Chapter 27: Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Virtuous Scholar Who Serves Country and People

Ji Feng looked at Lu Fang, who was gesturing wildly before the prince, torn between laughter and exasperation—this kid really didn’t let up once he had the upper hand.

He had indeed served as witness, but no matter who lost the bet, he would never allow the wager’s terms to be carried out.

“Cough, cough, cough…”

Ji Feng cleared his throat twice and turned toward Minister He Fan.

Of all those in the hall who had interacted with Lu Fang and just now spoken up, only this man fit the bill.

He Fan understood at once and nodded with a smile:

“Lu Fang, demanding that Lord Xiao kneel was excessive. How about this: let Lord Xiao apologize to you without kneeling, but you may make one demand of him?”

Lu Fang bowed to He Fan.

“Since the Minister of Literature says so, then so be it—I’ll feel pity for this old man and spare him the kneeling, as long as he gives me one hundred thousand taels.”

He Fan had been kind to Lu Fang; Lu Fang was willing to grant him this face.

Xiao Qi’s expression wavered, then he finally nodded in humiliation.

One hundred thousand taels were far more favorable to the Xiao family than kneeling—he glared at Lu Fang as if he’d been slapped with filth and gritted his teeth:

“I was wrong. I’ll give you one hundred thousand taels.”

“No!” Lu Fang tilted his chin slightly. “I’ll donate the one hundred thousand taels to our frontier soldiers. Just deliver the banknotes directly to the Ministry of Finance.”

“Excellent! Everyone wins.” Ji Feng nodded with a smile.

Sima Yu, the half-sage of the Shi family who had been writing the Annals of Time, seeing the matter concluded, penned:

“The Confucian scholar Lu Fang ultimately donated the one hundred thousand taels in compensation to the frontier soldiers—truly a virtuous man who serves country and people.”

No sooner had he finished than Sima Yu vanished.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Su Li—just newly become a half-sage—was leading Xiao Wanlin to the Xiao Residence to demand answers from the three half-sages of the Xiao family.

This was a historic event rarely seen in ages!

“I wonder how Senior Brother is doing?”

Lu Fang left the Xuanzheng Hall, exited the palace gates, and hurried toward the Li residence.

Even from afar, one could clearly see above Xiande Street and the Xiao Residence, the righteous qi of Confucianism coalescing into swirling, surging clouds and seas, one marvel after another manifesting.

One could imagine how fierce the half-sage struggle within the Xiao Residence must be.

Lu Fang stood for a long while at the crossroads of Xiande Street, then shook his head and left—he was too weak to help and would only be a burden.

Senior Brother had reached half-sage, but the Xiao Residence was said to have three half-sages.

Could he possibly hold his own against three?

A life-or-death battle was impossible—this was the capital of the Zhou Dynasty. No half-sage would be allowed to fight to the death; if things spiraled out of control, the Son of Heaven would surely send someone to mediate.

“Did the Xiao family mistreat you?”

Li Yu stood at the front gate of the Li residence. Seeing Lu Fang return, she let out a deep breath and rushed forward to ask.

Seeing Lu Fang with his head down, looking dazed and defeated, Li Yu assumed he had been humiliated in the palace.

“Sigh!” Lu Fang let out a heavy sigh—he truly worried Senior Brother might be at a disadvantage in the Xiao Residence.

“As long as the green mountains remain, there will always be firewood.”

Li Yu offered comfort, carefully ushering Lu Fang into the guest hall. Seeing he still hung his head, she grew frustrated and raised her voice: “A true man endures setbacks—”

Lu Fang interrupted: “Did you read Dream of the Red Chamber and absorb its scholarly aura?”

Their exchange was like talking past each other…

Lu Fang had been staring downward because Li Yu’s hands were wrapped in scholarly aura—more than even Chen Ji’s.

Many had recently cultivated scholarly aura these past two days.

The spirit of the Ink Brush Realm no longer individually prompted each person with extra aura; Lu Fang assumed it was simply because more people were reading Dream of the Red Chamber.

He didn’t know exactly how many had now cultivated scholarly aura.

“I just cultivated it yesterday.”

Li Yu replied offhandedly.

She often visited Lu Fang to read the latest chapters of Dream of the Red Chamber, just like Chen Ji—she knew scholarly aura could be cultivated and understood its effects perfectly.

“What humiliation did you suffer in the palace? Did the Xiao family slander you with Dream of the Red Chamber? Didn’t you tell His Majesty that Dream of the Red Chamber can cultivate scholarly aura?”

Li Yu finally couldn’t hold back and asked.

“I hadn’t even had time to play my scholarly aura card before the Xiao family crumbled—so I forgot to mention it. I was too busy lecturing them.”

Lu Fang smiled wryly and shook his head.

Before entering the palace, Lu Fang, Li Yu, and Chen Ji had planned their strategy—scholarly aura was their trump card to turn defeat into victory.

“Huh?” Li Yu scratched her head, annoyed. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand. If you weren’t humiliated, why are you so downcast?”

“I’m your junior uncle. Don’t be disrespectful.”

Lu Fang reminded her, then recounted the entire sequence in the Xuanzheng Hall.

From entering the hall and being demanded to be executed by Xiao Wanlin and the ministers, to Senior Brother Su Li’s arrival, to his wager with Xiao Qi, composing the Manifest-Level poem “Ode to Lime,” and finally forcing the Xiao family to apologize on the spot.

Lu Fang spoke with flying spittle.

Li Yu’s expression shifted wildly as she listened, murmuring softly: “Though crushed to dust, I fear not at all—I’ll leave purity in this world…”

Was this real? To compose a Manifest-Level poem on the spot?

Even a half-sage would dare not claim such a thing.

No wonder they hadn’t even needed to play the scholarly aura card—the Xiao family had already broken, and were branded as slanderers in the Annals of Time.

…

Sima Yu, the half-sage of the Shi family, recorded in the Annals of Time:

In the twenty-ninth year of Tian Feng, the twenty-second day of the ninth month.

Because his junior brother Lu Fang was slandered by the Xiao family, the newly elevated half-sage Su Li forced Xiao Wanlin to the Xiao Residence to demand accountability from the three Xiao half-sages.

A private confrontation became unavoidable.

Due to multiple factors, the three Xiao half-sages relented and admitted fault; half-sage Su Li cursed loudly as he departed.

Was the matter truly over?

Of course not.

The Manifest-Level poem “Ode to Lime”—“Though crushed to dust, I fear not at all—I’ll leave purity in this world”—became the hottest topic among the people of the capital.

“Do you know under what circumstances the great talent Lu Fang composed this poem?”

“Isn’t it recorded in the Annals of Time? The stone steles in every academy display it—it was composed by Lu Fang after being slandered by Xiao Qi, and he wrote: ‘Though crushed to dust, I fear not at all—I’ll leave purity in this world.’”

“Yes, yes! Everyone knows now.”

“It seems everyone knows this. But there’s another thing you all probably don’t know.”

“What’s that?”

“Come on, don’t tease—spit it out!”

“This has to do with Lu Fang’s refined prose. Have you heard of scholarly aura? It’s something extraordinary…”