Chapter 140: The Child Who Took the Fall for the Master

Once again caught red-handed trying to cheat, Xie Hong reluctantly withdrew his hand and slumped over the table with a sigh.

“But if I don’t move, I’m going to lose, Dad.”

By now, Xie Hui had already guessed why no one at the academy wanted to play with him. Without showing much emotion, he quietly tidied up the chessboard and said, “Come on, let’s play another round.”

Ever since Xie Hong learned this game from his tutor, he had taken a liking to it. Unfortunately, he often had to resort to trickery to get others to play with him. Now, having found someone willing to play another game after the first, he eagerly returned the pieces to the basket.

This time, just as Xie Hong was about to win, he looked down to pick up a piece, and when he raised his head again, the board had changed entirely, leaving him stunned.

“Dad?”

“Hmm? What’s wrong? Why aren’t you continuing?”

Xie Hong scrutinized the board closely, feeling more and more uneasy as he did, his brows furrowing tightly.

“Dad, did you secretly move the pieces? I swear, this one wasn’t here just now.”

“Oh? Did you see me do it with your own eyes?”

Hearing his father’s words, Xie Hong instinctively shook his head, though he was convinced his father had meddled.

“If you didn’t see it with your own eyes, then making such accusations is slander.”

Xie Hui casually placed another piece, instantly turning the board into a situation where Xie Hong was sure to lose. Seeing this, Xie Hong’s face scrunched up in frustration.

“Dad, you’re cheating!”

Seeing Xie Hong getting a bit anxious, Xie Hui finally moved the pieces back to their original positions.

In front of him, this kind of playful cheating was tolerable. Watching his son rack his brains trying to figure out how to win was rather endearing. But what a parent finds cute in their child can be annoying to others if the child is unruly and breaks the rules outside.

“Were you anxious just now?”

“I was about to win, and you messed it up. How could I not be anxious?”

Xie Hong picked up the pieces one by one, his cheeks puffed out in anger.

“You say others don’t want to play with you, and this is why. In life, as in games, winning honorably and losing gracefully is nothing to be ashamed of.”

As Xie Hui picked up the pieces, he glanced at his son. The boy was good in other areas, but his competitive spirit was too strong; he always wanted to win.

Xie Hong pondered for a while, then, seeing his father place another piece, casually placed one of his own on the board. Unsurprisingly, he lost again and, while gathering the pieces, muttered in defeat, “Dad, I can never beat you.”

“If you can’t beat me, then work hard. One day you’ll win. Wouldn’t it feel better to win fair and square than to cheat and still lose?”

Thinking it over, Xie Hong realized it was true. Even if he cheated, he couldn’t beat his father. The thought of one day genuinely winning made his heart race a little.

“Dad, I’ll practice every day!”

“Yes, but remember, for you right now, studying is more important than chess. Your dad is waiting for the day my Hong’er becomes a Juren.”

After a gentle reprimand, Xie Hui smiled, ruffling his son’s hair, and softly reminded him, “It’s getting late now; time to rest.”

“Oh, Dad, I’ll come find you for another game tomorrow!”

With that, Xie Hong dashed out before his father could finish speaking.

Left alone to tidy up the chessboard, Xie Hui felt a growing sense of helplessness. Since starting at the academy, his son had finally become a bit more independent, yet here he was, dealing with a clingy child again.

Still, allowing him to relax with a game of chess after a hard day at the academy wasn’t a bad idea.

…

Time flew by, and while Xie Hong wasn’t exceptionally gifted in his studies, he was slightly smarter than the average person and diligent, so his grades were decent. He smoothly passed the Xiucai exam and was then recommended by his tutor to a prestigious academy outside the city.

Coincidentally, the son of the princess, where Xie Hui worked, also enrolled in the academy that year.

According to the rules of this dynasty, the legitimate eldest sons of royal family members were automatically granted the status of Xiucai at birth if they wished to pursue scholarly paths. However, to become an official, they still needed to participate in the Imperial Examination.

The prestigious academy required no recommendation or grades for royal family members; they could enroll directly.

The princess’s son was well-taught by the tutor hired by Nanny Song, a gentle and upright young man. Xie Hui, having served as a steward for many years, had some standing with the family and asked the Young Master to look after his son.

In the first year, Xie Hong unfortunately failed the exam. Though disappointed, he wasn’t too disheartened, only feeling he’d let the academy down, where even the worst students were at least Juren.

