Prime Minister.

Chapter 65, Section 064: [The Scholar's Knife] (Seeking first subscription!)

Perhaps it was because Xue Huai's expression was too deceptive.

Qin Zhang didn't react at first, until Cao Xuan quietly tugged at his sleeve.

In an instant, his face flushed red at a visible speed, as if this was the greatest humiliation he had ever suffered.

When Qin Zhang was born, Qin Wanli was already a general on the border. Within a few years, he won a decisive victory in the northwest of Xuanfu, defeating the Tartars' accumulated steeds and soldiers in one battle, which could ensure twenty years of peace on the northern border of the Great Yan.

In other words, from the time Qin Zhang could remember, he was a first-class military family member of the Great Yan.

Looking across the entire capital, apart from the imperial family, he only cared about a few other families, such as the Xie family of the Duke of Wei, the Tan family of the Marquis of Pingliang, and the Yang family of the Marquis of Yingchuan. These families were all long-established military nobles. Although they had not produced any generals of Qin Wanli's caliber in recent years, they had a deep foundation and extensive connections in the military that could not be underestimated.

Qin Zhang was arrogant from a young age, and he was also extremely spoiled by his grandmother. Qin Wanli was a filial son and could not resist his mother's protection of Qin Zhang, which led to Qin Zhang becoming more and more spoiled.

He was surrounded by sycophants like Cao Xuan, and he was always the one dealing with others. Basically, no one dared to oppose him, let alone someone like Xue Huai who smiled and spoke the most sarcastic words in the gentlest tone.

Looking at the smile on Xue Huai's face, Qin Zhang felt blood rush to his head, and his hands clenched into fists.

His remaining rationality told him that it was harmless to mock Xue Huai, but if he really started a fight today, even with his grandmother's protection, his father would still give him a good beating.

After all, Xue Huai was a legitimate official of the imperial court and a promising scholar of the Hanlin Academy. Recently, he had also gained the emperor's favor due to the corruption case in the Ministry of Works.

Thinking of the case at the Ministry of Works, Qin Zhang felt his anger becoming even more uncontrollable.

The Ministry of Works was a complex and intertwined entity, with connections to various factions within the court, including military families and meritorious officials, as the Ministry of Works' Agricultural Settlement Division managed military farms and a portion of the arms industry.

Qin Zhang kept a group of cronies and spent lavishly and extravagantly when he went out. The Marquis's accountant only listened to Qin Wanli's orders and would not allow Qin Zhang to withdraw money without restraint.

He was too ashamed to ask his grandmother for help often, so he decided to make money on his own and set his sights on the hidden benefits behind Juntian.

Of course, unlike the Prince of Dai, he dared not openly embezzle state funds, but only secretly gained some benefits.

Unexpectedly, Shen Wang and Xue Huai, master and apprentice, acted decisively and wiped out all the corrupt officials in the Ministry of Works, thus depriving Qin Zhang of his way of making money.

The saying goes that cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents. Qin Zhang knew he had no right to compete with Shen Wang, so he could only vent his resentment on Xue Huai.

Qu Zhaoyun was just a pretext; his purpose in coming today was to target Xue Huai, at least to make him look bad and vent his anger.

But before he could even get started, Xue Huai delivered an invisible slap to his face.

If he could have endured it, he wouldn't be the most outstanding playboy in the capital.

Say it again.

Qin Zhang gritted his teeth, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"Some things lose their charm when said a second time. Doesn't Young Master Qin understand this principle?"

Xue Huai looked at Qin Zhang with a calm and composed expression and said, "Third Young Master Qin, I have no intention of interfering in your entanglement with Qu Xingshou, but I would like to give you a piece of advice. As a member of the Qin family, even if you cannot emulate your father, Marquis Zhenyuan, in trampling the Northern Barbarians, you should not make things difficult for a woman of the night. It would be very unpleasant to hear about it, wouldn't it?"

"Xue Huai—"

Qin Zhang's eyes were slightly red, and he said with a hint of ferocity, "I'll make you say those three words again!"

Cao Xuan and his followers vaguely sensed something was wrong. They had all witnessed Qin Zhang's outbursts, where he was truly reckless, violent, and arrogant. However, the people in the hall were not minor figures who could be easily manipulated by the Qin family. Not to mention the powerful figures from various factions standing behind them, even if Marquis Zhenyuan Qin Wanli himself came, he would not dare to underestimate the lineup of more than twenty Jinshi graduates in front of them!
However, Qin Zhang was not Qin Wanli. He was just a spoiled brat who had grown up in a pampered environment and had never experienced setbacks. He was only seventeen years old.

Once such a person gets carried away, it's not surprising that they do anything, and they shouldn't be judged by normal standards.

They exchanged a glance and subtly moved closer to Qin Zhang, hoping that if he went berserk and attacked the civil officials, they could at least try to calm him down.

Xue Huai seemed oblivious to the impending danger, calmly and bluntly stating, "After careful consideration, I've concluded that you are indeed unworthy."

"Okay, very good."

Qin Zhang clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking: "Xue Shidu is indeed bold and fearless, not even putting the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion in his eyes."

He wasn't entirely stupid; he knew Xue Huai was no ordinary minor official, so even if he couldn't resist taking action against him, he would have to find a pretext.

"Young Master Qin is wrong again."

Xue Huai shook his head slightly and said, "I have great respect for your father, Marquis Zhenyuan, and I have no contempt for your family. From beginning to end, I have only been targeting you personally."

Qin Zhang said coldly, "Since you insist on going against me, don't blame me for turning my back on you!"

Cao Xuan immediately stood in front of Qin Zhang and said sternly, "Xue Shidu, you have gone too far! Don't think that just because the Grand Minister of Works is your mentor, you can act recklessly. Today you must apologize to the Third Young Master, or we will not let this go!"

