Seeing that Xie An would not speak, Wang Xizhi could only turn helplessly to his wife's nephew himself. "Jiabin, isn't this merely an appointment to manage some practical affairs? No one said it couldn't be done. Why drag your cousin's marriage into it? Is a marriage between the Wang and Xie families to change course because of one remark from you? All your words have accomplished is to make everyone unhappy."
Xi Jiabin was about to reply.
But Wang Xizhi raised a hand to stop him, then turned back to Xie An. "Anshi, you recommended the man yourself, and this is only an appointment to manage practical affairs. What does it matter whether they're trivial? Why bring that up and embarrass Jiabin, who's recommending him a second time? And it isn't just Liu Acheng. Why have you kept picking quarrels with people today, turning a perfectly good occasion into something that irritates everyone? Even with Jiabin, I seem to recall this isn't the first time you two have sparred like this. Why?"
He did know that the two had never gotten along, and that Xi Chao was not necessarily entirely to blame.
Xie An grew still more embarrassed.
Why did he keep clashing with others? Wasn't it because he thought them stupid or simple, and often could not restrain his contempt?
Everyone actually knew what was going on. Even Wang Xizhi was frequently subjected to it. This was the manner of a celebrated gentleman, after all: the whole point was that cutting edge, the principle of I can put you down, but you can't answer me back. And such behavior had a practical foundation. Celebrated gentlemen now relied on metaphysical discourse, their main activity was debate, and what they sought was the pleasure of a sharp tongue.
Under such circumstances,