Nightwatcher

# 241. Xu Lingyin's Anger

*Damn Xu Erlang, it must be because of him. Otherwise, Second Uncle, who cares so much about me, wouldn’t make me drink this awful stuff…* Xu Qi'an put down his bowl, wiped away the tears that had been choked out of him, and looked at Xu Erlang with a smiling face but inwardly cursing.

*It’s all Big Brother’s fault. If he hadn’t come up with that lousy idea of making me bring back the green oranges for Lingyin to eat, I, Xu Xinnian, wouldn’t have ended up shooting myself in the foot…* Xu Erlang frowned secretly, silently cursing his big brother a hundred times.

The two brothers lowered their heads to eat, trying to fill their stomachs that were churning with sour water.

“Look at them, the two brothers suddenly got their spirits up and are eating so heartily,” Second Uncle Xu said, adding fuel to the fire, laughing heartily.

Xu Qi'an and Xu Erlang ignored this middle-aged man, who looked honest on the outside but was actually an insidious character.

After suppressing the urge to vomit with food, Xu Erlang slowly let out a breath and slowed down his eating pace.

“Cijiu, Big Brother has a question for you.”

Given that the boat of friendship between him and his little brother was on the verge of sinking, Xu Qi'an was very polite with his words.

Xu Xinnian, resembling his mother, lifted his chin haughtily. He seemed to remember something and added, “I won’t do anything unreasonable.”

For instance, the matter of where Big Brother’s Diao Chan[^1] is.

This trivial matter had long been forgotten by Xu Qi'an because Fuxiang was very satisfied with his waist strength, so Freeloader Xu was very confident in his abilities and gradually let go of this sudden idea.

“You’re well read in history, do you know that Emperor Yuanjing once deposed the Empress?” Xu Qi'an asked.

“Hey!” Xu Pingzhi tapped the edge of his bowl with his chopsticks, producing a clear sound, and warned, “Even at home, you should address His Majesty respectfully to get into the habit, so you don’t accidentally blurt out something improper outside and cause trouble.”

Yuanjing was the era name.

Using the era name to refer to the emperor was considered very disrespectful, just like many people in the martial world liked to refer to Wei Yuan as Azure Cloak Wei.

“Emperor Yuanjing deposed the Empress? Yes, I know, it was said to have caused quite a stir back then,” Xu Erlang said.

“Hey, you…” Second Uncle Xu looked at his son.

But his nephew and son tacitly ignored him and continued their conversation.

“Why did he depose the Empress?”

“I don’t know. The history books didn’t mention it, but it was quite a big deal at the time. The entire court, both civil and military officials, were passionately remonstrating, and the censors and attendants were so agitated that they almost wanted to climb on top of Emperor Yuanjing to make a point,” Xu Erlang said, picking up a piece of food with his chopsticks and eating as he spoke:

“In the end, the passionate remonstrance was sent back. Although the Empress wasn’t deposed, she was confined to the cold palace and didn’t come out until the fourteenth year of Yuanjing.”

Normally, the emperor’s every word and action, and his demeanour in court, would be recorded by the historians.

For the first few years that Emperor Yuanjing was practicing Daoism, the historians’ records were: The Emperor was practicing Daoism, neglecting state affairs!

Emperor Yuanjing, after seeing this, was furious and demanded that the historians change their records. The historians, however, were unwilling to be 404’ed even in the face of severe punishment. After three consecutive historians were beaten with rods and one was dismissed, the historians finally bowed in humiliation and changed it to:

The Emperor was practicing Daoism without neglecting state affairs.

However, in later years, when future generations revised this part of history, Emperor Yuanjing was likely to be reverted to his true colours and even vilified.

“So why was she released later?”

Xu Qi'an was too embarrassed to ask Huaiqing about it at the time, after all, it was a painful chapter in her parents’ lives. But then again, whose parents haven’t threatened divorce?

