The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 54

“I am quite talented in literature, and I know it myself. It is my parents who have always had too high expectations. My elder sister used to hope that I would be interested in taking the imperial examinations, but after I went back last time, her thoughts changed, and she asked me to come to Dingxiang City to learn how to do things from Mr. Xu.”

As for the imperial examinations, I've always believed I lacked the talent for them. First of all, my family wasn't a prominent clan, and none of my relatives held high-ranking official positions. Although I currently possess some assets, I'm far from being a wealthy tycoon. Taking that path would be incredibly difficult.

I thought the possibility was almost nonexistent. It's better to do something I'm interested in, and if it can earn money to support my family, that would be even better. I don't aspire to great wealth or status in this life; I just want a carefree and peaceful life," Song Liang explained.

Xu Tian largely agreed with Song Liang's ideas; the imperial examination system in this era was a trap. His attitude towards life was also commendable, in line with the average person's thinking, and he lacked unrealistic ambitions.

"I still think that it was a bit too decisive for Madam Deng to send you to such a far place as Dingxiang City all at once."

"Although I can get along with Madam Lin and we can barely be called friends, we've only met once, and she knows very little about me. Is there some other reason why she would act like this?" Xu Tian questioned.

"Young Master Xu has a clear mind. It's not that I deliberately concealed it. This matter also involves the dispute over my elder sister's family property, which is really difficult to talk about. My elder sister also wanted to keep me away from Suzhou to avoid me getting involved."

But this is also my own choice. I have never traveled far since I was a child, and I want to take advantage of my youth to see other places, even if it's just to learn about local customs and culture.

Mr. Xu once said, "Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles," a saying that deeply resonates with me. To be honest, I've sometimes longed to abandon worldly affairs and travel the world.

Young people all have a restless heart; the world is so big, and they really want to see it. Xu Tian can understand this idea.

I just didn't expect this matter to involve the internal strife within the Lin family. But thinking about it, it makes sense. Madam Lin probably trusts Song Liang a lot, and sending him here might be a way to prepare a backup plan. In case of any major changes in the future, they won't be in dire straits.

"Madam Lin mentioned to me before that a relative was plotting to seize the Lin family's property. Has she told you in any letters about her recent situation, and whether this matter has been resolved?"

“Oh, did your elder sister mention this to you as well? She didn’t go into details in her letter, only saying that things were generally alright. She mentioned last time that she was planning to sell off some of the less important family assets. Judging from the timeline, it’s probably been settled by now.”

"Hearing what you say, I admire Madam Lin's decisiveness. She's done a good job of selling off the uncontrollable businesses, shrinking the battle lines, and concentrating resources. If things drag on for too long, it might not be so easy to sell them off."

"My sister was forced to do this. My uncle was seriously ill, and my cousin was still young. She had to make all the decisions herself. She had to run around and show her face in public. It's heartbreaking to think about."

"Those relatives, they didn't know what was good for them, they couldn't resist the instigation of outsiders and lost their heads," Song Liang said with a sigh.

“Dingxiang City is too far from Suzhou, so I can’t help her even if I wanted to. She can only rely on herself,” Xu Tian said.

Personally, he still had a good impression of Lin Niangzi. From a business perspective, he didn't want this partner to fail, as it was one of his backup plans.

"Young Master Xu's help has been considerable. The profits from the Compass and Hua Zi Lou have been substantial. Thank you again." Song Liang cupped his hands in thanks.

He continued, "There are two worrying aspects to this matter. One is my uncle's condition. As long as his condition does not improve and he recovers, the danger will remain."