The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 314
His mind recalled the words his mother once said: A child like this, when they change, will constantly bring unexpected joys—just like a peony once crawled upon by insects. Once the bugs are cleared away and the rotten leaves trimmed, it will still bloom into the most radiant flower.
Xu Wan watched as the little troublemaker sat back down to continue writing poetry, then nodded at the other boys. Only then did the mocking laughter cease, and Shen Yibai and Wei Xinglu obediently returned to their seats to work on their assignments.
Xu Wan observed Zong Jincheng and realized his temper had improved quite a bit—likely because Luo Jingfeng’s infuriating presence had left him too preoccupied to get worked up over minor provocations.
She wondered: Now that Luo Jingfeng knew Jincheng’s identity, what would happen if he frequently visited? What would Jincheng do?
Xu Wan pondered the matter and decided that issues of this level required Zong Zhao’s input.
But as Zong Zhao had warned, he left early and returned late—it wasn’t just an excuse. Xu Wan waited for two hours but eventually grew too drowsy and fell asleep.
The next morning, she abruptly sat up in bed.
Turning her head, she saw the daybed was empty again.
Xu Wan asked, "Cui Zhi, did the General return last night?"
Cui Zhi entered with a basin of water and replied casually, "Yes, around midnight."
"And he left again after just a few hours of sleep?" Xu Wan blinked.
Cui Zhi confirmed, "Indeed. He rose at dawn—he’s always trained at this hour. But today, he seemed to have urgent business and left without even eating."
Xu Wan: "..."
A roommate who slept only five hours a day, appearing and disappearing like a ghost.
So elusive she couldn’t even wait for him…
She scratched her head, quickly dressed, and sat at the desk to write a note. After jotting down her question, she placed it on the daybed, hoping Zong Zhao would reply when he returned.
Once the letter was set down, Xu Wan suddenly found the situation amusing.
Really? A married couple living together, communicating solely through letters?
"Did the General mention where he was going?" Xu Wan asked again.
Cui Zhi shook her head. "No. Buyan came by this morning but didn’t catch him either."
"Buyan…" Xu Wan recalled his unusual eagerness yesterday and mused, "Does he want to return to the General’s side?"
Cui Zhi chuckled. "Possibly. Serving Young Master Cheng is too difficult—Buyan’s so stressed he’s grown a white hair."
Xu Wan shook her head. "I think Buyan’s plan will fail. Jincheng’s the one who needs supervision."
"Who knows?" Cui Zhi stifled a laugh and suggested, "Let’s not say anything and leave it to the General to turn him down."
Xu Wan gave her a thumbs-up. "You’re terrible."
Cui Zhi nearly burst out laughing.
That night, Zong Zhao read the letter.
He glanced at his wife, already asleep in bed, and the frost in his expression gradually melted. Sitting at the desk, he wrote a reply by moonlight and pressed down the corners with a paperweight.
Once finished, he walked to the bed and gazed at her.
The moon, shy, hid behind the clouds, casting a faint, hazy glow—still present, though veiled.
Morning.
Xu Wan woke and turned her head—still no one.
She slipped out of bed and checked the daybed, finding no letter. Had Zong Zhao not returned last night?
Based on her recent interactions with him, he didn’t seem the type to leave messages unread. He wouldn’t ignore her.
She turned to the desk and spotted a sheet of paper laid out neatly. Walking over, she picked it up—the handwriting was bold and precise, Zong Zhao’s reply.
Xu Wan smiled as she read:
"Luo Jingfeng feels guilty toward Luo Shu, so he will extend that affection to Jincheng and accommodate him. There’s no need to worry—he would sooner harm himself than lay a hand on Jincheng again. Live your life and pay him no mind."
Xu Wan thought about it and realized it was true.
After Jincheng’s sharp retort the other day, Luo Jingfeng hadn’t been angry—nor had he visited again.
Good. Their daily lives wouldn’t be disrupted.
Refreshed, Xu Wan washed up, ate breakfast, and began planning how to guide the children through the next four months of intense preparation for the autumn exams.
Aside from cramming poetry and prose, she also collected past exam papers. Since no one had ever systematically studied previous exams, there were no compiled editions available—only the old method of tracking down candidates with sharp memories to purchase their recollections.
But as the years went further back, finding complete sets became nearly impossible. Candidates with photographic memories were rare, and the pieced-together versions were often incomplete.
Someone once suggested: "Shen Yibai’s grandfather was once the Minister of Rites, and now he heads the civil officials. A single word from him, and the Ministry of Rites could retrieve past exam papers."
This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
Xu Wan rejected the idea without hesitation.
Her accelerated class was meant to help students achieve good results through efficient study methods—not by exploiting power for personal gain, which would border on cheating.
The two were fundamentally different.
But with only two years’ worth of past exams, identifying patterns and key topics was difficult. The goal seemed out of reach.
Then Jiang Yan proposed: "What about reaching out to past top scorers? As the top three, their talent and memory should be sharper than most examinees."
Cheng Zhidong countered, "But those who placed in the top three would have entered officialdom—the lowest-ranked among them starting at the seventh rank. The earliest exams would be at least eight years ago, meaning they now hold significant positions."
Pan Hongzi chuckled. "No need to look far. The top scorers from the third and fourth exams prior—the General and Lord Qin—are both acquainted with Madam."
All eyes turned to Xu Wan.
Xu Wan: "..."
These two… she did know them.
Lord Qin, Qin Ye’s father, was the top scorer eight years ago. His career had been smooth, now holding a fourth-rank position. Xu Wan had once warned the Qin household when Luo Chen tried to harm Qin Ye, earning their gratitude.
As for Zong Zhao—eleven years ago’s top scorer—he had served for a year before vanishing for a decade, only to return with military honors and skyrocket to the first rank as General. And, well… he was her husband.
The tutors’ amused gazes lingered.
Xu Wan awkwardly rubbed her forehead. "Fine, I’ll try…"
Her relationship with Lord Qin was lukewarm at best, and she barely interacted with Madam Qin. Asking him to recall an eight-year-old exam out of the blue was… bold.
After some thought, she had the last two years’ exams compiled and sent to the Qin residence with a request: In exchange for these, could Lord Qin share his memories of his own exam?
As for Zong Zhao…
Xu Wan picked up her brush again to pen another letter to her elusive roommate.
