Chapter 6

In the time that followed, Zhou Yan sat there like a chicken with its head cut off, lost in thought. Hao Fenglou, seeing that he wasn't making a sound, didn't bother to pay him any attention. In his heart, he thought, "To compete with me for a woman, how many guts do you have? Competing for my woman is like killing my parents. If I don't deal with you, the word 'playboy' should be written backwards."

Zhou Yan's face was pale, filled with sorrow and anger. He felt a sense of frustration, as if he were Zhou Yu in the presence of Zhuge Liang. He had thought he was certain to win, but now it seemed that the other person was more talented and had connections in high places. This must have been a setup by the Lu family, using him as a foil for the madam to see.

"The world is so dark, even applying for a teaching position has so many underhanded dealings," Zhou Yan thought. At this moment, he felt that a snowfall would be fitting to highlight his injustice.

Just then, a young maid came in, smiling and said, "The preliminary test is over. Please follow me, Mr. Zhou and Mr. Hao, to the inner courtyard. Madam Lu wants to personally assess the two of you."

Hao Fenglou, full of confidence, stood up and glanced at the maid, casually asking, "I thought Spring Sister would come to call us herself. Is she tired from overseeing the preliminary test?"

The maid, understanding that Hao Fenglou was referring to Yingchun, quickly replied, "Yes, Spring Sister has already rested."

Hao Fenglou sighed, "Hmm, she should rest more. I noticed her complexion wasn't good. Let's go then."

Seeing Hao Fenglou chatting intimately with the Lu family's people, Zhou Yan's face turned even paler. Hao Fenglou wasn't boasting; the entire Lu family, from top to bottom, seemed to be on his side. The people who oversaw the preliminary test were related to him, and the head of the household was also connected. Seeing Hao Fenglou chatting and laughing with the maid, he suspected they might even be involved romantically.

With a dejected look, Zhou Yan saw the maid leading Hao Fenglou out the door. He had no choice but to follow, his face flushed with indignation.

Entering the inner courtyard, the green trees provided shade, and the pavilions were hidden among the trees, bringing a touch of spring. In the distance, a pavilion was visible, with many people standing or sitting, waiting.

A dignified lady was surrounded by everyone, her demeanor calm and composed. Though her youth had passed, her features still hinted at her once breathtaking beauty.

Her gaze was serene, as if nothing could truly concern her. Clearly, she was a competent lady of the house, her demeanor and actions commanding respect.

The maid went forward to announce their arrival, and then Hao Fenglou and Zhou Yan approached, bowing together and saying, "We, the students, greet Madam."

Madam Lu smiled, her gaze lingering on Hao Fenglou and Zhou Yan for a moment. Though it was just a brief moment, she seemed to notice a difference.

Hao Fenglou, though expressionless, exuded a vibrant energy, standing tall and courteous, neither humble nor arrogant.

Zhou Yan, on the other hand, lacked this quality. His expression was uncertain, his gaze scattered, as if he was preoccupied with something, appearing distracted.

When her gaze fell on Hao Fenglou, Madam Lu nodded slightly, showing approval. When it fell on Zhou Yan, her brows furrowed slightly, showing a hint of dissatisfaction.

First impressions are important, especially for emotional women. But Madam Lu soon smiled, as if not taking it to heart, and said kindly, "My daughter is mischievous, but she has recently taken a liking to reading. Though it is said that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent, reading is not bad. However, we have not found a suitable teacher, so we have opened the recruitment to find the right person. Both of you are young and talented, and since you have passed the preliminary test, I assume you are both well-versed. Therefore, I will assess you both to select a teacher. If there are any indiscretions, I hope you will bear with me."

Hao Fenglou bowed and said, "Madam, please proceed with the assessment."

Zhou Yan seemed to come to his senses and hurriedly said, "Yes, yes..."

Madam Lu smiled at Hao Fenglou, her impression of his manners and knowledge deepening. She then said, "However, I have not read much myself, so I am at a loss as to how to assess you both and determine who is better."

This was, of course, a modest statement, and the next sentence would clearly be the question.

Hao Fenglou, however, boldly suggested, "Madam, why not compare poetry? Poetry is the best way to gauge one's knowledge."

Madam Lu's brows furrowed at Hao Fenglou's sudden interjection, finding him somewhat rash.

However, before her impression of Hao Fenglou could worsen, Zhou Yan's face changed, and he said, "No, no poetry..."

If Hao Fenglou's initial suggestion was rash, Zhou Yan's subsequent nervousness completely captured Madam Lu's attention. She could see that Zhou Yan was nervous, and though he was said to be a scholar, he was afraid to compete in poetry. Could it be that his title was obtained through deceit?

Zhou Yan realized his mistake, his confidence shattered, his face pale, and he hesitated, saying, "Poetry is not elegant. Why don't we compare something else?"

Hao Fenglou, achieving his desired effect, smiled and said, "How is poetry not elegant? Fine, if you insist on comparing something else, I will oblige. However, the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting are the main areas. What would you like to compare, Mr. Zhou?"

