Winning People Over with Virtue

Hu Qian and Tie Niu followed Meng Yuan to Xun Mei's place, only to see Meng Yuan first ask someone to call Jiang Tang out.

"Brother, what are you doing here?" Jiang Tang was delighted. Seeing Hu Qian and Tie Niu there as well, she hurriedly greeted them. "Sister Qian, Tie Niu—hey, Tie Niu, what happened to your arm?"

"I was—"

"He cut it while practicing martial arts. It's nothing serious." Meng Yuan smiled and cut Tie Niu off.

"What are you doing, Sister Qian?" Tie Niu had been about to continue when Hu Qian tugged at him.

Jiang Tang had already believed it. Earnestly, she said, "There's medicine at home. Grandpa had me keep some ready. Wait here—I'll go get it for you!"

She had barely taken a step when Meng Yuan grabbed her little braid.

"Don't rush." Meng Yuan smiled. "Go home and wait first. I need to discuss something with Xun Mei. Once we're done, I'll come find you."

Jiang Tang nodded obediently and briskly headed home.

Watching from the side, Hu Qian waited until Jiang Tang had gone farther away before saying, "She follows Xun Mei and lives near the Training Field. Sooner or later, she'll find out."

"It's better if she finds out a little later. She's only had a few good days. Once she's a couple years older, there'll be no need to keep it from her." Meng Yuan smiled.

Hu Qian nodded at that. Seeing how indulgent Meng Yuan was toward Jiang Tang, and how he had stood up for them at the Training Field, she found that he truly had the bearing of an elder. "She isn't that young anymore. There are no womenfolk in your household, and Sister Xun Mei is too proper. Some day, I'll take her to sit with my mother."

As she spoke, she batted her eyes at Meng Yuan.

"Many thanks." Meng Yuan clasped his hands.

The two exchanged smiles, while Tie Niu was utterly baffled as to what they were smiling about.

Once inside the courtyard, the three met Xun Mei.

The moment Xun Mei heard there had been another fight, she did not find it surprising. She first had Hu Qian and Tie Niu wait quietly outside, allowing only Meng Yuan in to explain.

Naturally, Meng Yuan told the truth without concealing anything.

After Meng Yuan finished, Xun Mei called Hu Qian in and listened to the account of what had happened once more.

Tie Niu came last, but he spoke in a tangled, muddled way. Within a few sentences, he had veered off into things like how his elder brother had been forced into it too.

"Enough. I understand." After comparing their accounts and clarifying the cause, Xun Mei examined Tie Niu's wound and asked Meng Yuan, "Why did you go to the Training Field so late? Did you drink with Uncle Nie again?"

Eh? Meng Yuan was stunned. He had prepared a whole bellyful of words, and they were supposed to be discussing the fight now. How had it turned to drinking?

Women's train of thought was always somewhat strange. Meng Yuan immediately admitted it. "I only drank a little."

"He enjoys drinking, but you are at the very time when you should be learning your craft. You must never become addicted to it. Remember: learning is like rowing a boat against the current—once you let yourself go, you will rush downstream a thousand miles. A gentleman must possess self-restraint," Xun Mei said.

"Yes." Meng Yuan immediately agreed.

"You were not at fault in this matter. He injured someone first, and since you oversee matters at the Training Field, it was only right for you to step forward. But blood was spilled, after all. In the future—" Before Xun Mei could finish, heavy thudding footsteps sounded outside.

"This is utter rebellion!" Nie Yannian's voice arrived before he did. He strode in and poked Meng Yuan in the forehead. "Quite the promising fellow, aren't you! You raised weapons against your own people and started fighting your comrades!"

"Uncle Nie, don't be angry. I've asked about it. Someone else was the one who raised weapons against his comrades; he used a blade to stop the conflict," Xun Mei said.

"He was still in the wrong! The medicine costs will all be deducted from his monthly pay!" Nie Yannian dragged Meng Yuan outside in a huff. "Come! Go receive your punishment at the Training Field!"

"I've already punished him—" Xun Mei had wanted to say a little more, but Meng Yuan had already been lifted out by the scruff of his neck in Nie Yannian's grip. She hurriedly instructed Hu Qian and Tie Niu, "Follow them. A slight punishment will do—do not be overly harsh on one who is loyal, steadfast, and pure-hearted!"

Hu Qian and Tie Niu immediately followed. Once they left Xun Mei's workplace, they saw that Nie Yannian had already let go of Meng Yuan and even slung an arm over his shoulder. He did not look like he intended to punish him in the slightest.

"You little brat, not bad! You dared to fight above your rank—you've got a fraction of my old style!" Nie Yannian chuckled.

