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Chapter 44: Taking a Shortcut

However, what Xie Pinggang said reminded Xie Niushan, and his old face frowned immediately. “That’s going to be hard. The Royal Academy has already accepted two good-for-nothings from our family. I don’t know how much silver I’ll need to pay the dean if I send one more.”

“Yue’er is slightly younger than Qiao’er. The sisters should be together. You’ll have to send the both of them, don’t you think?” Ms. Lu added.

Xie Niushan suddenly came to a realization that he needed to raise someone else’s daughter as well.

He looked crestfallen.

‘Had I ever needed to worry about money when I was a bandit back then? Great, I don’t even have gold and silver ever since I became an official. I’ve been living a sh*tty life!’ Xie Niushan was enraged as he thought about it.

The imperial court was an evil b*stard.

“Hmm? Did father regret being an official? You can quit your job and return to the mountain,” Xie Qiao said casually.

Xie Niushan’s eyelids twitched, “How can I do that…”

Back then, chaos had broken out at the borders. The imperial court could not handle it, so Xie Qiao had written to him, asking him to protect the people. He had thus been given an opportunity to become a good citizen.

He had discussed with the military adviser about the chaos. Given that he despised those barbarians at the borders, he fought them.

He had accidentally gone overboard and chopped the barbarians’ heads. As such, he thought he would just enlist himself to the imperial court willingly.

To convince the imperial court, he had broken up the entire mountain stronghold. He had given the gold and silver that he had made, as well as the things he had robbed at the borders, to the imperial court.

As he had been sincere, he was given the position of a fourth-grade general.

However, he had lost a lot of money that year, so he had been living with his belt tight these years. It was torturing!

Naturally, being an official was much better than being a bandit.

At least, these good-for-nothings at home would not be embarrassed to go out. They did not have to hide in the mountain stronghold all the time.

“Which academy would you like to go to, Qiao’er? The Royal Academy is too expensive, and that dean treats money as important as his life. If you want to get in by bribery, a person would need to pay at least 5,000 taels of silvers. I’m tight with money,” said Xie Niushan, feeling wronged.

It was not that he did not have the money.

It was mainly because these good-for-nothings were still single.

He had to make money so that he would have enough money to pay for their weddings.

That was especially so for the eldest son, who was big in size. All ladies would be scared when they saw him. Who would dare to marry him? He was past 20, and he could not find a wife until now. How could Xie Niushan not prepare more silvers for him?

“Can I not go to an academy?” asked Xie Qiao.

“Not that you can’t…” Xie Niushan hesitated.

“You must.” Xie Pinggang was straightforward. “Unless you want to stay a spinster forever. Your father is an official, after all. He can’t let you marry a commoner. There’s a rule in the Imperial City now. All family members of officials must marry wives who have studied in an academy.”

“Yes, yes. That’s the rule.” Xie Niushan nodded. “You don’t have to study too much. Just pass your time when you’re in there.”

He did not expect this daughter of his to advance in her studies.

This girl was raised in the Taoist temple, so what would she know!?

Pei Wanyue mustered her courage and said, “Sister has been neglected for so long. If she studies at the Royal Academy, it would be better for her title. It should be better than the other two academies, right?”

The dining table went silent as soon as that was said.

Xie Pinggang said nothing.

Xie Niushan hesitated for a moment. “That makes sense. Let me think about it.”

Xie Qiao spoke. “Don’t worry, let me worry about the money.”

“You? Do you have silvers? They might not accept you even if you have 5,000 taels of silvers. We can take a shortcut because I know the dean,” Xie Niushan said.