Teaching and Testing
"The Wuding Marquis Residence isn't as good as it looks to you."
"I know, Mother."
Lin Yunwan spoke with deep meaning. "Although you're the eldest legitimate son, being the eldest legitimate son isn't easy. In any case, I'll do my best to secure what you deserve, but in the future, you must place your greatest hopes in yourself. Don't count on the Marquis's Residence to help you soar into the clouds."
Lu Chang'gong nodded emphatically and promised, "I don't intend to compete for anything. I only want to rely on myself."
"Besides, the Lu family has already given me enough. With you as my mother, I—I wouldn't dare ask for anything else."
He lowered his head shyly, worried that he had said too much and might be suspected of deliberately trying to ingratiate himself with her.
But the words had clearly come out of their own accord.
Troubled, Lu Chang'gong tightened his expression, pressing his lips into a straight line.
Lin Yunwan smiled and said, "It's getting hot. Hurry back."
"Yes, Mother."
Lu Chang'gong quickly turned and left.
Lin Yunwan felt a little more at ease as well. With Chang Gong so determined, she no longer had to fear smashing the vase while trying to catch the rat.
No matter what trouble Ge Bao'er and her son might stir up in the Lu family in the future, as long as Chang Gong studied diligently, he could still enter officialdom through the imperial examinations and rise straight to the clouds.
Ping Ye came in with tea and said with a smile, "Young Master Chang Gong is truly filial. When he grows up, he'll be your greatest support, Madam."
Lin Yunwan smiled faintly.
"Don't place too much hope in others."
In her previous life, she had placed too many hopes in others and only made things worse through her own efforts.
"Let nature take its course."
Lin Yunwan said this to herself.
After another half month or more, Old Madam Lu decided to test the results of the two young masters' studies.
She mainly wanted to see how Qing was doing, but she couldn't very well leave Chang Gong out, so she said she would examine both boys' schoolwork.
"Yun Wan, you and your mother-in-law sit by and watch."
The old madam understood very little herself; at most, she could judge the bare surface. Of course, Lin Yunwan had to come and take charge.
Wei Shi felt hot and fanned herself as she said languidly, "Old Madam, surely there's no need for me to..."
The old madam glared at her.
Even now, she still didn't know to pay some attention to her own grandson!
She scolded Wei Shi, "The child has been in the family so long, and you still haven't shown him any concern."
Wei Shi wanted to say, wasn't Yun Wan there, being a good daughter-in-law?
But the old madam's gaze was so sharp that she didn't dare talk back.
She was still somewhat dissatisfied. He wasn't her own flesh and blood, so what was there to care about?
In her opinion, it would be better for her daughter-in-law to bear a legitimate grandson of her own.
After a few more words, Lu Chang'gong and Qing both came in. In the adjoining room, the maids laid out brushes and ink and attended to them.
Old Madam Lu said, "Each of you copy out a fu, then compose a poem."
She glanced at Lin Yunwan, eager to ask whether this was how students were usually taught and tested.
Lin Yunwan nodded. For students who had only just begun their education, this was already a difficult enough test.
But for Lu Chang'gong, it posed no difficulty.
In the adjoining room, one of the two young masters was calm and composed, while the other wore a worried frown.
Nanny Yan said, "Young Masters, you may begin."
She went to light a stick of incense and gently reminded them, "You have three sticks of incense, about half a shichen."
Lin Yunwan worked out the time. It was more than enough.
Qing pulled a long face and asked, "Only three sticks of incense?"
Lu Chang'gong had already put brush to paper.
Qing didn't dare waste time saying more. He hurriedly picked up his brush, but his hand began to tremble as soon as he started writing, and his very first stroke left an ink blot. The maid grinding ink for him was so anxious that she broke out in sweat.
Nanny Yan's heart was in her throat too.
What had Young Master Qing been learning? After all this time, he couldn't even hold his brush steady.
Sweat covered Qing's forehead, and he had nearly forgotten how Mr. Zhang usually taught him.
This really wasn't his fault.
Who could take a test alongside Lu Chang'gong? He was practically a monster. No matter what he was taught, he always remembered it in the blink of an eye. How could Qing possibly compare with him?
Qing glanced at Lu Chang'gong beside him.
"Oh no."
Lu Chang'gong had nearly finished copying the first sheet.
After three sticks of incense had burned, the two finally completed the test.
Nanny Yan walked over to Old Madam Lu and said in a low voice, "Young Master Chang Gong finished writing long ago. After that, he spent his time weighing his choice of words for the poem. Young Master Qing only just finished in time."
That result didn't sound promising.
Old Madam Lu said nonetheless, "Bring us what they wrote. Let us have a look."
Nanny Yan went and brought over the two boys' sheets of Xuan paper.
After looking them over, Old Madam Lu's expression soured. It went without saying that the neatly written one was certainly Lu Chang'gong's, and his poem was quite respectable too.
As for her own grandson's...
It was barely passable.
What had that Mr. Zhang been teaching him? He had taught Qing so poorly that he was no match for Lu Chang'gong at all!
"Yun Wan, take a look."
Lin Yunwan took the two boys' papers. Chang Gong had done better than she had expected. And Qing's work was unexpectedly better than she had imagined too.
She said, "There's nothing to be said about Chang Gong, but Qing's work is quite remarkable."
Old Madam Lu asked curiously, "How is it remarkable?"
Lin Yunwan said, "If I were teaching him, I couldn't have done as well as Mr. Zhang. He can actually copy out an entire fu." Though it was a very simple fu.
Old Madam Lu was doubtful, but suddenly inspiration struck, and she recalled Lin Yunwan's assessment of Qing—stupid and lazy, always looking for ways to cheat and shirk.
The corner of her mouth twitched. It seemed Zhang Feng'an had done his utmost.
"Someone, go and reward Mr. Zhang."
Lin Yunwan corrected her. "This is Mr. Zhang's duty. If you feel he has applied himself, Old Madam, you need only send him a little money in thanks for his efforts. There's no need for a reward."
Old Madam Lu tugged at the corner of her mouth. These scholars were overly particular.
She followed Lin Yunwan's advice and changed it to a payment thanking Zhang Feng'an for his efforts.
Wei Shi also took the two young masters' papers and looked them over. She praised Chang Gong a few times and nearly let slip some disparaging words about Qing. Fortunately, Nanny Yan gave her a look, and she stopped herself in time.
Only after leaving the Hall of Longevity did she say to her maid, "Why is the old madam so fond of that fool? Look at his handwriting. If the Wuding Marquis Residence has to depend on him to hold it up in the future, he'll bring shame on the ancestors!"
Wei Shi didn't know that she had left too early and missed a good show.
"Old Madam, I've troubled you for so long that I truly feel terrible about it. I... I still want to go home and keep my departed parents company, to show them some filial devotion."
Ge Bao'er wore a veil and had changed into the clothes she had worn when she first came to the Wuding Marquis Residence.
But she no longer wore that pair of shoes with auspicious cloud patterns.
Old Madam Lu's face darkened as she asked her, "Just stay here with an easy mind. What do you mean, troubling me?"
Ge Bao'er knelt and said earnestly, "Old Madam, I truly miss my homeland."
She knelt at just the right moment. Lu Zhengliu had happened to return and, having heard that the old madam was testing the two children's studies, had just come over in time to see the scene.
Lin Yunwan sneered inwardly.
Would Ge Bao'er really be willing to leave the Wuding Marquis Residence?