#123: The Spring Examination (3)

As soon as Chancellor Qi’s words fell, both Qi Yun and Lady Yao were shocked.

Qi Yin, the second young master of the Qi family, had been renowned for his exceptional talent since childhood. After entering officialdom, he rose rapidly through the ranks, always being a source of pride for the family. He had never faced any form of family punishment. Even Qi Ning and Qi Le, at their worst, only received light scolding or were hit with a ruler on their palms—never anything as severe as the family whip!

Lady Yao had restrained herself all evening from defending her son, believing that he had indeed gone too far in handling the spring examination. However, upon hearing that the Chancellor intended to bring out the family whip, she could no longer hold back and immediately stepped forward to intervene.

Unexpectedly, the usually indulgent Chancellor remained unmoved this time. Seeing his eldest son hesitating in place, he personally left the main hall and headed to the ancestral shrine to fetch the whip.

Seeing the Chancellor storming toward the door, Lady Yao realized that this matter would not end well. She quickly urged Qi Yin, “Go back! Return to Fenghe Garden and avoid this for now. Let me try to persuade your father. Once he calms down, you can…”

Before she could finish, her son interrupted her. Qi Yin remained kneeling, not moving an inch, and gently reassured Lady Yao, “Mother, there is no need to worry. It will be fine.”

This only increased Lady Yao’s distress, and even Qi Yun grew anxious. He was about to urge his younger brother to leave the estate when he noticed the latter giving him a subtle, enigmatic glance behind Lady Yao’s back—a glance that seemed to carry hidden meaning, leaving Qi Yun momentarily stunned.

Hidden meaning?

What was Jingchen planning?

Qi Yun couldn’t understand it at the moment, but he deeply trusted his younger brother, believing him to be far from foolish and always acting according to his own principles. Thus, he abandoned further persuasion and instead focused on comforting their mother. Just as he began speaking, the Chancellor returned, carrying the family whip, his steps heavy with resolve.

The family whip wasn’t very long, but it was thick and tough. A single glance at it was enough to imagine the excruciating pain it would inflict, surely tearing flesh apart.

Lady Yao nearly fainted at the sight. She heard her husband, whip in hand, addressing Jingchen one last time, “I’ll ask you one final time: Will you change the list or not?”

Tears streamed down Lady Yao’s face. Though supported by her eldest son, she felt dizzy and disoriented. Looking at her second son, she cried out, “Jingchen! Please listen to your father just this once!”

But it was futile.

Qi Yin remained kneeling, his head bowed but unwavering. He spoke only four words: “The nation has laws.”

Another silence fell over the hall. Qi Zhang let out a sharp “Good,” then unfurled the family whip, his voice cold as he said, “Indeed, the nation has laws.”

Though their words aligned, their meanings diverged: Qi Yin emphasized national law, while his father prioritized family law.

Chancellor Qi’s expression remained impassive. Turning to his eldest son, he instructed, “Take your mother to rest.”

Qi Yun was momentarily taken aback but quickly understood his father’s intention. Mother was gentle and had always doted on her children. Whether it was Jingchen or even Jing’an and Jing’kang in the past, she couldn’t bear to see them punished. How could she possibly watch Jingchen endure the whip today?

Understanding this, Qi Yun, though reluctant, complied and tried to guide his mother out of the hall.

Lady Yao wept uncontrollably, refusing to leave and attempting to block the Chancellor from administering the punishment. Qi Yun didn’t know what to do. Then he saw his younger brother subtly signaling him again, urging him to escort their mother out.

If Mother stayed, Father might relent. But if she left, there would be no escaping this punishment tonight!

Jingchen…

Qi Yun hesitated but ultimately trusted his younger brother. Steeling himself, he half-persuaded, half-forced his mother out of the hall.

No sooner had they stepped outside than the sound of whipping echoed from within. The heavy whip struck flesh repeatedly, each blow resonating with a dull thud.

Beside him, their mother’s sobs grew louder. Qi Yun’s heart ached, unable to bear listening further. He quickly led her away.

