She Holds the World After Being Reborn-Chapter 12 Verbal Duel: Who Will Compete?

The little eunuch lowered his head and followed behind his Crown Prince, as a group of people headed toward the distant Plum Blossom Forest.

The women were filled with righteous indignation, while the men voluntarily closed ranks. Although they despised Wang Shujian’s actions, they did not agree with the words the women were saying now.

What did they mean by "if the imperial examinations were open to women, the entire court would be filled with Hong Yings"?

Such words, when spoken, were an undoubted provocation to their dignity as men.

"While Brother Wang certainly has erred, he has now recognized his fault. Commandery Princess, why not be magnanimous? After all, he is the newly appointed Tanhuai Scholar, and Dawei still awaits such talented individuals to serve the country," said a man dressed in green, holding a fan, his appearance graceful but his gaze murky.

Yan Wanqing recognized him; this person was Zhao Qi, a profligate scion who lived on his ancestors’ merits and received hereditary patronage.

That figures.

All rotten to the core, naturally sinking into the mire together.

Seeing Yan Wanqing remain silent, Zhao Qi spoke again, "My ancestors were leaders under the Duke of the Nation, and we have a history with you. I wonder if the Commandery Princess could do me a small favor."

"I cannot," Yan Wanqing said.

Zhao Qi was stunned, "...What?"

"I said I cannot. Apart from him repeatedly provoking my younger sister, just his remarks today are enough to prove he is not a pillar of the state. If such a scheming person were to enter the imperial court, it would lead to endless trouble. Therefore, today I shall relieve His Majesty of his worries and rid the state of a menace," Yan Wanqing looked at Wang Shujian, and recollections of her past life kindled a fire of anger in her heart.

"Inciting public outrage, stirring up popular resentment, your crimes are tantamount to deceiving the emperor. Wang Shujian, do you submit?"

As the last word fell from Yan Wanqing’s lips, Wang Shujian could not believe it.

How could decades of his diligent study be denied with just one sentence from Yan Wanqing?

He would not accept it!

"Commandery Princess, you are biased! The crime committed by Yan Hongzhao in beating someone, you do not mention at all. Yet you oppress us scholars from humble backgrounds without restraint. We do not accept this! We will take our case to His Majesty and let him judge whether the Yan Family, relying on their contributions, disregard everyone else! Whose world is this? Is it the Yan Family’s world, or is it His Majesty’s world?" Wang Shujian ranted, his eyes reddened with passion.

His words shocked everyone. Yan Wanqing’s eyes narrowed slightly, and a murderous intent arose in her.

Just at that moment!

"Brother Wang, this is something you can’t say!" Zhao Qi hurriedly grabbed Wang Shujian’s sleeve, his heart racing with fear, "Your fight with Miss Yan of the Yan Family was clearly just playful teasing. You really had too much to drink today, nearly causing a disaster."

As he spoke these words, Wang Shujian’s forehead broke into a cold sweat. Looking at Princess Anping, who stood at the forefront of the crowd with her eyes coldly upon him, it felt as if an immense hand had suddenly surfaced from hell and was strangling his neck, plunging his vision into darkness.

"What’s happened to Brother Wang? Truly had too much to drink, starting to get drunk, how undignified!" Zhao Qi’s back was also drenched in cold sweat. He tugged at Wang Shujian’s back, cursing inwardly at how clueless he was. The Duke of the Nation was Dawei’s god of war, and the Yan Family had served the Imperial Family for generations. Princess Anping’s cousin was even the most favored Imperial Consort in the palace. How could he, a mere Top Scholar, afford to offend them, let alone complain to the Saintly Emperor? Was he not tired of living?

In the last second before Wang Shujian passed out, his mind was filled with those cold, life-threatening eyes, staring fixedly at him. She truly wanted his life.

"Hey, hey, the man has fallen down, hey..." Zhao Qi was caught off guard when Wang Shujian fell to the ground, pulling him down as well. Acting on impulse, he said to Yan Wanqing, "Commandery Princess and Miss Yan, you are magnanimous people. This guy is from the countryside, speaks rustic dialect, is stubborn, and doesn’t understand our Capital City’s rules. Today, after having some drinks, he has caused great trouble. Could you both be merciful? Once he wakes up, we can charge him with a severe crime of disrespect, would that be acceptable?"

