination, so it was impossible to cheat or engage in any deception.
Thanks to Miss Tao's sincere treatment after her silence, Zhu Sihuan learned that there was also a guessing game involved in the imperial examination for the title of Juren.
Those who guess the questions correctly and memorize the standard answers in advance will stand out and overcome all obstacles.
This is normal; everyone has guessed the exam questions before.
However, the imperial examination for the title of Juren not only included question-and-answer papers, but also lengthy essays on specific topics.
These kinds of articles usually don't have standard answers, and it's impossible to memorize them all. You can only choose two that are most likely to be tested and write them down in the examination hall.
Some people take the exam eight or nine times before they pass. It might be because they lack literary talent, or they might have guessed the wrong questions. They only succeed by sheer luck on their last attempt.
“But that’s not excessive,” Xu Mo said, puzzled. “Whether the article was written regularly or temporarily in the examination hall, it was written by this person, and it represents this person’s talent.”
It would be incredibly lucky to see the exam questions you once wrote in the Imperial Examination Hall.
Zhu Sihuan shook his head with a wry smile, "Brother Xu, you really think too highly of people. Since everyone is memorizing the gambling questions, would someone with average writing skills memorize their own or someone else's?"
If he can truly write excellent essays on his own, why would he need to painstakingly memorize two essays before the exam? Couldn't he improvise or create something new on the spot?
Xu Mo wasn't stupid. These words were like thunder in his ears, washing away his traditional understanding of the imperial examination system and helping him find direction in his uncertain future.
After ruining Zhu Zhi's marriage, he was unsure how to deal with Zhu Zhi in a way that would not implicate his younger siblings but also allow him to get revenge.
Zhu Sihuan's words opened up a new world for him and made him determined to destroy Zhu Zhi.
"If this succeeds, great; if it fails, it will at least weed out the parasites in the imperial examination system who dream of rising to the top by gambling on exam questions," Xu Mo said in a deep voice. "If this step still doesn't work, then I'll have to resort to my last move."
Zheng Ruqian, Jiang Sheng, Wen Zhiyun, and Chang Yan all remained silent.
They didn't dare ask Xu Mo what his final move was; they could sense that it was probably a method Xu Mo would fight desperately for.
After a long silence, Chang Yan finally broke the silence with a forced smile, "The Tao family already knows that Zhu Zhi's status as a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations) may be illegitimate, and that a Juren status is required for marriage negotiations. They are a family that puts on airs."
As it turns out, he was indeed putting on airs.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible to arrange a marriage between Miss Tao and Zhu Sihuan, who was still a scholar, for the sake of more cooperation between the two families and for their own benefit.
“No matter how high and mighty they are, they are still a prominent family in Fengjing, and they have to save face.” Xu Mo thought of another angle, “If Zhu Sihuan didn’t have the title of Young Master Sihuan, the Tao family would never betroth him.”
Just like the Zhu family, even though they knew that Zhu Zhi's success in the imperial examination was likely obtained through gambling, they would still abandon Zhu Zhi without hesitation once the matter was exposed.
For aristocratic families, what they value most is their reputation.
Xu Mo pursed his lips slightly, his eyes revealing determination and persistence.
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