Chapter 20: Entering the Palace to See the Emperor

Chen Ji, suddenly feeling no pressure on his body, looked with his mouth agape at Lv Fang, who was holding up his token with an awe-inspiring air of righteousness, and at Xiao Xun, who was kneeling on the ground with his buttocks stuck out.

The shock in his heart could not be described in words.

How could this scholar named Lu Fang...

Slap!

The Semi-Sage Xu Xu Han Yi · Student Token fell!

Lu Fang followed by collapsing to the ground, panting heavily.

Excessive use of Haoran Zhengqi resulted in him not even having the strength to move a finger now.

"You are a disciple of Semi-Sage Xu Xu Han Yi!"

Without the pressure of the Student Token, Xiao Xun climbed up from the ground with a gloomy face. After hesitating for a moment, a trace of killing intent flashed in his eyes.

If it were someone else, knowing that Lu Fang was a disciple of a Semi-Sage, they would definitely not dare to act rashly, at least not harbor killing intent.

But Xiao Xun, who came from the Xiao family, was different. The Xiao family and the lineage of Semi-Sage Xu Xu Han Yi were like fire and water. It was rumored that Xiao Wanlin, the former Prime Minister, had been slapped in public by the Semi-Sage and had formed a deadly feud.

'I can take this opportunity to kill this child!'

Xiao Xun was just about to make a move.

An elegant middle-aged scholar appeared in front of Lu Fang; it was the other Supervisor of Wenyuan Academy—Liu Wenyu.

"Liu Wenyu, move aside! This child dared to kill my Xiao family member. Today I must kill him to pay with his life!"

Xiao Xun said in a deep voice.

Liu Wenyu shook his head: "Forgive Liu for being unable to do so. The scholar behind me came to Wenyuan Academy to study according to His Majesty's decree. If you kill him, I have no way to account for it."

"He is that Lu Fang who wrote the 'Ode to Quelling Demons'?"

Xiao Xun had a dark face.

The palace had notified them in advance that a person named Lu Fang would come to the academy to study. As a Supervisor, Xiao Xun naturally knew the general situation.

What he didn't know was that Lu Fang was actually a disciple of a Semi-Sage and had also condensed a book spirit.

"It is him."

Liu Wenyu said truthfully.

The students in the white stone plaza, upon hearing the conversation between the two Supervisors, looked at Lu Fang with extreme surprise.

Basically everyone here had seen the imagery-level "Ode to Quelling Demons," the elegant prose "Liaozhai Zhiyi Nie Xiaoqian," and today's elegant prose "Dream of the Red Chamber" in the Literary Gazette.

They also knew it was written by a person named Lu Fang.

It was just that everyone subconsciously thought that someone with such knowledge and writing power must be an old master.

They had never thought that Lu Fang was actually a scholar around twenty years old, the same age as them.

He was a disciple of Semi-Sage Xu Xu Han Yi and had also condensed a book spirit!

"You, you, you are Lu Fang?"

Chen Ji widened his eyes.

Lu Fang didn't even have the strength to speak. He finally understood the weakness Li Yu felt after forcibly sacrificing the Great Confucian ink treasure · Four-Direction Inkstone that day.

"This matter is not over. Even if he is Lu Fang, so what? Daring to commit violence in public and kill my Xiao family member, I must report this matter to His Majesty."

Xiao Xun snorted coldly, waved his sleeves to take away Xiao Jinchen's corpse, and left Wenyuan Academy in anger.

Upon seeing Liu Wenyu appear, he knew he couldn't kill Lu Fang, so he simply returned to the Xiao Mansion quickly to discuss with his eldest brother how to take revenge.

Returning to the mansion, Xiao Xun told the whole story to his eldest brother, Minister of Justice Xiao Qi.

Crack!

Upon seeing Xiao Jinchen's corpse, Xiao Qi smashed the table into pieces with one palm and said furiously:

"Damn Lu Fang! I don't care if he is a prophecy person or a disciple of that old fellow Xu Xu Han Yi. Daring to kill my son, he must die! You come with me to the palace to see the Emperor."

"That is my intention as well."

Xiao Xun hesitated and said: "Should we call 'Father' along?"

