The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 241

Even ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‍Baili Xi was surprised, and so was Xu Wan.

She had thought Zong Jincheng was just a prodigy in academics, but it turned out the boy seemed to have a talent for governance. However, that wasn’t something she had taught him.

The Crown Prince…

What exactly had he told Jincheng?

In the small courtyard,

Zong Wenxiu ran faster and faster, tears he had barely held back now falling uncontrollably since no one was around to see.

“Brother, brother, wait for me,” the little troublemaker called out as he chased after him.

Zong Wenxiu only ran faster, clearly not wanting to wait.

The little troublemaker hurried after him, shouting, “Mom said we shouldn’t take things personally after the competition. I just wanted to win, but that doesn’t mean it’s my real stance.”

The little rascal panted as he ran, finally catching up to his brother’s courtyard. Zong Wenxiu stood by a basin of water, splashing his face with it, letting the cold water clear his mind.

The tears were washed away.

But still, he felt like crying…

He crouched on the ground, water dripping down his neck and soaking his clothes. In the past, even if there were maids in the manor who could wash his clothes, he wouldn’t have wanted to trouble them. But today, he couldn’t hold back, feeling as fragile as a baby.

“Brother, I’m sorry. I went too far with my words. What I said was nonsense, don’t believe it,” the little troublemaker comforted him while wiping his face with a towel. “Our court is great, the Crown Prince is great, and there are no major corrupt officials. The ‘pig farming theory’ was just my wild speculation, it’s not true.”

Zong Wenxiu crouched on the ground, his voice hoarse. “But they really did confiscate huge amounts of wealth from each of them.”

The little troublemaker sighed. “Well, they’re corrupt officials. If they didn’t have money at home, how could they be called corrupt? That would be an insult to the name ‘corrupt official.’”

“You…” Zong Wenxiu stared at him, tears still lingering in the corners of his eyes.

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The little troublemaker quickly wiped his face again, muttering, “If I’d known I’d make you cry, I wouldn’t have spouted nonsense. I got carried away with the debate. No, not debate—sophistry. I got carried away with sophistry.”

The little rascal now used the words Zong Wenxiu had thrown at him to describe himself: “I also think the ‘pig farming theory’ is terrible and couldn’t possibly exist. If there were such a shameful secret, how could every generation of rulers have kept it hidden for thousands of years? It’s not like they all graduated from the same class.”

Zong Wenxiu laughed through his tears, taking the towel to wipe his own face. “Are you serious?”

“Of course. I promised I wouldn’t lie to you. It’s this stupid debate that made you think I’d deceive you. I won’t join next time,” the little troublemaker said with a grin, as if it didn’t bother him at all.

Just this casual attitude was something Zong Wenxiu would need a long time to learn.

Zong Wenxiu stood up and sat on a nearby stool. “But I think you made a good point. If it really came down to sacrificing a few good officials versus saving 16 million people, whether it’s the rulers or me, I’d choose the people. But the good officials… they’re so innocent. Why do they have to suffer such injustice?”

The little troublemaker quickly sat beside him, tilting his head. “I think it’s unavoidable. We all only think in terms of right and wrong, good and evil, and our own perspectives. But those in power have to consider the entire populace and all the officials. So even if they use dirty tactics, it’s the result of weighing the pros and cons.”

“Weighing the pros and cons…” Zong Wenxiu murmured dejectedly.

He thought of his grandfather again.

Was this how Chancellor Yan, who had served the court diligently for years, ended up sacrificing his family and life just for embezzling a thousand taels of silver?

Seeing his brother on the verge of despair again, the little troublemaker quickly steered the conversation elsewhere. “But in times like these, we have to find ways to avoid being on the wrong side of the people. And if there really is a corrupt official, don’t make yourself an obvious target. Before taking down the corrupt official, we have to protect ourselves and survive.”

Zong Wenxiu listened intently, as if he understood.

His little brother was teaching him not to be so straightforward.

It was fine to stand up to power, but he had to learn to avoid its sharp edges and not get burned.

The little troublemaker rambled on, “Brother, I know you’re very kind, but being too kind will get you bullied. Think about Qin Shi—you’re actually quite similar to him in temperament. If you enter the cutthroat world of officialdom in the future and only see things in black and white, you’ll make a lot of enemies who’ll come after you.”

Zong Wenxiu frowned, murmuring, “I just want to be a good official who serves the people. I don’t want to get involved in political struggles.”

“But it’s not something you can avoid just by not wanting to,” the little troublemaker said seriously, his dark eyes shining.

Zong Wenxiu pursed his lips. “So I need to figure out how to be a good official while also learning to protect myself.”

The little troublemaker nodded with a smile. “Exactly. Mom even left you homework—to write about how to take down corrupt officials. You can vent your frustrations in the essay.”

Zong Wenxiu nodded. “I’ll write it well. I can take them down.”

The little troublemaker clenched his fist in encouragement. “Of course you can! My brother is amazing!”

Zong Wenxiu chuckled.

He didn’t have his brother’s confidence…

But he could learn.

Zong Wenxiu smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’m amazing. I can do it.”

Seeing his brother agree with him, the little troublemaker wagged his imaginary tail in delight, pretending to be troubled. “Your essay will be easy to write, but mine’s going to be hard. After playing the role of a corrupt official for a few days, now I have to rack my brains to figure out how to be a good one. All I can think of right now is: kill all those good officials who cursed at me.”

Zong Wenxiu laughed, teasing him, “Then calm down a bit.”

“Hehe, brother, let’s go back? Mom’s still waiting for us,” the little troublemaker said, tugging at him to get up.

Zong Wenxiu awkwardly replied, “I’ll change my clothes first. I’m a bit wet.”

Thinking back to his emotional outburst, he felt embarrassed. It was the first time he had lost control like that, and in front of his younger brother no less. How humiliating.

“Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

The two boys returned to the study, and seeing them both rejuvenated, Baili Xi stroked his beard in satisfaction, ready to continue the lesson. Xu Wan and Baili Weihong were chatting as they prepared to leave.

“Mom, I have something to tell you,” the little troublemaker called out to her.

Baili Weihong bid them farewell and returned to her own courtyard.

Xu Wan led the little rascal to a pavilion outside, where the early summer breeze blew gently. She smiled and praised him, “Not bad, kid. You finally used your persuasion skills for something good.”

If it were any other time, the little troublemaker would have been grinning and boasting about himself. But now, he remained serious, not a hint of pride in his expression.

Not long after, in the gentle breeze, Xu Wan heard the nine-year-old boy ask her, “Mom, will our Marquis Manor be the pig that gets slaughtered?”