Forced into a Corner

Spring turned to autumn.

In the blink of an eye.

Another year had passed.

During the spring plowing season of the twenty-third year of Qing'an, Madam Li finally relented and leased three mu of riverside land outside Qingshan County to Wei Tu and his wife.

However, Madam Li did not budge on the rent. Like other tenant farmers, sixty percent of the harvested grain had to be handed over.

Fortunately, the Li family's rent included the land tax levied by the government, unlike other landlords who made the tenant farmers pay it.

In other words.

After Wei Tu cultivated the three mu of land, sixty percent went to rent, and the remaining forty percent was his own.

Furthermore, while planting wheat, he could also grow soybeans in the gaps between the wheat seedlings.

This was another way to increase income.

Half a month before the wheat ripened, Master Li Yaozu took his servant, Wei Tu, into the prefectural city to pay the tuition for his eldest son, Li Xingye, at the Prefectural Academy.

"The instructor at the Prefectural Academy is truly a scoundrel. The wheat harvest is still more than ten days away, yet he insists on collecting tuition now. It's obvious he just wants to squeeze a bit more money out of us..."

On the way, Li Yaozu rode his horse, with Wei Tu leading it towards the prefectural city. He looked back at the mule cart carrying grain behind him and complained that the tuition was being paid too early this year, causing him to lose money unnecessarily.

Wei Tu remained silent, quietly listening to Li Yaozu's sighs and self-talk.

Every year.

Before the grain harvest.

After the grain harvest.

The grain prices were different.

Although the tuition paid was the same amount, because the grain prices fluctuated, the Prefectural Academy could make a considerable profit by reselling it.

Wei Tu had heard about these shady dealings at the Prefectural Academy from Li Yaozu at least eight or ten times and was already very familiar with them.

"In another half a month, after the harvest, I'll have saved enough money."

"All that's left is to persuade Li Yaozu and Madam Li to buy back my deed of indenture."

Wei Tu mused to himself.

It was roughly in line with his plan. After more than a year of saving, the money he had on hand was not far from the ten taels required to buy his freedom.

Now, all that was missing was convincing Li Yaozu and Madam Li to agree to his manumission, return his deed of indenture to him, and be willing to write a letter of proof.

However—

Just as Wei Tu was contemplating how to buy back his deed of indenture, Master Li Yaozu, having finished complaining about the Prefectural Academy instructor, suddenly spoke to him.

"Wei Tu, you're well-built and strong. Why don't you stay with Xingye as a page?"

"Protect him."

"As his father, I'll be able to rest a little easier."

Li Yaozu tightened the reins, causing Wei Tu, who was walking ahead of the horse, to stop. He then looked down at Wei Tu, stroked his goatee, and said with a glint in his eyes.

"The Eldest Young Master already has people serving him. If I go, I'll be taking someone's place, and if I upset the Eldest Young Master's mood for studying, he won't be happy." Wei Tu paused for a moment and offered a suitable excuse.

"In another six months or so, the Children's Examination in the county will be held."

Wei Tu added.

The civil and martial examinations in the county were about half a month apart, with the civil examination coming first and the martial examination second. Therefore, he knew the exact date of the Children's Examination.

"That's true, we can't disrupt Xingye's studies." Li Yaozu hesitated for a moment and nodded heavily, not bringing up the matter again.

However.

Li Yaozu didn't bring it up again.

But Wei Tu kept it in mind.

"Li Yaozu wants to send me away during the busy autumn season. What is he planning?"

On the way back to the Li Residence in Qingshan County after paying the tuition, Wei Tu kept pondering the reason behind this matter.

Master Li Yaozu was not an easy person to deal with; this was the consensus among the servants in the Li Residence.

This, in turn, indicated Li Yaozu's shrewdness and that he was not easily fooled.

He could consider the issue of disrupting Eldest Young Master Li Xingye's studies by changing his attendant. Could Li Yaozu not have thought of this?