The situation was now completely under Hao Fenglou's control. Controlling the scene is a must for a playboy. In any setting, a competent playboy is always the one who stands out.

Zhou Yan was speechless.

What to compare? His strength was in reading, but Hao Fenglou could recite poetry effortlessly. These two areas, classics and poetry, are closely related, and someone skilled in the classics would naturally be good at poetry. If they compared these, he wouldn't even be qualified to tie Hao Fenglou's shoes.

As for music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, Zhou Yan had some knowledge, but they were not his strengths. Hao Fenglou was confident, and his tone suggested that these were also his strengths.

Zhou Yan suddenly felt how utterly failed his life was. After much thought, he couldn't think of anything he could compare.

After a long silence, Madam Lu seemed impatient. Hao Fenglou was so generous, letting him choose the topic, yet he was so disoriented. What was the reason?

Zhou Yan saw through Madam Lu's thoughts, his face turning red with shame and anger. He felt wronged, a scholar of his standing losing to a man without a title. Oh, where was justice?

"I can't let this go. I must expose this man's true nature!" Zhou Yan decided not to compete and instead expose Hao Fenglou's misconduct.

With this in mind, Zhou Yan knelt down and said, "Madam, I must file a complaint. I have been wronged. This man, Feng, is a relation, and he and the head of the household are involved. They are working together..."

At this, all the maids present were shocked.

Madam Lu was taken aback. She never expected a simple assessment to turn into a complaint session.

Hao Fenglou still smiled, this fool had fallen for it! He shook his head inwardly, "Stupid to this extent, and he dares to compete with me for a woman. Doesn't he know that by saying this, he will not only offend the head of the household but also that Madam Lu will never admit to it? If she did, wouldn't it mean that the Lu family was cheating, and wouldn't the scholars who came to apply be furious?"

Madam Lu's face turned dark, "What do you mean, Mr. Zhou? You are accusing someone from the Lu family of colluding with Mr. Feng. Do you have any evidence?"

Zhou Yan said, "This is what Feng said himself. He said the head of the household is his distant relative."

Hao Fenglou denied it outright, "Madam, I never said that."

Zhou Yan was furious, "You did say it, you liar. If Madam doesn't believe me, please call the head of the household to verify."

The head of the household, standing beside Madam Lu, was furious at Zhou Yan's accusation of cheating and planting a distant relative. He said, "Madam, Mr. Feng is not my relative. I swear to the heavens. As for Mr. Zhou, his words are lies, and his character is despicable. Please, Madam, have him removed."

Madam Lu looked deeply at the head of the household, feeling he was not lying. She also considered that if such accusations were true, the Lu family's reputation could be damaged, so she coldly said, "Mr. Zhou, you are being too presumptuous. Considering you are a scholar, I will not disgrace you. Servants, please escort Mr. Zhou out."

Several servants came forward, and Zhou Yan was furious. He hated Hao Fenglou for unfair competition, for having connections, and for everyone in the Lu family. He shouted, "Unfair... Unfair... Miss Lu... Miss Lu is my woman..."

Hao Fenglou was shocked, then mourned for Zhou Yan for three seconds. This guy was clearly driven mad by the blow to his self-esteem, saying such things.

A flash of anger crossed Madam Lu's beautiful eyes.

The head of the household seized the opportunity, "Madam, this scholar is audacious, daring to insult Miss Lu..."

Madam Lu remained silent, seemingly numb.

But the head of the household immediately understood her meaning and said sternly, "Servants, throw this scoundrel out, beat him severely. No matter what, we will smooth things over with the school officials later!"

"Ouch..." With the head of the household's order, a servant punched Zhou Yan in the face without hesitation. Zhou Yan covered his face and wailed, and several servants rushed forward to beat him mercilessly.

Madam Lu stood up, neither stopping nor encouraging the beating. In this situation, it was inappropriate for her to stay, so she left with her maids.

The head of the household, red-eyed, was deeply angry at Zhou Yan for accusing him of cheating in front of Madam Lu. Fortunately, Madam Lu was wise and did not believe his lies. Moreover, this guy dared to defame Miss Lu, which was unforgivable. He commanded the servants, "Beat him, beat him severely. Don't let anyone think the Lu family is weak and can be bullied."

Zhou Yan was beaten to a pulp, screaming in pain.

Hao Fenglou quickly said, "Enough, enough. He is a scholar, don't disgrace his dignity. Young people often speak without thinking..."

Hearing Hao Fenglou's voice, Zhou Yan was enraged, cursing while being beaten, "Feng, may you have no descendants! You conspired with the Lu family..."

Hao Fenglou was taken aback, then shrugged, "What I said earlier was just a joke. Scholars are weak, don't hit too hard. A long bench will do, no need for knives or swords."

A servant was startled and looked at the long bench nearby...

Hao Fenglou crossed himself, "Amitabha, why am I so bad."

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