Chapter 100

Child Li's few good friends slowly retreated; they also recognized the style of the sword sheathed at his side. Although the status of the imperial family and the national princes was not as high as that of a half-saint, they were still insignificant before the princes, let alone being mere students.

The imperial guard, seeing that Child Li had given up on fleeing, sheathed his sword and looked toward the dragon boat on the Jade Belt River.

After the composition of "Dragon Boat Race," the second dragon boat, where Fang Yun was, sped forward at a terrifying speed. The boat was so fast that it seemed to be flying on the water. The drummer was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he threw down the drumsticks, hugging the drum frame tightly, afraid of falling off.

In just a few breaths, the second dragon boat approached the first dragon boat of the Qing Kingdom.

Qian Juren roared, "Shi Dehong, last year you said that my Jing Kingdom had no one. Do you dare to say it again today?"

As the two boats approached and then separated, everyone could see the expressions on the other's faces.

Of the six people from the Qing Kingdom, only Yan Yukuang's expression remained unchanged; the others had particularly vivid expressions, especially Shi Dehong, the disciple of the Poet Lord. His expression was as if he were sleepwalking, still unable to believe that Fang Yun could compose a war poem that did not contain the words "boat" or "ship" but could still increase the speed of the boat. Even his master's friend, the "Poet Lord," would need a long time to write such a poem.

The dragon boat sped past, splashing a lot of water. Everyone on the first dragon boat was drenched by the river water, and no one dared to speak.

Fang Yun's dragon boat continued to move forward. Qian Juren turned back and said, "Fang Yun, I will never forget today's kindness. Without you, my Jing Kingdom would have no hope of turning things around!"

Another person said, "If you need anything in the future, the Ye family of Jade Sea will do our utmost to help!"

"To share a boat with Fang Yun is a great honor!"

"Everyone is too kind," Fang Yun said humbly with a smile.

The dragon boat soon reached the Dragon Head Bridge and was controlled by the power of the official seal, stopping quickly. The drummer, who had been hugging the drum frame, wiped the sweat from his brow and sat down, completely drained.

Qian Juren stood up, his face flushed, and with trembling hands, he pulled out the flagpole and waved it forcefully.

The countless people of Jing Kingdom on the bridge and the riverbanks cheered loudly. The unmarried girls waiting on the Dragon Head Bridge threw their embroidered handkerchiefs onto the dragon boat, all aiming for the last elegant young man.

Fang Yun, seeing the handkerchiefs falling from the sky, neither caught them nor ignored them, pretending not to see them.

This was a custom in the ten kingdoms. At such literary gatherings, unmarried women could express their love. If the recipient of the handkerchief agreed, they could directly propose marriage without considering other formalities. Many talented scholars and beautiful women had used this method to escape arranged marriages.

The girls on the bridge giggled. They did not necessarily want to marry Fang Yun; they just wanted to join in the fun and share in the good luck, hoping that their future husbands would be as talented as Fang Yun.

"Seize the championship, win the dragon head!" people began to shout in waves.

"Seize the championship, win the dragon head!"

The last time the people of Jade Sea City shouted these six words together was seventeen years ago.

Qian Juren, holding the flagpole, hesitated to act. Finally, he turned to Fang Yun and said, "Fang Yun, you do it. You are the greatest contributor!"

The girls on the bridge also shouted loudly.

"Let Fang Yun do it!"

"My handkerchief hasn't been thrown yet. Let him come over, I must throw it on him!"

Many girls were playing and joking.

Fang Yun, however, said, "Brother Qian, you do it."

Qian Juren hurriedly said, "I participated in the dragon boat race not to seek fame but to wash away the shame of the Jing Kingdom. As the greatest contributor to this literary dragon boat race, you must be the one to pick the silk ribbon!"

Fang Yun said seriously, "I know Brother Qian is not a person who seeks empty glory, so I let you pick the dragon head. The people of Jade Sea City have borne too much for the Jing Kingdom. Today's honor should be taken by the people of Jade Sea City! Brother Qian, please!"

Qian Juren was stunned for a moment, then his eyes turned red. The dragon boat literary race had been held in Jade Sea City every year, and every time they lost, people from other parts of the Jing Kingdom would curse the people of Jade Sea City.

Even though they knew it was difficult to win the dragon boat literary race against the Qing Kingdom, and even though they knew they would be disgraced afterward, the scholars of Jade Sea City still insisted on participating. They could lose the race, but they could not lose their dignity!

The scholars of Jade Sea City had been the supporting cast for the enemy for seventeen consecutive years!

Only those who had personally participated in the dragon boat literary race understood how unbearable the process was.

"Fang Shuangjia has high moral integrity. If anyone defames your literary reputation in the future, I will wash it away with the blood of my enemies!"

"Thank you, Brother Qian," Fang Yun smiled slightly.

Qian Juren raised his head and shouted loudly, "Seize the championship, win the dragon head!" He shouted out all the resentment of the past seventeen years, then used the red flagpole to pick the silk ribbon from the dragon's mouth on the Dragon Head Bridge, holding it high.

"Good..."

The cheers were thunderous, and it seemed as if half of Jade Sea City was shaking.

Not far away, Yang Yuhuan and Zhao Zhuzhen smiled and watched. The crowds on both banks cheered, and a dragon boat lay on the green waves below the bridge, with the red flag and the silk ribbon fluttering in the wind.

After seventeen years, the Dragon Boat Festival in Jade Sea City once again had the atmosphere it should have.

