Free Web NovelChapter 45: Chapter 43: Changing the Martial Registry
He passed this year’s Daoist Military Examination?
A Second-Class Martial Scholar?
Upon hearing these simple words, the masters of the Li Mansion—Li Yaozu, his wife, and Li Xingye—all subconsciously held their breath.
Unlike Scholars, Martial Scholars could be appointed to local posts and become Local Military Officers.
Even if it was just a minor official.
It was still an official!
This created a vast difference in status compared to their Li Family, who were a commoner household.
Li Yaozu and his wife hadn’t expected that, even after Li Xingye had insulted and pressured him so severely, Wei Tu would remain so calm and not mention his success in the Military Examination.
’How could he have passed the examination?’ Li Xingye seethed with indignation and resentment.
The resentment he had just vented now coiled in his chest once more, growing even more intense.
He had studied diligently for over a decade.
And in the end,
he was still outdone by Wei Tu, a Household Slave who had only practiced martial arts for a few years.
How could he ever let this go?
’Successful, yet neither arrogant nor rash. Calm in the face of humiliation...’
’This man...’
Li Yaozu shook his head.
He decided he would have to discipline Li Xingye strictly from now on. They absolutely could not afford to offend Wei Tu any further. Otherwise, this "debt of gratitude" would one day be exhausted.
When that day came, the fate of the Li Family would be impossible to predict.
...
After leaving the inner residence of the Li Mansion.
Wei Tu waited for Xinghua and Caixia in the outer residence. Once the two had gathered their belongings, he led them away from the Li Mansion.
"Thank you for standing up for me this time, Brother Wei. If it weren’t for you..." Along the way, Caixia found a chance to express her gratitude to Wei Tu.
Going against one’s former masters must have put considerable pressure on him.
Caixia understood this.
"We help each other. You’ve helped me in the past, too," Wei Tu replied with a smile.
His reputation was something he had to consider, but he couldn’t live with himself if he stood by and did nothing while Caixia was being bullied.
Besides,
he had already defied Hex Prefecture.
A mere Li Yaozu was certainly not worth his apprehension.
Hearing this, Caixia let go of her worries. Clutching her bundle, she silently followed behind Wei Tu and his wife.
The three of them went to a nearby inn.
And rented two lower-class rooms.
That evening, Xinghua asked Caixia about her plans for the future. "You’re like Brother Wei," she began. "You couldn’t survive at home and were forced to sell yourself to the Li Mansion. Now that you’re free, you can go home."
Selling one’s children so they could survive during a famine was different from selling them for money in times of peace.
Xinghua herself, for example, had been sold to the Li Family by her parents for money.
Because of this, she had gradually cut off contact with her own family after entering the Li household.
"But things are different now. Your father has a son, and your family is poor. If you go home, not only will you be unable to keep those three taels of silver... you might even be sold off again..."
Xinghua reasoned.
Maids like them, sold to wealthy households, were not like the secluded young ladies of great families; they were often extremely practical when it came to money.
If Wei Tu hadn’t proven himself back then, Xinghua never would have given him her personal savings, only to let him waste it all.
"Sister Xinghua, I plan to stay with you for now... After Brother Wei becomes an official, he’ll probably meet some decent men. When the time is right, I’d like to get married and settle down..."
Caixia thought for a moment before explaining her plan, which she had formed based on her circumstances.
"Of course you can stay with us. It would be nice to have the company," Xinghua nodded, agreeing.
Unmarried commoner women could not establish their own households.
After redeeming their contracts and being entered into the Civil Registry, maids with no other options had to return to their original place of registration.
What Caixia meant was that she wanted to join their household and have her name added to the Civil Registry under Wei Tu.
...
「The next day.」
Wei Tu took Xinghua and Caixia to the County Yamen and handed their indenture contracts and letters of proof to a clerk in the household registration office.
"How strange." The Black Clerk at the household registration office clicked his tongue in amazement at the sight. He took out the Civil Registry, added the two women’s names, and wrote them beneath the name "Wei Tu."
In all his time as a clerk in the County Yamen’s household registration office, Wei Tu was the first Servant he had seen buy his own freedom, and now two maids connected to him were doing the same... It was a rare sight indeed.
