Having settled the marriage arrangement with the Xu family at the scholars’ tea gathering, Xie Zi’an now had to think about the path he would take in the future.
He walked into the study, which was filled with a dazzling array of books, and flipped through the essays written by the original owner, planning to familiarize himself with the knowledge in his memories and practice his calligraphy as well.
He had practiced brush calligraphy in modern times, and combined with the original owner’s muscle memory, his writing quickly became passable, though it still differed from the original owner’s.
Perhaps because of his repeated failures in the imperial examinations, the original owner’s handwriting carried a sense of frustration and unfulfilled ambition, looking restrained and reserved. Xie Zi’an’s writing, on the other hand, was just like his own personality—bold, unrestrained, and free-spirited.
Now Xie Zi’an was in a dilemma.
Handwriting reflects a person’s inner character. He couldn’t very well change his own personality, could he?
Forget it. If it came up, he would just say his temperament had changed drastically after marriage.
Setting down the copybook, Xie Zi’an began reading through the books on the Great Jin Dynasty’s laws that Zhao San had bought.
When arriving in a new place, the first thing to do was understand its rules. Until he was capable of changing his environment, he would have to adapt to it.
Though Xie Zi’an was a rich second-generation heir, he was no idle playboy who did nothing but eat, drink, and amuse himself.
After reading for a while, he was delighted to discover that he was a transmigrator with a cheat ability—perhaps because he had lived two lives, he seemed to have gained a photographic memory.
This was nothing short of icing on the cake for the imperial examinations.
For a time, Xie Zi’an threw himself headlong into the ocean of knowledge. He would never look down on the examinations just because he had the original owner’s memories and a photographic memory.
The Great Jin Dynasty had been founded less than a hundred years ago, and the reigning emperor was only the second of his line. The court urgently needed talent—this was an opportunity. He refused to spend the rest of his life depending on his scumbag of a father, scheming against his stepmother all day long.
Since he had the chance to study and climb upward, he was determined to make something of himself, so that his own children would never be bullied.
At the thought of children, a sweet, lively face surfaced in Xie Zi’an’s mind, and he immediately shook his head.
He had almost forgotten—marrying that troublemaker meant he would inevitably be up against the blackened female lead.
“Young Master, Young Master Li has invited you to meet at Baixiang Tower.” Zhao San knocked on the door.
After Zhao Er had been handed over to Xie Songren, Zhao San had taken his place and become Xie Zi’an’s personal servant.
With this promotion, Zhao San was overjoyed, but he also pulled himself together and resolved to do his job well.
The eldest young master was truly one who remained silent until he made a stunning debut.
Those thunderous methods had indeed intimidated everyone in the Xie household. Zhao San decided to follow Xie Zi’an wholeheartedly—he refused to believe that a young master so ruthless and decisive could fail to make something of himself.
“Come in.”
Xie Zi’an took the letter and quickly read through it.
Young Master Li, the classmate who had urged Xie Zi’an to attend the tea gathering at the Xu residence, was named Li Wenshan.
His family were country gentry, and like the original owner, he had found no success in the imperial examinations. The two of them had stuck together for mutual comfort.
But he was better off than the original owner in one respect: he actively participated in literary gatherings of scholars, studying hard and building connections.
Xie Zi’an pondered for a moment and decided to accept the invitation.
He couldn’t shut himself away and work in isolation. The imperial examinations weren’t just about rote memorization, and if he wanted to advance further, the most urgent matter was to switch to a different private school.
The school he currently attended was, unbelievably, run by Madame Mei’s own older brother, who had suppressed the original owner at every turn. For the original owner to have still passed the xiucai examination in such an environment was truly remarkable.
With his mind made up, Xie Zi’an set out with Zhao San the next day.
This time, the stepmother’s people didn’t dare drag their feet as they usually did, and the carriage Xie Zi’an needed was quickly prepared.
Who in the Xie residence didn’t know by now that the eldest young master had climbed high and secured a match with the second legitimate daughter of the Vice Minister of Personnel?
Xie Zi’an sat in the swaying carriage, lifting the window curtain to gaze at the quaint, old-style streets outside.
Yangzhou City lay in the south of the Great Jin Dynasty, where the rainfall was plentiful. Moreover, a natural canal ran alongside the city, so the common people here lived in prosperity.
“I really don’t know how the old man back home got appointed to office here.”
Official posts in prosperous regions generally went to those with connections.
Before long, Xie Zi’an arrived at the Baixiang Restaurant with Zhao San.
The Baixiang Restaurant stood three stories high—already considered a luxurious establishment in ancient times—and was a favorite teahouse for scholars and young masters and ladies.
