Chapter 102
"Then I’ll trouble Qingshi to accompany me in selecting a gift that will suit Young Master Wei’s tastes." Li Zhiwei didn’t doubt Xu Qingshi’s words in the slightest.
He believed that since Xu Qingshi and Wei Herui were around the same age, he would have a better understanding of what children of that age liked.
Once the two had agreed, they set out together, bringing Qinghua and Qingyue along.
As for Tianci, he had already been taken away by the covert guards arranged by the princely estate.
Though Qinghua and Qingyue were uneasy, they couldn’t keep him confined to the estate forever.
Xu Qingshi enthusiastically led the group to the largest bookstore in the capital.
"Mother, did you know? Wei Herui doesn’t have many hobbies—he just loves reading and writing!" Xu Qingshi held Li Zhiwei’s hand, speaking with such conviction that it almost seemed true.
However, the corners of Xu Qingshi’s lips curled into a faint, scheming smile.
"I never imagined Young Master Wei would be so studious." Li Zhiwei failed to notice the mischievous glint in Xu Qingshi’s eyes.
She truly believed that Wei Herui, despite his young age, was already so diligent in his studies.
"Of course! Have you forgotten who his grandfather is? Grand Tutor Wei! Though Wei Herui is young, he can already read very advanced books." Xu Qingshi nodded repeatedly for emphasis.
"Does he read the Three Character Classic and the Thousand Character Classic?" Li Zhiwei asked after a moment’s thought.
"Probably more than that. I’m sure he can handle even harder texts now." Xu Qingshi replied thoughtfully.
In truth, he didn’t even know what the Three Character Classic or the Thousand Character Classic contained.
Li Zhiwei was astonished—she hadn’t realized Wei Herui was so advanced.
But then again, considering Xu Qingshi’s words, it made sense. With such an illustrious grandfather and a family steeped in scholarly tradition, it was only natural.
"Shopkeeper, please prepare a fine set of the Four Treasures of the Study for us!" Li Zhiwei said to the attendant.
"Right away!" The attendant swiftly retrieved a set from the back counter, which Li Zhiwei found quite satisfactory.
However, Xu Qingshi tugged her toward a bookshelf, pointing at a thick copy of Elementary Learning and Selected Ancient Essays. "Mother, let’s get Wei Herui a few books too. I’m sure he’ll be delighted!"
Xu Qingshi chuckled inwardly—Wei Herui would surely burst into tears when he saw these.
Just imagining Wei Herui’s impending meltdown made Xu Qingshi grin from ear to ear.
"Can he really understand these books?" Li Zhiwei asked skeptically.
"Of course! He definitely can. He’s incredibly smart!" Xu Qingshi lied without batting an eye.
"Madam, you have excellent taste! For a young master of his age to read such books is remarkable. Over here, we also have illustrated editions of the Four Books and Five Classics, specially produced by our bookstore. Would you like to take a couple for the young master as well?" The attendant’s eyes lit up when he saw the books in Li Zhiwei’s hands.
He quickly pulled out two slightly different versions of the Four Books and Five Classics from another shelf and presented them to Li Zhiwei.
Li Zhiwei hesitated for a moment. If Wei Herui, who was the same age as Xu Qingshi, could already read Elementary Learning, then Xu Qingshi certainly shouldn’t fall behind.
"Shopkeeper, prepare another identical set and wrap them separately!" Li Zhiwei decided—she would buy a set for Xu Qingshi as well.
"Mother, one set is enough for Wei Herui." Xu Qingshi was puzzled. Why did she want two?
One should suffice, shouldn’t it?
"One for him, one for you!" Li Zhiwei said with a smile.
Xu Qingshi stared at her in shock.
His lips moved several times, but no words came out.
How could he possibly read such dense and difficult books?
Had his mother seen through his scheme to torment Wei Herui?
"Mother, I... I don’t need them, do I?" Xu Qingshi whispered, scrambling for an excuse to dissuade her.
The last thing he wanted was to study.
"Why wouldn’t you? Since you and Young Master Wei are friends, shouldn’t you strive to keep up with him? If he’s so diligent, you should study hard too—otherwise, you’ll fall behind." Li Zhiwei even began considering hiring a tutor for Xu Qingshi.
After all, children his age in other households were already immersed in their studies, while hers spent his days idling about.
Xu Qingshi was the future heir of the An Estate—he needed proper nurturing.
Cornered by her reasoning, Xu Qingshi didn’t know how to respond. He deeply regretted ever claiming that he and Wei Herui were friends just to mess with him.
Friends? They were practically sworn enemies!
Was it too late to take it back now?
"Mother, actually, I..." After an internal struggle, Xu Qingshi decided to come clean.
"Alright, Qingshi, let’s hurry and pick out a few gifts for your Aunt Lin as well." Li Zhiwei patted his shoulder and urged him along with a smile.
Watching the attendant carry the two wrapped bundles to their carriage, Xu Qingshi couldn’t muster even a hint of a smile.
He had truly dug his own grave this time.
"Qingshi, don’t worry. I’ll find you an excellent tutor soon. With your intelligence, you’ll surely become as accomplished as Young Master Wei." Li Zhiwei comforted him, noticing his sullen expression.
She also recalled her earlier idea of establishing an academy. Now seemed like the perfect time to put it into motion.
The tutor could first instruct Xu Qingshi in the basics, and later, he could even teach at the academy.
A perfect two-for-one solution.
The Palace
Zhu Jingchen stared at the twenty chests before him, each filled to the brim with gold. His heart turned to ice.
Just how much wealth had been extorted from the people to amass such a fortune?
No wonder the national treasury was perpetually empty—with corrupt officials like Liu Zongcheng in power, how could the kingdom of Lanuo ever prosper?
"Tang Xiuyong! Don’t you owe me an explanation?" Zhu Jingchen’s cold gaze bore into the Minister of Revenue below.
Liu Zongcheng was merely a Vice Minister of Revenue, yet he had embezzled such an obscene amount of gold.
There was no way Tang Xiuyong, his superior, hadn’t known.
"Your Majesty, this humble official is guilty! But I truly had no idea Liu Zongcheng had stolen so much!" Tang Xiuyong trembled as he knelt on the ground.
Twenty chests—that had to be at least ten thousand taels of gold. At an exchange rate of ten taels of silver per tael of gold, that amounted to over a hundred thousand taels of silver.
The sheer magnitude of the sum left even him, the Minister of Revenue, reeling. Where had all this money come from?
But if he couldn’t provide a plausible explanation, he might be implicated as well. What was he to do?
