The distance between the prefecture city and the county town is nearly a hundred miles.
As dusk approached.
Wei Tu and Wei Fei arrived at the gates of Qingshan County two quarters of an hour before they were set to close.
The two parted ways at the intersection.
Each returned to their own home.
Wei Tu did not linger in the county town; he led his dappled horse toward the Li residence.
This time, the entrance to the Li residence was different from his last visit. It was not bustling with crowds or carriages, appearing somewhat desolate.
Wei Tu waited at the side gate for a short while before being led into the inner courtyard by the maid, Chunlan.
"Wei-ge'er, did you... make the list in the Dao Examination?" After walking for a short distance, Chunlan, who was leading the way, paused. She turned her head to glance at Wei Tu, lowering her head as she asked in a soft voice.
"The list..." Following the sound, Wei Tu looked at Chunlan’s face. He saw no signs of jealousy or joy; her expression was calm, though the hand twisting her handkerchief trembled slightly.
Since achieving success in martial arts, he had become highly observant of others' subtle movements and micro-expressions.
"Ranked twelfth in the Dao Examination, a Second-Class Martial Xiucai."
Wei Tu replied.
He could roughly guess Chunlan’s thoughts. Seeing him "rise to the heavens in a single step" likely left a bitter taste in her mouth.
—After all, they were both once servants of the Li residence.
However, Wei Tu felt no resentment toward Chunlan for this; he considered it human nature.
Had it been him, he likely would have felt the same, provided Chunlan harbored no malicious intent.
"Second-Class Martial Xiucai..."
Upon hearing this, Chunlan looked astonished, but after a moment of reflection, she felt it was only to be expected.
Two months ago, the maids who were close to Xinghua had already learned from her about Wei Tu’s results in the Prefecture Examination.
Top of the County Examination.
Sixth in the Prefecture Examination.
Winning a degree in the Dao Examination was not something difficult to comprehend.
After a short while, Chunlan regained her composure. She wore an apologetic look and gave a slight bow to Wei Tu.
"Wei... Master..."
Chunlan changed her form of address.
Although Wei Tu currently possessed no great wealth, having attained the rank of Martial Xiucai meant he was now a high-ranking scholar-master, and she, a mere maid of the Li family, could no longer address him casually.
"Just call me Wei-ge'er; we’ve known each other since we were children." Wei Tu shook his head, looking quite displeased.
Hearing this, a glimmer of joy appeared in Chunlan’s heart. She nodded, no longer stubborn about the address, and continued to call him "Wei-ge'er."
"Wei-ge'er, the Eldest Young Master failed the Dao Examination this time. He just returned this morning. When you go to the inner courtyard later, be careful—try not to mention this matter..."
Chunlan was habitually looking out for Wei Tu, but as she spoke, she suddenly thought of something and smiled self-deprecatingly. "I’m being a busybody. You’re different now, Wei-ge'er; you don’t need to worry so much about the Master and Mistress’s feelings."
People are different.
If a servant offends their master, they would at the very least be scolded or punished.
But a guest of equal status is different.
Even if the host is unhappy, they will suppress their displeasure.
"Li Xingye failed?"
Unlike Chunlan’s focus, Wei Tu was more concerned with the fact that Li Xingye had failed.
"No wonder the Li residence is so quiet; it turns out Li Xingye failed..."
Wei Tu suddenly understood.
The results for the Civil and Martial examinations were released only a few days apart. The news of the Civil Examination rankings would have reached Qingshan County just within these last few days.
If Li Xingye had made the list, the Li residence would be ten times more lively than it was when the County Examination results were released. After all, the County Examination was merely a test, whereas passing the Dao Examination meant obtaining a genuine, recognized degree.
"Given Li Xingye’s age, obtaining a Xiucai degree before thirty shouldn't be difficult, but... people are always prone to fawning over the successful and trampling the fallen..."
"Failing this time means his potential in the eyes of the world will be greatly diminished."
Thinking of this, Wei Tu felt a sense of emotion.
If he had failed this time.
His situation would likely have been far more miserable than Li Xingye’s...
The Shan family, the Li family, the Huang family... whether they would treat him as they once did was unknown.
"Thank you for the reminder, Sister Chunlan."
A moment later, Wei Tu composed himself and thanked her for the warning.
"I will be mindful when I see Master Li and his wife in the parlor."
He added.
...
Entering the parlor.
Before Wei Tu could speak, Li Yaozu spoke first: "Wei-ge'er, you’ve returned from the prefecture city—are you looking to stay at our Li residence for a few days? That is, of course, perfectly fine."
As the words fell, Wei Tu’s brows furrowed imperceptibly—he felt Li Yaozu’s tone was somewhat condescending, as if he were bestowing a favor upon him.
He had not come to the Li residence to seek lodging, but to share the good news with Xinghua and to discuss her manumission with Li Yaozu and his wife.
—While in the prefecture city, besides practicing martial arts, he had taken up work writing letters with the help of Shan Yangong, saving up some silver.
It wasn't much, just over a tael.
Not enough for her freedom.
But it was certainly enough for an inn.
The internal military strategy portion of the Martial Examination also required a certain level of calligraphy from the martial artist.
If one’s handwriting was poor, while it wouldn't lead to immediate disqualification like in the Civil Examination, it would still have a certain impact on the score.
However, just as Wei Tu was about to explain, he remembered Chunlan’s warning and suppressed his temper, choosing not to retort.
Regardless of anything else.
The Li family had helped him in the past.
There was no need to provoke Li Yaozu and his wife while they were feeling dejected.
He was not so petty as to do that.
He could find another suitable time to discuss Xinghua’s manumission; there was no need to pick such a sensitive day.
Furthermore, having just attained his degree, acting "arrogant" toward his former benefactors would not earn him a good reputation.
"I thank Master Li for his generosity regarding the lodging," Wei Tu thought for a moment, then stood and bowed to Li Yaozu to express his gratitude.
"Today, I shall not disturb your rest any further."
Wei Tu took his leave.
He turned to depart, but unexpectedly, after only a few steps, he ran head-on into Li Xingye, who was heading toward the parlor.
Li Xingye’s hair was disheveled, his face haggard, and his Confucian robe was loose and unkempt, with his collar and belt undone.
"You scoundrel, what are you doing looking like this?" Seeing this, Li Yaozu’s anger flared, and he stood up to scold him.
The beginning of propriety lies in a proper appearance, a composed expression, and orderly speech.
If outsiders were to see Li Xingye in this state, at the very least it would be seen as a lack of self-discipline, and at worst, it would suggest that the Li family’s household standards were lax, and that they were not a family of scholarly tradition.
"What does it matter..." Li Xingye yawned and slumped into one of the straight-backed chairs in the parlor.
Seeing this, Li Yaozu shook his head helplessly, assuming his son was still depressed over failing the examination, and could not bring himself to scold him again.
But at that moment.
A maid, her clothes in disarray, ran over crying and knelt before Mistress Li, her lips pressed tightly together, saying nothing.