Chapter 66

First Volume, Chapter 66: Impartial and Objective

With his status as Ji Wang, he had no need to tread carefully around the conflict between the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue; he spoke bluntly: "This contest is truly hard to judge as a win or loss—it's almost like comparing apples to oranges. If this were purely a test of martial strength, Qin Feng would be no match for Ning Hu."

Upon hearing this, Ning Qingquan was overjoyed, secretly sighing: "No wonder the old prince is truly impartial!"

Ning Hu, who had been listless until now, suddenly saw his eyes reignite with life—he longed to kneel right then and there and kowtow to Ji Wang.

Qin Tianhu's heart sank.

Though Ji Wang had no intention of deliberately sabotaging Qin Feng, he clearly favored the Ministry of Revenue's argument; if he ruled Qin Feng the loser, all his efforts would be rendered useless.

Looking over at Qin Feng, who sat nearby with one leg crossed over the other, cracking sunflower seeds, and acting as if none of this concerned him, Qin Tianhu nearly spat out two taels of blood right there.

Just as everyone assumed Ji Wang would declare Ning Hu the winner, Ji Wang changed his tone.

"You all seem to have overlooked the terms of the wager itself. This isn't some gentlemanly contest—it's a full-blown gamble. In any gamble, all rules must be stated beforehand. Since none of you stated them, it's equivalent to tacitly accepting the rule that wit trumps strength. Even if Qin Feng truly resorted to Toukongquqiao, he still followed the rules of this wager."

"Secondly, Qin Feng won twice, both times using clever devices—but whether it was the levers or the rope, they were all built right before your eyes, and are thus ingenious mechanisms, not mere trickery. The Ministry of Revenue officials themselves once said that with Qin Feng's methods, even a three-year-old child could defeat Ning Hu—doesn't that prove Qin Feng's mechanical ingenuity is universally practical?"

"The Ministry of Works officials are present here too—they surely understand the principle of the lever. Could any of you gentlemen construct a lever in the forest and use it to lift the three-legged tripod?"

In response to Ji Wang's question, the Ministry of Works dared not delay; their Vice Minister immediately rose to answer: "Your Royal Highness, the principle of the lever is not complex, but the problem lies in the tripod's sheer weight—it requires precise calculations to apply just enough force to lift it. Moreover, the lever's own structural strength is a major issue."

"Ordinary wood, when extended beyond a certain length, cannot bear its own weight—not only would it fail to lift the tripod, it would likely snap under its own mass. If I'm not mistaken, Qin Feng used hard timber, and at the joints, he not only fastened them with grab nails but also wrapped them tightly with rope."

"Through meticulous calculations, he solved the lever's strength problem in one attempt, completing the entire structure in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Even if we summoned dozens of skilled craftsmen from the Ministry of Works, they'd need one incense stick time to finish building it."

Upon hearing the Vice Minister's answer, the entire arena fell silent—even the loudest members of the Ministry of Revenue were mute.

The Liang Emperor's eyes gleamed with interest; even he had initially thought Qin Feng merely resorted to trickery, but now he realized constructing a lever required such refined craftsmanship. Recalling Qin Feng's earlier submission of the Military Strategy and Bow and Crossbow Design, the Liang Emperor found himself growing ever more fond of that insolent brat.

Xie Yun'er covered her mouth, her gaze toward Qin Feng shifting: "I never thought this shameless lecher actually had real talent."

Ji Wang turned to face the crowd and smiled deeply: "Qin Feng won two rounds by true ability, not by Toukongquqiao. Therefore, I declare Qin Feng the victor!"

At these words, the crowd instantly split into two factions: the Hubei Party fell into gloom, while the Ministry of War faction erupted in cheers.

Officials from neutral factions also stepped forward to congratulate Qin Tianhu.

"Congratulations, Lord Qin! Qin Feng didn't just win fairly—he defeated strength with wit, truly a tale worth remembering."

"In my view, Qin Feng's victory is thanks entirely to Lord Qin's excellent guidance."

"We heard earlier that Qin Young Master's poem 'Out of the Frontier' had stunned us all, but now we learn he's equally skilled in mechanical ingenuity—truly, a tiger father has no dog son. Admirable, admirable!"

Surrounded by praise from all sides, Qin Tianhu blushed, his face glowing with pride. He glanced at Qin Feng and found the boy as carefree and lazy as ever; yet this time, Qin Tianhu felt no anger—only a quiet sigh: "Children have their own fortunes. Perhaps this boy truly is a fool with great wisdom."

Ning Hu's fleeting hope shattered instantly; he collapsed onto the ground.

Ning Qingquan's face flushed and paled in turns—he clenched his teeth in fury, then sighed helplessly. This loss had sealed the Yong'an Marquis Mansion's future; the Liang Emperor could now find any excuse to strip Ning Hu of his title. Without the title, the Ning Family was no better than a Commoner.

Though the Minister of Revenue's face was grim, at least today the Ning Family bore the blame—the fire hadn't yet reached the Ministry of Revenue. It was a small mercy amid misfortune.

But the war against the Di had now left no room for retreat.

Qin Feng, who had spent the entire day watching the drama, scampered over to Ji Wang and, before the Ministry of Revenue officials, put on an exaggeratedly fawning expression: "Thank you, Your Royal Highness, for your support."

Ji Wang, who had been sipping tea, nearly spat it out; he shot Qin Feng a sharp glare and hissed: "You… you brat, don't speak nonsense. Who supported you? I merely spoke objectively."

Qin Feng kept smiling, deliberately shouting at the top of his lungs: "Hahaha! Your Royal Highness is the most impartial! Your nephew is eternally grateful!"

Ji Wang's face turned green—he wanted to smash the tea cup right onto Qin Feng's head.

The reason Ji Wang reacted so strongly, others didn't understand—but Qin Feng knew as clearly as if it were a mirror.

The old prince and the Liang Emperor were uncle and nephew by blood; naturally, he was there to help the Liang Emperor resolve his troubles. Helping Qin Feng was the same as helping the Liang Emperor. In this entire Jiaochang, everyone else might oppose the Liang Emperor—but Ji Wang never would. All this talk of retiring from the Imperial Court and being impartial and objective? Just laugh it off—it's not meant to be taken seriously.

Qin Feng pretended not to see Ji Wang's murderous glare and continued shamelessly broadcasting his "personal relationship" with the old prince.

"Your Royal Highness, you can keep eating that White Sugar. When you finish it, just send a servant to tell me—I'll personally bring you more."

Ji Wang, an old man of many years, nearly fainted on the spot—he was now irredeemably tainted. Before long, the entire Jingdu would spread the rumor that Ji Wang had a "personal connection" with Qin Feng.

The Liang Emperor observed every move Qin Feng made and couldn't help laughing aloud: "That brat really knows how to seize every opening. Such brazen, shameless flattery—I've never seen the like."

At the same moment, the young maid sent to gather news ran breathlessly back to the side hall.

The ladies had been waiting impatiently; seeing her return, they all demanded answers at once.

"Well? What's the result?"