That was impossible!

Upon returning to the Li Residence.

Wei Tu found Cai Xia, the head maid, and explained his confusion to her, asking for her insight.

Cai Xia and he were servants who had entered the Li Residence at the same time, and they had always had a good relationship.

The news that Madam Li had graciously permitted his marriage to Xinghua had also been relayed by Cai Xia through Chun Lan.

"From my perspective, perhaps Master has set his sights on Sister Xinghua..."

Cai Xia pulled Wei Tu to a corner of the corridor, found a spot where no one could see them, and quietly stated her judgment.

"The First Mistress has been unhappy lately. A few nights ago, I heard the Master and the First Mistress arguing. They said the Master was involved with the wives of those tenant farmers..."

"The Master sent you away, and no one is tending to the fields you rented. Sister Xinghua is now at his mercy."

Cai Xia said word by word.

"What a sinister scheme..."

After hearing Cai Xia's words, Wei Tu's face immediately turned dark. He wished he could tear Li Yaozu limb from limb and cut him into a thousand pieces right then and there.

Before.

He had heard of tenant farmers offering their wives to sleep with the landlord to secure good land.

But he never imagined that this seemingly "kind" Li Residence was also full of such calculations.

Sending him to be the Eldest Young Master's attendant was probably not Li Yaozu's true intention. By using this matter to force him into submission, his real goal was to offer up Xinghua.

If he didn't comply.

The grain he worked hard to grow all year would be left to rot in the fields for nothing.

If he didn't comply.

He wouldn't stand a chance of renting such good land next year.

As for why Li Yaozu didn't directly force Xinghua, who was unmarried, to comply, he could also guess the general reason.

Firstly, Madam Li managed the household strictly and was somewhat jealous. She didn't allow Li Yaozu to take concubines, so he couldn't make a move on the maids around him.

Even Cai Xia, a head maid, had been a concubine maid for so long, yet she was still a virgin.

Secondly, it was also due to the family's reputation. Rumors of Li Yaozu, the master of the house, being fond of fooling around with maids could not spread within the Li Residence; otherwise, it would tarnish their name.

Li Yaozu himself did not want such a thing to happen.

Thirdly.

Playing with maids.

Whether to give them a title or not was a difficult situation.

But forcing the tenant farmers' wives to comply had no future worries.

The lowly people in the countryside did not have the feudal moral codes of "death is a small matter, loss of chastity is a great matter." As long as no one found out about it, the matter could be easily brushed aside.

"I know about this."

"Thank you, Cai Xia."

A moment later, Wei Tu slowly loosened his clenched fists, bowed to Cai Xia to express his gratitude, and said.

"It's nothing major," Cai Xia smiled. "Before, when the First Mistress punished me, Sister Xinghua secretly brought me food. I've always remembered that kindness."

Returning to the main hall.

After feeding the half-grown black horse, Wei Tu practiced the Health Cultivation Technique several times to warm up his body.

"With my current strength, competing for the Martial Arts Examination title, even if not a sure thing, is not far off."

"I'll directly approach Madam Li to discuss buying my freedom. With her intelligence, she shouldn't stop me."

Wei Tu mused.

Shallow waters cannot nurture true dragons.

He believed Madam Li would understand the potential trouble of keeping a Martial Master with a "rebellious spirit" at home.

"If that doesn't work..."

"If Madam Li isn't wise..."

A trace of ruthlessness flashed in Wei Tu's eyes.

With a sharp blade in his heart, the urge to kill naturally arises.

With his current strength, slaughtering the entire Li Residence would not be difficult.

Of course, he remembered the Li Residence's kindness in saving his life and wouldn't do such a thing. However, he would escape the Li Residence, become a bandit, and join the Bandits.

He had had enough of being subservient.

Two paths.

Either buy his freedom and participate in the Martial Arts Examination, or become a bandit and be a Swordsman!

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