Chapter 117 The Turmoil at the Xu Residence, Watching the Rain in the Courtyard...
Master Xu and his apprentice Song rode in a sedan chair back to their residence. On the way, the sedan chair carrier, without any sense of propriety, swayed violently.
Song Yin nearly fell over, but luckily she grabbed the handrail to steady herself. She hissed and yelled, "You son of a bitch, are you trying to shake me to death?" These hired servants are no match for the servants in the manor.
Outside, the sedan chair woman knelt on the ground in fear and trembling, saying, "My lord, I'm so sorry, I've brought my head back! Please forgive me, my lord's wife!" Fearing that she would lose her livelihood, she repeatedly kowtowed to the inside of the sedan chair to apologize.
Xu Pin almost bumped into the wooden frame, but she was in a good mood and advised her apprentice, "Forget it, Xiao Yin, it's not easy for ordinary people to make a living."
Upon hearing this, the sedan chair carrier hurriedly said, "Thank you so much for your kindness, madam! Thank you so much for your kindness!" She was afraid that if she was a step too late, she would be scolded and questioned again.
"Hmph!" Song Yin, out of consideration for his teacher's reputation, didn't say anything more.
Xu Pin lifted the sedan curtain, revealing a kind and gentle face. Looking at the young woman kneeling on the ground, he gently beckoned, "Get up quickly, what are you still kneeling for?"
"Yes." This was the first time someone had treated her so kindly, and the other person was flattered and took a long time to stand up in a flustered manner.
Xu Pin looked her up and down, then asked gently, "You were born quite smoothly. How old are you with your child?"
"In reply to your question, sir, I am just over twenty years old."
"I see that you are well-educated, with decent speech and appearance. Why don't you take the imperial examinations at your age and make a name for yourself?"
The sedan chair carrier clutched her clothes, looking embarrassed, and said, "Your Excellency, you may not know this, but my mother passed away early, and I have been raised entirely by my father. The whole family has devoted all their efforts to my education, and we have not been able to take care of my younger brothers. Now my father is seriously ill and can no longer afford my tuition. I also have several younger brothers to support, so I have come out to find a job."
Xu Pin nodded. "He's a kind and righteous boy." After saying that, he asked him what his plans were for the future.
"I plan to save up some money to take the imperial examination after my father recovers," the sedan chair carrier said shyly.
"A fine ambition," Xu Pin praised, seeing that she was grateful and righteous and a person worth investing in. "If you are willing, why not come and work at the Xu residence from now on? It's much easier than being a sedan chair carrier, and you can study and prepare for exams in your spare time. The monthly salary is also higher than outside."
The sedan chair carrier was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately knelt down to express her gratitude, saying, "I thank you for your kindness, sir, and I will repay you with all my might in the future."
Xu Pin smiled and agreed, then casually asked her if she admired any high-ranking official in the court.
If they were more worldly and sophisticated, they would have expressed their admiration for the prime minister at this time, praising her conduct and style.
The sedan chair carrier stroked her head with a broad smile and said very sincerely, "I am not well-educated and know little about important matters in the court. But if I had to say who I admire and respect, there is indeed one person."
Xu Pin closed his eyes confidently, waiting for the other party to state their position.
"That is the bride of this year's top scholar." The sedan chair carrier's eyes shone like stars. "Everyone praises Lord Zhang as a literary star descended to earth, the literary champion of our time. But how easy is it to rise from humble beginnings to achieve the highest honors in the imperial examinations? I admire Lord Zhang's unparalleled literary talent, but what I admire most is her perseverance and intelligence along the way. I yearn to grow to be even a tenth or a twelfth of her level someday..."
Xu Pin's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot. "You don't need to come tomorrow." He suppressed his anger and abruptly threw down the sedan curtain.
"Lift the sedan chair." The good mood of the day was completely gone.
Seeing the gloomy atmosphere surrounding Xu Pin, Song Yin curled his lip. It would have been better if she had just told him to get rid of this person earlier. Why was the teacher pretending to be a good person? Now he's just asking for trouble!
After the master and disciple returned to the mansion, they went to the study to discuss matters.
Halfway there, he was stopped by a young master who rushed out, followed by several servants. They panicked when they saw their master returning to the mansion and hurriedly knelt down to pay their respects.
The young master, his face pale, knelt before Xu Pin, sobbing repeatedly. "Grandmother, I no longer love Zhang Ting. I'll marry whoever you want, please..." He crawled forward on his knees, tears streaming down his face, and grabbed the hem of Xu Pin's official robe. "Please, spare her! She really is a good person!"
Xu Pin pulled out his official robe and his gaze swept heavily over the servants on the ground.
The pampered young master's wet nurse was terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat, and stammered, "My lord, we tried to stop them but failed..."
"Grandmother, please." The pampered young master looked up, his eyes red from crying.
Song Yinli stood awkwardly to the side, glancing up at the sky and then down at the ground. He was utterly bewildered: This Zhang Tingzhen's father was strange; he'd never even met him before, so how come she was everywhere?
Furthermore, despite being a newly graduated scholar, almost the entire corrupt faction of Hanlin Academy tried to bring her down, but they couldn't! In the past, they had tried to deal with not only a minor sixth-rank official, but also high-ranking officials of the second or third rank, but none of them had been as difficult to bring down as she had!
From the lowest of the low, like a poor woman carrying a sedan chair, to the noblest of the wealthy, all inexplicably fell at her feet. One praised her to the skies, while another desperately tried to escape from the backyard, begging his grandmother to spare her. Song Yin, who had lived for over forty years, had never witnessed such a strange occurrence.
Xu Pin glanced down at his grandson kneeling on the ground and said indifferently, "Do you think your infatuation is more important, or the reputation and future of the Xu family?"
The young master was stunned, "Grandmother..."
