Placed on the martial examination list in this year's provincial examination?
A Second-class Martial Scholar?
When these simple words fell into the ears of the Li Residence's masters, Li Yaozu and his wife, along with Li Xingye, all subconsciously held their breath...
A Martial Scholar differed from a Literary Scholar. He could take up a local post and become a local military officer.
Even if it was only a minor office.
It was still an official post!
His status would be vastly different from that of their Li Family, a commoner household.
Li Yaozu and his wife had not expected that, even under Li Xingye's humiliation and coercion, Wei Tu had remained calm and had not revealed that he had placed on the martial examination list.
"How could he have placed on the list this year?" Li Xingye was indignant and resentful.
The resentment he had just vented now gathered once more in his chest, growing fiercer and fiercer.
He had studied by the cold window for over ten years.
Yet in the end,
he still could not compare to Wei Tu, a household slave who had practiced martial arts for only a few years.
How could he possibly let this go so easily?
"Successful, yet neither arrogant nor impetuous; humiliated, yet calm-faced..."
"This man..."
Li Yaozu shook his head.
He made up his mind to train Li Xingye strictly from now on. Under no circumstances could Li Xingye continue offending Wei Tu, or this "favor" would sooner or later be worn away completely.
When that time came, what would become of the Li Family would be impossible to predict.
After leaving the Li Family's inner quarters,
Wei Tu waited in the outer residence for Xinghua and Cai Xia for a while. Only after the two women had packed their belongings did he lead them out of the Li Residence.
"This time, brother Wei, thank you for standing up for me. If not for that..." Along the way, Cai Xia found an opportunity to thank Wei Tu.
Going against her former "benefactor"
was no small pressure for Wei Tu.
Cai Xia understood that.
"We help each other. You helped me before too." Wei Tu smiled and replied.
His reputation was certainly something he needed to consider, but if he saw Cai Xia being bullied and simply stood by, he would not be able to get past that hurdle in his heart.
Besides,
he had already defied Prefect He.
A mere Li Yaozu was not worth fearing.
Hearing this, Cai Xia let go of the worries in her heart. Hugging her bundle, she silently followed behind Wei Tu and Xinghua.
The three arrived at a nearby inn.
They rented two cheap rooms.
That evening, Xinghua asked Cai Xia about her plans for the future. "Like brother Wei, your family could not keep you alive and was forced to sell you into the Li Residence. Now that you are free, you can still return home."
During years of famine, selling sons and daughters to keep them alive was naturally different from selling sons and daughters for money in peaceful years.
Xinghua herself had been sold to the Li Family because her family wanted money.
Thus, after entering the Li Family, Xinghua had gradually cut off contact with her natal family.
"But times have changed. Your father has a son beneath his knee, and your family is poor. If you return home, not only will those three taels of silver... be impossible to keep... you yourself may even be sold again..."
Xinghua analyzed.
Servant girls like them, sold into wealthy households, were unlike young ladies raised in secluded chambers. When it came to money, they were often exceedingly practical.
If Wei Tu had not proven himself back then, Xinghua could never have given him her private savings and let him squander them for nothing.
"Sister Xinghua, I plan to follow you for now... After brother Wei takes office as an official, he should be able to meet a few decent men. When the time comes, I want to marry, start a family, and build a life..."
After pondering for a short while and considering her circumstances, Cai Xia voiced her plans.
"You have shown me kindness. I am naturally willing to have you by my side, and you can keep me company as well." Xinghua nodded and agreed.
An unmarried common woman could not establish a household on her own.
Once servant girls who had redeemed their indentures became commoners again, if they had no other means, they could only return to their original registration.
What Cai Xia meant now was that she wished to follow the couple and register her commoner status under Wei Tu's household.
The next day,
Wei Tu brought Xinghua and Cai Xia to the County Yamen and handed the women's indenture contracts and letters of proof to the clerk in the household registration office.
"How strange." Seeing this, the yamen runner clicked his tongue in wonder. He took out the "Commoner Registration Book," added the two women's names, and wrote them beneath the name "Wei Tu."
Having served as a clerk in the County Yamen's household registration office for so long, Wei Tu was the first slave he had seen redeem himself. And today, the two servant girls being redeemed were both connected to him... This was truly a rare sight.
