Naturally, besides a few people near the grand hall, everyone else was embroiled in the shouting match. As the saying goes, the law does not punish the masses, so it was left unresolved.

Once everyone had returned to their positions, the great lords finally noticed Jun San Shao dusting himself off and standing up. It turned out the brat had gotten tired of shouting and actually decided to sit down while doing it for half the day…

What was even more speechless-inducing was that even while sitting without a stool, he refused to mistreat his own backside… Beneath him, a pig-headed man lay groaning, barely clinging to life. It was none other than Young Master Meng Fei from the Meng family… Young Master Jun had been sitting directly on his back while furiously trading insults with the incensed crowd! No wonder he occasionally twitched his waist or shifted his rear when his cursing reached a fever pitch.

So that’s how it was…

Seeing Young Master Meng in such a state, his absence from this Autumn Scholar Banquet was now an absolute certainty…

“Hurry up and carry him inside to call the Imperial Physician!” The Meng family head, Meng Xuesheng, shouted in furious anxiety, then turned his gaze to Jun Zhantian, his smile frozen rigid: “Old Jun, your grandson is truly promising for such a young man…”

“Ahem… Brother Meng overpraises me, hehe. He is young and ignorant, truly undeserving of such high praise from Brother Meng. Do not spoil him so…” Old Master Jun stroked his beard, squinting his eyes as he replied gratefully.

Meng Xuesheng stumbled, nearly falling, and even the great lords beside him all staggered: We finally understand now; shamelessness, it seems, is also hereditary…

This farce intentionally instigated by the Great Dandy Jun at the front of the hall was so fierce in its noise, so widespread in its involvement, and involved so many people that the civil and military officials and the Emperor deliberating inside the hall were certainly not deaf. Because they heard the commotion outside escalating, even those with the best composure couldn't stand it any longer. This is why the hall discussion was hastily concluded—a session that should have lasted at least two hours finished in less than one today…

Because the minds of the great lords were no longer focused inside; the ones arguing outside were all the precious gems of their respective families. Judging by the sound, if they had delayed going out any longer, lives might genuinely have been lost… Young Master Jun secretly chuckled, feeling immensely satisfied. Heh, in both my lives, when have I ever waited for anyone besides the dead? You lot dared to make me wait outside the hall; if I didn't stir up some trouble, wouldn't that be too easy on you?

At this moment, there was still over an hour before the Scholar Banquet was set to begin, but countless eunuchs and palace maids were already bustling about, running errands.

“Uh, Third Young Master… which hall is everything in? Do you know?” Tang Yuan asked Jun Mo Xie, his small eyes darting around: “Why haven’t I seen any of those legendary talented ladies and refined young women? Only a bunch of bookish types who don’t look like proper men—what’s the point? I should at least get a good look at them first…”

“I think you should ask His Majesty that question. Asking me is useless,” Jun Mo Xie casually plucked a half-withered foxtail from outside the jade railing and hung it wickedly in his mouth, his lower lip moving, causing the fluffy tip of the grass to bob in front of his mouth, extremely lively.

Fatty Tang watched with envy. The flesh on his large face was bunched up, his lips too thick, and his tongue shorter than average; he simply couldn’t achieve the dexterity Jun Mo Xie displayed. He grunted:

“If I dared ask His Majesty, my grandfather would probably skin me alive on the spot. Why tell me you don’t know and then tell me to ask the Emperor? Why set me up like that? You’re my Big Brother…”

“Damn it, this is my first time in the palace, arriving right on your heels. You were here earlier than me; if you don’t know, how could I possibly know? Don't call me Big Brother in front of everyone; having a fatty little brother like you makes my eyes ache!”

Jun Mo Xie rolled his eyes, then glanced sideways, suddenly bursting into laughter: “Fatty, look, the other group of people who don’t look like men has arrived—it’s your old flame’s crew; the scholars from Wenxing Academy! Look how uniformly they walk, like they’re reviewing troops. So affected, a bunch of hypocrites.”

Indeed, across the wide, smooth jade steps in front of the hall, a line of young men, all clad in flowing white robes, were arriving with practiced grace, looking refined and dashing. Every single one was handsome and refined, possessing an air of aloof, otherworldly dignity. Exactly twenty of them, no more, no less.

They were led by two white-bearded elders pacing slowly forward, taking measured steps as they entered.

The two leading elders were exceptionally thin-faced, their white hair flowing, wearing only scholar’s caps to bind their hair, dressed in wide robes and sleeves, radiating the aura of profound, learned Confucian scholars. They were the two chief instructors of Wenxing Academy, the two greatest scholars universally revered by the students across the empire: Mei Gaojie and Kong Lingyang.

Fatty Tang snorted through his nostrils and muttered low, “It’s those two old dodderers again, bringing their swarm of disciples and apprentices, the whole family of hypocrites. Damn it, just looking at them makes me want to vomit. Later, I’ll find a student who can pretend the best, as I’m in dire need of a page boy specifically to wash my underpants. I did away with the last one, and now I kind of regret it.”

Jun Mo Xie slightly tilted his chin, looked at the group, and let out two dismissive snorts, signaling his agreement with Fatty’s assessment. He was aware of Fatty’s past mischief and even strongly approved of it.

