CHAPTER 131: CHAPTER 130: OTHER PEOPLE’S FATHERS

Unable to correct his son, Lu Xingzhou, as the father, couldn’t remain indifferent. He visited the Imperial College’s pharmacy.

The beaten student, named Huo Yuan, was already bandaged and lying on the sickbed.

Lu Xingzhou asked the medical officer, "Is the injury of the student who was just brought in serious?"

The medical officer recognized the other as the Prince Consort of Princess Changping and dared not neglect his duty, truthfully saying, "The arm is fractured, there are injuries on the waist, abdomen, and forehead. Although there’s no life-threatening concern, after all, the injuries involve muscles and bones, it will take at least a month or so to show improvement."

Lu Xingzhou was silent for a moment, then spoke, "Where is he, take me to see him."

The medical officer led Lu Xingzhou to Huo Yuan’s sickbed and introduced, "This is the Prince Consort of the Princess Mansion, father of Young Marquis Lu, and he has come specifically to see you."

Upon hearing that Lu Yanqing’s biological father had come, Huo Yuan showed no expression and turned his face to the side, his voice somewhat hoarse, "Prince Consort, can you let a student have some peace and quiet for a moment?"

Lu Xingzhou secretly gave a look to the medical officer.

The medical officer sensibly retreated.

Lu Xingzhou dragged a chair to sit by the sickbed, stretched out his hand to adjust Huo Yuan’s pillow for his comfort, and spoke in a smooth and gentle voice that was quite comforting, "Does it hurt badly?"

Huo Yuan’s intact hand slowly clenched into a fist, all the resentment and hate surged into his eyes, burning red.

"Yanqing hit you, it was wrong of him. As his biological father, it’s my inescapable responsibility to come to see you, not to ask for your forgiveness, because the harm already done cannot be wiped clean with just a word of forgiveness."

Huo Yuan snorted coldly, "You are the Prince Consort, biological father of Young Master Lu, such a noble status, while I am just a poor scholar from the countryside. If you really want me to forgive him, that’s simple enough, beat me once more, and I’ll yield."

Lu Xingzhou listened to Huo Yuan’s full of sarcasm words, only silently tugged at the corners of his mouth. His elegant demeanor showed no signs of anger, as he personally poured a cup of water and handed it over, "If cursing at me can relieve your anger, curse away, I won’t retort. But, I still have to say what needs to be said."

Huo Yuan did not take the cup, instinctively pursed his lips.

No matter how tough his appearance, in the end, he was just a poor student from a small place, unused to grand occasions. The audacity to behave like earlier with the noble Prince Consort was all supported by the hatred from being severely beaten by Lu Yanqing.

But putting aside this hatred, the intense unequal relationship between the powerful and the commoners created an invisible, overwhelming sense of oppression in Huo Yuan.

Lu Xingzhou placed the cup back and, seeing him somewhat nervous, chuckled lightly, "Is it because you have no strength to curse, or are you afraid to curse?"

Huo Yuan glanced at his right hand, which was fixed with a plank, thinking how because of Lu Yanqing, he missed today’s entrance exam, and even in the coming months, he couldn’t hold a pen to write. He couldn’t control his emotions for a moment, and, turning red with anger, blurted out a curse, "Raising a son without teaching is like raising a donkey!"

The smile on Lu Xingzhou’s lips faded, "Let’s discuss the matter of compensation. As compensation for your injury, I will give you a sum of silver, sufficient for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life unless spent wastefully. Besides that, what other demands do you have?"

"I want to withdraw from school." Faced with the temptation, Huo Yuan decisively chose to back down. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to make an outrageous demand to have the Prince Consort Lu secure a government position for him, sparing him the imperial examination. But through this incident, he realized the capital was a dragon’s den and tiger’s lair. Even if he did become an official, faced with aristocrats who can cover the sky with one hand, he was so humble that he wasn’t even a match to an ant.

As the saying goes, it’s better to live a life in disgrace than to die. Rather than die under the oppression of the powerful, he would prefer to take that silver and live peacefully for decades back home.

——

Song Wei came out of the examination hall and learned from Xu Shu that Huo Yuan had already processed his withdrawal and was taken by Prince Consort Lu to recuperate at his family’s villa.

After Xu Shu finished, he clicked his tongue twice, "Others have capable dads, who can cover up matters that almost resulted in fatalities. If it were our old man and he knew I dared to strike someone at the Imperial College, he would have rushed over to cripple me first."

Song Wei did not comment on this matter. Why Huo Yuan withdrew from school, whether forced or lured, these he did not see personally, nor heard from Huo Yuan himself. No matter how accurate the rumors, they remain just rumors, not to be trusted.

He merely thought that the Eldest Princess and Prince Consort Lu indulged Lu Yanqing too much.

There are no naturally rebellious children. If a child doesn’t learn well from a young age, the problem lies with the parents.

——

Tomorrow is a day off, Xu Shu would not be making up classes tonight. He ran home joyously right after leaving the Imperial College, saying he was going to have a drink with a few brothers. He initially invited Song Wei, but Song Wei declined.

When he arrived home, Wen Wan was anxiously waiting by the door. Upon finally seeing him return safely, her tense face relaxed a bit.

Song Wei knew she was worried about him, and with a smile at the corner of his eye, he said, "I’m fine, the exam went very smoothly."

Hearing this, Wen Wan felt relieved and quickly led him inside to warm up by the fire, first cooling the ginger soup on the small stove for him to drive away the cold, then pouring him hot tea.

Song Fang came in from outside, rubbing her frostbitten hands, glanced around the room, and not seeing Xu Shu, exclaimed, "Oh, that pest finally has some sense not to come to our house?"

Song Wei let her sit down and leisurely said, "It’s a day off tomorrow, no need for extra classes tonight."

"That’s good news, the less he comes, the quieter I am."

The small courtyard was just so big. When Xu Shu came over, there was no avoiding him, and thinking about his unruly demeanor, Song Fang felt her hand itch to slap him.

——

When the entrance exam results came out, Song Wei was placed in the second-year internal class.

Being promoted and a focus of special cultivation made Xu Shu envious, jealous, and hateful in every way. He stared at Song Wei’s head for a long time, furrowing his brows, "I’m just perplexed. We both have brains, yours doesn’t seem much bigger than mine, so how can it hold so much? What do you eat to grow?"

Song Wei slanted him a look, "Want to know? Quickly find the Divine Doctor, and I’ll tell you."

"Had you not mentioned, I almost forgot to tell you that." Xu Shu patted his forehead, "Here’s the thing, as for the so-called Divine Doctor among the people, I’ve never heard of it, and even if I have, I dare not ask them!

After all, it’s for sister-in-law’s treatment. These days, there are many heartless scoundrels swindling idiots under the guise of being Divine Doctors. If I blindly bump into one and harm sister-in-law, you’d definitely fight me to the death, wouldn’t you?

Last night, I asked my grandmother, she mentioned knowing an old Imperial Physician who used to be one of the best at the Imperial Hospital. But recently, he’s gone back to relocate his wife’s grave. The wind is blowing, the snow is falling outside. I estimate that with his old bones, he won’t be able to make it back anytime soon. If you’re not in a hurry, just wait a bit longer!"