Chapter 128: My Sword Has Also Never Been Anything But Sharp

Back in Huangcheng, those civil officials loved to step on the toes of the imperial relatives to build their own reputations.

The He Daye was one of the targets they stepped on.

The noble title of his old He Daye was forcibly trampled down generation after generation!

After the He Daye came to Xinzhou, they had ideas; they were quite experienced, and wanting to pick a target to build their reputation, they naturally chose the method they were most familiar with.

In Xinzhou, Wen Gu was also an imperial relative.

It was just that they never expected things would not develop as they had anticipated.

How could Lao Zhuo appear here?!

Damn it, in Huangcheng I had to face you bunch of old faces, I ran to Xinzhou, and again, again, again I am facing your old face!

The moment Master He saw the other party's old face clearly, his heart skipped a beat with a sense of "something is terribly wrong."

After a brief moment of shock, the question blurted out: "You aren't..."

Didn't the rumors say: he was lingering on his last breath, his spirit and body already separated, and he was about to kick the bucket?

Just a moment ago, he was even thinking about when to go to the Zhuo family to put on a hypocritical, sorrowful act.

But in the blink of an eye, the other party is holding a sword and about to charge at me!

Rumors are not to be trusted!

As Master He pondered, the gaze of the person in front was already nailed straight onto him.

Old Master Zhuo walked closer step by step, carrying an invisible sense of oppression.

"This old man has just recovered from a serious illness and originally wanted to see what Xinzhou City looked like, but who knew, is this main road actually not allowed to be walked upon?!"

The voice was not loud, carrying the roughness and hoarseness of a long illness, but combined with the aura around his body, it had a kind of soul-shaking resilience and weight.

The people watching from a distance had stopped discussing by this time. The original restlessness suddenly settled down.

Master He wanted to say it was a misunderstanding; he was blocking Wen Gu today, how would he dare to court death by blocking Lao Zhuo.

"No, I thought..."

But the person opposite had no intention of letting him say more; Prime Minister Zhuo stepped forward, followed by a barrage of face-to-face scolding, shouting:

"Nowadays, Plague Ghosts are running rampant outside, to such an extent, yet you do not pity the wounds of the ten thousand commoners, nor do you aid the isolated and weak masses, and instead, you are here showing off the might of a tiger or wolf!"

Master He was sprayed head-on until he was completely bewildered; he couldn't sit still, stood up, and wanted to explain: "No, I..."

Prime Minister Zhuo did not give the other party a chance to quibble at all.

Suppressing him with his aura and belittling him with his words, he continued to rebuke the other party: Now Xinzhou is protecting your safety, the situation outside the city is tense, and even if you have no ability, you should be in your mansion listening to your string and bamboo music, yet you actually ran out to stir up trouble?

"... Dressed in fine clothes and riding in a sedan chair, with followers like clouds, blocking the road and bullying the people in broad daylight, treating the city streets like a private residence, your behavior is shady, your arrogance is rampant, you have no decorum! No restraint! No righteousness! Why haven't you died yet!!"

This is what is called the backbone of an official family!

Prime Minister Zhuo looked on with contempt: A treacherous person who relies on imperial titles and nepotism, you are worthy of spouting nonsense in front of this old man?

Master He was both bewildered and angry: What nonsense? I didn't spout any!

Wait, you old thing, who are you scolding?!

Master He was also angry; being pointed at and scolded in front of everyone, how could he endure it?

"You surnamed Zhuo, do you think you are still the Prime Minister of the imperial court? Stop putting on your airs as a powerful minister; the times have changed!"

Thus, the two heads of the great families, both fifty years old, bombarded each other in the street, digging up each other's dark history.

Lao Zhuo was, after all, a former Prime Minister; his firepower was unstoppable, and he was extremely evocative, full of emotion, with tears in his eyes, his self-reproach carrying a sense of tragedy:

"The country is in chaos, and as a minister, I cannot save it. The people are in difficulty, and as an official, I cannot aid them..."

He, Lao Zhuo, had the heart but lacked the strength; he had finally arrived in Xinzhou after heading north, only to fall ill. But while bedridden, his heart was always concerned with the state of the world and the livelihood of the people outside.

Unlike you!

You are physically healthy but cannot lead by example; not only do you not help resolve difficulties, but you also put on airs and show off your might on the main road!

