After the Pitiful Little One Seduced the Feudal Big Daddy - Chapter 1

Early March, the beginning of spring. Early morning.

The sky had not yet fully brightened.

The owner of a bookstore near the Imperial College had just opened his doors when he spotted Xie Yunqing standing outside.

Not particularly surprised, the owner yawned and said, “You’re here quite early today.”

After greeting him, he realized Xie Yunqing seemed to be shivering. He narrowed his eyes and noticed that although spring had begun, the mornings and evenings still called for winter coats. Yet, Xie Yunqing was wearing only a thin spring robe.

The owner couldn’t help but sigh. “You’ve already returned your winter coat to the pawnshop?”

As he spoke, he pulled the young man inside.

Xie Yunqing opened his mouth, exhaling a cloud of white mist. His voice trembled as he replied, “If I didn’t return it now, they would have charged another month’s interest.”

The shop was still lit by lamps. By their light, the owner saw Xie Yunqing’s current complexion—that face, originally so white it was almost translucent, was now devoid of blood from his cheeks to his lips. He looked like spring snow that might melt at any moment.

It was a distressing sight.

The owner didn’t know much about Xie Yunqing, only that he was a new student who had entered the Imperial College last autumn and that his family background was likely very poor.

Even though the Imperial College waived all tuition for students from humble backgrounds and provided a basic stipend to cover living essentials, Xie Yunqing still had to come to the bookstore during his breaks. He earned money for paper and ink by transcribing books or writing letters for others.

When winter had arrived, he hadn’t even owned a decent coat. It was only after the owner’s persistent persuasion that Xie Yunqing had reluctantly rented one from a pawnshop to scrape through the season.

“Sigh,” the owner shook his head. “What am I to do with you? Saving money is fine, but not like this. What if you freeze and fall ill? It’s not worth the savings.”

Despite his own shivering, Xie Yunqing forced a light smile to comfort the owner instead. “It’s alright. It’s only cold in the early morning and at night. I won’t freeze. It was always like this at home.”

The owner was used to Xie Yunqing’s habit of neglecting himself to care for others. He had tried to advise him before, but Xie Yunqing genuinely didn’t seem to think it was a problem. Over time, the owner had stopped bringing it up.

He changed the subject, telling Xie Yunqing that the books he had previously transcribed—due to his exceptionally neat and elegant handwriting—had sold out quickly. He told Xie Yunqing that if he had the time and energy, he could transcribe more, and he could even take them home to work on. This was a break from the bookstore’s unwritten rule that books could never be removed and had to be copied on-site.

Xie Yunqing looked tempted, but after a moment of hesitation, he slowly shook his head. “Thank you for your kindness, but today I am here to collect a letter. And as for taking the books back… I have no way to keep them safe. I will come back to trouble you another time.”

The owner then remembered that a few days ago, a letter addressed to Xie Yunqing had arrived. He had been surprised at the time; of the hundreds of letters the shop had received since last autumn, not a single one had been for Xie Yunqing.

Naturally, he was curious. “Who sent it to you?”

Confirming that there was indeed a letter for him made Xie Yunqing visibly happy; his eyes lit up.

“It should be from my father.” He shared a rare detail about his family. “When I went back for the New Year, my father told me that once spring came, he would write to me, just like other parents do.”

He wasn’t sure if he had unconsciously complained about never receiving letters when he was home. If he had, he might be considered immature or a burden to his family, but at the moment of receiving the letter, Xie Yunqing was simply happy.

Carefully tucking the letter into his tunic, Xie Yunqing politely bid the shopkeeper farewell and walked briskly toward the Imperial College. The wind was biting, but the road grew brighter with every step. Xie Yunqing felt his body growing warmer.

By the time he returned to the college, the sun had climbed to the peaks. Students were trickling out of the gates. The Imperial College was strictly managed; one of its rules was that students could not leave except on rest days. With a schedule of ten days of study followed by only two days of rest, the coursework was grueling, so most students took the chance to get some fresh air.

Xie Yunqing maneuvered around several lavishly decorated carriages and avoided groups of students traveling together. He tried to diminish his presence as much as possible, hoping to enter unnoticed.

However, things rarely go as planned.

As he crossed the inner gate, a voice that filled him with instinctive dread called out from behind: “Xie Yunqing—”

Usually, when he heard that voice, Xie Yunqing would stop, lower his head, and wait for the person to approach and deliver insults, humiliations, or words he didn’t quite understand. He never resisted, argued, or debated. He knew that in this college filled with sons of the capital’s elite families, endurance was the best way to protect himself. Moreover, he was long accustomed to enduring.

But today was different. Today, Xie Yunqing had a letter from his father in his robes, and he desperately wanted to read it. This gave him a rare spark of courage to flee.

He didn’t stop. Instead, he quickened his pace and ran toward the lecture hall.

On a rest day, the lecture hall was empty and silent, save for the rustling of leaves outside the window. Xie Yunqing sat by the window, waited for his heavy breathing to subside, and then carefully pulled out the letter.

Under the bright morning light, he finally saw the handwriting on the envelope—it was indeed his father’s hand! He couldn’t help but smile. Without further hesitation, he unfolded the paper and began to read earnestly.

A breeze drifted in.

At that moment, Xie Yunqing thought the shopkeeper was right—it was indeed too early to return his winter clothes. If he hadn’t, perhaps he wouldn’t feel so cold right now.

Xie Yunqing folded the letter and put it back. It was a letter for him, yes. But there wasn’t a single word in it about him.

