SEHE Chapter 83.2

Backing (part 2)

Jian Zeqian’s body, which had just sat down, immediately sprang up. “On what grounds! Clearly it’s that surnamed Xu who’s damaging our reputation.”

“He’s been at the Imperial Academy for over a year now. If you wanted to force him to withdraw, why didn’t you do it earlier? Are you watching me just take office and trying to cause me trouble?” Pei Yanci sneered coldly. “Then what reason do I have to keep you?”

Gathering a crowd to cause trouble, three people or more—according to Imperial Academy regulations, this was grounds for expulsion.

Jian Zeqian’s expression turned ugly.

“I was… I was…” He didn’t know whether he should mention Qi Lan’s name at this moment.

“Looking at your usual examination results, they’re only mediocre at best. But I often receive complaints from erudite scholars saying you gather a group of people to jointly exclude another group.” Pei Yanci said, “At least when Xu Du is dissatisfied with someone, he openly beats them up and afterward takes full responsibility alone. The little schemes you pull behind the scenes are simply third-rate. When you encounter someone as straightforward as Xu Du, you’re also helpless.”

“How can you approve of scum like Xu Du who doesn’t study properly?”

“The scum in your mouth is your classmate, so what does that make you?” Pei Yanci said indifferently. “Equally scum who excludes and bullies classmates.”

Two of a kind—what are you pretending to be?

“In a few years, I’ll enter officialdom and will accomplish great things.” Jian Zeqian said, “If I don’t cultivate my own team now, how will I get by in officialdom later? Blame those people for not having sense—they actually dared to refuse me.”

The young man couldn’t hold his composure and spoke what was in his heart.

Pei Yanci asked, “You still have three years until graduation. How can you be certain you’ll definitely enter officialdom? Based on your less-than-half-a-bucket of learning?”

“Need you ask? After completing five years, the graduation examination is easy to pass, and then I can enter court as an official. With my father’s connections and methods, I dare guarantee I’ll definitely rank higher than a small sixth-rank official like you.” Jian Zeqian said matter-of-factly.

Strict entry, lenient exit—this gave him tremendous confidence.

Pei Yanci suddenly thought of Qi Lan and asked, “Does Student Qi also have the same idea in entering the Imperial Academy?”

“You’d have to ask him. I’m not very clear.”

Qi Lan rashly entered the Imperial Academy. Although he slept all day, his status was already attractive enough, and Princess Zhangping had announced she was widely opening doors to recruit retainers. Students with ambition were very likely to join the Princess’s Mansion after graduation.

These people didn’t even spare students still studying.

How shameful—he had the same thought.

After questioning him, he called Xu Du in and asked, “Usually I see you disrespecting and hitting anyone, but today you didn’t make a move. Why? Afraid?”

Xu Du had prepared himself for a thorough scolding, but hearing this, he said half-dead, “I’ll fight after leaving the Imperial Academy.”

“You’ve made progress—you know not to fight here.”

Xu Du, seeing his smile, felt somewhat embarrassed. “Why all the nonsense? Can you decide whether I’m expelled or not? If not, have Qi Xiang come.”

“I won’t process your expulsion.” Pei Yanci revealed a smile. “You don’t know your importance to the entire Imperial Academy. Even if we lost Jian Zeqian, we couldn’t lose you.”

Xu Du’s baby face blinked with confusion. “What do you mean?”

He’d never heard anyone say he was indispensable to the Imperial Academy.

“Think about it—right now, all the good-for-nothing scoundrels in the Imperial Academy basically follow you. If you’re expelled, who am I supposed to find to manage those people?” Pei Yanci said, “Without you, they still won’t listen to the teachers. Wouldn’t that make things more troublesome for us to manage?”

“So I’ve been working myself to death, and it turns out I’m just managing people for you.” Xu Du was furious. “No way, I want to be expelled!”

“This is you voluntarily withdrawing. It has nothing to do with our Imperial Academy.” Pei Yanci smiled. “We didn’t persuade or force you, did we?”

“Then, then I won’t withdraw, and I won’t manage them anymore either.”

“You’re their leader. When you say to hit someone, even if it’s the Imperial Academy’s second-in-command, they’ll do it without a word of complaint. But sadly, their leader doesn’t want them anymore. Then I’ll have to properly settle accounts for last time when they came to hit me. Disrespecting hierarchy, raising hands against elders—they should be punished and then expelled.”

“You dare!” Like Jian Zeqian a quarter-hour earlier, Xu Du also jumped up.

“You can act lawlessly because of your father’s protection, the General Mansion’s protection. What about them? Their status is far inferior to yours. Would the Zheng family be afraid of them?”

“No way, I don’t agree.” Xu Du said decisively. “As long as I’m here, don’t even think about touching my brothers.”

“Then you must properly restrain them.” Pei Yanci’s smiling face slowly grew serious. “You’re their leader, like your father—a leader. They depend on you, trust you, and can risk their lives for you. Then you must also be responsible for their future.”

“Of course, it’s just that I…” Xu Du felt these words made sense, but was somewhat uncertain.

He had never thought about this before.

The responsibility for dozens of people pressing on the shoulders of a dandy who previously only knew how to walk dogs and stroll with birds was somewhat heavy.

“You’re the leader. If you do well, in the future they’ll follow you to eat well and drink well. If you constantly show off your strength, in the future they’ll squat in prison with you.”

“Think it over carefully. This time you and Jian Zeqian caused trouble—both sides were at fault. If you don’t acknowledge this fault, then withdraw and stop managing things here. If you come find me tomorrow to admit your fault and accept punishment at the Three Departments’ Disciplinary Hall, then stay here and continue however you and your brothers want to live.”

