Chapter 344

The carriage suddenly stopped, and Jiang Sheng stuck her head out curiously to see an unfamiliar elder brother.

To be precise, it was her cousin, Jiang Chengfeng.

He pushed Jiang San aside, brushing off the dust, and said somewhat awkwardly, "I don't have any other intentions. I just saw you were in a dilemma here and wanted to ask if you needed any help."

"Elder brother told me before he left to take good care of you all."

Jiang Chengfeng did not consider himself a gentleman, but he had to keep his promise. He had to do right by Jiang Chengyuan's trust and their decade-long brotherly affection.

Chang Yan pursed his lips, pondering repeatedly.

Privately, he did not want more people to see elder brother's predicament.

But in reality, it would be better to have Jiang Chengfeng's help than some unfamiliar person's.

After a long while, he nodded, "Alright, then I'll have to trouble Young Master Jiang."

The Jiang family carriage was abandoned in a corner as Jiang Chengfeng joined them in another carriage, rushing to Baihua Tower at the fastest speed.

As night fell, crimson lanterns were hung high and the sounds of orioles could be heard everywhere. The scent of powder and perfume became more concentrated, almost making one sneeze.

The back entrance was relatively quiet, but there was still some coming and going.

"You two stay here and wait for elder brother," Chang Yan instructed Jiang Sheng and Wen Zhiyun. "Don't wander around. If someone finds you, say you got lost. Understand?"

"I understand," Jiang Sheng replied familiarly. "No one will be here. Even if there is, it would just be some drunkard."

Chang Yan did not say anything. He just ruffled his sister's hair and turned to get off the carriage.

Jumping over the wall was not difficult for them. Finding Jiang Si was also smooth sailing.

Behind the window of the third room on the second floor, Chang Yan used his saliva to poke a hole in the window paper. Through the tiny gap he saw Xu Mo passed out on the couch, with two drowsy young women sitting beside him.

"Fifth young master, we can create a distraction to lure those two women out," Jiang San whispered. "Then we can sneak elder brother away without alerting anyone else."

Chang Yan nodded.

Jiang Si immediately got up and flicked a pebble towards the door. The dozing women were startled. Displeased, they got up to check where the sound came from. Unknowingly, they moved further away from the room.

It was time.

Jiang San pried open the door and window, went to check Xu Mo was breathing properly, confirmed there were no issues, carried him on his back, stuffed the bedding to mimic someone sleeping, and finally climbed out through the window again.

This would have been an easy task if not for the additional person on his back, making it significantly more difficult.

Just then, sounds of the women's voices came from outside, seemingly having noticed something amiss and wanting to head back.

Jiang San panicked. The more hurriedly he tried to climb out the window, the more he struggled.

Just when they were about to be caught by the two women, Jiang Chengfeng suddenly jumped in. He used his shoulder as support for Jiang San to flip over the window frame, then threw in the prepared rope to steady Jiang San as he lowered himself to the ground.

The back window was right next to the backyard and back entrance.

The moment Jiang San's feet touched the ground, Xu Mo was safe.

It was also at this time that the twittering orioles opened the door, the scent of powder rushing out, accompanied by various complaints.

"Who was that, throwing stuff around."

"So annoying this late at night, having to keep watch over this dumb fool here and getting startled."

They were about to close the door and had not looked over yet.

Jiang Chengfeng hastily gathered the rope, signaling to Chang Yan to leave quickly before getting caught.

The whole point of sneaking around quietly was to preserve Xu Mo's reputation. They could not fail at the last step.

As for Jiang family's second young master, he was a libertine to begin with. More damage to his reputation would be of no consequence.

Jiang Chengfeng was already prepared to face his mother's weeping and his father's whipping when he returned home.

But unexpectedly, Chang Yan stretched his hand out to him. "Let's go together."

They came together, so naturally they should leave together as well.

As if possessed, Jiang Chengfeng also reached out. With the youth exerting all his strength to pull him, his body floated up and somersaulted. At the instant the twittering orioles turned their heads back, he concealed himself.

"Why didn't you close the window?" one of the women coquettishly scolded as she went to shut it herself.

Soon, silence returned inside the room.

Jiang Chengfeng and Chang Yan were neatly plastered under the window frame as Chang Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank the architect for his fancy eaves, thank the second floor for not being too high up, and thank the chattering orioles for being slow to respond to sounds.

They succeeded in landing safely, climbed over the back entrance, and found their carriage.

Xu Mo was lying peacefully inside while Wen Zhiyun checked his pulse. After much effort he finally said, "He was knocked out." They really had no idea how severely their elder brother had been clubbed and secretly brought to the brothel, plotted against to destroy his reputation and purity.

While public opinion may be fair, if one stepped in shit, people would blame the shoes, not the shit, for failing to avoid it.

There was no such thing as absolute innocence.

"The Fang family is so hateful," Jiang San grumbled at the side. "They want to completely ruin Eldest Young Master!"

Was it worth it just for some petty exam?

"For prestigious families, their daughters are as precious as gold while commoners are like ants. There is no worth it or not worth it, only a casual lift of the Fang family's hand," Chang Yan said as he lowered his eyelashes. "They don't even need to personally arrange things. Just leaked whispers are enough for countless families to eagerly help out."

Influence was a strange thing.

The more you originally possessed, the more you could obtain later.

If you originally had nothing, even if you worked yourself to death, you would only gain a little.

Just like Xu Mo. From scholar candidate to champion candidate, he could be replaced every time despite ranking first again and again, fighting with all his might just for a re-examination.

Just like Jiang Chengyuan. After abandoning martial arts for literature, then abandoning literature for martial arts, the general position would be his as long as he did not die.

The power brought by status, wealth that could be possessed from birth, the influence and connections built up by ancestors, were all things commoners could yearn for but not obtain.

Perhaps a genius favored by heaven could break through this barrier and stand side-by-side with prestigious clans.

But thinking carefully, if he had been born in a prestigious clan, built on that foundation, how limitless would his accomplishments be?

He could soar like a dragon over the four seas, or dance like a phoenix in the nine heavens.

Yet in reality, heaven's favored geniuses were mostly commoners while prestigious sons lacked competitive spirit for the most part.

That which was readily available was looked down on. That which was desperately struggled for was targeted.

Who could understand the hardship within?

In the dark of night, the galloping carriage shook its passengers. The jolting seemed to rouse the sleeping man as his eyelashes fluttered, seemingly struggling to regain consciousness.

Those sitting were like thunder rumbling in their ears. Heads lowered, they were lost in thought for a long time.

When ordinary people worked so hard for their futures, what excuse did those already midway up the mountain have not to strive harder? What excuse did they have to continue being useless nobles?

Jiang Chengfeng thought of elder brother who went far north, uncle who left to battle, his father busy with official duties late into the night, comments that the Jiang family's glory would end with their generation.

He suddenly understood Jiang Chengyuan's decision to go to war.

He also vaguely grasped what he should do.

Jiang Chengfeng lowered his eyes and earnestly observed Xu Mo, observed this commoner favored by heaven. Abruptly Xu Mo opened his eyes and they gazed straight at each other.

"Eldest brother is awake!"