Chapter 213: Accusation

Wang Yang walked for a while before Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Xie Lady Xie Xinghan finally came to her senses; she turned around and looked at A Wu and Xiao Shan.

Xiao Shan was still lost in the scene Wang Yang had just created, but A Wu felt a bad premonition; she smiled brightly: "Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie, what tea would you like? I'll brew it for you!"

Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Xie Lady Xie Xinghan smiled and said slowly: "A Wu, who taught you to recite these six characters: 'Hou Han Shu, Nan Man Zhuan'?"

A Wu's smile didn't fade; she blinked her big eyes: "It was Master Liu Qiu from Xisha Zhou!"

"Oh? You learned so fast—he's already teaching you the Hou Han Shu?"

"No, he just mentioned it offhand, and I remembered it!"

Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Xie Lady Xie Xinghan's starlike eyes narrowed slightly:

"Mentioned offhand and you remembered? Then you're just like your young master—nothing escapes your ears!"

A Wu swallowed hard and forced calmness:

"How could I compare to the young master? But I've remembered a lot—Master Liu Qiu also mentioned the 'Xiyi Liezhuan' from the Shiji! And the Hou Han Shu, Hou Han Shu..."

Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Xie Lady Xie Xinghan's smile slowly vanished.

A Wu felt sudden pressure—and panicked instantly! She forgot the lines Wang Yang had taught her to reply with!

"Oh! Also the Hou Han Shu's 'Xiyi Liangyue'..."

Just as A Wu gathered her thoughts to continue answering, Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Xie Lady Xie Xinghan had already stepped before Chen Chen Chen Qingshan:

"Miss Chen, you said you heard of several famous talented women in the capital, but you can't quite recall their names. Who do you remember?"

Chen Chen Chen Qingshan blushed and whispered: "I... I can't remember."

Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Xie Lady Xie Xinghan smiled warmly: "So you only remember me?"

Chen Chen Chen Qingshan stammered: "I... I need to go practice my sword." Then she fled quickly!

A Wu, like a little mouse, was about to sneak quietly out of the courtyard when Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Xie Lady Xie Xinghan called her back, smiling sweetly:

"A Wu, your central stroke still isn't straight—use this free time to practice calligraphy! Write five hundred characters to warm up."

A Wu: (╥﹏╥)

As the red sun set, the Baidong Prince's mansion.

In the hall, the Baidong Prince sat atop the dais in a white nightgown, left leg flat, right knee raised, arm casually resting on his knee, slowly wiping a ring-hilt long blade with purple silk.

On either side, black-armored personal guards stood with hands on their swords, like two rows of iron statues stretching from beneath the throne to the door.

The entire hall was unnervingly silent; the air seemed frozen, heavy and suffocating.

Wang Yang stepped in; his footsteps rang sharply in the stillness. No sooner had he entered than the great door behind him creaked shut slowly, then slammed with a bang—the candles inside flickered violently as the door sealed completely, severing the last link to the outside.

Wang Yang walked through the black-armored guards, calm and composed, his steps steady, as if utterly indifferent to the oppressive, chilling atmosphere around him.

The Baidong Prince's lips curled slightly into a faint, mocking smile; when Wang Yang reached the halfway point, he suddenly clanged his blade back into its scabbard!

In an instant,

All soldiers roared in unison!

The sound wave exploded like a surging tide within the enclosed hall: "KILL!!!!"

Fuck!

Wang Yang was startled so badly he instinctively leapt backward a full step!

The Baidong Prince sneered:

"I thought you had some guts—turns out you jump back like a rabbit."

The soldiers all chuckled.

This was not an easy reply.

Dealing with the Baidong Prince: too soft and he ignores you; too hard and you make an enemy.

Now he'd set up this scene clearly to humiliate Wang Yang—if Wang Yang cowered now, he'd be controlled even more; if he retorted harshly, he'd anger the prince and suffer the consequences himself.

If he responded calmly with reason—saying something like "Men are not grasses and trees; sudden fright causes involuntary reactions"—it would make him seem foolish.

Another option: pretend nothing happened and use classics to save face—cite Confucius in the Analects: "He changed expression at thunder and fierce wind," or the Yi Zhuan: "The noble man, in fear, cultivates self-reflection"—and deliver it with calm authority.