The private room Li Wenshan and the others had reserved was on the second floor.
Led by Zhao San, Xie Zi’an slowly climbed the stairs.
Just then, a young woman entered the main hall on the first floor, followed by her personal maid and an older servant woman. She wore a veil that obscured her features.
The young woman was draped in a pink cape—not a garishly pink shade, but a soft, delicate one. As she haughtily gave instructions to the manager, Xie Zi’an somehow felt this young woman seemed rather pampered.
Yes, precisely—spoiled.
She was surely the daughter of some prominent family in Yangzhou City. Best not to provoke her.
After this thought flashed through his mind, Xie Zi’an withdrew his gaze and headed up to the second floor.
“Zi’an! You’re late. You must punish yourself with three cups of tea in place of wine.”
Before Xie Zi’an could say anything, someone in the crowd snorted coldly. “A mere xiucai, and yet he puts on such grand airs.”
Xie Zi’an turned toward the voice and saw a short, stout man looking at him with a cold smirk.
Anger flashed across Li Wenshan’s face. “Qian Fusheng! No one will take you for a mute if you keep quiet!”
Qian Fusheng let out a strange squawk. “Ooh, ooh, ooh! The little lackey is standing up for his master!”
Furious, Li Wenshan was about to charge over and smash in that fat face, but Xie Zi’an stopped him in time.
“Hold on, Wenshan. However loudly a dog barks, we can’t very well go up and bite it back—we’d only lose our dignity.”
Hearing Xie Zi’an call him a dog, Qian Fusheng’s nose twisted with rage.
Seeing the situation spiral out of control, the other scholars hurriedly pulled Qian Fusheng back.
“We’re all classmates here. Let’s speak calmly…”
Qian Fusheng was a merchant’s son. His family was a famous wealthy merchant house in Yangzhou City—and to become such prominent merchants, they had connections behind them. That was why he feared not the unfavored Xie Zi’an at all.
The feud between the two had begun over the daughter of Madam Wang, the wife of the Tongzhi. Madam Wang had taken a liking to Xie Zi’an and wanted to take him as her daughter’s live-in son-in-law, but Xie Zi’an would rather die than accept.
Qian Fusheng, on the other hand, was the second son in his family. The family business would pass to his elder brother, and since he was no good at studies either, he had volunteered to become a live-in son-in-law himself.
Who knew that Madam Wang would humiliate him harshly, saying that if he couldn’t even measure up to Xie Zi’an, he shouldn’t come embarrass himself.
The Tongzhi was, after all, the highest official in Yangzhou City. Qian Fusheng dared not hate Madam Wang, so instead he directed his hatred at Xie Zi’an.
The two of them also studied at the same private academy, and Qian Fusheng knew that the academy’s teacher disliked Xie Zi’an and that Master Xie held him in no regard. Over time, he had rarely missed a chance to needle and mock him.
Now, learning that Xie Zi’an had actually secured a match with the Xu family’s second legitimate daughter, he was so consumed by envy and resentment that his heart bled.
“Hmph. Now that Brother Xie has climbed up to the Vice Minister, I suppose he’ll soon shed his reputation as a bitter xiucai and rise swiftly through the ranks. Clearly, he looks down on the likes of us now.”
Xie Zi’an sneered inwardly, but on the surface he cupped his hands and said, “The great joys in life are none other than passing the imperial examination and the wedding night. So it seems Brother Qian holds me in such high regard—many thanks for your kind words, Brother Qian.”
“What nonsense are you spouting! Have you no integrity as a scholar left at all?” Qian Fusheng was furious and flustered.
Xie Zi’an declared righteously, “We study hard for the imperial examinations precisely so that, once we earn our ranks, we may serve His Majesty and speak on behalf of the people! Is that not so, Brother Qian? Ah, but of course—your family is wealthy, so I suppose an official rank means little to you.”
“You—!”
Brother Qian was so enraged his eyes turned bloodshot.
Sons of merchant families were already looked down upon by scholars, and now Xie Zi’an painted him as someone who disdained official ranks out of reliance on his family’s wealth, instantly offending every scholar present.
Immediately, people chimed in:
“Such lofty principles, Brother Qian—why not go home and inherit your father’s business?”
“Exactly! The rest of us still need to burn the midnight oil so we may one day serve His Majesty and the people!”
Someone well-informed sneered, “Brother Qian here is hoping to marry into a family as a live-in son-in-law. We’d best not stand in the way of his grand future, hahaha.”
Qian Fusheng was fuming with rage. Under the verbal onslaught from the crowd, he soon could hold out no longer and slunk away in disgrace.