Many scholars of the Qing Kingdom were somewhat bewildered, and some high officials were even beside themselves with anger. Although the Qing Kingdom's national strength had grown, that was because Saint Zong and the Zong Family had become stronger. It held no advantage in other respects. After all, the Qing Kingdom was somewhat content to hold its own corner of the world, whereas the Wu Kingdom had fought both the Qi Kingdom and the Barbarian Race without ever falling behind. It was strong in every respect.
If it were a literary competition, involving at most poetry, prose, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, the Qing Kingdom and the Wu Kingdom would have equal odds. But in an actual literary duel, the Qing Kingdom would have no more than a forty percent chance of victory.
Those Qing people who had insulted the Wu Lord at the outset especially wished they could bite off their own tongues. Had they known this would happen, they would never have provoked the Wu Kingdom. But now they were riding a tiger and could not dismount. They could only grit their teeth and accept the Wu Kingdom's declaration of war.
The Qing Lord's expression was exceedingly ugly. Before the matter of Fang Yun had even been resolved, they had provoked a great number of Wu scholars. The crucial point was that the Wu Kingdom lay very far from the Qing Capital, so even when Wu scholars wanted to cause trouble for the Qing Kingdom, they rarely went there. Now, however, large numbers of Wu people had used the temporary Sea Eye to reach Baling, and Baling was very close to the Qing Capital.
The Qing officials were also frowning deeply with worry. Who could have imagined that by holding a literary assembly, Fang Yun would transport Wu