Slapping the Faces of All the Big Shots, Stunning the Whole Hall

The moment the four words "Scholar Yan Xiong" were spoken, many people burst into uproarious laughter. Even Jin MuLan could not help but smile, beautiful and enchanting as a hundred flowers blooming at once.

But Yan Xiong's teacher's expression immediately turned incomparably ugly.

The instant Yan Xiong finished reading, he understood that he had been played. But words 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 a dumbass!" Shen Lang said. "Brother Yan Xiong, you've always been so honest, ever since we were children!"

Yan Xiong nearly exploded with fury. He was about to step forward and argue, determined to settle who had won and lost.

At that moment, his teacher, former Xuanwu City Lord Zhang Boyan, said coldly, "Step back. Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?"

Scholar Yan Xiong retreated indignantly. Feeling everyone's mocking gazes upon him, he wished he could burrow into the ground.

What scholars like him treasured most was their reputation. The nickname "I'm a dumbass" would probably follow him for the rest of his life.

It might even affect him when he took the Recommended Man examination.

Yan Xiong immediately shouted, "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 scholar; if not for the fact that his teacher was Xuanwu City's former city lord, he would not even have been qualified to enter this Great Hall. If he had to answer every question from such a nobody, would that not exhaust him to death?

Besides, Yan Xiong, a mere scholar, had publicly stepped forward to question the Earl's Manor's marriage. The fact that he had not been punished 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 powerful enough that such a trivial matter cannot possibly tarnish its name. The Jin Clan's reputation lies in the hearts of the people, 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 into his heart.

When Shen Lang had previously said that he wanted to marry Jin MuLan, Xuanwu Earl had practically felt like killing someone.

But now, he felt that Shen Lang was not such a bad person after all—and that he understood him very well.

The reason Xuanwu Earl was so magnanimous was because he genuinely cherished the people of Xuanwu City. But he was absolutely not some pedantic fool. He treasured every feather on his body beyond measure. What did it matter if his son-in-law cursed someone? So long as it was done with propriety and restraint, even beating someone was no problem.

When Xu Qianqian heard Shen Lang's words, she could not help but feel astonished. Was this silver-tongued man really Shen Lang? Before, he had been so dull and wooden that he could not even utter a complete sentence.

After being thrown out of the Xu Family, he had changed so drastically?

"Shameless," Zhang Jin muttered despite himself.

The wedding rites had only just been completed, 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 offended an important figure.

Former Xuanwu City Lord Zhang Boyan was not only Yan Xiong's teacher, but also a typical scholar.

When Shen Lang humiliated Yan Xiong earlier, he had merely taken it as a game between young people.

But now Shen Lang kept talking about shameless scholars. He was slapping Zhang Boyan in the face. Zhang Boyan had to teach this brat a lesson, lest he recognize a few obscure characters and think the sky was the limit.

"Student Shen, it seems you are proficient in obscure characters?" Zhang Boyan asked.

Shen Lang said, "I wouldn't dare call myself proficient. I merely know a little."

"I have a character here. My students are useless and cannot recognize it. Would Student Shen be willing to resolve their confusion?" Zhang Boyan asked.

The moment those words were spoken, everyone became fully alert. The students had been slapped in the face, and now the teacher was personally stepping in.

Who was Zhang Boyan? He was the former Xuanwu City Lord, widely renowned as a great Confucian scholar. He had read extensively and especially enjoyed investigating ancient ruins. After retiring, he had opened an Academy in the city, and many scholars had become his disciples. How profound was his learning?

Xuanwu Earl was the master of all Xuanwu City, so why would this former city lord oppose the Earl's Manor? That involved the New Policy. Beginning more than ten years ago, the Monarch had started reclaiming fiefs and authority from these old aristocratic families.

Previously, the position of Xuanwu City Lord had always been held by someone sent from the Earl's Manor, usually Xuanwu Earl's Younger Brother.

About eleven years ago, Xuanwu Earl's Manor relinquished the position of city lord, and the Monarch began appointing someone instead.

From then on, every city lord had one 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, then I'll give it a try."

This time, neither Xuanwu Earl nor Jin MuLan showed any intention of stopping him. Shen Lang had already recovered his dignity earlier. Even if he lost to Zhang Boyan now, it would not matter.

What kind of person was Zhang Boyan? He was a great Confucian scholar famous far and wide.