Coincidentally, someone behind them exclaimed loudly, full of awe: “Truly worthy of Wenxing Academy! They truly possess magnificent knowledge and maintain purity of character; a belly full of poetry and books yields inherent elegance! The students of Wenxing Academy are indeed the dragons among men and favored sons of heaven in our Tiankua Empire!”

“What an absolute simpleton!” Jun Mo Xie and Tang Yuan both spoke simultaneously, spitting out a disdainful scoff, then simultaneously tilted their heads up, turning away to the side.

There are always flatterers and sycophants everywhere, but at this moment, the front of the hall was filled with the rising stars of the great noble families, many already designated as future family heads. To praise a group of pedantic scholars who only knew how to read dead words was truly beneath them! Even if they intended to recruit them, it felt somewhat repulsive.

Though the two retreated quickly enough, the surrounding area was silent. Their synchronized voices combined to create a distinct sound, instantly drawing the gazes of everyone at the front of the hall onto these two rascals, finding themselves the focus of attention for the moment.

Especially the two old masters leading the Wenxing Academy contingent; the look they fixed upon Jun Mo Ye and Tang Yuan was akin to seeing two clumps of dog excrement—extraordinarily hateful and contemptuous.

Suddenly being scrutinized by so many important figures, young talents, and young masters, Fatty Tang was genuinely startled, his fleshy face changing color, his body slightly trembling. Though Fatty could privately torment and crush a scholar or two, it was mostly because that scholar was inherently vile and curried favor, which led to Fatty dealing with them. Being targeted so abruptly by so many eyes, many of them powerful figures, he couldn't pretend not to be scared.

The pants were certainly a little scared, but the Great Dandy Jun seemed utterly unconcerned. He tilted his head back high, gazing down obliquely…

Facing the scorn of nearly a hundred people, the Great Young Master displayed an arrogant demeanor of superiority, a look of haughty disdain that dismissed everyone, a composure that was unfazed by honor or disgrace, and the roguish air of ‘I’m a hooligan, who am I afraid of?’…

If they are strong, I will be stronger! This was always the motto of the Great Assassin Jun! “Rotten wood cannot be carved!” Elder Mei Gaojie’s stern gaze fixed on the dandy duo. Finally, he flicked his goat beard upward, swept his sleeve, and muttered a low, disdainful curse. After all, he was an established, long-revered scholar; he wouldn't know any baser vocabulary. This one phrase was already his most intense and severe insult—how truly elegant! With this “elegant” curse, the old man strode past the two without sparing them a glance, leading the students straight onto the steps to greet the court officials one by one, exchanging pleasantries, and introducing his favored disciples individually.

However, Jun Mo Xie noticed that as the two old fellows passed him, they glanced sideways at Fatty, and in their eyes, there was deep, burning hatred! Among the talents, especially the scholars and great scholars of Wenxing Academy, the person they hated most in the entire Tianxiang Kingdom was not some treacherous minister or petty villain, nor was Jun Mo Xie even on their radar. The person they loathed most was… Fatty Tang Yuan! This was hardly surprising. As mentioned earlier, besides his own inherent villainy and baseness, Fatty Tang had actually used his family’s influence to repeatedly frame a well-known scholar who had graduated from Wenxing Academy, eventually driving the man to ruin, only to then step forward and play the good guy, taking the victim under his wing.

If it had ended there, it might have been tolerable, but this wicked fatty actually forced that scholar to do nothing but wash his women’s underpants at home every day… What an unspeakable humiliation! Such an insult to refinement—what did it make of Wenxing Academy? What did it make of the thousands of scholars in Tianxiang?

This incident was not kept secret by Fatty Tang; it naturally spread like wildfire. Especially when the two venerable elders, Mei Gaojie and Kong Lingyang, heard that their prized student had been so thoroughly abused and brought to such a pass, they nearly vomited blood on the spot. From then on, Fatty Tang’s notorious reputation within Wenxing Academy was even louder than his fame among the dandies of Tianxiang City…

As for whether the talented scholar who died unjustly was truly ambitious or blinded by greed, no one cared. As long as they came from Wenxing Academy, they were talent, scholars of outstanding brilliance and benevolent heart; even if they possessed some worldly ambition, it was merely a minor flaw—who among men is without worldly desires? Self-preservation is the natural order! In any case, Fatty Tang, you harmed people, toyed with them, and insulted refinement—you were unequivocally in the wrong! This was the unanimous consensus among everyone at Wenxing Academy, from the old masters down to every student. If they failed to humiliate this fatty today, it was likely the two old masters of Wenxing Academy would die with their eyes wide open.

Since the opportunity was presented today, they certainly would not miss it! In another corner, a youth in a green robe stood quietly, his face veiled, seemingly unconcerned with anything happening before him, as if everything occurring was merely fleeting smoke, not worth mentioning.

His gaze was always serene and light, yet distinctly warm and gentle. Though his face was covered by a light gauze, anyone who saw him felt the extraordinary elegance rooted deep within the young man’s bones.

It was the Grandson of the Grand Tutor’s Mansion, Young Master Li Youran! Time’s up.