Tang Shen followed Tang Huang into the small courtyard.

As soon as they entered the door, a black thing flew at the two of them. Tang Shen pulled his sister behind him and kicked the thing away. The earthen pot fell to the ground and shattered with a crack. Tang Shen’s expression became angry. He looked up and saw that the things in their yard had all been smashed.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Seeing him back, Yao San hurriedly ran over: “Little boss, what should we do? If it was someone else who came then fine, I dare to argue with him, the worst is to end up in a fist fight. But that person said that he is the eldest son of Tang juren‘s family. He brought two people over and has been smashing the yard for an hour, ignoring me no matter what I say. They claim that it is exactly us they want to smash.”

Tang Shen saw the sturdy young man standing in the corner of the yard at a glance.

This sturdy young man wore a satin robe and a tortoiseshell jade crown. He was decent-looking, just a little portly, and had a wealthy appearance. He heard the sound of his entrance and followed the sound to look over. The eyes of Tang Shen and the young man met across the yard. The young man was stunned for a moment, and then said domineeringly: “Are you that Tang Shen?”

Tang Shen held back his anger and sneered: “And what is your name.”

“Oh, you don’t even know my name? My surname is Tang and my given name is Yun. I am the eldest son of the Tang family in the west of Gusu City.”

This was the biological son of Tang juren and Madam Tang. He was Tang Shen’s elder cousin by seniority.

Tang Shen half-smiled but said: “Tang Yun, what are you doing here?”

Tang Yun signaled at the two strong men he had brought, and the two men immediately stopped smashing things. The three of them stepped forward, and Tang Yun spoke in an arrogant tone: “What am I doing here? Of course I have something to do! What kind of drug did you, a mere boy from the countryside, give my mother to pay for you to make that soap or whatever. Bah! What the hell is that? Where did a scammer like you come from, how did you confuse my mother!”

Tang Yun was fifteen years old this year, two years older than Tang Shen, and half a head taller than him. Coupled with his strong build, he looked a lot bigger than Tang Shen.

Tang Shen looked at the other’s attitude and suddenly let out a laugh.

Unexpectedly, Tang Yun came here for this matter.

Tang Yun became angry from embarrassment: “What are you laughing at!”

“Why should I tell you why I’m laughing? You can take a guess.”

Tang Shen ignored Tang Yun and started walking in the yard.

Tang Yun smashed a lot of things, including the earthen pot with flower petals, the pickles made by Aunt Yao last month, and the rice wine Yao San bought two days ago. They didn’t smash anything inside the house, but they smashed the things in the yard. Fortunately, Tang Shen bought a workshop on the outskirts of the city two days ago and moved all the tools for making soap and essential oils there, otherwise Tang Yun would probably have smashed it all today.

Seeing Tang Shen walking in the yard and ignoring him, Tang Yun stepped in front of him angrily: “You scammer, if you don’t apologize today and explain your deceitful tricks to my mother, you won’t be able to walk out of this yard.”

Tang Shen was amused: “What do you want to do?”

Tang Yun said: “You two, seal up this courtyard.”

The two strong men stood in front of the door, guarding the door.

Yao San said angrily: “Don’t bully others too much!” As he said that, he wanted to take action.

Tang Shen stopped him and said to Tang Yun: “I have to apologize? Young Master Tang, you smashed my things, but you want me to apologize to you? I didn’t know that this Gusu City belongs to your family, or… that the Song empire actually belongs to your Tang family!”

Tang Yun’s face changed drastically: “You scammer, how dare you talk nonsense, don’t slander me!”

Tang Shen dared to say such rebellious words because he was sure that no one in the courtyard would dare to tell anyone about what happened today. If this were to be spread, none of them would be able to escape being beheaded.

He said: “Brother Yao, please calculate for him, and let him know just how much loss he has caused us today!” 

Yao San watched Tang Yun smash the things, and he had already calculated it in his mind. He directly counted: “Forty strings, at least forty strings!”

Tang Yun said coldly: “It’s only forty strings, which is not even enough for my daily allowance.”

Tang Shen: “Heh, Brother Yao, count it for Young Master Tang.”

Tang Yun glared at Tang Shen, suddenly at a loss. This was the first time he saw the rumored Tang Shen. When he brought people over, he didn’t expect that Tang Shen would be like this. Madam Tang and Tang Shen cooperated to do soap business and did not hide it from the Tang family. Tang juren tried his best to object, but Madam Tang insisted on having her own way, and Tang juren could do nothing to his wife.

