Chapter 3

In the center of the Ye family estate, a tall building stood, its black roof left open, with a two-hundred-year-old "Chonglou Tree" planted there. This precious spiritual tree was the landmark of the building.

The entire building was grand and solemn, a masterpiece of wooden architecture, known as "Louwailou" or "Falling Leaves Tower," named for the beautiful scene of red leaves falling from the Chonglou Tree when it was built in autumn.

In the dim corridor of the building, candlelight illuminated two figures walking.

"Xiaohé, how is Father today?"

"Second Master, the Old Master is in a good mood!"

"That's good..."

Guided by a maid in a green robe, Ye Zifan passed through the guard post and ascended to the rooftop, where he saw an old man with white hair under the ancient tree. He immediately bowed respectfully, "Father!"

The old man, dressed in a white linen robe, sat quietly under the fiery red Chonglou Tree, pouring boiling water from a pot into a teapot, and said calmly, "Oh, you're here, sit down!"

Ye Zifan glanced at the old man's expression, confirmed it, and then approached to sit down.

This was his father, Ye Mengqiu.

He had passed the imperial examination and served as a county magistrate, traveled extensively, and returned with extraordinary knowledge. He held the clan's power for decades, his authority was formidable, and even though he was now old and frail, many in the clan still dared not defy him!

"Father, let me do it!" Kneeling, Ye Zifan moved two steps forward and said.

He then poured water into a jade cup, watched the tea leaves unfurl, and saw the tea turn an amber color, filling the room with a fragrance like that of orchids in a secluded valley. He respectfully offered it to the old man.

Sipping the tea, the old man smiled, "This tea is excellent, especially when it's lukewarm, it's refreshing and invigorating, truly the fragrance of a recluse."

"Father, your reputation is renowned throughout the county, and you have retired to a green residence, which is fitting for the fragrance of a recluse, making it a perfect match."

Ye Mengqiu frowned slightly and said, "Our family can only be considered a red residence, not a green one. Do not speak rashly outside."

"Yes, yes!" Ye Zifan responded quickly.

The old man did not mind, and casually chatted with him about clan affairs, mostly about the conditions of the younger generation. After a lifetime of storms, at his age, death was not far away, and his greatest concern was the continuation of the clan.

After finishing a cup of tea and a conversation, the old man looked tired, and the maid quickly came forward to support him.

"Take care of your health, Father!" Ye Zifan hurried over to help, supporting Ye Mengqiu to sit on a higher chair under the tree, and then stepped aside, continuing, "Father, the number of slots for the child examination in our clan is limited. Today, I went to Ye Qing to discuss it. I thought this child was still young and had not mastered the classics, and wanted him to take the exam next year, giving the slot to a clan member. However, this child was very unhappy!"

These were all true, but he had cleverly omitted some important details.

As Ye Zifan spoke, he looked at Ye Mengqiu, seeing his expression as calm as water, showing no emotion, his heart tightened, knowing that his actions were not to the old man's liking.

But once the words were out, there was no turning back. He continued, "Ye Qing is from a branch family, and our main line has always taken care of him. I never expected that he would be so ungrateful today!"

He then took out a ledger, filled with detailed records of the clan's expenses: "All the expenses of the clan's disciples are recorded here. Although Ye Qing is from a branch family, he is still a clan disciple, and his expenses are recorded without any shortage."

Ye Mengqiu nodded slightly, and the maid took the ledger, flipping through it page by page for him to browse.

Ye Zifan waited respectfully, not daring to show any extra expression.

Ye Qing had lost both parents since childhood and relied on the clan's support to survive. Due to the expenses of his studies, the main line had spent no less than a hundred taels of silver on him, which, though not a large sum, was not insignificant.

In a large clan that had existed for hundreds of years, there were always rules. The Ye family, with its vast wealth, could afford a few idle people, but not those who did not know their place and did not follow the clan rules, which was a violation of the fundamentals.

Of course, the one hundred acres of land under Ye Qing's name were not recorded in the ledger.

Ye Mengqiu briefly flipped through the ledger, showing no emotion, but knowing his father, Ye Zifan was overjoyed.

This situation indicated the old man's attitude: the clan leader would not be angry over such trivial matters, but by reducing the old man's affection, Ye Qing's eligibility for the child examination was in jeopardy.

After a long silence, Ye Mengqiu said, "This matter concerns the eligibility for the child examination. It's normal for the various branches to have disputes. You are the main handler of the clan, and you must act fairly. I will handle this matter. You may leave."

Ye Zifan was overjoyed, suppressing his joy, knowing that this was a way to leave room for Ye Qing, but it had already made his father unhappy and reduced his affection. He said, "Yes, Father, I will take my leave."

With that, he put away the ledger and slowly retreated.

When the maid closed the wooden door of the rooftop, Ye Zifan looked up and saw the old man's figure under the fiery red tree, revealing a hint of loneliness!

