General, Madam Called You To Farm - Chapter 508

General, Madam Called You To Farm
Chapter 508 – Everyone’s favorite (3) 

Translator : Moon Lee
Editor : Tea
This translation made by Moonlight Teatime.
Please read my translation only at Moonlight Teatime. 
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“The mastermind behind Grandaunt’s murder was surely Ruan Xianglian, but since she’s dead, who was it that poisoned my grandfather?”

“Xiangzi had a lover in the Duke Protector’s estate. I once suspected Qin Che, but after some consideration, it didn’t make sense. Qin Che  was unaware that we had brought the real Duke Protector back then. He was still allied with the Marquis of Zhenbei, and my grandfather was his strongest supporter. He wouldn’t have cut off his own arm.”

Su Xiaoxiao said, “Perhaps what that peddler saw was simply what someone wanted him to see.”

Su Mo frowned. “You mean Xiangzi’s lover wasn’t from the Duke Protector’s household at all, and perhaps there wasn’t even a lover at all?!”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded. 

“The peddler said that he saw Xiangzi talking to a maidservant of the Duke Protector’s mansion and then saw her enter the estate. But what exactly they talked about was entirely based on Xiangzi’s own statements.”

Su Mo’s eyes grew cold. 

“Someone is framing the Duke Protector’s estate!”

Su Xiaoxiao said, “That’s the most reasonable explanation for now. If the Qin and Su families were torn apart, who would benefit the most?” 

Su Mo pondered for a moment. 

“It’s hard to say. Both military and civil officials could benefit from it.”

The combined power of the two families was immense. 

Military authority was the most obvious piece on the table, but aside from that, there were also the businesses under their names and their vast web of connections in the imperial court.

Su Xiaoxiao added, “Also, we can’t rule out old enemies seeking revenge.”

At the mention of enemies, the first that came to Su Mo’s mind… was the Wei family.

He glanced at Su Xiaoxiao, who was busy sorting out medicinal herbs, and swallowed back the words that had risen to his lips.

He had already delivered the message, and it seemed there was no other reason to stay.

After a brief pause, Su Mo suddenly spoke. “Do you… want to go take a look at Ergou’s academy?”

Su Xiaoxiao replied, “Alright. Wait a moment, let me put these herbs away first.”

She carried a basketful of herbs to the backyard.

Su Mo’s eyes happened to fall on the table, where he noticed a bowl of walnuts that was already shelled, each one large and perfectly intact.

Su Mo withdrew his gaze and didn’t touch them.

Su Mo continued to sit there, steady as a mountain.

Su Mo remained utterly calm.

Su Mo’s hand darted out in a flash.

By the time Su Xiaoxiao returned, the bowl of walnuts was gone. 

She let out a puzzled ‘Huh?’ and asked, “Did you see the walnuts that were here?”

“Walnuts? Were there any?” Su Mo said with a perfectly straight face. “I didn’t see them.”

…

The two of them got onto the carriage.

Su Mo had placed a whole jar of walnuts in the most obvious spot.

The coachman couldn’t bear to look.

The academy where Su Ergou would be studying was the Imperial Academy. 

To become a student there was no easy feat. 

For those from outside the capital, one needed the status of juren* just to be eligible for recommendation. 

*Juren (举人) : is a kind of status of a scholar, and the rank is above the xiucai. a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Even among the sons of powerful families in the capital, not everyone could get in.

The slots were extremely scarce.

“How did Ergou get in?” Su Xiaoxiao asked.

Calmly, Su Mo answered, “I transferred Lao Wu’s slot over to him.”

*Lao Wu (老五): literally ‘Old Five’, a familiar way to address the fifth-born child in the family. 

Su Yuan had a total of five sons. 

Su Xiaoxiao had so far met three, the eldest, Su Mo; the second, Su Qi; and the third, Su Yu.

The fourth and fifth had gone back to the old family home with Madam Su to visit relatives, and reportedly wouldn’t return until next month.

“What about Lao Wu then?” Su Xiaoxiao asked.

Su Mo: Lao Wu is older than you…

Su Mo said indifferently, “He can take the exam himself.” 

If he couldn’t pass, then he could get lost.

Did he think that just because he was born from a military family he didn’t need to study? 

The competition in the capital was extremely fierce. 

The descendants of military officials studied literature, and the descendants of civil officials practiced martial arts, it was quite common.

In fact, there were actually plenty of young masters who excelled in both the literary and the martial arts. 

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