All sides

The entire scene was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. A few breaths later, a tremendous shock and astonishment exploded in everyone's hearts, followed by a frenzy of discussion.

This uproar is far greater than any before.

The military treatise that subdued the arrogant and overbearing Pei Manxilou, and that impressed the great Confucian scholar Zhang Shen, was not actually written by Xu Xinnian, but by someone whose name was almost taboo.

Written by Xu Qi'an, former Silver Gong.

"It's a military treatise written by Xu Yinluo? How could that be? He's not a scholar."

"Xu Yinluo, he's just a martial artist."

Although Xu Qi'an was no longer an official, people still habitually called him Xu Yinluo.

The students of the Imperial Academy College were in an uproar, each expressing their own opinions and views, even disregarding the occasion.

Most people find it absurd and unbelievable, not because they look down on Xu Qi'an, but because the matter itself is illogical, shocking, confusing, and baffling.

At this moment, a student in the Imperial Academy shouted:

"Don't forget, Xu Yinluo was the top poet. Who could have imagined that he would create one masterpiece after another?"

His words immediately resonated with the students, who shouted them out, seemingly trying to convince their disbelieving classmates:

"Xu Yinluo wasn't a scholar, but he could write poetry. How could he not write military strategy? Besides, have you forgotten that Xu Yinluo was on the battlefield? Back in Yunzhou, he single-handedly held off eight thousand rebel soldiers until he died from exhaustion."

Upon hearing this, the other students suddenly realized, "That's right, Xu Yinluo isn't a novice who hasn't been on the battlefield. He single-handedly held off thousands of rebel troops in Yunzhou."

"Xu Yinluo is truly a peerless genius!"

"Yes, the fact that Xu Yinluo is not a scholar only proves that he is exceptionally talented, a rare genius in the world."

"Damn it, why did someone like that choose the Martial Dao? He's not even human!"

In no time, the students of the Imperial Academy College were full of praise.

Some students, who had been feeling resentful for a long time, even shouted defiantly:

"Pei Manxilou, you claim to be self-taught. Coincidentally, our Xu Yinluo is also self-taught. I must admit, you are very talented, but there's always someone better. Our Xu Yinluo of Great Feng is a mountain you can never surpass."

Everyone immediately agreed.

Pei Manxilou remained expressionless and speechless.

The boy with vertical pupils clenched his fists, his facial muscles twitching, displaying an expression of wanting to unleash a massacre but trying his best to restrain himself.

He was furious. The situation was clearly very favorable, and everything was going according to Pei Man's plan. Apart from a few highly respected scholars who were in trouble, no contemporary scholar was a match for Pei Man.

Xu Qi'an, a man whose name was only known but never seen, thwarted Pei Man's plan, leaving them with nothing.

Huang Xian'er bit her lip, her soft, alluring eyes shimmering, lost in thought.

It turned out to be a military treatise written by his elder brother. Xu Dalang was willing to entrust him with such a remarkable book, showing that the bond between the brothers was deeper than I had imagined. After his initial surprise, Wang Simu did not feel disappointed. He was both moved and gratified by the affection between Erlang and his elder brother.

In his father's eyes, Xu Erlang's abilities alone seemed somewhat weak. However, if he had an older brother who could support him, his father would not underestimate Erlang.

Thinking of this, she secretly glanced at her father, and sure enough, the chief minister was staring intently at Xu Erlang.

Wang Simu was secretly delighted, and with today's literary gathering, Erlang's reputation would also rise.

For a fleeting moment, Huaiqing couldn't resist turning her head to look at one of the guards behind her, but she controlled her impulse, stiffening her neck and remaining seated.

His curiosity grew. He actually knew military strategy? He even wrote a book on military strategy? Since I met him, I had never seen him express any opinions on military strategy. Was it Duke Wei who wrote the book and then passed it on to Xu Erlang?

The clever eldest princess made further connections, suspecting that the military treatise was written by Wei Yuan.

Huaiqing pursed his lips, his gaze immediately falling on the military treatise in Zhang Shen's hand. His usually clear and cold eyes, like autumn water, were now burning with a rare fervor and thirst for knowledge.

It was written by that lackey! The woman smiled radiantly, her oval face bright and charming. Xu Erlang was in the limelight, and she only felt relieved, finally someone could keep this arrogant barbarian in check. Other than that, she had no other feelings.

Upon suddenly hearing that the military treatise was written by Xu Qi'an, Biao Biao became excited, overjoyed, and filled with pride and delight. If the occasion were not inappropriate, she would have fluttered around Xu Qi'an like a sparrow, chirping incessantly.

The Grand Tutor smiled with satisfaction, his old face beaming. "Our Great Feng a land of outstanding people and abundant resources; it does indeed have some remarkable younger generations."

Having said that, he looked at Zhang Shen, who stood as still as a statue, and said in a deep voice, "Zhang Jinyan, let this old man see your military treatise."

