Shen Duan had already lost face after being publicly refuted by a ten-year-old boy, and Feng Yan had brought up the past again while smoothing things over.
Now he could contain himself no longer. He sprang to his feet and slammed a palm onto the table.
"Fine! What a sharp-tongued little brat!" His voice and expression turned fierce, and his gaze gouged into Wei Nisheng.
"I have served in office for thirty years, through two reigns, and risen to the highest councils, yet even I dare not speak rashly of ritual and law.
"And you?! A mere fledgling brat, apprenticed for barely a day, dares wag his tongue before a hall full of elders and pronounce judgment on affairs of state?
"Is this truly a newborn calf unafraid of the tiger, or..." His gaze shifted, settling coldly on Feng Yan.
"Have you forgotten how high the heavens are and how deep the earth is because someone stands behind you?"
At Shen Duan's words, the laughter abruptly ceased.
The guests in Purple-and-Scarlet Robes exchanged uncertain looks.
Wei Nisheng's expression remained unchanged, however. His mind was crystal clear.
From the moment he entered Feng Yan's tutelage, he had borne the brand of Feng's faction.
The Purple-and-Scarlet Robes filling the Feng Residence today were all Lord Feng's former pupils and old associates. These men would become his support, his foundation.
If he hoped to inherit the connections, resources, and reputation Feng Yan had amassed over a lifetime, he could not show the slightest fear now.
Respecting one's teacher and honoring his teachings did not apply only in the classroom. It applied here and now as well.
If a disciple shrank back when his teacher was challenged to his face, that was ingratitude. That was wavering with one foot in each camp.
Besides, he