Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 501 Reason
……

With the papers graded, Qian Muzhi, Xiao Qinyan, and the other examiners were able to leave the brightly lit and somber Ju Kui Hall and return to their respective residences.

Inside the study of the Xiao family mansion, the candlelight flickered, illuminating the books on the four walls and a few antique porcelain pieces, creating an atmosphere that was both elegant and subtly witty.

Xiao Qinyan removed his court robes, leaving only a dark-colored casual outfit. He sat behind a rosewood desk, his fingertips unconsciously tapping on a still-wet ink-stained document—a copy of Sheng Changquan's classic text that had won the "top-ranked" award, which he had personally transcribed from memory after returning to his residence, relying on his astonishing memory.

He looked at the article in front of him, a hint of fatigue barely perceptible between his brows.

The examination papers were tedious and exhausting, not to mention the power struggles with the upright officials like Qian Muzhi. Even with Xiao Qinyan's current shrewdness, he felt somewhat exhausted.

His reason for specifically expressing his appreciation for Sheng Changquan's article in court was not entirely out of public interest.

Previously, he had already made a secret deal with the Yuan family, who held sway over Henan Province and had deep roots in the region.

The Yuan family's goal this time is clear: to ensure that Yuan Shen will pass the exam, but his ranking must not be too high; he must be in the upper-middle of the second tier, adhering to the middle way.

The reason is nothing more than that during the dramatic factional struggle in the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, the Yuan family made a mistake in order to protect themselves, which indirectly caused several loyal officials to be wronged. Although they eventually preserved their family business, they also lost a lot of power and made many mortal enemies in the court.

Even now, those old grudges have not completely dissipated. Yuan Shen's return to public life is ostensibly in response to the emperor's decree to cultivate talent for the future, but in reality, the Yuan family is proceeding cautiously, seeking only a steady return to power rather than becoming an immediate target of public criticism.

Xiao Qinyan grasped the nuances perfectly, doing Yuan Shen a favor without overestimating him, placing him in a safe position that was unlikely to cause trouble.

As for Xiao Qinyan, the Yuan family promised to use their influence in the Qingliu faction to help him at a crucial moment in the future.

This is a crucial political investment.

Xiao Qinyan knew that his ruthless methods had made him many enemies. Although he was now a Grand Secretary, the Emperor's mind was unpredictable. He was in a high position today, but he might be in danger of being overthrown tomorrow. If he were to be attacked and demoted, the favor that Yuan family had done for him from within the Qingliu faction might be a crucial bargaining chip for him to return to the core of power in the future, or even to save his life.

"Ugh……"

Xiao Qinyan suddenly sighed inwardly!
This cold, calculating power play inadvertently stirred up another deep-seated, unhealed pain in his heart—the root cause of his long-standing discord with his only son, Xiao Fan, or, as it should now be called, Gu Qianfan.

Back then, in order to curry favor with the powerful Gao family and gain strong political support, he tacitly approved and even secretly promoted a marriage alliance with the Gao family while his wife, Gu, was six months pregnant, intending to marry a Gao woman as his secondary wife.

He initially tried to persuade Gu to accept the marriage by emphasizing "the bigger picture" and "for the future of the family," even resorting to the platitude that "Gao's entry into the family will never shake your status as the principal wife."

However, Gu was fiercely independent. When she married the poor Xiao Qinyan, she valued his promise of "one man for life". Now that she saw her husband betray his vow for power, how could she tolerate it?

Despite fierce opposition, Xiao Qinyan persisted in his course of action, believing that women were short-sighted and did not understand his ambitions or the treacherous nature of the court.

In the end, Gu Shi was heartbroken and realized that her husband valued power far more than his affection for his wife and children. Shortly after giving birth, she left behind a letter of divorce with resolute wording, saying, "Your path to success must be paved with the blood and flesh of your wife and children. I and my unborn son dare not cling to the Xiao family's high status." She resolutely left with her infant son and informed her clan that the child would take his mother's surname, be named Qianfan, and have no further connection with the Xiao family.

This incident became the deepest scar in Xiao Qinyan's heart, and a bottomless chasm between father and son. Although his power grew daily, he was helpless in this family matter, because the stubbornness and hatred in the child's bones were just like himself, and even more so like his mother's fierce determination to die rather than surrender. "Master," the trusted old steward Xiao Zhong entered quietly, his face solemn, and reported in a low voice, "Lei Sigong of the Imperial City Guard has secretly sent a letter over."

Xiao Qinyan's expression suddenly hardened. Although Lei Jing and he each had their own ulterior motives, they were tacit allies in dealing with common political enemies and exchanging information that did not touch their fundamental interests.

A letter sent at this time must have something important to say.

He immediately reached out his hand: "Give it to me quickly!"

Unfolding the secret letter, one finds only a few words written in Lei Jing's distinctive, slightly hasty yet subtly cryptic handwriting: "Your son, Gu Qianfan, ranked eighteenth in the second class of the imperial examination. The matter has been exposed; Heaven knows."

"What?! Fan'er... he actually participated in this year's imperial examination? And he passed?!"

Xiao Qinyan suddenly stood up, a complex expression flashing across his face, a mixture of disbelief and shock, and an overwhelming sense of joy and pride as a father!
His son, without a word, passed the imperial examination and achieved official rank!
But this joy lasted only a moment before it was replaced by deeper worries and habitual calculations.

"not good!"

He gripped the letter tightly, his knuckles turning white!
"His Majesty is already aware of... Fan'er's decision to abandon his surname and change his name, and his discord with me, will likely leave a bad impression in the eyes of His Majesty, a monarch who values ​​filial piety and benevolence."

"He passed the imperial examination at such a young age, and his future was bright. But if this matter displeases the emperor, or if those upright censors who hate me to the bone seize on this point and make a big fuss about it, attacking him for being extreme in temperament and violating human ethics, wouldn't that be..."

The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. He paced back and forth in his study, his earlier fatigue vanishing as his emotions were violently torn between his father's genuine concern and the politician's weighing of the pros and cons.

Ultimately, the deep-seated instinct for power gradually overwhelmed pure paternal love.

He stopped, his eyes regaining their composure, even taking on a sharp edge!
"No, this matter must be handled properly. Perhaps..."

"Perhaps I can take this opportunity to show the officials that I am impartial and selfless, and that I do not show favoritism even to my own children? Or... if handled properly, I might even be able to turn the tables on them and leave those upright officials with no way to criticize me?"

Once the thought arose, it quickly took root and spread in his mind.

His concern for his son's future was genuine, but how to turn this matter into a tool to benefit his own career became his more pressing, conditioned reflex.

"Why does this child insist on taking the imperial examination this year? And why won't he let me know? Is he trying to sever all ties with me on his own?"

Xiao Qinyan's expression was grim, and he secretly pondered, "However!"

"...Alright, that makes it seem more 'real' and is more advantageous to me."

In the candlelight, his shadow was stretched long, cast on the heavy books on the bookshelf, as if it too were stained with the deep ink and the cold hardness of power struggles.