Chapter 667

Chapter 675: Dejection (Part 1)

His father had been disappointed in him, had glared at him in anger, had patiently taught him—but never before had he stormed out.

Xu Sizhun stood frozen in the middle of the room, his hands and feet icy cold. He had no idea how much time passed before he finally regained his senses and stumbled out the door.

"Fourth young master, what’s wrong?" Wang Shu hurried forward to support him.

"It’s nothing, really!" Under the sunlight, his face was as pale as paper.

Wang Shu didn’t dare ask further and helped him back to Danbozhai.

Jiang Shi was heavy with child, her belly swollen as she and her personal maid Bao Zhu organized the small clothes and blankets they had prepared for the unborn child.

"Let’s take advantage of the good weather these days to air them out," she said, her eyes and brows filled with the joy and serenity of an expectant mother. "Just don’t let the sun shine directly on them—the heat might irritate the baby's skin."

Bao Zhu chuckled. "That’s what the madam said, isn’t it?" The "madam" she referred to was Jiang Shi’s birth mother. With her daughter about to give birth for the first time, she was deeply concerned and frequently sent letters full of advice.

"You’re too clever!" Jiang Shi chided, though she wasn’t angry—her lips even curled slightly in amusement.

For some reason, Xu Sizhun suddenly felt hesitant to face Jiang Shi like this.

Without disturbing her, he turned and went to see Xu Sijie.

Xu Sijie was still in class and hadn’t returned yet.

He went straight to Xu Sijie’s study.

The maid Xi Er quickly brought tea and snacks.

"You may leave," Xu Sizhun waved them off. "I’ll wait here for Fifth Brother." The two had always been close, and Xu Sizhun’s temperament was easygoing. After exchanging a few polite words, Xi Er led the other maids out.

Xu Sizhun surveyed the room.

By the window was a large kang, covered with a slightly worn crimson cushion embroidered with the Five Blessings and Longevity motif, along with black-lacquered kang tables. One table held only a set of pure white porcelain teacups, while the other was laden with books. On the windowsill stood a pale blue plum vase, holding a couple of wilting osmanthus branches. In the center of the room was a large black-lacquered writing desk inlaid with an endless knot pattern. The left side was stacked with the Four Books and Five Classics, while the right held an inkstone and brush washer—only a small space in the middle was left clear for writing, covered with a brush pad. Behind the desk stood four towering bookshelves, crammed full of books. These weren’t neatly arranged—some had bookmarks sticking out, others were slightly askew—clearly, these books were frequently read, not just for show.

Xu Sizhun grabbed one randomly and lay down on the rocking chair beneath the moon-shaped window. Something poked at his waist. He turned his head and saw a copy of *Annotations on the Four Books* lying on the chair.

He reached to move it aside on a small black-lacquered side table, only to find that the table was already occupied by several books like *Annotations on the Great Learning*.

Xu Sizhun chuckled and sank back into the rocking chair.

The chair swayed gently. When he looked up, his gaze landed on a pot of magnolias placed on a corner stand—their translucent petals quivering delicately, blooming at just the right moment.

What a pleasant room!

He couldn’t help but marvel.

How had he never noticed before how elegant and comfortable Xu Sijie’s study was?

The moment passed, and he lost interest in reading. He closed his eyes, letting the chair rock him gently, his heart rising and falling along with it.

Father must be so disappointed in him.

He had failed to realize how much importance his father placed on Dafeng Hao. He’d thought that as long as the debt was repaid on time, it didn’t matter when it happened. During that period, though he hadn’t personally managed the affairs, he had asked Steward Bai every day if anything unusual had occurred… His father had even said that one must learn to focus on the big picture and delegate the details. As long as he oversaw Steward Bai, why did he need to handle everything himself?

The thought made him restless.

The rocking of the chair was making his head spin.

He suddenly stood up and called out loudly, "Wang Shu! Has the fifth young master not returned yet?"

The door curtain was swiftly lifted aside, revealing Xu Sijie's smiling face before Xu Sizhun. "Fourth Brother, why aren’t you at home keeping your wife company? What brings you here?" he teased.

Since Jiang Shi became pregnant, Xu Sizhun had spent most of his time by her side.

Teased by his younger brother, Xu Sizhun smiled sheepishly. "Being cooped up at home every day made me think of coming here to join you for a meal. What? Am I intruding?"

"Not at all!" Xu Sijie laughed and instructed Xi Er to have the kitchen prepare extra dishes. "Fourth Brother will have lunch here."

Xi Er answered brightly, but as she reached the doorway, Xu Sizhun called her back. "Is there any wine? Bring some Jinhua liquor!"

Both Xu Sijie and Xi Er were surprised. Xi Er even advised, "It’s only noon, and the marquis is home..."

Before she could finish, Xu Sizhun sighed in resignation. "Forget it. Go prepare lunch."

Xi Er hesitated, glancing at Xu Sijie for guidance.

Xu Sijie's smile disappeared.

He waved Xi Er away, signaling her to leave.

"Fourth Brother, what’s wrong?" Xu Sijie pulled Xu Sizhun to sit on the large _kang_ by the window, his expression serious.

