Dream of the Red Chamber: Madam, please have some self-respect!

So Jia Yun immediately stood up first.

He was not angry. Instead, he bowed to the young man in blue and said loudly with a hint of doubt on his face.

"Brother, what makes you say such a thing? Brother Ziying was just reminiscing with me about the great victory at Ningyuan, how our soldiers fought valiantly in Liaodong and displayed our national prestige. How could you say you disdain to be associated with us? Do you perhaps think that our discussions of victories at the front are less meaningful than your romantic musings?"

His words were a form of sophistry, but they not only responded to the other party's provocation, but also cleverly elevated the topic to the level of national sentiment.

The young man in blue was speechless for a moment. If he continued to dwell on his personal feelings, he would appear narrow-minded and lacking in a sense of the bigger picture.

He couldn't very well make a fuss about this great victory, could he?

The crowd around, who had been watching the show without knowing the inside story, nodded in agreement, agreeing that Jia Yun's words made sense.

The young man in the blue robe blushed and paled in turns, forgetting to even wave his folding fan.

He originally knew that Feng Ziying was skilled in martial arts but not good with words, so he thought he would come to get revenge. Who knew that he would have such a person by his side?

But knowing he was in the wrong, he still stubbornly argued, "Hmph, clever words and flattery! How dare you presume to discuss matters of state?"

Jia Yun felt a surge of joy. He turned to face the crowd, his tone remaining calm.

"My friend, you are mistaken. The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen. If even discussing victories and commemorating the soldiers' achievements is considered 'reckless talk,' then what is the foundation of our gathering here, where we discuss poetry and literature, and where we talk about refined tastes? Wouldn't it be like water without a source, a tree without roots?"

Jia Yun glanced around and, seeing the thoughtful expressions on everyone's faces, continued, "In my opinion, it is precisely because the soldiers at the front are risking their lives that we scholars at home should cherish our blessings even more, using poetry and prose to praise righteousness and cultivate our spirit, so as not to waste this peaceful era. Brother Ziying's concern for the border is a model for us all; what is wrong with that? Does refusing to chat with you mean I am disdainful?"

These words were well-reasoned and supported by evidence, and were neither arrogant nor humble.

The young man in blue was rendered speechless by the rebuttal, and his companion, feeling humiliated, quietly tugged at his sleeve.

The young man in blue could only snort sullenly, and with a fierce but weak-willed expression, he said, "I'm not going to lower myself to your level," before turning around and slinking away with his men.

Seeing that the group had gone far away, Feng Ziying pulled Jia Yun to sit down again and poured him a full glass of wine.

He lowered his voice and said with a wry smile, "Yun-ge, thank you very much for today. This fellow is Liu Fang from the Zhongshan Marquis's mansion, and my family has always had some disagreements with him. The reason I didn't come to see you some time ago was because I had a falling out with him and was confined to my house by my father."

Jia Yun asked curiously, "Oh? What is it about?"

Feng Ziying sighed: "Half a month ago, I saw Liu Fang forcing a singing girl at a restaurant in the south of the city. He used foul language and touched her inappropriately. I couldn't stand it, so I argued with him. In the scuffle, I accidentally injured one of his servants who came to attack me. Originally, this matter could have been a big deal or a small one, but who knew that the eunuch faction would use it to make a fuss and accuse my father of 'failing to discipline his son and letting him commit violence'... In order to quell the matter, my father had no choice but to lock me up at home for a while. He only released me recently after the storm had passed."

Upon hearing this, Jia Yun suddenly realized why Feng Ziying had been so quiet lately; he had apparently suffered an undeserved misfortune.

Just as he was about to offer some words of comfort, he saw several scholars who had been quietly observing the situation from the side tables step over.

The leader, a man of about twenty, with a refined and scholarly air, cupped his hands and smiled at Jia Yun and Feng Ziying, saying, "You two gentlemen's discussion just now was insightful and convincing. I am Zhou Fengxiang, from Shanyin, Zhejiang. This is Brother Ma Shiqi from Wuxi, who was fortunate enough to pass the imperial examination last year. This is Brother Wang Wei from Xiuning. I couldn't help but come to get to know you after hearing Brother Jia Yun's profound remarks."

Jia Yun and Feng Ziying quickly stood up to return the greeting.

Seeing that the three men had clear eyes and sincere tone, unlike the likes of Liu Fang, Jia Yun felt a sense of goodwill towards them and hurriedly said humbly, "Brother Zhou, you flatter me. What I just said was merely a sophistry based on my feelings, and it is not worthy of being called true insight."

Ma Shiqi, who had already passed the imperial examination, laughed and said, "Brother Jia Yun, you are too modest. 'The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen.' This saying is a wake-up call, and only those with true breadth of mind and spirit can utter it. Moreover, your essay on maritime trade in the county examination, although unique in its viewpoint, is enough to show the depth of your thinking, which is not comparable to that of ordinary scholars who merely read and write."

Wang Wei chimed in, "Exactly. Brother Ma and I have discussed Brother Jia Yun's exam paper before. Although we may not entirely agree with his arguments on developing maritime trade and using commerce to increase revenue, we do find his points insightful, directly addressing the critical issue of the nation's financial difficulties, and they are quite thought-provoking."

