Chapter 8

Wei Ba praised again. Although his father didn't dote on him much, the protective aura was indeed powerful. If he said, "It didn't happen," everything would probably come to an abrupt end. To be so openly protective in front of Ma Dai, and to do so with such confidence and without changing his expression, he was truly extraordinary. Though not surnamed Li, he was better than Li.

Ma Dai's face turned somewhat unnatural, his expression angry, but he didn't speak. The white-robed girl, however, smiled slightly. "General Wei, when he said those words, not only I and a few guards were present, but your third son, Wei Wu, was also there. Even if you don't believe me, could you not believe your own son? Why don't you call Wei Wu here now and ask him if I'm lying and framing your son?"

Wei Yan felt somewhat embarrassed and glared angrily at Wei Ba. He had originally wanted Wei Ba to deny it and just bluff his way through, but he didn't expect the girl to be so shrewd and use Wei Wu to shut his mouth. It was too late for him to send someone to notify Wei Wu.

"Brat, why don't you speak up?" Wei Yan, angry and embarrassed, lightly shouted, slapping the desk so hard that the ink and brush jumped.

Wei Ba looked at the girl with frosty eyes, secretly praising her, and then composed himself. "Father, I did indeed say those words."

The white-robed girl met his gaze and huffed lightly.

"You..." Wei Yan's face turned red with anger. Regardless of whether he respected Ma Chao or not, it was extremely impolite to comment on Ma Chao in front of his family, calling him a "stray dog." Even if he wanted to be protective, he couldn't ignore Ma Dai. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and the more he disliked Wei Ba. If there were no outsiders, he would have had him dragged away and beaten. "Ignorant brat, talking nonsense, why don't you apologize to... Commander Ma?"

Apologizing to Commander Ma rather than to the girl was the only thing Wei Yan could do to help Wei Ba now. After all, Ma Dai was older, and it would be easier for Wei Ba to apologize to him than to the younger white-robed girl. Wei Ba was very grateful for his father's efforts, but he didn't want to apologize. He knew that apologizing to the Ma family would be easy, but his father would lose face, and he would still end up with a sore bottom. More importantly, if this matter was confirmed, it would be hard to reverse in the future.

Wei Ba organized his thoughts and bowed. "Father, I didn't say anything wrong, why should I apologize?"

Wei Yan was taken aback, his eyes showing some surprise. In the past, whenever Wei Ba saw him angry, his legs would tremble, and he couldn't even speak coherently, admitting to any accusation. Today, not only did he not admit to the mistake, but he also confidently rebutted, which was unprecedented. Wei Yan's eyes flickered, his expression still stern, but his tone softened.

"Then explain your reasoning. If it's good, I'll let you off this time. If it's not, you'll see what I do to you."

"Understood." Wei Ba turned to the white-robed girl and smiled faintly. "Miss Ma, I explained to you that day. Although 'stray dog' is not a compliment, it has no derogatory meaning. If Confucius could bear it, why can't your father?"

Wei Yan watched Wei Ba coldly, seeing that he was not only not intimidated but also aggressive, even invoking Confucius as a banner. He couldn't help but feel secretly pleased. Although his face was still stern, the anger in his eyes had turned to joy.

The girl sneered. "Forgive my limited knowledge, but I really don't know which classic the term 'stray dog' comes from. It's not mentioned in the Five Classics. Could it be your own creation?"

Wei Ba was somewhat surprised. "You've already checked?"

The girl's lips curled, her eyes sharp, staring at Wei Ba. Her tone was humble, but her words were still sharp. "Because I couldn't find it anywhere, I came here to ask for your guidance. Could you tell me which classic or commentary this term comes from?"

Wei Ba smiled. From the moment he saw the girl, he knew she had come with ill intentions, clearly prepared to confront him. Now, his question confirmed his suspicions. If he hadn't prepared in advance, he would have been at a loss today.

Wei Ba shook his head. "Your perspective is too narrow. The world's knowledge isn't limited to the classics and commentaries."

The girl's eyes narrowed. "Not in the classics and commentaries?"

Wei Ba sighed regretfully. "Is the knowledge of the Ma family of Fufeng limited to the classics and commentaries?"

The girl bit her lip, lost in thought. She wasn't sure if the knowledge of the Ma family of Fufeng was limited to the classics and commentaries. Her ancestors had no real knowledge, and like the Wei family, they were pure warriors, not deserving the reputation of the Ma family of Fufeng. However, she knew that Wei Yan and his son, Wei Ba, had no real knowledge. Wei Ba was weak and sickly, abandoning literature for martial arts, and only knew a few words and had read a few启蒙 books. He was far from being a scholar. She, on the other hand, had buried herself in reading many books in recent years, though far from being a great scholar, she should be able to handle Wei Ba, at least having read the Five Classics.

