The Overachieving Little Husband of the Top Scholar’s Household - Chapter 29: Jealousy
After attending social gatherings, Min Taikang, the head of Qingfeng Academy, returned to the academy. As soon as he stepped into his room, Yu Min, who had been waiting for a long time, came to see him.
Min Taikang was not surprised by this. Yu Min was known as a young genius at Qingfeng Academy, and Min Taikang naturally understood his temperament.
“Yu Min, have you come because of the poetry competition?”
Yu Min cupped his fists and said, “I know this may seem abrupt, but if I don’t get a clear answer, I truly won’t be able to eat or sleep in peace.”
Min Taikang shook his head with a faint smile. “You think that your poem is no worse than that of Du Yunse, and that your choice of words is even superior, so you cannot accept that we chose him as the poetry champion?”
Yu Min did not reply, but the expression on his face made it clear that he felt this way.
Min Taikang gestured for him to sit and let out a long sigh. “Yu Min, why do you study?”
Without hesitation, Yu Min replied, “Naturally, to pass the imperial examinations, enter officialdom, and bring honor to my family.”
“Exactly. You and Du Yunse are both outstanding young men who will enter the court as officials in the future. You are not the kind of poets who idly play with words for amusement. When we evaluate poetry, we naturally focus more on the poem’s meaning and perspective.”
Seeing that Yu Min was deep in thought, Min Taikang simply waved a hand and said, “Go to the desk and write down both your poem and Du Yunse’s from memory. I will analyze them with you.”
Yu Min wrote down the two poems that he had memorized. Min Taikang pointed at the ink-still-wet poems and began his critique. “Purely from a perspective of literary talent and style, your poem is elegant and beautiful, while Du Yunse’s is simple yet robust. Both have their merits, and it is difficult to determine a winner based on style alone.”
“But Yu Min, your perspective is too narrow.”
“The examiner’s prompt was, ‘Compose a regulated verse in the voice of the common people of Xiangping for the Dragon Boat Festival.’ Yu Min, do you truly understand what is meant by ‘the common people’?”
“Naturally, it refers to the citizens in the streets and alleys,” Yu Min replied, not seeing anything wrong with his understanding.
Min Taikang shook his head. “No, it refers to all the emperor’s subjects who live on the land of Xiangping Prefecture.”
“In your poem, you wrote about the beauties enjoying the scenery on the festival day, the talented scholars at the poetry competition, and the champions of the dragon boat race.”
“But in Du Yunse’s poem, aside from these, he also wrote about the farmers who continued to labor in the fields despite the festival, the tea stall owner who beamed with joy after making some money, and the children playing with silk threads.”
‘An old farmer of seventy knows not why, yet still wears mugwort sprigs and plants the rice seedlings earnestly.’
Min Taikang sighed as he recited this line and continued, “At the end of your poems, you both mentioned Qu Yuan. But you only questioned whether Qu Yuan would have any thoughts upon seeing people celebrating him with laughter today.”
“Du Yunse, however, wrote—”
‘A thousand years hence, on this very day, their joyous voices console his noble soul in the Chu River.’
“Whether or not the common people know that the Dragon Boat Festival commemorates Qu Yuan, as long as they find joy on this day, that alone is enough to console his spirit in the waters of Chu.”
“With this line, he used history to express his own aspirations. Qu Yuan’s vision is also the poet’s own vision, instantly elevating the poem’s depth and meaning.”
“If this were an ordinary time, your poem would certainly be excellent. But compared to his, it falls short in its scope.”
“Whether it was me, the magistrate, or the education commissioner, after reading this poem, we all chose it without hesitation as the poetry champion. Because this was not a poetry competition hosted by wealthy merchants from Jiangnan, but one judged by the magistrate and the education commissioner. The commissioner’s prompt specifically mentioned ‘the common people’—precisely to assess the perspectives and insights of Xiangping’s scholars.”
Yu Min lowered his head and remained silent for a while. In the end, though he was convinced, he was still unwilling to accept defeat as he said, “This time, I fell short. But next time, that may not be the case.”
“I thank you for your guidance, Headmaster.”
“Go, reflect on what I said today. The prefectural examination is in three days. If you can grasp these lessons, you still have a chance to fight for the top spot in the academy.”
Yu Min was proud but not blindly arrogant. Once the reasoning was made clear, he was able to accept reality. Otherwise, Min Taikang would not have regarded him as intelligent and talented.