“Punishment? Ridiculous. Why should I suffer this indignity?” Xu Du’s face was full of defiance. Scowling, he suddenly threw his chair and angrily left.

Pei Yanci followed him out. Xu Du had already called his brothers to leave together. Seeing this, Jian Zeqian cupped his hands toward the erudite scholars, and without waiting for them to speak, also left of his own accord.

“Vice Chancellor Pei, how is this handling the matter?” the Deputy Supervisor of the Three Departments’ Disciplinary Hall asked.

Several erudite scholars gathered over. “Vice Chancellor Pei, if Xu Du withdraws in the future…”

“Rest assured, it will definitely have nothing to do with you all.”

“No,” one erudite scholar waved his hand. “One person takes responsibility for their own actions. The conflict started in my class—I should naturally accept this dereliction of duty.”

“We’re not people who fear death either. We were all present today and couldn’t stop the chaos from happening—that’s already serious dereliction of duty.” Another erudite scholar said, “If Qi Daren and Fang Daren blame you, Daren, we’re also willing to accept responsibility together. Whether it’s dismissal or whatever, so be it.”

“That’s right. I’ve long wanted to leave here anyway—suffering aggravation from both sides for nothing. I came here to pursue scholarship and teach scholarship, not to take sides and serve people.”

The several erudite scholars spoke one after another, their beards pointing skyward as they voiced their grievances.

Pei Yanci smiled slightly, beginning to find these rigid, stern old scholars rather endearing.

****

That afternoon, with nothing to do, Pei Yanci drank a bellyful of tea, greeted the erudite scholars and assistant instructors in Gewu Hall, and left.

His foot had just crossed the Imperial Academy’s threshold when he spotted a carriage.

Very familiar, though he’d never ridden in it.

Yunsheng sat in the carriage. Seeing him, he immediately called out, jumped down from the carriage, and walked over.

Pei Yanci walked forward a few steps and stood on the steps, smiling. “When did Steward Qi return from the estate outside the city? You didn’t tell me so I could come meet you.”

Qi Yunsheng stood below the steps, chest out, chin raised high, eyes practically wanting to devour him. “How would this lowly servant dare trouble Pei Daren’s precious noble body?”

Pei Yanci acted as if he’d only just noticed his clothing, which was no longer what a steward would wear. “So you’re already Chief Steward Qi now. Congratulations on taking my position. I hope the Chief Steward can use the people left in the mansion smoothly. There are always a few who don’t know their place—the Chief Steward will have to take extra care to discipline them.”

These words, reaching Qi Yunsheng’s ears, sounded like this predecessor was teaching him, a junior, how to do things, and also like he was picking up things this person didn’t want.

A breath stuck in his chest, unable to exhale or swallow.

“I wonder, Chief Steward Qi, what matter brings you here in person?” Pei Yanci descended the steps, glanced at the carriage under the locust tree by the roadside, didn’t detect anyone else, and then led him aside.

“The day after tomorrow is the Zheng Manor’s family banquet. Don’t forget like you did last month.” Qi Yunsheng said.

“I don’t know if I’ll be free that evening.” Pei Yanci deflected, too lazy to argue about meaningless things.

There were always people in the world unwilling to admit their mistakes. Though it was clearly their deliberate doing, with a twist of the tongue, it instead became someone else’s fault.

Erudite Scholar Wang was like this, and so was Qi Yunsheng.

“This is a notification, not a discussion.” Qi Yunsheng’s shrill voice was inexplicably irritating.

“Fine then.” Pei Yanci responded perfunctorily and was about to head toward Wuli’s carriage, but found him blocking the way again.

“You said today you wanted the son of the Minister of the Dali Temple expelled?”

What happened in the morning—by evening, the backing behind them already came to question him.

Having too many powerful nobles in Anjing City wasn’t such a good thing either.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” Qi Yunsheng sneered.

This person was courting death.

“Does His Highness have any instructions for me?”

“Have you forgotten you’re a member of the Zheng family?”

“Can the Zheng family not even touch a small Minister of the Dali Temple? Chief Steward Qi should watch your words.”

“You, you stop right there. I haven’t finished speaking.” Qi Yunsheng was about to chase after him, but Pei Yanci made several evasive moves and avoided him.

In the distance, Wuli drove the carriage closer, picked up Pei Yanci, and smiled. “Chief Steward Qi, don’t stand on ceremony. Take your time, we’re off.”

Saying this, he cracked the whip, leaving Qi Yunsheng only a cloud of dust from the wheels.

Qi Yunsheng returned to the Crown Prince’s Mansion carriage in frustration and called out resentfully, “Your Highness.”

Behind the golden-fragrant colored dense silk curtain, Gu Jiuqing wore an amber-colored orchid grass gold gauze long robe. His back was straight as a resilient bamboo cane. The fingers extending from his sleeves were smooth and rounded, spotless and immaculate.

He had no intention of spying on that person, but through the gap where the curtain fluttered, his eyes still precisely captured that slender, gaunt figure outside the carriage.

His tall frame and slim waist were wrapped in a deep green robe, his posture like a mountain—angular and steep—while the smile in his eyes was like two pools of cold, clear spring water, diluting his sharp intent, though his edge was hard to conceal.

One month unseen, as if separated by a lifetime.

Was that the real him?

“This Pei Yanci has eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard. He doesn’t put Your Highness in his eyes at all. Does he still have any concept of master-servant hierarchy in his heart?” Qi Yunsheng complained endlessly.

“Before, when did he ever consider himself a servant?”

If he were a servant, he would meekly accept his fate and be moved to tears by his pity and charity.

He was not.

That was the light he once could not restrain.

An obscure, indiscernible undercurrent surged in Gu Jiuqing’s eyes.

Want to abandon him and leave?

That hasn’t received his permission.