Chapter 2

A heavy snow fell over the land, enveloping the ancient city of Haojing.

Haojing, a city of eternal fame, has been the capital of eighteen dynasties. Among all the cities in the world, none is as noble and refined as it is.

Within the city of Haojing, there are forty-nine artificial canals running in all directions, dividing the square city into over two thousand different-sized, square wards.

The imperial palace of Haojing, the residence of the current emperor, is located in the north, surrounded by four canals.

The closest to the palace are the four major wards: Fengtiao, Yushun, Guotai, and Minan. These four wards are filled with grand courtyards and red gates, inhabited by either imperial relatives or founding heroes.

In the Minan ward, at the northwest corner, the area closest to the palace, an old and large mansion is surrounded by green pines and cypresses. Despite the harsh winter and the white snow covering the ground, the thousand-acre mansion remains lush and green, with its red gates, green tiles, white walls, and green trees, exuding an ancient and noble aura.

This is the residence of the Duke of Lai, a family of military merit from the founding of the Great Yin dynasty.

In recent years, the descendants of the Duke of Lai have become less capable, and the family has slightly declined. However, the foundation built by their ancestors remains, and the grandeur of a top-tier noble family has not diminished.

In the northeast corner of the Duke of Lai's residence, next to the ancestral hall, a large, square area has been set aside.

Several large, well-constructed tile-roofed houses stand here, all with water-polished blue bricks on the ground and white paper on the walls. The ceilings are made of fragrant wooden strips, forming a large image of a carp jumping over a dragon gate.

The walls of the large tile-roofed houses are fitted with large, transparent crystal windows, allowing natural light to flood the rooms, making them bright and well-lit.

Beneath the large rooms, fire dragons are lit, keeping the rooms warm and cozy even in the coldest winter.

This is the clan school of the Duke of Lai's residence.

The Duke of Lai's residence spends a large sum of money each year on the clan school, hiring some well-known teachers. All direct and collateral descendants of the Duke of Lai, as well as their relatives and friends, can attend the school once they turn five years old.

In one of the large tile-roofed houses, rows of desks are neatly arranged, piled with various books and the Four Treasures of the Study.

Behind the desks, on the benches, sit the young clan members of the Duke of Lai, ranging in age from fourteen to eighteen. The classroom is spacious, and the total number of eligible young clan members is nearly two hundred, all seated in the room.

Lu Xing, with his long hair tied in a large ponytail, wearing a blue cotton robe, has his hands tucked into the loose sleeves, sitting in the corner of the last row. Through the crystal window, he watches a few sparrows hopping on the eaves of the opposite classroom.

It is already the twelfth month, close to the Little New Year. The year's curriculum at the clan school is coming to an end, and after today, there will be a month-long winter break.

Two days ago, the clan school organized a year-end evaluation, and today is the day the results are announced.

In the front few rows, the young men from the collateral branches of the Duke of Lai's residence, who still have some ambition, are nervously looking at the clan school's principal standing behind the podium.

In the middle of the classroom, a dozen young men from the direct line, dressed in silk and brocade, with attendants by their side, are slumped in their seats like a pile of pork, racking their brains to think of where to go, whom to find, and what interesting activities to do later.

In the last few rows, next to where Lu Xing is sitting, some young men from the collateral branches, whose families have some wealth and power, along with a group of relatives and friends who come to the clan school to study, are making faces and communicating with secret signals known only to them.

Occasionally, their low laughter can be heard.

For example, "Xiaotao's chest," "Xiaoliu's buttocks," "A certain nanny's good waist strength," "A certain teapot's well-maintained turtle," and so on.

The principal of the clan school, a close relative of the Duke of Lai's residence, is Lu Jun, who is nearly forty years old.

Ten years ago, Lu Jun was recommended as a filial and honest official by the Duke of Lai's residence and obtained an official position, which was quite prestigious for a while. However, his good fortune did not last long. During his tenure, there was a significant financial shortfall in the public treasury, and it was unknown where the money had gone. He did not have the means to make up for the shortfall, and when the matter came to light, he almost lost his head.

Thanks to the connections of the Duke of Lai's residence, Lu Jun was not punished, but he lost his official position.

The Duke of Lai's residence spared Lu Jun from punishment but would not cover his financial shortfall.

The current emperor, however, is a peculiar person who values wealth and is skilled at accumulating it.

Lu Jun, burdened with a huge financial debt, has no hope of being reinstated unless he repays the debt.

Fortunately, Lu Jun has some connections with the direct line of the Duke of Lai's residence and has some literary talent. He reluctantly entered the clan school, taking on the responsibility of educating the descendants and cultivating talent for the Duke of Lai's residence.

