Chapter 474: Mother and Son’s Night Conversation (Part 11)

Xiao Huai’an was momentarily stunned and came back to his senses.

He knew that, in the eyes of most people, his birth was already something to be envied. A life without worries about food and clothing goes without saying, as well as having a pair of exceedingly capable parents who are deeply admired by the people and enjoy the utmost imperial favor, it was destined that from the moment he was born, he was already standing at the pinnacle of life’s path. From then on, it’s not about what he wants, but about what he chooses.

He was very aware of this fact and would not annoy others by lamenting melancholically or feigning illness without cause. However, in the presence of parents who are overly outstanding, he sometimes felt a little lost.

Mom and Dad have always respected him since he was little, never forcing him to do anything or demanding that he must achieve something or prove himself. But just because they don’t, it doesn’t mean the people around him won’t.

Throughout his growth, the phrases he heard most often were—

“Huai’an, your mom is a renowned goddess investigator across the land. She often says you are extraordinarily intelligent, and when you accompany her to investigate cases, not only can you keep up with her thinking, sometimes you can even discover clues faster than she does. In the future, you must also become an excellent detective like your mom, so that there will be no unjust cases under the sky.”

“My heavens, Mr. Xiao, I thought your mother’s medical skills were already formidable, but I didn’t expect Mr. Xiao’s medical skills are no less than your mother’s. Perhaps, in the future, you will also become a sophisticated physician like your mother? This would be a great blessing for us ordinary folks!”

“Huai’an, your father is destined to be recorded in history as a notable minister, able to secure peace with a pen and stabilize the world on horseback. With such an excellent dad, you too are surely to become a pillar of the nation!”

“Huai’an, your dad at the age of seventeen made the top of the list, becoming the youngest scholar in the history of Great Chu. I really look forward to seeing if you can surpass your dad in the future. By the way, will you enter next year’s imperial examination to try it out?”

These expectations from others didn’t necessarily make him feel pressured, rather, he genuinely felt lost regarding what the future holds for him.

There’s only one Xiao Huai’an, and he acknowledges he doesn’t possess such great skills to simultaneously replicate the achievements of both Mom and Dad. He himself also does not wish to become someone who wavers. He admires his Mom and Dad and desires to become someone like them, carrying firm beliefs and dedicating a lifetime to that cause.

Though the youth might be wise, ultimately he is too young, unable to comprehend many things. When the confusion in his heart grew deeper, Mom took the initiative to suggest, “Why don’t you go out and stroll around, and see the glorious mountains and rivers of Great Chu?”

Only when a person sees more and broadens their experiences will they have enough capability to examine themselves and know what they truly desire.

Looking at the concern in his mother’s eyes, Xiao Huai’an felt warmth in his heart, smiled and said, “Thanks to Mom, I have gained some insights. Would Mom be willing to hear them?”

How could Xu Jing possibly refuse? She instructed Chunyang to steep a pot of tea to ease and support sleep, then walked into Xiao Huai’an’s room and sat face-to-face with him on the long couch.

Xiao Huai’an first poured a cup of tea for his mother, smiled and said, “This year, I’ve traveled through thirteen states, thirty-nine counties, I even went beyond the borders, stayed outside the frontiers for several months, met all kinds of people, and experienced lifestyles quite different from before. Mom, the world is far bigger and more complex than I imagined. Suddenly, I realize that some of my previous confusion is as small as a grain of sand in the face of life’s rich experiences.”

Xu Jing smiled, “I know all this. The letters you sent home each time, your father and I read them carefully several times. I also know you’ve helped people solve cases and heal them wherever you go, and have earned the name as Miss Xu’s disciple. Now there’s talk in many places among the people that I have an outstanding disciple emerging from the blue.”

Xiao Huai’an felt a bit embarrassed and scratched his cheek, saying, “Emerging from the blue? They’re over-exaggerating. I still have a long way to go compared to Mom. Actually, while doing these things, the confusion in my heart gradually cleared away. It was a particular incident that occurred at Fengyang County, beneath Jinzhou, before returning to Western Capital, that made me resolute.”

Xu Jing paused slightly. He hadn’t mentioned this in the letters to their family, so she couldn’t help but ask, “What happened?”

“Before that, I’d like to ask Mom. Eight years ago, you defied opposition to establish a women’s medical academy. All these years, you’ve been striving to turn this place dedicated solely to teaching women medicine into a true academy for women learning all kinds of knowledge. When did Mom start having this idea?”

This has been the endeavor Xu Jing has been committed to for the last decade.

Nowadays, Xinglin Hall’s affairs are well on track, with branches opening all over Great Chu. The three characters of Xinglin Hall are known by all the people of Great Chu. Five years ago, Xu Jing handed over all affairs of Xinglin Hall to the Cheng Brothers and Sisters and focused her efforts on developing this women’s medical academy.

At first, when Xu Jing simply opened an academy for women to learn medicine, although the old relics of the court were displeased, the opposition wasn’t that intense. After all, many affluent families and even the palace needed a capable batch of female physicians.

But as batches of female physicians graduated from the academy, achieving increasingly higher status among the populace, Xu Jing wasn’t satisfied with just that. She wanted to turn her women’s medical academy into a true academy where women could not only learn medicine but various survival skills, even the Discourses of Hundred Schools, classical texts, histories, and collections.

Some perceptive ministers noticed Xu Jing’s ambition and began to vehemently obstruct, even rallying a group to persuade Xu Jing not to engage in these activities against ancestral ethics.

Although Mom never elaborated, Xiao Huai’an knew Mom has encountered many troubles over these years.

Xu Jing blinked, unexpected that her son would ask this question, thought for a moment and smiled, saying, “Actually, at the start, Mom didn’t have the so-called ambition those people talk about, merely hoping to live a good life. But… people’s thoughts change, once Mom achieved the then-goals and gained some capabilities, inevitably, I wanted to step further, hoping to use my limited capability to help more people.”

Help more people…

Xiao Huai’an smiled, “Mom, though you say this, I know deep down, even when you were just hoping for a good life, you harbored the hope of helping others. Let me tell Mom about what happened in Fengyang County. That day, as I passed Fengyang County’s county government, I saw an eight or nine-year-old boy kneeling before the county government gate, crying and requesting the County Magistrate for justice. However… the Government Official at the gate didn’t even glance at him, nor did anyone from the county government come out.”