Chapter 112: Drawing a Tiger Without Success

"I haven't even heard of such a strange case? Come, come, Fourth Son Liu, tell me in detail!"

Liu Cheng said: "I also heard it from a learned scholar in Jingzhou city. This person's surname is Dai, given name Zhigao, who specializes in the study of genealogy and has quite a lot of attainments. He is waiting for an audience outside the Wang Fu."

A flash of realization crossed the Prince of Badong's eyes. He pointed at Liu Cheng and laughed word by word: "Prepared, you are prepared!"

Liu Cheng bowed: "Just to make Your Highness laugh."

Letting Dai Zhigao come forward to expose Wang Yang was due to his brother's insistence.

According to Liu Cheng's brother's consideration, if Liu Cheng stood up to testify against Wang Yang's identity, this would be an accusation, a criminal case!

According to the Qi Law, the accuser is punished with the same penalty as the accused.

If Dai Zhigao made a mistake, or if there were any other changes, Liu Cheng might be implicated.

So although Liu Cheng was almost certain that Wang Yang's identity was fake, for the sake of safety, his brother still did not allow his younger brother to go into battle himself.

Because of this, Liu Cheng had to go to such great lengths to bring out Dai Zhigao.

Dai Zhigao walked on the red carpet with small steps, bowing as he entered the hall. He did not dare to walk on the center line, but walked on the right side, feeling nervous and excited.

After so many years of lurking, so many years of poverty, he was finally going to turn things around!

Young Master Liu promised that after this matter was accomplished, he would find him a job as a Registrar in the County Department and take him as a disciple!

That was a disciple of the Hedong Liu family!

A disciple of the son of Duke Liu!

Wouldn't he soar into the sky from now on?!

"Commoner Dai Zhigao, pays respects to the Prince of Badong!"

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his heartbeat, and knelt down to the Prince of Badong sitting high above. He bowed his head until it was level with his hands and chest, paused slightly, then touched his hands to the ground, while bowing his head to the ground, staying for five breaths, then stood up, and repeated the above set of actions again, performing a meticulous and slightly ridiculous and exaggerated kowtow ceremony.

The Prince of Badong raised his hand impatiently: "What exactly is going on, tell me."

Dai Zhigao bowed again, and only then did he say the speech he had practiced dozens of times:

"The Langya Wang family, those who flourished in Jiangzuo, mostly came from the branch of Wang Lan, the Guanglu Grand Master of Jin. Under Wang Lan, there are two main branches: the first son Wang Cai and the fourth son Wang Zheng. Wang Cai is the father of the famous minister Wang Dao, and most of the noble Wang family of our dynasty came from this branch. And Wang Zheng is the father of Wang Kuang. Wang Kuang was the initiator of Emperor Yuan of Jin crossing the river, and served as the Prefect of Huainan. Wang Kuang had two sons, the eldest son Wang Jizhi and the second son Wang Xizhi. Wang Jizhi had no sons, so the family line was passed to Wang Xizhi. Wang Xizhi had seven sons, the eldest son Wang Xuanzhi, who had no sons after him, so he adopted Wang Yunzhi, the son of his younger brother Wang Ningzhi, as his heir—"

Wang Yang was expressionless, calculating in his heart.

The Prince of Badong was annoyed by listening, and said impatiently: "I told you to talk about the impersonation! Who told you to recite the genealogy?!!"

Dai Zhigao immediately bowed to apologize, saying timidly: "Your Highness, calm your anger! Genealogy can distinguish truth from falsehood. If the little one explains the genealogical inheritance of Wang Xizhi's branch, Your Highness will naturally—"

"You tell me the result directly! There is no music, no dancing, who has the time to listen to you nagging here!"

"Yes, yes..." Dai Zhigao was covered in sweat. His original plan was to talk eloquently, making that person have nowhere to hide, winning the favor of all the scholar-officials in the hall, and taking this opportunity to show off his learning. He did not expect to be silenced after saying only a few sentences. Would this affect Young Master Liu's impression of him, and thus affect his official career?! Besides, without sorting out the genealogy, how could he prove that the person forged his identity?

Dai Zhigao was in a dilemma, worried and afraid, and could not help but look at Liu Cheng.

The Prince of Badong became more and more impatient, shouting: "Why are you looking at him when I told you to speak?!"

Dai Zhigao was so scared that his body went limp, and he could not even say a word in response.