"I was wondering, have the official documents for this year’s new Martial Scholars arrived from the prefecture yet?" After the women’s registrations were changed, Wei Tu didn’t hurry to leave. He cupped his hands in a salute to the Black Clerk and inquired.
"Martial Scholar documents?"
Hearing this, the Black Clerk looked surprised for a moment. He glanced at Wei Tu. "You passed this year’s Daoist Examination?"
He knew that Wei Tu had won the title of Martial Champion in the County Examination.
But he was also one of the few in the County Yamen who knew that Martial Champion title wasn’t entirely legitimate.
Therefore, he hadn’t been optimistic about Wei Tu’s chances of passing the Daoist Examination.
The Daoist Examination was far more difficult than the County Examination.
"I passed."
Wei Tu confirmed with a nod.
"Brother Wei, in that case, we’ll be colleagues from now on..." Upon hearing this, the Black Clerk immediately broke into a smile and greeted Wei Tu warmly.
His attitude, no longer cold and dismissive, was the complete opposite of what it had been moments ago.
At the same time, he introduced himself.
"My name is Jian Liang. My family has been clerks for generations, and I work here in the household registration office."
"Brother Jian." Wei Tu cupped his hands toward Jian Liang in a formal greeting.
He didn’t introduce himself.
As a clerk in the Qingshan County household registration office, Jian Liang knew more about his identity and Wealth than he did himself.
"The documents for the Martial Scholars were sent down from the Government Office two days ago."
"I’ll change your status from the Civil Registry to the Martial Registry right away..." Jian Liang offered.
He knew why Wei Tu had mentioned the documents; they were the official proof of a Martial Scholar’s identity.
They were typically kept in the custody of the County Yamen.
"Thank you, Brother Jian."
Once Jian Liang had finished updating the registry, Wei Tu thanked him again and led Xinghua and Caixia out the door of the office.
However,
he had only taken a few steps
when he saw Weii Fei walking toward him from the direction of the Illumination Stone Pavilion.
Wei Tu guessed that Weii Fei had also come to see Jian Liang about changing his registration.
After Martial Scholars like them had their registrations updated, they could simply wait for their military appointments from the County Yamen.
For that reason, it was a matter best handled sooner rather than later.
"Second Brother."
"Third Brother."
The two greeted each other.
"This is my wife, and this is my little sister," Wei Tu said, introducing Xinghua and Caixia to Weii Fei.
"Sister-in-law, Sister Caixia." Weii Fei greeted them, looking a bit formal. When he first saw Xinghua and Caixia, he had mistaken them for Wei Tu’s maids.
He never imagined one of them was actually Wei Tu’s wife.
But after his initial surprise, Weii Fei felt a secret admiration for Wei Tu. To achieve success and fame and still not abandon the wife who was with him through poverty—his Third Brother was a rare man indeed.
"I came in such a hurry that I didn’t bring anything nice with me. I’ll give you and Sister Caixia a proper meeting gift another day."
Weii Fei said with a smile.
After they finished speaking, Wei Tu and Weii Fei said their goodbyes. Wei Tu then left the County Yamen with the two women and headed to a brokerage to find a new home.
Led by a broker, Wei Tu quickly selected a small courtyard house and bought it for a little over five taels of silver.
"I’ll pay back the money I borrowed from you... once my salary as a Military Officer starts coming in..."
Wei Tu promised Caixia.
He was short on funds and didn’t have much money on him, so Caixia had provided more than half of the five taels of silver.
Caixia lowered her head and hummed in acknowledgment. She didn’t refuse, as the silver was nearly her entire Wealth.
’I just don’t know when the appointment from the County Yamen will arrive. I hope I won’t be suppressed or targeted by Hex Prefecture...’
Wei Tu thought anxiously.
...
Time slowly passed.
Wei Tu didn’t receive an Appointment Certificate from the County Yamen, but he did get a letter from Fu Zhizhou.
In the letter, Fu Zhizhou mentioned that just as he was leaving Qingfeng Prefecture, an Elder from Wuyun Tower had approached him with an invitation to join their organization, but he had flatly refused.
At the end of the letter, Fu Zhizhou warned Wei Tu to resist the Temptation and not be swayed by any benefits Wuyun Tower might offer.
