[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-assuming-the-langya-surname":3,"chapter-assuming-the-langya-surname-assuming-the-langya-surname-chapter-53":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},2273849,4442,"Chapter 53: The Master of Qingtan","assuming-the-langya-surname-chapter-53",53,"\u003Cp>Zong Ce spread his arms to block between the retainer and Wang Yang: “Everyone, stop!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to Xie Xinghan: “Girl, what are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xinghan’s willow-browed face brimmed with anger: “Ask him himself!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zong Ce turned to Wang Yang: “What exactly did you do? A lecher... could it be you???” Instantly, he shot Wang Yang a look of admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of look is that!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yang had no time to complain—he quickly explained:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not true! Yesterday morning, Xie Niangzi asked about my family background, and I thought, thought she wanted...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How dare you say that!” Xie Xinghan’s cheeks burned at the memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t want to say it—it was a misunderstanding!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what about ‘Wandering the rivers and lakes, wine in hand’? Was that a misunderstanding too?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xinghan’s eyes turned red. She was a pure, unblemished girl, yet because of this poem, frivolous young men spread rumors about her, even turning it into a popular tune in brothels—it was utterly humiliating!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zong Ce chuckled and asked Wang Yang: “I’ve been hearing this poem sung outside lately—so you wrote it? Did you write the lyrics or the tune? The lyrics are excellent! But the melody’s terrible...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No... neither the lyrics nor the tune are mine! I don’t understand poetry! I don’t understand music!” Wang Yang quickly denied it. Yet inside, he was puzzled: why would anyone outside be singing this poem? I never told anyone! Could it be Fatty? No—he never let anyone see his own writings; how could he have spread this poem?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it had spread, it shouldn’t matter much—the poem praises Xie An’s achievements, and contains nothing taboo... Could it be that Xie An’s dalliance with courtesans caused controversy? No—that’s a Sixth Dynasty matter; both the Shishuo Xinyu and official histories record it to highlight Xie An’s elegant charm. So what’s the real problem?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah—I see. She must be strictly Confucian, traditional-minded, disliking the free-spirited ways of the literati. She thinks it dishonors her family’s reputation to publicize her ancestor’s courtesan affairs. So that first line of flattery? It landed squarely on the wrong hoof...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Wang Yang pondered, Xie Xinghan, furious, declared: “Take this lecher to Jiangling County’s magistrate’s office! I’ll charge him with mocking noblewomen and corrupting propriety and teaching!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yang’s heart sank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One side: a noble girl in rage. The other: a famous scholar who loved chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The matter seemed small, but if mishandled, it could collapse entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I still need to represent the prefectural academy in the Wang Guan Academy contest. Even if Xie Xinghan resents me, she shouldn’t send me to the county office—not with Liu Zhao’s reputation at stake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, I only wrote that one historical poem, and I made up a story about Fatty’s ancestor owing Xie An a debt—charging me with a crime is excessive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I’ve got a bigger hidden danger—my household registration isn’t settled yet. If Xie Xinghan loses her temper and drags me to the magistrate’s office, and they verify my identity... the consequences...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I must turn the tide!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand now,” Wang Yang said, feigning sudden realization. “Xie Niangzi has always held ill will toward me—because you mistakenly thought I wrote this poem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still pretending?!” Xie Xinghan grew angrier by the second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve heard this poem, but I don’t know why you think I wrote it. ‘Wandering the rivers and lakes, wine in hand, slender waist light as palm’—those two lines are actually well-written... but they’re not mine. I swear it before heaven.” Wang Yang spoke with solemn seriousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those two lines were written by Du Mu. If you want to find the author, go find Du Mu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here he played a linguistic trick—he only said those two lines weren’t his, but others naturally assumed the entire poem had nothing to do with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xinghan, seeing Wang Yang’s earnest demeanor, began to doubt. After all, she assumed he was the man who had blocked her carriage and shouted that day—yet the voice only sounded similar, with no solid proof. Xiao Ning hadn’t seen the man’s face either; the voice alone wasn’t reliable... She was just considering whether to summon the four retainers who had been with her that day to identify him, when Wang Yang said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. Since Xie Niangzi doesn’t believe me, let’s go to the county office to settle this—it’ll clear my name. Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yang clasped his hands behind his back and turned to walk out. He thought: Zong Brother, aren’t you going to stop me? If I go to the county office, who’s going to help you get your revenge?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zong Ce, seeing the qingtan session about to collapse, grabbed Wang Yang’s arm: “Wang Younger, don’t be angry! That ghost of a place—the county office—is no place for people like us!