Chapter 47

Shen Cui now spent half a day completing tasks and the other half resting.

After the system went offline, she had no one to chat with. Despite the leisure, she always felt like something was missing.

Towards evening, the system suddenly popped up on its own, its voice tinged with excitement. The originally formal male voice inexplicably had a hint of youthfulness.

“I checked the relevant provisions of the plane where the host is located. ‘The protection period of the right of publication and the right of use is the author’s lifetime plus fifty years after death.’ The authors and question setters are definitely more than fifty years away from the plane where the author is located!”

He actually went to diligently study Blue Star’s legal knowledge!

Shen Cui couldn’t help but smile, then quickly suppressed the smile and calmly said, “Oh,” without changing her expression, “So their things, by the time they reach my era, will definitely not be protected by law and will become public domain.”

“That’s correct.”

“But we are not in my era now. We have to follow the timeline of this era. Are you sure that those deceased question setters have been dead for fifty years now? Maybe you should check?”

The question bank was generated by the system using a technology similar to big data. To check which question was based on a specific question setter’s previous work, and how many years ago that question setter passed away, would require a huge amount of work and energy, akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

The system skipped the step of even trying to answer and just went offline without saying goodbye, seeming to be genuinely annoyed by her.

Shen Cui was left sitting on the lounge chair, smiling contentedly.

During dinner, Zhou Shi came to deliver the meal, but Wei Shu got up to bid farewell, saying he wouldn’t be staying overnight today and would come back next month.

After completing a set of questions today, he gained a lot of insights.

For example, he saw a question from “Analects of Confucius: Taibo” before.

When the sage praised the achievements of Emperor Yao, the answer should have begun by praising the achievements of the ancient sage ancestors, then recounting Yao’s achievements. Then, the perspective should have shifted from Yao’s deeds to praise the current emperor’s great achievements.

Although this question had substance, most students’ habitual thinking was like this, so Wei Shu’s and Wei Xi’s answers were almost the same.

On the other hand, even though Mu Er Pang’s exam questions were mostly different from those of the Wei brothers, he had also studied the “Analects of Confucius” and had heard Lou Buyu tell the story of Yao. So, the first question from the Wei brothers also appeared on his exam paper, becoming the most difficult and final question.

He hadn’t written an exam paper seriously before, and his rhetoric and embellishments couldn’t compare with those of the Wei brothers.

But because he had answered fewer questions, his thinking was not fixed, and he wrote completely different answers.

He only thought of the myths and legends of Yao, Shun, and Yu, saying that when Yao was in power, he united his relatives, allied with friendly countries, and conquered the barbarians, unifying all tribes. He then abdicated in favor of Shun, who valued filial piety and had no selfish motives for the sake of the people.

But everyone is human and should have selfish motives, especially since Yao had ten sons.

Ten fingers vary in length when extended, so can’t one of the ten sons be deemed worthy of succeeding him?

Yao’s eldest son, Dan Zhu, even invented the game of Go, which is often compared to military strategy. A person who can invent Go must be meticulous and have unmatched strategic thinking.

Could such a person not be worthy of being an emperor? Why would the imperial power fall into the hands of outsiders?

This so-called abdication is really thought-provoking.

So, the main point of his answer became that when an emperor governs the country, he should also remember that the imperial family is important and should support and cultivate imperial heirs, which is also a major national matter.

The imperial examination itself does not have fixed answers; it mainly depends on the preferences of the higher-ups. But Mu Er Pang, who had just entered the imperial examination system, was already starting to worry about the issue of the imperial succession, which was really amusing.

Discussing such matters, even for students, must be done with great caution, let alone for high-ranking officials of the current dynasty.

Fortunately, everyone in the room was family. While Wei Shu couldn’t be considered family, Wei Xi and Mu Er Pang were brothers. They shared honor and disgrace. Wei Shu couldn’t spread anything outside for the sake of his younger brother.

After Lou Buyu read it, he asked Shen Cui to burn his exam paper and didn’t criticize him. Instead, he talked to them about the records in the “Bamboo Annals”: “When the virtue of Yao declined, he was imprisoned by Shun. Shun imprisoned Yao, and then isolated Dan Zhu, so that they could not see each other.”

“This account in the ‘Bamboo Annals’ is not an isolated one. During the same period, there are similar records in the ‘Han Feizi – Suspicions’…”

So, starting from this question, Lou Buyu spoke for nearly an hour.

When Wei Shu was answering the questions, he didn’t have much insight. But after listening to Mu Er Pang’s answer direction and Lou Buyu’s comments, his thinking suddenly became broader.

He thought about another aspect—

According to legend, Shun’s father was blind. After his mother passed away, his father remarried, and his stepmother was cunning and malicious, always trying to harm Shun. She even deceived Shun’s father, favoring their younger son together and mistreating Shun.

But even so, Shun could still follow filial piety, love his younger brother, and respect his parents, spreading a good reputation throughout the world.

Later, Shun was recommended and relied on this good reputation.

Although Shun was also a wise ruler of his time, if we look at the “Bamboo Annals” and the “Han Feizi – Suspicions,” Shun’s ascension to the throne was not legitimate.

Could a person who could change the imperial power and beautify it as an abdication be so pure and good in his childhood?

Moreover, Shun’s experiences were quite similar to those of Mu Yunchuan.

For some reason, Wei Shu’s heart became even more chaotic.

So, he didn’t stay for the meal, but went back to the city with a heavy heart.

Unconsciously, he walked to the outside of Mu Yunchuan’s study.

It was also a coincidence that as soon as he arrived, Mu Yunchuan got up to open the window for fresh air, and the two met face to face.

Since the day after the county exam results were announced, they had only briefly chatted a few times and hadn’t seen each other much.