"He is in seclusion, so don't bother him."

Xiao Qi shook his head.

Taihe Hall.

"Dream of the Red Chamber is in the Literary Gazette. What do the common people think of it?"

Zhou Emperor Ji Feng was reviewing memorials without even raising his head to ask.

The Chief Eunuch smiled: "Your Majesty truly has eyes like torches."

Yesterday, he said that "Dream of the Red Chamber" was in the Literary Gazette and would definitely cause a sensation among the common people. This morning, after it was published in the Literary Gazette, whether it was teahouses, restaurants, or streets, everyone was full of praise for "Dream of the Red Chamber."

Ji Feng put down the memorial in his hand and asked puzzledly:

"You say that kid Lu Fang, what is in his head? How could he write such good elegant prose?"

The Chief Eunuch rolled his eyes and said:

"If I were to say, Lu Fang is the prophecy person, here to assist Your Majesty in unifying the world. Didn't the Astronomy Institute say yesterday that the Great Zhou's fate suddenly increased by half a foot? Of course, this is also inseparable from Your Majesty being a wise and diligent ruler."

Upon hearing this, Ji Feng couldn't help but laugh out loud:

"I have been diligent for twenty-nine years, and the Great Zhou's fate has only increased by one zhang, yet it increased by half a foot for no reason yesterday. How could it have anything to do with being diligent?"

The Chief Eunuch smiled and didn't answer.

As someone by the Emperor's side, he knew when to say what to make the Emperor happy, and naturally knew when to choose to shut up.

"Your Majesty! Minister of Justice Xiao Qi and Wenyuan Academy Supervisor Xiao Xun are outside the hall asking to see Your Majesty."

"They say that Lu Fang, a disciple of Semi-Sage Xu Han Yi, killed Xiao Qi's son Xiao Jinchen, and Wenyuan Academy Supervisor Liu Wenyu is shielding the criminal. They have come to report to Your Majesty to preside over justice."

A eunuch waiting outside the hall came to report in a hurry.

The Chief Eunuch, who was about to close his eyes and rest, was startled upon hearing this.

"Lu Fang killed a Xiao family member?"

Ji Feng frowned and thought for a moment before saying: "Summon Wenyuan Academy Supervisor Liu Wenyu; I have something to ask him."

The Xiao brothers came first, but they waited outside the hall for half an hour without seeing Zhou Emperor Ji Feng. Instead, as soon as Liu Wenyu arrived, he was called in to be questioned.

By the time Liu Wenyu left the palace after coming out of Taihe Hall, no one had called Xiao Qi and Xiao Xun in to be questioned.

"Eldest Brother, why do I feel something is wrong?"

Xiao Xun transmitted his voice.

Xiao Qi also transmitted his voice:

"Perhaps His Majesty is busy with important memorials. Not letting you and me leave proves that there is no intention to favor the lineage of that old fellow Xu Xu Han Yi."

Another half an hour passed, and the Zhou Emperor finally summoned Xiao Qi and Xiao Xun into the hall.

"Your Majesty, Lu Fang, a disciple of Semi-Sage Xu Xu Han Yi, relied on his powerful master sect to act arrogantly in Wenyuan Academy and killed my son. I ask Your Majesty to preside over justice for our Xiao family."

"I have heard the whole story from Liu Wenyu, and I have also sent people to investigate. This matter all started because Xiao Jinchen was arrogant and domineering. I have already ordered Lu Fang to be grounded for one month and punished with thirty heavy boards."

"Your Majesty must not listen to Liu Wenyu's one-sided words. Your subject is willing to confront that scoundrel Lu Fang face to face."

"Lu Fang is currently injured, so there is no need for him to come. I have several Shadow-Recording Talismans here; you can take them back and look at them carefully."

Ji Feng waved his hand impatiently.

Shadow-Recording Talismans were very precious and could save the images and sounds in front of them. The conflict between Lu Fang and Xiao Jinchen was recorded from several angles by several Shadow-Recording Talismans.

Xiao Qi was unwilling and said: "Your Majesty..."

Ji Feng interrupted in a deep voice: "You may withdraw." ===== CHAPTER 21 =====