I Crossed Over with My Enemy, Only to Find Him Running the Empire - Chapter 64

Chapter 64: The Imperial Examination

Wu Ya set the almanac down and nodded. His face appeared somewhat somber in the dim light. “Mmh. Fortunately, we were careful enough when we reclaimed that silver. We didn’t show our faces, and we didn’t leave any handles for anyone to grab.”

Li Qiaoqiao agreed wholeheartedly. “No kidding!” She paused, her face showing a touch of sheepishness. “The two of us thought that burying the silver and faking an ancestral manifestation was a brilliant move. Now that I think about it, in Wu Canghai’s eyes, it was probably as childish and ridiculous as a game of house.”

The corner of Wu Ya’s mouth quivered into a bitter smile.

As a former heir to a massive fortune who had navigated the stormy seas of the business world, he was now relying on such petty tricks to survive in a peasant household, all while worrying about being seen through by a half-grown child. This experience was truly unprecedented.

“We can’t use that tactic again,” Wu Ya said grimly, reaching a conclusion. “In front of him, these little clevernesses are likely not only useless but also run the risk of exposing us.”

Li Qiaoqiao nodded heavily. “Right! We have to change our approach.”

She leaned in closer, her voice dropping even lower. “I’ve been thinking. Going head-to-head is definitely out; we have zero capital right now. We can only try to keep out of his way and avoid attracting too much attention. Then, we have to secretly and quickly make ourselves powerful.”

“How do we become ‘powerful’?” Wu Ya looked at her, asking seriously.

“Change the plot!” Li Qiaoqiao’s eyes shone with startling intensity in the darkness. “In the original book, Zhang Jinhua died later and the Wu family fell apart. That’s what gave Wu Canghai the opportunity to climb the ladder without any scruples. Tell me, if we can protect Mother and keep this family from scattering, wouldn’t things be less smooth for Wu Canghai?”

Wu Ya fell into deep thought. The logic was sound. Wu Canghai’s rise was, to a large extent, built upon the shoulders of a declining family.

“That makes sense,” Wu Ya agreed. “Preserving this family is like placing a shackle on him. At the very least, it might keep him from being too ruthless in his actions.”

The two reached a strategic consensus: Lay low, develop in secret, protect Zhang Jinhua, and maintain the unity of the Wu family.

…

Meanwhile, in the village, the talk regarding the incident on the back mountain gradually subsided. The village head and several elders had categorized it as an unfortunate accident. The villagers sighed a bit and mostly accepted it. After all, while it was a pity that Physician Gong, an outsider, had died, life had to go on. At most, it served as fodder for post-meal sighs about how “good people don’t always get rewarded” or “it was simply his fate to meet this calamity.”

Zhang Jinhua, however, remembered Physician Gong’s “kindness” in curing her “Silly Tieniu.” She specially found some yellow joss paper and burned it in a corner of the yard facing the back mountain, muttering for Physician Gong to “have a safe journey and be born into a good life next time.”

The atmosphere in the Wu household that day was actually quite relaxed, thanks to “Wu Tieniu” and the rabbits caught during the day. The children knew there would be meat again tomorrow, and their little faces were flushed with excitement as they tumbled about on the kàng.

Deep in the night, even the oil lamps were extinguished. Li Qiaoqiao lay on the hard earthen kàng, listening to Wu Ya’s steady breathing beside her. She had no desire to sleep. She turned over lightly to face him and called out softly, “Are you awake?”

“Yes,” Wu Ya’s voice was clear.

“I have another idea…” Li Qiaoqiao’s voice carried a hint of hesitation, yet also a flicker of excitement. “Wu Canghai plans to take the path of the Imperial Examinations to become an official, right? That’s why he studies so desperately and has such a deep mind.”

“Mmh.”

“Then… Wu Ya, what about you?” Li Qiaoqiao asked tentatively. “You’re a PhD! How many years did you spend studying? Your knowledge must be far greater than his! Even if the subjects are different, your brain is definitely up to the task!”

