The moment the four words "Licentiate Yan Xiong" were read aloud, many people burst into laughter. Even Jin MuLan could not help but smile. In that instant, she seemed as lovely and moving as a hundred flowers blooming at once.
But Yan Xiong's teacher's expression immediately turned incomparably grim.
The moment Yan Xiong finished reading, he understood that he had been played. But words once spoken were like water thrown out—they could never be taken back. He trembled with rage and pointed at Shen Lang. "You, you..."
"Yes, you're an idiot!" Shen Lang said. "Brother Yan Xiong, you've been so honest ever since we were children!"
Yan Xiong was nearly furious enough to explode. He still wanted to step forward and argue, to settle who was right and who was wrong.
At that moment, his teacher, Zhang Boyan, the former lord of Xuanwu City, said coldly, "Step back. Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?"
Licentiate Yan Xiong retreated in a huff. Feeling everyone's mocking gazes upon him, he wished he could burrow straight into the ground.
What scholars treasured most was their reputation. This nickname, "I'm an idiot," would likely follow him for the rest of his life.
It might even affect him when he took the Recommended Man examination.
Yan Xiong immediately shouted angrily, "Earl, this is your Earl's Manor. Shen Lang is your son-in-law. Are you really going to let him behave so crudely and ruin the Jin Clan's reputation?"
Xuanwu Earl smiled but said nothing.
There was no way he would speak. Yan Xiong was merely a minor Licentiate; if his teacher had not been the former lord of Xuanwu City, he would not even have been qualified to enter this great hall. If the Earl had to answer every question from such a nobody, would he not be exhausted to death?
Besides, Yan Xiong, a mere Licentiate, had publicly stepped forward to question the Earl's Manor's marriage. The fact that he had not been held accountable already showed Xuanwu Earl's magnanimity.
Shen Lang smiled. "Yan Xiong, you were the one who said those four words. I didn't say even half a curse."
Shen Lang continued, "As for ruining the Xuanwu Jin Clan's reputation, please rest assured. My Jin Family is strong enough. Such a trifling matter cannot possibly tarnish our name. The Jin Clan's reputation lies in the people's hearts, in the care every generation of Xuanwu Earls has shown the common folk, and in their loyalty to the Monarch—not in the empty mouths and white teeth of shameless scholars like you."
At those words, Xuanwu Earl was slightly startled. Shen Lang had truly spoken straight from his heart.
When Shen Lang had first said he wanted to marry Jin MuLan, the Earl had nearly felt like killing him.
But now, he felt that Shen Lang was actually not bad, and that he understood him well.
Xuanwu Earl's magnanimity came from his heartfelt love for the people of Xuanwu City. Yet he was absolutely not some pedantic man who cherished every feather on his body beyond measure. So what if his son-in-law cursed someone? As long as it was done with propriety and restraint, even beating someone up would be no problem.
When Xu Qianqian heard Shen Lang's words, she could not help but be stunned. Was this silver-tongued man really Shen Lang? Before, he had been so dull and tongue-tied that he could not even utter a complete sentence.
After being driven out of the Xu Family, he had actually changed so drastically?
"Shameless!" Zhang Jin could not help muttering.
They had only just completed the wedding rites, yet Shen Lang was already calling the Jin Clan "we" and "us." He really knew how to cling to a powerful thigh. Did he have no shame at all? However, Shen Lang's words had provoked an important figure.
Zhang Boyan, the former lord of Xuanwu City, was not only Yan Xiong's teacher, but also a typical scholar.
When Shen Lang had humiliated Yan Xiong earlier, he had merely treated it as a game between youngsters.
But now Shen Lang kept calling them shameless scholars. That was slapping his face. Zhang Boyan had to teach this brat a lesson, lest he learned a few obscure characters and no longer knew the height of heaven or the depth of earth.
"Student Shen, it seems you are well versed in obscure script?" Zhang Boyan asked.
"I wouldn't dare claim mastery," Shen Lang said. "I merely know a little."
"I have a character here. My students are disappointments and none of them can recognize it. Would Student Shen be willing to enlighten them?" Zhang Boyan asked.
The moment those words came out, everyone was instantly invigorated. The students had been slapped in the face, and now their teacher was personally taking the field.
Who was Zhang Boyan? He was the former lord of Xuanwu City, a renowned scholar who had read extensively and especially loved investigating ancient sites. After retiring, he had opened an academy in the city. Many Licentiates had taken him as their teacher. How profound was his learning?
Xuanwu Earl was the master of all Xuanwu City, so why was this former city lord opposing the Earl's Manor? That involved the New Policy. Beginning more than a decade ago, the Monarch had started reclaiming lands and power from these old aristocratic houses.
Previously, the position of Xuanwu City's lord had always been held by someone sent by the Earl's Manor, usually Xuanwu Earl's Younger Brother.
Around eleven years ago, Xuanwu Earl's Manor relinquished the position of city lord, and it was instead filled by someone appointed by the Monarch.
From then on, every city lord had a mission: to draw a clear line between himself and Xuanwu Earl, and struggle against him in secret.