Watching Yu Min’s departing figure, Min Taikang nodded in satisfaction, hoping that this small setback would allow this unpolished jade to shine even brighter.
Du Yunse was steady and composed beyond his years. If he could be admitted to Qingfeng Academy, he might also help temper some of the current students who, though talented, were overly impetuous.
…
After Du Yunse won the poetry competition, Zhu Jingwei’s eldest grandson, Zhu Jingcheng, quickly came looking for him, wanting to host a banquet in his honor.
Du Yunse declined, citing his need to focus on preparing for the academy examination. Zhu Jingcheng could only ask for his residence address before leaving regretfully.
Having watched the dragon boat race and participated in the poetry competition, Qiu Huanian dragged Du Yunse to the examination courtyard to familiarize himself with the environment.
After asking around, the two finally arrived at the examination site, where the special cubicles for test-takers had already been set up and could be seen from outside.
Looking at the cramped cubicles, barely two to three square meters in size, Qiu Huanian sighed at how difficult ancient exams were.
The academy exam was manageable—lasting just one day, from morning until evening—but the provincial exam was far worse. During each round of the provincial exam, candidates had to stay inside their cubicles for three days straight, eating, sleeping, and even relieving themselves there, all while wracking their brains to write their exam papers. “Miserable” hardly did it justice.
“Examinees aren’t allowed to bring anything with hidden compartments, not even cushions or blankets. I heard from Yi Wan-jie that many candidates bring blankets made of animal fur. Let’s get you one too.”
Although the weather was already warm, the cubicles were packed tightly together, with poor lighting and ventilation. The humidity in the mornings and evenings would still be heavy.
Just imagining Du Yunse crammed inside writing for an entire day made Qiu Huanian’s legs ache in sympathy.
The examination conditions couldn’t be changed, but personal equipment had to be well-prepared!
Du Yunse didn’t think he was that delicate. Rather than spending money on himself, he’d rather save it to buy things Qiu Huanian liked. He was just about to say so, but when he met Qiu Huanian’s bright, eager eyes, he swallowed his words.
Forget it. How money was spent at home was always Qiu Huanian’s decision anyway. Even if he objected, it wouldn’t change anything.
Better to focus on the imperial exams—so that in the future, he could earn even more for Qiu Huanian.
Du Yunse gazed at Qiu Huanian, his eyes filled with a tenderness as pure as melting snow on a high mountain.
He wanted to walk with this person—far, far into the future.
Du Yunse picked up the package, and Qiu Huanian closed the door. Looking at the clear sky, he smiled and said, “Let’s go!”
They were setting off for the prefectural examination!
The entrance inspection for the exam was extremely strict. Candidates from the same region first stood in designated areas and verified each other’s identities to ensure that no one was impersonating another. Then, minor officials from the examination hall checked their identity documents before they were allowed to queue at the main gate of the examination hall.
Candidates were not allowed to wear clothing with hidden compartments or bring any items with writing on them. Before entering, they had to place their belongings into designated baskets, which were then inspected by officials.
Additionally, candidates had to undress in a small booth to ensure there was nothing hidden in their clothing.
News of Du Yunse winning first place at the Dragon Boat Festival poetry competition had already spread. His poem was still posted at the entrance of the examination hall. The minor officials did not want to offend this promising scholar and did not make things difficult for him.
Watching Du Yunse’s figure disappear beyond the gates of the examination hall, Qiu Huanian exhaled and suddenly felt a bit nervous.
Although he believed in Du Yunse’s talent and ability, there was always the possibility of an accident.
What if the exam room’s conditions were too poor? What if the candidate next to him suddenly went mad? What if it started raining heavily and his answer sheet got soaked?
Qiu Huanian knew these were extremely unlikely scenarios, but he couldn’t stop his thoughts from running wild.
He remembered that back in the modern era, after finishing the college entrance exam, his mother had patted her chest and told him she had been worried the whole time that he might have filled in the answer sheet incorrectly and ended up with a score of zero. At the time, he had found it amusing, but now he understood—perhaps this was the shared mentality of all those who accompanied test-takers, across all eras and regions.
Qiu Huanian stood at the examination hall’s entrance for a while. The other families who had escorted candidates gradually left. The exam would last until 5 PM, the You hour, so waiting around was pointless.