Zhang Shen suddenly came to his senses and remotely sent the military treatise to the Grand Tutor.

The Grand Tutor, leaning on his cane, turned around and sat behind his desk, squinting his somewhat dim old eyes as he perused military texts.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, having only read the first two chapters, the Grand Tutor suddenly slammed the book shut with a "snap," his hands trembling slightly with excitement, and said in a deep voice:

"This book must not be circulated, nor should the barbarians be allowed to copy it. This is the military treatise of our Great Feng, and it must never be revealed to outsiders."

this.

For a time, nobles and military generals, students of the Imperial Academy, top scholars of the Hanlin Academy, and of course Huaiqing and others, all looked at the military treatise in the Grand Tutor's hand with increasing covetousness and longing.

The young eunuch rushed to the palace gate, his eyes shining brightly. Instead of lowering his head as usual, he kept looking inside.

This reveals his eagerness and excitement.

The old eunuch glanced nervously at Emperor Yuanjing, who was meditating with his eyes closed, then quietly retreated to the outside of the palace. He frowned and asked, "What is it?"

The young eunuch whispered a few words to each other.

The old eunuch suddenly opened his eyes wide, his expression extremely complicated. He lowered his head, returned to Emperor Yuanjing's side, and said softly, "Your Majesty, this old servant has something to report."

Emperor Yuanjing did not open his eyes, simply humming in response, appearing uninterested.

"There's a new development at the literary gathering. After Zhang Shen conceded defeat, Xu Xinnian compiler in the Hanlin Academy, stepped forward, wanting to discuss military strategy with Pei Manxilou."

Emperor Yuanjing opened his eyes.

The old eunuch continued, "Pei Manxilou concedes defeat."

Emperor Yuanjing showed an extremely surprised expression, pondered for a few seconds, and slowly said:

"Xu Xinnian is Zhang Shen's disciple, specializing in military strategy. I never expected him to be so accomplished; it's quite remarkable. Although he's Xu Qi'an's cousin, he's also a junior compiler in the Hanlin Academy. It's understandable that he defeated Pei Manxilou."

Xu Qi'an resigned voluntarily, but Emperor Yuanjing later issued an edict stripping him of his title and official position and expelling him from the court.

Xu Xinnian is that guy's cousin. Now that he has defeated Pei Manxilou, when outsiders talk about him, they will inevitably mention the equally talented Xu Qi'an and then accuse him of "persecuting" loyal and virtuous people.

This is the only downside.

However, Xu Xinnian's status as a junior compiler was appointed by him, and his talent was recognized by his discerning eye, so there shouldn't be any major problems.

Overall, Emperor Yuanjing was quite pleased. Compared to the rumors, losing to Pei Manxilou was the real disgrace.

The court lost face, and so did he, the ruler of the country.

Emperors value two things most: power and image.

The gloom in Emperor Yuanjing's eyes vanished, replaced by a faint smile. He said, "Tell me the details. I want to know how he defeated Pei Manxilou."

The old eunuch hesitated for a moment, silently took a few steps back, and then lowered his head and said, "Xu Xinnian, a junior scholar, took out a military book. After Pei Manxilou read it, he was so impressed that he willingly admitted defeat."

"Military treatise?"

This was something Emperor Yuanjing hadn't expected. He asked in astonishment, "What military treatise?"

Zhang Shen of the Cloud Deer Academy admitted that his "Six Commentaries on the Art of War" was inferior to Pei Manxilou's, and that the military books compiled by the Hanlin Academy were just old wine in new bottles.

The old eunuch swallowed hard. "That military treatise is called 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu. Yes, it was written by Xu Qi'an."

After he finished speaking, he heard rapid breathing coming from inside the palace.

Even without looking up, he could imagine how unpleasant His Majesty's expression must be.

A few seconds later, Emperor Yuanjing's emotionless voice rang out. "Get out!"

The old eunuch felt a sense of relief, lowered his head, and fled the palace as if running away. Behind him, he heard the sound of utensils and vases being smashed.

The court has not lost face, but His Majesty has lost a great deal of face this time. The old eunuch sighed.

It's easy to imagine what people in the capital would say about His Majesty. Not only is the emperor persecuting loyal officials for his own selfish reasons, but now the scholars of the capital are being suppressed by a barbarian. In the end, it is the very person who was expelled from officialdom by the emperor who manages to turn the tide.

It's no wonder His Majesty was furious that the ruler of a nation had become a laughingstock.

The literary gathering ended, and the military treatise never returned to Xu Xinnian's hands; instead, it was forcibly taken by the Grand Tutor and kept behind.

The nobles, military officers, and scholars present had strong opinions, but dared not openly disobey this highly respected senior scholar.

Even Huaiqing didn't dare, so he left somewhat unhappily, heading straight for Huaiqing's residence with his guards.

