Jiang Li placed the book on the table, then slowly walked to the door to open it.
As soon as he opened it, a servant in green stood there, his face full of impatience.'Why so slow? I'm about to freeze to death out here!
This year, thirty pounds of coal were taken from your courtyard. Remember to go to the western storage area to pick it up.' He shoved his hands into his sleeves, glanced sideways, and tossed the words over his shoulder before turning to leave.
Jiang Li coldly stared at him, his voice devoid of any emotion.'Stop!'
'What is it, Young Master Five? Any other orders?' His words dripped with disdain.
'If I remember correctly, today is the day the monthly allowance is distributed to each courtyard. Have you perhaps forgotten to leave something behind?'
The young servant froze for a moment, then casually replied,'Young Master Five, perhaps you've forgotten. Last month, you offended Fourth Young Master's hunting dog, causing it to go without food for several days. Your monthly allowance, of course, went to make up for that.'
Heh! If it hadn't been for his quick thinking last time, he might have been bitten to death by that damned dog. I haven't even settled the score for that yet, and now he's using it as an excuse to cause trouble for me!
'Is that so? Was this order given by Lady Wang?'
'Of course!' the young servant replied without a hint of guilt.
'If that's the case, then forget it!' Jiang Li seemed completely unconcerned, and seeing this, the young servant couldn't help but smirk, thinking he had won.
'A few days ago, the tutor taught us to be filial to our elders. I haven't greeted Lady Wang in a long time. The weather is nice today, so I'll go pay my respects to her.'
Jiang Li spoke as if murmuring to himself, but every word was clearly heard by the young servant.
The servant's smile froze on his face. Is he going to report me?
Although everyone in the residence knew that Lady Wang disliked Jiang Li, in order to maintain the image of a gracious and dignified General's wife, she made sure his basic needs—food, clothing, and shelter—were met, even if they were provided at the bare minimum.
It was just that the servants, eager to please their master, had secretly cut corners and withheld quite a bit.
While they could get away with such hidden actions, if it were exposed, Lady Wang would definitely punish them to protect her own reputation!
Jiang Li knew all of this but chose not to argue, mainly because he lacked the ability to do so.
Who would have thought that this time, these people would go even further? This winter looked like it would be a long one, and without his monthly allowance, it would be hard to endure.
The servant immediately laughed and said,'Young Master Five, what are you saying? The madam is considerate of your frail health and specifically excused you from the greeting. On such a cold day, you should stay in your own courtyard and take care of yourself. As for your regards, I'll naturally convey them for you!'
'That won't do. As a junior, I must personally pay my respects to my elders to show my sincerity! Don't you agree?'
Jiang Li coldly looked at the servant, his eyes devoid of any warmth.
The servant, unable to withstand Jiang Li's deep, unfathomable gaze, unconsciously broke out in a cold sweat. He quickly fumbled through his clothes, pulled out a small pouch of coins, and handed it over.
'Young Master Five, I'm afraid it's hard to endure without your monthly allowance. This is a small token from me, I hope you'll accept it.'
On the surface, the servant was respectful, but in his heart, he cursed Jiang Li, this sickly wretch, for being cunning. If it weren't for his father's gambling debts, he wouldn't have dared to pocket all of Jiang Li's monthly allowance at once. Now, his plan had backfired—he hadn't even managed to take out a portion before things went awry. The thought made his eyes flash with undisguised disgust.
Jiang Li took the pouch, examined the insignia on it, and weighed it in his hand, a look of satisfaction crossing his face.
"Cough, cough. Looks like the snow is getting heavier. I suppose Lady Wang wouldn't want to be disturbed, so I'll stay here in the courtyard after all."
After speaking, he turned and walked back into the courtyard. Just as he was about to close the door, he suddenly remembered the coal and added,"The western storage room is quite far from here. How about you go and fetch the coal for me instead?"
'Yes!' The servant gritted his teeth as he replied.
Jiang Li nodded in satisfaction, then slammed the door shut with a loud clang.
The servant stormed off, muttering curses under his breath as he walked.
As he turned the corner, he nearly bumped into an old maid, her face covered in wrinkles, wearing a pale yellow leather coat.
Not paying attention, he bumped into the old woman. Just as he was about to curse, he saw her face and immediately dropped to his knees, bowing deeply in respect.
'I humbly greet you, Granny Wu! I deserve to die for offending you, please, spare me!'
Granny Wu was the stewardess in charge of the Third Miss's courtyard at the Duke of Anguo's residence—definitely not someone a lowly servant from the outer courtyard could afford to offend.
Granny Wu swatted her hands against her clothes in disdain.'I'll let it slide here, but if you act this recklessly in the other courtyards, watch out for your hide! Now, get out of my way!'
As she spoke, Granny Wu kicked the servant. Though it seemed like a light tap, her kick sent him flying a full yard away.
The servant winced in pain, gritting his teeth, but didn't dare make a sound.
'Thank you, Granny Wu, for your mercy!' He scrambled to his feet and hurriedly crawled away, not daring to stay a moment longer.
Granny Wu walked straight to the door of Jiang Li's courtyard. Without knocking, she suddenly shoved the door open.
Bang! The door slammed wide open.
Jiang Li, who hadn't yet entered the room, furrowed his brows and turned to look.