He pulled his thin robe tighter. He looked out the window at a tree that looked very lonely and recalled the contents of the letter.

His father said his younger brother was very bright and successful. He had been noticed by the local gentry and had entered the best private school after the New Year. But no matter how learned the local gentry were, they couldn’t compare to the Doctors of the Imperial College in the capital. To ensure his brother’s future wasn’t hindered, Xie Yunqing, as the elder brother, should regularly compile the poems and essays written by the Doctors and send them back for his brother to study.

The rest of the letter consisted of complaints about how difficult it was to be an official in the countryside and how meager the salary was, along with the hope that he could send more money home.

Xie Yunqing stared blankly at the tree for a while. He couldn’t quite say what he was feeling. He wasn’t even that disappointed; he was simply used to it.

Once the strange chill faded, Xie Yunqing tucked the letter into his sleeve, stood up, and went to the library to transcribe the Doctors’ recent articles. He worked from morning until afternoon without stopping his brush.

When he had finished organizing everything, he folded the transcribed articles, intending to send them back the next day along with the money he had saved recently.

During the process, his hand paused. Then, as if acting unconsciously, he added an essay of his own that had been praised by a Doctor. Perhaps if his father saw it, he would think that he, too, was bright and successful.

With that perhaps unrealistic hope, Xie Yunqing walked back toward the dormitory in a daze.

He pushed open the door.

Splash! A basin of water was hurled at him.

Xie Yunqing only had time to shield the essays behind his back before he was soaked to the bone with cold water. He instinctively closed his eyes to keep the water out. A flurry of low-voiced discussions broke out around him.

They were familiar voices, but at that moment, they sounded muffled. He only caught the names “Lord Yu” and “Yu Chen” but that was enough to understand why he had been targeted.

The person who had called out to him this morning, the one he feared, was Yu Chen. This basin of water was his punishment for daring to run away.

It was baffling; from the day he arrived at the college, this Young Master Yu, who hailed from the top-tier aristocratic Yu Clan of Yingchuan, had set his sights on him. At first, it was just a few strange comments. Then it turned into mockery and ridicule, and soon after, it became belittlement and humiliation.

Influenced by Yu Chen’s attitude, most of the other new students had gradually distanced themselves from him though they hadn’t been very close to begin with.

Xie Yunqing was helpless. Besides enduring, he could only hope the annual examinations would come quickly. Perhaps if he tested into a different academy within the college and didn’t run into Yu Chen so often, everything would get better.

His silence seemingly made the others in the dormitory lose interest, and the chatter died down. As the water stopped dripping from his face, Xie Yunqing opened his eyes.

In the past, Xie Yunqing would have acted as if nothing had happened, returned to his seat, and continued his work. Yu Chen had once mocked him for it: “You have a face like jade that looks like it would break at a touch, but in reality, your skin is thicker than a tree’s.”

But today, for some reason, Xie Yunqing could no longer pretend.

After placing his essays on his desk, he glanced at his classmates, who wore various expressions. Then, he turned and left the dormitory.

On the other side of the Imperial College.

Zhong Jia, the Chancellor of the Imperial College, placed a black piece on the chessboard. He looked at the man opposite him and sighed with a smile, “I didn’t expect that the first place Prime Minister Pei would visit upon his return to the capital would be my Imperial College.”

A long, slender hand placed a white piece. “I came to pay my respects to my teacher.”

Zhong Jia smiled but didn’t immediately reply. He simply looked at the man before him.

The man had clear, refined features and an air of noble elegance. His moon-white brocade robe perfectly accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist. Even sitting down, his posture was as upright as a jade tree. If not for the intangible, commanding aura surrounding him that inspired instinctive awe, one might mistake him for a cold and prestigious young lord from a noble house, rather than the man who currently held the reins of the imperial court Prime Minister Pei Yanzi.

Zhong Jia’s hand paused over the board. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “I shouldn’t be the one to say this, but since you still call me ‘Teacher,’ I won’t hide my thoughts.”

A black piece fell.

Zhong Jia continued, “Your trip to Wu Prefecture was nominally by imperial decree to build a secondary capital, but everyone in the court knows it was actually a tactic by that one to push you away.”

The white piece didn’t falter, landing to the upper right of the black one. But the one who placed it remained silent.

“I know your heart; you have no ambition to overthrow the throne. But others… especially that one… won’t think so,” Zhong Jia said, returning a black piece to the bowl. “In that case, why not relinquish some power? It might bring some peace to the court.”

Having spoken, Zhong Jia waited quietly for a response.

“The Three Wu regions are the economic foundation of the Wei Dynasty. Building a secondary capital is a national policy.”

Hearing this answer, Zhong Jia sighed softly. “Then have it your way. I can only manage this Imperial College for you.”

As he spoke, he placed a stack of essays in front of Pei Yanzi. “These are recent essays from the college with excellent arguments. Most are from the students you knew before you left for Wu Prefecture.” Zhong Jia paused. “However, there is one from a new student last year named—”

“Xie Yunqing.”

Pei Yanzi was still looking at the chessboard.

Zhong Jia didn’t mind. He stood up and smiled. “I know your habits. Take a good look at them after you finish this game. I shall take my leave first.”

The door opened and closed softly. Only Pei Yanzi remained in the room.

But before long, the sound of light footsteps echoed outside again. Then, the closed door was pushed open.

Like a clear forest spring hitting a stone, Pei Yanzi heard a panicked voice:

“Ah”

“Sorry, I didn’t know someone was here.”