My Wife is A Sword God

Chapter 622: A slap is a sign of respect

The place where the dishes were set out was already surrounded by people, and the crowd was clearly divided.

On one side were the poor students of Peaceful Academy, and on the other side were the people from National Academy, with others on the periphery who had come to watch the excitement.

The man in charge of Peaceful Academy already had a fresh red slap mark on his face.

Next to the dandy, who was insulting and harassing him with words, there were several Divine Martial Guards, as well as the colleagues from the National Academy.

Although the strength of these warriors was only at the sixth rank, it was still more than enough to deal with weak scholars who had not yet entered the Literature Saint Dao Lineage.

The dandy sneered, “This slap is to teach you manners. When you’re outside, if you break something, you’ll have to make up for it.”

“If everyone just walked away like you, how would this Literature Gathering continue year after year?” 

A student from the National Academy immediately chimed in, “That’s why I said the existence of the Peaceful Academy is nothing but a joke. How can ordinary people ever become true scholars?”

After a few more exchanges, the onlookers seemed to understand the situation.

Looking at the shattered jade butterfly on the ground, they whispered, “So it was the poor students who broke the display and tried to avoid punishment by leaving.”

“I agree. With their status, how could they afford to compensate for that?”

“Not to mention compensating for the Jade Butterfly, I’m afraid these people couldn’t even afford a plate of food here with all their wealth.”

“The owner of Star Seizing Tower has really made a foolish move this time, actually allowing poor students to attend this Literature Gathering. Look at their shabby appearance, they just don’t belong here.”

Before Qin Feng entered the Imperial City and changed the situation for scholars, those who could afford an education were mostly from noble backgrounds.

So naturally, most of those who came to the Literature Gathering every year were such people. Compared to the poor students of the Peaceful Academy, they would certainly choose the side of the National Academy.

When the poor students heard the discussion around them, their faces turned red and white. They wanted to say something, but when the words reached their throats, they couldn’t spit them out, as if there was a thorn stuck in their throats.

The man who had been slapped shouted loudly, “We didn’t even touch the food on the table, so how could we have broken the jade butterfly? It’s clearly him…”

Before he could finish his sentence, the nobleman in embroidered clothes picked up an expensive vessel nearby and smashed it violently to the ground in front of everyone.

The crunching sound instantly silenced the surrounding commotion.

“You…” The poor scholar’s expression was blank.

Only to hear the dandy gentleman say slowly, “Are you suggesting that I smashed the jade butterfly to frame you all?”

“The porcelain I just dropped is worth about three thousand taels of silver on the market. Here are five thousand taels, enough to compensate for the losses of the Star Seizing Tower.”

“My purpose in doing this is simply to tell you all that if I had indeed broken the Jade Butterfly, it wouldn’t be worth accusing you all over such a trivial amount of money, you bunch of rats.”

His tone was filled with contempt and disdain.

Those words really cut to the bone!

The rest of the people at the National Academy echoed one after the other, adding to the dandy gentleman’s momentum.

The humiliated students from poor families gritted their teeth and trembled slightly.

On the other side, on the top floor of the Flying Sky Courtyard, a middle-aged man with an imposing presence, neither angry nor imposing, had watched this farce from beginning to end.

This person was none other than the current Emperor – Emperor Ming!

Beside him, Eunuch Li frowned and said, “This son of the Minister of Personnel, Lord Jiang, is indeed overbearing.”

“Your Majesty, do you need this old servant to step in and help the students of the Peaceful Academy?”

“Don’t let these things spoil your mood today.”

“No need. If the poor students can’t even withstand this little challenge, they won’t be able to withstand the attacks of those civil officials at the court, even if they pass the Imperial Examinations and enter the civil service.”

“What I want are capable ministers to help me rule the Great Qian, not a bunch of inexperienced students.”

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Li seemed to ponder, no wonder His Majesty came to this year’s Literature Gathering. It seems that he had already anticipated such a scene…

“And besides, the boy has arrived. Dealing with such trivial matters should be effortless for him,” Emperor Ming said, glancing in a certain direction before suddenly chuckling.

The young man in the embroidered robes was gaining the support of the onlookers through his actions, his arrogant demeanour becoming even more pronounced.

He looked at the group of students from poor backgrounds and sneered, “I know you can’t afford to compensate, so I’ll give you a chance. As long as you crawl between my legs and imitate a few barks like a dog, I’ll pay for this Jade Butterfly for you. How about it?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd from the National Academy began to shout.

The students from the Peaceful Academy were seething with anger, but a deep sense of powerlessness washed over them as they couldn’t do anything at this moment.

Just then, a cold voice rang out, “If you get down on the ground, imitate a few barks like a dog, and apologise to my students, I can overlook what happened earlier.”

At these words, the people from the National Academy furrowed their brows. Who dared to ruin their happiness?

Young Master Jiang shouted directly, “Who dares to be so insolent?”

At the sound of his voice, the faces of the people from the Peaceful Academy lit up with joy, while those from the National Academy remained stunned.

The newcomer was none other than Qin Feng!

He looked at the shattered jars on the ground and then at the fresh red handprint on the man’s face, feeling guilty. “Sorry, I’m late. Lu Rong, are you okay?”

Lu Rong shook his head. “Just a slap, it’s nothing. It’s just that he wouldn’t let us eat anything from the Literature Gathering before, and he said we broke the jade butterfly. But we didn’t even touch the table.”

“Yes, Teacher Qin, we didn’t do anything.”

“But no one believes us.”

Although everyone tried to hide it, Qin Feng could still hear the bitterness and reluctance in their words.

With regret, Qin Feng thought to himself.

He had thought that bringing these students to the Literature Gathering would broaden their horizons and let them relax before the Imperial Examination, but he had forgotten what kind of temperament these privileged children had.

Conflicts were inevitable, as were cold stares and mockery.

Qin Feng clenched his fists, took a deep breath and smiled. “I believe you. Leave the rest to me.”

“By the way, who hit you?”

Lu Rong hesitated for a moment, then pointed at the young man in the fine clothes.

Qin Feng’s eyes narrowed slightly, then he turned to look at the group from the National Academy, his gaze fixed on the young man in fine clothes.

His smile was gone, replaced by indifference. The aura around him surged, a powerful pressure that made everyone from the National Academy tremble.

The leader of the group, Jiang, had lost his former arrogance. As he imagined the scene of Qin Feng fighting the Asura Clan like a heavenly being, he couldn’t help but tremble.

He stammered, “I am the son of the Minister of Personnel. Are you really going to lay hands on me in the Imperial City?”

“Besides, it was one of your Peaceful Academy students who broke the jade butterfly. What’s wrong with me teaching him a lesson and reminding him of the rules? Besides, with my status, giving him a slap will show him some respect…”

*Smack!*

Before the words could even sink in, a crisp slap echoed.

This slap not only stunned the dandy in his embroidered robes, but left everyone else speechless.

“You… dare to hit me?” Young Master Jiang cupped his swollen cheek, his eyes filled with disbelief.

“I am merely teaching you manners with this slap. According to the laws of the Great Qian, fighting is not allowed in the Imperial City. Ah, speaking of which, I seem to have broken the rules as well, haven’t I?”

Qin Feng scratched his head and continued, “But I suppose you won’t mind, considering that I am the Grand Chancellor of the Cabinet, appointed by Emperor Ming himself. Giving you this slap is a sign of respect.”