"Ha ha ha!!"
"Since Qin Director of Studies has brought up 'Exemplar of All Under Heaven,' I would like to ask him a few questions."
Shen Duan stepped forward and stared Qin Yan down, his voice dripping with mockery. "You, Qin Director of Studies, as a great master of Neo-Confucianism, spend your days holding forth, forever preaching, 'Preserve heavenly principle, extinguish human desire.'"
"Yet which of your disciples hasn't sharpened his head to squeeze into the Ministry of Personnel? Which of them isn't itching for connections?
"Heh. As I see it, that reputation of yours as a great Neo-Confucian master is nothing but a fig leaf!"
This was now an undisguised attack, insulting not only Qin Yan but all his disciples as well.
Worse, it trampled underfoot the Neo-Confucian teachings he had studied and upheld his entire life.
A man skilled in reason, a man who had openly rejoiced upon hearing of Wei Nisheng's deeds as the Fiery Child and declared that the killing was well done...
At the words "fig leaf," his expression darkened at once.
Meanwhile, Feng Yan, who belonged to the same generation as Qin Yan and had lived through three emperors' reigns, seemed to realize something and shouted on the spot,
"Oh no!! Ni Sheng, get back!!"
Wei Nisheng froze at Feng Yan's warning, unable to react.
At that same moment, Qin Yan stopped cupping his hands, stopped reasoning, and stopped quoting the classics.
He abruptly hauled up his sleeves. With a rustle, the broad fabric bunched at his elbows, exposing forearms bulging with veins.
Then he ripped the scholar's cap from his head and slammed it onto the table with a crack, sending its jade hairpin flying.
Before anyone could react, Qin Yan lunged forward, swung his fist, and roared like thunder, his eyes blazing,