“I don’t believe other saints won’t stop him!”

“They are only Semi-Saints, the Saints have already fallen.”

“There is always a way out. I believe things will turn around.”

“I hope so. Since Lord Feng went to find Lord Jianmei, Lord Jianmei will definitely find a way to help Fang Yun.”

“But Lord Jianmei is only a Grand Academician. Even if he becomes a Great Scholar, he cannot stop the Semi-Saint Families. However, if the Holy Academy’s imperial examination really breaks the rules, Lord Jianmei probably won’t sit idly by.”

Magistrate Dong said in a deep voice, “If that day really comes, Lord Jianmei won’t need to take action. I control the fortune of the prefecture, and I will make sure he dies on the spot. After that, I will commit suicide in front of the Holy Temple to let the world know that the scholars of Jing Nation cannot be bullied!”

“Brother Dong is righteous!” Although the officials praised and admired him, they couldn’t help but feel desolate.

Jing Nation was too weak.

By the river, Tong Li looked at the joyful smiles of the crowd and listened to the ubiquitous cheers. A faint sense of regret emerged in his heart, but that sense of regret was immediately torn apart by overwhelming humiliation. Once the Holy Page was lost, it was lost forever. But as the grandson of a prominent family and the grandson of a third-ranked attendant, he couldn’t tolerate kneeling and kowtowing to Fang Yun in public.

“Tong Li, you waste of Qiong Nation!” Tong Li’s low voice squeezed out from his throat.

The royal guard said, “The local officials will host a banquet at the Jinghai Tower to entertain the participants of the dragon boat race. Our young master will also go. You can come along.”

Tong Li didn’t dare to refute. With heavy steps, he slowly made his way towards the Jinghai Tower, thinking about how to turn the tide in this gamble and avoid humiliation. If he couldn’t avoid it, he would find a way to wash it away.

It took Tong Li a full fifteen minutes to enter the Jinghai Tower.

The celebration banquet at the Jinghai Tower had already begun, and it was more grand than any previous year.

The literati of Yuhai City had already learned about what Fang Yun said to Qian Juren, and everyone was moved. Those who had previously held dissatisfaction towards Fang Yun in their hearts punished themselves by drinking and apologizing.

The most prestigious old literati of Yuhai City also came to toast, expressing their gratitude to Fang Yun. With the attitude of these venerable elders, anyone who dared to speak ill of Fang Yun would have to consider the consequences.

Those who had always supported Fang Yun were extremely pleased. From now on, Fang Yun could establish himself in Yuhai City. Even if the people of Yuhai City had the ability to decide the quota for Book Mountain, they would forcefully give it to Fang Yun even if he didn’t want it.

Tong Li’s attempt to splash dirty water on Fang Yun was completely in vain.

The people of Qiong Nation sat at a table as usual. In the past few years’ celebration banquets, the people of Yuhai City would occasionally toast, and then it would end hastily. But today, except for Magistrate Dong’s polite words, no one came. Several people from Qiong Nation drank in silence. If they weren’t afraid of being accused of not being able to afford to lose, they would have left long ago.

Especially Shi Dehong, as he drank, he watched Fang Yun, who was surrounded by people, with increasingly red eyes.

Yan Yukong leisurely ate and drank, looking indifferent.

The people of Qiong Nation had become mere decorations, even the mugwort and calamus for the Dragon Boat Festival were more eye-catching than them.

When the royal guard appeared with Tong Li, the Jinghai Tower quickly quieted down. Some sighed lightly, while others distanced themselves, especially those who harbored deep hatred towards Tong Li, not bothering to hide their disgust.

Tong Li’s face was full of shame, not because he had done something wrong, but because he had lost.

Zhao Zhuzhen put down his wine cup and stood up, looking at Tong Li. He said, “Tong Li, it’s time for you to fulfill your promise. You said that if Fang Yun wins first place in the dragon boat literary competition, you will not only offer a Holy Page, but also kneel and bow on the Dragon Head Bridge, and give up this year’s prefectural examination, right?”

