Huh?
Beside him, Li Zhixing's eyes instantly widened.
Wasn't Jiang Xiaobai being a little too arrogant?
Make everyone shut up?
Was Jiang Xiaobai planning to use the Northern Guardian Marquis's Estate's influence to force them into submission?
If so, he had picked the wrong place.
True, ordinary commoners might fear the name of the Northern Guardian Marquis's Estate.
But these students were different.
Every one of them had a fire burning in his chest, especially now that the matter involved injustice in the Imperial Examination and buying an official position and a title.
If Jiang Xiaobai tried to crush them with his influence now, he would only make the uproar worse!
Sure enough!
As Jiang Xiaobai's words fell, the clamor throughout the Clear Pavilion grew even louder.
Many students glared at him furiously.
Some of the more hotheaded ones had even rolled up their sleeves, looking ready to charge at him at any moment.
"Jiang Xiaobai, what arrogance!"
"Make us shut up? What gives you the right?"
"Hmph! A man who bought his office dares to run wild in the Clear Pavilion!"
"Unless you give the scholars of this land an explanation today, don't even think of leaving the Clear Pavilion!"
The waves of voices rose higher and higher.
Li Zhixing's expression shifted slightly, and he immediately moved to intervene.
It wasn't that he wanted to protect Jiang Xiaobai, but if this truly came to blows, the Clear Pavilion wouldn't escape involvement either.
Yet just as Li Zhixing was about to step forward, Jiang Xiaobai spoke again.
"What's the rush?"
Jiang Xiaobai stood there, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, his expression still calm. "When all is said and done, don't you just want me to give up my title of Top Graduate?"
"Fine. I can agree to that."
At