CENTIE Chapter 58

Xiao Lin always handled tasks meticulously. After Xiao Jingduo sent him to retrieve the poetry scroll, it wasn’t long before Xiao Lin returned with a bundle of papers in his arms.

Panting heavily as he arrived, Xiao Lin explained, “This servant failed to act quickly enough and made the young master wait. The madam delivered a large batch of items to Qingze Courtyard, and Qiu Ju was organizing them with the others. Many things were piled together, which delayed my search.”

“It’s fine, you did your best,” Xiao Jingduo said as he accepted the poetry scroll from Xiao Lin. He unfurled it in front of everyone. As the dark sandalwood scroll rolled open halfway, something suddenly fell out.

One of the jinshi candidates had sharp eyes and noticed. He immediately called out, “Hey! Something just fell out!”

Without thinking, he bent down to pick it up. It was clearly a letter, but he didn’t consider whether it was appropriate to open it. He casually unfolded it and exclaimed, “Xiao Tongnian, why do you keep letters tucked inside books? Isn’t that inconvenient? Huh, whose letter is this?”

At this point, the other jinshi, who had already gathered around Xiao Jingduo out of curiosity, also noticed something was amiss.

“This scroll is a romance tale, probably about some talented scholar and beautiful maiden. Isn’t this the kind of story women read? Xiao Tongnian, you’re reading this kind of thing?”

Xiao Jingduo also carefully examined the scroll in his hands. After a moment, he shook his head and said, “This isn’t mine. It must’ve been a mix-up.”

“Didn’t your servant mention earlier that your family was organizing items? Maybe this belonged to someone else and accidentally ended up in your book basket.”

“Most likely,” Xiao Jingduo agreed, setting the scroll aside with a sigh of regret. As he looked up, he noticed the people across from him giving him strange looks. “What is it?”

The jinshi who had already read through the letter shook his head hesitantly, handing it back to Xiao Jingduo with a complicated expression. “Brother Xiao, don’t take it too hard, but this letter…”

Frowning, Xiao Jingduo took the letter and quickly opened it to read. The person seated next to him, bored and curious, leaned over to peek as well.

Xiao Jingduo was a fast reader, but this time, despite it being just a single page, he read it for a long time. In fact, the others had all finished reading by the time he solemnly folded the letter.

The surrounding people exchanged glances and asked, “Whose letter is this?”

“It was tucked inside that romance scroll, so it should belong to a woman. The question is, which woman from Xiao Tongnian’s household does it belong to?”

Speculation buzzed among the group. Xiao Jingduo sighed and cut off their guesses, saying, “It’s from my stepmother.”

“What? Your stepmother?” The jinshi who had picked up the letter gaped in disbelief. He only knew that Xiao Jingduo came from a prominent background as the legitimate eldest son of a marquis’ household. He hadn’t realized Xiao Jingduo had a stepmother, let alone one who treated him poorly.

From the content of the stepmother’s letter, this was no longer just a case of “mistreating” Xiao Jingduo—it was outright sabotage. In the letter, his stepmother explicitly instructed Wu Father to interfere in Xiao Jingduo’s appointment process, with the ultimate goal of ensuring his disqualification. This was nothing short of an attempt to ruin his future.

The jinshi candidates, who had been slightly intoxicated and merry just moments ago, were now completely sobered by this revelation. Even those who had been tipsily shouting and laughing moments earlier became sharp and alert. Since the release of the exam results, these newly-minted jinshi had been basking in their success, celebrated as honored guests wherever they went. Never had they imagined encountering such a scandalous situation.

Outrage spread among the group. “Your stepmother is too much! Just because she’s from an aristocratic family, does she think she can manipulate official appointments as she pleases? Absolutely outrageous!”

Most of these jinshi were from humble backgrounds, having spent ten years or more studying diligently just for the chance to sit for the imperial exams. Yet even then, they were often looked down upon by the aristocracy. Many government positions were monopolized by noble families, functioning almost like hereditary posts passed within their circles, leaving no room for commoners. Before passing the exam, these young scholars, like other common folk, had naively revered the aristocracy. But now, with one foot in the door of officialdom, they began to see the nobility up close. What they discovered was that aristocrats were far from extraordinary—they were just regular people.

Worse still, these noble families actively suppressed and excluded commoners striving to enter the bureaucracy. The constant pressure had gradually driven these new scholars to stand in opposition to the aristocracy.

And now, to learn that a mere daughter from a middling noble family dared to brazenly manipulate the appointment process! She acted as if ensuring the disqualification of a jinshi was as simple as lifting a finger. And this wasn’t just any jinshi—this was Xiao Jingduo, the most prominent among them, a brilliant young scholar with an impeccable family background. If even he couldn’t escape the aristocracy’s suppression, what hope was there for anyone else?

The thought infuriated the group. Beneath their anger, however, lay a faint sense of despair.

One of them turned to Xiao Jingduo and asked, “Your stepmother treats you like this—doesn’t she fear any consequences?”