He wasn't truly trying to force Xue Huai to submit, but rather he worried that Qin Zhang's attack was too swift and severe. If Xue Huai were seriously injured, the matter would surely alarm the Emperor and cause a huge uproar in the court, making it impossible for them to extricate themselves unscathed. Although Qin Zhang hadn't joined the army, he was, after all, from a military family and had honed his martial arts skills from a young age. Even if he couldn't compare to the fierce generals, dealing with a group of weak scholars would be a piece of cake.

Therefore, Cao Xuan specifically pointed out Shen Wang's presence, hoping to calm Qin Zhang down.

Before Xue Huai could speak, Qin Zhang suddenly pushed Cao Xuan aside and took a step toward Xue Huai.

Just then, someone resolutely spoke up.

"Chen Guanyue, the top scholar in the second class of the Gengchen imperial examination and the principal of the Department of Ceremonies of the Ministry of Rites, is willing to stand with Xue Shidu in both advancement and retreat!"

At this critical moment, Chen Guanyue abandoned his previous complacent and unassuming ways and stood by Xue Huai's side without hesitation.

Following him, a series of clear voices rang out.

"Zheng Xuanming, the seventh-ranked scholar in the second class of the Gengchen imperial examination and the Director of the Imperial Academy, is willing to advance and retreat together with Xue Shidu!"

"Wu Jing, the sixteenth-ranked scholar in the second class of the Gengchen imperial examination and a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, is willing to advance and retreat together with Xue, the Attendant Reader!"

"Yang Sixiu, the thirty-first in the second class of the Gengchen imperial examination and an assistant instructor at the Imperial Academy, is willing to stand with Xue Shidu in both advancement and retreat!"

The continuous undulations resembled war drums.

In a short while, apart from Cui Yanqing, who was sent to the back building for treatment, and Gao Tingbi, who stood awkwardly, all the young talents who came to the gathering today stood around Xue Huai, looking at Qin Zhang and other sons of powerful families with a shared sense of indignation.

Whether they like Xue Huai or not, at least for now, they must make their stance clear.

As civil officials of the Great Yan, if we allow the sons of military merits to ride roughshod over us today, what face will they have left to stand in the court when this matter becomes public?
A stalemate quickly formed.

Gao Tingbi looked around and said with a serious expression, "Young Master Qin, are you going to start a fight here?"

"Gao Xiuzhuan is indeed good at judging the situation."

Qin Zhang said coldly with a sarcastic tone, "Why don't you ask this Xue Shidu why he insulted me right from the start? Should we, the Qin family, just let him speak so rudely? The Great Yan has been established for 120 years, and dozens of members of the Qin family have sacrificed their lives for the country. My father exhausted himself in the Battle of Xuanfu and vomited blood several times. What we get in return is your sarcasm and ridicule, just like today!"

Gao Tingbi choked.

Xue Huai said unhurriedly, "Young Master Qin is quite skilled with words, and he is very adept at turning the tables on others."

Before Qin Zhang could retort, Xue Huai stepped forward and said seriously, "Since Young Master Qin doesn't intend to take action, then I'll have a discussion with him."

"Your Qin family has served the country loyally, that is an indisputable fact. I, Xue, have nothing but admiration for that and have no intention of disrespecting you in the slightest. However—"

His tone suddenly turned stern: "Are you the only members of the Qin family loyal and virtuous of the Great Yan?"

“My ancestor, Junde, served as the local official in seven different regions, but never entered the central government. Yet, millions of people benefited from his kindness! Even today, many people in those areas still have his memorial tablet in their homes!”

"My father entered officialdom at the age of nineteen. After leaving the Hanlin Academy, he served as an inspector for five years, a prefect of Yangzhou for four years, and a minister of the Court of Judicial Review for three years. He worked tirelessly for the country and the people, and eventually fell ill from overwork and passed away at the young age of thirty-six!"

His words were forceful and resounding, like sharp swords piercing the chests of Qin Zhang and the others.

Qin Zhang's face turned extremely ugly.

He knew that what Xue Huai said was true. The Qin family had made outstanding contributions to the Great Yan Dynasty, which was the reason why he could act with impunity in the capital. However, what did the Xue family owe the country and the people?

Take Xue Huai himself as an example. Although he has not been in office for long, it is common knowledge that he has petitioned for the people countless times in the past two years. Moreover, he has just assisted his mentor Shen Wang in cracking down on the corruption case in the Ministry of Works.

Seeing Qin Zhang remain silent, Xue Huai went a step further and said without any mercy, "You say I humiliated you? Then I would like to ask you a question: Today, we, who are of the same age, gathered to drink and compose poems. I, Xue, happened to compose a poem, and Qin San Shao came here and immediately insulted me with gold and silver. Where does that leave my good reputation?"

"Could it be that the spoils of war your father obtained on the battlefield can be bought by others with gold and silver?"

Qin Zhang's expression changed drastically, and he roared in fury, "You're courting death!"

"Who's courting death?!"

Xue Huai was furious and shouted, "You are nothing but a dissolute playboy. You can neither serve the country nor be filial to your elders. You spend your days fighting cocks and dogs and causing trouble. Who gave you the audacity to bark at us, officials of the court!"

His voice was like thunder, each word like a knife, throwing Qin Zhang into a state of utter chaos, leaving him pale.

"Today I want to see just how good a son the Marquis of Zhenyuan has raised."

Xue Huai was still not satisfied. He looked directly into Qin Zhang's eyes and said, "Come on, make your move. I'm waiting for Young Marquis Qin to unleash his killing spree!"

(End of this chapter)