"... Treacherous and cunning with no long-term vision, despised by both scholars and commoners! A gluttonous wretch, falsely clever and profit-seeking, unrepentant in your evil, your crimes deserve death!"

The veins on Master He's forehead twitched, his face twisted, and he roared: "You surnamed Zhuo, that's enough!"

However, Lao Zhuo was like someone who had broken a seal today, his extreme firepower outputting continuously, and with no limit on the genre, poetry and parallel prose taking turns, flowing endlessly.

The surrounding crowd was shocked by Lao Zhuo's profound knowledge and powerful aura.

He Da, hiding in the crowd of onlookers, was also shocked at this moment.

An Idler nearby asked in a low voice: "Boss He, do you understand?"

He Da recovered slightly, coughed lightly, and said with a thick skin: "I understand a little."

At least he had read a few more books since coming to Xinzhou, and his literary cultivation had improved just a little bit.

Another Idler said: "Prime Minister Zhuo said so much; I could understand some of the beginning, but I don't understand any of the rest."

He Da felt a bit guilty inside. Actually, he was the same; when Prime Minister Zhuo started with the poetry and parallel prose later on, he basically didn't understand it either.

Cough, although he didn't understand, he could feel the aura and the intent!

In order to maintain the authority of a boss, He Da used his negligible level of education to provide an impromptu reading comprehension:

"It's too complicated for you to understand, so to put it simply, the general meaning is..."

"You're ugly, and your heart is dirty!"

"It's already a crisis! The situation is becoming dangerous, and everyone outside the city is preparing for battle; not only are you not helping, but you are actually holding everyone back! What time is it, and you are still playing your low-class little schemes, you shameless person!"

"No morals, no cultivation, your kindness hasn't grown, but your ability to commit evil is greater than before; you are incredibly stupid!"

He Da explained vaguely, and the people nearby believed it deeply, nodding repeatedly: "Prime Minister Zhuo is right!"

He Da also felt that Prime Minister Zhuo was right.

"This is a big shot who has been a Prime Minister; the way he speaks is just different!"

Like them, who couldn't understand, they only felt that the tone and the aura were pleasant to hear!

As expected of someone who has been a Prime Minister, his speech is elegant and never repeats itself. Unlike them, who only know how to say "Right, right, right," "Hahaha," "Exactly, exactly," and "Awesome, awesome."

This era greatly venerates scholars; this is the mainstream consciousness.

To their ears, flowery, scholarly language carries the special effect of celestial music.

If Prime Minister Lao Zhuo were to curse them with the same words, not only would he fail to defeat them, he might even make them feel invigorated.

But this member of the He Daye is one who has received elite education from a noble family, so he naturally understands this level of scolding.

Understanding it makes for a different kind of experience.

Understanding it but being unable to out-scold the other party makes the experience even deeper.

Understanding it, being unable to out-scold, and being unable to win in a fight—that is even more stifling!

For a moment, the old master of the He Daye did not know how to retort; he trembled with rage and even drew his saber.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Lao Zhuo had shed his usual listless, sickly state; the more he scolded, the clearer his mind became, and the more spirited he grew, as if an invisible "fighting" Qi were erupting from around his entire body.

High-spirited and imposing!

His retorts to the old master of the He Daye came one after another, a dense bombardment. He also gripped his sword in his hand.

He Da hid behind the crowd, leading a few street urchins to wave their arms and cheer for Prime Minister Lao Zhuo.

"That's right, that's right!"

"Well said!"

Seeing that both sides were about to come to blows, they moved closer, pretending to mediate the fight.

"Forget it, forget it, you lot can't beat him..."

Standing beside Prime Minister Lao Zhuo, the eldest young master of the Zhuo family had also originally wanted to mediate, fearing that his father's over-excitement would cause his already improving condition to worsen again.

But as he watched, his old man became increasingly radiant, his voice resonant, his fighting spirit soaring! Fighting Qi radiating everywhere!

A Fighting-X powerhouse!

Conversely, the old master of the He Daye opposite looked as if he were about to faint.

The eldest young master of the Zhuo family withdrew the step he had intended to take to mediate.

Ahem, well, a gentleman acts according to the situation!

Adjusting strategies in real-time, changing according to the circumstances!

——

Wen Gu's carriage left Jingxing Fang, still following the usual route toward Zhao Fu.

Cheng Zhi remained worried in the carriage.

