Chapter 39: The Show Begins
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
“Ah, Lu Jing Huai, I was just joking!” Zhou Lin hurriedly called out.
Both Zhou Lin and Wang Yue Chuan quickly caught up to him.
“Lu Jing Huai, how is your book boy involved with Lu Yan Shu? Could this all be a misunderstanding?” Wang Yue Chuan asked, frowning. He was well aware that Lu Xiao Tian, a young genius, despised comparisons to Lu Yan Shu. There was even a time when, during his own examination for the title of Aspiring Scholar, someone held up his essay to compare it with Lu Yan Shu’s work.
“This won’t affect you, will it, Brother Jing Huai? You’re just six months away from the Autumn Examinations, and the dean is counting on you to secure the top scorer position,” Zhou Lin remarked. Coming from a poor family, Zhou Lin was proud and disdainful of wealth and status. Yet Lu Jing Huai, known for valuing character over family background, had become a respected figure among the scholars of humble origins, who subtly regarded him as their leader.
The group entered a teahouse and took seats on the second floor, looking down at the bustling crowd below.
Nearby, a group of men were talking animatedly.
“Damn it, who set off that Bodhisattva Lantern last night? I ended up kneeling half the night! If I catch the culprit, I’ll beat them senseless!” one man cursed.
“My whole family has swollen foreheads from bowing, thinking it was divine intervention!”
“Who knows which brat pulled this stunt?”
“Speaking of last night, the fire at the Marquis Zhongyong’s Manor was massive! I wonder if anyone got burned to death,” another man chimed in. The crowd buzzed with speculation.
Lu Jing Huai sat quietly among them, his handsome face clouded with gloom. Zhou Lin couldn’t hide his grin.
“Last night was hilarious. The entire city was worshipping, and now everyone wants to catch the prankster behind it,” Zhou Lin chuckled.
Lu Jing Huai remained silent. His mother had forced him to kneel and pray for the “Triple Crown of Excellence” all night. It was humiliating.
Having lost his appetite, Lu Jing Huai excused himself and left the group. Once he was gone, Wang Yue Chuan sneered.
“What’s he pretending for? Snatching Lu Yan Shu’s fiancée couldn’t have been without some fallout.”
Zhou Lin’s eyes widened. “What’s the story behind that?”
“Lu Yan Shu had a fiancée. Back then, he became disabled while trying to save her from drowning.”
“Lu Jing Huai is now engaged to that very girl,” Wang Yue Chuan explained.
Zhou Lin gasped. “She abandoned Lu Yan Shu, who saved her and ruined his promising future, only to marry Jing Huai? That’s unbelievable.”
“The whole city praises them as a perfect couple, calling them a match made in heaven,” Wang Yue Chuan scoffed.
“Lu Yan Shu is crippled now. Who would speak up for him? And who dares offend the prized disciple of Soaring Elegance Academy, a prodigy expected to achieve the Triple Crown of Excellence? Of course, everyone flocks to flatter him,” Wang Yue Chuan added.
Zhou Lin frowned deeply, feeling his admiration for Lu Jing Huai diminish. “Brother Jing Huai… how could he be so foolish?”
“He’s always been noble and unworldly, never looking down on commoners or caring about social status. How could he make such a mistake?” Zhou Lin lamented. “He’s even shared numerous annotated books, making them available to everyone. Such generosity has earned him great respect.”
“Ah, when will I have such an epiphany? Before the age of ten, Brother Jing Huai was ordinary. After ten, though, it was as if he had awakened. His essays became so vibrant and brilliant that everyone praised them,” Zhou Lin sighed, full of envy.
“The Lu family truly produces geniuses, one after another,” Zhou Lin muttered, oblivious to Wang Yue Chuan’s pensive expression.
Meanwhile, at the Marquis Zhongyong’s Manor, tension filled the air.
“Why did you report this to the authorities again? As the main wife of the marquis’s household, how can you get involved in such matters? If word gets out, do you think it will reflect well on the manor?” the Old Madam scolded harshly.
“Neither Yan Shu nor Chao Chao were hurt! Hurry up and withdraw the complaint!” she demanded, nearly gnashing her teeth in frustration.
Last night, such a massive fire, and not a single person burned to death! How infuriating!
Madam Xu’s expression remained icy. “Mother, your words are laughable. Someone set fire to the manor, endangering my son’s life. Why shouldn’t I report it?”
