[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-assuming-the-langya-surname":3,"chapter-assuming-the-langya-surname-assuming-the-langya-surname-chapter-44":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The False Clan of Langya",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2273840,4442,"Chapter 44","assuming-the-langya-surname-chapter-44",44,"\u003Cp>If you don’t know what you can do and what you cannot, your actions will be baseless, your conduct without foundation, and you might step into a trap at any moment, even dying without knowing how.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The foundation of Southern Qi law is the “Taishi Code.” The “Taishi Code” refers to the legal code promulgated in the fourth year of Taishi (267 AD) during the Western Jin, which has been continuously followed by later generations. Since last year, the court has been revising the statutes, though Wang Yang is still unaware of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Wang Yang does not know is that, while he was buried in studying the law, a conversation was taking place in a nearby room—and that conversation would soon engulf Wang Yang...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?!” Liu Zhao exclaimed, shocked and furious. “Learning is a matter for eternity—how can it be decided by debate? This isn’t idle talk! I’m going to see the Prince!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xinghan sighed sadly: “It’s useless. The Prince has already made up his mind; I hear the decree has already been written and will be issued this afternoon. Besides, Confucian debates have precedents—during Emperor Zhang’s reign, scholars gathered at the Baihu Hall to discuss the differences and similarities of the Five Classics. The Prince has chosen the Baihu Daochang as the venue, clearly intending to emulate the sages of old.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhao growled: “Back then at the Baihu gathering, Emperor Zhang himself judged the victor, and all were convinced—because he showed no bias! That’s why the scholarly debate flowed so freely. But now the Prince openly favors the Wang School—won’t the outcome simply be his word alone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xinghan frowned: “Even if biased, he must still satisfy public opinion. Since it’s a public debate, many will come. If you can truly refute Liu Tan on scholarly grounds, even the Prince won’t dare openly cheat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ancient and Modern Text schools have been at odds for too long—refuting Liu Tan on scholarly grounds is nearly impossible! Only if you overwhelm him with erudition might there be a chance. But Liu Tan’s talent and depth of learning are such that even the late Duke Wenxian, Wang Jian, praised him highly, saying, ‘The two dragons of the Liu clan advance a thousand li in a single day.’ I have no confidence I can defeat him. If it were merely a test of scholarly foundation, I wouldn’t fear him. But to debate him publicly, under biased judgment...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhao sighed: “Unless you achieve overwhelming superiority and leave him speechless—but with Liu Tan’s talent, that’s nearly impossible...” He broke off mid-sentence, then his eyes lit up: “Why not?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you have a plan, Uncle?” Xie Xinghan asked, delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhao’s eyes gleamed: “I have someone in mind—he’s right now at the Prefectural Academy. If he agrees to step forward, our chances are good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xinghan hurriedly asked: “Who?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wang Yang. You’ve met him—last afternoon...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing the name Wang Yang, Xie Xinghan flinched like a startled white kitten, nearly leaping from her seat: “He’s still here?! Where is he?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhao, startled by Xie Xinghan’s sudden agitation, asked: “Niece, what’s wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xinghan realized her lapse, straightened her shoulders, aligned her slender waist, and resumed her perfectly poised, elegant posture, her voice firm: “He cannot be used.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?” Liu Zhao was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s... frivolous and unlearned!” Xie Xinghan spat bitterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can you say that? If he’s frivolous and unlearned, who in all the world counts as truly accomplished? Niece, are you misjudging him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time Xie Xinghan thought of Wang Yang, her teeth clenched with rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she first read that poem, she sensed something off. The first four lines—“Wandering rivers and lakes with wine in tow, slender waist light as held in palm. East Mountain rises for the people’s sake, winning fame as a charming chancellor”—seemed to describe Xie An abandoning his leisurely life among courtesans on East Mountain to emerge and save the people. Nothing wrong there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he’d written it himself as a nostalgic piece, fine. Yet this poem was given to Xie Xinghan! It opened by commenting on a woman’s slender waist—his words were brazen, clearly implying something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, Xie Xinghan had been angered, thinking him crude and reckless, and had intended to confront him and teach him a lesson—but he slipped away through trickery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, when they met again at the Prefectural Academy, she held back out of respect for Liu Zhao’s face. But within just a day or two, the poem had inexplicably spread—and even been set to music by singing girls!