Xu Sizhun gazed at his brother’s still somewhat youthful face, but the words stuck in his throat. After a long pause, he asked instead, "How are your studies?"

Xu Sijie was a sensitive child—the more Xu Sizhun avoided speaking, the more he sensed the matter’s gravity.

But he couldn’t force him, could he?

"Not bad," Xu Sijie replied, carefully observing Xu Sizhun’s expression. "Mr. Chang advised me to focus more on essay writing." He smiled wryly. "He said my phrasing is either too ornate or too delicate, making my essays overly flowery and lacking substance, which confuses the main points." There was a hint of helplessness in his tone. "Now I don’t even know how to begin."

"Tastes differ," Xu Sizhun quickly reassured him. "Don’t lose heart. Who knows? You might encounter an examiner who loves your style!"

Since this was a matter Xu Sijie had long worried about, and the listener was his trusted elder brother, he spoke without reservation. "It’s not that simple. What if the examiner shares Mr. Chang’s preferences? When taking the exams, I can’t rely on luck. Besides, Mr. Chang also said that good writing should be precise—every word should count. Whether writing poetry or prose, it must be deliberate. Clearly, I still have work to do." As he spoke, his expression brightened. "I believe diligence can compensate for shortcomings. Now, I’m rewriting all the corrected essays Mr. Chang gave me and comparing them with my originals, noting the weak points he identified. That way, I’ll know where I went wrong. When Mr. Chang saw this, he praised my method."

Xu Sizhun hadn’t expected such maturity from him and looked at him seriously. "You're maturing well, Fifth Brother!"

Xu Sijie smiled bashfully. "I can’t let Mother keep worrying about me."

Xu Sizhun said nothing.

Xi Er set up the low dining table, and the two ate quietly. Xu Sijie arranged for Xu Sizhun to rest in the study, where he soon fell asleep.

When Xu Sijie left for his studies, Xu Sizhun was still asleep. He quietly told Xi Er a few words like "Take good care of him" before tiptoeing off to Listening Waves Pavilion. Yet before his footsteps had faded, Xu Sizhun’s eyes opened.

He lay there, unmoving.

Before long, Xu Sizhun heard Bao Zhu’s voice. "...Thank you, Sister Xi Er. Since the fourth young master hasn’t woken yet, I’ll wait here for a while."

"Come sit in my room," Xi Er replied warmly. "Let the maidservant keep watch here. We’ll come as soon as the fourth young master stirs." Bao Zhu thanked her with a smile.

The courtyard fell silent, leaving an empty hush.

"Did Mrs. Guan Qing really say that?" Jiang Shi asked, her expression grave as she studied Bao Zhu’s cautious demeanor.

**********

"That's exactly what she said," Bao Zhu whispered. "At the time, Mrs. Guan Qing was bringing snacks to the fifth young master. Seeing me there, she casually asked. Though her words were brief, I’m certain I heard correctly. This morning, the marquis summoned the fourth young master about a sum of funds from the Dafeng Trading House..." She recounted the morning’s events to Jiang Shi.

Amber, Mrs. Guan Qing, was the most capable among her mother-in-law's attendants. Only the most capable could hold such a position. She happened to run into Bao Zhu and overstepped her bounds by bringing up the incident in the outer study... Matters she had failed to uncover through her own inquiries were now revealed effortlessly. The whole thing felt fishy!

The idea struck Jiang Shi, startling her.

Perhaps Amber, Mrs. Guan Qing, had been sent by her mother-in-law to give her a hint.

At this realization, Jiang Shi could no longer remain seated.

"Come on, let’s go see the fourth young master!"

Eleven Miss sat by the kang, leaning playfully against Lord Xu's shoulder with a smile. "What? Still upset?"

Lord Xu turned his head and met her teasing eyes.

He went to pinch her nose, but she ducked with a quick tilt of her head.

"I truly don’t understand what he’s thinking," Lord Xu sighed deeply. "Wang Shu, Huo Qing, and Silver Needle—all shrewd and capable men—are by his side. Yet he insists on micromanaging the shop himself. Really..." He shook his head. "Neglecting what he should manage and meddling in what he shouldn’t." He added, "Countless wicked servants take advantage of their masters, especially when there’s no one to oversee them. Some even steal their master’s property and sell young heirs into slavery, dooming them to a life of servitude."

"Zhun'er only acts this way because Steward Bai, whom you trust most, is in charge. With anyone else, he wouldn’t be so careless," Eleven Miss said with a laugh. "As you mentioned, his accounts are impeccably clear. When you asked for the silver, he didn’t hesitate to disclose his savings and even told you to take what you needed... Surely, he’s not as hopeless as you’re making him sound."

Lord Xu fell silent, while Eleven Miss suppressed a smile.

It wasn’t exactly a major flaw, yet it could lead to serious trouble at critical moments. No wonder Lord Xu was so furious.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have instructed Amber to discreetly inform Jiang Shi, hoping she could persuade Xu Sizhun.

"By the way," Eleven Miss recalled Prince Yong’s loan request, "could there be another issue at play? Perhaps the Emperor disapproves of Prince Yong’s courtyard project? Would the Emperor take offense?"