Top Scholar

Chapter 430 Brothers Reunion
The next morning, Su Lu dressed himself neatly and hurried to report the good news to his master.

In the backyard, Wang Hua was feeding the birds with his elderly mother.

A small cage for keeping canaries hangs under the eaves, and inside, a large rooster sits looking rather forlorn...

"Oh, my daughter's here? Look how healthy Grandma's little bird is!" Great-Grandma held a piece of cabbage stalk and let the rooster peck at it, then looked at Su Lu with a kind smile and said, "Why aren't you wearing a skirt again?"

"Grandma, it's cold." Su Lu was used to it and smiled, "I'll wear it when it gets warmer."

"Sigh, you can't go on like this. You need to learn how to dress yourself up, otherwise men will change their minds long ago..." Grandma looked at Su Lu with concern.

Fortunately, Wang Hua came to the rescue in time, asking with a smile, "You look so happy, what good news do you have?"

“Nothing can be hidden from Master,” Su Lu said with a smile. “I received news last night that my case has been dropped!”

"Really? That's great!" Wang Hua was overjoyed upon hearing this, and put down the chicken feeder in his hand, saying, "Quickly tell Master what happened!"

"The specifics are still unclear, but it's highly likely that the teacher's idea worked," Su Lu laughed. "My uncle presented the panda to the Emperor!"

"Uh..." Wang Hua was taken aback. All the conventional methods were useless, but in the end, offering a small animal solved the problem.

"What's going on here?" he said, both amused and exasperated. "This kid always comes up with all sorts of crazy ideas. Well, as long as it solves the problem, that's a good thing."

“Master has great wisdom. He can find solutions to problems that others can’t solve, even from thousands of miles away.” Su Lu said with admiration, “And this is the best outcome for your disciple.”

“Indeed, this way you won’t owe anyone any favors, and you can move forward with a lighter burden.” Wang Hua said, then looked at Su Lu and asked, “What are your next plans?”

Su Lu respectfully replied, "This disciple was just about to ask Master for guidance."

Wang Hua paced back and forth in the corridor for a few steps before slowly saying, "In my opinion, you should go to the capital immediately to take the imperial examination... There are still two months until the examination, so you have enough time."

“There’s definitely enough time.” Su Lu nodded. Back then, Zhu Shanzhang didn’t set off from Taiping Town until the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month.

“This is what I think… Liu Jin is a narrow-minded and vindictive man. Even if you escape to the ends of the earth, he might not let it go. It would be better to take the initiative to go to the capital and get under the Emperor’s nose. He would then be hesitant to act against you.”

"My grand-disciple thinks the same way." Su Lu nodded, his gaze firm, and said, "Whether I pass or fail, I must go to the capital for the imperial examination this time, otherwise people will think I'm afraid!"

“Since you’ve decided to take the exam, you must do your best.” Wang Hua nodded approvingly. “In the past few days, I’ve taught you all the tips and tricks that led to your becoming the top scholar. Your foundation is also solid enough. But the imperial examination isn’t something where having ability guarantees success…”

He paused, then instructed Su Lu, "Be sure to keep a calm mind. If you can successfully complete all three exams, that will already be a victory."

Su Lu frowned slightly and asked softly, "What does Master mean..."

“Liu Jin will definitely try to trip you up,” Wang Hua said bluntly. “If you become the top scholar in the imperial examination, wouldn’t that be a slap in his face? How could he allow that?”

Upon hearing this, Su Lu nodded and smiled, "I understand, grand-disciple. I didn't have high hopes for this exam anyway. It would be good if I could pass by a narrow margin, and it wouldn't matter if I failed."

“Exactly,” Wang Hua said with relief. “If you don’t pass the exam, you can just wait for the next one. I took the exam for eighteen years before I became a Juren, and your master took it three times before he became a Jinshi. Only through these necessary trials can one reach the state of ‘not being elated by external gains, nor saddened by personal losses.’”

"Yes. Your grand-disciple will remember your teachings!" Su Lu bowed and replied, "If you can pass, then pass; if you can't, then wait another three years. There's no need to rush."

Wang Hua stroked his beard with satisfaction and said, "Yes, that's the right mindset! Be neither arrogant nor impatient, neither humble nor overbearing. Hold onto this calm mind, and when you reach the end of the road, sit back and watch the clouds rise!"

~~
As the grandfather and grandson were talking, the steward came in to report that a tall man had come looking for Su Jieyuan, saying that he was his second brother.

"Oh, my second brother?" Upon hearing this, Su Lu quickly apologized to Wang Hua and rushed to the entrance of the Zhuangyuan Mansion. Sure enough, he saw his second brother and sister-in-law peeking around.

"Brother, sister-in-law!" Su Lu was overjoyed and excitedly stretched out his hands.

"Brother Qiu!" Su Tai grinned and gave Su Lu a big hug.

The butler followed Su Lu out and couldn't help but gasp at the sight. These two brothers were so alike, otherwise he wouldn't have even refused to let them in.

"Brother, what brings you here?" Su Lu asked in surprise, grabbing her second brother's strong arm.

“We’ve been following you all the way from your home to Nanjing,” Su Tai said with a simple smile.

"You all travel and enjoy yourselves, while we endure wind and rain, hiding our faces as your bodyguards," She Yunlu pouted. "It's so unfair."

"Huh?" Su Lu exclaimed in surprise, "Why aren't you showing yourselves? It would be so much better if we were all together!"