Mu Yunchuan was focused on the upcoming prefectural exam, and Wei Shu chose not to disturb him because he had developed a strange and complex emotion towards him.

The two were very familiar with each other, so there was no need for formalities. Mu Yunchuan directly asked him, “Have you seen your younger brother? Is he okay?”

Wei Shu replied, “He can eat and sleep. He looks a bit more plump than before when he was at home.”

Although he said so, the thoughtful expression on Wei Shu’s face directly indicated that he had something on his mind.

Last time, Mu Yun Chuan didn’t want to inquire too much, but after two consecutive times, when Wei Shu came back from Shuiyun Village, he was lost in thought, which was somewhat intriguing.

He opened the door and invited Wei Shu in.

Most of the students in the academy loved to go to the library to read because it was brightly lit and quieter there, so there was only Mu Yun Chuan in the study.

“I see that you seem to have something on your mind. You might as well tell me about it. Maybe I can offer you some advice,” Mu Yun Chuan said without changing his expression, looking at him.

After all, they had been good friends for many years. Wei Shu hesitated for a long time, but still wanted to share his thoughts with him.

But when it came to his mouth, he didn’t know where to start. He couldn’t just ask Mu Yunchuan if he didn’t consider him a close friend and treated him like everyone else, right?

Nor could he ask him if he held a grudge against the Shen family and only pursued a good reputation for them?

So when it came to the point of speaking, his brows furrowed, and he became even more unsure of where to start.

“Did my mother do something excessive? Wei Shu hesitated to speak to me, so he didn’t want to open up?”

This question actually made Wei Shu pause.

Although today’s thoughts about Mu Yunchuan did indeed come from a question on the exam paper.

But the exam questions were “bought” by Shen Cui, the paper was written by Mu Er Pang, and the comments were made by Lou Buyu. The association between Shun and Mu Yunchuan was something he came up with on his own.

Could Shen Cui, powerful as she was, really control the thoughts of so many people at once?

If so, she wouldn’t have let rumors that slandered her maliciousness spread outside.

Thinking of this, Wei Shu’s doubts deepened. Where did those rumors about her come from if she had indeed continued to be as modest as before?

Wei Shu pinched his aching brow, denying, “No, Mrs. Mu treats Wei Xi extremely well. Although I don’t get along with her, she is very polite to me. Everything is no different from before. Today, I do have some worries, but it’s not because of her. It’s because Lou Fu Zi was teaching Wei Xi, and I was there listening, but I couldn’t understand some parts.”

“Ah, I see. If it’s an academic issue, you might as well consult the Headmaster tomorrow.”

Wei Shu nodded and, casting his eyes on the books spread out next to him, he was keen to take his leave.

Mu Yunchuan got up to see him off. After Wei Shu left, Mu Yunchuan sat down and continued reading.

After a while, he slowly turned a page, lightly tapping his fingers on the book.

When Wei Shu referred to Shen Cui, he used “your stepmother,” indicating a certain disdain. When he referred to Lou Buyu, he called him by name. It was clear that he didn’t think highly of either of them.

However, after his second visit to Shuiyun Village, when Wei Shu mentioned them again, he changed to “Mrs. Mu” and “Lou Fu Zi.”

Although it was only a slight change in terms of address, it showed that Wei Shu’s attitude towards them had changed significantly.

Wei Shu was clever and honest, not easily deceived by flattery or small tricks. Whatever made him change his attitude so quickly was unclear.

But Wei Shu wasn’t a liar. Shen Cui should indeed have continued to be as modest as before and hadn’t done anything excessive.

He still had more important things to do at the moment, so he stopped thinking about it and focused on reading.

…

At the end of March, Mu Yunchuan set off for the prefectural exam in the capital.

Zhou Shi got the news of his departure through Wei Shu and consulted Shen Cui, so she entered the city a day earlier.

Zhou Shi naturally couldn’t enter the academy, so she had someone pass on a message to ask Mu Yunchuan to speak at the entrance of the academy.

She arrived about ten minutes later, and Mu Yunchuan came out of the academy leisurely.

It had been a long time since the two had seen each other. Zhou Shi’s appearance and dress were the same as before, not particularly beautiful, but very comfortable.

It seemed that because she was now influenced by the atmosphere of studying, there was a different look in Zhou Shi’s eyes.

Mu Yunchuan couldn’t help but quicken his pace.

When the two met, Zhou Shi smiled at him, “Mother-in-law told me that she gave you three taels of silver, but you need silver for food and accommodation in the capital. I don’t know exactly how much you need, so your wife brought all of these.”

As she spoke, she took out a money pouch.

It contained all the silver coins she had saved up for sewing and washing during this period. Because she hadn’t had time to exchange them all, they were some small silver ingots and copper coins, making the pouch heavy.

Looking at her hands, which were still covered in frostbite despite the arrival of spring, Zhou Shi felt a little embarrassed and placed the pouch in his hands. Then, she pulled her sleeves forward to cover her hands.

Mu Yunchuan pursed his lips and, with a rare touch of sincerity in his voice, said, “I still have some silver on me. You at home…”

“I’m fine at home, with food and shelter. I’ve even gained some weight. I really don’t need silver.” Afraid that Mu Yunchuan would refuse, Zhou Shi, for the first time, rattled off a series of words like a machine gun in front of him.

After she finished speaking, her face turned red, and she lowered her eyes, saying, “I recently learned a new term, ‘When one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer.’ When my husband is well, I am well too.”

Although she had a lot more to say, Zhou Shi still resisted the urge and said in a low voice that she had been out for a long time and should go back.

After saying this, she turned and left. After walking about ten steps, she turned back reluctantly to look at Mu Yunchuan, waved to him, and then urged him to go back quickly.

Mu Yun Chuan nodded, waved back, and then put the dusty money pouch close to his body.