Zhao Qi, known in the Capital City as a notorious son of privilege, had a glib tongue. He smoothly extracted himself from blame and offered an explanation for Wang Shujian’s conduct today.

Seeing that Wang Shujian did not seem to have passed out from excessive drinking, but rather from fright at her words, Yan Wanqing couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

Truly an utter disappointment, incapable of showing face in public.

She didn’t want to directly deal a fatal blow, but after today, Wang Shujian’s reputation in noble and high-ranking families’ inner chambers would be stinking to the heavens. His dream of rising to greatness, I’m afraid, just got a whole lot tougher.

She still needed to keep this fellow around, to lure out the mastermind behind the scenes.

Seeing this, she turned around and said, "Enough, this Commandery Princess is not a person of narrow-mindedness. I hope today’s event will serve as a wake-up call for this Tanhuai Scholar, lest he offends the Saint in the future and commits a crime from which there is no escape."

Her words were skillfully rounded off, without a single flaw.

Looking at Princess Anping leaving with her people, the crowd that had come for excitement also dispersed.

Only Zhao Qi was left to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, stand up, and pat the dust off his clothes before flicking his fan open and saying to his servant, "Let’s go."

"Lord, what about him?" the servant pointed at Wang Shujian on the ground.

Disgust flashed in Zhao Qi’s eyes as he replied, "Who gives a damn, he might as well be dead right now, such a useless person." He had come for the Tanhuai Scholar’s reputation, to say a few good words and make his acquaintance, which would do him no harm in the future in the Capital City.

But who would have thought this Scholar had a few screws loose? Who was Yan Wanqing? She was known among jianghu people as the female Zhuge Liang, capable of winning battles with mere words. Could she be an ordinary woman? It was laughable that Wang Shujian even tried to argue with her. It was like a sow sticking a leek through its nose—pretending to be an elephant—utterly overestimating himself.

"Let’s go, let’s go, don’t delay the Empress’s banquet." The master and servant hurried away, leaving only Wang Shujian lying on the bluestone pavement, ignored by all, until a novice cleaning the courtyard later dragged him away.

As for Yan Wanqing, as soon as she entered her room, she dismissed everyone inside except for Yan Hongzhao.

"Little Sister." She sighed softly.

"Big Sister, I was wrong!" Yan Hongzhao threw herself to the ground, kneeling, palms turned up, head bowed low, "Please, Big Sister, punish me."

Yan Wanqing’s eyes shook slightly but soon filled with moisture.

She took Yan Hongzhao’s hands, pulling her to her feet, "What are you doing?"

"Big Sister isn’t angry with me?" Yan Hongzhao was stunned. Usually, when she made a mistake, her big sister would punish her right away.

Yan Wanqing also thought of her usual behavior, feeling a sourness in her heart. Shaking her head, she said, "I am not angry with you, you did the right thing. Wang Shujian, such staggering trash, is not worth your personal efforts."

"What does Big Sister mean?" Yan Hongzhao hadn’t expected to hear such words. Since Big Sister had been stricken with cold, she seemed to have changed a lot, starting to have meals with everyone, caring about their siblings, speaking more gently, and today she had even openly defended her by scolding the likes of Wang Shujian, making Hongzhao feel a little incredulous.

Yan Wanqing was well aware of what the young girl was thinking.

In her past life, her eyes were only set on the great cause of the nation; if it wasn’t the classics in her hands, then it was military strategy and manuals. These family trifles, these sentiments of love, she considered them all insignificant and never paid them any mind.

If it had been before, she would probably suppress Yan Hongzhao to apologize to Wang Shujian, worrying that someone with ulterior motives would bring it up to the Emperor and say that the Yan Family was overstepping.

But not anymore.

"That fellow was unreasonable and pestering, did he upset our little sister?" Yan Wanqing touched the tip of Yan Hongzhao’s nose with her index finger, showing a smile as warm as the spring breeze.

She wanted the people she cared about to live freely and uninhibitedly.