When things turned strange, something sinister was afoot.

On the fifteenth day of the second month, the snow stopped.

Fifteen days had passed since the incident in the ancestral hall...

In a room in the side courtyard, faint daylight filtered through the window paper and slipped through the gaps in the frame.

Wearing the new winter clothes the steward had brought him, Wei Nisheng sat at his desk with two books spread before him.

One was the Analects, the other Mencius.

They were ordinary books, the most common printed editions sold on the streets, with neither explanations nor annotations.

Compared to the editions in Wei Shouzheng's study, densely covered with interpretations by great scholars of the previous dynasty, they were worlds apart.

The books belonged to Wei An. He said Wei Nisheng's grandfather had bought them on his way to court when he first entered the Grand Secretariat, then given them to him as a reward.

Wei Nisheng turned the pages, his gaze resting on the words while his thoughts drifted far away.

He was already ten, neither very young nor very old. It was time to think about the road ahead.

As for Great Zhou's imperial examinations, he had learned quite a bit from Wei An over the past few days.

"The state uses examinations to gather the finest talents under heaven.

Classical interpretation reveals their understanding of the classics; verse reveals their knowledge of antiquity.

Essays reveal their judgment; policy responses reveal their ability."

Great Zhou had risen after the Tang, but its examination content leaned toward that of the Song, testing classical interpretation, poetry and rhapsodies, and policy essays.

There were no eight-legged essays, and the examination system was less complicated than those of the Ming and Qing dynasties. There were only the Autumn Provincial Examination, provincial examinations, and palace examinations.

Of course, reading a few transmigration novels hardly meant one could breeze through the imperial examinations.

If this really had been the Ming and Qing system of selecting officials through eight-legged essays, even someone with a doctorate in literature would have been at a loss.

After all, literature had its own specialized fields. His specialty was Tang and Song history, not the Ming and Qing, much less eight-legged essays.

His only difficulty now was...

Registering for Great Zhou's imperial examinations required three parties to vouch for one another. Besides himself, he needed endorsements from his father and his teacher.

But how could his father, Wei Mingde, possibly endorse him?

So his only way out was to be adopted into his eldest uncle's branch.

His grandfather's eldest legitimate son had died young without an heir.

Under the clan rules, the eldest branch could not be left without descendants. Sooner or later, a son from the second branch would have to be adopted into it.

Yet he was trapped in this side courtyard, unable even to leave the estate.

Just then, the door opened.

Wei An came in carrying a brazier filled with charcoal fragments. Bending down, he set it beside Wei Nisheng's feet.

Instead of leaving at once, he stood to one side and watched Wei Nisheng.

"What are you thinking about, Second Young Master?"

Wei Nisheng looked up. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke.

"Uncle Wei, do you know anything about the adoption into the eldest branch?"

A flicker of something unusual crossed Wei An's eyes. Then his expression settled, and he spoke slowly.

"You need not worry, Second Young Master."

"In the eldest branch's name are a hundred mu of fertile farmland and five shops that the old master set aside for his eldest son. Their profits go into the treasury every year."

Wei Nisheng froze, marveling inwardly.

A hundred mu of fertile farmland, five shops, and all these years of profits...

Just what you'd expect from a Minister of Revenue who made it into the Grand Secretariat! What a generous hand!

Wei An continued, "After the eldest young master died of illness, the old master said, 'The eldest branch of my family, the family of Wei Zheng, must not be left without an heir.

I will entrust these properties to the clan elders, with the terms set down clearly-once the eldest branch has an heir, everything will belong to him.

In the future, whether through adoption or some other means, whoever carries on my eldest son's ancestral incense will inherit this money.'

"But your grandfather disliked the idea of adopting someone from another branch of the clan into his own, so the position has remained empty."

"Second Young Master." Wei An looked at Wei Nisheng, his gaze deep. "Do you know what this means?"

"All these years, your father has kept other members of the clan from being adopted into the eldest branch. On the surface, he has claimed he was honoring your grandfather's wishes.

But in truth, he has his own eye on those properties.

After all, ever since the old master passed away, your father has been unable to sustain this household.