“What would she have to fear?” Xiao Jingduo seemed resigned, his expression tinged with cold indifference. He gave a faint, bitter smile. “She’s a noblewoman. My father and grandmother prioritize her in everything. She’s given birth to a legitimate son and daughter. In the future, the marquisate will likely pass to her son. Given all this, what does she have to be afraid of?”

“Surely your father won’t allow this! You’re the eldest son, the rightful heir under both law and tradition. Do they not even respect the imperial regulations?”

Xiao Jingduo shook his head silently, and the speaker began to realize his own naivety.

With power, people truly could act with impunity.

Finally, Xiao Jingduo sighed and said, “Let’s not dwell on this. We came here to enjoy ourselves. If my troubles have upset you all, then I’m the one at fault. Let’s drop this subject and keep drinking.”

The people at the table were frustrated by his passivity. One of them couldn’t help but exclaim in disbelief, “Aren’t you angry at all?”

“What good does anger do?” Xiao Jingduo said with a faint smile, his tone resigned. “When I was ten, I was sent to a Buddhist temple to observe mourning. At thirteen, I narrowly escaped being harmed by her schemes and almost caught smallpox. I thought that after passing the imperial exam and gaining an official position, things would improve. But now it seems I can’t escape her machinations after all. My father doesn’t value me, and I’m no match for the Wu family. Since that’s the case, let her do as she pleases. A child doesn’t speak ill of their mother. Besides, the evaluations for appointments are already over. Whatever the final result may be, I’ll leave it to fate.”

Though they knew Xiao Jingduo was being logical, the others couldn’t help but feel stifled by his resignation. His acceptance of the situation only fueled their frustration. After a long silence, one of them blurted out, “Brother Xiao, don’t lose hope. Someone as malicious as your stepmother will get her comeuppance sooner or later.”

Standing nearby, Bai Jiayi, who had watched the whole exchange, smirked. Xiao Jingduo, accepting fate? He’d known Xiao Jingduo for years and had never once seen him utter a single word of defeat, much less display the kind of submissiveness he was showing now. Bai Jiayi was truly impressed. To achieve his goal, Xiao Jingduo was even willing to feign weakness. After all, what could elicit more sympathy and righteous indignation than a brilliant, newly minted scholar being repeatedly oppressed by his cruel stepmother?

Impressive, truly impressive.

Everything had unfolded exactly as Xiao Jingduo had planned. He turned slightly and caught Bai Jiayi smirking with ill intent. Noticing Xiao Jingduo’s gaze, Bai Jiayi even winked playfully, feigning mischief.

Disgusted, Xiao Jingduo quickly turned away, unwilling to spare Bai Jiayi another glance.

Xiao Jingduo knew his deception wouldn’t hold for long. The Wu family and Wu Junru would soon realize something was wrong. But for him, the time he had gained was enough.

Wu Junru’s handwritten letter was her fatal flaw. Xiao Jingduo had been keeping it close, unwilling to expose it lightly. It wasn’t until the evaluations for official appointments concluded in May that he launched his plan, delivering a decisive blow to her.

If he had exposed the letter before the selection exams, the resulting uproar would have caused complications. It might have even harmed his reputation with the Minister of Personnel, which would have been detrimental. So, he waited until after the appointments were finalized before unleashing his plan with swift and decisive action.

Every year, the newly minted jinshi were celebrated throughout Chang’an. They were honored guests at banquets and lauded wherever they went. Scholars often harbored idealistic and romantic notions, yearning for a world of fairness and justice. When confronted with blatant injustice, they found it unbearable, especially when the victim appeared resigned to their fate. Such situations weighed heavily on their hearts, impossible to forget.

With their connections at high-profile gatherings, it was only a matter of time before word of Xiao Jingduo’s plight spread among the upper echelons of Chang’an society.

Finally, Xiao Jingduo added fuel to the fire: “A child does not speak ill of their mother. Please, treat what happened today as if you never heard it. And do not act on my behalf. If any of you were to earn the Wu family’s enmity because of me, I would be eternally guilty.”

This was indeed a practical issue. The jinshi knew that this was a critical period for their official appointments. Offending the Wu family, or the Cui family supporting them from behind, would certainly spell trouble for these newcomers. Xiao Jingduo’s warnings were for their benefit, but precisely because of this, the group felt even more indignant.

They were angered by the monopolistic power of the aristocratic families and frustrated by their own helplessness in the face of it.

Seeing that his words had sunk in, Xiao Jingduo secretly breathed a sigh of relief. While he hoped to leverage the influence of these jinshi to spread the matter, he had no intention of ruining their futures. So, he repeatedly hinted that they should vent in private but avoid launching any overt crusade.

Thanks to Xiao Jingduo’s warnings, these jinshi did not attempt to directly report the Wu family. However, not even a king can stop ordinary people from gossiping during meals or casual conversations. After leaving the banquet, many of them vented their indignation to trusted friends, and at other gatherings, they couldn’t help but gossip. Soon, the story spread like wildfire throughout the literary circles.

