After transmigrating into the body of a noble family's illegitimate son, he was publicly struck from the family register at the funeral hall and driven out of the house.
His stepmother said, “Without the Wei family, you’re nothing.”
His legitimate elder brother said, “The imperial exams? You think you’re worthy?”
The Zhou family, who had broken off his engagement, said, “Come back to talk once you’ve topped the county exam.”
Later
He topped the county exam. He topped the prefectural exam. He topped the academy exam, too.
The day his name became famous across the land as the winner of all three first-place honors, his stepmother smashed her teacup, his elder brother tore up a book, and the Zhou family’s carriage blocked his door.
Wei Heng opened the essay on statecraft his birth mother had left behind. Her words of praise came back to him, every word etched in his mind:
“My son is destined to become a worthy minister.”
Mother, watch closely. I’ll make them pay, one debt at a time, for what they did to us.
