Sang Wen swayed.
Guo Baokun looked puzzled. "Who are you?"
"I am He Zongwei. Seeing you defend scholars everywhere and distinguish right from wrong today filled me with admiration, Young Master Guo. That was why I took the liberty of speaking."
"So you're Young Master He!" Guo Baokun realized.
He Zongwei had something of a reputation in the Capital. The name was enough for Guo Baokun to recognize him.
The two then acted as though they regretted not meeting sooner, echoing each other's words. Not only did they disparage Red Chamber again, they also made veiled insults directed at Sang Wen.
"Two men bullying a woman-have you no shame?"
Fan Sizhe, who had already been unable to sit still upstairs upon hearing Guo Baokun disparage Red Chamber, now charged straight over.
He shoved Guo Baokun aside, picked up Red Chamber from the ground, and brushed off the dust.
"If so many people enjoy reading it, it's a good book! You're just a court compiler, a petty official who can't even get into the government offices. Who are you to talk about banning books?"
Guo Baokun recognized Fan Sizhe and refused to back down. "I was wondering which stupid pig it was!"
He turned and explained Fan Sizhe's background to He Zongwei, whose mind was immediately put at ease.
Outnumbered two to one, Fan Sizhe couldn't win the argument. When they went on to insult his father, he grew so furious that he moved to strike them.
Guo Baokun's attendants surged forward. Seeing that Fan Sizhe was about to get the worst of it, Fan Xian finally moved upstairs.
He pushed off with his toes and swooped down like a swallow, shielding Fan Sizhe behind him.
Meanwhile, Sang Wen saw Chen Quan push through the crowd, with Zhou Cheng walking unhurriedly behind him.
All her pent-up hurt instantly spilled out as tears. Sang Wen wiped her face and hurried over to Fan Sizhe.
"Thank you for speaking up for me, Young Master Fan. My young master has arrived. Please return the book to me."
"Oh," Fan Sizhe said, handing it back.
He Zongwei had initially been intimidated by Fan Xian's entrance. Now that he had recovered, hearing Sang Wen ask for the book made him unable to resist another sneer.
"A courtesan through and through, still pining for that filthy, obscene book at a time like this. Young Master Fan said earlier that plenty of people enjoy reading it. That does make me wonder: you enjoy it as a prostitute, but does your patron enjoy it too?"
Chapter 12: Have him enter the palace
No sooner had He Zongwei's filthy words fallen than a calm yet forbidding voice cut through the crowd.
"Patron? How interesting! This is the first time anyone has applied that word to me!"
Zhou Cheng walked slowly out of the crowd. The folding fan in his hand opened with a swish, then snapped shut.
"Young master!"
At the sight of him, Sang Wen was like a bullied child seeing a parent. She immediately gathered up her skirts and hurried to Zhou Cheng with quick little steps.
Zhou Cheng gave her a slight nod, his gentle gaze resting briefly on her face to reassure her.
"Who are you? Aren't words meant to be used?" He Zongwei looked Zhou Cheng up and down. His clothes weren't particularly lavish, yet he carried a folding fan despite the cool weather. He scoffed inwardly. What a poser.
With Guo Baokun beside him, he had no need to fear anyone in the Capital except the few in the palace.
So he openly showed his disdain, lifting his chin slightly.
"The moment I said 'patron,' you claimed the title yourself. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. With a courtesan who enjoys Red Chamber in tow, 'patron' couldn't describe you more aptly!"
Having said that, he felt his argument was so sound that he couldn't help laughing aloud.
Quite a few onlookers chuckled along, though some with a discerning eye frowned in silence. Zhou Cheng might have been casually dressed, but the folding fan in his hand was exceptionally valuable, clearly beyond an ordinary person's means.
Fan Xian folded his arms, tapping his fingertips thoughtfully against one arm as he studied Zhou Cheng.
Ever since Guo Baokun appeared, he had vaguely sensed that the man was deliberately trying to lure him into the fray.
Now that Zhou Cheng had appeared, he wasn't sure whether Zhou Cheng was involved or had some role in it.
So he remained silent and pressed a hand firmly onto the restless Fan Sizhe's shoulder, deciding to watch from the sidelines for now.
He Zongwei was laughing, and laughter rose around him as well, but he suddenly sensed something wrong.
After a moment's thought, he realized there was no answering laughter behind him.
He hurriedly looked back, only to find Guo Baokun's eyes wide open, his lips trembling and his face as white as paper, as though he had seen a ghost.
He Zongwei's heart lurched.
Sure enough, the next instant, Guo Baokun's legs shook. He abruptly shoved aside He Zongwei, who stood in his way, and stumbled forward, forcing a smile uglier than a grimace as his voice quavered.
"Y-Your Highness... why have you come out into the streets yourself?"
High... Highness?
The moment Guo Baokun spoke, He Zongwei's vision went black. He swayed, barely managing to stay on his feet.
The crowd, which had been laughing loudly a moment earlier, instantly fell silent. Some hurriedly lowered their heads, while quite a few quietly edged backward.
"If I don't come out myself, should I have Official Guo do it for me?" Zhou Cheng sneered, tapping his folded fan against his palm with measured force. "To be honest, if I hadn't come out for a stroll, I would never have witnessed the impressive authority of my court compiler!"
Sweat poured from Guo Baokun's forehead as he repeatedly bowed, bending his waist extremely low. "A misunderstanding! Your Highness, this is all a misunderstanding!"
Zhou Cheng pressed his folded fan against Guo Baokun's lowered head, forcing him to look up.
"A misunderstanding? Are you suggesting that, young as I am, my ears are defective and I misheard?