She continued coldly, “Or was it you who set the fire, Mother?” The casual remark drained the color from the Old Madam’s face.
Lu Yuan Ze hurried in, his eyelid twitching as he overheard this explosive exchange.
“Shi Yun, what nonsense are you speaking? Yan Shu and Chao Chao are the bloodline of the Marquis’s Manor. How could you doubt Mother like this? Are you trying to hurt her feelings? Apologize to Mother immediately!” Lu Yuan Ze declared self-righteously.
Madam Xu responded lightly, “I simply state facts. To people, I speak as a person; to ghosts, naturally, I speak as a ghost.”
Her words made Lu Yuan Ze’s face flush with anger, while the Old Madam struggled to catch her breath, fury choking her.
When did Madam Xu become so unfilial and disrespectful?
“Yan Shu and Chao Chao were deliberately harmed by an arsonist, and I am not allowed to report it to the authorities? What kind of logic is that? Are they not also descendants of the Marquis’s Manor?” she challenged, her gaze steady on Lu Yuan Ze. “Marquis, tell me—can I not report this to the authorities?”
Lu Yuan Ze’s heart sank. “Why wouldn’t we report it? Of course, we must. However, Madam, why did you detain Lu Jing Huai’s servant? They are completely unrelated. I understand that the children are your heart and soul, but we cannot falsely accuse the innocent.”
He sighed. The Madam Xu he once knew had been gentle and obedient—when did she become so unreasonable?
Madam Xu’s lips curved into a cold smile as she studied his expression. “Naturally, it was because we uncovered a connection. The servant’s wife’s second uncle’s son is none other than Lu Jing Huai’s personal attendant.”
This convoluted web of relations, if not for Chao Chao, would have been impossible to uncover.
Lu Yuan Ze was momentarily stunned. Even he couldn’t have fathomed such a labyrinthine link. “How…how could this be?” He could hardly believe that the investigation had yielded results. “But why would he target Yan Shu?” he asked, bewildered.
What he didn’t know was that Lu Jing Huai’s so-called genius was built on plagiarizing Elder Brother’s writings. The pride he held for his cherished son was misplaced—his treasure was a fraud. And the fire was intended to burn only Chao Chao, clearing the path for Jing Yao.
“Didn’t you claim last time that his character was noble and unsullied? You even wanted Yan Shu to testify to that effect. Is this what you call noble character?” Madam Xu’s tone was ice-cold.
“Rumor has it that his origins are unclear and that he was raised in seclusion by Mother. Perhaps he’s an illegitimate child from some official’s house in the capital,” she said with a derisive laugh, showing no concern for Lu Yuan Ze’s twitching eyelids.
“Who knows which high-ranking official has been so blind and witless as to produce such a degenerate.”
“Enough!” Lu Yuan Ze could no longer suppress his fury.
A fine layer of sweat broke out on his forehead as he struggled to maintain composure. “Shi Yun, there is no evidence proving that the attendant was involved. We shouldn’t falsely accuse a good boy.”
Clenching his fists, he glanced at Madam Xu’s seething anger and dared not suggest dropping the charges. Instead, he hurriedly left the manor.
Madam Xu’s expression remained frosty as she watched him leave.
[A tiger wouldn’t eat its own cubs, yet he’s worse than a beast. Who exactly did I marry?] She bit her lip so hard that it drew blood.
[Hmph, that rotten father is off to rescue Lu Jing Huai again. He’s quite close with Official Chen from the Ministry of Rites. Without some accomplice, how could he have kept this hidden for so long?]
The Ministry of Rites? A second-rank Vice Minister of Rites—wasn’t that connection facilitated by her own family’s influence? Madam Xu trembled with fury.
Thankfully, there was Chao Chao.
Madam Xu spent the entire afternoon accompanying Chao Chao in play until Deng Zhi stormed in, her face flushed with anger.
“Madam, the attendant has taken full responsibility and been detained, but Lu Jing Huai…” Deng Zhi’s eyes reddened. “Someone has vouched for him. The person seems to have considerable influence. Shall we request assistance from your elder brother?”
Madam Xu shook her head and motioned for Deng Zhi to come closer. Leaning in, she whispered something into Deng Zhi’s ear, and Deng Zhi’s eyes lit up with growing excitement.
“Madam, you’re brilliant!” With that, Deng Zhi left the room, practically skipping with joy.