Tong Li lowered his head and said nothing.

“What’s wrong? You had the guts to slander Fang Yun, but now you don’t have the guts to admit it?” Zhao Zhuzhen sneered.

Tong Li knew Zhao Zhuzhen’s temper the best. He had already violated her taboo by favoring Qiong Nation, and if he reneged on his promise in front of her, he would undoubtedly face even more humiliation. He gritted his teeth, faced Fang Yun, and quickly knelt down, knocking his head on the ground, then immediately stood up.

“Fang Yun, I was wrong! Tonight, I will have someone present the Holy Page, and I will also clarify the slander I made against you before. At the same time, I will give up this year’s prefectural examination!” Tong Li clenched his fists as he spoke. Even though he was filled with endless hatred towards Fang Yun, he didn’t dare to show it.

“Let’s consider this matter settled.” Fang Yun nodded. Although he didn’t like Tong Li, since Tong Li had fulfilled the bet, he would let it go.

At this moment, laughter came from the table where the people of Qiong Nation were sitting.

“You must be Tong Li, right? I heard someone say that you want to compete for the title of Outstanding Talent. With your courage, what do you have to compete with? I can guarantee that if you can’t defeat Fang Yun once in the future, your literary palace will crumble. Don’t even think about passing the presented scholar examination, you might not even be able to pass the accomplished scholar examination. The higher Fang Yun’s future achievements, the more likely your literary palace will collapse. By giving up the prefectural examination today, you are giving up your aspirations, giving up your path of the saints!”

“You…” Tong Li glared at Shi Dehong, his body swayed, and then his face changed drastically because his literary palace was actually shaken.

Fang Yun didn’t expect Shi Dehong to be so scheming. Not only did he calculate Tong Li, but he also included him. He immediately looked at Shi Dehong and said coldly, “What? You lost the dragon boat race and still want to harm me, the people of Jing Nation, and frame me with this? Do you think that such means can destroy his literary palace and make my literary palace dusty?”

Many people glared at Shi Dehong.Shi Dehong laughed, “I’m just stating the facts. As the saying goes, repay grievances with justice, and kindness with kindness. Although you, Fang Yun, have shown him tolerance, he only sees it as a humiliation he had to endure, not as your benevolence. Naturally, he won’t repay your kindness with kindness. Since he believes you bear a grudge against him, he must repay your grudge with justice, that is, to resolve the grievances between you two with what he believes to be just means. Tongli, am I wrong?”

No one among the crowd refuted him. Those who were Presented Scholars lacked the strength to refute Shi Dehong, and those who had become Imperial Scholars were too old. If they were to reprimand Shi Dehong with doctrines, it would be bullying the weak. If this led to a war of words, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Many people from the Jing Kingdom were dissatisfied, but they had to secretly admire that this man, as a disciple of the Great Scholar, was not only excellent in poetry but also very accurate in judging people. His references to classics were also straight to the point.

Fang Yun sighed lightly, knowing that this matter would not end well. If Tongli were an Imperial Scholar, he might be able to refute Shi Dehong. But he was just a Child Scholar, who couldn’t withstand Shi Dehong’s bewitchment. Now, unless a Great Scholar could wake everyone up, no one could dispel the thoughts in Tongli’s heart.

Tongli lowered his head, his hands clenched so tightly that his knuckles were slightly cracking. Shi Dehong’s words had hit him hard. He still harbored resentment towards Fang Yun. He dared not repay Fang Yun’s grudge with grudge, and he couldn’t repay grudge with kindness, so he could only repay grudge with justice.

Seeing Tongli deeply trapped, Shi Dehong smiled and said, “Tongli, you may not be as good as Fang Yun in the imperial examination, but you come from a prestigious family and must have learned a hundred arts. You have a great advantage in climbing the Book Mountain. I think you should bet with Fang Yun again, not on the imperial examination, but on climbing the Book Mountain! Whoever climbs higher wins. The loser will destroy his own literary palace, how about it?”

