A flash of anger crossed the Qing Lord's face when he heard Fang Yun's retort, but his expression immediately returned to normal. Inwardly, however, he felt a trace of regret, and his hatred for Fang Yun deepened.
Before coming to Xiang Prefecture, the Qing Lord had discussed matters with several Qing Kingdom officials. He would not target Fang Yun directly, but would let Xiang Prefecture's Qing Officials and the Qing Kingdom officials enter the fray against him, avoiding attacks on himself. After all, the last time Fang Yun had fought a Literary Battle over Xiang Prefecture, he had dealt the Qing Lord no shortage of blows. Even the reputation of the Qing Kingdom's scholars had suffered, while Fang Yun's literary fame had only grown.
But now, before the Qing Lord had said a single word, he had gotten himself covered in filth. He had clearly wanted no part in the fight, yet Fang Yun had seized him by the collar and dragged him into the ring. Staying out of it was no longer possible.
What angered the Qing Lord most was that Fang Yun's status was now extraordinary, as was this occasion. This incident was very likely to enter the official histories, an enormous stain on the reputation of a reigning monarch.
The Qing Lord pondered whether he should remain silent, take the initiative to attack Fang Yun, or actively defuse the situation.
Taking the initiative to defuse this would be utterly inappropriate. All our maneuvers, before and after, would amount to nothing. It would be good to strike back at Fang Yun, but the problem is... I cannot outargue him. In all these years, I truly have never heard of anyone besting him in a war of insults. Alas, it seems remaining silent is the best choice.
After everyone