By nightfall, the Qi estate was silent, save for the brightly lit ancestral shrine.

The Qi family was a century-old aristocratic lineage, celebrated even before the Southern Migration of the Great Liang Dynasty. Their ancestors included tales of “four generations of three dukes,” and their current prosperity was unmatched. Inside the shrine, countless ancestral tablets were displayed at varying heights, silently narrating the family’s glory.

And there, kneeling alone, was Qi Yin, the second young master.

He knelt upright, as composed as he always was when handling official documents in his office or delivering remarks to scholars at Mingyuan Pavilion. Yet, his back was already covered in bloodstains seeping through his formal robes, layered with wounds.

His face was pale, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Upon closer inspection, his striking phoenix-like eyes had lost some of their luster, likely due to the extreme pain causing fatigue and disorientation.

Still, he knelt perfectly straight, without the slightest waver or slack.

After what seemed like an eternity, footsteps approached from outside the shrine. Without turning his head, Qi Yin knew it was his elder brother.

As expected.

Qi Yun entered the shrine, knelt to pay respects to the ancestors, then rose to stand beside Qi Yin. He heard his younger brother ask, “How is Mother?”

Qi Yun looked down at his brother, now covered in injuries, yet still concerned about their mother. This stirred another wave of sorrow within him.

With a sigh, he replied, “She cried for half the night, pleading with Father to let you rise and stop kneeling. Eventually, she collapsed from exhaustion. Father called a doctor, and she has since regained consciousness. She is now stable.”

Hearing that their mother had fainted, Qi Yin’s expression shifted slightly. His gaze remained lowered, but he said nothing more. After a long silence, he finally murmured, “…Thank you, Brother.”

Seeing his younger brother in such a state filled Qi Yun with deep anguish.

From a young age, this brother of his had displayed extraordinary talent, always calm and composed in everything he did. Despite being eight years older, Qi Yun often felt inferior to him in many ways. He had never seen Jingchen in such a dire state until tonight, when he endured family punishment and was now kneeling in the shrine.

Qi Yun stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his brows furrowed, and sighed deeply. He asked, “Jingchen, you are not reckless. So why did you act so excessively during this spring examination?”

Qi Yin’s tone remained calm as he replied, “I have already said—I merely judged impartially.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Yun’s brows knitted tighter. “I know you are different from others. Though you seldom speak of it, you harbor a strong sense of justice. I also know you’ve long recognized the court’s flaws and wish to uplift commoners and reform entrenched issues. But ice does not freeze in a day! You don’t need to rush this. Otherwise, not only will it be difficult to achieve results, but it will also invite disaster! Do you not understand the principle of proceeding gradually?”

“Do you know what outsiders are saying?” Qi Yun’s voice carried both urgency and pain. “They claim the Qi family intends to side with Prince Duan’s faction and call you a fame-seeker, saying your actions aim solely to bolster your reputation!”

“They’re desperate and trying to smear you!”

Qi Yun was upright and had always protected his younger siblings, especially Qi Yin. He cherished his brother’s reputation perhaps even more than Qi Yin himself did. He couldn’t bear hearing outsiders slander him and knew his brother was far from shallow-minded.

Yet despite his agitation, Qi Yin remained as calm as still water.

He spoke indifferently, “Reputation in life and after death is insignificant. I do not care about it and am indifferent to others’ praise or criticism. As for the family’s stance, tomorrow, once word of Father administering family punishment spreads, the rumors of the Qi family siding with Prince Duan will naturally dissipate. At that point, with further actions to reassure the Fourth Prince, it will suffice.”

These words startled Qi Yun.

Focusing intently, he suddenly understood: no wonder Jingchen had refused to yield in his earlier words. He had deliberately provoked Father’s anger! He even intentionally sent Mother away, having already decided to endure this punishment!

It was deliberate! He had deliberately enraged Father, deliberately allowed himself to be punished—all to distance the Qi family from the results of this spring examination, taking all blame upon himself!

Realizing this, Qi Yun was shocked and felt a growing unease. He stared at Qi Yin, urgently asking, “What exactly are you planning? What further actions to reassure the Fourth Prince? What actions? What else are you going to do?”

