“Big Sister is exaggerating. I didn’t even show my face. I only lent a hand from the sidelines.”
“If there was real danger, I wouldn’t risk my life for a stranger.”
Li Xuan accepted Li Wan’s explanation.
However, he still comforted her with a couple of sentences, offering her a reassurance.
He then changed the subject and asked in return:
“Big Sister, don’t talk about me. Tell me about your situation.”
“With the advice I gave you, how come you’re still being treated so poorly by the Jia family?”
He wasn’t referring to any mistreatment of Li Wan herself when he spoke earlier.
Now, he was talking about the lack of respect she received.
Li Xuan wasn’t just making things up.
Not to mention, when a relative of the family’s head wife came to visit, during this early spring cold snap, they shouldn’t have just let Li Xuan stay in a side room. At the very least, they should have given her a place to shelter from the wind.
What kind of hospitality was it to make her stand at the entrance gate?
Furthermore, when a male relative came to visit, they shouldn’t have let Li Wan, a widowed woman, greet him at the gate without informing the Jia family’s male heads of household. This was such a lack of respect!
As for her being the eldest granddaughter-in-law, raising her great-grandson, and only having two maids by her side…
Li Xuan didn’t even want to mention it.
It seemed like in addition to the main task of becoming stronger, there had to be a side quest to help Big Sister gain a higher position!
Li Wan was a woman of inner beauty. She naturally understood the difference.
But she stubbornly retorted:
“I was just trying to follow your advice, not stand out in the Jia family. I’d rather be an invisible person and just cultivate my own freedom.”
“The servants in the house have this innate habit of looking down on others. They favor the powerful and despise the weak.”
“Otherwise, based on your analyses, I would have already taken over the family’s financial management from the wife!”
Then, she changed the subject again and tossed the conversation back to Li Xuan.
“Xuan Ge, I heard that there are many in the Jinyiwei who are obsequious to the powerful and bully the weak. Will anyone try to sabotage your inheritance?”
“Who dares?” Li Xuan’s eyes narrowed. “The Jinyiwei has not yet become corrupt in these hundred years since the establishment of our dynasty.”
“I might be like their own children in the future. Whoever dares to touch my position will be going against the entire Jinyiwei’s inheritance system!”
“Besides, my father sacrificed his life to save the Emperor. He was a Zheng Liu Pin Bai Hu, but the Emperor posthumously promoted him to Zheng Si Pin Qi Du Wei, and I was also granted permission to follow Lu Bing’s example and take office at the age of twelve.”
“With such a possibility, under the Emperor’s watchful eye, who would dare to act recklessly?”
Li Wan finally nodded in relief.
Then, she sighed: “It’s just a pity about your talent.”
“Last year, Father wrote saying you had passed the county exam. Now, you’re going to join the Jinyiwei. I don’t know how angry he would be.”
Thinking of that stubborn old man, Li Xuan couldn’t help but laugh.
He smiled: “Big Sister, don’t worry. Uncle actually had a plan.”
“You see, he didn’t stop me from practicing martial arts, so you know he had a plan.”
“After all, it’s a position left behind by Father, and it shouldn’t go to waste.”
“Uncle probably pushed me to study because he didn’t want me to be just a brute. He knows that a well-rounded talent in both martial arts and academics is a true leader.”
“You have a way with words!”
Li Wan chided, but she couldn’t help but smile as she pursed her lips.
After chatting for a while, their longing for family was finally eased. Li Wan then took Li Xuan out of the greenhouse and began visiting the elders of the Jia family.
Their first stop was Zheng Ye’s study, Meng Po Zhai.
Leaving the greenhouse, they went north, bypassing the inner courtyard, passing the gate to Rong Xi Tang, continuing east, through the passageway, and arrived at Jia Zheng’s private study, Meng Po Zhai.
A discerning servant went inside to announce their arrival, then came out to lead them into the study.
Inside, besides Jia Zheng and the scholars, there was also Jia Yu Cun.
He originally planned to visit a day earlier to discuss his reinstatement.
But because they had encountered bandits on the waterway, he feared they would be separated and either he or Lin Dai Yu would be in danger.
Therefore, they decided to enter the capital together, and he would visit a little later.
This would allow Jia Zheng time to receive Lin Dai Yu.
He didn’t know that neither Jia Zheng nor Jia She had met Lin Dai Yu. Only Wang Fu Ren had seen her later and given her some private instructions.
Hearing footsteps, Jia Zheng stopped talking to Jia Yu Cun, turned around, and looked over.
“Your daughter-in-law greets her father-in-law.” Li Wan curtsied slightly.
“Student Li Xuan, Li Wei Jin, greets Cun Zhou Gong.” Li Xuan also bowed.
Not every scholar could call themselves a student. They had to have a certain level of academic achievement.
In other words, they had to pass the county exam and become a Tong Sheng (Child of Learning).
Why use this title?
Although he wouldn’t deliberately flatter Jia Zheng, changing the title would make the situation easier, effortless yet beneficial. Why not?
Jia Zheng’s stern face softened a little.
He was afraid that Li Xuan didn’t understand the implications and asked specifically: “Have you entered a school?”
Before Li Xuan could answer, Li Wan quickly said: “Xuan Ge passed the prefectural exam last year.”
Sure enough, the satisfied expression on Jia Zheng’s face grew stronger.
He smiled and motioned for them to take seats, saying: “Good. He’s a good student. How old are you, Xuan Ge? Have you taken a courtesy name?”
“Student is almost twelve, and my courtesy name is Wei Jin.”
“Wei Jin? Good, good. Diligent and careful, a beginning and an end. The Li family truly values education. If the Li family’s Ritual Master hadn’t resigned and returned home, our Jia family…”
“Ahem!”
The scholar beside them suddenly coughed, interrupting Jia Zheng.
Although he didn’t know why, Jia Yu Cun cooperated by changing the topic: “This Xuan Ge, he’s the righteous man who shot thirteen arrows in a row on the Grand Canal and saved us, right?”