“Father said he’d protect you secretly.” Su Tai winked at Su Lu. “It’s easier to split up.”

Su Lu immediately understood his meaning; this was to deal with the Embroidered Uniform Guard...

"Come on, let's go inside and talk. I'll take you to pay your respects to Grandmother and Grandmaster." He stopped asking questions and pulled his second brother inside. But as Su Tai moved aside, there was someone else behind him—Qian Ning, who was kneeling at the door.

His entire body was covered in a layer of white frost, as if he had been kneeling all night...

"Godfather, help me..." Qian Ning's eyes followed Su Lu's movements as he cried out.

"Wasn't the case already dropped?" Su Lu stopped and looked at him strangely. "Why is Commander Qianhu still acting like this, as if he's about to die?"

"Godfather's case has been dropped, but my troubles have only just begun," Qian Ning said with a mournful face. "Godfather, you can't just get out of this mess and abandon your son who's suffering like this!"

"Lord Qianhu, you've worshipped the wrong god, haven't you? How can I save you?" Su Lu had no choice but to stop.

"Didn't you say that if we want to be safe and sound, we have to listen to you?" Qian Ning said, looking aggrieved.

"I did say 'If you want to be safe, you have to listen to me,' but I never said 'If you listen to me, you'll be safe.'" Su Lu first spread his hands, issuing a disclaimer, before asking curiously:

"Now that the case has been dropped, once you return to the capital in a month or two, no one should mention it anymore. At most, you'll get a scolding from above, but that'll be over, right? After all, you're a prince by a concubine; can't you bear this much responsibility?"

“Exactly,” the Sutai couple agreed wholeheartedly.

"Supposedly, I could handle it. But, alas... to tell you the truth, Godfather Zhang beat Godfather Liu black and blue in front of the Emperor. Godfather Liu can't retaliate, so he'll definitely take his anger out on me. Skinning me alive would be the least of his worries." Qian Ning finally told the truth. If it weren't for this incident, he wouldn't have been so frightened.

"Huh? Is it that exciting?!" Su Lu and the other two were dumbfounded. Could eunuchs have such a fiery temper?

"However, if Eunuch Zhang beats Eunuch Liu, why would Eunuch Liu take his anger out on you?" Su Lu asked, puzzled.

“Originally, Eunuch Zhang had already been ousted from the capital by Eunuch Liu, but your family gave the panda to Eunuch Zhang,” Qian Ning said helplessly. “Eunuch Zhang regained the Emperor’s favor with this trump card. Not only was he recalled to the palace, but with the Emperor’s tacit approval, he also beat up Eunuch Liu.”

Qian Ning looked up at Su Lu with a gloomy expression and said, "If it weren't for me arresting you, your family wouldn't have offered up a panda; without the panda, Eunuch Zhang wouldn't have been able to turn the tables, and he wouldn't have beaten Eunuch Liu. So, all things considered, Eunuch Liu will definitely hold me responsible for this."

"Serves you right!" Su Tai and his wife said in unison, "Who told you to arrest the third son?!"

"I was bewitched! I was wrong, I'm not human!" Qian Ning raised his hand and slapped himself again.

"Alright, alright, one time is enough." Su Lu stopped him, saying, "The point is, this is such a big deal, what good is it for you to beg a nobody like me?"

He then reminded him, "To survive, you have to go find your biggest godfather."

"I know I won't get to see the Emperor..." Qian Ning said, tears streaming down his face. "Who gets to see the Emperor is all up to Eunuch Liu."

"I can't help you see the Emperor either," Su Lu said, spreading his hands.

"But can you help me see... Godfather Zhang?" Qian Ning lowered his voice and said, "I previously sided with Godfather Liu between the two godfathers, but now I want to switch sides. However, Godfather Zhang might not accept me, so I'll need him to put in a good word for me!"

As he spoke, he kowtowed to Su Lu repeatedly, knocking his hat off.

"I don't even know Eunuch Zhang..." Su Lu was speechless. "How can I help you?"

"My godfather's family has done Zhang Gonggong a favor, so he'll definitely give you that face," Qian Ning pleaded.

"Even if what you say is true, Eunuch Zhang helped me settle things, so we're even now," Su Lu said calmly.

“No, Godfather Zhang isn’t that kind of person,” Qian Ning said confidently. “He will definitely help with this.”

"You're asking too much of him," Su Lu sighed, but he still admired Qian Ning. Becoming the youngest commander of the Imperial Guard was no fluke; his ability to seize any opportunity was truly remarkable.

Putting yourself in his shoes, this is indeed Qian Ning's only way out right now...

"How about this, I'll go to the capital first and see what's going on," Qian Ning said, his head practically banging on his head. Su Lu finally relented slightly and said, "If it's possible, I'll lend you a hand."

"Thank you, godfather! You're like my second parents!" Qian Ning excitedly hugged his leg, crying like a 140-pound child, "Waaah..."

~~
After Qian Ning left, thanking her profusely, She Yunlu asked Su Lu, puzzled, "Why did you help someone like that?"

"With his shamelessness, he can get through this even if I don't help him. He'll just have to suffer a bit more," Su Lu said calmly. "But then we'll make another enemy."

"I see." Su Tai and his wife suddenly realized, and praised each other, "Third brother, you're so meticulous!"

He paused for a moment and then said softly, "Instead of doing that, it's better to make a good connection. You never know when it might come in handy."

(End of this chapter)