“When we were young, Father would bring us to a residence every year and have us assess its good and bad points.”

Zhu Yuanmo continued, “When we were a bit older, Father would give us a set of eight characters and have us find the place in the residence most auspicious for those eight characters.

“Later still, without any residence, just a set of eight characters, he’d have us locate this person’s dwelling place within the forty-nine li of the capital. Every assessment was different.”

Yan Sanhe asked, “Using you three brothers as an example, what reward does the winner receive, and what punishment does the loser face besides beatings?”

“The winner receives no reward, but Father would look at me approvingly with a gratified expression on his face.”

Zhu Yuanmo glanced at Third Brother. “As for the loser…”

“Elder Brother, let me speak.”

Third Master Zhu wasn’t afraid to expose his own wounds.

“My father would first look at me with an expression of deep anguish, then sigh deeply, and only after that would I receive the lash.”

Yan Sanhe recalled what Madam Mao had said about the lash scars on Old Master Zhu’s back.

“The Zhu family is considered scholarly. Why would scholars use whips to beat people?”

Zhu Yuanmo quickly explained, “Miss Yan, this is a rule passed down through generations of the Zhu family that has never changed, meant to make descendants strive forward.”

Third Master Zhu smiled bitterly. “Sometimes when you make an error that’s truly inexcusable, the whip is dipped in water. When a lash strikes, it nearly beats the soul out of you.”

Second Master Zhu, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke:

“The world is vast, capable people are many. Beyond every sky is another sky, beyond every mountain another mountain. But there’s only one Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.”

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau received imperial stipends and served the Emperor. Throughout all dynasties, they were the Emperor’s trusted confidants.

Unless someone was indifferent to fame and fortune and disdained high office and generous salary, everyone wanted to compete for this position.

In competition, ability was the measure, capability the criterion.

The Zhu family had held this position in the Imperial Astronomical Bureau for several generations. To maintain this position required expending more effort than others.

As the saying goes: Only by enduring the bitterest hardships can one rise above others.

Second Master Zhu said to Third Brother, “When the whip struck your body, it pained Father’s heart. Several times I saw him secretly wiping tears.”

These words pierced Third Master Zhu’s heart like a dagger. Tears immediately spilled from his eyes.

Third Master Zhu hastily wiped them away, choking up: “Second Brother, I was never afraid of the whip. That thing only hurts for a few days. What I feared most was Father looking at me with disappointment—it made me feel utterly useless, that I’d failed his devotion.”

These words touched Second Master Zhu’s heart. He sighed, “I felt the same.”

“So did I.”

Zhu Yuanmo recalled, “Even though I always came first, Father’s gaze toward me was different each time.”

When he calculated divinations with exceptional spiritual insight, Father’s gaze would be very bright, containing not only approval but also a trace of pride.

When he performed at his normal level, Father’s gaze would dim somewhat.

If his divination was slightly inferior, even if he still ranked first among the three brothers, Father’s gaze would contain a deep worry.

“Father only has us three sons. I don’t think my spiritual aptitude is particularly good—I’m just the tallest among the short.”

Zhu Yuanmo lowered his head slightly.

“How much I’m worth—Father knows very well in his heart. Compared to Second Brother and Third Brother, I’m slightly better. But compared to Father, I’m actually far inferior.”

Yan Sanhe looked at the eldest. “Where do you fall short compared to your father?”

Zhu Yuanmo was momentarily stunned. He rubbed his palms on his knees. “Still in natural talent.”

Yan Sanhe pressed, “For example?”

Zhu Yuanmo explained, “For instance, with Miss Yan’s eight characters, I can calculate ten parts, but my father can calculate twelve.”

Yan Sanhe questioned, “Ten parts is already complete. Where do the extra two parts come from?”

“Spiritual energy, natural talent, intuition.”

Zhu Yuanmo said, “My father can calculate things never taught in the divination books. At his most formidable, he could use your eight characters to calculate your past life.”

Yan Sanhe was greatly astonished. “That formidable?”

“Miss Yan, this isn’t even the most formidable.”

Zhu Yuanmo continued, “Our founding master and his close friend, based on the Great Tang’s destiny, used the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to calculate national fortune two thousand years into the future—that’s true transcendent mastery.”

Yan Sanhe said, “According to what you’re saying, the Zhu family should have many sons, legitimate or illegitimate.”

With more sons, there would be greater choice.

Zhu Liuyao had taken three concubines and sired four legitimate sons and one illegitimate son.

Yet Zhu Xuanjiu had only one legitimate wife and three legitimate sons.

Clearly, there weren’t enough sons!

Zhu Yuanmo acknowledged, “That would be the logical approach.”

“Old Master Zhu clearly knew this logic, and he wasn’t lacking in maids to share his bed…”

Yan Sanhe asked, “Why could he still tolerate Madam Mao frequently replacing maids for the benefit of you three brothers?”

“Miss Yan, I actually asked my father this question.”

During one instance when his father’s eyes again showed that worried expression, feeling both ashamed and distressed, he finally couldn’t help asking:

“Why doesn’t Father have another son?”

“How did he answer?”

“He sighed and said, ‘Your mother would be heartbroken.’ Then after a while, he added, ‘Legitimate and illegitimate sons fighting each other isn’t good either.'”

Zhu Yuanmo looked at Yan Sanhe. “Miss Yan should have heard from my mother that my father was an illegitimate son who rose to the position of family head—it wasn’t easy.”

Madam Mao had indeed mentioned this.

Now hearing it from Zhu Yuanmo’s mouth again…

Yan Sanhe had an instinctive reaction: This matter of an illegitimate son rising to power needed thorough investigation.

“Is it that whoever has the highest natural talent becomes family head? Or do you three brothers also undergo assessments?”

“It’s like this, Miss Yan.”

Zhu Yuanmo explained, “No matter how high one’s natural talent or how good one’s spiritual nature, to truly sit in the family head’s position requires passing three years of genuine assessment.”

During these three years, except for major court matters, Father would no longer intervene in other work but would instead hand it over to the three brothers to handle.

Whoever handled things well, Father would send out to explain to clients.

Third Master Zhu looked at his elder brother with some admiration. “My brother never once failed. Every time, it was him who went out.”

Yan Sanhe asked, “Is this the only criterion?”

Zhu Yuanmo replied, “Besides this, we must also pass seven formal assessments.”

Yan Sanhe pressed, “Which seven?”

“Though we say seven, they’re actually the seven branches of our profession, seven crafts.”

Zhu Yuanmo found that Yan Sanhe was asking in detail, so he explained thoroughly: “They are: yang residences, yin residences, eight characters, celestial phenomena, divination, array formation, and disaster mitigation.”

Third Master Zhu added, “My brother took first place in all seven.”

Second Master Zhu said, “Third Brother and I were completely convinced of our defeat.”

“After completing the seven assessments, Father formally announced me as the next Zhu family head.”

Zhu Yuanmo continued, “From that day forward, Father began teaching me separately and bringing me in and out of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.”

“Which means…”

Yan Sanhe’s fingers tapped lightly on the table. “The Zhu family has certain secret arts that only the family head can learn.”

Such as drawing talismans with one’s life force?

Zhu Yuanmo admitted frankly, “Yes!”

Yan Sanhe asked, “You can’t even teach Second Master and Third Master privately?”

Zhu Yuanmo nodded once.

“It’s an ancestral rule—only the next family head may learn.”