The thirty-seventh year of Suili.
Anyuan Meng family.
“Meng Jiujiu, you must remember that from now on, you are no longer that willful second young lady. You are Meng Jiu, the third young master of the Meng family, and you bear the responsibility for the prosperity of the Meng family.”
"Jiu Jiu understands," eight-year-old Jiu Jiu said with a serious expression.
"Who are you?"
"Meng Jiu".
"Remember this, don't say the wrong thing again."
"Yes, Jiu'er understands."
From then on, the Meng family no longer had a second young lady, Meng Jiujiu, but only a third young master, Meng Jiu.
People in Anyuan say that the Meng family, a century-old clan, has finally declined. In the past, when they were in Lanjing, they were truly powerful and influential. After the change of dynasties, the Meng family withdrew from the limelight and lived in seclusion in the Anyuan area, avoiding the world.
Even so, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse, and no one in Anhara can surpass it.
If that's the case, then so be it; the Meng family will still be an entity that no one dares to provoke.
Unfortunately, for some reason, the Meng family has not only had few descendants in this generation, but even the few children they have have all met with misfortune.
They thought the Meng family would fade into obscurity, but unexpectedly, a third young master appeared.
Speaking of this third young master, he is truly an unparalleled person in the world!
Not to mention his handsome appearance and outstanding temperament, his talent and learning were unmatched in Anyuan.
Even Master Pengqiu, who had once served as the emperor's tutor, said that he could not teach this child.
Of course, this wasn't said to those纨绔子弟 (spoiled brats), as such people would never reach the Master's level. Rather, it was to say that Young Master Meng's talent and learning were, if not unparalleled, close to the pinnacle.
He has nothing left to teach.
Without a doubt, Young Master Meng is destined for officialdom, but even before taking the imperial examination, his reputation has already spread far and wide, making his peers extremely envious!
Outsiders only see her outward success and praise her for her intelligence and erudition, but only she knows how much she has actually sacrificed.
The Meng Jiujiu of the past is dead; people will only say she died young. What survived is Meng Jiu.
She abandoned her female attire and adopted male clothing, a fact unknown even to those who served her closely.
The people around me from back then are all gone, and after pretending for so long, I actually started to believe that I was the Third Young Master.
Everyone was telling her that she had to work hard to bring honor to the family, because the future of the entire family rested on her shoulders.
At first, she didn't understand why everything had suddenly changed. Her kind and gentle mother was no longer like her, and everyone had put on a different face.
But her parents had high hopes for her, and she couldn't let them down.
So, she gritted her teeth and swallowed it down, and that's how Meng Jiu came to be.
Now, she is about to enter officialdom.
This was her last bow before leaving home. May the ancestors of the Meng family bless her to pass the imperial examinations smoothly, bring glory to her ancestors, and lead the Meng family to restore its former glory.
In the autumn of the forty-ninth year of Suili.
After the palace examination, the list of successful candidates was released.
"Master, the Third Young Master has won!"
"Is he the top scholar?" The Meng family members all looked eager.
Upon seeing his masters' expressions, the servant lost his earlier joy and stammered, "Yes...yes, he is the third-ranked scholar."
The head of the Meng family sat back down in his chair, his expression unreadable.
The other members of the Meng family also looked disappointed. How come he was only the third-ranked scholar?
The Meng family put so much effort into cultivating her, even pouring all the clan's resources into her, and in the end, they only managed to get her a third-place ranking in the imperial examination.
The Meng family was deeply disappointed, as their expectations had been too high.
"Let's not discuss this matter for now, let's wait until Jiu'er returns," said Patriarch Meng, and everyone fell silent.
Although the title of Tan Hua (third-ranked scholar) was considered too low by the Meng family, it was still an unattainable goal for countless people.
For the people of Anyuan, this is definitely a source of pride.
Therefore, when Meng Jiujiu returned to her hometown, she was still greeted by crowds lining the streets, making it a very lively occasion.
But when Meng Jiujiu returned to the Meng family with a joyful expression, she was greeted by a completely different scene.
Seeing everyone gathered together, as if for a joint trial, Meng Jiujiu's heart sank.
She thought that when she returned home, even if not everyone cheered, at least there would be smiling faces. She even hoped that she could receive a compliment from her father.
But now it seems she was overthinking things.
In the Meng family, there was no laughter or joy, only heavy shackles.
"Kneel down."
Without asking why, Meng Jiujiu walked directly to the prayer mat in front of the memorial tablet and knelt down.
Haven't we been forced to kneel down countless times over the years?
She should have gotten used to it by now, but she still clung to a sliver of hope.
"As you repent before the ancestors of the Meng family, tell me, have you lived up to the expectations your family placed on you?"
Meng Jiujiu couldn't help but say, "But I got a first-class grade."
"The Meng family has no third member."
"Wrong is wrong, how dare you talk back?"
Meng Jiujiu stopped talking.
"Did I nurture you for so many years just so you could get third place? To be someone else's foil?"
Father Meng was deeply disappointed in his daughter. He had taken such a great risk to restore the glory of the Meng family, but his daughter had made such a big mistake and dragged the Meng family down. It was truly shameful.
If it weren't for...
There's no need for her!
Meng's father left in anger, saying to the servants outside, "No one is allowed to let the young master out without my permission, and the meals need not be sent for the time being."
"yes."
Even though the servants felt sorry for the Third Young Master, they dared not say anything. They had all seen the Third Young Master's efforts over the years.
Now that he has passed the imperial examination, instead of receiving any reward, the young master is locked up in the ancestral hall as before.
They truly couldn't understand the hearts of their masters.
Meng Jiujiu listened to the sounds outside and smiled bitterly to herself. It was the same old story.
She didn't try to argue, because it would be pointless and would only be seen as sophistry.
The Meng family doesn't care about the process, they only care about the result.
As a result, she only ranked third.
Even if she possessed the talent to be the top scholar, even if she was only one rank short, she could have created the legend of achieving the highest rank in all six examinations.
And since the emperor personally selected her as the third-ranked scholar because of her beautiful appearance, what could she say?
This is the default rule; if she were to say it, it would be an act of dissatisfaction with the emperor, a grave offense of disrespect.
Therefore, they have to swallow these bitter pills themselves.
Other people's homes are safe havens, but her home... well, let's just say it's not a safe haven.
Before leaving.
“You’ve already fallen behind others from the very beginning. I hope you can remember your position, remember your mission, and do your best to climb up.”
After saying that, he seemed to realize he had been too harsh, and then smiled and said, "Jiu'er, don't disappoint your father again, okay?"
Meng Jiujiu looked at him steadily, "I understand, Father."
"Very good, that's a good child from your father's perspective." He said, reaching out to pat Meng Jiujiu's head.
But this made Meng Jiujiu realize the cold-bloodedness of her family; all they cared about was their clan.
He wouldn't give her even a single penny.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