Just as he was about to leave, he spotted someone familiar—the Zhao family was also at the examination hall, seeing someone off.
With over three hundred candidates, it was neither too many nor too few, and the chances of running into acquaintances among the families were not low.
Qiu Huanian stepped aside, not wanting to engage in conversation with them at the moment.
The atmosphere among the four members of the Zhao family seemed off, and none of them noticed Qiu Huanian.
Madam Zhao was holding Fubao’s hand while continuously scolding Li Gu’er. Du Baoquan stood by with his hands in his sleeves, looking impatient and embarrassed. From Qiu Huanian’s angle, he could see Li Gu’er’s face lowered, filled with resentment.
Recalling how, back in Du Village, Li Gu’er had twice snuck off to the back mountain path to meet someone and had taken some suspicious items, Qiu Huanian raised an eyebrow.
He was curious to see what kind of drama this family would stir up next.
Qiu Huanian returned to the side courtyard, took out a storybook given to him by Zhu Jingcheng, and tried to pass the time reading in the courtyard, but he couldn’t concentrate.
Before he knew it, he was wondering whether Du Yunse was currently drafting his answers or still outlining them mentally, whether he had started copying his final answers, or whether he had suddenly hit a mental block.
Just then, Shuhua Cai and Zheng Yiwan’s only daughter, Rutang, ran over from the main courtyard. She carried a small stool, sat down next to Qiu Huanian, and started watching the ants on the ground.
Qiu Huanian looked up and smiled. “Rutang, what’s wrong today? Not in a good mood?”
Rutang was about the same age as Jiujiu. Seeing her reminded Qiu Huanian of his own child.
Rutang pursed her lips without saying a word. She neither kicked at the sandbag nor pestered Qiu Huanian to tell her a story from the book.
Qiu Huanian looked up just as Granny Shu approached. The Shu couple was usually busy at the inn during the day, so now only the three of them were in the courtyard. Granny Shu had finished her chores and decided to stay and chat.
“Brother Hua, don’t worry. Everyone says our Young Master Du is a literary star descended from the heavens. He will definitely pass the scholar exam!”
Granny Shu often went out to buy groceries and had already heard about the young scholar, Du Yunse, winning first place in the Dragon Boat Festival poetry competition. She had also heard that instead of accepting any precious rewards, he had only chosen a hairpin for his husband.
In the streets and alleys, the latter story had spread even more widely than the former.
From a modern perspective, it was as if the prefectural governor had hosted an official event, with the educational commissioner and the headmaster of Qingfeng Academy as authoritative judges, all while riding the momentum of the Dragon Boat Festival’s popularity. It was impossible for the story not to go viral across the entire prefecture.
Qiu Huanian touched the crimson, translucent jade hairpin in his black hair and smiled as he changed the subject. “I think Rutang seems unhappy today. Did something happen?”
Granny Shu’s expression changed slightly. “Oh, it’s nothing. Children’s emotions fluctuate easily. What could possibly be wrong?”
Rutang lowered her head and used her toe to block an ant’s path without saying a word.
Qiu Huanian pondered for a moment and didn’t press further.
“The first session of the examination has already begun. Is Madam Huang arriving in the city soon?”
There was a one-day gap between the two sessions of the exam. Three days after the second session concluded, the results would be announced, followed by the Hundred Flavors Competition.
“I heard from Shu Wu that they are already on their way. Not just Madam Huang—Madam Huang’s second sister-in-law is accompanying her as well. Once they arrive, they’ll be staying at our house.”
Shu Wu, like Granny Shu, was a member of the Shu family brought over from their hometown by Shuhua Cai. Granny Shu worked in the household, while Shu Wu was a servant at the inn. He was a distant nephew of Granny Shu.
Qiu Huanian chuckled. “Then we might get to sample some of Madam Huang’s new dishes in advance.”
He hadn’t forgotten about using the Hundred Flavors Competition to promote his family’s red fermented tofu.
At precisely the You hour, Qiu Huanian carried a water flask he had packed from Shu Yi Lou and waited at the examination hall entrance for Du Yunse.
When the red gates of the examination hall opened, the scholars who had completed the first session walked out one after another. Some were beaming with excitement, while others looked pale and dejected—it was obvious how they had performed.
Qiu Huanian spotted Du Yunse immediately.