"Weren't you the one who announced his position and loudly demanded that the book be banned, Compiler Guo?
"The Ministry of Rites oversees ritual and moral instruction. It may examine whether books violate moral principles, and it does indeed have the authority to ban them.
"If your father, Guo Youzhi, wanted to ban a book, that would be one thing. But a mere compiler like you dares shout about it in the streets? What, has the younger Official Guo already taken over the elder Official Guo's position?"
At those words, Guo Baokun's legs gave way, and he dropped to his knees with a thud.
"Please quell your anger, Your Highness! I-I would never dare overstep my duties. I was only... only..."
His mind raced as sweat streamed down his face. Finally, his eyes lit up. "Speaking out for justice! Yes, Your Highness, I was merely speaking my mind and standing up for justice!"
"Standing up for justice?" A mocking smile curved Zhou Cheng's lips as he bent closer to Guo Baokun.
"Have you even read Red Chamber? Yet you dare claim to be 'standing up for justice'?
"Snatching a woman's belongings in public, shoving someone weaker than you, spewing filthy words, and sullying her reputation-is that what you call 'speaking your mind'?
"Is that how the Minister of Rites' household taught you about 'justice' and 'speaking out'?"
Without waiting for Guo Baokun to argue, he flicked his wrist and cracked the folded fan across Guo Baokun's face!
Guo Baokun screamed and rolled right over on the ground.
When he got up, one cheek was visibly swelling. He grimaced in pain but dared not cry out again. Pressing the back of his hand to the injury, he hastily knelt properly and no longer dared speak carelessly.
None of the onlookers had expected this "Highness" to be so "approachable," striking someone without hesitation in full public view.
Fan Xian saw it clearly. He raised his brows slightly; one look at Guo Baokun's face told him this was no performance.
That blow from the fan hadn't looked particularly forceful, but it had landed solidly on the flesh of his face. The injury certainly wasn't serious, but the pain was very real!
Zhou Cheng turned his gaze toward He Zongwei.
He Zongwei's face was equally pale, but in the brief time it took Guo Baokun to receive that blow, he had actually forced himself to regain his composure.
Seeing Zhou Cheng look his way, he drew a deep breath and immediately gave a deep, respectful bow.
"I failed to recognize Your Highness. I was blind and spoke improperly. I am guilty!"
Without waiting for Zhou Cheng to respond, he raised his hands, clenched his teeth, and viciously slapped his own cheeks several times, alternating from side to side!
Amid the sharp cracks, blood soon seeped from the corner of his mouth and both cheeks swelled high. He looked several times more wretched than Guo Baokun.
The few remaining onlookers drew sharp breaths. Beside Zhou Cheng, even Sang Wen covered her face with her sleeve, unable to watch.
[Negative emotions from He Zongwei +666!]
Zhou Cheng remained unmoved, simply standing with his hands behind his back and watching the performance with an indifferent gaze.
He had to admit that He Zongwei lived up to his role in the original novel: a ruthless character and a true scoundrel.
He was ruthless toward his enemies, and even more ruthless toward himself!
He was clever, quick to react, and utterly without scruples. He knew how to create a chance of survival in a desperate situation and make the choice that benefited him most.
No wonder such a man could later corner Fan Xian at court until his only option was to resort to the most physical solution and wipe out the entire He Residence...
Zhou Cheng pulled his thoughts back. Seeing that He Zongwei was still covertly watching his reaction from the corner of his eye, he spoke.
"You supported Compiler Guo's demand to ban Red Chamber. Have you read it? Do you enjoy it?"
"I have read it, and I enjoy it." He Zongwei bowed again. His swollen cheeks made his speech muffled, but his tone was unusually steady.
He immediately continued, "Precisely because I enjoy it, I understand its dangers all the better!
"Red Chamber is filled with decadent sentiments. Its language is lewd, florid, and shallow. It wears down ambition and unsettles people's hearts, doing scholars nothing but harm in their pursuit of learning and virtue.
"It was precisely my anguish over this that made me step forward and implore that this book be banned!"
At those words, the surrounding crowd reacted with varying looks.
Beside Fan Xian, Fan Sizhe was impressed despite himself. He pursed his lips, rolled his eyes, and almost gave the man a thumbs-up!
It took real talent to make anything, good or bad, sound so principled!
Zhou Cheng gave a soft scoff. "I never realized you were so 'devoted to the greater good'! Then tell me, was repeatedly insulting my concubine also required by that 'greater good' of yours?"
He Zongwei drew a deep breath, knowing that the most crucial moment had arrived. He bowed his head deeply and said,
"I was filled with fervor and, in a moment of indignation, spoke without restraint. That was indeed improper. I also failed to imagine that Your Highness, in your benevolence and nobility, would show compassion to a woman of lowly status and rescue her from her suffering... My outlook was narrow, and I failed to comprehend Your Highness's magnanimity."
Even now, he had not admitted his fault and still called Sang Wen "lowly." He was putting her down to elevate Zhou Cheng.
In this era, few people treated those born into lowly status as human beings.
Chen Pingping of the Overwatch Council stood below only one man and above all others. Enemy nations trembled at his name, and he was known as the Dark Night Overlord. Why had such a man sought revenge for Ye Qingmei, dead for so many years, and ultimately suffered death by a thousand cuts without the slightest regret?
Because Chen Pingping had been a eunuch since childhood.
Only with Ye Qingmei had he ever felt genuine respect and experienced what it meant to be treated as a human being...
For an ordinary noble, an insult to a lowborn concubine, followed by such lavish public praise, would probably have been enough to make him seize the opportunity to display his "generosity" and let the matter drop.
But why would Zhou Cheng indulge in that nonsense?
Before you continue