Meanwhile, Wu Junru was managing household affairs in the marquis’ residence as usual. After dismissing a group of servants, she rubbed her tired eyes and asked, “What is Ye’er doing?”

“Fourth Young Master is being supervised in his studies, Madam, so you may rest assured,” a maid replied.

Wu Junru nodded. That was good. She was willing to do anything for her son and would never admit that Xiao Jingye might be inferior to Xiao Jingduo. From a young age, Xiao Jingye had been studying and practicing martial arts under Wu Junru’s strict supervision. She personally oversaw his progress, more invested than anyone else. Inwardly, she resolved that she must see her son grow up, succeed, and show Xiao Jingduo what a true genius looked like.

After confirming Xiao Jingye’s activities, Wu Junru turned her attention back to the tasks in front of her.

Day after day, these tedious responsibilities seemed endless. Wu Junru raised her head, exhausted, and gazed out at the blue sky beyond the window, momentarily lost in thought.

She wondered how her father’s progress with the matter was going.

After a moment, Wu Junru snapped out of her thoughts, gathered herself, and prepared to deal with the next round of servants. She once thought that being a noblewoman in ancient times was an idyllic existence: free from financial worries, meals served on command, no need to work for others or endure anyone’s temper. What a life of ease! But after becoming a marquis’ wife herself, burdened with the duties that came with the title, Wu Junru realized how laughable her previous fantasies had been.

Though living in luxury, being confined to the inner court was like being a caged bird, seeing the same people and dealing with the same issues day after day. It was a tedious and oppressive existence.

If not for her son, Wu Junru might not have been able to endure it.

“Call in the kitchen staff,” Wu Junru ordered.

The kitchen maids and cooks stood before Wu Junru, presenting the proposed menu for the next day. Midway through their report, a maid rushed in hurriedly, her voice urgent: “Madam, the Fourth Lady is here!”

Fourth Lady? Wu Junru frowned, ready to scold the maid, but she suddenly paused, realizing something significant.

“Her di mu (legitimate mother), isn’t that the Fourth Lady of the Wu family?”

Wu Junru had married shortly after her transmigration and had barely met her di mu a handful of times. She had no interest in currying favor with this nominal mother, so when she heard the news, it took her a moment to process it. Once she understood, she jumped to her feet. “Why has Mother come here? Why wasn’t I informed in advance?”

“I don’t know either, Madam,” the maid replied nervously. “The gatekeeper dared not stop her. Her ladyship’s carriage has already entered through the side gate and should be here any moment.”

“What are you standing there for? Hurry and come with me to welcome Mother!”

“There’s no need,” a cold voice interrupted. Wu Junru’s di mu was already standing at the courtyard gate, her expression grim. “I wouldn’t dare trouble you to come out and greet me.”

At the sight of her di mu, Wu Junru’s face changed slightly, but she forced a smile and quickly stepped forward. “Mother, what brings you here to visit your daughter so suddenly? When did you arrive in Chang’an? Why didn’t you let me know in advance so I could send someone to welcome you outside the city? How have you and Father been in Qinghe these past years?”

Accompanied by Wu Junru, her di mu walked into the room with a composed demeanor. Inside, several kitchen supervisors were still standing by, having been in the middle of reporting trivial matters. Upon seeing the Wu family’s mistress arrive, they grew uneasy, unsure of where to place their hands and feet. After offering their greetings, they stood awkwardly, not knowing what else to do.

Wu Junru led her di mu to the seat of honor, but before she could speak, her di mu cut her off. “Send them all out. I have something to say to you.”

Wu Junru thought of the letter she had sent to the Wu family a few days ago and began to suspect the reason for this visit. She followed the instruction and dismissed the servants.

Once only the Wu family’s attendants remained, Wu Junru addressed her with affectionate familiarity: “Mother…”

“You still dare call me Mother?” Her di mu snapped suddenly, slamming the armrest heavily. “Get on your knees!”

Wu Junru was completely caught off guard by this turn of events. She had no idea what had happened, and naturally, she was not willing to submit to such an accusation. “Why is Mother so angry? Surely we can talk this through.”

“Oh, you’ve grown bold, haven’t you?” Her di mu sneered coldly. “You even dare to talk back to me now.” With that, she flung two blank pieces of stationery at Wu Junru’s face. “Look at the fine mess you’ve made!”

It had been a long time since anyone had dared speak to Wu Junru this way. She was furious, but with the Wu family’s servants present, she had no choice but to keep her temper in check. Suppressing her anger, she picked up the envelopes to see what this was all about.

Wu Junru’s expression was stiff as she unfolded the letters. When she saw the addressee’s name on the envelopes, she froze. After opening both and examining the contents thoroughly, her face darkened even further.

“How could they both be blank? Where is my letter?”

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