The young man, nearing his coming-of-age, stood tall like a pine tree after snowfall. His refined brows and sharp eyes, paired with his jet-black hair, made him appear like a figure straight out of a delicate ink painting. Qiu Huanian couldn’t take his eyes off him.
As Du Yunse scanned the crowd and spotted Qiu Huanian, his gaze instantly softened—like a frozen pool of water suddenly thawing into a warm spring.
“Hua ge’er.” Du Yunse walked toward Qiu Huanian with measured steps.
Qiu Huanian smiled and handed him the water flask, unscrewing the lid. “This is silver ear soup brewed by Shu Yi Lou’s kitchen. I let it cool for a while, so it should be perfectly warm now. Have a taste.”
Du Yunse took a few sips. The sweet, smooth soup warmed his stomach, melting away the fatigue of sitting in a cramped exam room all day.
“Let’s go back.”
“Alright.”
Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse walked away together. Behind them, almost at the same time, Du Yunjing emerged from the examination hall with a terrible expression.
Why was such a ge’er Du Yunse’s? Wasn’t it just for two dou of sorghum? Why had his mother missed the opportunity to buy him back then?
“Yunjing Cousin, I’ve come to pick you up,” Li Gu’er’s sweet voice sounded from behind Du Yunjing.
“Why are you the only one? Where are Father and Mother?”
“Auntie isn’t feeling well and is resting in the house. Uncle asked me to come alone to pick you up,” Li Gu’er said with a smile, taking out a water pouch. “This is a sweet soup I made with the maids in the house’s kitchen. Cousin, have a taste.”
Du Yunjing had always despised Li Gu’er’s stupidity and shallowness, but today, he glanced at the water pouch and took it without hesitation. The sweet soup entered his mouth, yet it still felt tasteless.
Li Gu’er immediately beamed, her youthful face, though only somewhat pretty, still carrying a hint of charm.
Du Yunjing felt a bit hot, but he didn’t think much of it, assuming it was just his unsettled mood.
This time, the new academic commissioner had set extremely difficult exam questions, completely beyond the scope of Du Yunjing’s preparations at the county school, making it hard for him to gauge how well he had performed.
He could only hope that the commissioner would be lenient in grading and that the questions in the retest two days later would be more familiar so he could rank high on the examination list—preferably above Du Yunse.
Du Yunjing had always believed he was a genius. When he first studied under Scholar Sun in Qingfu Town, no other student in the private school could match his speed in recognizing characters and reciting texts. Scholar Sun often praised him, saying he would surely pass the xiucai exam one day and might even become a juren.
However, his pride lasted less than a year before his cousin, Du Yunse, was suddenly sent to the same private school by his father, Du Baoyan, who gritted his teeth and spent most of his savings. This cousin, who was only a few months older, caught up with Du Yunjing’s studies within a month, causing Scholar Sun to exclaim repeatedly that he had encountered a prodigy. He no longer praised Du Yunjing the way he used to.
Unwilling to accept this, Du Yunjing deliberately damaged Du Yunse’s paper and brushes, spread rumors about him in the school, and prevented their classmates from lending him books, thinking this would set him back.
Yet, no matter how he provoked him, Du Yunse acted as if he didn’t notice, focusing solely on his studies, leaving Du Yunjing frustrated and helpless.
Three years later, Du Baoyan took his ten-year-old son to the county for the exam. Before they left, everyone thought they were delusional and wasting their efforts. But to their shock, Du Yunse not only ranked first in the county exam but also became the top scorer in the prefectural exam. Not long after returning to the village, he even attracted the attention of the then-academic commissioner and the great scholar Wen Huiyang, who personally visited Du Family Village!
When Du Yunse was taken in as a disciple by Wen Huiyang on the spot, Scholar Sun was so delighted that he had a few drinks in the school and sighed at the window, saying, “This child is no ordinary person. Now that he has left, it is as if a flood dragon has entered the sea—his rise to greatness is only a matter of time!”
Hearing Scholar Sun’s words, Du Yunjing clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
It was him who had been praised for his talent first. It was him who had the better family background in Du Family Village. Why was it Du Yunse who received such an extraordinary opportunity in the end?
Back then, Du Yunse had only relied on his early cleverness to put on an act and gain an advantage. After so many years of avoiding the imperial exams, he was probably already mediocre.
He would prove that he, Du Yunjing, was the better one!
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Yelo
This cousin, so delulu