Chapter 322

The matter of the memorial was not exactly urgent, but Wang Xiujin was rather reluctant to be caught in the middle of conversations between his elder sister and his mother. Despite his genuine concern for his sister’s health, he found the constant stream of domestic gossip shared between the two women nothing short of excruciating. Feeling rather like a man fleeing for his life, he made a quick exit and headed straight for the Censorate. Lord Wang had been exceptionally busy of late; he was currently investigating the mastermind behind the plot to frame his son, though the man who had delivered the granddaughter had never actually laid eyes on the true instigator.

Upon meeting his father, Wang Xiujin offered a respectful salute before stating his purpose. He handed over the memorial without any preamble, then plopped himself down to one side and began sipping tea, looking entirely at ease. As Lord Wang read the document while observing his son’s relaxed demeanor, his face grew as dark as ink. He was exhausting himself investigating a criminal case for his son’s sake, while his youngest son sat there looking so carefree it made his teeth ache.

Wang Xiujin, oblivious to his father’s thoughts, responded to every glance his father cast his way with a sunny smile, assuming his father was merely contemplating the content of the memorial. Even when he noticed his father’s displeasure, he did not read too much into it, assuming only that his father was annoyed by him "stirring up trouble" again. Wang Xiujin’s smiles became even more ingratiating, which only served to make Lord Wang feel even more stifled.

It took several deep breaths for Lord Wang to regain his composure. Choosing to ignore his son’s expression, he focused on the memorial while considering what had been said. He was not optimistic about his son’s proposal; while such a selection process might initially identify outstanding students, in the long run, it would inevitably attract those who sought to use wealth to pave their way. If such people bought their reputations and then entered officialdom, what good would they truly do for the common folk?

Of course, this was not something Lord Wang needed to worry about right now. The idea itself was sound, and the memorial was well-reasoned. He could certainly submit it; if this policy were implemented, it would help his son earn a good reputation among the literati. Even if someone wanted to sabotage his son in the future, they would have to think twice. "There is no problem with submitting this. As for whether it will be approved, that will depend on the Emperor."

Wang Xiujin nodded, unconcerned about the Emperor’s decision. Even if the Emperor refused, he would implement it in his own school, and other schools would likely follow suit. By the time the imperial court decided to set rules on the matter, it would already be too late. In any case, it wasn't him who would be trapped, but the scholars themselves.

With that matter set aside, Lord Wang brought up Li Linshan’s concubine incident. Wang Xiujin raised an eyebrow. "Is there some hidden story behind this?" Wang Xiujin had been busy writing and revising his memorial for the past two days and had not paid attention to the situation’s development. The Li family members never brought up such unpleasant topics during meals, and, feeling guilty toward Wang Xiujin, they had hoped to handle it themselves without upsetting him further.

"The old man’s household has been in chaos for two or three days. His clan members are greedy; they wanted to expel him from the clan, seize his property, and, most importantly, drown his granddaughter in a pond. By the time the bailiffs arrived, the old man’s servants were already brawling with the clansmen." Lord Wang felt no sympathy for either side.

Wang Xiujin raised an eyebrow. What did that old man’s affairs have to do with him? Surely his father wasn't sympathizing with the man’s plight! He glanced up at his father, who didn't look like he was feeling much sympathy either. Wang Xiujin held his tongue, waiting for his father to continue.

"The bailiffs were sent to make arrests. The Emperor ordered me to thoroughly investigate this matter in court."

"What the hell?" Wang Xiujin cursed inwardly. He had never imagined that his private family matters would reach the imperial court; it was humiliating. "Isn't this a private family matter?"

"It is a private matter, but you are the Emperor’s current favorite, and there are countless eyes watching you." Lord Wang sighed helplessly. "At first, I truly thought about using this opportunity to have you two divorce. But thinking about how you’ve lived together for so many years—if there were no affection, the Li boy wouldn't have protected you so fiercely. And you... I fear you would not be able to endure the life of a normal man." Lord Wang sighed deeply after finishing his sentence.

Wang Xiujin didn't know how to respond to that, so he awkwardly changed the subject. "Have you found anything?"

"That old man started as a merchant. He owns several restaurants and workshops. Business at his restaurants has been booming in recent years, but his workshops have been failing. Once you started recruiting craftsmen, his workshop business suffered even more, and he grew resentful. Furthermore, while his restaurant business seems good, he has to pay you a large sum for beef and mutton. Between the two, you’ve become the person who cut off his financial path."

Wang Xiujin felt this was an incredibly unfair accusation. Good grief, to blame others for one's own poor business acumen was ridiculous—it was like blaming the lack of gravity for one's own inability to defecate! Oh, wait, people here didn't know what gravity was.