On the first dragon boat, which was still far from the Dragon Head Bridge, Yan Yukuang calmly observed everything, his expression unchanged.

"I will never accept this humiliation! I cannot be a sinner of the Qing Kingdom!" Shi Dehong clenched his fists and roared softly. He could not believe that the Qing Kingdom's efforts of seventeen years had been ruined by him, that he, a Juren, had lost to a Xiucai, and that he, a disciple of the Poet Lord, had lost to a poor scholar.

Yan Yukuang said calmly, "Why do I not feel humiliated?"

"I am different from you! You don't care, but the person our Shi family relies on is vying for the next head of the Xun family. If I can surpass Fang Yun, who wrote 'At the beginning of human life, nature is inherently good,' that person will naturally be more respected in the Xun family and will certainly value our Shi family more."

"You can try. If he loses to you, then I don't need to wait for him in the Sea of Learning," Yan Yukuang said.

Shi Dehong calmed his emotions and said, "Rest assured, even though Fang Yun is well-versed in the classics, he has irremediable flaws. I have a way to defeat him!"

"Are you talking about the Book Mountain?"

"The Book Mountain is just a backup. The imperial examination tests 'precision,' while the Book Mountain tests 'diversity.' How can a poor scholar learn the skills of a hundred schools? We, from the noble families, have the money to learn the skills of the six arts and many other miscellaneous subjects. How can a poor Xiucai surpass us? Perhaps he was born with talent, but not with everything!"

"That's true. At first, I didn't understand why my master made me learn those seemingly useless things, but after obtaining the literary heart, I understood. The Book Mountain is indeed too difficult. Even for me and Yi Zhishi, we can only obtain a medium-grade literary heart. However, the so-called test of 'diversity' only applies to the first three mountains. From the fourth mountain onward, it's different. I can't explain it in detail, as everyone's memory of the Book Mountain is vague, except for the saints, and we can only know the general idea."

Shi Dehong wiped the water from his face, looked at Fang Yun's back under the Dragon Head Bridge, and said firmly, "Today, the river water splashed on me, but one day, I will repay him with a river of water! Fang Yun underestimates the power of our Qing Kingdom and the power of the half-saint families. He may not be able to climb the Book Mountain."

Yan Yukuang's gaze changed slightly, and he said sternly, "Do you want to use... the power of the Holy Academy?" After saying this, he glanced around and did not finish his sentence.

Shi Dehong, however, looked at the nearby Jing Kingdom officials without hesitation and said confidently, "I am using a straightforward and open strategy. They can't do anything to me. Besides, we have other assistance. In June, the Holy Academy's examination inspector will definitely come to Jade Sea City!"

Yan Yukuang was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and softly recited the content of the Analects: "The Master said: 'When it comes to righteousness, one should not yield even to one's teacher.' The Master said: 'A gentleman is upright but not rigid...'

His voice seemed to have a peculiar power, making Shi Dehong's beliefs more pure, firmly believing that he was doing it for his family and for the greater good, making his literary gallbladder unshaken.

Yan Yukuang, while softly reciting the Analects, looked forward, his gaze once again becoming empty, with only the heavens and the earth in his eyes.

On a high building, Governor Dong and Academician Feng looked at each other, their faces full of anger. The power of their official seals covered the river section, and they could hear Yan Yukuang and Shi Dehong's conversation clearly.

Governor Dong said, "They are too arrogant, treating us as if we don't exist!"

Academician Feng Zimo said softly, "I never thought they would be so despicable! Once the examination inspector gets involved, any flaw will be magnified infinitely. Those people are experts at finding faults, yet they always follow the rules. I will not participate in the victory banquet; I will go to Dàyuan Prefecture to report to Lord Li."

Governor Dong nodded and said, "Go. I am the chief examiner of the prefectural examination. Even if the people of the Holy Academy dare to defy the holy edict, they must first pass my tongue and sword! I will go to the Jinghai Tower to prepare the victory banquet."

Fang Shouye, standing nearby, was shocked and said, "What's going on? Why involve the examination inspector? Those people are like drills; they will find a hole even if there is no problem."

Governor Dong explained the situation, and the surrounding officials were furious. Shi Dehong's deliberate words were clearly telling all the officials of Jade Sea City that even if the Qing Kingdom lost the dragon boat literary race, they could make up for it in other ways.

"This disciple of the Poet Lord is too arrogant!"

"We must ask our half-saint families to stop them."

However, no one responded afterward, and even the young official who spoke had a darkened expression.

The Xun family is one of the six sub-saint families, second only to the Confucius family, and no family in the Jing Kingdom can compare.

Fang Shouye slowly said, "Unless Sage Chen comes out of seclusion and goes to the Holy Academy personally, no one in the Jing Kingdom can stop them. The Xun family is ultimately a sub-saint family. As long as their head can pass the imperial examination, even if they make no further progress, they can enter the Holy Academy and gradually receive the talent endowment, achieving the status of a great scholar. However, the heads of sub-saint families throughout history have had pride and none have accepted the talent endowment, giving this opportunity to others in their family. This is enough to ensure that sub-saint families always have a great scholar, and sometimes even multiple great scholars, comparable to our Jing Kingdom."

"Because the sub-saint families are deeply rooted, Shi Dehong is so arrogant. Unfortunately, the old head of the Xun family has little time left and will not care about such matters. Otherwise, if we jointly petitioned, he would not allow the Xun family to suppress the great talents of the human race."

"Do we have no other way?"

"The Holy Academy is too complex. Once a sub-saint family acts, other families will not intervene unless they are willing to break ties."

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