Over the past two days, he had pondered much. The connections between great families are tangled and complex; though he was of commoner origin, he had seen many noble scions at the academy and could glimpse a thing or two.

In matters concerning status and class, noble families are exceptionally prone to banding together. They might not necessarily look up to the He Daye, but they would not necessarily be friendly toward Wen Gu either.

Hard to deal with!

That old master of the He Daye might not be a purely evil person, but he is very good at being disgusting.

"Rumors and gossip can kill!"

Cheng Zhi's family had suffered from such things.

If they could not strike the opponent down this time, there would likely be even more outrageous rumors spread later. Even if it were not the He Daye, others would do it.

Therefore, Cheng Zhi truly hoped Wen Gu could resolve the trouble this time.

He had wanted to follow along when visiting the Zhuo residence that day, but unfortunately, Prime Minister Lao Zhuo needed quiet rest, and only Ward Chief Wen Gu was seen.

Cheng Zhi also knew that Wen Gu and Prime Minister Lao Zhuo had other arrangements, but he did not know how exactly it would be resolved, or if it could be resolved.

Just as they left the ward gate, they received news that the He Daye had indeed made a move.

But Wen Gu was as usual today; his lack of words was not due to cowardice, but a kind of unhurried leisure, as if waiting for the right moment.

Cheng Zhi looked ahead from time to time, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Wen Gu reassured him: "Don't worry, it's not a big deal. Some people are used to being arrogant and will always stumble."

In the eyes of the He Daye, Wen Gu was merely a stepping stone, a tool to build their reputation.

It is just that one wonders if the old master of the He Daye has ever thought that they, too, are just stepping stones in the eyes of others.

Prime Minister Lao Zhuo should have confidence in facing the He Daye.

Nothing else, just that he is practiced at it.

As they drew closer to the city center, the commotion ahead reached them.

"They're fighting!"

"No, they aren't, they're just arguing, no physical contact."

"They are! They started fighting while arguing! I heard the sound."

"I'm tall and can see; they aren't really fighting, just gesturing."

Hearing the discussion, Wen Gu lifted the carriage curtain.

Relying on the height of the carriage, they could see some of the scene ahead and hear some of the voices.

Ahead, Lao Zhuo was outputting a passage of emotionally rich and sharp-witted parallel prose.

Four-character and six-character phrases were outputting heavy firepower like a rotary machine gun.

Crushing them in scholarship, reprimanding them on moral grounds, dual-firepower suppression, his tone mocking, fierce and powerful, his momentum like a rainbow, pressing forward step by step!

Wen Gu praised: "Prime Minister Lao Zhuo is in high spirits today!"

Because the road was congested, their carriage stopped, watching the battle ahead.

The general situation at the moment is as follows—

Old master of the He Daye: You stop while you're ahead; don't think I dare not draw my blade!

Prime Minister Lao Zhuo: My sword is also not unsharp!

The scene was extremely restless, as if invisible flames were bursting forth.

Cheng Zhi... Cheng Zhi was already in a state of dementia.

Deep down, he was still the most common type of scholar from this era, born into an ordinary family.

Toward a big shot of Prime Minister Lao Zhuo's level, he naturally possessed an intense sense of worship and awe.

It is true that Lao Zhuo had a good background, but more importantly, he had walked the path of the imperial examinations upright and honestly, fighting his way all the way to the position of Prime Minister!

That was already the pinnacle of power that an ordinary person could imagine!

Regardless of what Cheng Zhi had been thinking when he arrived, at this moment, his intelligence was basically offline.

Casting aside reason and immersing himself in the powerful aura of a Prime Minister-level expert, at this very moment, there was only infinite admiration for a max-level academic god and industry benchmark!

Looking up to the high mountain, his heart yearned for it!

The young scholars gathered nearby were in a state similar to Cheng Zhi's.

It is no exaggeration to say that in their eyes, Prime Minister Lao Zhuo was glowing all over at this moment!

Even if Old Master Zhuo were to wave his arms and call for them to charge into battle, scholars like Cheng Zhi who lacked the strength to truss a chicken would be willing to sacrifice their lives!

Wen Gu was also filled with admiration in his heart.

As expected of Lao Zhuo; could this be the legendary hardcore family education of the Zhuo family—the Dao of the gentleman?

It had something of the demeanor of the sages from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

(End of this chapter)