SGEIRS -Chapter 447 Blaming Heaven and Others

Outside the house.

Meng Chengzhang stood by the door, eavesdropping on what the elders were saying. When he learned that his father and grandmother’s wishes had been thwarted, he breathed a sigh of relief. If his eldest sister and her husband hadn’t left in time and got caught up with them, things would have been disastrous.

With his father’s utterly mediocre talent, he wasn’t even as competent as his stepmother, Madam Dong. Even a minor position would be the limit for him. If given a real responsibility, any mistake he made would drag the whole family down. Yet his father couldn’t see this, always thinking that as long as he got the chance, he would become a pillar of the nation—just one opportunity away from greatness.

Just as he was about to leave, a voice came from behind him: “Second Brother, what are you skulking around for?”

Meng Chengzhang stiffened, then quickly turned around, putting on a nonchalant air. “I was going to ask the elders if there was anything else that needed doing. Is Third Brother here for the same matter? Then let’s go in together.”

Meng Chengxing sneered. He had clearly seen his second brother sneaking around listening at the door, eavesdropping for quite a while. He was about to call him out when Meng Chengzhang’s words interrupted him: “Second Brother, let’s go in first.”

Inside, the elders had stopped discussing the matter once they heard the noise outside. Soon, they saw the two younger men enter, inquiring if there was anything else to be done. If not, they would leave first.

Meng Dongyuan saw his second son and felt a flicker of hope. He asked, “Chengzhang, today I saw you chatting so pleasantly with your eldest brother-in-law. Did you mention the matter I asked you to discuss with him?”

Meng Chengzhang replied respectfully, “Father, there were so many outsiders present at the time that I had no opportunity to bring it up.”

“What do you mean ‘no opportunity’? Couldn’t he have asked brother-in-law to step aside for a word?” Meng Chengxing scoffed. Though he didn’t know what his father was referring to, he was dissatisfied with his second brother. “Father, he’s close to Eldest Sister, so of course he’s close to her husband too. If there’s something he needs to say, he can ask her husband to step aside. Wouldn’t he agree?”

Meng Chengzhang: “…”

At the moments when he should act clever, he acts like a brainless fool; when he shouldn’t act clever, his brain comes back. This kind of younger brother is truly exasperating.

Old Madam Meng’s face darkened instantly, and she scolded, “Chengzhang, don’t forget that you are your father’s child. As long as your father benefits, you benefit too.”

Meng Dongyuan’s face also fell. “Chengzhang, your eldest sister is rebellious, and you follow her? You’re no longer a child. You should understand what benefits the Meng family. As a descendant of the Mengs, it is your duty to work for the family’s interests and restore its former glory.”

Hearing this, Meng Chengzhang calmly countered, “Father, at that time, my brother-in-law was surrounded by so many people seeking his knowledge. They were all eagerly listening, and he was explaining enthusiastically. How could I possibly spoil the mood?”

Meng Chengxing saw an opportunity to add fuel to the fire: “Father, Grandmother, that’s just an excuse. He’s shirking responsibility and doesn’t want to help our Meng family. Look, Eldest Sister married into the Gu family as a Gu-Meng, and he follows along, becoming a Gu-Meng too.”

At this moment, Madam Dong chimed in: “Husband, I don’t think Chengzhang is unwilling. Given the situation he described, it really wasn’t appropriate to interrupt. Today wasn’t the right time. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. The eldest daughter and her husband are still in the capital, not far away. Next time is not too late.”

Meng Dongyuan glared at his son, frustrated but helpless. His wife lacked insight, blocking what his mother wanted to tell A-Yao; his son was unreliable, unable to even deliver a simple message. They usually were so clever, yet at critical moments, utterly useless, dragging everyone down.

Old Madam Meng shot her daughter-in-law a sharp glance. If she didn’t know that her daughter-in-law wasn’t close with her eldest granddaughter, she might have thought she was taking her granddaughter’s side.

After a moment, Old Madam Meng said irritably, “Enough. Let’s not bring this up again, lest it harm the family’s harmony.”

Meng Dongyuan was still angry but had no outlet, so he turned to his youngest son: “Chengxing, your brother-in-law and the others were discussing studies. Why didn’t you go ask questions too? Your second brother went humbly to learn from them, yet you can’t even pass the exam for a minor scholar. How can I entrust the Meng family and your title to you in the future?”

Meng Chengxing had never expected the fire to reach him. He felt bitter, but couldn’t speak it. Failing the exam was not his wish—if he could, wouldn’t he want to pass? He was only thirteen. Why such harshness? His father hadn’t even achieved scholar rank at thirteen.

He retorted, “Father, I am the heir, different from ordinary people. In the future, I can enter officialdom without the examination.”

Meng Dongyuan roared, “Entering office without passing the examination is not based on real talent; you’ll always be a step behind, and who will respect you? Even in the Changxing Marquisate, the younger generation works hard to pass the exams, so they can enter office legitimately.”

Meng Chengxing was dissatisfied. “Father, you didn’t enter office through the examination either. You didn’t achieve it yourself, so why demand it of me now?”

Mentioning this, Meng Dongyuan’s face darkened. That was indeed a sore point. He hadn’t entered office through the exams. He had only passed the minor scholar exam, not the provincial one, hoping to wait for the top scholar exam to enter office—but that time never came. Instead, he used his father’s influence and family connections to secure a useless minor position.

Now, years later, his position had risen slightly, but it was still just a minor post. Many looked down on him, calling him incompetent, especially officials who entered through the exams.

If he could redo it, he would have studied for the top scholar exam diligently. Those his age who had entered office through exams were doing well; the best had reached high rank. His own career faltered because he hadn’t persisted in the examinations. Had he persisted, his career would have been much smoother.

He said darkly, “Because I made the wrong choice back then, not pursuing the exams, my career was troubled. I don’t want you to repeat my mistake. Learn well from your second brother.”

Meng Chengzhang: “…”

No need to provoke hatred. Ever since he passed the minor scholar exam, and was the top candidate, when his father scolded the third brother for being useless, he had praised him instead. Third brother already hated him bitterly.

Meng Chengxing indeed hated him. He glared at his second brother, ignored his father, and stomped off in a huff.

Seeing this, Meng Dongyuan was furious. “Stop! Is this how you treat your elders?”

Madam Dong glanced lightly at her husband, not wanting to interfere.

Seeing his third brother walk away, Meng Chengzhang saw an opportunity and said quickly, “Father, I’ll go check on Third Brother.” Without waiting for a reply, he immediately followed.

Old Madam Meng, having doted on her youngest grandson for over ten years, valued him more than her second grandson, no matter how talented. She said to her son, “Chengxing is still young. Why press him so hard? Look what you’ve done to the child.”

Meng Dongyuan’s anger hadn’t subsided. “Chengzhang is a year older, and the top scholar. If he fails directly, it’s because he didn’t work hard enough. Blame the mother; spoiling children too much is what causes failure.”

Old Madam Meng didn’t agree. “Chengzhang passed because he studied at Lingshan Academy under a famous teacher. Also blame that girl A-Yao. She should have told her husband to send Chengxing to Lingshan Academy too; then he would have passed as well.”

Hearing this, Meng Dongyuan’s anger slightly eased.

Madam Dong, listening, almost laughed. The second son was clearly talented and passed the Lingshan Academy on his own merit. The mother-in-law insisted it was thanks to her son-in-law’s help. She noticed a shared trait among the family: they all blamed heaven, circumstance, and others for their failures, never themselves.