Editor: Atlas Studios
Fan Zijin was stunned for a mont before anger surged in his chest. However, he no longer shouted like when he was young. Instead, he only asked coldly, "What if I can’t get beco a juren through the imperial examination? After all, there are countless young people in the world who beca a tongsheng yet weren’t able to advance further."
To scholars, becoming a xiucai was just a small step towards officialdom. It was just a title. The real hurdle was the Fall Quarter Examinations. Only by passing the Fall Quarter Examinations and becoming a juren could one obtain the qualifications to beco an official. It would naturally be better if one could beco a jinshi.
This was because unless one was a jinshi, they would not enter a Hanlin official. If one was not a Hanlin official, they could not be conferred the title of minister one day. This had been a tradition since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
No matter how smooth-sailing Fan Zijin’s path had been so far, he was just a xiucai. His future was not guaranteed unless he could beco a juren through the imperial examination.
However, this was extrely difficult.
Only the top 300 scholars would be recruited through the Fall Quarter Examinations in Jiangnan every year. During an enrollnt expansion, the number would be higher. However, there were as many as 100,000 participants. Every other year, there would be new xiucais. Considering the Fall Quarter Examinations only happened once every three years, it could be seen how many xiucai there were.
If Fan Zijin could not beco a juren, then his hereditary privilege would be his other way out. If Fan Siwen had been considerate of Fan Zijin at all, he would not suggest handing the spot for hereditary privilege to Fan Zixiao at this ti. Instead, he would have waited until Fan Zijin beca a juren.
Anger surged in Fan Zijin’s chest. He looked at his father with bright eyes and asked, "What if your son, I, can’t beco a juren?"
Fan Siwen turned his head guiltily and said, "Zijin, you don’t have to belittle yourself. Your teachers and I have read your essays, and we think that they’re not bad. As long as you study hard for a period of ti..."
"But you and the teachers are not the examiners." Fan Zijin interrupted him indifferently. "Aren’t there many people in this world who have talent but repeatedly fail to perform?"
Fan Siwen looked a little gloomy.
With his experience, how could he not know of this situation?
Since becoming a jinshi at age 30 was considered young, Zijin would be considered young if he beca a jinshi in his thirties. Even if Fan Siwen felt that his son was very smart, he could not be certain that Zijin would be able to beco a juren before his thirties.
However, with Zixiao’s age and his stupidity, since Zijin had the ability to find his own way out, Fan Siwen didn’t feel that there was anything wrong with giving his hereditary privilege to his illegitimate son in advance.
Thinking of how dejected his eldest son had been for the past few days, Fan Siwen beca even more determined. He said directly, "I’ve already made up my mind on this matter. Zijin, you beca a tongsheng at the age of nine and a xiucai at 12. Even I feel ashad of my inferiority. If you work harder, you’ll definitely be able to..."
Fan Zijin sneered and turned to leave.
Fan Siwen was stunned for a mont before slamming the table angrily. "Unfilial son, who taught you to disobey your father like this? Have you learned nothing from the books you read?"
To leave without saying goodbye could be considered unfilial.
Fan Siwen didn’t like Fan Zijin’s extre behavior.
Fan Zijin stopped at the door and sneered. "It’s the father’s fault for not teaching his son. Since you have never taught how to behave, naturally I do not know how."
"You!"
Fan Zijin flung his sleeves and left. When he ran outside, he woke up a little due to the cold wind blowing at him. When he thought about how his hereditary privilege had been given to his half-brother by his father just like that, he felt as awful as though a rock was stuck in his chest.
Fan Zijin stood in the courtyard and thought for a while before deciding to look for his mother.
Xia Tong was happily preparing for the banquet. When she saw her son, she happily held his hand and said, "Didn’t your father want to talk to you? Have you finished chatting?"
Fan Zijin glanced at the servant girls and maidservants and said, "Mother, dismiss them for now. I have sothing to tell you."
Only then did Xia Tong notice that her son’s expression was not right. She quickly asked the servants to leave before she hurriedly asked, "What happened?"
"Father wants to give Fan Zixiao his hereditary privilege." As soon as Fan Zijin said this, Xia Tong’s face imdiately turned pale. She took two steps back and fell into a chair. After a while, she sneered and said with tears in her eyes, "Huh. So this banquet is his way of compensating us?"
Fan Zijin’s expression darkened. "I argued with him over this, but he’s already made up his mind to give his hereditary privilege to Fan Zixiao."
"Why?" Xia Tong scread. "You’re his legitimate son. The ancestral assets and hereditary privilege should be inherited by you. If he gives the hereditary privilege to Fan Zixiao, who’s the legitimate son—you or him?"
Xia Tong stood up and said coldly, "I’ll go find him."
"Mother." Fan Zijin stopped her and said with a cold expression, "If you’re really determined to fight to the end for , then go. If you’re just going to argue with him like before, but submit to him in the end, don’t bother. You’ll just get angry in vain."
Xia Tong paused, then looked up at her son in shock.
Fan Zijin continued to say with a cold expression, "If he is determined to let Fan Zixiao inherit his things, then divorce him. I’ll bring you away. Let him make Madam Liu his legitimate wife and let Fan Zixiao be the legitimate son."
With a sneer, he continued, "When that happens, let’s see if he will make things difficult for Fan Zixiao for the sake of his other concubine’s sons."
Xia Tong was so frightened that her face turned pale. She grabbed her son’s hand and asked, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"I’m not talking nonsense." Fan Zijin looked at his mother seriously and said, "I’ve wanted to say this for a long ti. Ever since I was sensible, I’ve watched the two of you quarrel. Because of and because of his concubines... Mother, how many tis has he made things difficult for you for Madam Liu and Fan Zixiao all these years? I’m already grown up now and have achieved scholarly honor. Since he doesn’t even want to give his hereditary privilege, why should we stay here? Divorce him. I’ll definitely beco more promising than him in the future and let you live a glorious life. Even if you remarry, it’s fine."
Fan Zijin really loved his mother. To him, his father had always been like an enemy. He wanted to fight for his love, but he had never been able to. Every ti sothing happened at ho, Fan Siwen would stand on Fan Zixiao’s side and deal him with a blow. Having seen the way his other classmates interact with their fathers, he was extrely envious.
The most important person in his life was undoubtedly his mother, because it had always been his mother who had raised him. Seeing his mother cry often because of Fan Siwen, he had long thought of suggesting they divorce. Now was the opportunity.
Fan Zijin’s eyes flashed coldly as he gave his mother ideas. "Be firm. We mustn’t give in this ti. If he doesn’t return the hereditary privilege spot, you can divorce him and let him know that we’re not people who can be treated poorly by him."
Vexed, Xia Tong shook her head and said, "No, we can’t divorce!"
Fan Zijin looked at his mother sadly and went forward to grab her shoulder. He said seriously, "Mother, Father’s heart is already biased to the extre. What else can we obtain here other than suffering? Just wholeheartedly fight with him for the sake of your son, okay?"
Most of the ti, Xia Tong could clearly win, but she would always back down at critical monts. Ultimately, she couldn’t bear to part with Fan Siwen, couldn’t bear to let him leave her, and couldn’t bear to make things difficult for him. Hence, the mother and son kept retreating.
Fan Zijin understood that if he retreated any further, he would have nothing left. He would be holding the title of Fan Siwen’s legitimate son for nothing.
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