“That year, Wei Yuan achieved a great victory against the northern barbarians and returned in triumph. Emperor Yuanjing then granted a general amnesty, and conveniently pardoned the Empress as well,” Xu Erlang said.

*No wonder Yuanjing 13th year sounded so familiar to me. It was the year Wei Yuan became famous… Sorry, Duke Wei, I didn’t mean to disrespect you.*

*So that was the year Wei Yuan first showed his remarkable talent. On the way to Yunzhou, Number Four once said that in the 13th year of Yuanjing, after the autumn harvest, Wei Yuan was given the task and led the army north. In just a month and a half, he defeated the northern barbarians’ cavalry.*

*No wonder Huaiqing became Wei Yuan’s disciple. It turns out the Empress had received Wei Yuan’s favor…* Xu Qi'an suddenly realized.

*Although I didn’t figure out why the Empress was deposed, it wasn’t a total loss.*

At least Detective Freeloader Xu could deduce from this that even if the Empress made a mistake, it wasn’t a serious one, or else Emperor Yuanjing wouldn’t have pardoned her so conveniently.

“Ningyan, if you have time after your meal, go pick up Lingyin.”

Auntie had an attitude of not getting along with her unlucky nephew, but she was not polite at all when ordering him around.

There were only so many introductory books for children, and they couldn’t be made to study all day. Plus, kids are naturally playful, and being confined to the classroom all day might not be beneficial.

So usually, class ended right after quarter past midday.

“Why doesn’t Cijiu go?” Xu Qi'an tried to shirk.

“Cijiu has to study in the study room in the afternoon,” Auntie said, displeased. “I ask you to do something, and you just try to avoid it.”

Xu Qi'an glanced at her, “Auntie, why don’t you return all the silk to me?”

Auntie squeezed out a sweet smile, “Oh, Ningyan, we’re family. Come on, eat up, eat up. Have a piece of chicken.”

Ever since Xu Qi'an got promoted, got rich, and bought a new house, Auntie couldn’t stand up straight in front of him. Her words were no longer as firm and confident.

After asking for the address, Xu Qi'an continued, “Lingyue, why don’t you come with me? It’ll be a good opportunity to take you sisters for a stroll in the inner city and buy some jewellry or something.”

Hearing this, Auntie said, “Ningyan, why doesn’t Auntie come along too?”

*You’re just trying to rip me off, aren’t you…* Xu Qi'an scrutinized Auntie’s beautiful face with a questioning look, “Sure, but we’re not buying jewellery.”

This brat is so stingy… Auntie said with a stern face, “I won’t go then.”

“Second Uncle, you see, Auntie just wants to take advantage of me. It’s pitiful that I haven’t even married yet. I need to save up for a wife,” Xu Qi'an immediately complained.

Second Uncle Xu said helplessly, “Didn’t I just give you fifty taels?”

“How dare you mention those fifty taels,” Auntie said angrily, slamming the table. “Where did you get so much silver? Isn’t it given by someone?”

Xu Qi'an understood. *No wonder Second Uncle was in a bad mood today. It turns out Auntie confiscated his private stash… But you shouldn’t take it out on me.*

He complained in his heart.

…

Qingyun Hall.

The name "Qingyun Hall" has a dual meaning: firstly, it implies "soaring high" in life, and secondly, it rides on the popularity of Qingyun Mountain just outside the capital.

The private school was run by an elderly scholar named Li Bingyi. At the venerable age of fifty, his eyesight was beginning to fail, which was why he had humbled himself to educate young children.

The tuition fees were quite steep and paid every three months.

Mr. Li Bingyi had a rule: if there were scholars in the family, the tuition was halved; if there were officials, it was halved again. Of course, this only applied to civil officials, not military officers.

Using this rule, Mr. Li Bingyi turned Qingyun Hall into a "primary school of the nobility." Wealthy families, who were not short of money, found this rule interesting as it highlighted their status. Besides, Mr. Li Bingyi was indeed a capable teacher.

