The sudden hardship filled Xu Mo with wariness, his cool pupils filled with indifference, as if devoid of any emotion.
Jiang Chengfeng felt a chill run down his spine as he met his gaze.
Fortunately, Jiang Sheng's words, "Big brother is awake," broke the oppressive atmosphere. The chubby little girl rushed over, shattering all the indifference and solemnity.
Like an iceberg meeting lava, or like spring rain washing over his heart, Xu Mo visibly softened, a smile appearing at the corner of his eyes, "What are you all doing here?"
"And you're one to talk! You haven't come home for most of the day. If we hadn't come out to look for you, you would have been eaten." Jiang Sheng imitated the monster from the comic book, baring her teeth and brandishing her claws. "Luckily, Fifth Brother and Brother Jiang helped us."
"Young Master, and me too." Jiang San poked his head in from outside.
“Me too, me too!” Jiang Si retorted, not wanting to be left behind.
Chang Yan, who had been calm, opened his eyes and made a move to kick the two of them out, saying, "Watch where you're going."
Everyone laughed, and Xu Mo laughed too. But as he laughed, he remembered what had happened that day, and his face turned cold again.
"Brother, you should tell us what happened." Changyan's voice rang out at the right time.
Actually, things aren't complicated.
Rewind to the time when Jiuzhenfang was engaged in a business battle with the Liao family, Xu Mo met two friends at the Imperial College.
At first, they just discussed some literary allusions, but later they gradually encouraged him to go out drinking and having fun, and even used "armchair strategist" as an argument that "practical combat" is worse than "armchair strategist".
Xu Mo found it amusing and refused them verbally, gradually distancing himself from the two. However, they became increasingly explicit and even invited him to witness the pleasures of men and women.
The purpose of the two men here is quite clear: to hinder Xu Mo and make him lose interest in studying. It is self-evident who arranged this.
Xu Mo was greatly disappointed and gave him a stern scolding.
It wasn't because their motives were sordid, but because these students, who came from humble backgrounds and were able to study at the Imperial Academy, didn't focus on the imperial examinations. Instead, they were bribed with a mere five bushels of silver, forgetting their conscience and their studies.
After that, the two of them calmed down a lot.
Until yesterday.
Xu, a scholar of integrity and upright character, had just stepped out of the Imperial Academy when he was stopped by two classmates.
One of them bowed and apologized, saying, "We were wrong before, and we hope Brother Xu will not hold a grudge and can talk to us about the past and present again."
He bowed slightly and said, "To express our apologies, we have spent a lot of money to invite a mentor for Brother Xu."
Whether or not one holds a grudge is another matter, but what is an enlightener?
Xu Mo was a little confused when he saw the two of them suddenly appear, revealing the alluring girl behind them.
The girl wasn't very old, and her clothes weren't particularly revealing, but her actions were irresistible. Not only did she throw a flirtatious glance at you, but she also bluntly said, "You scholars, you're just trying to enlighten yourselves, why do you have to talk about romance and nature? If the girls in our Hundred Flowers Pavilion don't have some learning, they won't catch your eye."
She approached slowly, her perfumed scent mingling with her soft, gentle voice, "What does the young master like to talk about? Mei Niang knows a little bit about everything. The Four Books and Five Classics? Or the Analects and the Great Learning?"
Xu Mo dared not answer, unable to utter a word, frozen in place.
Since he became conscious, apart from his mother, he had only ever held Jiang Sheng in his arms and had never had close contact with any other woman.
Not to mention a woman who is alluring and blatant, with ulterior motives.
"I am Xu... I am on my way home, please make way for me, young lady." He tried to remain calm, "Please don't block my path."
"You bookworm," Mei Niang said coquettishly. "Where am I blocking your way? I'm taking you to a happier place. Why don't you come and try it, young master? I guarantee you'll be captivated to the core and never forget it."
Her voice seemed to have been deliberately trained, carrying a bewitching and charming quality, especially her breathy tone, which was extremely captivating.
Xu Mo closed his eyes.
Buddhist scriptures say that when the mind and spirit are united, one can resist all delusions.
The scene of his parents' suicide and the great tragedy that followed kept replaying in his mind. Thinking of his younger siblings waiting for him at home, Xu Mo opened his eyes, took two steps back coldly, and turned away with a flick of his sleeve.
"Young Master!" Mei Niang cried out in disbelief.
“Brother Xu,” his two classmates also scolded, “how can you be so cold-hearted?”
Xu Mo ignored him and strode forward until he reached the second courtyard, where he finally let out a long sigh of relief.
The feigned coldness melted away, and a faint blush appeared on his handsome face, slowly fading away only late at night.
So, their upright and honest elder brother was harassed by a courtesan?
Upon reaching this conclusion, the younger siblings both wore restrained expressions.
During the long banquet, he seemed hesitant to speak.
“I know you want to ask why I didn’t tell you.” Xu Mo’s face flushed slightly again. “Because the Fang family didn’t dare to hurt me, because their methods… were too shameless.”
This is because, for someone who lacks self-control, what could be described as utter destruction cannot shake them in the slightest.
Too many things happened at the Imperial College.
Making friends, discovering unpleasant things, avoiding powerful figures, or being slightly harassed—Xu Mo resolved all the issues that could be resolved with ease.
He couldn't possibly tell his younger siblings everything in detail and go to great lengths to plan ahead.
However, this time, the Fang family's methods were somewhat unexpected—they used something shameful to mislead their opponents, and then suddenly unleashed a powerful move.
"In the end, I underestimated my opponent." Xu Mo lowered his eyelashes in a dejected manner.
He didn't even have time to feel guilty, because the Fang family, having failed in their attack, would only become more covetous. Even if they didn't resort to other methods, just having some courtesans continue to harass him would be enough to embarrass Xu Mo.
It's the end of August now, and the imperial examination will be held in February next year, a full six months away.
For the past six months, I've been constantly on guard, and every night I'm restless.
Xu Mo frowned, putting aside even the possibility of revenge, only wanting to focus on his studies.
This imperial examination was the most crucial test of his life and a turning point in his life.
Only success is allowed; failure is not permitted.
"Brother, don't worry too much. You can have Jiang San and Jiang Si be your pageboys." Chang Yan sighed. "The Fang family is bullying you because you have no one by your side."
With their skills, they can fight or retreat, attack or defend.
Xu Mo pursed his lips and remained silent, seemingly considering the feasibility.
Unable to offer any advice, Jiang Sheng and Wen Zhiyun could only watch helplessly.
In the tense and quiet atmosphere, Jiang Chengfeng, who had been ignored for a long time, cleared his throat and said, "These two brothers are extremely skilled."
Jiang San and Jiang Si outside proudly raised their necks, like geese at the village entrance.
“But…” he changed his tone, “when facing high-ranking officials and nobles in person, no matter how good your skills are, it’s useless.”
The goose's neck is broken.
Chang Yan tapped his right hand on the back of his left, indicating that he was also thinking. "If the Fang family can resort to such low-down tricks as prostitutes, it's not impossible that they would bring in high-ranking officials to make things difficult for my elder brother."
Unfortunately, Fengjing values power above all else, so even if Xu Mo is able to handle it, he will inevitably be humiliated and suffer some hardship.
Ultimately, it was his status as a poor student that made him too ordinary.
The Fang family is capable of deceiving, classmates dare to scheme against each other, and even courtesans have the audacity to curry favor with them.
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