"Has the official document for this year's Martial Scholars, issued by the prefectural authorities, arrived at the County Yamen?" After the two women changed their registrations, Wei Tu did not hurry away. He cupped his hands toward the yamen runner and asked.
"The Martial Scholar document?"
Hearing this, the yamen runner stared in surprise for a moment before looking at Wei Tu. "You placed on the list in this year's provincial examination?"
He knew that Wei Tu had become the Martial Arts Examination Top Scholar in the county examination.
But he was also one of the few people in the County Yamen who knew that Wei Tu's title as Martial Arts Examination Top Scholar had some water in it.
Therefore, he had not thought Wei Tu would place on the list in this year's provincial examination.
The provincial examination was difficult, far more difficult than the county examination.
"I did."
Wei Tu nodded in reply.
"Brother Wei, then you and I will be colleagues from now on..." Upon hearing this, the yamen runner immediately broke into a smile and took the initiative to greet Wei Tu.
His attitude was completely different from before.
He was no longer distant.
At the same time, he introduced himself to Wei Tu.
"My name is Jian Liang. My family has been clerks and yamen runners for generations. I work in the household registration office."
"Brother Jian." Wei Tu cupped his hands to Jian Liang in greeting.
He did not introduce himself to Jian Liang.
Jian Liang, a clerk in Qingshan County's household registration office, knew Wei Tu's identity and family circumstances even better than Wei Tu did himself.
"The official documents for the Martial Scholars were issued by the Prefectural Yamen two days ago."
"I'll change your commoner registration to martial registration right away..." Jian Liang said proactively.
He understood why Wei Tu had mentioned the "Martial Scholar document." This document served as proof of a Martial Scholar's identity.
It was generally kept by the County Yamen.
"Thank you, Brother Jian."
After Jian Liang finished changing his registration, Wei Tu thanked him, then led Xinghua and Cai Xia out through the household registration office doors.
However,
after taking only a few steps,
he saw Wei Fei walking toward him from the Direction Stone Archway.
Wei Tu guessed that Wei Fei had also come to the household registration office to find Jian Liang and change his registration.
Once Martial Scholars like them had changed their registrations, they could wait peacefully for the County Yamen's appointment to a military post.
Therefore, the sooner this matter was handled, the better.
"Second Brother."
"Third Brother."
The two greeted each other.
"This is my wife, and this is one of my younger sisters." Wei Tu introduced Xinghua and Cai Xia to Wei Fei.
"Younger sister-in-law, Sister Cai Xia." Wei Fei returned the greeting somewhat stiffly. When he saw Xinghua and Cai Xia, he had initially assumed both were Wei Tu's servant girls.
He had not expected one of them to be Wei Tu's wife.
But after his surprise faded, Wei Fei quietly came to admire Wei Tu even more. Having achieved success and fame, he still had not forgotten his wife who had shared his hardships. Such a third brother was rare in this world.
"I came in a hurry and did not bring anything worthwhile. Another day, I'll make up for it with a meeting gift for younger sister-in-law and Sister Cai Xia."
Wei Fei said with a smile.
After speaking, Wei Tu and Wei Fei bade each other farewell. Wei Tu led the two women away from the County Yamen and headed to a real estate broker to choose a new residence.
Under the broker's guidance, Wei Tu quickly selected a small courtyard and spent over five taels of silver to purchase it.
"The money I borrowed from you—I'll pay you back after some time, once the military officer's salary is issued..."
Wei Tu promised Cai Xia.
His purse was scanty and he had little money left on him, so more than half of those five taels had come from Cai Xia.
Cai Xia lowered her head and murmured, "Mm," without refusing. After all, this silver was nearly all her possessions.
"I just don't know when the County Yamen's appointment will arrive. I hope Prefect He will not suppress or target me..."
Wei Tu was secretly anxious.
Time slowly passed.
Wei Tu did not receive the County Yamen's letter of appointment, but instead received a letter delivered by Fu Zhizhou.
In the letter, Fu Zhizhou mentioned that shortly after he had left Qing Feng Prefecture, an elder from Wu Yun Tower had sought him out and wanted to invite him to join Wu Yun Tower, but he had firmly refused.
At the end of the letter, Fu Zhizhou warned Wei Tu to withstand temptation at all costs and not join Wu Yun Tower because of the benefits it promised.
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