Thus, families who didn't have time to teach their children themselves were willing to send them to Qingyun Hall.

A month or so ago, Mr. Li Bingyi encountered the biggest challenge of his teaching career: the most difficult student he had ever taught.

"Xu Lingyin, stand up!"

Mr. Li, standing at the lectern, grabbed a bamboo stick and pounded the desk loudly.

There were over twenty young children sitting in the classroom. In the corner on the east side, a little girl with her hair tied up in a child’s bun obediently stood up.

Her features were ordinary, with a round face resembling a bun, but her eyes were bright and spirited.

"Recite the _Three Character Classic_," Mr. Li instructed calmly, sitting cross-legged.

"When people are born, their nature is good. Their natures are similar..."

At this point, the little girl got stuck.

Mr. Li was used to this and didn't get angry. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "Why is it that after half a month, you can still only recite these three lines?"

This kind of slow child wasn't worth getting angry over.

Xu Lingyin responded in a sweet voice, "My dad says, 'Master one thing and it will serve you everywhere.'"

*Is that saying even applicable here...?* Mr. Li was taken aback, but then he remembered that this child's father was a coarse warrior, and so he let it go.

"Every day during the readings, you're the loudest. You have no trouble recognizing the characters. So why, when it's time to recite, do you freeze up? The sage said, 'Investigate everything and understand its reason.' Have you reflected on yourself?"

Xu Lingyin looked confused, "But sir, you've only taught me these three lines."

The entire class burst into laughter.

Mr. Li, feeling exhausted, waved his hand, "You may sit down."

In this child's family, only her second brother was a scholar, and he was a student at the Cloud Deer Academy. It was really hard to understand how such a diverse set of children could come from the same household.

Glancing at the water clock, it was time for lunch. Mr. Li cleared his throat, "You have half an hour for your meal. Remember, do not speak while eating."

With that, he left the classroom and went to the back courtyard for his lunch.

The children were immediately freed, chatting and laughing as they took out their food from their small cloth bags.

Xu Lingyin's lunch was particularly sumptuous today, with crystal dumplings, plum blossom pastries, fish balls, and some of the best cakes from Guiyuelou.

Her meal was two to three times the amount of the other children’s.

Xu Lingyin meticulously arranged her food and swallowed, having thought about the food in her bag all morning.

No one in the entire class had a more lavish or expensive meal than Xu Lingyin, but there was a reason for her bountiful lunch.

Yesterday was the memorial day for Xu Dalang. The Xu family had purchased top-quality ingredients for a grand funeral.

Who would have thought that Xu Dalang would return? After entertaining the Xu clan members, there was plenty of delicious food left over.

"Your food is mine."

A chubby boy approached Xu Lingyin's desk, looking down at her arrogantly.

The chubby boy was the king of the classroom, the tallest and strongest, a year older than Xu Lingyin, making him seven years old.

Not only was he the tallest and strongest, but his family background was also the most prominent. While his parents weren't notable, his grand-uncle was a Minister of Personnel, a fifth-rank official.

The Ministry of Personnel was acknowledged as the foremost of the Six Ministries, and the Personnel Division was responsible for appointments, rivaled only by the Examination Division within the Ministry.

"No!"

Xu Lingyin protected her food, glaring fiercely.

"Do you want to get beaten again?" The chubby boy widened his eyes.

The bracelet on Xu Lingyin's wrist was taken by him. At first, the little girl didn’t want to give it up, but after he pushed her to the ground and hit her twice, he took it by force.

The foolish little girl neither cried nor made a fuss, as if the bracelet being gone was no big deal.

The chubby boy went home and lied to his mother, saying the bracelet was found. His mother was pleased because the bracelet fetched eight taels of silver at the pawnshop.

Later, the foolish girl's mother came to the school to confront him, but since Xu Lingyin didn't point him out, her fierce mother was turned away by Mr. Li.