Lu Jun, who is quite handsome and has slightly graying temples, does not bother to manage the mischievous young men below.

He dares not manage the direct-line young men of the Duke of Lai's residence.

He is too lazy to manage the unambitious collateral descendants and outsiders.

The young men in the front few rows, who still have some ambition, do not need his management.

He lazily exhaled, took a sip of aged white tea from a small purple clay teapot, and slowly pulled out a water buffalo leather book bag from under the podium, taking out a thick stack of exam papers.

"This year's year-end exam results are roughly the same as in previous years."

"You must remember that the wealth and honor of our ancestors were hard-earned, and you need to study diligently. Do not tarnish the glorious reputation of the Lu family of Jingyang, the Duke of Lai."

"Lu Xun, excellent."

"Lu Qian, very good."

"Lu Shen, good."

Lu Jun slowly read out the year-end exam results of the young men in the clan school, whether they were from the direct line, collateral branches, or outsiders. They each came forward to receive their exam papers, some beaming with joy, some grinning, some frowning, and some indifferent, before returning to their seats.

As Lu Jun called out each name, he finally reached the last one. He shook the last exam paper in his hand and changed his expression: "Lu Xing, poor. Compared to the past two years, you have made no progress. Look at your last and most important essay on Daoism; you answered off-topic and wrote nonsense."

Lu Jun forcefully knocked on the podium, his voice stern as he pointed at the expressionless Lu Xing and scolded him: "You were like this two years ago, last year, and this year. If you continue like this, how can you justify the monthly silver and grain subsidies from the clan?"

Lu Jun stared at Lu Xing, who slowly stood up, and said sternly: "In this world, the most respected are the students of literature. Studying and pursuing knowledge is the true path to a bright future. In the realm of knowledge, everything else is just a foundation, but only Daoism is the path to success."

"Regardless of your good looks and fine appearance, if you cannot write a good essay on Daoism, it is useless!"

Lu Jun lightly tossed the exam paper forward, letting it fall to the ground.

He pointed at Lu Xing and raised his voice, his tone becoming more intense: "Year after year, year after year, you show no improvement. It is clear that you are a useless waste, only bringing shame to the Lu family of Jingyang."

Lu Jun's scolding became more intense, his spittle flying far and wide.

Lu Xing lightly coughed and slowly stepped forward.

The classroom suddenly fell silent.

Whether they were the young men from the Duke of Lai's residence or the distant and close relatives, everyone lifted their heads to look at Lu Xing, who was nearly nine feet tall, much more robust and spirited than the average person.

Lu Xing picked up the exam paper from the ground, rolled it into a tube, and lightly tapped his thigh with it, as if it were a stick.

He smiled and nodded to Lu Jun: "Mr. Lu, you are right."

Lu Jun was not moved by Lu Xing's smile. His scolding became even more acidic, harsh, and even a bit malicious.

"In my opinion, you should not be studying at all."

"If you are unwilling to give up the monthly silver and grain provided by the clan school, you should inform the head of the clan and go out to work and earn a living. Isn't that better than wasting your time here?"

"By staying in the clan school, you not only bring shame to yourself but also tarnish the reputation of the Lu family's clan school, making it a laughingstock."

"In the vast city of Haojing, with so many noble families, which clan school has a student like you, who has been rated as poor for four consecutive years?"

"Because of you, when I go out to drink with my peers, I am embarrassed."

"Fortunately, your grandfather died early, and your father may also be dead. Otherwise, seeing you like this, they would have been so angry that they would have died."

Lu Xing's eyes were as cold as ice, and he smiled as he bowed to Lu Jun and turned to walk back to his seat.

Seeing Lu Xing's demeanor, Lu Jun's scolding became even more relentless, almost breaking into a tirade.

In the clan school, the young men from the direct line of the Lu family and the mischievous collateral branches and relatives pointed at Lu Xing and laughed, joining in to mock him.

That night, the students of the Duke of Lai's clan school pooled their money and held a year-end thank-you banquet at the largest tavern in the Anle ward, which is east of the Minan ward and separated by an inner city canal, called the "Gentle Breeze and Fine Rain Tower." They invited the teachers of the clan school, including the principal Lu Jun and several clan school supervisors, for a grand feast.

Before the banquet ended, as in the previous two years, Lu Xing declined, citing his inability to handle alcohol, and quietly left the table.

After the banquet, Lu Jun and the other teachers called their friends and went to the nearby Mingyue Pavilion for some entertainment.

Late at night, Lu Jun, drunk, left the table, refused the assistance of the attendants, and staggered out to change his clothes.

Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed through the Mingyue Pavilion.

"My leg, my leg, my leg... How can the ground be so slippery?"

Someone whispered in surprise: "This is the third time! What bad luck, Brother Lu?"