'I was wondering who was so bold—turns out it's Granny Wu. What brings you here today, with such leisure and ease?'
Jiang Li's mood was sour today, and his words lacked the usual restraint.
The truth was, he felt he'd been patient long enough; it was time to show these dogs his teeth!
Granny Wu was a bit surprised by his unusual reaction, but quickly dismissed it.'I see Young Master Five is usually bored, so I thought I'd bring you something to pass the time!'
Without waiting for Jiang Li's reaction, Granny Wu took out a few sheets of paper from her sleeve.
'These are the assignments that the tutor left for the Third Miss. She's quite busy today, so you can help her with them,' she said, casually handing the papers to him.
It was a task that required begging, yet the words were nothing short of an order!
Jiang Li raised an eyebrow, but instead of taking the papers, he simply turned and walked into the room, ignoring her completely.
'Jiang Li, what do you mean by this? It's an honor for you that our Third Miss asked you to help with her assignments! Don't push your luck!'
Granny Wu lifted her foot and followed him into the room. She grabbed Jiang Li's shoulder and spun him around forcefully.
Granny Wu was a skilled martial artist, and Jiang Li was no match for her. His whole body was nearly sent crashing to the floor.
Fortunately, Jiang Li reacted quickly and managed to steady himself by grabbing a nearby chair, preventing himself from falling.
Regaining his balance, Jiang Li raised his hand, intending to slap Granny Wu, but she grabbed his wrist mid-air.
Her grip was like a steel clamp, crushing his wrist with such force that Jiang Li broke out in cold sweat from the pain, yet his face remained completely unchanged.
'I advise you to save your strength. You, a sickly weakling, want to teach me a lesson?'
With that, she forcefully flung Jiang Li's hand away.
'A bastard born of a commoner, even if you're the young master of the General's residence, you're still a useless thing!'
Granny Wu slapped the papers down onto the desk with a loud thwack.
Instantly, a clear handprint appeared on the desk, but the papers remained completely untouched.
Jiang Li stared at the handprint, his eyes narrowing slightly. He realized he had acted in haste.
As a frail scholar, he truly shouldn't have clashed head-on with this old, devout woman.
He straightened his clothes and walked slowly over to the desk.
With deliberate slowness, he pulled a small wooden plaque from under a book and began to absentmindedly toy with it in his hand.
Seeing that he ignored her, Granny Wu grew enraged.
'What's with your arrogance? Just like your dead mother—clueless and insufferably proud. Today, let me, Granny Wu, teach you a lesson on behalf of your dead mother!'
As she spoke, Granny Wu took a few steps forward, raising her hand to slap Jiang Li across the face.
However, Jiang Li, unhurried and calm, brought the small wooden plaque up to shield his face.
When Granny Wu saw the words on the plaque, her body froze. She suddenly snatched the plaque from his hand.
After inspecting it repeatedly, confirming it was indeed a token only the scholars with rank could possess, she looked at Jiang Li in disbelief.
'Young Master Five has grown quite capable, to silently return with a Scholar's title!'
Granny Wu immediately abandoned the thought of hitting him.
In the past few decades, the Great Han Dynasty has placed greater emphasis on civil achievements over martial prowess, and the laws offer clear protection for scholars.
Now that Jiang Li had attained the rank of a scholar, any unwarranted abuse could lead to serious consequences. If he pursued the matter and took it to the authorities, the culprit would face a light punishment of twenty lashes or, at worst, be exiled to the frontier.
It seemed that from now on, Granny Wu would have to reconsider how she treated Jiang Li.
Granny Wu, still feeling frustrated, sneered."But I'm curious—your level of 'neither literate nor martial,' how did you even manage to pass the Scholar's exam? Surely it wasn't just your handsome face that won them over?"
She stared at his face, which resembled his mother, Luo Lengyan's, with hatred burning in her eyes.
Jiang Li raised an eyebrow and replied coldly,"So, Granny Wu, are you implying that the examiners were guilty of favoritism and corruption?"
Granny Wu instantly realized her mistake and quickly tried to cover up.
"Young Master, please don't slander me. As a servant in the house, I wouldn't dare speak ill of the examiners!"
Jiang Li's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Heh, so now you remember you're just a servant? Remember this: no matter how poorly I fare in this household, I'm still a master, with the potential to rise to greatness. As for you, even if you live your whole life in favor, you'll always be nothing but a lowly servant, born of base stock!"
Granny Wu was stung by Jiang Li's words, and for a moment, she was at a loss for a retort.
She regretted coming to this courtyard today but forced herself to maintain composure.
"Hmph! If Young Master Five wants to soar to great heights, you'll need more than just ambition; you'll need the fate to back it up!"
"Tomorrow morning, I will send someone to collect the items your Third Miss needs," Granny Wu said, pointing at the homework on the desk. With those words, she flicked her sleeves and left without a second glance.
Jiang Li watched her retreating figure, a frown slowly knitting on his brow.
The Third Miss of the General's Residence was the only one among his brothers and sisters who had never caused him any trouble.
She was even the one who, when she saw him being bullied, would step forward to speak up for him, helping to ease the situation.
Jiang Li couldn't understand how someone like her, who had always been kind-hearted, could have such a servant as Granny Wu by her side.
He sighed lightly, shaking his head. Without further thought, he picked up the homework and began to read it carefully.