Chapter 53

Little did Xu Wan know that her words made it seem as if there was an affair going on.

Cui Zhi's mouth twitched as she and Shunzi pulled their young master, separating the hands of this quarrelsome couple.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Jincheng..."

"He Zheng..."

Xu Wan: "..."

She ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‍couldn’t dwell on it any longer, or else she might feel like playing a melancholic tune.

The two youngsters were wailing and screaming, but they were no match for Xu Wan's ruthless determination. The wicked stepmother fulfilled her duty by dragging Zong Jincheng away. Before they even reached the door, they heard the furious voice of a middle-aged man: "Where is that little brat?"

Xu Wan: "!"

Minister He had indeed arrived, and his voice was so fierce that it sounded like he was the type of father who would resort to domestic violence.

Zong Jincheng struggled free from Shunzi's grip and turned back to run inside.

Xu Wan hurriedly called out, "Jincheng, come back! This is someone else's family matter. Do you want to get your legs broken too?"

Zong Jincheng shouted back as he ran, "He’s my brother! If I don’t go back, he’ll definitely be beaten to death!"

Xu Wan rolled her eyes, thinking he was being overly dramatic.

No matter how much Minister He despised scholars, he wouldn’t actually beat his own son to death. However, by the time she thought to have Buyan catch him, the little troublemaker had already disappeared.

Xu Wan sighed and quickly chased after him.

"Smack—"

"Ah—"

"Will you change? Will you change? Do you dare sneak out to study again?" Minister He glared fiercely as the servants carried out the punishment.

A long, wide board struck the nine-year-old child with full force, drawing blood with the first blow.

He Zheng, drenched in sweat, lay on the bench. The pain made him grip the bench tightly, his teeth clenched, but he stubbornly shouted back, "I won’t change! I’d rather die than change! You can beat me to death, but I will keep studying! I refuse to learn martial arts!!"

Zong Jincheng arrived just in time to hear these words.

Before him was still the same brother who always tried to climb over walls, but He Zheng’s unyielding spirit left him in awe.

Even in excruciating pain, even with such an unreasonable father, he still bravely and firmly declared his passion...

It was strange, yet it stirred that same strange feeling in him again.

The little troublemaker couldn’t understand it.

He thought about his own hobbies: bird-watching, teasing cats, cricket fights, soccer... He liked them all.

But if he had to break his arm from climbing walls or get beaten bloody by his father for the sake of these hobbies...

Then he wouldn’t like them as much anymore.

From Zong Jincheng’s perspective, he saw a young man’s stubborn pursuit of his dreams, while Xu Wan saw... two stubborn fools!

Each was stubborn in their own way, refusing to listen to the other.

Minister He, in his prime and skilled in martial arts, could easily beat He Zheng without breaking a sweat. But relying on force to subdue someone was never a long-term solution. He Zheng was one of the infamous "Four Young Rascals." If this boy wasn’t properly educated, he would undoubtedly grow up to be someone who would beat his own father.

Sure enough, when Xu Wan glanced over, she didn’t miss the flash of hatred in He Zheng’s eyes.

It was genuine hatred, born from pain and unmet desires.

Yet the father, still in the midst of his violent outburst, remained completely oblivious. He ordered the servants to continue the beating: "Hit him! Hit him hard! Beat him until he submits! This unfilial son, I’d rather have raised a dog—it would’ve been more obedient than him!"

He Zheng closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

He didn’t make a sound anymore.

It’s natural for a child to cry out when beaten, but if even the tears stop, it means they’ve reached a point of utter despair and are resolved to die...

Xu Wan quickly intervened, "Minister He, please wait! Young Master He Zheng seems to have passed out from the pain."

In her panic, she blurted out an excuse, only for the boy with clenched fists and closed eyes to suddenly open them and look at her in shock, sweat dripping from his jaw.

Xu Wan: "..."

I’m trying to save you, kid! Can’t you cooperate a little?

Minister He immediately turned to look, but He Zheng showed no signs of fainting. Enraged, he shouted at Xu Wan, "Who are you?"

"Sir, this is the wife of the young master of the Yangyuan Marquis Manor," a servant whispered in reminder.

Minister He had a favorable impression of the Yangyuan Marquis Manor. Both families had a long history of military service, and he naturally wanted He Zheng to associate more with children from such martial families.

His attitude softened. "So you are Lady Zong of the Yangyuan Marquis Manor. Someone, bring seats for the lady and the young master."

Xu Wan: "..."

At a time like this, he’s offering them seats? Does he want them to sit and watch He Zheng get beaten?

To her surprise, Minister He added, "My son is disobedient and unruly. He needs to be taught a lesson. Please stay and watch, so he can understand what it means to be humiliated."

Xu Wan: "..."

This father... is truly cruel.

Deliberately grinding his child’s dignity into the dirt...

In comparison, she felt her own approach to educating Zong Jincheng was nothing but gentle.

She tried to reason with him, "Minister He, why be so strict with a child? If he enjoys studying, let him study. My husband once achieved top honors in both civil and military examinations, and it didn’t hinder his martial arts training."

The little troublemaker chimed in, "Yeah, my dad is amazing at studying!"

"Zong Zhao?" Minister He recalled the memory of that spirited young man, who had once been the talk of the capital. Not only was he adored by countless young women, but even the elders spoke highly of him.

Minister He admired Zong Zhao’s martial prowess, but his scholarly achievements? Not so much. If it weren’t for his success in the imperial exams and his entry into the Hanlin Academy, he wouldn’t have been indoctrinated by those old scholars, always preaching about loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness.

But in front of Zong Zhao’s wife and son, Minister He held back his disdain for scholarly pursuits. After all, it’s impolite to insult someone’s weaknesses.

If Xu Wan knew that he considered a civil examination champion a weakness, she’d probably be furious enough to fight on behalf of all the scholars in the academies.

"Sir... Zheng’er... Oh heavens, how could you be beaten like this! Who dared lay a hand on you?" Madam He finally arrived, rushing over to pull He Zheng off the bench. "Someone, call the House Physician immediately!!"

When the House Physician arrived to examine He Zheng’s wounds, the boy stubbornly pushed him away.

Madam He said, "Yes, yes, his injuries are on his body. Let’s take him inside to be treated."

Everyone helped carry He Zheng into the house. Madam He was about to follow in a hurry when a maid stopped her and whispered about what had just happened.

Madam He paused, instructing the maid to watch over He Zheng inside while she stayed behind to speak with Xu Wan. "Lady Zong, thank you for stepping in earlier. Otherwise, Zheng’er would have suffered even more blows..."

As she spoke, she wiped away tears. Her face, though only in her thirties, bore traces of exhaustion and worry, no doubt from the stress of raising her third son.

Xu Wan felt pity for her and sighed. "It was the least I could do. Even though I’ve never been a mother, I know how much a mother’s heart aches for her child. The way Young Master He Zheng and his father interact is problematic. You should think of a way to resolve this soon."