When she heard Wei Ba criticize her father, Ma Chao, she angrily confronted him, only to encounter a term she didn't know. She felt somewhat intimidated and spent several days searching the classics and commentaries, but still couldn't find the term. She then suspected that she had been tricked by Wei Ba and came to confront him. If Wei Ba refused to apologize, she would force him to reveal the source, and when he was at a loss, she would humiliate him and seek justice. However, Wei Ba's claim that the term was not in the classics and commentaries left her uncertain.

"Then, may I ask which book it comes from? Could you tell me, so I can broaden my knowledge?"

Wei Ba saw the girl's confidence waver, and her use of the term "妾身" (a humble way to refer to oneself) made him fantasize. "This girl is quite beautiful and has a good temper. How can I make her my concubine... Oh, in this era, having concubines is allowed, hehehe..."

Wei Ba was lost in his daydream of having multiple wives and concubines, his eyes becoming somewhat lecherous. The girl, seeing this, felt displeased but couldn't react, so she coughed and raised her voice. "May I ask for your guidance."

"Oh." Wei Ba snapped out of his reverie, quickly composed himself, and said seriously, "Have you read the Records of the Grand Historian?"

"Records of the Grand Historian? Which one?"

Wei Ba was taken aback, thinking there were other versions. He quickly explained, "I mean the Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian, the Grand Historian."

The girl's eyebrows raised, her eyes flashing, and she asked, "Which chapter of the Records of the Grand Historian?"

"The Life of Confucius."

The girl looked at Wei Ba in surprise, seeing his confidence, she realized he was likely telling the truth, not just making it up. She felt somewhat flustered, her confidence shaken. After a moment, she reluctantly bowed. "Thank you for your guidance. Could you tell me what the Records of the Grand Historian say?"

Wei Ba, well-prepared, cleared his throat and recited, "Confucius went to Zheng and lost his disciples. He stood alone at the eastern gate of the city... looking like a stray dog. Zi Gong told Confucius the truth, and Confucius smiled and said, 'Appearance is secondary, but being called a stray dog, indeed, indeed.'"

This passage was printed on the cover of the book, and it was one of the few ancient texts Wei Ba could recite. Today, he was well-prepared, and his recitation had the air of a great scholar. The few people in the hall couldn't detect any flaws, and even the magistrate of Mianyang, who had been listening, nodded frequently, stroking his beard.

The girl thought for a moment and forced a smile. "Although there is a reference, it's not a good phrase."

Wei Yan, captivated by Wei Ba's eloquence, only snapped back to reality when he heard the girl's comment. He quickly regained his composure. "Indeed, those three words don't sound good. Son, you should still apologize to Commander Ma."

Wei Ba understood his father's meaning. This was no longer about apologizing but about showing off. However, he didn't take the easy way out and shook his head. "Father, I disagree. Confucius was described as a stray dog when he was stranded in Zheng, lacking food and water. But he didn't lose his resolve, and upon returning to Lu, he devoted himself to the classics, eventually becoming a sage. Now, we are all far from home, and we should know shame and strive harder. Using the term 'stray dog' to motivate ourselves, to strive for strength and remove the filth from the Han dynasty, to cleanse the world, is the right path. How can we focus on the pleasantness of the words?"

"Brilliant words." The magistrate of Mianyang, captivated, couldn't help but praise loudly. He was a learned man, and although Wei Yan didn't respect him, he was pleased that he agreed with Wei Ba and supported him. Wei Yan glanced at Ma Dai, his eyes filled with pride. "Commander Ma, although my son is arrogant and ignorant, his words have some merit. What do you think, Commander Ma?"

Ma Dai smiled bitterly, thinking, "With you saying that, what can I say?" He gave the girl a look, signaling her to stop arguing. Wei Ba seemed truly learned, and her knowledge might not be a match for his. Continuing the debate would only humiliate herself and offend Wei Yan. The girl felt wronged but had no choice, so she bowed her head and said, "Thank you for your guidance." She retreated to her seat, hanging her head in silence.

Ma Dai bowed to Wei Yan and forced a smile. "Your son is indeed learned and insightful. You have raised him well, a model for others. I congratulate you, General."

Wei Yan laughed, waving his hand dismissively. "My son is weak and can't fight, he just reads a few books for entertainment. How can I talk about learning in front of the descendants of the Ma family of Fufeng? Commander Ma, don't mock me. Ha ha ha... Commander Ma, you lead the elite cavalry of Liang, and you will likely stay in Hanzhong for some time. We will have many opportunities to meet. If the young ones have any academic difficulties, they can discuss them with each other. What do you think? Ha ha ha..."

Feeling mocked, teased, and flirted with by Wei Yan, Ma Dai was extremely embarrassed. He sat for a moment, then got up to take his leave. Wei Yan, even more pleased, didn't even bother to see him off, just had Wei Ba escort them out, and sat grandly on the dais, sneering, "The Ma family of Fufeng, nothing more."

——— Request for recommendations and collections, to help Laozhuang climb higher on the new book chart.

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