Wu Ya remained silent in the darkness, seemingly processing the implications of her words.

Li Qiaoqiao continued, “What I mean is, why don’t you also try for a scholarly title? You don’t have to be as legendary as him just becoming a Xiucai (Licentiate) or a Juren (Provincial Graduate) would do! As long as our branch has someone with a title, even if Wu Canghai becomes successful later, wouldn’t he have to think twice if he wanted to suppress us or ignore the family? At least you’d have the standing to negotiate and act as a check against him, right?”

This thought had been circling in her mind for a long time. Asking a modern PhD to sit for ancient Imperial Examinations sounded absurd, but upon closer inspection, it wasn’t necessarily unfeasible. Wu Ya’s intellectual foundation, learning ability, and logical thinking far exceeded most people of this era. The only hurdle was adapting to the content and format of ancient exams.

A rustling sound came from the bed; it seemed Wu Ya had sat up. In the darkness, his breathing grew noticeably heavier.

After a long silence, he finally spoke slowly. “The ancient Imperial Examinations are not that easy. They require a massive amount of time and energy, not to mention financial support.”

“I know it’s hard!” Li Qiaoqiao interjected immediately. “But this is the most viable way we have to counter his future power. Think about it if you can pass, even just as a Xiucai, you wouldn’t have to kneel before the County Magistrate, and the family would be exempt from corvée labor. Think of the trouble that would save! Mother’s status in the house would also rise. And if you became a Juren, that would be truly extraordinary!”

She painted the picture of the future, partly to encourage herself. “As for the money, we’ll find a way together! Can a living person really be stymied by a little thing like that? Time is like water in a sponge; you can always squeeze out a bit more! Wu Ya, you have such a brilliant mind—it’s a waste not to try! Do you really want to stay cooped up in this mountain gully forever, living according to Wu Canghai’s whims?”

Another bout of silence followed. Li Qiaoqiao’s heart hung in suspense, fearing his refusal.

Finally, Wu Ya’s voice rose again, sounding as if he had made up his mind. “Fine. I’ll try.”

Those three short words made Li Qiaoqiao almost cry out in excitement! “Really? You agree?”

“Yes.” Wu Ya’s voice held a trace of helplessness, but more so, a sense of awakened fighting spirit. “We can’t just sit and wait for death. Studying for the exams truly seems to be the only path currently available that might change the situation. I’ll just treat it like… getting another degree.”

“That’s wonderful!” Li Qiaoqiao was overjoyed. “Don’t worry, I’ll take on more of the chores at home. You just find ways to squeeze out time to read! We’ll work hard together!”

“Mmh,” Wu Ya replied. “Sleep now. Starting tomorrow, we have to pick up the pace.”

…

The next morning, a rich aroma of meat wafted from the kitchen, causing the little ones to constantly twitch their noses at the door.

Zhang Jinhua kept her word. She chopped the fatty rabbit into large chunks, added the family’s only remaining sauce and dried chili peppers, steeled her heart to add an extra spoonful of oil, and braised a large pot of red-cooked rabbit.

Though the portions were limited, the solid chunks of meat and the rich gravy poured over coarse rice were enough to make everyone’s eyes light up.

“Eat your fill! There’s plenty of rice today!” Zhang Jinhua waved her hand grandly, looking quite triumphant.

The atmosphere at the table was much livelier than usual. The children buried their heads in their bowls, eating until their mouths were covered in oil, not even pausing to speak. The adults ate quickly as well, the tension between their brows finally easing.

When Zhang Jinhua distributed the meat, her ladle deposited several extra meaty bones into Wu Ya’s bowl. She muttered, “Old Fourth has just recovered; he needs the extra nourishment!”

Wu Ya looked at his heaping bowl, somewhat helpless, and quietly nudged a piece or two of meat into Li Qiaoqiao’s bowl. She froze for a moment, then lowered her head and ate in silence.