Chapter 25: Slapping the Face of a Big Figure Too! Shocking Everyone!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The moment Yan Xiong read these four characters, many people burst into laughter. Even Jin Mulan couldn’t help but break into a beautiful smile.
However, Yan Xiong’s teacher’s face instantly blackened.
Yan Xiong only realized that he was fooled when he was done reading it. However, words spoken were like water that’s thrown out, and it couldn’t be retracted. He instantly trembled with anger. Pointing one of his fingers at Shen Lang, he growled, “You... You...”
“That’s right, you’re a dumb*ass! Brother Yan Xiong, you’ve always been so honest from a young age until now, ah!” Shen Lang said.
Yan Xiong was about to explode from anger. He was about to go forward to argue when his teacher, the former City Lord of Xuanwu City, Zhang Boyan said coldly. “Get down. Do you find this not embarrassing enough?”
Yan Xiong stomped off angrily. Feeling the mocking gaze from everyone, he instantly wished he could burrow himself into the ground.
Scholars like him were most concerned about their reputation. At the very least, the words ‘I am a dumb*ss’ would follow him for the rest of his life now.
It would also affect him when he went for the provincial examinations.
Instantly, Yan Xiong hollered angrily, “Lord Earl, this is your Palace of the Earl! Shen Lang is your son-in-law, are you going to allow him to degrade literature and ruin the reputation of the Jin Family?”
The Earl of Xuanwu smiled but did not speak.
The Earl couldn’t open his mouth. If not for the fact that his teacher was the former City Lord of Xuanwu City, a mere scholar like him wouldn’t even be able to step into this hall. If the Earl had to answer the words of small fries like this, wouldn’t he be exhausted to death?
Furthermore, it was the magnanimity of the Earl of Xuanwu not to pursue the matter for a small scholar like Yan Xiong to question and doubt the marriage affairs of the Palace of the Earl of Xuanwu.
“Yan Xiong, you were the one who said those four words; I didn’t use a single vulgarity, ah.” Shen Lang chuckled, “As for ruining the reputation of the Jin Family, you can be assured. The Jin Family is powerful, something this small wouldn’t ruin our reputation. Jin Family’s reputation comes from the hearts of the people. It was all rooted in their love and concern for their constituents. That and their loyalty to the Monarch are what the long-lasting generations of Xuanwu Earls offer to its people, not the mouths of shameless scholars like you.”
The moment this was said, the Earl of Xuanwu became stunned. What Shen Lang said was really on point.
When Shen Lang said he wanted to marry Jin Mulan, the Earl even had the urge to murder this insolent man.
However, right now, he felt that this Shen Lang was not too bad as a person. At the very least, he understood the Earl’s thoughts.
The Earl of Xuanwu was magnanimous because of the genuine love and care he has for the people of Xuanwu City. However, he was also definitely not a pedantic type of person who was overly particular about things. So what if his son-in-law had scolded someone. It wasn’t a problem as long as he did it with correctitude.
Xu Qianqian couldn’t help but feel shocked when she heard Shen Lang’s words!
This person with a glib tongue was Shen Lang? This man spoke ever so slowly before! He couldn’t even utter a complete sentence.
He had undergone such a tremendous change after being chased out of the Xu Family?
“Shameless!” Zhang Pu couldn’t help but mutter under his breath.
“You had just completed the wedding rites, and you’re already speaking of the Jin Family as if you’re a part of them? You’re really a panderer, huh!? Can you be less shameless!?”
However, Shen Lang’s words had offended a prominent figure.
The former City Lord of Xuanwu City, Zhang Boyan... Not only was he Yan Xiong’s teacher, but he was also a traditional-minded scholar.
He had treated it as a game between youngsters when Shen Lang humiliated Yan Xiong.
However, now Shen Lang was calling scholars shameless, which meant Shen Lang was slapping his face and insulting him. Zhang Boyan absolutely had to discipline this lad; otherwise, he would be too full of himself just because he could recognize some strange characters.
“Student Shen, looks like you are well-versed in unfamiliar characters?” Zhang Boyan said.
Shen Lang replied, “I do not dare to claim to be well-versed, but I do know a few.”
“I have a character here. These students of mine were incompetent and couldn’t recognize it, I wonder if Student Shen is willing to help them dispel their doubts?” Zhang Boyan said.
The moment this was said, everyone became instantly energized. The student was slapped in his face, so the teacher had stepped in personally.
Who was this Zhang Boyan? The former City Lord of Xuanwu City, ah! He had read extensively and was particularly fond of exploring historical sites. He opened a study hall in the city after his retirement. Many scholars took him as their teacher. How profound was his knowledge?
The Earl of Xuanwu was the master of Xuanwu City. Why was this former city lord trying to oppose the Palace of the Earl?
This had to do with the new politics. From a decade ago, the Monarch began withdrawing feudal lands and authority from old aristocratic families.
Previously, the Palace of the Earl assigned the position of the City Lord of Xuanwu City and is usually the younger brother of the Palace of the Earl of Xuanwu.
Approximately eleven years ago, the Palace of the Earl of Xuanwu gave up the position of the City Lord, and the Monarch became the one that decides who will take on the job.