What happened next was not for outsiders to know. Song Yin waved his hand to dismiss the servants and clear the area for his teacher.
Xu Pin bent down and picked up his grandson's hem, stroking it carefully. "It's top-quality gauze, and judging by the pattern, it's from this year's new production." His cloudy eyes looked down at him. "You are the eldest grandson of the Xu family. Did your father properly teach you how much money this gauze costs?"
The pampered young master had tears in his eyes, not understanding why. "...Father mentioned it briefly, about thirty taels of silver per bolt."
"Where did those thirty taels of silver come from?"
The pampered young master was even more confused. "It comes from the income generated by the management of the household."
“Alright, this old woman sees you are not beyond redemption.” Xu Pin tossed aside his robe and added, “The Xu family’s business operations are made from estates, farmland, and shops.”
Xu Pin then asked his grandson, "Do you know what Zhang Ting plans to do?"
The pampered young master shook his head in a daze.
Xu Pin suddenly grinned coldly, his eyes like poisoned arrows. "Her article, which was submitted to the Cabinet, was aimed at clearing up the land and regulating the population. If it were ever implemented..."
Her sharp gaze pierced the young master's eyes, causing him to tremble involuntarily. "Good grandson, do you know how much poll tax and land tax the Xu family will have to pay? Will you still be able to afford this fine silk robe then?"
“Gold and silver are secondary. If it’s about what’s above,” Xu Pin slowly pointed to the sky, “I understand. Do you know how great a calamity the Xu family will face?”
"The old woman did this so that the Xu family would prosper for a hundred years!"
It turns out that Zhang Ting's essay on the imperial examination threatened not only the interests of Prime Minister Gao, but also those of Prime Minister Xu's faction. Although the Gao and Xu factions were not compatible, they belonged to the same corrupt group, like snakes and rats in the same den. Who was cleaner than whom?
Xu Pin stood with his hands behind his back, glancing down with disdain. "The entire Zong family was executed, and only Zong Suyi survived. He was lucky enough to be spared by Zhang Tingqing's notice and was forced into prostitution. But if the Xu family is exposed, I wonder if my grandson will have the same good fortune as your confidante."
The young master was startled, his almond-shaped eyes widening as if his thoughts had been read, or as if he had been frightened. He suddenly took a few steps back.
"Be smarter next time, otherwise, whoever dares to obstruct the interests of the Xu family, no matter who it is, I will not let him go."
"My dear grandson, did you understand?"
The young master was completely stunned, trembling uncontrollably. The woman standing in front of him seemed not to be his grandmother, but some evil spirit. He nodded straight, "I understand... I understand, grandson understands."
She explained the reasons to him in detail, and said that she would not show any mercy if he made the same mistake again. Xu Pin turned around and led her apprentice back to the study.
...
The summer rain came fiercely, pattering and crackling, determined to sweep away all the filth in the world.
Zhang Ting stood quietly under the eaves, the hem of her robe a dark color, it was unclear how long it had been soaked.
She stood there, seemingly lost in thought, observing the raging winds and the rain battering everything.
Suddenly, she felt her clothes being gently tugged, and she turned around.
A majestic black horse, accompanied by a small black pony, appeared beside her at some point. The larger pony was carrying her clothes in its mouth, and when it saw her looking over, it nuzzled her neck with its dark, shiny head. The smaller pony, with its clear, bright eyes, tried to imitate her and rubbed against her, but it hadn't quite grasped the art of flattery and just rubbed against her haphazardly.
The water splashed all over Zhang Ting, but she wasn't angry. Instead, she gently stroked the two heads, one big and one small, and smiled tenderly, "Are you trying to comfort me?"
As the protagonist of the incident, she remained calm and indifferent, ignoring the recent attacks of rumors and gossip, and disregarding the contempt of officials in the court.
But things weren't settled yet, and she was understandably anxious. If she was afraid, the people behind her would only be more apprehensive.
"Why are you standing here?" Zong Suyi had just woken up from her afternoon nap. With her eyes still half-closed, she saw two soaking wet horses clinging to Zhang Ting. Her spirits lifted instantly, and she quickly went over and slapped the two horses away with both hands.
Dundun snorted hot air in frustration, but never dared to be presumptuous in front of its master. It temporarily shed its dignity as the king of kings and led its royal offspring away.
Zong Suyi pulled the person out, took off his outer robe and draped it over her shoulders, then frowned and wiped the water from her chin. "How old are you? Still fooling around with animals. Be careful not to catch a cold!"
Zhang Ting grasped his hand, a faint smile playing on her lips. "You're awake? I've only been standing for a short while. I'll be fine after changing my clothes."
Zong Suyi smiled and cupped her face in his hands, intending to kiss her, but then he remembered that the two horses had just soaked her face, so he pulled away with some disgust.
He came up behind Zhang Ting and pushed her into the house, saying, "Go wash up and change your clothes quickly. I'll have Xiao Rong bring you a bowl of ginger soup."
"Alright, I will do as you command, sir." Zhang Ting happily followed his lead and entered the house, feeling a rare sense of relief.
Zong Suyi's lips curled up again and again, and she muttered softly, "It's good that you know." She turned her head and glared at the two horses, one big and one small, before stepping into the house.
The little horse looked at its towering mother beside it with a bewildered expression, as if to say, 'Why is this two-legged creature so disrespectful to the king?'
Dun Dun tilted its head slightly, exhaling hot air from its nostrils, and nuzzled the calf's body, as if telling it, 'A king must have the heart to embrace his slaves.'
The little horse seemed to understand but not quite, then turned its gaze away and stamped its hoof.
Summer rains come and go quickly; it stopped in no time.
Dun Dun raised its proud head, regained its kingly dignity, put on its robes, and walked away majestically with its cubs.
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