Volume One, Chapter Six: The Sibling Duel

“Checking is always wise; better to avoid unnecessary trouble,” Gu Jingzhi said casually, though unease gnawed at his heart.

“Call Zi Mo back as well. He’s been away on business for some time now.”

Zhong Bo, still uncertain about something, quickly agreed to these two requests.

Before they left, Gu Jingzhi added, “Bring Xingchen here. Since we can’t find a suitable tutor at the moment, I’ll begin their lessons myself.”

“Fourth Master, your health isn’t good. Besides, teaching the young master and miss personally seems unnecessary. Isn’t the private academy just as effective?” the attendant suggested.

As the top scholar who had achieved the highest honors, Fourth Master was far too talented to be tutoring children—it was certainly overqualified for such a task.

Gu Jingzhi raised an eyebrow. He had considered the private academy before; Gu Xingyu, the eldest son of his second brother, and Gu Changle, his third brother’s daughter, both studied there.

Gu Xingchen had also attended for a while but constantly caused trouble. The tutor had lost patience and left on several occasions.

With no other choice, the eldest brother had the second brother bring him home for education, but his studies were delayed as a result.

Sending him to the academy wouldn’t change Gu Xingchen’s rebellious nature. Worse still, the household had never truly recognized Gu Changning, and Gu Jingzhi feared she might be bullied if sent there.

Since both were his children, he naturally wanted to educate them together.

Waiting for Gu Xingchen, Gu Jingzhi paced to the study, where he found Gu Changning sitting in a corner, holding a book and intently reading, her small finger tracing the words: “Clouds rise to bring rain, dew gathers to form frost...”

The little girl read so earnestly that she didn’t notice Gu Jingzhi approaching.

He was puzzled; for her to be so familiar with the Thousand Character Classic, the rumors of the eldest brother’s harshness and forbidding her from attending the academy seemed unfounded.

Upon closer inspection, Gu Jingzhi saw the problem. Though fluent, the book she held was not the Thousand Character Classic but the Great Learning.

The text didn’t match, yet Gu Changning read it as if it did.

With curiosity, Gu Jingzhi asked, “Who taught you this?”

Gu Changning smiled shyly. “No one taught me. I hid under the academy window and followed the tutor’s lessons. The young masters and misses each have a book to read aloud. Now I have a book too. May I borrow this one to read?”

A sudden ache gripped Gu Jingzhi’s heart. How much hardship had this child endured before?

He slowly crouched down, placing a gentle hand on her thin shoulders. “Changning, you are now your father’s daughter. From now on, all the books here are yours to read.”

“Really?” Changning’s eyes brightened with joy.

“Do you like reading very much?” Moved by her innocence, Gu Jingzhi asked casually.

“Yes.” The little girl nodded firmly, then shook her head. “But I can’t just read. I want to learn medicine to cure Father.”

Reading was good, but Father only had six years left.

Gu Changning had resolved to find a way to heal him.

“You’re such a fool. So many famous doctors can’t cure him. With you, a jinx, who doesn’t know you just want to please your uncle so he’ll leave the family fortune to you?”

Gu Xingchen, still in a foul mood from waking up, grew angrier at Gu Changning and launched into a tirade.

“Young master, you should call him Father now,” Gu Jingzhi said coolly, noticing Zi Mo had also returned from his errands.

Seeing Zi Mo’s steady gaze, Gu Xingchen shivered slightly and reluctantly uttered, “Father.”

Gu Jingzhi frowned, voice stern. “Xingchen, you are now my legitimate son. You must conduct yourself with restraint and discipline. I told you yesterday, Changning is your sister—you must care for and protect her.”

None of this lecturing registered in Gu Xingchen’s mind. He silently vowed to settle the score with this sickly man who dared scold him for Changning’s sake.

For now, he would obey his father and endure. Once Gu Jingzhi died, the lands and wealth would be his alone.

Then even Du Mingli would have to bow before him.

Imagining this scene, Gu Xingchen laughed gleefully.

Noticing his son’s smirk, Gu Jingzhi frowned. “Xingchen, did you hear what I said?”

“Mm-hmm, I heard,” Gu Xingchen replied nonchalantly.

Glancing from the obedient, book-holding Gu Changning to the arrogant Gu Xingchen, Gu Jingzhi sighed deeply.

“Xingchen, Changning, what books have you both studied so far?” Since he was about to teach them, he needed to understand their level.

Chest puffed out, Gu Xingchen boasted confidently, “We’ve read the Four Books and Five Classics.”

Though he had never set foot in a school, before this so-called jinx, he remained confident.

As expected, Gu Changning shook her head. “I only secretly listened to the tutor’s lessons—I haven't really studied.”

Gu Xingchen sneered at her with disdain. “You’re an illiterate jinx, yet you think you’re a lady? Reading? You’re not worthy.”

Insulted, Gu Changning glared at him defiantly.

“Brother is wrong. Father said Changning can study too, right, Father?”

“Xingchen, where is the slightest sign of being a brother in how you act?” Gu Jingzhi’s face hardened.

“There’s no way I’ll accept this useless jinx as my sister,” Gu Xingchen, spoiled since childhood, maintained an arrogant air.

Seeing how stubborn he was, Gu Jingzhi knew reasoning would be futile.

“Xingchen, how about this: I’ll test you both. If you win, I’ll grant you a wish. But if you lose, you must never bully Changning again. Deal?”

Xingchen’s eyes sparkled with cunning. Beating a jinx who had never attended school would be an easy task.

He said arrogantly, “Challenge accepted. I’m not afraid.”

Gu Jingzhi smiled faintly. “Then let’s start with the simplest—the Thousand Character Classic.”

“When cold comes and heat leaves, what comes next?”

“H-Han Shu? What’s Han Shu?” Gu Xingchen scratched his head, clearly stumped.