The atmosphere in the main hall of the Grand Tutor’s residence was as heavy and cold as frost.
Xu Tingyi knelt upright on the icy floor, his robes draped neatly without the slightest disarray.
Seated in the master’s chair above, Grand Tutor Xu picked up a white porcelain teacup, leisurely skimmed off the floating tea leaves, and took a slow sip of the warm brew before setting it down. His sharp, hawk-like gaze then fell directly upon Xu Tingyi kneeling below.
“Do you understand your mistake today?”
Xu Tingyi lowered his head slightly and replied, “Your son does not know. I beg Father to enlighten me.”
Grand Tutor Xu let out a cold laugh, his voice icy and stern. “At today’s banquet, I deliberately had you follow closely behind Princess Zhaoyuan when she left. Do you truly not understand my intentions?”
Xu Tingyi abruptly looked up, a flicker of shock in his eyes. “Was the princess’s fall into the water arranged by you?”
“Whether it was arranged or not is unimportant,” Grand Tutor Xu said, his gaze fixed heavily on Xu Tingyi, his tone carrying an unyielding authority. “What matters is that a golden opportunity was laid before you, yet you watched it slip into someone else’s hands.”
Xu Tingyi trembled all over. “Father’s meaning is that you wanted me to seize the moment when the princess fell into the water to rescue her, thereby winning the emperor’s favor and securing this marriage?”
As the words left his mouth, years of pent-up grievances and resentment surged within him.
He was, after all, a concubine-born son of the Xu family. His birth mother was merely the most ordinary maid in the household. In this strictly regulated aristocratic mansion, he and his mother had always lived with caution, enduring countless cold glances and disdain.
To give him a chance to rise above his station, his mother had humbled herself and pleaded with his father countless times, finally securing him a place in the academy.
He understood better than anyone that he lacked the backing his legitimate elder brother enjoyed. The only path for him and his mother to stand tall in the Xu family was through diligent study and earning scholarly honors through the imperial examinations.
For decades, he had burned the midnight oil, never daring to slacken even for a moment. He fought his way through the ranks and achieved the title of Bangyan, believing that he could finally stand firm on his own merits and ensure his mother would no longer suffer indignities.
Yet he never imagined that his father had never valued his efforts from the start. Without even a word of consultation, his father had paved this path for him, treating him as a pawn to curry imperial favor and consolidate the Xu family’s power, manipulating his life at will, never once asking whether he was willing.
Kneeling on the cold floor, his eyes filled with bitterness, Xu Tingyi clenched his fists at his sides until his knuckles turned white, his breathing growing heavy.
Seeing this, Grand Tutor Xu furrowed his brow, his eyes brimming with frustration and anger. He slammed the teacup onto the table, splashing a few drops of tea. “What else? I had everything prepared, every detail meticulously planned to perfection. Yet you, of all people, let the opportunity slip away! You allowed that Chu Moqing to seize the advantage. If His Majesty hadn’t suppressed the ministers’ petitions, the position of Prospective Consort would never have been within your reach!”
Xu Tingyi abruptly raised his head, his eyes swirling with years of suppressed defiance and resentment. Each word he spoke was firm and resounding. “Father, your son has studied diligently for over a decade, earning the title of Bangyan through his own talent and knowledge. I achieved this through genuine ability, not through underhanded schemes or opportunistic tricks!”
His back was ramrod straight; even kneeling on the ground, he exuded an unyielding pride that refused to bend. His gaze fixed directly on the furious Grand Tutor Xu, showing not a hint of retreat: "Father, your son has endured over a decade of hardship in study, relying on his own talent to earn the Bangyan title through the imperial examination. I can also rely on my own abilities to secure a stable position in the court in the future, rather than depending on the glory gained by attaching myself to the Princess or through the status of Fuma!"
Upon hearing this, Grand Tutor Xu showed not a trace of sympathy. Instead, his face flushed with intense mockery and cold fury.
He rose and paced over to Xu Tingyi, the hem of his robe stirring a biting wind. His voice was as cold as ice: "Rely on yourself? Are you even fit to speak of standing on your own merit? The title you earned is nothing but a thin layer of gold plating, giving you the qualification to attach yourself to the Princess, to pave the way for the Xu family and for your elder brother's future career! Do you truly believe that I, your father, have painstakingly planned all this for you? You are merely a concubine-born son; these are the duties you were born to fulfill!"
Grand Tutor Xu's words were icy, his eyes devoid of any paternal warmth: "If not for your modest talent and passable appearance, which allow you to become an asset to your elder brother through this marriage, do you think you would have the dignity you enjoy today? Knowing your place and fulfilling your role as a pawn is what you ought to do. Yet you insist on putting on airs of nobility, disregarding your father's painstaking efforts—utterly foolish!"
With these words, he flung his sleeve fiercely and sternly declared, "Continue kneeling. Only when you understand your proper place may you rise!" Then he strode away, leaving Xu Tingyi alone kneeling in the cold main hall, his body stiff and chilled, his heart sinking to the depths.
After a long while, Xu Tingyi slowly lowered his head, a bitter smile curling at the corner of his lips.
The Bangyan title he had earned through over a decade of hardship, studying day and night and exhausting every effort, was viewed by his father merely as a tool to pave the way for his elder brother;
His heartfelt desire to stand in the court on his own had, in the end, left him without even the right to choose his own future.
Just then, a soft sound came from outside the hall.
Xu Mingzhang, dressed in brocade robes, leaned lazily against the doorframe, looking down at Xu Tingyi kneeling on the ground. A scornful, cold smirk tugged at his lips, his voice casual yet cutting:
"Has my concubine-born brother still not come to his senses?"
He walked slowly into the hall, the soles of his boots grinding over the scattered light on the floor, looking down at Xu Tingyi from above: "Father went to great lengths to arrange this marriage for you. In the end, it was for the sake of our Xu family, for smoothing my path in the future. And yet, you insist on putting on that noble act, provoking Father's anger. What's the point? If you truly became the Fuma today, I would have to rely on you in the future. After all, she is the legitimate Princess of the Great Jing. If I hadn't married early, such fortune would never have fallen to you."
He bent down, leaning close to Xu Tingyi's ear, his voice lowered to a whisper, each word piercing to the heart: "Don't forget your status—you are merely a concubine-born son. Having the title you now possess and the opportunity to pave the way for me is already a tremendous blessing. Don't truly believe that with your meager talent, you can stand as my equal or decide your own future."
Straightening up, a flicker of malice passed through Xu Mingzhang's eyes as he added lightly, his tone airy yet carrying a deadly threat: "Oh, and don't forget, concubine-born brother, about your mother who still resides in the villa."
Xu Tingyi's entire body abruptly stiffened. He watched helplessly as Xu Mingzhang turned and walked away, wearing an expression of triumphant satisfaction. Gritting his back teeth so hard that the bitter ache nearly surged into his eyes, he remained kneeling in place. His spine was taut like a fully drawn bow, every inch of his body radiating a suppressed, extreme restraint and unwillingness.