Favoring a concubine and destroying the wife? I'll abandon my husband and children and wipe out

Zhou Xiangru's face turned ashen.

He was well aware that Zhao Shize had some issues, but the sincerity the Zhao family had shown him and Zhao Shize's self-justification were enough for him to accept Zhao Shize as his last disciple.

But knowing this is one thing, saying it is another, especially not from Wen Chengnan's mouth!

"Brother Wen, you are too kind with your words. My judgment is not so bad as to be completely incompetent. Zhao Shize is indeed a talented man!"

"He may have some shortcomings, but as long as he acknowledges his mistakes and corrects them, and doesn't repeat them in the future, that's fine. Does Brother Wen think that once a person has a stain on their record, they are guilty of heinous crimes and can never be forgiven?"

"Brother Wen, I only realized today that you are such a narrow-minded person!"

Zhou Xiangru turned away with a flick of his sleeve, refusing to look at Wen Chengnan again.

“I am different from Brother Wen; I am willing to give a second chance to someone who is genuinely eager to learn and sincerely vouches for them. Since we can’t agree on this, let’s not mention it again!”

Wen Chengnan looked at Zhou Xiangru in astonishment and disbelief.

"You know I didn't mean that at all. I'm just upset that you ignored the young master of the Zhao family's wrongdoing for material things, and even spoke up for him like this! If he really wanted to change, why would he produce such an article that was clearly not written by him and pretend to be a fraud again?"

"Enough!" Zhou Xiangru interrupted angrily. "Since you think that I and my disciple are so worthless, then we need not bother you anymore! You have no right to question me like this. Well, let's see what happens tomorrow! My disciple, Zhou Xiangru's disciple, will surely be a great talent of our time!"

Wen Chengnan stared at him in shock, unable to utter a single word.

Disappointment gradually surfaced in his eyes.

Wen Chengnan took a deep breath. "In that case, I hope that Zhao Shize will sincerely repent, study hard, and live up to Brother Zhou's expectations of him."

"Farewell, Brother Zhou, there's no need to see me off!"

Wen Chengnan left, dejected yet decisive.

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Zhou Xiangru could no longer contain herself and smashed everything on the table, leaving a mess on the floor.

The accompanying pageboy hurried in.

"Sir, what's wrong?"

Zhou Xiangru looked up and glared at the other person with a gloomy expression. "Are you saying that Wen Chengnan's judgment is definitely better than mine, and that I'm definitely not as good as him?!"

The pageboy was stunned and stammered, "You and Mr. Wen are both highly talented people, there's no difference in their abilities..."

"boom!"

Zhou Xiangru grabbed something nearby and threw it, hitting the pageboy squarely on the forehead, drawing blood.

The pageboy knelt down with a thud: "Sir, please calm down!"

Zhou Xiangru was filled with resentment and anger, and his eyes almost turned red. Without thinking, he dragged the pageboy in front of him and kicked him several times.

"You're one of my people, not his. How dare you speak up for him?!"

"I, Zhou Xiangru, am far superior to him; he can't even compare to me by a single finger!"

"Just wait, I will definitely train Zhao Shize to become a successful person, pass the imperial examination and enter officialdom, so that he can see clearly who is the one who has no vision!"

Zhou Xiangru finally caught his breath after hitting him, and coldly looked at the pageboy on the ground, who was trembling all over, bleeding from his head, and unable to get up due to the pain.

"If you say the wrong thing again, I'll pull your tongue out!"

Meanwhile, Wen Chengnan returned to the inn where he had stayed, looking utterly dejected.

Seeing Song Yanlan still waiting for him, tidying up books, Wen Chengnan couldn't help but say, "I don't understand, why would Brother Zhou do that? Does he really not see the character of the young master of the Zhao family? And why did he accept that painting, 'A Thousand Cranes on a Lonely River'?"

If the Zhao family had genuinely tried to retain Zhou Xiangru, or if they hadn't presented him with the "Lonely River and a Thousand Cranes" painting, Wen Chengnan would have found it somewhat acceptable.