Shen Lang smiled. "Since Lord Zhang wishes to test me, I'll give it a try."
This time, neither Xuanwu Earl nor Jin MuLan showed any intention of stopping him. Shen Lang had already regained his dignity just now. Even if he lost to Zhang Boyan now, it would not matter.
What kind of person was Zhang Boyan? A great Confucian scholar famous far and wide.
Shen Lang had only studied at the Town School for a few years. Was it not perfectly normal for him to lose to Zhang Boyan? Seeing his teacher stand up for him, Licentiate Yan Xiong was overjoyed. He hurried forward to grind ink for his teacher, spread out a sheet of bright red paper, then respectfully presented a wolf-hair brush with both hands.
Zhang Boyan accepted it and wrote a character on the paper.
Everyone gathered around, and Jin MuLan looked over as well.
"Excellent calligraphy!"
"Elegant and profound. Without several decades of practice, one could never write such characters."
After Zhang Boyan finished writing, everyone praised him.
The calligraphy of this former lord of Xuanwu City truly was excellent, his strokes forceful enough to penetrate the paper.
However, no one present recognized the character he had written.
"Lord Zhang's writing is truly splendid. Every stroke and dot is intoxicating."
"Indeed. Without decades of skill, one could never write like this."
"But what character is this?"
"I don't know!"
"I don't know!"
Everyone present shook their heads. Not one person recognized it.
Whether Licentiates or Recommended Men, including MuLan and the Earl, none of them recognized this character.
Someone said, "Lord Zhang enjoys excavating and studying ancient sites. This must be an ancient inscription he obtained somewhere, exceedingly rare and not found in books. That must be why no one recognizes it?"
Hearing everyone's words, Zhang Boyan felt secretly pleased.
This character had indeed been copied from an ancient inscription he found while excavating a site. He had only learned what it meant by connecting it with the surrounding text. It was simply not found in any books.
Therefore, unless someone had personally read that inscription, no one could possibly understand this character.
Shen Lang stepped forward and glanced at it. To his surprise, it was a Small Seal Script character.
This character was very simple. It was the character for sheep with two horizontal strokes removed. Written in simplified characters, it was ￥.
Every modern Chinese person was familiar with it, because it was the symbol for the renminbi. In modern times, it was pronounced yuan.
But in ancient times, it definitely did not mean yuan. What it specifically meant and how it was pronounced, Shen Lang truly did not know.
Other than the handful of people in the Great Yan Dynasty who excavated ancient sites and studied Small Seal Script, no one else touched it at all. This world did not use Small Seal Script as a writing tool; it was merely the hobby of a tiny group of people.
Thus, the difficulty of this character was truly somewhat heaven-defying.
If Shen Lang had to rely on himself, he would definitely lose this time.
But he carried an Alien Notebook Computer within his body, and it had already fused with his brain.
His eyes merely swept over it once, and the answer was immediately scanned from its database.
Xuanwu Earl said, "Shen Lang, this character is extremely difficult. Unless one happened to see it on an ancient inscription, no one would recognize it. It is nothing if you do not know it."
Then he added, "Your parents stubbornly refused to attend the wedding rites. Go pay your respects to them with MuLan."
He was giving Shen Lang a dignified way to step down.
Zhang Boyan did not care about defeating a mere Shen Lang.
But one character had stumped everyone present, so this former lord of Xuanwu City could not help feeling immensely proud. With his hands clasped behind his back, he wore the air of loneliness like snow.
Shen Lang said, "Lord Zhang, if I'm not mistaken, you do not know how to pronounce this character either, do you? You should have learned its meaning from the context of the inscription, but its pronunciation remained unknown."
"That is correct," Zhang Boyan said. "But knowing its meaning is more important than knowing its pronunciation, is it not?"
Shen Lang said, "What a coincidence. I happen to know how this character is pronounced."
"Impossible." Licentiate Yan Xiong said, "My teacher already said that he only learned this character's meaning from the context of the inscription. Therefore, no one could possibly know how to pronounce it."
Shen Lang said, "If I know how to pronounce this character and also know its meaning, how about you slap yourself once? You were talking nonsense earlier and called me brain-damaged."
Yan Xiong said, "What if you don't recognize it? Or recognize it incorrectly?"
Shen Lang said, "Then I'll slap myself."
"Fine, it's a deal." Licentiate Yan Xiong said, "Everyone present will bear witness."
Lord Zhang Boyan did not stop them, because opposing the Earl's Manor was politically correct. Shen Lang had been far too arrogant tonight. It was time he received a proper lesson.
Shen Lang said, "This character is pronounced the same as 'endure.'"
"Ha ha ha..." Licentiate Yan Xiong said. "You say it is pronounced 'endure,' and that makes it so? Who can prove it?"
Shen Lang said, "And this character's meaning should be interchangeable with 'stab.'"
The moment those words came out, Zhang Boyan, the former lord of Xuanwu City, changed expression instantly, revealing a look of utter disbelief.
Th-this was impossible!
Had he seen a ghost? Shen Lang actually recognized such a character with no known source? And even knew how to pronounce it?
Before you continue