"You overthink it; how could I be angry with you? We are, after all, legitimate cousins. The reality is that the provincial exam is imminent, and I’m not as smart as you, my cousin, so I have to work harder. I didn’t expect my daily reading would lead you to misunderstand."

Cunning Jingzhe would never show any dislike for Gu Ruinian in front of Mr. Gu.

Even if he was thoroughly annoyed by this cousin.

The words this cousin just said were clearly setting a trap for him.

How could he fall for it?

Isn’t it about bringing someone along? Mother has long said that since Gu Ruinian always harbors malice, bringing him along is safer for me.

Gu Ruinian pretended to be embarrassed and said, "As long as Brother Jingzhe is not angry with me. Grandpa always says you can’t write the character for ’Gu’ without two strokes; we are both grandpa’s grandsons and must work together to honor our ancestors."

Jingzhe also pretended to speak sincerely: "Speaking of honoring our ancestors, I must rely on you. As a cousin, you are smarter than I am. I’ve had to study hard since childhood to become a child student, while you only studied for half a year before passing the exam. This time, you’ll definitely pass the provincial exam and become a Scholar with ease; I may not, as Mr. Su says I have many areas where my knowledge is not solid."

Jingzhe spoke in an aggrieved tone.

Gu Ruinian nonchalantly said, "Brother is so diligent; heaven would never treat you unfairly. The two of us will surely both become Scholars this time."

Yet in his heart, he despised him.

He was eager for Jingzhe to pass the exam with him, as long as he didn’t steal his limelight.

He was counting on becoming an official and having Jingzhe as his right arm in the future.

Mr. Gu felt very gratified seeing the deep brotherly affection between Jingzhe and Gu Ruinian.

"You two are not only my most promising grandsons but also the most promising descendants of our Gu Family. Our ancestors favored me, making both my grandsons skilled in learning. As the saying goes, brothers fight the tiger together, and fathers and sons go to war; this time, you two should go to the prefectural city together and strive to both pass the exam and become Scholars."

"Yes."

"Yes."

Jingzhe and Gu Ruinian both showed respect.

"Jingzhe, you are the elder brother; when you reach the unfamiliar place, you must look after him," Mr. Gu set a new requirement for Jingzhe.

"Yes, Grandpa," Jingzhe agreed verbally but sneered inwardly.

Ruinian wasn’t a three-year-old who needed his care.

It’s feared that once in the prefectural city, Ruinian would just let himself loose.

He had heard that in the village, Ruinian often tricked Mr. Gu out of money to spend in the town eating and drinking.

"Jingzhe, where will you live when you reach the prefectural city?" Grandmother Gu suddenly asked.

"Second Brother bought a courtyard there, so I’ll stay with him," Jingzhe said.

The courtyard said to be bought by Gu Dashu, was actually bought on Tong Huaqiong’s instructions, naturally under her name.

Grandmother Gu, Mr. Gu, and Mrs. Jia felt quite uncomfortable upon hearing that the main house had a residence in the prefectural city.

Grandmother Gu said, "Then let Ruinian stay with you."

Jingzhe caught a hint of displeasure on Ruinian’s face and said, "That depends on Ruinian’s preference."

Grandmother Gu was displeased and said, "I think your mother is just stingy. What’s wrong with your cousin staying in your residence in the prefectural city for the exam? Even when your father was alive, he wouldn’t have disagreed."

Jingzhe remained silent, and Gu Ruinian spoke up, "Grandma, you misunderstood. I don’t want to stay at Brother Dashi’s house. If I go there, Brother Dashi might busy himself looking after me. I’m used to studying alone, and being looked after would disrupt my concentration."

Gu Ruinian had no desire to live with Jingzhe.

He had long heard about the distinctive brothels of this era, and previously in the south, Mrs. Jia was constantly watching him, leaving him no time to visit. Now that he was headed to the prefectural city, there was no way he wouldn’t explore the brothels.

It was said that the women in brothels willingly spent on poets. By quoting Li Bai and Su Shi, he wouldn’t fail to impress the top courtesans.

If one of them, like Li Shishi in "Water Margin," could introduce him to someone powerful, it would save him the trouble of taking the imperial exams.

In anticipation of this potential encounter, he prepared a lot of material.

Moreover, he planned not only to conquer the brothels but also to seek opportunities to meet the daughters of prominent families.

Given his cousin’s conservative nature, living with him would certainly hinder his plans.

Grandmother Gu snorted, "Ruinian, don’t be afraid; Grandma will stand up for you."

Mrs. Jia knew her youngest son well and understood that Gu Ruinian genuinely did not want to live with Jingzhe.

Besides, her son was so clever; if his knowledge was somehow stolen by Jingzhe, it wouldn’t be good.

She certainly wanted Gu Ruinian to stay in the main house’s residence in the prefectural city, as it would save the family a lot of money. However, if it affected his performance, no one could afford to take the blame.

Considering everything, she rather preferred to tighten her belt and let Ruinian stay in an inn.

Mrs. Jia then said to Grandmother Gu, "Mother, let’s follow Ruinian’s preference and let him stay in an inn. He’s used to studying alone."

Mr. Gu took a puff from his smoking pipe and frowned.

Going to the prefectural city would take at least seven days, and staying in an inn would cost a lot for Gu Ruinian’s food and accommodation.

Gu Youtian, seeing Mr. Gu’s reluctance, said, "Ruinian’s exam is important."

Since Gu Ruinian’s ill-advised investment, he had been cold towards his son.

The only reason he supported his son this time was that Ruinian was his hope for turning things around. If his youngest son became a Scholar, the family would lend him money for business because of that status.

Moreover, he hoped that Ruinian could secure a good marriage proposal once he became a Scholar.

Therefore, this exam must go smoothly.

Mr. Gu slowly said, "Alright, let Ruinian stay in an inn."

Since even his son agreed to let his grandson stay in an inn, Mr. Gu reluctantly agreed.

Gu Ruinian breathed a sigh of relief.

The old man finally agreed.

Gu Ruinian, with a look of gratitude, promised Mr. Gu, "Grandfather, I assure you, just to honor you, I’ll definitely become a Scholar this time."

He originally intended to say he’d be the top scorer, but given that Jingzhe was beside him, he decided not to frighten his easygoing cousin.

Mr. Gu, looking touched, said, "I believe you, my grandson."

Jingzhe watched all this with cold eyes.

Alright, I’d like to see just how capable this cousin is once in the prefectural city.

"We’ll depart at dawn tomorrow," Jingzhe informed Ruinian about the departure time and then left the old house.

Returning home, Jingzhe informed Tong Huaqiong about Mr. Gu’s request for Ruinian to go to the prefectural city with him.

Tong Huaqiong wasn’t surprised; she had long guessed the old house’s intentions.

Tong Huaqiong had already warned Jingzhe that Mr. Gu would likely insist that Gu Ruinian accompany him.

She didn’t mind.

What concerned her was that fellow countryman from modern times scheming against Jingzhe, accusing him of cheating or whatever, so she instructed Jingzhe to be wary of this cousin, and arranged for Su Chengmin to monitor Gu Ruinian.

What puzzled her was that Gu Ruinian surprisingly volunteered not to stay at Gu Dashu’s place.

Someone who loves taking advantage suddenly refusing a convenient deal could only mean he has other plans.

Therefore, Tong Huaqiong had Su Chengmin and Nie Xiaofeng keep an eye on Gu Ruinian; whatever nonsense he pulled wasn’t important, but he mustn’t implicate Jingzhe.

After all, she was counting on Jingzhe to protect her in the future.