allonlinenovel Chapter 528: Taking a Break to Clear My Mind but Encountering a Simp
Chapter 528: Taking a Break to Clear My Mind but Encountering a Simp
Liu Ruyan's face darkened further, and she was about to retort when a scholar suddenly stepped out from the crowd. The scholar had a fair complexion but a fawning expression. He quickly walked to Liu Ruyan's side, bowed slightly, and said obsequiously, "Miss Liu, please don't get angry; it wouldn't be good for your health. This princess is abusing her status and bullying others; she's utterly despicable."
As the scholar spoke, he glanced sideways at Li Wan'er and Fang Xiaoxiao, his eyes filled with disdain and fawning. He continued, "Miss Liu, you are of noble status, why bother with these vulgar people? In my opinion, Fang Xiaoxiao is deliberately trying to gain everyone's sympathy so that you can embarrass yourself." As he spoke, he gave Liu Ruyan a fawning smile.
After hearing the scholar's words, Liu Ruyan's expression softened slightly, as if she found his words quite agreeable.
The atmosphere in the garden grew increasingly tense. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, but it did little to ease the palpable tension. The surrounding crowd held their breath, watching the scene unfold with bated breath.
The scholar grew even more smug, shaking his head and continuing, "Miss Liu, you are kind-hearted, which is why you were schemed against by these people. This Fang Xiaoxiao is no good to begin with, and now she's even bringing the princess to bully you. She's simply lawless." His voice was shrill, and his expression was exaggerated, making him look exactly like a lackey.
Looking at the scholar's sycophantic and obsequious face, Fang Xiaoxiao felt a surge of disgust. She bit her lip tightly, her eyes revealing anger and defiance.
Li Wan'er was so angry that she trembled all over. She pointed at the scholar and cursed, "You shameless scoundrel, how could you distort the truth and spout such nonsense!"
The scholar, however, paid no attention and continued to fawn over Liu Ruyan.
In the garden, sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows. The words of Liu Ruyan and the scholar still echoed in their ears, stirring up anger among the scholars present, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
The scholar gestured wildly, spitting as he shouted, "This princess is so rude! It's an insult to us scholars! We are well-read and can't tolerate such humiliation!" His face turned bright red, and his eyes widened as if he wanted to devour Li Wan'er alive.
Many scholars joined in the commotion, their emotions running high.
"Yes, we must go and appeal to the Emperor, and ask him to do justice for us!"
"This princess is being unreasonable and arrogant; an explanation is demanded!"
They waved the scrolls in their hands, each one filled with righteous indignation.
Fang Xiao, who was originally immersed in the pain Pei Yan had caused her, was amused by the noise of the group and couldn't help but laugh out loud. This laugh was like a spring flower blooming, but it also carried a hint of helplessness and mockery.
She had intended to let the matter rest and leave this troublesome place as soon as possible, but the group's increasingly audacious behavior gradually fueled her anger.
Fang Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and widened her beautiful eyes. She quickly walked to Li Wan'er and, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, shielded Li Wan'er behind her.
"You so-called scholars are utterly disgraceful!" she shouted, her voice clear and resonant, echoing through the garden.
Upon hearing this, the sycophantic scholar angrily retorted, "How dare you, woman, say that we are uncivilized! I challenge you to a duel!"
"Fine, come here then!" Fang Xiaoxiao retorted without any politeness. She was already fed up with these guys; they really were a perfect example of the saying, "A scholar is useless in a hundred ways."
The onlookers gathered around, whispering and pointing.
"This woman is incredibly audacious, daring to challenge a scholar."
"Hmph, what skills could a woman possibly have? She's probably just arrogant and ignorant."
"That's right, these scholars are not to be trifled with. She's just asking for trouble."
The people's words were full of distrust and sarcasm towards a woman challenging a talented man.
Murong Changqing, Ouyang Tuoba, Long Jinyan, He Jinnian, and Zhou Wenjian, the husbands, hurriedly stepped forward to try to dissuade Fang Xiaoxiao.
Murong Changqing looked worried and tugged at Fang Xiaoxiao's sleeve, saying, "Xiaoxiao, don't act rashly. These people are not easy to deal with."
Ouyang Tuoba also said anxiously, "Yes, let's not bother with them, let's go."
Long Jinyan frowned and said, "The outcome of this competition is unpredictable, why take the risk?"
He Jinnian and Zhou Wenjian echoed their sentiments, urging Fang Xiaoxiao to give up.
However, Fang Xiaoxiao remained unmoved. She straightened her back and swept her gaze firmly over the crowd.
"What's there to be afraid of! I don't believe I can't beat them!" Fang Xiaoxiao's voice was full of stubbornness and confidence.
Liu Ruyan sneered from the side, her eyes full of contempt and schadenfreude.
"Fang Xiaoxiao, you're overestimating yourself. Don't lose too badly!" Liu Ruyan said smugly, arms crossed.
Fang Xiaoxiao glared at Liu Ruyan and said, "We'll see!"
At this moment, a respected elder in the crowd stepped forward and said, "Since we're going to have a competition, there must be some rules."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
The old man cleared his throat and continued, "The competition consists of three rounds: matching couplets, writing poems, and painting. Whoever performs well in these three rounds will be the winner."
Fang Xiaoxiao tilted her head slightly and replied without hesitation, "Okay, let's compete!"
Fang Xiaoxiao agreed to the contest with the sycophantic scholar, and everyone's interest was immediately piqued, gathering around to watch the exciting duel. The scholar's side sent out a portly fat man first. He shook his head and looked confident, glancing at Fang Xiaoxiao with disdain.
The fat man cleared his throat and spoke first, reciting with a swaying head: "Three confused people in one village and two miles, who do not understand the Four Books, Five Classics and Six Laws, yet dare to teach seven, eight or nine disciples, utterly muddleheaded!" After saying this, the fat man patted his belly smugly, his eyes full of provocation.
Fang Xiaoxiao's lips curled up slightly, showing no fear. After a moment's thought, she said, "Nine out of ten families are poor and can only scrape together eight strings of cash, leaving only seven coins, six cents, and five fen. And you still dare to be indecisive? You're a complete good-for-nothing!"
Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback at first, then burst into cheers. The fat man's face instantly turned bright red. He hadn't expected Fang Xiaoxiao to be able to come up with a matching couplet so quickly, and with such perfect parallelism and sharp wit.
The fat man was annoyed. His eyes darted around, and he came up with another couplet: "In the painting, the dragon is dozing, the tiger is sleeping, and the little page is laughing hysterically." After saying that, he glanced at Fang Xiaoxiao with disdain in his eyes.
Fang Xiaoxiao remained calm and scanned her surroundings. When she saw the chessboard, an idea suddenly struck her, and she said calmly, "On the chessboard, the rook has lost its wheel, the horse has broken its saddle, and it's calling for checkmate, but don't shout, don't shout."
The fat man panicked a little, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but he was still unwilling to give up. He gritted his teeth and came up with another couplet: "Chirping and chattering, orioles and swallows everywhere laughing and joking."