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to Xie Xinghan: “Xie Girl, it’s just a little poem—mere gossip. Only fools take it seriously! If you drag this to the county office, especially from your own household, won’t the gossips just stir up more trouble?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xinghan’s face turned icy, silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yang quickly offered a way out: “Regardless of whether I wrote the poem, it’s my fault for acting frivolously—otherwise, why would Xie Niangzi assume it was me? As the saying goes: ‘Flies don’t buzz on uncracked eggs—’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Wang Yang criticized himself, he saw Xie Xinghan’s star-like eyes narrow—he immediately corrected himself: “It’s my own conduct that’s at fault. I apologize to Xie Niangzi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bowed deeply to Xie Xinghan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zong Ce smoothed things over: “Girl, it’s all just a misunderstanding. Once explained, it’s nothing. I came here today specifically to engage in qingtan with you. The sky is clear, the breeze gentle—perfect for a discussion. Why waste time on such a trivial matter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t want to see this man. Let him leave before we speak.” Xie Xinghan glared at Wang Yang, then sat back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can that be? I can’t match you in qingtan. Wang Younger is the reinforcement I specifically brought. If he leaves, what do I do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xinghan tilted her refined chin slightly, her expression proudly aloof: “I won’t engage in qingtan with someone so lecherous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zong Ce smirked: “Are you afraid you’ll lose?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xinghan snorted: “Your provocation won’t work on me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zong Ce whispered to Wang Yang: “Wang Younger, help me out! If you beat her, I’ll get your household registration sorted out for sure!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine. For the sake of my household registration, I’ll keep fighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yang paused briefly, then said: “Forget it. Let’s go. I just offended her—I feel guilty. Besides, I’ve beaten her once before. Maybe that’s why she resents me. If I beat her again, wouldn’t that be bullying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice sounded lowered, but was actually loud enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xinghan could no longer bear it: “You’re talking nonsense! When did I ever lose to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Minister·Yugong—the debate on the Three Rivers. Didn’t you admit defeat? Didn’t you say: ‘Your learning is vast and profound, this humble girl is in awe’? Don’t you remember?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yang mimicked Xie Xinghan’s voice, high-pitched and affected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So low!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time, Xie Xinghan realized she desperately wanted to beat someone—pummel them!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Ning was equally furious. Her mistress was noble, a genius—when had anyone dared to treat her so disrespectfully?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xinghan gripped the brocade mat: “That was Confucian scholarship! If we switched to qingtan, you wouldn’t last three rounds with me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qingtan was a distinctive activity among scholar-officials of the Wei-Jin and Southern Dynasties, involving scholarly debates centered on the Three Mysteries and other metaphysical philosophies, also called “mystical discourse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Round” was a term in qingtan: one question and one answer constituted one “round.” In serious qingtan, evenly matched opponents might debate from dawn to dusk, even reaching a hundred rounds. Xie Xinghan claiming she could defeat Wang Yang in three rounds meant she didn’t take him seriously at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xinghan’s family had produced generations of qingtan masters; she had been steeped in it since childhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Eastern Jin, the great female scholar Xie Daoyun had become famous for her qingtan, leaving countless male literati humbled. Xie Xinghan was called “Little Xie Daoyun”—her qingtan skill was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Xie Xinghan’s eyes, Wang Yang was a typical Confucian disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though many scholars mastered both Confucianism and metaphysics, Wang Yang’s youth, his complete mastery of Minister scholarship over Liu Zhao, revealed his extraordinary diligence and singular focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the saying goes: specialization limits breadth. Those rare geniuses like Wang Rong, who were both broad and deep—how many existed in the world? He was the empire’s foremost scholar!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So while Xie Xinghan respected Wang Yang’s Confucian scholarship, she dismissed him entirely in qingtan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——————————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Note: Many misunderstand qingtan as only discussing the Three Mysteries—but that’s false. Qingtan’s scope is vast; though centered on the Three Mysteries, it also touched on Buddhism and other cosmological and existential philosophies, even including character evaluations. For those interested, see Tang Changru’s “Qingtan and Qingyi” and Tang Yiming’s “Wei-Jin Qingtan.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1500,"2026-06-19T23:36:03.373Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9dcc18c257ee607e27201e47c70fbe75f34f4448665acbd0484d47716ae3c37b","assuming-the-langya-surname-chapter-54","assuming-the-langya-surname-chapter-52",62,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-false-clan-of-langya-cover.jpg"]