Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 352 - 188: Always So Biased

Gu Chengyi’s words instantly startled the few people who were talking.

Gu Chengyu snapped back to his senses in an instant. Just as he thought! Gu Chengyi wouldn’t do anything without personal gain, and he expected even more.

Mr. Gu and Gu Chengli were shocked; they never imagined that Gu Chengyi would make such a request.

Mrs. Lv put down her chopsticks on the spot. Sharing the table with Gu Chengyi had already soured her mood. Now, knowing that the second son was scheming against her son again, she was infuriated.

"Second son! Xiao Bao went to the Capital to study because he’s a scholar, but your son isn’t even that yet, so he can’t study in the Capital."

Mrs. Lv glanced sideways at Gu Chengyi. She was quite disgusted with this stepson of hers. Not only did he often take advantage of Xiao Bao, but he also frequently caused trouble for the family.

The eldest son also took advantage of Xiao Bao, but he was honest! As long as he was obedient, she didn’t mind giving him some leeway.

But having to endure the second son’s temper without any benefits, being schemed against at every turn, although she didn’t understand much about studying, in her heart, her son wasn’t even fit to carry Xiao Bao’s shoes.

Gu Chengyi’s face darkened, "So is it that only scholars and great scholars can study in the Capital? Who taught them their ABCs?"

Even though Gu Chengyi didn’t know much about the Capital, he wasn’t easily fooled. Could it be that only great scholars could study there? So do children in the Capital not go to school? Surely there must be private schools like those in the town.

"Second son, Xiao Bao is also going to the Capital to study, and he’s still a kid! How do you expect him to take along the second son?"

Mr. Gu simply thought these two didn’t get along well together. The second son couldn’t stand Xiao Bao’s success, plus he didn’t particularly like the second son either.

The second son was gloomy all day, rarely greeted him, and acted as if everyone owed him something. He felt that the second son was spoiled by Chengyi, and even if he passed the imperial examination and became an official in the future, he would still be ungrateful to his family.

He believed that his judgment of people was mostly accurate. He knew very well Chengyi’s temperament. Didn’t they often say, fathers know their sons best?

The second son was not only selfish but also narrow-minded. If there were enough benefits, he’d sell out the people around him, regardless of who they were.

Gu Chengyi sneered, "Father, you’re always so biased. If the fifth son can go to the Capital to study, why can’t my second son?"

Gu Chengyi couldn’t stand it whenever his father spoke up for the fifth son, as if he was always wrong and only the fifth son was justified.

"You’re causing a scene for no reason. What does this have to do with favoritism? I didn’t help Xiao Bao with his studies; he earned his title by himself. Even going to the Capital to study was arranged by his teacher. Do you think your father has that kind of influence?"

Mr. Gu couldn’t believe Gu Chengyi could twist things this way, blaming everything on favoritism.

Gu Chengyu almost laughed in anger. To blame everything on Mr. Gu’s favoritism, what an oddball.

He remembered when he was young, the second brother wasn’t such an odd character! How had he become more despicable over the years?

Before, it could still be said that the family was poor, and those years were hard on him and the eldest brother, but when life got better and the family split fairly, besides, no one took advantage, but the second brother still wasn’t satisfied.

Now, none of the households lack Silver for daily life, so why did the second brother’s issues suddenly increase?

"I went to the Capital to study on my teacher’s recommendation. If the second son wants to study in the Capital, why doesn’t the second brother go there himself to find a college for him? Why involve me? I’m just a student, and although I have a title, being a scholar doesn’t mean much in the Capital."

In fact, what Gu Chengyu said was true. The academies in the Capital required exams to get in, unless you had strong connections.

He’s merely a scholar, and his teacher had retired. Getting him a spot at the Imperial College was hard enough; he’d never bother him again.

As for those two senior brothers, he didn’t want to owe them any favors either. Otherwise, once he joined the court, he’d be bound by those favors.

There were so many aristocratic families and officials in the Capital, what was a scholar like him supposed to compare?

"Don’t you have a teacher? Your teacher let you study in the Capital, so it shouldn’t be hard for our second son to just get into a regular school, right?"

Gu Chengyi was still not giving up. In fact, he’d long heard from the second son that Gu Chengyu had a teacher who was a Great Scholar known across the land.

If the second son could also study under the fifth son’s teacher, he might have long become a scholar, and wouldn’t have failed the exams.

It turned out, after all this, that his second brother had his eyes on his teacher. Gu Chengyu was utterly shocked by his shamelessness.

Earlier, when he was studying under Mr. Wen, the second son already had his eyes set on Mr. Wen, thinking that if Mr. Wen had accepted him earlier, he would have become a scholar.

Now he’s set his sights on his teacher, too. No need to guess, Gu Chengyu already knew whose idea it was.

"My teacher has retired, and even the spot he got for me was a result of pulling many strings. How could I trouble him again? As long as the second son has a solid foundation and is diligent in learning, he should be able to pass the exams to get into the Capital academies."

The second son had become increasingly dissatisfied with studying in Xiasang Village in recent years. Just a few months ago, he wanted to go to school in town, but Mr. Wen absolutely refused to take him, so he had to look for other teachers in town.

But the other teachers weren’t foolish. Before accepting a student who had already received enlightenment, they of course went to enquire. No secret ever lasts. The second son disdainfully speaking about Mr. Niu had spread around.

Anyone who couldn’t even respect their first teacher and went around bad-mouthing Mr. Niu wasn’t someone anyone dared to take in. No amount of Silver would convince them.

In the end, the second son had no choice but to go to the county to study. The county was far away, so the second son persuaded Gu Chengyi to buy him a small courtyard there. He even found an old maid to cook and wash clothes for him, living a princely life all by himself in the county.

"After all, the second son is your nephew, and you can’t even offer this little bit of help?" Gu Chengyi sat by the table, looking somewhat brooding, clenching his fists, sounding slightly aggressive.

"This is a help I can’t give. Perhaps the second brother should seek help elsewhere!"

Gu Chengyu thought he had been tolerant enough towards Gu Chengyi. His second brother was really pushing his limits and was truly intolerable.

"Old Five became a scholar and now doesn’t recognize his own family. In your eyes, even your nephew, the second son, is probably beneath you."

Gu Chengyi mockingly looked at Gu Chengyu, as if to say that ever since Gu Chengyu became a scholar, not agreeing to his unreasonable demands meant he was looking down on him.

Gu Chengli, however naive, finally realized what was happening. He had just thought they were discussing the second son’s education, how did it become an argument?

"Let’s all talk calmly, didn’t the second just go to the county? Last time he came back, he said that the county teachers were much better than the village and town ones. Plus, it costs a lot to go to the Capital. Didn’t Xiao Bao also pass the scholar exam while studying in the town?"

Gu Chengli genuinely thought that Mr. Niu in Xiasang Village wasn’t bad and was quite dedicated to teaching the second son, almost hand holding him through the process.

This was something his eldest son had said when he returned from his studies, and at the time, the eldest son was quite envious.