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And those lecherous youths, frivolous young men, eagerly recited it, ignoring the poem’s original theme of Xie An, twisting its meaning, insisting with certainty that the second line was written specifically about her, Xie Xinghan!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone even gave her the nickname “Xie Chuyao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse still, some went so far as to fabricate romantic entanglements, claiming those two lines described a tender love affair between her and the poet—with detailed interpretations!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first line, “wandering rivers and lakes,” depicted the poet’s wild, unrestrained nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second line, “slender waist light as held in palm,” described Xie Xinghan’s delicate figure and graceful form; “light as held in palm” ostensibly alluded to an ancient allusion, but was in fact literal—it meant he had touched her. Only through “personal experience” could one possess such intimate perception!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first time she heard this, she nearly exploded with rage—ashamed and furious, she loathed Wang Yang. But she couldn’t explain this to Liu Zhao outright, so she vaguely claimed she thought Wang Yang exaggerated his abilities, was too young, and his scholarship and vision could never rival Liu Tan’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhao pulled out a manuscript and handed it to Xie Xinghan: “This is his dictation, transcribed by me. Still unorganized.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xie Xinghan read the words on the paper, her dark, gleaming eyes widened further and further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhao said: “Forget everything else—just on the Book of Documents, this man could found a new school!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes I think: in today’s world, Daoism and Buddhism dominate, while Confucianism declines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last year, both great scholars Wang Jian and Liu Huan passed away. Is it truly Heaven’s will to destroy our literary tradition, the times so cruelly adverse?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now that I’ve met him, I feel Confucian revival may yet be possible—this youth may one day become a master of his age, his name etched in eternity!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for me and Liu Tan, we’ll likely be forgotten a hundred years from now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhao sighed, his expression dimming—then suddenly brightened:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I helped compile the ‘Critical Notes on the Ancient and Modern Texts of the Book of Documents.’ As long as the ‘Critical Notes’ survives, my name survives! Besides, I’ve become friends with Zhiyan—we study together daily, my scholarship advances daily. So it’s Liu Tan who will vanish into history, not me—ha ha ha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xinghan was profoundly shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She never imagined Liu Bo’s evaluation of that lecherous youth could be so extraordinarily high!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this man truly possessed such scholarship, wouldn’t sending him to defeat Liu Tan perfectly resolve the Prefectural Academy’s crisis?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this thought, Xie Xinghan immediately set aside her personal prejudice and began considering the feasibility of sending Wang Yang to compete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle, if he truly can win, that would be excellent. But the question is—what status will he compete under?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhao’s smile vanished instantly; he murmured to himself: “Yes... what status will he compete under?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yang was deeply absorbed in studying the Qi statutes when a servant arrived to report that Liu Zhao wished to speak with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yang assumed it was about the manuscript—but upon entering the room, he met the calm, assessing gaze of a young maiden, and froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Star-like eyes gleaming, slender waist graceful, modest attire, face like jade—wasn’t this Xie Si Niangzi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why is she here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is she here to cause trouble?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhao said: “Zhiyan, you’ve met before, but I never properly introduced her—this is Xie of Chen Commandery, daughter of Minister Xie, fourth in her family, hence called Xie Si Niangzi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yang remained composed, bowed respectfully: “Xie Si Niangzi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xinghan rose and returned the bow with flawless grace: “Wang Young Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Both of you are young talents—exchange ideas often. Please sit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After they were seated, Liu Zhao asked Wang Yang: “Zhiyan, where is your household registration?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xinghan’s starlit eyes fixed on Wang Yang, as if piercing through him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here it comes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yang’s instincts screamed a warning.\u003C\u002Fp>",1414,"2026-06-19T23:36:03.373Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","62685fb662d4dcfc1f48dd9f447ba7902b9114f83094b406253a72df9ca9be09","assuming-the-langya-surname-chapter-45","assuming-the-langya-surname-chapter-43",62,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-false-clan-of-langya-cover.jpg"]