An old Imperial Scholar was furious, “How dare you! I have tolerated your nonsense because you are young. If you dare to harm our scholars of the Jing Kingdom again, I will kill you at the Jinghai Tower!”

Many scholars from the Jing Kingdom were also angry. Shi Dehong was not just instigating, but encouraging the two to kill each other, giving the Imperial Scholars an excuse to take action.

Shi Dehong immediately shut up. He wouldn’t give others a chance to kill him.

Tongli suddenly raised his head and looked at Fang Yun, “Fang Yun, I admit that your poetry is the best among the Child Scholars in Jiangzhou, and your holy words are the best among all Child Scholars in the world. I am definitely not as good as you in the prefectural examination. But as Master Shi said, I may not lose to you on the Book Mountain! I want to bet with you again! Whoever climbs higher on the Book Mountain wins! The loser will destroy his own literary palace, how about it?”

Fang Yun looked at Tongli quietly and slowly said, “Tongli, we originally had no grudges. If you didn’t want the talented scholar position of Yuhai Prefecture, you could have told me, and I could have gone back to Dayuan Prefecture to take the exam. But you went to General Gan’s house to slander me, then spread rumors all over the city, and finally let other Child Scholars block me in the academy. You personally cut off the path of negotiation between us.”

“Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, the first time we met, you spoke ill of me, and then forced me to participate in the dragon boat race. You personally added a grudge to your heart! In the end, you blamed everything on me. You were the one who broke your own will and shattered your benevolent heart, don’t involve me! As a Talented Scholar in front of the saint, why should I bet with you, a Child Scholar, to destroy the literary palace? Who gave you the confidence! You have already given up on this year’s prefectural examination, how can you take the Talented Scholar examination? If you can’t pass the Talented Scholar examination, how can you bet with me on climbing the Book Mountain!”

After Fang Yun finished speaking, he calmly drank his tea.

Prefect Dong said, “Tongli, I am also an old acquaintance of Tong Shilang, and I understand his temper very well. If you harm Fang Yun, he will definitely cripple you himself. If Fang Yun lets you destroy your literary palace, he will probably drop everything to avenge you. Your choice now is not just about your own future, but also about the entire Tong family! Don’t be bewitched by others and lose your mind!”

Zhao Zhuzhen sneered, “When you were in the capital, I thought you were just a talented but spoiled young man. But now I know that you are a fool who doesn’t know when to advance or retreat!”

Tongli’s face turned red, and his will wavered again.

Shi Dehong suddenly said, “Fang Yun, you said that a mere Child Scholar is not worthy to bet with you on destroying the literary palace, then how about me, a Presented Scholar, betting with you?”

Everyone stared at Shi Dehong, and several Imperial Scholars were ready. As soon as he said anything harmful again, they would immediately kill him with a war of words.

Fang Yun looked at Shi Dehong and said, “Oh? So, Master Shi means that as long as I climb higher than Tongli on the Book Mountain, you will destroy your own literary palace?”

Shi Dehong laughed, “Of course not. You bet with Tongli, and I will also bet with you, but the conditions of our bet are different. After I passed the Talented Scholar examination and entered the Book Mountain, I broke through the third pavilion of the second mountain and stepped into the first pavilion of the third mountain. My condition is, if you can surpass me and step into the second pavilion of the third mountain, then I will destroy my own literary palace. If you can’t, then you will destroy your own literary palace, how about it? Gentlemen of the Jing Kingdom, this doesn’t count as harming him, right? I am betting my Presented Scholar’s literary palace against his Talented Scholar’s literary palace. He is the one who is taking advantage!”

“Fang Yun, do you dare to bet? Do you dare to let me participate in this year’s prefectural examination?” Tongli shouted loudly.

.

The book will be on the shelves tomorrow, and there will be a series of explosions.