binnovel Chapter 146 Wanqing Academy
Chapter 146 Wanqing Academy
Qiao Jiye gave Qiao Qingshu a deep look, and for some reason, he lost the energy to argue or fight.
He shook his head. Before coming to the capital, he had already inquired about the situation and learned that the Qiao family was in dire straits. He thought that the Qiao family really couldn't help anymore.
He didn't intend to waste time here; he needed to find a way out for his son elsewhere.
So he knew when to stop and quickly left the Qiao family with his wife and children.
When Qiao Jizhou sobered up and rushed to Fushou Hall shouting "Third brother, third brother!", the place was already deserted.
Qiao Jizhou was flushed and tipsy, his speech slurred.
"Where's my third brother? Didn't he come back? Perfect timing to go have a drink with him."
Qiao Jizhou was actually very friendly to his older and younger brothers. He didn't even know that it was his mother who had schemed to drive his older and younger brothers out of the Qiao family one by one.
He assumed that his eldest brother had seen through the illusions of the world, while his third brother was just young and impetuous.
He still harbors feelings for his estranged brothers, but he doesn't know that Old Madam Qiao has long since ruined the bond between the three brothers.
Hearing Qiao Jiye's incessant shouting, Old Madam Qiao became furious and pointed at Qiao Qingshu, yelling...
"Why aren't you helping your father back to his room to rest? He's drunk so much he's walking in circles, and he's still looking for his little brother here!"
"Your brother is a hundred times more capable than you! He's a complete good-for-nothing!"
Qiao Qingshu rarely shared the same view as her grandmother, and she nodded slightly.
He helped his father up, silently cursing him as a good-for-nothing in his heart.
Then she helped his father leave Fushou Hall.
On the way back, his father was gesticulating wildly and acting crazy while drunk, and he even tugged at his collar and said something.
Then he broke free from Qiao Qingshu's pull, lay down on a stone table, curled up, and said he wanted to sleep.
He was still muttering to himself.
"Go down! I'm going to sleep tonight."
Qiao Qingshu couldn't help but shrink her neck; the temperature had been very low at night these past few days.
She squinted at her father, wondering if he would freeze to death if he slept here.
Wouldn't it be too easy to let him freeze to death?
A slight smile appeared on her lips as she tilted her head to examine her father's sleeping posture, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
This path was very secluded, and it was already dark. If she hadn't come here intentionally, she would never have found her father.
Qiao Qingshu turned around and left the path with light steps.
After returning to my own yard, I ate dinner, practiced calligraphy for a while, had some late-night snacks, and then sat on the bed and read for a while.
Just as Lin Dong was about to blow out the lamp for her to rest, Qiao Qingshu casually rolled over, muttering something under her breath.
"Go and find the Second Master."
Startled, Lin Dong ran to the master's courtyard to call for help, but dared not say that Qiao Qingshu had done it on purpose. She only claimed that the second master was drunk and she did not know where he had gone.
After searching for most of the night, they finally found Qiao Jizhou on the stone table, his face purple from the cold.
When he returned in late winter, he was so frightened that he kept patting his chest.
"Oh dear, if our second master were to actually sleep on that stone table, he would surely be frozen solid tomorrow!"
Late Autumn and Summer Solstice listened intently, their necks hunched.
Qiao Qingshu turned over absentmindedly and muttered something.
"Aren't you asleep yet? It's so noisy."
The three little girls then reluctantly crawled into bed to sleep.
Early the next morning.
Qiao Qingshu was still eating breakfast in the room when someone came to report that the second master had caught a cold and was now running a high fever and unable to get out of bed.
The old lady was in a great hurry and insisted that someone carry her to see the second master.
Qiao Qingshu asked casually,
"Have you called the royal physician?"
The servant reported back.
"I've already seen it, written the prescription, prepared the medicine, and let the master drink it and go to sleep."
Qiao Qingshu realized that her father wouldn't die, so she stopped caring about him.
He waved to Wanqiu to prepare the vehicle, and under the pretext of shopping, he left Lin'an Street.
The carriage stopped at a restaurant.
Qiao Qingshu, wearing a white veil, slowly walked down with Wanqiu's support.
When she knocked on the door, the noisy voices inside immediately stopped, and an alert voice rang out.
"who!"
Late Autumn continued the conversation.
"Third Master, it's our eldest daughter who's here to see you."
The door was accidentally opened.
Qiao Jiye asked, somewhat incredulously,
How did you know our family lived here?
"Why did you come to see me?"
The eldest daughter of the Qiao family did not speak up for Qiao Jiye that day, so Qiao Jiye was still wary of her.
Qiao Qingshu laughed and said,
"Is my third uncle just blocking me like this, not letting me into the house to talk?"
Qiao Jiye then realized that his two arms were blocking the doorway, and his posture was very wary.
He quickly withdrew his hand, saying somewhat apologetically,
"Come in."
Qiao Jiye had no memory of Qiao Qingshu; when he left the Qiao family, Qiao Qingshu was still in her mother's womb.
He only knew that Bai was a rare and good sister-in-law, so even though he had never met Qiao Qingshu, he still had a good impression of her.
He had already inquired about the Qiao family before returning to the capital and knew that Qiao Qingshu's mother, Bai, had passed away. Therefore, he could no longer treat Qiao Qingshu rudely.
As soon as Qiao Qingshu entered the room, she saw that it was full of people.
Qiao Jiye's wife and two children, Qiao Jiye's mother Xu, and two unfamiliar male faces.
Qiao Jiye broke the silence and began to introduce,
"Qingshu, you've already met my family at the Qiao family's house. These two are my business friends in Beijing, Mr. Wang and Mr. Yang. I'm currently discussing the matter of Hesong Studying with them."
He then turned to his two friends and introduced them,
"This is my niece."
Once the two friends realized that Qiao Qingshu was a relative, they stopped trying to hide anything and continued to discuss the Wanqing Academy with great enthusiasm.
Qiao Qingshu found a place to sit down and listen to them talk.
"Brother Wang, you don't know, I know Wanqing Academy very well! The children there are either from wealthy or noble families, or they are exceptionally talented. It's not easy to get in. Moreover, children who get into Wanqing Academy don't need to take the imperial examinations. They go directly to the palace for the emperor's evaluation and become officials! If they're lucky, they can even stay by the emperor's side!"
Another one also said,
“Brother Yang is absolutely right! So getting into Wanqing Academy is by no means easy. There are two paths to take. One is to be personally discovered and recommended by the teachers of Wanqing Academy. The second is to be recommended by several noble families, and then pass an exam to determine whether you can enter Wanqing Academy.”
Qiao Qingshu nodded, confirming that was indeed the case.
Two years ago, the Xiao family planned to send Xiao Chengyan to Wanqing Academy. The recommendation of many noble families was not difficult for the Xiao family's network of connections. The difficulty was the exam. Xiao Chengyan prepared hard for three months but failed. It can be seen that it is very difficult to enter Wanqing Academy.
Qiao Qingshu looked up again at Qiao Hesong, who was sitting by the couch with his eyes closed, resting.
If it weren't for her younger brother's advice and help to escape danger in her previous life, she would probably have died in Yuzhou, where there were many ambushes.
She had witnessed her younger brother's intelligence and knew he was no ordinary person.
If this younger brother hadn't been kidnapped and killed by bandits in his previous life, he would definitely have accomplished great things.
She spoke with certainty,
"It's not difficult to get into Wanqing Academy."