Thus, the chubby boy knew that taking this "classmate's" bracelet was safe. He could make money, and wouldn’t get punished by the adults.

For the first few days, he kept staring at Xu Lingyin's wrist, but after that incident, she stopped wearing bracelets.

This foolish girl was easy to bully, but previously not worth bullying. This time was different. The chubby boy recognized the Guiyuelou pastries at a glance. He had been to Guiyuelou and found their pastries to be delicious.

The chubby boy wanted to eat her food and was determined to get it. The children in the class were all afraid of him, and no one dared to go against him.

"Go away!"

Xu Lingyin yelled, glaring and baring her teeth like a little beast protecting its food.

The chubby boy was stunned, seemingly not expecting the normally timid girl to suddenly stand up to him, even daring to challenge him.

He became angry.

“You wanna go?”

He clenched his fist, gritted his teeth, and swung at Xu Lingyin’s head with all his might, landing two heavy blows.

Xu Lingyin clutched her head in pain.

The chubby boy pushed her hard, sending her sprawling to the ground. Satisfied, he grabbed the box of pastries and held them proudly in his arms.

“If you’d been sensible sooner, you wouldn’t have had to suffer so much. Does your family have any more of these delicious treats? If so, bring them tomorrow.”

He strutted back to his seat.

The children nearby watched the scene, some envious, thinking that if they had joined in earlier, they too would have the delicious snacks now.

Xu Lingyin, in her six years of life, had never experienced such an unprecedented surge of anger.

She got up quietly, without a word, and walked over to Mr. Li’s lectern, grabbing the hard and thick bamboo stick.

“She’s going to hit you with the teacher’s stick,” a child behind the chubby boy warned, tapping him on the shoulder.

The chubby boy looked up and saw the usually quiet little girl raise the bamboo stick high, her small chest swelling with a powerful shout: “Ya!”

Crack!

The bamboo stick came down hard on the chubby boy’s head, the force so strong that the stick broke on impact.

The chubby boy’s eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness, collapsing backward, still with a pastry in his mouth.

Xu Lingyin’s small hand was reddened by the recoil of the bamboo stick.

The children in the school were stunned, some scared, some unsure of what to do. But a clever child quickly ran to the back courtyard to find Mr. Li.

Mr. Li was having lunch with his wife, with two maids standing by.

“Sir, sir… that silly girl has killed someone.” A boy burst in, breathless, shouting with all his might.

Li Bingyi, a man of letters with a calm demeanor, frowned and asked, “What happened?”

“The silly girl beat the chubby boy to death with your bamboo stick,” the boy exaggerated, pointing outside.

“I’ll go take a look.” Mr. Li set down his chopsticks, stood up, and led the boy back to the classroom.

Crossing the inner courtyard, he entered the main hall and saw a group of children surrounding the chubby boy, who was sprawled on the ground, seemingly lifeless.

He was immediately startled and called for his wife to help look after the chubby boy, sending a servant to the nearest clinic to fetch a doctor.

Fortunately, the school was in a good location, and the clinic was nearby. The doctor arrived quickly.

After examining the boy, the doctor’s expression was serious. “He’s not in any mortal danger, but he will need to rest in bed for a few days.”

Mr. Li was relieved.

“How did this child get hurt?” the doctor asked.

“Just some roughhousing between children…”

“Children’s roughhousing, and yet the injury is this severe?”

Mr. Li could no longer contain his anger. He grabbed Xu Lingyin by the collar and dragged her over, shouting, “Xu Lingyin, why did you maliciously hurt your classmate?”

Xu Lingyin shouted back, “He stole my food.”

Mr. Li was even angrier. “You nearly beat someone to death just because of that?”

Xu Lingyin stubbornly replied, “He stole my food.”

This foolish and stubborn girl pushed Mr. Li to the brink of fury. Just as he was about to reprimand her, a shout came from outside:

“Where is my young master? Who bullied our young master?”

Two strong servants burst in.

---

[^1]: Reference to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms