Chapter 1347 – Raising a Daughter (Part Three)
Jiang Pengji waved her hand dismissively, sending them all back to their respective homes to find their own mothers.
Whoever produced such pitiful younglings could take them back and shape them up.
This was the most foolproof way to avoid offending anyone.
Thus, Huang Song reunited with his wife and daughter, Feng Jue was packed off to Feng Ren’s residence, while Cheng Jing temporarily stayed at his mentor’s home.
Huang Song raised an eyebrow in surprise. “What do you mean ‘going home’?”
The steward replied, “We just got news that your lady has settled in the city with several Young Masters and Young Ladies.”
Upon hearing this, Huang Song’s anxious heart finally eased, and he couldn’t help but smile in relief.
“Alright, let’s head back then.”
By the time Huang Song arrived in Xiangyang County, Qi Chaolan had already been there with the child for seven or eight days.
When she learned that her husband was alive and would soon arrive to reunite with her, she nearly teared up with joy.
With her husband out of danger, Qi Chaolan waited eagerly for his return.
However—
As Huang Song, weary from travel, stepped into their new home, he discovered that both his wife and child were absent.
“Where did the Lady go?” he asked.
The Old Steward replied, “The Lady was worried about the young Masters’ studies and sought out a tutor. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find a decent tutor in such a large Xiangyang County. When she learned that Mr. Yuanjing and all the esteemed scholars were teaching at the Golden Scales Academy, she took the young Masters and Ladies to participate in the entrance exam.”
Qi Chaolan had left not long before Huang Song arrived, causing this long-awaited couple to miss their reunion.
Huang Song struggled to comprehend. “Sent them for… the entrance exam?”
The Old Steward explained, “Last year, the Golden Scales Academy announced it would expand its admissions. In addition to the previous set quotas, they added fifty extra slots, allowing any eligible children a chance at enrollment. To ensure fairness, all these spots require an entrance examination.”
Originally, the Golden Scales Academy only accepted orphans of fallen soldiers, admitting two hundred students each year.
This year, the conditions were relaxed with fifty additional spots.
In fierce competition for these spots, a swarm of children aimed for the exam.
Furrowing his brow, Huang Song remarked, “Lan Ting is truly foolish; how could he set this precedent now?”
Aside from a few second-generation students (like Feng Yi), all students at the Golden Scales Academy were orphans of martial soldiers.
If children from wealthy or powerful backgrounds flooded in, wouldn’t that widen the gap between students?
It was easy to imagine that with the widening gap, the academy’s atmosphere would surely decline compared to before.
Unbeknownst to him, Jiang Pengji was no fool to make a bad business deal; her willingness to open this precedent was to bait fish.
If Huang Song understood the backgrounds of the students enrolling, he would grasp Jiang Pengji’s intentions.
Of the fifty spots, twenty were gotten through true merit, while the remaining thirty mostly hailed from rich merchant families—rich but lacking power, status, and reputation. Merchants held the lowest social standing; even if they threw heaps of money at tutors, the tutors they attracted were merely ordinary scholars, and genuinely esteemed scholars wouldn’t dream of associating with merchants. Never mind about paying generously, they wouldn’t even qualify to step over the threshold.
Jiang Pengji operated behind the scenes, all while harboring calculations of her own.
Using the audience’s words, this was a sort of investment attraction scheme.
She would give those tycoons a taste of sweetness and then reveal her true colors, making them willingly spend to invest in the Golden Scales Academy’s branch.
How to get those tycoons to cough up money?
By giving them exactly what they desired.
Merchants might have money, but they lacked power, influence, and fame. However, once Jiang Pengji leaked the news that merchants investing in the branch could carry the honorary title of ‘Honorable Dean’ post-establishment, with government recognition and plaques, there would be plenty eager to part with their gold.
Of course, Huang Song’s concerns had crossed Jiang Pengji’s mind as well.
This expansion of enrollment was touted as celebrating a grand victory, and next year, they would return to the usual admissions practices.
Huang Song asked the steward, “Where is the Golden Scales Academy?”
The steward promptly prepared a carriage for Huang Song’s departure, only to be stopped midway.
Seeing the situation, the steward awkwardly said, “Many merchant families, upon hearing the news, have already settled into inns near the Golden Scales Academy. As a result, there are extremely high numbers of people nearby. It would be better for you to wait a bit; patrolling soldiers will clear the roads.”
Due to the expanded admissions, the roads around the Golden Scales Academy were often jammed.
After waiting for a while, Huang Song decided to get out and walk, with the Old Steward following closely behind. He had to, as Huang Song didn’t know the way.
“Why are there so many people?”
Huang Song felt his scalp tingle at the sight of the crowd outside the Golden Scales Academy.
Almost every student coming for the exam brought along a caravan of parents, not to mention their maidservants and young servants, completely blocking the wide road in front of the academy. The thought of his wife dragging three children and a maid through this chaos filled him with pity.
In reality, Huang Song was overthinking.
As Qi Chaolan, his wife had a special status.
When she brought the children here for the exam, there would surely be a green channel.
To prevent exam candidates from disrupting the academy’s students, only one parent could accompany each candidate; no maidservants or young servants were allowed entry. After waiting for a long while, it was finally Huang Song’s turn. The guard looked him over and asked, “Where’s your child?”
Huang Song replied, “My wife has already taken the child inside.”
The guard could only repeat the rules for accompanying candidates again. “Only one parent may accompany an exam candidate. Please wait outside for news.”
Huang Song stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
He was being barred from entering by a mere guard?
“N-Not—”
Before he could finish, the guard shot back, “Next!”
A parent behind him remarked, “You seem dressed quite richly; how do you not understand the rules? Step aside!”
“Don’t block the way; if my child misses the exam and can’t enroll, you’ll compensate me!”
Huang Song: “…”
If this were two months ago, dare you talk to him like that? You’d definitely be getting smashed!
Worn out and grumpy, Huang Song was pushed out of the crowd, his clothes all rumpled, and the Old Steward suffered some wrinkling as well.
“My lord, there are just too many people. Why not return home and wait for the Lady?” the Old Steward suggested.
Huang Song sighed. “Fine.”
As they were about to head home, he spotted a familiar figure standing at the entrance, holding a lantern and peering outward.
“Lady!”
Qi Chaolan, returning home with the child, nearly wept tears of joy upon hearing from a servant that her husband was back.
She had originally instructed the maidservant to wait at the entrance for news but finally couldn’t sit still any longer and decided to wait outside herself.
Upon hearing that familiar voice, she turned to see where it came from.
“Uncle!”
Before they could exchange countless words, she was pulled into a familiar embrace.
After a long, heartfelt moment, Qi Chaolan blushed and scolded, “This is the street; I don’t want people to see and laugh at me.”
Huang Song suppressed the strong feelings swelling within him and smiled. “Alright, alright, let’s talk when we get home.”