From then, City Lords had one mission, and that was to draw the line with the Earl of Xuanwu and vie with them in the dark.
Shen Lang chuckled, “Since Sir Zhang wishes to test me, then I shall give it a shot.”
This time around, the Earl of Xuanwu and Jin Mulan did not try to stop him. Shen Lang had already gotten his face back earlier, so it was no big deal even if he lost to Zhang Boyan.
What sort of figure was Zhang Boyan? A famous great scholar, ah!
Shen Lang had only studied for a few years in a town college, wasn’t it normal for him to lose to him?
Scholar Yan Xiong was elated upon seeing that his teacher stuck out for him. He hurriedly grounded the ink and spread the red papers for his teachers. Then, he respectfully offered the brush with both hands.
Zhang Boyan wrote a single character on the paper after receiving the brush.
Everyone came forward to take a look; even Jin Mulan glanced over.
“Great writing!”
“Graceful with hidden depth! It’s impossible to write like this without decades of practice.”
When Zhang Boyan was done writing, everyone cheered.
This former City Lord of Xuanwu City indeed had great calligraphy.
However, no one present could recognize the word he had written.
“Sir Zhang’s words are truly and genuinely good, ah! Every stroke is enough to make one drunk.”
“Indeed! It’s impossible to write like this without the skills of decades!”
“But what is this character?”
“I don’t know!”
“I don’t know!”
Everyone present shook their heads. Not a single person could recognize it.
Be it the scholars, Mulan, or even the Earl. None of them could recognize the word.
Someone said, “Sir Zhang is fond of exploring historical sites; this is definitely taken from inscriptions on ancient tablets and is extremely rarely seen! It’s not even found in books, so no one could recognize this word!”
Upon hearing these murmurs, Zhang Boyan instantly felt pleased.
This word was indeed obtained from inscriptions of an ancient tablet when he was excavating historical sites. He managed to figure out what word it was after reading the context of that inscription. There was no way it could be found in books.
Thus, apart from those who had read the inscriptions on the tablet personally, no one knew this word.
Shen Lang went forward to take a look only to realize that it was written in a small seal1.
This character was elementary; it was the character for ‘goat’ with two strokes removed. When written in a simplified Chinese style, it’s ‘￥.’
Every modern-day Chinese person would be familiar with it because it’s the sign for the Chinese Renminbi, which is read as ‘Yuan.’
However, in ancient context, it definitely wasn’t ‘yuan.’ Shen Lang really didn’t know what it meant and how it should be read.
Aside from the minority group of people who excavated historical sites in the Dayan Dynasty, no one else would touch on looking into a lesser seal. Because this word didn’t use the lesser seal as their words. It was merely a hobby of a small group of people.
Thus, the difficulty of the character this time was a bit heaven-defying.
Had it been Shen Lang alone, he would have definitely lost this time.
However, there was an Alienware Laptop in his body which had already merged with his brain.
He only needed to take a glance, and he instantly found the answer through his database.
The Earl of Xuanwu said, “Shen Lang, this character is complicated; if it’s not seen on the ancient tablet by coincidence, then no one would recognize it. It’s alright if you say that you do not know.” Then he added, “Your parents insist on not joining the ceremonial rites. You and Mulan should go and pay your respects to them.”
He was giving Shen Lang an excellent way out of this situation.
Zhang Boyan didn’t care about winning against someone as small as Shen Lang.
However, since he managed to perplex everyone present with a single character, this former City Lord of Xuanwu City couldn’t help but feel a little gleeful. He placed both his palms behind his back and tried to look aloof.
Shen Lang said, “Sir Zhang, if my guess is not wrong, you also don’t know how to read this character, right? You should have obtained the meaning of this character according to the inscriptions, but you don’t know how to read it.”
“Indeed, that is true, but isn’t it more important to know the meaning, rather than how it is pronounced?” Zhang Boyan said.
Shen Lang replied, “What a coincidence, I happened to know how this character is read.”
“Impossible. My teacher has said it, he only knew the meaning of this character by reading the inscriptions. No one knows how to read this word,” Scholar Yan Xiong said.
Shen Lang said, “Then if I know how this word is read and it’s meaning, can you slap yourself since you had spouted nonsense earlier and called me a moron.”
Yan Xiong said, “And what if you are wrong?”
Shen Lang replied, “Then I’ll slap myself.”
“Fine, it’s a deal. Everyone present shall testify for it.”
Zhang Boyan did not stop him because it was politically correct for him to go against the Palace of the Earl. Also, Shen Lang was too brazen tonight, so he should be appropriately disciplined.
Shen Lang said, “This word is pronounced the same way as ‘endure’1”
“Hahaha... What? Just because you said it’s ‘Ren,’ then we’ll just agree that it’s read as ‘Ren’? Who can prove it, huh?” Yan Xiong laughed.
Shen Lang continued, “The meaning of this word should be similar to ‘pierce.'”
The moment this was said, the former City Lord of Xuanwu City Zhang Boyan’s face instantly changed to an incredulous look.
“This... this is impossible!”
“Have I met a ghost?! Shen Lang can recognize a word that hasn’t been published, and he even knows how to read it?”
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