Four pressing questions in quick succession, yet Qi Yin seemed unwilling to elaborate further.

He simply raised his head to look at his elder brother, his words carrying immense weight: “Brother, rest assured. I will not implicate the family.”

Though his expression was detached, the force behind his words was heavy. Qi Yun felt an ominous foreboding and pleaded, “Of course I know you won’t! What I’m worried about is you! Don’t destroy yourself!”

Qi Yin remained silent, his face pale but his demeanor resolute, as if he had made up his mind, unshakable even if mountains crumbled before him.

Qi Yun didn’t know what else to say, his mind clouded with doubt. Just then, commotion arose outside the shrine. Turning around, he saw their fourth brother, Qi Le, shouting loudly as he ran toward the shrine.

Ah, yes—Qi Le.

This year, Qi Le had also participated in the spring examination but failed to make even the third rank. Qi Le was not particularly ambitious and had little interest in scholarly pursuits. However, he had long desired to marry Miss Zhao, and their aunt, Lady Zhao Qi, had explicitly stated that if he failed the examination, he could forget about marrying Yao’er.

Qi Le had worked tirelessly for this year’s examination, studying day and night with greater diligence than most noble sons and even rivaling the efforts of commoner candidates. With his second brother as the chief examiner, he had hoped for at least some assistance. Even if he couldn’t secure the top two ranks, he thought the third rank was within reach. To his dismay, he ended up failing completely, his efforts amounting to nothing.

Upon seeing the results, in a fit of emotion, he first rushed to the Zhao residence. Despite his pleas, Aunt Zhao remained firm, declaring their engagement null and showing him the door. Heartbroken, he spent the night drinking heavily and only returned home at this late hour. Hearing that his second brother was home, resentment naturally welled up within him. Drunk and fueled by anger, he stormed toward the shrine to demand an explanation.

Why! His second brother knew he had set his heart on Yao’er and was counting on passing the examination to marry her. Why couldn’t he simply lend a hand? It would have been effortless for his brother, and Qi Le wasn’t entirely incompetent—his essays were decent, and Master Wang had even said he had a chance of passing on his own merits! Why had his brother deliberately excluded him?

Sobbing and raging, Qi Le charged toward the shrine. Hearing the commotion, Qi Yin said nothing, simply raising a hand to signal behind him. From the shadows emerged Bai Song, who swiftly subdued the furious Qi Le and dragged him out of the shrine courtyard. Qi Le continued to cry and shout, his voice echoing even from a distance.

Qi Yun watched helplessly, feeling even more exasperated. Turning to Qi Yin, he asked, “Aren’t you afraid he’ll hate you for this?”

“Jingkang has potential—he was simply playful by nature, which made him seem incompetent,” Qi Yun sighed. “In truth, he could have passed this time, couldn’t he? You deliberately excluded him. To suppress noble families and gain credibility, you couldn’t allow anyone from our family to succeed… You sacrificed Jingkang, didn’t you?”

Qi Yin’s brows furrowed slightly, but he remained silent.

His elder brother was partially correct, but not entirely.

Qi Yin did not deny that he owed his fourth brother regarding this spring examination. If Qi Le had been an ordinary noble son, he might have placed him in the third rank. But precisely because they shared blood ties, he needed to avoid any appearance of favoritism. Qi Le was indeed competent, but not outstanding enough to escape criticism. Ultimately, he had allowed him to bear this injustice.

However, this wasn’t the entire reason.

The Zhao family’s character was flawed, beyond what Jingkang’s temperament could manage. Even if the marriage alliance succeeded, future complications were inevitable. With his pure nature, Jingkang might struggle under pressure, leading to lifelong unhappiness.

Qi Yin had already considered much for his fourth brother, but these reasons were not for outsiders to know. Thus, he remained silent, bowing his head.

Qi Yun sighed even more deeply.

Inside the brightly lit shrine, the two brothers—one standing, one kneeling—were surrounded by countless ancestral tablets, as if the ancestors were watching over their descendants.