Prince Yan's Vengeance Proves Hard to Repay, Qiu Yan's Fortune Fades

"Brother Li, judging from your appearance, have you encountered some troubles?"

Duolu was exceptionally perceptive and adept at reading people's expressions. After arriving in the Central Plains, he had been paying close attention to everything, so how could he miss the expression on the Prince Yan? As soon as he entered the room, he noticed that the Prince Yan's expression was unusual. Then he sensed that the atmosphere in the room was heavy, and there were two people standing to the side with their heads down, silent as cicadas in winter, clearly being reprimanded. He immediately made a guess.

However, he remained outwardly calm, and after looking around, he said, "If it's convenient, please tell me what you think. Perhaps I can lend you a hand, Brother Li."

Duolu's statement came promptly, without even asking why, and his declaration of support showed his enthusiasm and loyalty.

Prince Yan's expression changed, and he seemed somewhat tempted. He was indeed troubled by something, the reason stemming from his two subordinates, or more precisely, the news they brought.

These two were the ones sent by Prince Yan to contact the bribed Confucian scholars, hoping to stir up trouble and tarnish Qiu Yan's reputation.

Having learned of Qiu Yan's chess match, the two immediately went to find him. After understanding the situation, they observed the situation and secretly plotted to have their fellow scholars join in the commotion when the situation turned unfavorable for Qiu Yan, thus launching their plan to attack him.

People in this world are easily influenced by those around them and have a herd mentality. If used properly, Qiu Yan will not get the better of them.

However, their hesitation caused them to miss their opportunity, and the situation became increasingly out of control.

At the beginning, Gao Song, the leading figure of the Ritual Reverence Academy, stepped forward to play chess with Qiu Yan. At that time, it was clear that many Confucian scholars, because they were dissatisfied with Qiu Yan's reputation, had the idea of kicking him when he was down. Without any instigation, they all You Di towards Qiu Yan.

These scholars were all in the prime of their lives. They dared to come to the Eastern Capital and enter the Literary Pavilion, so they were obviously not content with mediocrity. They could not bear to see Qiu Yan leading the way alone, and subconsciously regarded Qiu Yan as their rival.

However, as Gao Song conceded defeat, the situation gradually changed and became increasingly strange. After conceding, Gao Song reversed his previous attitude and showed Qiu Yan a completely convinced look, which was quite displeasing and provoked the man surnamed Hu and others to take turns to fight.

However, what followed was even more unexpected. After several games, not a single person who played against Qiu Yan was able to win, which was already surprising. But one by one, they all became like Gao Song, praising Qiu Yan to the highest degree!

One or two would be one thing, but all the Confucian scholars who had come forward had changed their attitudes, which made the rest of the group think twice.

Normally, those who dare to step forward at such times are either renowned, outstanding, or at the very least confident in themselves. Such individuals are generally resolute and, to some extent, can be considered trendsetters among students, representing the will and inclination of the masses.

As Gao Song and others changed their attitudes, the atmosphere among the crowd inevitably shifted, gradually transforming from dissatisfaction and resentment towards Qiu Yan into a sense of awe.

This awe is not respect for Qiu Yan's Literary Thought, but rather an instinctive fear and dread of the unknown. After all, the situation of using chess to change people's hearts is extremely strange in the eyes of outsiders.

In this situation, fewer and fewer people were willing to sit down and play chess, while those who dared to step forward were all of outstanding status. After ten games, almost all the rising stars of the younger generation of literary figures in Eastern Capital had played chess with Qiu Yan. As a result, the crowd became quieter and the atmosphere gradually became more and more oppressive.

This time, although forced by circumstances, Qiu Yan dared to challenge everyone and ultimately persevered, winning over many opponents. Such an achievement, building momentum and prestige, is worthy of being recorded in history. Who would dare to underestimate him?

Seeing that the situation was not good, the two subordinates of Prince Yan acted decisively and immediately sent a Confucian scholar who was in contact with them to try to turn the tide and change the atmosphere. However, when the scholar conceded defeat in the middle of the game and bowed respectfully to Qiu Yan, the two men finally realized that the situation was hopeless.

Although they didn't know the reason, they were good at reading people's expressions. As soon as they noticed the awe on the faces of the people around them, they knew that there was no chance. Not to mention that the remaining scholars were unwilling to step forward, even if they were willing, the two of them didn't think it was a good idea. The two of them were also intimidated by Qiu Yan's actions and had already given up.

To subdue the enemy without fighting.

"What can I say about you? It's one thing to say Qiu Yan's cultivation is superb and unmatched by force, it's another to say his literary talent is unparalleled, but now you're telling me that Qiu Yan simply played chess and managed to subdue that bunch of useless trash outside! You've completely quelled the situation! You..."

Upon hearing the report, Prince Yan was first stunned, then flew into a rage. He was already seething with anger and just wanted to vent it. He had even braced himself to come to the Literary Pavilion for revenge, only to be met with this result. How could he possibly let it go?

You must understand, Prince Yan originally gathered his Literary Thought to enter the Scholar Forest, stir up a storm, establish his power, and cultivate his righteousness. Now, not only has things gone against his wishes, but he is also forced to come to this Literary Pavilion to listen to people critique his articles, which is simply an insult.

