The gatekeeper panicked. "Hey! Young master, how can you-"
The servants from the Commandery Academy surged forward and held the gatekeeper aside. He hastily shouted, "Someone come! Someone's forcing his way in!"
Wang Yang strode inside, shouting:
"Jiao Zheng! Get out here, you bastard! The Langya Wang have enjoyed glory for a hundred generations, and a lowly slave like you dares play dirty tricks on us?"
Several blade-wielding house guards rushed out of the garden straight toward Wang Yang, but the moment they heard "Langya Wang," they dared not make another move.
Jiao Zheng hurried over with several men, and he too froze at Wang Yang's words.
"You're Jiao Zheng?" Wang Yang swept his gaze over the short, stocky man, dressed like some wealthy old landlord. His eyes held utter contempt.
Jiao Zheng looked Wang Yang up and down with a hostile gaze. "You are-"
"Young Master Wang? Young Master Wang!" Steward He ran to Wang Yang's side and bowed. "My lord is hosting a banquet at the Commandery Academy. Quite a few young men of the Liu clan have come, and they're all waiting to see-"
"No time. Tell Liu Zhao I'm busy."
Steward He meekly withdrew.
The Commandery Academy, Liu Zhao, young men of the Liu clan... the Niyang Liu Clan!
Could this boy really be one of the Langya Wang?
The corner of Jiao Zheng's eye twitched. He gave a house guard a meaningful look, and the man hurried outside to investigate.
Though Jiao Zheng was of lowly standing, he had once served in the Capital Imperial Guard and had seen plenty of important figures. Seeing Wang Yang act with such overbearing arrogance actually made him afraid to lose his temper. He cupped his hands. "I am Jiao Zheng. May I ask, young master-"
Wang Yang cut