His official rank is modest, but his expenses are high. He likes 'expensive' things. All these years, he has been eating through the family fortune, and he has long had his eye on the eldest branch's money."

"Uncle Wei, you mean Father is bound to let me carry on the eldest branch's ancestral incense..."

"Your mother cannot bear to part with your younger brother, and he cannot bear to part with your elder brother. Besides, our Great Zhou Dynasty has no practice of giving the eldest legitimate son up for adoption."

After hearing this, Wei Nisheng fell into thought.

Being adopted meant acknowledging his eldest uncle as his father and severing his ties with his father's branch.

But it also meant he would have a foundation to stand on.

A hundred mu of fertile farmland, five shops, and several years' worth of silver in profits.

Any one of those alone would be enough for him to establish his own household.

No!

Once I'm adopted into my eldest uncle's branch, I'll be a bird soaring into the blue sky, a fish swimming into the open sea!

Seeing the expression Wei Nisheng could not hide, Wei An gave a slight nod.

He had been right. Like the old master, this child was wise beyond his years.

One hint, and he understood everything.

"Second Young Master, this old servant is not telling you all this so that you will act now.

You are still young and cannot do much. All you need to do is study hard."

He bent down and moved the brazier a little closer to Wei Nisheng's feet.

"You have never been without a way forward.

Your grandfather left a path for your eldest uncle.

And now, that path has been left for you as well."

"Sooner or later, your father will give you up for adoption.

Not for your sake, but for the eldest branch's money. He cannot get his hands on it, yet he cannot bear to let anyone else have it.

Once he has dragged things out as long as he can, you will be his only choice."

After hearing Wei An's words, Wei Nisheng smiled without thinking.

It turned out he had held cards to play all along.

For the rest of the day, Wei Nisheng stayed in his room reading.

That lasted until a maid serving Cui Shi came to summon him, saying Cui Shi wanted him to come over.

The invitation from his stepmother put Wei Nisheng on guard, but he had no way to refuse.

He could only follow the maid through one courtyard after another toward the main courtyard.

The main courtyard was even warmer than he had imagined.

Exquisite pastries sat neatly arranged on the table: crystal cakes, osmanthus sweets, and Walnut Pastry.

"My son is here! Come in quickly. It's cold outside, but nice and warm in here."

Cui Shi was seated in the hall. When she saw Wei Nisheng enter, she greeted him with a beaming smile and personally brought him tea.

Then she pressed pastries into his hand, so enthusiastic that it was as though the scene in the ancestral hall half a month earlier had never happened.

She had dressed with particular care that day, too.

She wore a lotus-root-colored silk blouse with a subtle woven pattern beneath a pale jade-green jacket, its collar and cuffs embroidered with trailing crabapple blossoms.

A deep purple court sash was tied around her waist, with a mutton-fat jade pendant hanging from it.

Her hair was piled into a high bun adorned with a fashionable pearl crown, a gold-filigree dragonfly hairpin tucked along its edge.

This was the latest fashion among the women of the Capital, displaying wealth without sacrificing elegance.

With a fresh outfit like this every day, no wonder Wei An had said his father's expenses were high.

"Ni Sheng, what happened in the ancestral hall that day was all your mother's fault."

When Wei Nisheng did not respond, Cui Shi knew the little fellow was playing the meek kitten again.

She sighed, her face full of maternal affection. "I've been thinking these past few days. You're no longer so young, and staying cooped up in that side courtyard is no solution."

Wei Nisheng lowered his head to drink his tea, but his ears pricked up.

"I discussed it with your father. Your younger brother Shoucheng will begin his schooling next year," Cui Shi said with a smile. "I'd like you to move into the main courtyard and study alongside him.

Of course, the tutors we hire will all be renowned in the Capital. If you sit in on their lessons, perhaps you might even earn an examination degree someday."

At those words, Wei Nisheng raised his head, his face showing the startled delight of someone overwhelmed by unexpected favor.

Inwardly, however, he grew wary.

When had Cui Shi ever been so kind?

Only half a month ago, he had offended her and left her dignity in tatters in the ancestral hall.

With her temperament, it would have been fortunate enough if she did not retaliate. How could she possibly offer goodwill?

When things turned strange, something sinister was afoot.