Chapter 76: The Young Master Grows Up (Part 12)

Chapter 76: The Young Master Grows Up (Part 12)

The night wind blew in his face, making Xu Zeping shiver. Only then did he suddenly remember the unfinished homework.

Seeing the two bright red lanterns hanging on his family's door, he ignored his father and elder brother beside him and took off running.

"Father, Elder Brother, I just remembered the homework our teacher assigned. I'll go ahead!"

Watching the figure disappear from sight, Xu Songshan shook his head helplessly and called out, "It's too dark outside; watch your step."

Xu Zeli had been planning to slip away while his father was talking to the youngest son, but as soon as he turned around, Xu Songshan seemed to have eyes in the back of his head: "Elder Brother, where do you think you're going?"

Xu Zeli tried to placate him: "I was thinking Father hasn't eaten yet. I was going to the kitchen to find something for you."

Xu Songshan glanced at him: "Not hungry. Go to the study; I have something to ask you!"

Xu Zeli had no choice but to follow, sighing inwardly and mentally preparing himself.

Xu Linshi, seeing that her three sons hadn't returned by late evening, became worried and instructed Jixiang to look for them.

Just as Jixiang turned the corner into the front courtyard, he ran into Xu Zeping and hurriedly asked, "Young Master Zeping, why are you back alone? Where are Lord and Young Master Zeli?"

Xu Zeping rushed past, saying, "They're right behind me."

Without waiting for Jixiang's reaction, he headed straight for his room.

Xu Zeping's rooms were in the east wing of Xiheyuan, along with Xu Songshan and his wife's main residence. However, a decorative gate separated the side rooms from the main house, leaving a short distance between them.

Returning to his room required passing by his parents' quarters.

Xu Linshi, worried about her three sons, had not gone to bed and was resting on a soft couch. Every time she heard footsteps, she would instinctively glance out.

Seeing the youngest son rushing back, she breathed a sigh of relief.

From afar, Xu Zeping saw someone sitting outside his room. Recognizing the familiar figure, he couldn't believe it—this child was truly obsessed with storybooks. If he were on Earth, he'd be a die-hard novel fan.

Seeing Cheng Ge Er, chin propped up and dozing off, Xu Zeping felt a surge of anger. He ran over to Cheng Ge Er and said, "Cheng Ge Er, are storybooks so captivating that you can't even sleep at night?"

Cheng Ge Er, initially delighted to see Xu Zeping, drooped when he heard his words and struggled to speak, "Zeping, I, I just wanted to wait for you to come back."

Though Cheng Ge Er could now speak, his words still came out haltingly.

Hearing the child's plaintive voice, Xu Zeping's anger dissipated, replaced by guilt. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but only managed, "Sorry, Cheng Ge Er."

Seeing Xu Zeping's helpless expression, Cheng Ge Er understood that he cared and felt less hurt. He slowly said, "I, I was just worried about you, Zeping, coming back so late."

"I misunderstood you, Cheng Ge Er. Will you forgive me?" Xu Zeping looked at Cheng Ge Er sincerely.

"Yes, I, I'm not angry."

Relieved, Xu Zeping urged Cheng Ge Er to go to bed.

Afterward, Xu Zeping entered his room, lit an oil lamp, and dove into his homework.

Compared to Xu Zeping, who had someone caring for him, Xu Zeli wasn't as fortunate. Upon entering the study, Xu Songshan began questioning him about every detail of the events, ensuring he hadn't offended any of the young masters.

Facing his father's interrogation, Xu Zeli explained everything he needed to, avoiding any mention of his personal motives: "Father, rest assured. I didn't offend those young masters. In fact, I helped the young master of the Su family..."

Xu Zeli continued his explanation, eventually bringing up his protector: "If you don't believe me, ask Uncle. We've corresponded for years; has there ever been anything amiss?"

Sure enough, invoking his protector eased Xu Songshan's concerns: "Father isn't saying you're bad, but these young masters are delicate. Offending them could harm your future."

After a long heart-to-heart, it was already midnight. Xu Zeli escorted Xu Songshan back to Xiheyuan, washed up under Dahu's care, and finally went to bed.

....

The next morning, Xu Zeping woke up to urgent knocking on his door. He slowly sat up, realizing early to bed meant early to rise. Thinking about staying up late to finish homework, he stretched lazily before getting out of bed.

"Master Zeping, are you awake?"

Cui Zhu, driving the carriage with Xu Songshan to the county town, was tasked with waking Xu Zeping.

"Sister Cui Zhu, I'm up."

Xu Zeping respected Cui Zhu since she often carried him when he was little.

Cui Zhu responded, "Master Zeping, do you need hot water?"

"No, cold water is refreshing," Xu Zeping replied while dressing.

After breakfast, Xu Zeping and his brother left for the private school.

Yesterday, Class A discussed the law essays and policy papers for the prefectural examination. Today, they covered the eight-part essay and arithmetic.

....

For the first section, which involved recitation and translation, Liu Huaizhi did not elaborate much, as these topics were well-covered in class.

—"The world and the state can be governed."

Compared to the simpler questions in the county exam, the eight-part essay for the prefectural exam was more challenging. It appeared simple, but required contextual understanding.

Liu Huaizhi's gaze skipped over Xu Zeli and landed on Shang Jiangshi: "Jiangshi, tell us where this sentence comes from."

"The world and the state can be governed; it comes from the Doctrine of the Mean."

"Very good. Now complete the sage's words."

"The world and the state can be governed; titles and emoluments can be renounced; sharp blades can be trodden upon; but the Doctrine of the Mean cannot be attained."

Liu Huaizhi looked at Shang Jiangshi indifferently. "What is the Doctrine of the Mean?"

"Uprightness, harmony. Practicing the Doctrine of the Mean won't make you stand out, but it will keep you calm in your actions and help you cultivate a gentle and refined character..." Shang Jiangshi spoke haltingly.

In reality, after the exam, they had already transcribed their essays from memory and submitted them to Liu Huaizhi yesterday.

Therefore, Liu Huaizhi naturally knew their answers by heart.

"Jiangshi, have you practiced the Doctrine of the Mean?"

Liu Huaizhi's seemingly casual question threw Shang Jiangshi into a panic. A thought flashed through his mind—Master knows everything!

Seeing Shang Jiangshi frozen in place, Liu Huaizhi did not say more. "Sit down. Let's continue with our discussion."

....

While Class A was discussing the questions, the students in Classes B, C, and D were all diligently writing, as they were working hard to complete a crucial academic assessment.