"Master Nie, Mei-jie was already going to let the matter pass, but you had to stir things up for nothing. Now the medicine costs have landed on my head instead." Meng Yuan ate a lot and spent a lot, while his income was meager, so he was especially pained by the thought of money.

"You miser! What the hell are a few coins?" Nie Yannian never had anything nice to say. "Come on! I'll treat you to drinks!"

"Then why not give everyone the day off?" Meng Yuan smiled and glanced at Hu Qian and Tie Niu.

"You really know how to hand out favors that cost you nothing!" Nie Yannian cursed, then said, "Fine, I'll give you face!" He kicked Tie Niu in the backside. "Go call everyone out. We're eating at Drunken Moon Pavilion!"

"Master Nie, the mess hall has probably nearly finished cooking by now. Why go out to eat?" Tie Niu had lived through hard times and could not bear to see waste.

Hu Qian laughed at that.

"You're another good-for-nothing! How much could Drunken Moon Pavilion possibly cost—" Nie Yannian had been about to smack Tie Niu on the head, but he stopped midway. "Then we'll eat back at the Training Field. Tie Niu does have good sense!"

Instead, he began praising him.

"You two go buy a couple jars of wine!" Nie Yannian patted Meng Yuan on the shoulder. "I didn't bring money. Scholar Meng, give us some money for the wine."

The moment Meng Yuan saw Master Nie trying to save money, he realized the man did not intend to spend even a single coin. He could only spread his hands. "My money is all managed by the girl at home. I didn't bring any with me."

"I still have a little silver." Tie Niu was the most honest of them all and immediately reached into his sleeve, but Hu Qian gave him a hard slap.

Tie Niu still did not understand what it meant when Nie Yannian burst out laughing. "Perfect, then we can make a detour to your house!"

Seeing that he had been thoroughly pinned down, Meng Yuan could only obediently lead the way.

Once they got home, Jiang Tang heard that Meng Yuan was treating his Training Field colleagues and Master Nie to drinks. She directly handed her purse to Hu Qian. "Sister Qian, I don't know anything about wine. Please buy something good—don't save money for my sake."

"Don't worry. I won't make your fine brother lose face." Hu Qian took it with a smile, grabbed Tie Niu, and ran off like a wisp of smoke.

At the mention of her fine brother, Jiang Tang's cheeks immediately reddened. Only after Tie Niu had run far away did she take out a small medicine bottle again. "Brother, remember to apply this medicine to Tie Niu. It'll help him heal faster."

"This little girl has more social grace than you!" Nie Yannian escorted Meng Yuan to outside the Training Field before saying, "Tell me exactly how you fought."

Meng Yuan naturally told the truth. The only reason he had won was that he was stronger, faster, and had greater endurance!

Of course, it was also because he dared to go all out, while the other man's fighting spirit dwindled more and more after suffering even the slightest setback.

"Winning across ranks is common on the martial path, but only among the lower ranks. Once you reach Seventh Rank, defeating a Sixth Rank becomes extraordinarily difficult. Use your head." Nie Yannian offered a reminder. "Don't casually fight opponents above your rank in the future. There's no shame in running away or admitting defeat."

"I know. Back at the Medicine Manor, I already said it. It didn't matter if he was prejudiced against me—as long as he didn't provoke me, I didn't care. Even if he bullied me, I'd endure it. I'm an honest man, after all." Meng Yuan sighed. "This time, I truly had no choice. I was genuinely driven into a corner."

"You read a few worthless books and learned none of the good things, but you did pick up those stinking scholars' hypocritical tricks. You'd wanted to beat him up long ago, hadn't you?" Nie Yannian tapped Meng Yuan's nose. "You've got a problem: your hand is ruthless, but your heart isn't! When he provoked you, you should've just gone at him. Yet you insisted on claiming the moral high ground before fighting!"

"Master Nie, that is called acting openly and honorably, winning people over with virtue." Meng Yuan did not get angry despite being seen through. Instead, he had another view. "I serve the Princess Consort. The Princess Consort loves books, is broad in learning and widely informed, and pities the lonely and weak. I see that the Princess Consort also conducts herself reasonably, so I should do the same. That is called striving to be like the worthy when one sees them."

"Striving to be like the worthy?" Nie Yannian stroked his chin and smacked his lips. "That really does sound like a crooked sort of logic!"

He looked Meng Yuan over and praised him. "Scholar Meng is indeed Scholar Meng! Not only loyal, hehe, but virtuous as well. Those books truly weren't read for nothing. Impressive, impressive!"

"You flatter me, Master Nie." Meng Yuan accepted every word without hesitation.