As the various groups dispersed, on the demon and barbarian side, Pei Manxilou looked somewhat solemn, and Huang Xian'er also abandoned her charming demeanor, her pretty face as cold as frost.

Not to mention the impulsive and violent boy with vertical pupils.

After the three of them got into the carriage, no one spoke. In the suffocating atmosphere, Huang Xian'er broke the silence and asked:

What other plans do you have?

Pei Manxilou remained expressionless, pondered for a few seconds, and then said calmly:

"Although I lost the literary competition, my reputation couldn't advance further and even suffered a significant blow. However, the officials of Great Feng won't ignore me because of this, so there was still some effect. It's just that Xu Yinluo interfered, and all subsequent plans have fallen through."

He sighed deeply, "This man is exceptionally talented, I have to admit it. I used to admire his poetic talent, his genius, and envy his reputation, but from today onwards, I have a deep sense of apprehension and even fear towards him."

"Fortunately, he is at odds with the Emperor of Great Feng. No, fortunately, he and the Emperor of Great Feng are mortal enemies. Otherwise, if he were to take command of the army in the future, our divine race would be in grave danger."

Huang Xian'er smiled sweetly, "That's what I was thinking too, so I plan to select a few pretty women to send over."

Pei Manxilou shook his head and said, "Would he lack women?"

Huang Xian'er sighed softly, intentionally or unintentionally revealing her long legs, her delicate hand lightly touching her chest, and said seductively, "Then I'll make my appearance myself, is that alright?"

Pei Manxilou smiled, "That's exactly what I was waiting for you to say."

He paused, then said, "No rush. Let's continue our efforts these next few days, trying to win over as Great Feng, and salvage as much loss as we can. After the negotiations are over, we'll visit this legendary figure together. Xuan Yin, you can't go."

The boy with vertical pupils was unconvinced and asked urgently, "Why?"

Pei Manxilou sneered, "Xu Qi'an is a complete brute. You spoke without thinking and angered him. He might just kill you on the spot."

The boy with vertical pupils glared, "He wouldn't dare! We are an envoy; if he dares to kill the entire envoy, the Great Feng Dynasty will not forgive him."

The execution of the delegation would mean a break between the two countries, and given the current context of jointly fighting against the Witch God Cult, the Great Feng court would not allow such a thing to happen.

Huang Xian'er poked Xuan Yin's head and said with a smile, "He even dared to kill the Duke. If you're not afraid of death, we won't stop you. You should consider your own worth."

"Lord Zhujiu sent you here for training because he has high hopes for you, but if you die here, he won't care."

The Demon Race has always been ruthless when it comes to training the younger generation, and Zhu Jiu, being a snake, is especially cold-blooded.

If it can grow, nurture it vigorously; if it dies, then it's because it wasn't good enough.

The Principle of the jungle prevails; it's the survival of the fittest.

Huaiqing Prefecture.

After returning to the manor, Huaiqing dismissed the palace maids and guards, leaving only Biao Biao and Xu Qi'an in the reception room.

"It really is you! I looked for you for ages but couldn't find you. If you hadn't gone into the shed, I wouldn't have been sure of your identity."

Biao Biao happily pulled Xu Qi'an to sit down, wanting to sit with him.

Princess, we cannot sit together; that's against the rules. Besides, in my past life, my face was so handsome it shocked the Party; how come you didn't notice it at first? Your face blindness is quite severe.

Just as Xu Qi'an was thinking this, he heard Biao Biao say with admiration, "You're so clever. You disguised yourself as such an ordinary-looking man. Don't forget him after just one glance; no one will even notice."

Xu Qi'an glanced at her expressionlessly, then silently sat down at another table.

Biao Biao opened her big, watery peach blossom eyes wide, looking aggrieved.

"The military treatise was written by Duke Wei, who used you to suppress Pei Manxilou?" Huaiqing sipped his tea, glancing at his foolish sister who was increasingly unable to control her emotions.

"Yes!"

Xu Qi'an nodded with a smile.

Huaiqing nodded slightly. That made sense. In her knowledge, only Wei Yuan could write a military treatise that could impress Pei Manxilou, amaze Zhang Shen, and excite the Grand Tutor.

The military treatise was written by Wei Yuan, which disappointed Biao Biao. In her mind, a lackey was omnipotent.

"You probably don't remember what the military manual says," Huaiqing asked.

"I don't remember." Xu Qi'an shook his head.

Huaiqing nodded in disappointment. Although she would eventually get to see the military treatise, as a lover of books, she was unwilling to wait.

"Never mind, I'll go see Duke Wei later," he thought.

After chatting for a few minutes, Xu Qi'an took his leave.

Biao Biao followed him out. Once outside Huaiqing Prefecture, her eyes were fixed on Xu Qi'an: "The military treatise, was it really written by Wei Yuan?"

PS: There will be a meeting on the 17th, 18th, and 19th as part of a Yuewen event. Updates may be unstable during this period, so this is just a heads-up.