“Young Master plans to travel; why not accompany him?”

Xie Hui asked from outside the room where his son had shut himself away.

The tightly closed window was pushed open from inside, and Xie Hong curiously poked his head out.

“Didn’t Young Master pass the Juren exam? Why is he traveling?”

Xie Hui couldn’t answer that; he wasn’t privy to the Young Master’s thoughts. But when Nanny Song hinted at it, and knowing his son had been cooped up at home for some time, he decided to ask for Hong’er’s opinion.

“There’s an old saying, ‘Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.’ Since there’s nothing pressing now, and the next exam is three years away, it’s a good time to travel and gain some experience.”

Xie Hui knew Nanny Song was concerned about the Young Master traveling alone without support, while he was worried about letting his son, still so young, travel alone. At least the Young Master had some royal connections, and if they traveled together, they could look out for each other, as Nanny Song suggested.

“Dad, are you sure you’re not just sending me to serve the Young Master on the road?”

Xie Hong leaned against the window, looking a bit pitiful as he spoke.

“Your dad isn’t a servant of the Young Master’s household; why would I send you to serve anyone? It’s just to have you look out for each other. If you don’t want to go, I’ll inform Nanny Song tomorrow.”

“Hey, no, Dad, I didn’t say I wouldn’t go…”

At seventeen, Xie Hong had spent his life in the Capital City, only reading about the vast landscapes in books. Given the chance, he naturally wanted to see them for himself.

After he agreed, Xie Hui handed him the banknotes he had prepared and instructed, “Don’t use the Young Master’s money on the road. If he needs help, you can assist, but remember, you’re not their servant. The Young Master will have his own attendants.”

Holding the thick banknotes, Xie Hong was about to speak when his father handed him a small pouch of loose silver and copper coins.

“When traveling, there might be times when it’s inconvenient to use banknotes. Keep a low profile and stay cautious.”

“I understand, Dad.”

The next day, Xie Hong left the Capital City with the Young Master. The Young Master planned to visit his maternal grandmother’s family in the Jiangnan Region, a family said to be in decline due to mediocre descendants.

The journey was filled with scenic views, and for Xie Hong, it was like a bird freed from its cage, spreading its wings in joy.

Their trip took about five months, and they returned just as the snow began to fall.

After organizing the accounts, Nanny Song, noting the harsh winter, allowed the hired help to return home to prepare for the New Year, leaving only the purchased servants.

Back home, Xie Hui gave a red envelope to the Old Woman who had worked for them, allowing her to return early to spend the New Year with her son.

Alone, with no other tasks, taking care of himself was quite manageable.

As soon as Xie Hong returned, he burst through the door, excitedly shouting, “Dad, Dad, I’m back!”

Xie Hong, wearing a cloak, burst through the door with excitement. He saw his father leisurely brewing tea in the small pavilion beside the courtyard, looking so at ease that Xie Hong suddenly felt his timing might be off.

After shaking the snow off his cloak, he walked into the pavilion. Unlike his usual composed demeanor in front of others, he squatted directly by the brazier, extending his hands to warm them. Looking up at his father, he couldn’t help but ask:

“Father, we haven’t seen each other for so long. Weren’t you worried about me?”

Xie Hui took a sip from the freshly brewed tea, setting it down as steam still rose from the cup.

“Why would I worry about my excellent Hong’er? You’re back safe and sound, aren’t you? Come, tell me, did anything interesting happen on your journey?”

Hearing his father’s words, Xie Hong immediately forgot his previous concerns and eagerly began recounting his travel experiences.

The trip had broadened his horizons significantly. Especially after meeting a Xiucai who continued his studies at the age of forty, Xie Hong felt that failing the imperial exams once wasn’t such a big deal.

If someone that age hadn’t thought of giving up, then his single failure was nothing at all.

“However, I found it quite odd about a young lady from the maternal family of Young Master’s grandmother…”

In this era, someone of Xie Hong’s age was just about right for arranging a marriage. Hearing him mention a young lady, Xie Hui’s demeanor naturally turned more serious.

Once his hands were warm, Xie Hong sighed helplessly.

“Ah, Father, I only heard Young Master mention that his grandmother’s maternal family had fallen on hard times. But I didn’t expect they’d fallen so far.”

“A fine young lady, yet her eyes twitched when she looked at people, and they had no money to see a doctor.”