"Was it just an illusion?" As he walked down the corridor in the garden, Ye Zifan took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, realizing that sweat had seeped through his clothes.

This matter had gone more smoothly than expected, partly because of the difference in closeness, and partly because he had covered up the fact that Ye Qing was very talented.

Of course, such talent could not be suppressed for long. Once Ye Mengqiu discovered it, with his strict and stern style, he would detest such concealment, and the punishment would fall on him.

"But by then, the child examination will be over, and the matter will be settled. Compared to the lifelong impact on his future, the punishment I receive is nothing," Ye Zifan muttered, thinking of his young son. He had the same mindset as his father, Ye Mengqiu. How severe would the punishment really be?

Ye Zifan had three sons. The eldest had already passed the child examination, but the second and third sons needed the clan's recommendation. They were close to the age limit, and the competition for the clan's slots was intense, so he had to squeeze out Ye Qing's slot to secure it for his youngest son.

In comparison, even if he offended this nephew, what could the nephew do?

No matter what, he was the main branch, and the nephew was a branch. The next time, he would still give him a chance and support him...

As long as the nephew was wise, he would have to swallow this.

With this decision made, he felt at ease.

After passing through several courtyards and hearing a few bird calls, a white heron spread its wings and flew, leading a young white heron, quietly gliding through the sky.

Ye Zifan stopped, lost in thought for a moment.

For some reason, he thought of the morning's brilliant answer. His young son could never achieve such a level. Even if a few more talents appeared in the child examination, he didn't know if they would pass...

"Father, Grandfather, what did he say?" A hurried voice came from a distance, and he saw his courtyard in sight.

At the garden gate, a servant and a maid welcomed a tall young man who looked somewhat like Ye Zifan, his youngest son, Ye Sheng.

Ye Zifan glanced at him and noticed the dark circles under his eyes, his face darkening. "What did you do last night?"

The maid in the green robe lowered her head in fear, but Ye Sheng said sheepishly, "A friend invited me to a poetry gathering, just a small gathering."

"Poetry gathering, huh? This time, the slot for the child examination is yours, so you better focus!" Ye Zifan did not expose his lie, sweeping into the courtyard. The image of his nephew's steady face flashed before his eyes, and in terms of talent, they were not in the same league.

"Forget it, what's the point of thinking so much? In the Daoist examination, not only talent but also luck matters. A branch family member ultimately needs the support of the main family. No matter how mature he is, what can he do?"

Ye Zifan shook his head, glancing at his youngest son, who was touching his chin, and sighed inwardly, "Son, I have done everything I can for you, even at the cost of offending talented people in the clan..."

At the gate, reminded by the maid in the green robe, Ye Sheng finally understood his father's meaning and was overjoyed.

Ye Sheng turned to a male servant and said, "Go, give my virtuous brother the good news... Stay there and report back regularly. Don't let him cause any trouble these few days!"

The servant bowed and responded, "Yes, Master Sheng!"

He then bowed and retreated, and the maid in the green robe covered her mouth and laughed, "Heaven, how strict you are, Master!"

Ye Sheng snorted, looking up at the three characters "Tiger Roar Garden" on the gate, his expression slightly smug, "You don't understand. Everyone can calculate, and strategies are always there, but no matter how much you calculate, how can you match the trend..."

"In the Ye clan, our branch is the trend!"

The maid's beautiful eyes sparkled, genuinely surprised. She thought, "Our master is not just a stuffed dummy!"

Ye Sheng, noticing the maid's attentive listening, her bright eyes and white teeth, thought of the pleasure of the previous night, and felt a tickle in his heart, "Cough, if you dare to side with others and mock me, I'll punish you heavily tonight!"

"Don't, Master is still asking you to review your lessons!"

"Review what? It's not the examination for a scholar, just a child examination. With the clan's slot, it's just a formality. Come, give me a kiss first!"

"Ah—" The maid half resisted, her beautiful eyes darkening, looking at the laughing young master, her heart slightly startled, thinking of the young master she had seen the previous day.

In terms of talent and determination, there was a clear difference, but in this world, talent alone was not enough.

...

Light footsteps startled Ye Qing from his thoughts. He looked up and saw a figure at the door.

With a "creak," the door opened, and the autumn sunlight shone in, bringing a warm feeling, but also a cold wind.

Qianqian, her face pale, turned and closed the door, looking at Ye Qing, "Master, the clan's elders are making things difficult for you. What should we do?"

Her voice trembled, as the examination for the child, leading to the scholar and the imperial examination, was the hope of his parents and her own hope.

"Don't be afraid, this is not a problem for me!" Ye Qing, seeing her almost crying, quickly stood up to comfort her.

This body, reading classics and history, had lost both parents and often suffered bullying from clan members. The maid who followed him had fought hard to protect him, and he had seen it all.