Shen Lang had only studied for a few years at the Town School. Was it not perfectly normal for him to lose? Seeing his teacher stand up for him, Scholar Yan Xiong was overjoyed. He hurried forward to grind ink for his teacher, spread out a sheet of bright red paper, and then respectfully presented a wolf-hair brush with both hands.

Zhang Boyan took it and wrote a character on the paper.

Everyone crowded closer, and Jin MuLan looked over as well.

"Fine calligraphy!"

"Elegant and profound. Without decades of practice, one could never write such characters."

After Zhang Boyan finished writing, everyone applauded.

The former Xuanwu City Lord's calligraphy was indeed outstanding, his strokes powerful enough to pierce through the paper.

But none of the people present recognized the character he had written.

"Lord Zhang's calligraphy is truly exquisite. Every stroke and every line is intoxicating."

"Indeed. Without decades of work, one could never write like that."

"But what character is this?"

"I don't know!"

"I don't know!"

Everyone present shook their heads. Not a single person recognized it.

Whether scholars or Recommended Men, including MuLan and the Earl himself, none could identify this character.

Someone said, "Lord Zhang enjoys excavating and studying ancient ruins. This must be an ancient inscription obtained from somewhere, exceptionally rare and not found in books. That must be why no one recognizes it?"

Listening to everyone's words, Zhang Boyan felt a flicker of satisfaction.

He had indeed copied this character from an ancient inscription while excavating ruins. Only by studying the context had he learned what it meant; it did not exist in books at all.

Thus, aside from those who had personally read that inscription, no one could possibly understand this character.

Shen Lang stepped forward and took a look. To his surprise, it was a Small Seal Script character.

This character was simple. It was the character for sheep with two horizontal strokes removed. Written in simplified Chinese, it was ￥.

Every modern Chinese person was familiar with it, because it was the symbol for the renminbi, pronounced yuan in modern times.

But in ancient times, it definitely did not mean yuan. What exactly it meant and how it was pronounced, Shen Lang truly did not know.

Within the Great Yan Dynasty, aside from a very few people who excavated ancient ruins and studied Small Seal Script, no one touched it at all. This world simply did not use Small Seal Script as a writing tool; it was merely the hobby of a small group of people.

So the difficulty of this character was truly outrageous.

If Shen Lang had been relying on himself, he would definitely have lost this time.

But he carried an Alien laptop inside his body, already fused with his brain.

His eyes merely glanced at it once, and the answer was immediately scanned from the database.

Xuanwu Earl said, "Shen Lang, this character is exceedingly difficult. Unless one happened to see it on an ancient inscription, no one would recognize it. It does not matter if you do not know."

Then he added, "Your parents stubbornly refused to attend the wedding rites. You and MuLan should go pay your respects to them."

He was giving Shen Lang a dignified way out.

Zhang Boyan did not care about defeating a mere Shen Lang.

But one character had stumped everyone present, and the former Xuanwu City Lord could not help feeling immensely proud. He clasped his hands behind his back, wearing an air of lonely snow.

Shen Lang said, "Lord Zhang, if I'm not mistaken, you don't know how this character is pronounced either, do you? You must 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," Scholar Yan Xiong said. "My teacher already said that he only learned this character's meaning from the context of the inscription. Therefore, no one can possibly know how to pronounce it."

Shen Lang said, "If I know how this character is pronounced, and I also know what it means, how about you slap yourself once? You spoke carelessly earlier and called me brain-dead."

Yan Xiong said, "What if you don't recognize it? Or recognize it wrongly?"

Shen Lang said, "Then I'll slap myself."

"Fine, it's a deal," Scholar Yan Xiong said. "Everyone here will bear witness."

Lord Zhang Boyan did not stop him, because opposing the Earl's Manor was politically correct. Shen Lang had been too arrogant tonight. It was time he received a proper lesson.

Shen Lang said, "This character is pronounced the same as 'endure.'"

"Haha..." Scholar Yan Xiong said. "You say it is pronounced 'endure,' so it is pronounced 'endure'? Who can prove it?"

Shen Lang said, "And this character's meaning should correspond to 'stab.'"

The moment those words came out, former Xuanwu City Lord Zhang Boyan's expression instantly changed. His eyes revealed utter disbelief.

This, this was impossible!

Had he seen a ghost? Shen Lang actually recognized a character with no known source? And even knew how to pronounce it?