However, with Yang Ying issuing a warning in front and the Golden Crow Sect behind him losing contact, even the Golden Crow Daoist's Divine Soul had vanished without a trace, leaving only his physical body, which seemed to be on the verge of death.

All of this made Prince Yan feel uneasy, but he had no choice but to give up his extraordinary powers and turn to Human Path. However, it seems that Human Path are not going smoothly either. Qiu Yan is no longer an unknown figure in the Eastern Capital. If Qiu Yan's reputation is not tarnished, even if he is a prince, there are some things he cannot do too much. In fact, his actions will be under more scrutiny, and he may be impeached if he is not careful.

These thoughts, bottled up inside, turned into anger, which Prince Yan vented on his two subordinates. The two men listened with their heads down, not daring to utter a single word of rebuttal or defense. However, seeing Prince Yan's anger growing stronger, they couldn't help but feel fear, thinking that things would not end well and that they might suffer collateral damage.

Fortunately, at that moment, Duolu knocked on the door and came in, temporarily rescuing the two from the predicament.

Duolu's origins and background are extraordinary. He acts without much restraint in the Central Plains. Prince Yan befriended him precisely because of this. Just a few days ago, he even used Doru to commit a major crime. Now that he has encountered him again, he immediately has the idea of shifting the blame eastward.

"Although I can no longer use my Divine Ability powers to deal with Qiu Yan, I can use this Duolu to make the two of them fight..."

However, his idea was stillborn before it could be fully developed. He was shaken by Duolu's next words, and the forced smile froze on his face.

"To be honest, I have a favor to ask of you, Brother Li. I hope you can introduce me to Mr. Qiu Yan. I was watching him play chess downstairs just now. Although I don't know the intricacies of his game, I know he is no ordinary person. I heard that he once defeated the talented scholar He Shuchang from Jiangnan and was even favored by a great sage. He is a man of great talent. I would like to host a banquet at White Jade Tower and ask Mr. Qiu for his guidance in person. I hope you will grant my request, Brother Li."

As he spoke, Duolu solemnly bowed to Prince Yan. His face was full of longing as he spoke, and when he mentioned Qiu Yan's name, he showed even more respect and admiration. This expression clearly showed that he was impressed by Qiu Yan.

As soon as he finished speaking, Duolu noticed that Prince Yan's expression was off and couldn't help but ask, "Hmm? Is there some difficulty?" Then, he lowered his voice and said sincerely, "Brother Li, when I helped you before, I mentioned that I hoped you could introduce me to a great talent from the Central Plains. If you can grant me that wish, I will do my best to help you in the future."

The political value implied in these words was captured by Prince Yan, which moved him. However, when he thought of his relationship with Qiu Yan, he smiled bitterly to himself.

"I owe this Grasslands brute a favor from before. If I don't acknowledge it, we'll probably become enemies immediately, and who knows how much trouble that will cause. But Qiu Yan has already bullied and humiliated me, so I'm already finding it difficult to take action. Am I really supposed to act as an intermediary now? That's simply outrageous! How can I let him have his way?"

Just as Prince Yan was about to offer words of comfort to Duolu with a forced smile, the entire Literary Pavilion suddenly trembled slightly, and the Literary Thought that permeated the surroundings began to surge, which could be clearly felt even inside the room.

"What's going on?" Prince Yan only had a slight feeling, but Duolu's heart skipped a beat, and he had a premonition.

Just then, the south window was suddenly pushed open, and Yang Ying jumped in, his clothes tattered. As soon as he landed, ignoring the surprised looks of the people in the room, he looked up at Prince Yan and grinned. "Brother Li, Brother Duolu's suggestion is quite interesting. I think you'd better agree to it."

When these words reached the ears of Prince Yan, his already surprised face immediately darkened, and his expression became extremely grim.

What's going on with this surge of Literary Thought?

Not only did Duolu and others notice the change in Literary Thought, but the many Confucian scholars downstairs also felt puzzled.

At this point, no one challenged him anymore. Instead, a few people, led by Gao Song, sought Qiu Yan's guidance on the principles of Sage. Qiu Yan did not hold back and shared his insights one by one.

The previous game of chess had already greatly benefited Gao Song and the others. Now, by directly seeking their guidance, their understanding was further solidified, and the joy brought by their improved knowledge filled their hearts and was evident in their expressions. Their attitude became even more respectful, resembling that of disciples serving their teacher.

Qiu Yan didn't care about this; in fact, he gained much more from these people.

The people playing against him each gained unsystematic insights. Because of their different backgrounds, their understanding was also different, making it difficult for them to share their knowledge. It was like several people obtaining a Cultivation Method Secret Manual from Qiu Yan, but none of them were complete, and the derivative Cultivation Method they developed were naturally different as a result.

In contrast, Qiu Yan combined the knowledge of several people, refined it into his own, and integrated the Sage Spirit, transforming it into his own mindset.

Suddenly, an idea struck him.

"Oh? My Literary Thought is fluctuating, it seems related to my article, but my Fortune is being depleted as a result, which is not good. Oh well, it's time to infuse this accumulated energy into talismans and, incidentally, reverse my Fortune..."

ps:

Thank you to "Little Grass's Pride" and "Wan Xia Xia La" for the generous donations!