The Marquis Mansion’s Elite Class

What an odd wager is this?

Even the Old Marchioness and Old Marquis were puzzled. The Old Marchioness asked, "So, did your husband agree or not?"

As far as she knew, to be admitted to the Child Prodigy Class, one must be a prodigy, meaning talent was the prerequisite. Secondly, the study load was enormous. Her grandson, Jin Cheng, who had a photographic memory, spent half a year preparing for it, while Zong Wenxiu took a full year.

The idea of letting a child like He Zheng, who hadn't even studied before, get into the Child Prodigy Class within five months seemed clearly designed to frustrate him.

Madam He forced a smile. "He agreed, but deep down, he's not fully on board. That's why he set this seemingly impossible goal. Sister, to be honest, I didn't have much hope anyway. Even if Zheng can only study for five months, at least those months will be joyous for him."

He Zheng clutched his clothing, firm in his resolve. "Mother, I will study hard. I want to give it a try."

Madam He stroked his head and then turned to Xu Wan. "Then I’ll leave this child in your hands, sister. If you need anything, just ask. I owe you a huge favor."

Xu Wan pondered for a moment before replying, "Madam He, don’t worry too much. Let’s first assess He Zheng’s learning capabilities. Getting into the Child Prodigy Class within five months isn’t entirely hopeless."

After all, the strength of exam-oriented education lies in its ability to make even those who don’t know the answers appear competent.

The Child Prodigy Class Exam doesn’t vary as much in question types as the Child Prodigy Test.

Madam He took her words as mere comfort and didn't harbor much hope. "Alright, then, Zheng, hurry and go with your Aunt Xu. Listen to her and don’t be willful."

"Yes!" He Zheng nodded vigorously.

As Xu Wan led He Zheng in, Baili Weihong was in the middle of teaching the etiquette of sitting.

"When eating, move your body closer to the dining mat; when not eating, sit further back. This is called 'keeping a respectful distance.' If a distinguished guest arrives, one should immediately rise to greet them."

Just as she finished, Xu Wan tapped on the study room door and softly said, "Weihong, sorry to interrupt, but I’ve brought a child."

"Eh?" The mischievous child, seeing it was He Zheng, excitedly waved at him.

Zong Wenxiu also smiled and nodded in greeting.

He Zheng's smile was equally bright. As Xu Wan led him onto the platform, she announced that he would be studying here from now on, with Cheng Zhidong assigned to provide one-on-one guidance.

Cheng Zhidong smiled and nodded.

He Zheng seemed quite obedient, so teaching him shouldn’t be too daunting.

After He Zheng finished his self-introduction, the mischievous child excitedly asked, "He Zheng, are you living here? Or do you go back home every day?"

He Zheng smiled. "I’m living here. My mother has already brought all my things over."

"Wow! That’s great! From now on, we can study together!" The mischievous child clapped enthusiastically to welcome him.

Zong Wenxiu also joined in the applause.

A servant brought in a new desk, placing it next to Zong Jin Cheng's. He Zheng tidied up his things and sat down. Only when he touched the paper and brushes on the desk and smelled the scent of books did he feel the reality of the situation. He was so overjoyed that he felt like crying...

Xu Wan smiled. "You continue your lesson. Mr. Cheng, could you come out with me for a moment?"

In the small pavilion.

Upon hearing that He Zheng was expected to pass the Child Prodigy Class Exam within five months, Cheng Zhidong’s smile immediately froze: "!!!"

What was this? Weren’t the expectations supposed to be manageable?

Why was he always the one bearing the heaviest burden!

Wasn’t I just six years older than Zhao Yin and eight years older than Pan Hongzhi? Was I really that much more experienced?

Five months! Five months to get into the Child Prodigy Class? Was the Minister He out of his mind to set such an unrealistic goal?!

Cheng Zhidong inwardly raged, but outwardly he tried to maintain a composed expression. Gulping, he weakly said, "This is quite challenging indeed..."

Xu Wan chuckled. "Mr. Cheng, you're impressive to have such confidence. I wouldn’t even dare to take on such a challenge."

Cheng Zhidong's heart was dripping with tears.

Of course, he had to take it. With a monthly salary of one hundred taels, did she know how massive a fortune that was?

Now he understood why the Marquis manor offered them such high wages—not just because of their status as top scholars, but also because the pressure was immense, and the workload was extensive and multifaceted. The difficulty would only increase, and any less pay would likely cause someone to quit midway.

The three thousand six hundred taels kept them tightly controlled.

"So, Madam, do you have any strategies?" Cheng Zhidong tentatively asked.

Although their scholarly knowledge surpassed Xu Wan's, she always came up with novel methods to help them impart knowledge to the children quickly and efficiently.

Now, ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‍seeing that Xu Wan, though reluctant, didn’t seem overly worried, he surmised that she likely had confidence in tackling this challenge.

Xu Wan explained, "He Zheng’s foundation is probably very weak. Starting with recognizing and writing characters is a must."

Cheng Zhidong tearfully nodded.

Correct. Even if they wanted to push him to his limits, he first had to learn how to read and write. This alone would take at least two or three months, and the remaining time to prepare for the Child Prodigy Class Exam was akin to asking an ant to lift an elephant.

Xu Wan continued, "When preparing Jin Cheng and Wenxiu for the exam, you already summarized previous Child Prodigy Class Exams and created many similar mock exams. These can now be directly used for He Zheng. Focus on teaching him the characters frequently appearing in those exams, and set aside other characters or books not directly relevant to the exam."

Cheng Zhidong's eyes widened as he immediately grasped her strategy: "The entire five months’ efforts will be solely dedicated to passing this exam."@@novelbin@@

Xu Wan nodded. "Exactly. First, let him pass the Minister He’s test to secure his permanent right to study."

Cheng Zhidong swallowed hard, astonished by this unconventional approach to learning.

How strange, really strange.

Learning not for the imperial examinations, not for enriching one’s knowledge, but solely for a class entrance test.

He couldn’t quite comprehend it, but given the He family’s situation, this method was the optimal solution. There simply was no other way to break the deadlock.

He looked at Xu Wan and couldn’t help but admire, "Madam, your decisiveness is truly admirable."

To so boldly grasp the crux of the matter, prioritize effectively, and adopt such a daring approach that others had never considered—her resolve was truly formidable.

For the first time, he found himself thinking: If women could also pursue education, Xu Wan would undoubtedly excel in the imperial examinations.

Back in the grand study room, after Baili Weihong finished her lesson and left, Zong Jin Cheng immediately jumped out of his seat and rushed over to He Zheng’s desk, excitedly saying, "Brother, we must follow the customs of our class! Let me introduce you to the key class’s creed, which we chant every day!"

Completely unaware that new students would be joining the key class, Zong Wenxiu thought to himself, "Brother, I’m already feeling awkward just watching this..."