Song Yanlan hesitated for a moment, then said, “Sir, everyone has their own ambitions, and there’s no need to force it. Since Mr. Zhou has decided to continue raising the young master of the Zhao family, he must have his own reasons. Or perhaps, the young master of the Zhao family is not what we think he is, but is indeed a diligent and intelligent child.”

Wen Chengnan also thought so, but for him, the words Zhou Xiangru said in the inn were the biggest blow.

He never imagined that his friend of many years would think of him that way.

Wen Chengnan sighed. Perhaps what he said was wrong and caused Brother Zhou to misunderstand.

"Let's not talk about that. You're going to take the imperial examination tomorrow, so get some rest tonight. Also, you'll be staying in the examination hall for three days. Have you prepared everything you need?" Wen Chengnan asked, perking up.

Song Yanlan felt a warmth in her heart: "Thank you for your concern, sir. I have prepared everything."

Wen Chengnan truly regarded him as a junior, and upon hearing this, he immediately wanted to go and see what Song Yanlan had prepared.

Song Yanlan said there was no need for that and asked him to get some rest as well.

Wen Chengnan was quite familiar with Song Yanlan's character. Hearing this, he sensed something was wrong and insisted on going to see for himself. He discovered that Song Yanlan had prepared very few things. Apart from the basic necessities, he didn't even have knee pads or a cotton coat.

Although it is almost April, the examination room is still very cold and damp. It would be absolutely unacceptable to go in dressed lightly without bringing some food.

Wen Chengnan immediately ordered his servants to procure the items, and even made a detailed list, adding anything that came to mind.

Unable to refuse, Song Yanlan's eyes reddened: "I have no way to repay your kindness, sir. I will definitely repay you in the future."

Wen Chengnan felt a little relieved: "If you really remember, please take some time to copy some books for me in the future. Those books can't be lost. It would be even better if you could also keep this old man company with a chat and a drink."

Song Yanlan repeatedly assured him that she would remember this kindness.

Wen Chengnan told him to go and rest.

At dawn, the servants had finished preparing and packed Song Yanlan's belongings.

When the time came, Wen Chengnan, looking his best, personally escorted Song Yanlan to the examination hall.

Song Yanlan was deeply moved, and a thought suddenly popped into her mind.

“Sir, I heard you say you live alone. That’s perfect. I don’t have many relatives either, only my elderly grandmother. Once I pass the imperial examination and settle down, I will definitely bring her to live with me and take care of her. If you don’t mind, I would also like to take care of you in your old age to repay your kindness.”

Wen Chengnan smiled as he looked into his sincere gaze.

"I would be very happy to have a junior like you. However, I still can't let go of the books in Lanshan Academy, which is quite inconvenient."

"You don't need to hold onto those feelings too much. As long as we continue to see each other, that will be enough!"

Wen Chengnan patted him on the shoulder and watched him enter the examination room.

The servant asked, "Sir, are you setting off back to Lanshan Academy now?"

"No, let's wait until that kid finishes his exams before we talk about it," Wen Chengnan said, stroking his beard.

Inside, Song Yanlan passed through layers of checks and finally sat down in the designated spot.

The spot he was assigned was a bit out of the way, and sure enough, the wind was strong and the cold air could seep into his bones.

But Song Yanlan was wearing knee pads that Wen Chengnan had made him wear, so he didn't feel cold. He felt warm inside and was full of expectations for the future.

At that moment, several voices came from the next cubicle.

"This is the location my family pulled strings to get for me? What a terrible place! I'm not staying here!"

"What... The people around me are amazing. They passed the exam on their first try before, and they're quite... convenient here..."

Song Yanlan didn't hear it very clearly and didn't pay attention to it.

It's not uncommon for wealthy children to want to take shortcuts. But that's none of his business; he should just focus on taking the exam.

Song Yanlan encouraged herself to handle the situation calmly.