Liu Cheng scolded Dai Zhigao for his incompetence in his heart, but he could only save the situation: "Didn't you write something to show Your Highness and the lords?"

"Yes, yes!" Dai Zhigao "found a way out of a dead end," hurriedly pulled out a scroll from his sleeve, opened it in a panic, and then held it up.

Everyone leaned over to look, and saw that it was a map of the residence and migration places of Wang Xizhi's family genealogy.

The Prince of Badong looked at it for a few times and asked: "What exactly does it mean?"

Dai Zhigao held the scroll somewhat clumsily, turning the direction while kneeling. Although he looked a bit ridiculous, no one laughed, because everyone's attention was attracted by the content on the scroll. He said while turning:

"Just as I drew on the map, five percent of Wang Xizhi's descendants lived in Jiankang, two percent in Xunyang and Luling of Jiangzhou, two percent in Anlu and Yingcheng; and the last one percent lived in Nanhai. This branch in Nanhai was left behind when Wang Xizhi's great-grandson Wang Yizhi served as the Prefect of Guangzhou. This is the distribution of all of Wang Xizhi's descendants, and there is absolutely no Yixing County! But I heard that Young Master Wang Yang's ancestral home is Yixing, and he claims to be from Wang Xizhi's branch, so I was suspicious, so I made this map for verification, and only then did I determine that this person's identity is fake! The little one is worried that he will have other tricks, so I dare not not expose my heart and liver to report!"

As soon as this was said, the whole hall was in an uproar!

All eyes gathered on Wang Yang!

Liu Cheng looked at Wang Yang with incomparable pleasure, the corners of his mouth raised.

Wang Yang's expression was calm. He put down his wine cup, stood up, and walked to Dai Zhigao. Dai Zhigao did not know why and looked at Wang Yang.

Wang Yang suddenly raised his hand and slapped him!

Slap!

Dai Zhigao was directly stunned!

Liu Cheng shouted: "Brother Wang, how can you—in front of Your Highness—"

"Shut up!" Wang Yang shouted violently, pointing at Liu Cheng.

Seeing Wang Yang's fierce eyes, as if he were going to fight for his life, Liu Cheng was really a bit afraid that he would pounce on him and fight in public. He thought that this person was at the end of his life, and if he fought for his life, and the guards didn't catch him in time, he would be injured and lose face, which was not worth it.

He no longer responded to Wang Yang, but bowed to the Prince of Badong: "Your Highness—"

The Prince of Badong waved his hand, watching the scene in front of him with interest.

Liu Cheng did not know what the Prince of Badong's waving meant. Did he want him not to speak? Or did he have other arrangements?

Dai Zhigao covered his face and said timidly: "You... you dare to hit someone?"

"I hit you because you deserve it!"

Wang Yang looked down at Dai Zhigao from above, his face full of contempt and disdain:

"I am of the Langya Wang family, a noble family for a hundred generations. With your lowly surname, you dare to slander my reputation and violate my family's taboos?!"

"Is my ancestor's name something you are worthy of calling?"

"Is my family's genealogy something you are worthy of talking about?"

"You are an idiot, you don't even understand the most basic problems, and you still learn from others to study genealogy? Drawing a tiger without success, it's like a dog!"

Dai Zhigao was scolded by Wang Yang, his face flushed red, and his lips trembled.

Today's situation was repeatedly beyond his expectations!

First, the Prince did not let him finish the arguments he had memorized.

Then, after Wang Yang was exposed, not only did he not bow his head and plead guilty, but he scolded and humiliated him in public!

Before he came, he was convinced that Wang Yang's identity was fake, but seeing Wang Yang's aggressive appearance, he was not confident. Especially hearing Wang Yang say that he "didn't even understand the most basic problems," what exactly did he not understand?

Seeing Dai Zhigao's cowardly appearance, Liu Cheng was furious. He inferred that Wang Yang was bluffing, and as long as he stuck to the key issues, he would have nowhere to hide. He immediately said: "Brother Wang is avoiding the real issues, is it—"

"Brother Liu, oh Brother Liu!" Wang Yang squinted at Liu Cheng, his face full of confusion and sighing, "Where on earth did you find such an idiot who sits in a well and talks about the sky? You haven't even read the *Yixing Branch Genealogy*, yet you dare to talk nonsense here? You have always been intelligent, why did you make a mistake this time and fall for such a person's trick?" ===== CHAPTER 113 =====