Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Baili Xi continued, "Zong Zhao was very fond of reading when he was young. He spent more time in the study than in the training grounds, but since the Zong family has always been known for martial prowess, the Old Marquis forced him to spend more time in the training grounds, which only made him resent it and he stopped going for a while. It wasn't until the Old Marquis stopped pressuring him that he started to take martial arts seriously."

Xu Wan, hearing about her husband's childhood for the first time, couldn't help but laugh. "He was quite feisty as a child."

Baili Xi reminisced, "Yes, children are all like that. They have strong rebellious tendencies, so it's best to handle them gently."

Baili Xi's advice was subtle, leaving Xu Wan to ponder alone about how to handle the little stubborn mule that was Zong Jincheng.

In the March breeze, the pavilion was filled with a refreshing coolness. In the distance, the sound of children reading could be heard—one voice was serious and steady, the other carefree and playful.

Xu Wan tapped her fingers on the stone table, one after another.

She turned to Cui Zhi and asked, "Are there any places in the capital where students can compete in reciting texts?"

"Reciting texts?" Cui Zhi thought for a moment and replied, "There are such events in the monthly exams of each academy, but they are usually just among the students of the same academy."

"There's also the Children's Examination, which tests deeper knowledge. It's used by the court to select prodigies, and only those under the age of twelve can participate. If they pass the Children's Examination, they can bypass the minimum age requirement for the imperial examinations and skip the steps of becoming a scholar and a licentiate."

Xu Wan was intrigued by this. The Children's Examination could solve the age issue for Zong Jincheng. If everything went smoothly, he could achieve great success in three years instead of waiting six.

But considering the current progress of the little devil... she decided not to get her hopes up too high.

Xu Wan asked, "Can Jincheng and Wenxiu participate in the monthly exams of those academies? I can pay the tuition fees for them to enroll, and then withdraw them after the exam."

Cui Zhi chuckled, "Of course, the academies would be more than happy to take the money without having to actually teach the children. However, the academies are divided by age, so the two young masters, one being eight and the other ten, would be in different classes with different levels of difficulty."

Xu Wan's eyes lit up. "So if Jincheng catches up with Wenxiu's progress, he could score better than Wenxiu?"

"That's correct."

Xu Wan immediately made her decision. "Sign them up!"

Despite the two children having different learning styles—one being more analytical and the other relying on rote memorization—they both had solid knowledge. So Xu Wan had Cui Zhi find a middle-tier academy with some competitive but not overly talented students, perfect for building confidence.

The day of the exam was the second-to-last day of Zong Jincheng's study period.

Zong Jincheng was dragged unwillingly into the carriage, grumbling all the way, "What's the point of this exam? I hate these things the most. You're dragging me out now just to slow down my memorization progress, aren't you? How malicious!"

"I'll give you your monthly allowance after the exam," Xu Wan said.

The little devil's incessant complaints suddenly stopped when he heard this. His dark eyes suspiciously looked at her. "You'd be that kind?"

Shouldn't she be trying every trick in the book to make him study longer?

Xu Wan raised an eyebrow. "Of course, I've always been a kind person."

"Pfft—" Zong Jincheng rolled his eyes.

The carriage headed toward their destination and finally stopped at the entrance of Qingbo Academy.

Zong Jincheng was the first to jump out of the carriage, not waiting for Xu Wan or Zong Wenxiu, and walked into the academy on his own, curiously looking around the unfamiliar place.

It was early morning, the time when students arrived for class, and the path was filled with students of all ages.

Seeing Zong Jincheng and the others descend from the carriage, accompanied by many servants and maids, the onlookers realized that a wealthy young master had come to enroll. Many gathered to watch the spectacle.

"Are those the new ones? They look like they're going to the children's class. Today is the monthly exam, why are they enrolling now?"

"Those two must be rich. As long as they throw enough money, the dean would personally welcome them even on the day of the imperial examinations!"

"Look, the dean really came out. Wow, they must have some serious connections!"

"Hmph, I despise these parasites who rely on their families. If not for their fortunate birth, they wouldn't even pass the entrance exam to the academy!"

"That's the way it is. Even if they're empty-headed, there are always exams for them to scribble on. Unlike us, we're afraid of even smudging the paper when we write."

"Hahaha, stop it. That short kid is looking over here. Look at his angry face. Relying on his father and not letting anyone talk about it. What's so impressive about that?"

Zong Jincheng, who was already unhappy about coming to the monthly exam, exploded when he heard a few people talking bad about him.

He quickly walked up to the two who were about his height, his face dark, and demanded, "Who are you two talking about?"

One of them bluntly said, "We're talking about you, kid. This is a monthly exam. Do you even have the guts to go in and take it? Or will you come out crying saying you don't know the answers?"

Zong Jincheng laughed angrily. "I'm here for the monthly exam, of course. A mere test paper? Who wouldn't know how to answer it? I could beat you two easily!"

"Hmph, what's your name? Dressed so flashy, just full of hot air! I want to see what you can actually achieve!"

"Zong Jincheng," the little devil spat out, "And you? Don't hide when I finish and beat you!"

"I'm Wu Shusen."

"I'm ??‌‌?‌‌???‌‌?‌‌‌??‌‌?‌‌???‌‌??????‌‌??‌???‌‌?‌?‌??‌‌‌????‌‌???‌???‌‌‌??‌??‌‌??‌???‌‌??‌‌??‌‌?‌???‌‌???‌???‌‌??‌‌?‌‌??‌?‌??‌‌?‌‌‌?‌‌??‌‌???‌‌??‌???‌‌?????‌‌???‌‌??‌‌??‌???‌‌??‌‌??‌‌?‌‌‌??‌‌‌??‌‍Zhang Zhi." The most arrogant of the group said his name and added, "Kid, you won't beat us, and definitely not our academy's genius, Qin Ye."

Zong Jincheng said, "Alright, I've got your names. We'll see who ends up without a place on the rankings!"

Zhang Zhi mocked, "Hah, don't cry and want to drop out when you fail!"

Zong Jincheng gave him the middle finger.

Zhang Zhi: "..."

This scoundrel, does he even have a shred of a scholar's dignity?

Behind them, Zong Wenxiu followed his brother into the exam hall, while Xu Wan was still talking to the dean.

The dean, who had wanted to intervene earlier, was stopped by Xu Wan. He felt a bit awkward and said, "Madam, those two students, though a bit immature, have solid academic skills and always score a 'B'. Your young master might find it challenging to compete with them..."

Hearing the mention of a 'B', Xu Wan felt more confident.

She smiled and said, "It's fine. My son is quite capable academically as well."

The dean immediately smiled, praising, "The children of the marquis's household are indeed outstanding. I was overly worried. Madam, you are truly a skilled educator. I admire you."

"By the way, who is this Qin Ye that those kids mentioned?" Xu Wan asked.