The Real Young Master Becomes a First-Rank Grand Tutor

[Using the original names]

Yu Xun (Yu Xun) is the legitimate young master of the Ningping Earl’s estate, whose identity was deliberately switched at birth by a farmer’s husband. Raised in a farming family, he was nevertheless born with a gift for scholarship.

He began his studies at seven, passed the county-level examination at twelve, and became a licentiate at fifteen.

At seventeen, his county-school instructor declared that he was certain to become a disciple of the Son of Heaven!

When the news reached the Yu family, Yu the father cheered, while Yu the husband was filled with worry.

Yu the husband feared that once Yu Xun became an official, he would reunite with the Earl of Ningping, resulting in his own son being thrown out of the earl’s estate. So he came up with a scheme: he bought a beautiful young man who was still a virgin from a disreputable brothel and claimed the youth was his nephew, who had fled famine. His plan was to have the young man tempt Yu Xun into indulging in sensual pleasures, distracting him from his studies and causing him to fail the provincial examination.

As it happened, Dingdang was the young man Yu the husband had bought.

During the farming break in May of the year Yu Xun turned seventeen, a sweet-natured and hardworking cousin came to stay with the family. Later, Yu Xun often dreamed of him. Wearing a straw hat and beaming brightly, he would sweetly say, “Cousin, I just fetched some spring water from the mountains. It’s still cool. Have a drink!”

PS: This is a fictional dynasty.

In this world, there are three sexes: women, men, and ge’er.

Girls come of age at sixteen, ge’er at seventeen, and boys at twenty.

PPs: There are many original worldbuilding details.

Official positions will probably be based on those of the Ming dynasty.

PPPs: The later plot has a lot going on and mainly follows A Xun’s official career. His career path is roughly: county magistrate, prefecture magistrate, prefect, official in one of the Six Ministries, promotion to minister, and then appointment as Grand Tutor to teach the young emperor. The Grand Tutor is an honorary position, prestigious in name but without much real power.

PPPPS: If you’re looking for a romance-focused story full of face-slapping, it may not be satisfying enough. The pacing follows the main political plot.

Theme: Only those who have done nothing to be ashamed of can sleep soundly.