Watching his son’s expression flicker, Lord Wang felt a complex mixture of emotions. If not for the late Emperor’s decree—no, if he had only had a way to earn money back then, perhaps his youngest son could have pursued the imperial examinations instead of living like this. Lord Wang felt a deep sense of guilt, which had driven him to spend years quietly cleaning up after his youngest son. "Rest assured, I will definitely find out who overstepped their bounds."

Wang Xiujin nodded. He trusted his father’s competence. His mind was still spinning with his earlier thoughts, and he didn't look up, missing the flash of guilt in his father’s eyes.

As the years passed, Lord Wang reflected more and more on his own life. If he had done things differently, would his home be different? Thinking it over, the only person he could blame was the late Emperor—that foolish, incompetent ruler who had randomly assigned the marriage.

Leaving the Censorate, Wang Xiujin sent the memorial to the Fifth Prince. It was not easy for him to see the Fourth Prince these days, so he had grown closer to the Fifth. As for something like delivering a memorial, the Fifth Prince was more than happy to run the errand. Whether he would peek at it before it reached the Emperor, Wang Xiujin did not care.

The Fifth Prince took the memorial into the palace, sought out his Fourth brother, and together they went to the imperial study, where they enjoyed the Emperor’s tea before leaving. Wang Xiujin’s memorial sat on the imperial desk; the Emperor read it slowly, his expression very serious. The Fourth Prince craned his neck to get a look but couldn't see what was written, so he gave up. He had heard a rough outline from his younger brother, but the specific contents remained a mystery to him.

With the memorial sent, Wang Xiujin crossed one task off his list and began planning his next move. When he used to study history, he had marveled at how Europe entered the industrial age ahead of the rest. What was the Great Liang missing? Electricity, machinery, and chemical engineering. Did the Great Liang lack such talent? Not really; what was missing was the people to find such talent. How to find them was what caused him the most headaches.

Compared to electricity and machines, which could be bought, chemical engineering talent was what truly stumped Wang Xiujin. In this country, let alone chemical engineering, even those interested in the sciences were constantly suppressed by certain court officials. Truth be told, the country had always prioritized literature over martial arts, and all other types of talent were viewed as low-status. Wang Xiujin couldn't comment on this hierarchy, nor did he have the power to change it. Whenever he needed such talent, he could only fume inwardly; he lacked the courage to run into the court and scream about the unfairness of the class system. If he dared, he would be drowned in the spit of the civil officials within minutes.

He couldn't help but sigh. Wang Xiujin reflected on whether he was overthinking things, whether he was being too ungrateful. His ambitions were too large, and that was not a good thing. Reining in his thoughts, he decided he couldn't be so flighty. What was the use of thinking about things that were completely impossible? Even if the Emperor supported him vigorously, he still couldn't do whatever he wanted. Sighing again, he tried to figure out what to do next.

He didn't need to worry much about the school. As for his workshops, he had once wanted to create a fully automated one, but that was just a dream; in reality, it was absolutely impossible.

Li Linshan stepped into the room and saw Wang Xiujin sighing and lamenting. He walked over, glanced at the empty paper on the desk, and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"I went to see my father today and heard that our family's little matter has already reached the imperial court." Seeing Li Linshan return, Wang Xiujin recounted what he had heard. "Father said someone was pulling strings behind the scenes. Who is so despicable? They can't stand to see others do well. I hope they don't get caught, or else..." Wang Xiujin sneered.

"What could you possibly do? Don't worry about this." Li Linshan patted Wang Xiujin’s shoulder. "You have enough to worry about. If you take this on too, it would make me look truly incompetent."

Wang Xiujin chuckled. "Fine, I’ll leave it to you. I won't worry about it anymore." Wang Xiujin didn't mention the things he was doing in secret; there was no need.

Li Linshan had more people at his disposal in the capital than his father-in-law did. Whether he was acting openly or in the shadows, he would certainly not be soft-hearted. He sent the information he had gathered to his father-in-law. As for whether the old man’s granddaughter was innocent, Li Linshan lacked the charity to care. He didn't want his misplaced kindness to end up staining his own reputation. Some things were better left untouched, and some people were better avoided. What kind of decent descendants could an old man like that possibly raise?

Li Linshan also shared his findings with his grandfather. Old Master Li sighed; he hadn't realized that a friend he once thought well of had used him so many times in secret, openly inviting him to tea just to show others how close their relationship was, while he had foolishly thought the man was being discreet and never asked for favors. It was truly ridiculous. And now, in the face of greater profits, his friend had unhesitatingly tried to push his family into the abyss. Old Master Li sighed long and hard, then waved his hand, signaling for his grandson to leave.

Worried about his grandfather, Li Linshan did not move.