Today, Tang Yun heard the news just after he returned from the Ang family private school. How could this happen, a boy from the countryside actually dared to deceive his mother. He was so angry that he brought two house guards with him to demand an explanation. Unexpectedly, after smashing so many things, Tang Shen didn’t look angry at all, and instead asked him for compensation.

Was this Tang Shen so devoid of self-esteem? He had smashed so many things, but Tang Shen still didn’t get angry. On the contrary, his attitude was so shameless.

Tang Yun was about to speak when suddenly, footsteps sounded from outside the courtyard. Tang Yun looked up and saw Madam Tang rushing over with her maid and the housekeeper.

Tang Yun was dumbfounded: “Mother…”

Madam Tang strode up to Tang Yun, raised her hand high, and slapped it downwards. But when it was about to hit Tang Yun’s face, she stopped, and finally used her finger to poke Tang Yun’s forehead hard, and said angrily: “You unfilial son, go back with me now! You two actually followed him to do evil, after going back I will also deal with you. Drag him back!”

With scolding words on her lips, Madam Tang carefully observed her son over and breathed a sigh of relief when she found that Tang Yun was not injured.

Madam Tang looked at the mess in the courtyard and said apologetically: “Shen’er, I didn’t teach your elder cousin well. You have been wronged.”

Tang Shen: “It doesn’t matter, none of us were injured, but a lot of things in the yard are broken.”

“Eldest Aunt will make it up to you later. This unfilial child has been spoiled since he was young, so don’t quibble with him. I promise that nothing like this will happen again in the future.”

Tang Shen didn’t care. Madam Tang felt very guilty towards him and apologized repeatedly. The Tang family servants grabbed Tang Yun and were about to take him home, but Tang Yun shouted angrily: “Mother, why are you always on the side of that boy? He is just a country bumpkin who has never read a book! What kind of bewitchment has he cast on you, deceiving you so. You believe him, but I don’t!”

The moment Tang Shen knew that the person who smashed things was Tang Yun, he had Tang Huang go to the Tang Manor to report the news, and then find Madam Tang. The little girl came with Madam Tang. When she heard this, Tang Huang couldn’t bear it: “You are a country bumpkin! My brother is much better than you. My brother will be a xiucai and juren in the future. He will be an official!”

Tang Yun said disdainfully: “Ignorant child, narrow and shallow.”

Tang Huang: “You…”

“Who are you calling narrow and shallow?”

Tang Yun did not expect that Tang Shen would suddenly ask this. He was stunned for a moment then replied with ridicule: “Two children of a concubine, you don’t even know where the academy gate is. Narrow and shallow, ignorant and uneducated brats. You two siblings are the same!”

Madam Tang scolded: “Shut up and drag him back home!”

Tang Shen smiled and said: “I’m afraid you can’t even compare to me, a narrow and shallow,  ignorant and uneducated child.”

Tang Yun: “What a joke, how can I not compare to you? I took the county exam last year and got the rank of tongsheng.” (TN: candidate who has passed the county exam of the tongshi)

“You’re just a tongsheng, it’s not like you are a xiucai.”

Madam Tang persuaded him: “Shen’er, don’t quibble with this rascal. Eldest aunt will teach him a lesson when we go back.”

Tang Shen said: “Eldest Aunt, I’m not quibbling with him. It’s just that tongsheng is really not that impressive. I’m just telling the truth.”

Tang Yun: “Mother, you see him, he is so arrogant!”

Tang Huang: “Bah, you are clearly the one who is arrogant.”

Tang Shen said calmly: “Is it difficult to become a tongsheng?”

As soon as this was said, everyone was stunned. Even Tang Yun didn’t understand what Tang Shen wanted to say.

Then, Tang Shen said casually: “The county exam will be held in February next year. Why don’t I take the exam and become a tongsheng?”

Madam Tang was startled: “Shen’er, it is your eldest cousin who is wrong.”

Tang Yun: “Mother, let him take the exam, I don’t believe he can become a tongsheng!”

Tang Shen: “Oh, what if I do?”

Madam Tang was about to stop him when she heard Tang Yun say: “Then I will be your slave for the rest of my life, Tang Shen,  I will call you eldest brother!”

Tang Shen muttered, “Who wants to be your eldest brother? I’d a loss on my part,” and then said, “That’s fine. Eldest Cousin, you didn’t pass the prefectural exam last year. We will take the exam together next year. Don’t let me pass the prefecture exam and become a xiucai, while you are still a tongsheng.”

Tang Yun: “Oh, I want to see what capital you have to dare to talk so big.”

The corners of Tang Shen’s lips curled, but what he said was like thunder: “What capital do I have? If I say, I will go to Gusu prefecture academy to study from tomorrow, and my teacher is Liang Bowen, one of the four great Confucian scholars in the world?”