This last approach might work if the opponent respected scholarship and valued humility—but the Baidong Prince clearly didn't care, and he was deliberately shaming Wang Yang; using this tactic now would only bring him further humiliation.

So Wang Yang used none of these methods. He smiled slightly, bowed to the Baidong Prince:

My courage isn't much—I jumped back the instant I was startled. If it were you, Your Highness, you'd jump forward.

Several soldiers couldn't hold back their laughter; others bit their lips, clearly stifling smiles.

The Baidong Prince nearly broke too.

The brilliance of this reply lay in its duality: if you called it an insult, it was—an implication that the prince would jump too, though without the word "rabbit." But if you called it flattery, it was also that—after all, he'd said the prince would jump forward, subtly elevating the prince's status.

More importantly, it subtly revealed a truth: anyone startled like that might jump—it wasn't worth mocking. Far smarter than arguing directly.

The Baidong Prince suppressed his smile, his face darkening terrifyingly; his tiger-like eyes flashed as his voice rose sharply:

"Wang Yang! You've stirred the commoners and nobles alike, thrown Jingzhou into chaos—what crime do you deserve?!"

Wang Yang blinked innocently: "My lord, you mean Liu Yin, right?"

The Baidong Prince flipped his hand, planting the scabbard on the ground, leaning forward; the candlelight behind him flickered, casting his shadow long and monstrous.

He stared at Wang Yang, eyes blazing with menace:

"How many lives do you have, daring to play tricks before me?

Do you think your surname protects you—that I can't touch you?

Using my blade to kill?

Don't you fear the blade might turn and stab you instead?

If I truly stabbed you, do you think your surname could even cry out for you?"

His voice had lowered, but carried a chilling, bone-deep dread; the oppressive aura made even the armored soldiers dare not breathe loudly.

Wang Yang showed no fear, meeting his gaze directly:

"Surnames don't cry out—only the people who bear them do.

Your sword can pierce one man easily—but to pierce through the genealogy of the Langya Wang clan, you're still short.

Of course, you didn't say you'd stab me—yet the words make my heart grow cold.

To be honest, I came here expecting you to treat me to fine wine and food..."

The Baidong Prince laughed bitterly: "Fine wine and food? You've schemed even against me—and now you want a feast?"

Wang Yang immediately grew serious: "My lord, let's be clear—I didn't scheme against you; I schemed for you!"

The Baidong Prince sneered: "For me? Tell me—what exactly did you scheme for me?"

"Have these men leave. Then I'll explain clearly."

The Baidong Prince said nothing.

Wang Yang smiled: "I'm just a scholar. Even if you meant to harm me, you didn't need such a display."

The Baidong Prince waved his hand; the soldiers withdrew.

Wang Yang spoke clearly:

"Earlier, I told you Liu Yin intended to target me. You agreed to help, granting me the post of White-Robed Assistant in charge of the Changping Granary—subject only to your orders, not the Inspector's summons. But Liu Yin used a scribe's decree to bypass your oversight. Imagine—if he found fault in me, wouldn't you bear blame for partiality and negligence?

So is Liu Yin targeting only me? The moment he decided to strike me, he turned his blade toward you! Killing me, exposing your failures—this is a two-birds-one-stone plan! So eliminating Liu Yin serves me—but it also removes a threat to you!"

"Did I speak of Liu Yin? I spoke of you daring to use that shipment to set a trap! Whose goods are those? Do you have the authority to dispose of them? What if something goes wrong—who bears the cost?!"

The Baidong Prince demanded, voice fierce.

Wang Yang stood firm, shouting back:

"Then let me ask you one question—whose goods are they, if not mine?!"

"Then let me ask His Highness: if this isn't my merchandise, whose is it?!"

The Baidong Prince was stunned.

For a moment, he thought Wang Yang meant to steal his goods!

For a moment, he thought Wang Yang was going to swallow his goods!

(Pseudo-note: The Baidong Prince believed Wang Yang intended to double-cross him, as ruthless as Cao Cao—so he silently swore again. Reflecting on past and present, he sighed deeply.)

(Fake annotation: Prince of Badong thought Wang Yang intended to betray and seize the spoils, as ruthless as Cao Cao, so he silently cursed again. Reflecting on the present and recalling the past, he could not help but sigh.)