Chapter 25

"Your nephew pays his respects to Uncle and Aunt, wishing Uncle good health and the family a long-lasting fortune!" Upon arriving at the mansion, Qian Hua directly led Li You into the courtyard. The current Changhua Marquis Qian Sa and his wife were already waiting in the main hall. Li You hurriedly went forward to pay his respects.

"Resembles! Truly resembles!" Qian Sa, seeing Li You raise his head, couldn't help but be momentarily stunned, muttering, "When I first met your father, he was also your age, equally talented and of fine demeanor!" As he spoke, the old man's eyes became slightly moist!

This made even Li You, who had little affection for the old marquis, feel a bit sentimental, shedding a few tears with the old man! Finally, Qian Hua stepped forward and said, "Father, the past is past. Now, Wenyang has grown up; even if your friend Li is in heaven, he should be comforted!"

Qian's wife also joined in, "Seeing You today is a joyous occasion. Why make everyone unhappy! You have had a long journey, Hua, take You to bathe and change clothes first! Then we can talk properly!"

"Thank you, Aunt, for your concern! Uncle's deep friendship with my father truly moves me!" Despite his lack of genuine affection, Li You was deeply impressed by this sincere friendship. After a few more words with the two elders, he left with Qian Hua.

After a comfortable bath and a change of clothes, Li You returned to the main hall. He saw Qian Sa talking with Xu Guang about the journey. The gift list prepared by Xu Guang was now in Qian Sa's hands. As old friends, there was no need for formalities. Qian Sa, seeing him come out, said directly, "If it were anyone else bringing gifts, I wouldn't even see them! But I'm happy to accept your gifts! I have also prepared some things for your journey to the capital. I'll have Hua deliver them to your ship before you leave!"

"Thank you, Uncle, for your kindness. I would be impolite to refuse!" Li You, seeing the straightforwardness, didn't hesitate and agreed readily.

"Hmm, that's more like your father!" Qian Sa was very satisfied with his response! He gestured to the steward to prepare a banquet, "You, have a few drinks with your uncle. Mr. Xu, please join us. We are old friends gathering, no need for so many formalities!" His words were very courteous to Xu Guang, and later Li You learned that Xu Guang had done Qian Sa many favors when he joined the military.

After a few rounds of drinks, they talked about their families' recent situations. Suddenly, Qian Sa put down his cup and asked, "You, do you have confidence in this trip to the capital?"

"These past years, I haven't wasted my time, so I have some confidence." Li You's predecessor had studied diligently, and he inherited those memories. Besides, even if he didn't pass the exam, there were other ways. "Mr. Xu said before we left that we should visit some elders in the capital first. I don't think I'll waste my time without achieving anything!" Given their close relationship, Li You spoke frankly, revealing his plan to use money to pave the way.

Qian Sa, with years of experience in the bureaucracy, didn't have much aversion to such matters. After a moment's hesitation, he shook his head and said, "You should visit the elders, but times have changed. If you want to inherit the title smoothly, you must be steady. You can't neglect your studies in poetry and literature or your martial skills!"

In the Great Wei Dynasty, the nobility often rose to power through military achievements. To prevent their descendants from becoming useless, the founding emperor established both literary and martial studies in the Imperial Academy, requiring these officials' descendants to be well-versed in literature and have solid martial skills. Military strategy was a required course, ensuring they wouldn't lose their ancestors' skills and could be used in times of need.

However, like all policies, no matter how good the intentions, they were initially strictly followed but gradually became lax over time.

In the early days of the Great Wei Dynasty, the newly ennobled descendants could serve in the government and lead armies. Now, most just enjoy their privileges, with only a few like Qian Sa and Li You's father being capable and diligent!

Many people just spend a few years at the Imperial Academy and then use money to secure their positions. The examiners, having received benefits, wouldn't make things difficult for these influential noble descendants.

But hearing Qian Sa's words, had something changed at the Imperial Academy? Concerned about his master's future, Xu Guang quickly asked, "May I ask, Lord Qian, has there been a change in the court?"

"Hmm!" Qian Sa stroked his beard, "I just read in the official gazette that the former head of the Imperial Academy, Lord Lu Xiwén, has retired. The new head is the former vice-head, Lord Wang Weizhen! Lord Lu comes from the Lantian Lu family and is part of our noble lineage, so he wouldn't be too strict with you! But Lord Wang Weizhen is different. He comes from a humble background and had his family's property taken by local nobles when he was young! This has led him to have many misunderstandings about us noble descendants. If your studies are lacking, you might have trouble passing this hurdle!"

Li You hadn't expected this. Recalling the news from the official gazette and his observations from Jia Prefecture to Qiantang, he knew that the political struggles in the Great Wei Dynasty were severe. It wouldn't be easy to graduate from the Imperial Academy and pass the exams to inherit the title.

But then he thought about the vast knowledge in his mind and his 23 points of martial skill. Li You still had some confidence in passing the exams. "Thank you, Uncle, for the information. But if my studies are up to par, I don't think the head of the Imperial Academy would dare to fail me, right?"

"Of course! Not to mention passing the exams, even if you have bad luck and he refuses to let you inherit the title, can't we replace the head of the Imperial Academy? When that happens, your uncle will definitely stand up for you!" Qian Sa's dominance was evident. In matters concerning the interests of the noble group, no one would be careless. If they could block Li You's title today, they could do the same to others tomorrow. For such important matters involving family succession, no noble family would stand idly by.

"But if you can pass both the literary and martial exams on your own, it would save us some effort!" Qian Sa hesitated, thinking that the new head, Wang Weizhen, wouldn't be easy to deal with.

Indeed, if the commoner group could push him to such a crucial position in the Imperial Academy, it was to block the nobles' path to inheritance and weaken the noble group's power. Such a task couldn't be accomplished by someone without significant skills. Thinking about this, Li You became worried about his life in the capital.

His journey to the Imperial Academy probably wouldn't be smooth. He would likely have to deal with Lord Wang Weizhen frequently in the future!