There was dead silence in the courtyard, and no one spoke.

Only when Madam Tang took Tang Yun away did Tang Huang and Yao San react.

Tang Huang was so excited: “Brother, you said Liang daru accepted you as his student?”

Yao San: “Little boss, is this true?”

Tang Shen: “Why would I lie to you about this? I am indeed going to Ziyang Academy to report tomorrow. Ziyang Academy is a prefecture academy in Gusu Prefecture, and I am not a xiucai. If it weren’t for my teacher’s guarantee, could I go to study there?”

“That’s great! Did you see Tang Yun’s speechless look? I could remember it forever.”

Everyone was happy for a while, and Yao San spat: “Bah, that Tang Yun is really spoiled rotten, with his eyes above his head. Little boss, you didn’t see his attitude before Madam Tang came. I really wanted to give that brat a good beating.”

“You think I don’t want to?”

“Ah, little boss, I didn’t think you were angry at all.”

Tang Shen looked at the broken tiles all over the yard: “In your mind, I am just a clay figurine? Even clay figurines have a temper. But Brother Yao, if I beat him, Madam Tang would definitely result in a disagreement.”

Yao San: “No way, Madam Tang seems very fair. This was clearly the fault of Tang Yun who was looking for trouble.”

“Yes, that eldest aunt of mine is a fair person, and she also understands in her heart that we have been wronged in today’s matter. However, people’s hearts are made of flesh, and he is her only biological son. From now on, we will be cooperating together. It is exactly because she is a fair person that she will definitely compensate us twice as much for the grievances we have endured today. Beating Tang Yun would only create a crack between us and Madam Tang. If we don’t beat him, and let him act out in front of Madam Tang, Madam Tang will feel guilty.”

Yao San: “Little boss is truly a scholar. You are right.”

Tang Huang: “Brother, are you really going to take the county exam in three months?”

Tang Shen: “…”

“Elder Brother?”

“…”

“Tang Shen?”

Tang Shen raised his head and looked at the sky, speechless and choked up: “The boast I made must be carried out even if I must cry while doing so!”

On the second day, Madam Tang sent someone to bring two large boxes of things over. At the same time, she asked the housekeeper to bring a message to Tang Shen: “Young Master, Madam asked me to tell you that Tang Yun is used to being spoiled and arrogant, but with his temperament it should not have come to smashing things indiscriminately. She will investigate this matter carefully and will definitely give you an explanation. In addition, the essential oils have begun to be prepared to be put up in the shop today. Madam would like to know when you can have the first batch ready.”

Tang Shen: “It will be ready in half a month.”

“That’s good!”

After sending the housekeeper off, Tang Shen didn’t even eat breakfast. He tied a long piece of cloth around his forehead and ran to Liang Manor. At this time, Liang Song was still eating breakfast when he suddenly heard from the steward that Tang Shen had arrived. Liang Song wondered strangely: “What time of the day is this? What is he doing here? Isn’t he supposed to report to the prefecture academy?”

Before he finished speaking, he saw Tang Shen running over with a long cloth tied around his forehead with tears in his eyes.

“Teacher, you must save this student!”

Liang Song: “Ah?”

Tang Shen wiped the non-existent tears from the corner of his eyes: “Teacher, there are still three months left,do you think with this student’s talent and intelligence, could I pass the county exam?”

Liang Song: “…”

“Teacher!”

Liang Song almost kicked Tang Shen in the butt. He scolded with amusement: “You little rascal, you ask for help, and you have to throw in a praise for yourself. And your talent and intelligence? You don’t even know the eight-legged essay formula, let alone have decent enough handwriting. The more handsome your looks are, the more disgraceful your handwriting is!”

Tang Shen: “…Teacher, my handwriting isn’t that ugly.”

Liang Song said with exasperation: “Tell me, what happened.”

Tang Shen: “Teacher, save me!”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

AN: Little Tang Lang: The boast I made must be carried out even if I must cry while doing so!

TN1: Imperial Examination Ranks: tongsheng (county level)—>xiucai (prefecture level)—>gongsheng (all gongsheng are xiucai but not all xiucai can become gongsheng)—>juren (provincial level)—>gongshi (all gongshi are juren but not all juren are gongshi)—>jinshi (palace/highest level, divided by third rank, second rank, and first rank. First rank includes tanhua(3rd), bangyan(2nd), zhuangyuan(1st))

TN2: Examinations and their resulting rank: tongshi (divided into county exam=tongsheng, prefecture exam=xiucai, academy exam=gongsheng)—>xiucai/gongsheng, xiangshi—>juren, huishi—>gongshi, dianshi—>jinshi

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