The Marquis Mansion’s Elite Class

The courtyard was filled with the lively shouts of children, joyful and bustling, making Xu Wan unable to suppress a smile.

Perhaps ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‍too excited after dinner, the little troublemaker ordered someone to catch fireflies for him. As the hour of Hai approached, he came running with a bag of glowing fireflies, calling out, "Mother, are you asleep yet? Come out quick! I want to make you a firefly lantern!"

Xu Wan indeed hadn’t gone to bed yet. Hearing this, she hurried out and asked, "Did you just catch these fireflies today? In such hot weather, aren’t you exhausted?"

Zong Jincheng grinned mischievously. "It’s hot every day—does that mean we shouldn’t go outside? Hehe, Mother, bring out that little rabbit lantern you made this morning. I’ll put the fireflies inside for you."

Xu Wan raised an eyebrow.

She should’ve known this kid would come up with something playful. While most lanterns held candles, he insisted on using fireflies. The transparent gauze bag he used to hold them was perfect—letting the light shine through while keeping the fireflies from escaping.

Xu Wan fetched the little rabbit lantern, and the little troublemaker carefully poured the fireflies inside. "We still need a string," he said. "To hang the gauze bag up inside, or else the fireflies will just stay at the bottom."

Xu Wan nodded approvingly. "Not a bad idea. I’ll go get a string to tie it up for you."

Zong Jincheng beamed. "Of course! I’m the smartest person in the whole wide world!"

Xu Wan giggled as she helped him secure the lantern, then instructed Cui Zhi to extinguish the lamps along the corridor.

The small courtyard plunged into darkness, and one by one, the glowing dots inside the rabbit lantern flickered to life against the night sky.

"Wow…" Zong Jincheng’s eyes sparkled. "It really is beautiful."

Xu Wan lifted the lantern high, letting it dangle midair, glowing even brighter and more enchanting. The little troublemaker tiptoed, trying to grab it, but Xu Wan playfully dodged him.

"Mother~ Let me see, let me see!"

Xu Wan teased, "Try jumping higher if you want to reach it."

The little troublemaker actually started jumping, stretching his arms out. Though at ten years old, he was much taller than two years prior, he still couldn’t match Xu Wan’s height.

He whined dramatically, "Mother, lower it a little! I almost got it!"

Xu Wan smirked. "Hmph. If you’d eaten your vegetables, you wouldn’t be just ‘almost’ there. You’ll never grow as tall as your brother."

The little troublemaker bristled. "No way! I’ll be taller than everyone!"

"Such a braggart."

"!!!"

Inside the room, Zong Zhao sat at his desk reviewing case files as the sounds of laughter drifted in through the window. He pushed it open slightly and caught sight of the heartwarming scene.

Xu Wan, dressed in a pale green gown, was far from her usual poised and elegant self—instead, she was playfully teasing their son with the lantern, lively and adorable, her smile utterly genuine.

Zong Zhao was glad to see her so happy, a faint smile tugging at his lips. The case files in his hands suddenly seemed dull in comparison. He watched for a while through the window before picking up his brush.

His painting skills were decent, though he hadn’t practiced in a long time. Yet the image of the mother and son was so vivid in his mind that his strokes flowed naturally, each line steady and precise.

Once finished, he used a paperweight to secure the corners of the painting and closed the window to prevent the breeze from smudging the ink.

The next morning, the long-awaited debate session finally arrived for the advanced class members.

This was the discussion Zong Zhao had promised them about the Battle of Changqi—but first, they had to complete a debate and discussion session, something the five young boys had spent one or two months preparing for.

Given the sensitive nature of the topic, Xu Wan dismissed all servants and attendants, leaving only the children and their tutors. The five private tutors, deeply honored, thanked Xu Wan profusely and vowed never to disclose what they heard that day.

This only heightened the boys’ excitement. Shen Yibai stretched his arms and said eagerly, "Let’s start already! I can’t wait."

Zong Jincheng nudged him with an elbow. "Calm down. Tutor Baili isn’t even here yet."

"Shh, shh!" Zong Wenxiu hushed them. "He’s coming!"

The five boys immediately straightened up.

Baili Xi entered, his gaze immediately landing on Zong Zhao—his most accomplished student, now a renowned figure far surpassing his own achievements, becoming his pride as a teacher.

For a mentor, there was no greater joy.

Though now a first-rank general, Zong Zhao remained humble and respectful, bowing as he greeted him. "Student Zong Zhao pays respects to my teacher."

Zong Zhao had visited Baili Xi upon his return, but back then, he had been preoccupied with investigating Chancellor Yan’s case and left after only a brief exchange. Today marked his first time attending the advanced class.

Baili Xi’s eyes glistened with emotion. "Good, good. Today, this old man will sit back and watch you teach these children. Let you see for yourself how well your wife has taught them—they’re no less impressive than you were at their age."

Zong Zhao glanced at Xu Wan, who smiled and waved at him. He gave a slight nod before turning back to Baili Xi. "Please take your seat, Teacher."

Once Baili Xi sat at the head of the room, the others followed suit.

Xu Wan stood and announced, "Today’s debate topic is: ‘In the Battle of Changqi, our army of five thousand cavalry narrowly defeated You Country’s thirty thousand troops. Was the general’s decision to engage in this battle reckless?’"

The boys perked up, buzzing with anticipation.

Xu Wan continued, "Since we didn’t assign debate teams in advance and instead had everyone research both sides of the argument, I won’t make you draw lots or assign groups directly. Instead, you’ll choose for yourselves."

Zong Jincheng was the first to protest. "Huh? Choose for ourselves? Of course I believe Father would never act recklessly!"

The others nodded in agreement. "We trust Uncle Zong / Elder Uncle too."

With everyone unanimously siding with the affirmative, the debate couldn’t proceed. Zong Jincheng spread his hands helplessly. "See, Mother? We can’t pick."

Baili Xi chuckled and leaned toward Zong Zhao, whispering, "These children hardly know you, yet they place such faith in you. But now your wife has a problem—she’ll have to assign teams on the spot."

Zong Zhao corrected him quietly, "Teacher, I think you may have spoken too soon."

"Oh? How so?" Baili Xi raised an eyebrow.