Upon hearing this, Jia Yun was slightly moved. It turned out that even these scholars from other provinces knew about his essay in the county examination.

He remained expressionless, simply continuing the conversation: "Brother Ma and Brother Wang are too kind. In my humble opinion, I merely believe that with the war in Liaodong at a stalemate and the court's expenditures enormous, we may need to find a new way to manage our finances. In the past, the Southern Song Dynasty, even in its partial existence, was able to rely on the benefits of maritime trade to support half of its territory. Now, our Great Ming Dynasty is rich in resources from all corners of the world. If we can guide these resources properly, allowing the wealth of the wealthy merchants in the southeast to be used for the country's benefit, it might alleviate our immediate crisis. It would be far better than... having so much wealth buried among lower-ranking officials, which is of no benefit to the country."

Although his words were subtle, the meaning was clear: during the Southern Song Dynasty, merchants in Jiangnan were willing to contribute to the country's war effort, but now, most wealthy merchants in the Ming Dynasty were unwilling to spend money to support the court's war effort.

Zhou Fengxiang nodded upon hearing this: "Brother Jia Yun's concerns are indeed valid. Increasing revenue and reducing expenditure are good strategies from ancient times. However, the sea ban is an ancestral system, which involves a wide range of issues, and its advantages and disadvantages are hard to predict, hence the great controversy in the court. Nevertheless, it is commendable that you, at such a young age, can think of this."

Feng Ziying chuckled from the side, "Yun-ge'er, do you know that you've become quite well-known among the scholars in the capital? Firstly, because of your accurate prediction of the outcome of the Ningyuan battle at Qinfang Garden, and secondly, because of your 'astounding' county examination paper. The editor Fang who selected you is a top student of Li Shouzhong, the leader of the Qingliu faction. I've heard that Lord Li greatly admires your talent and intends to take you under his wing. Naturally, many people have taken your exam paper to study and analyze it."

Jia Yun then realized that there was this reason behind it all.

He thought to himself, this is both an opportunity and a matter of caution: "I see, thank you for your explanation, Brother Ziying. I am truly humbled by the favor shown to me by Lord Li and Mr. Fang."

Ma Shiqi said, "With Brother Jia Yun's talent, he will surely be victorious in both the prefectural and provincial examinations in the coming days. I wonder if he has made all the preparations for the prefectural examination in April?"

Jia Yun replied, "I am currently focusing on preparing for the exam and dare not slack off in the slightest."

Zhou Fengxiang encouraged, "Excellent. At that time, Brother Wang Wei and I may still be in the capital. I hope to meet Brother Jia Yun again at the examination hall and compete with him."

The group chatted happily in a harmonious atmosphere, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere they had just had with Liu Fang and the others.

Feng Ziying was pleased to see that Jia Yun had gained the sincere friendship of these scholars with such a good reputation.

However, this harmonious scene did not last long. Liu Fang, who had just left, returned with someone else by her side.

This person was about twenty years old, wearing a dark brocade robe with subtle patterns. He had a fair complexion and long, slender eyebrows and eyes, and a half-smile on his face.

As if she had found someone to back her up, Liu Fang felt much more confident. Pointing at Jia Yun, she said to the young man in black robes, "Brother Chen, this is the man. He's eloquent and persuasive, and he's even colluding with that scoundrel Feng Ziying!"

The young man in black robes, addressed as "Brother Chen," stepped forward slowly, his gaze sweeping over Jia Yun and Feng Ziying.

Before speaking, the man smiled slightly, his voice high-pitched and slow: "Brother Ziying, who is this friend of yours...? He looks unfamiliar. Could he be a newly promoted scholar? Or perhaps a disciple of a reclusive master? Won't you introduce him to everyone?"

Feng Ziying frowned, about to speak.

Jia Yun, however, calmly cupped his hands and said, "I am Jia Yun, a descendant of the Rongguo Mansion, of the Cao generation. I dare not accept such praise from you, young master. Today, I am honored by Brother Feng's invitation and have come to admire your demeanor and learn a thing or two."

"Jia Yun?" The young man in the black robe raised an eyebrow, as if he remembered something. "Oh—the one who came in seventh place in the county examination a while ago? I heard... his essay that day contained some rather 'shocking' remarks, which actually caught the eye of Editor Fang? Tsk tsk, he's really lucky."

His contempt was undisguised, and several of his followers around him chuckled softly.

Jia Yun was furious inside, but remained outwardly calm: "It was just luck."

Feng Ziying's expression hardened, and he whispered rapidly in Jia Yun's ear: "This man is Chen Yejun. His father is the godson of Eunuch Chen, a court eunuch in the Directorate of Ceremonial. He can be considered a semi-scholar, but he has extremely close ties with the eunuch faction and is the most troublesome..."

At this moment, another voice broke in, carrying even deeper malice: "So it's that 'little teacher' who gets attention with his bizarre theories. What's wrong? Instead of teaching his female students in the inner quarters today, he has the leisure to come to this literary gathering? Does he perhaps think that the learning of women in the inner chambers is no longer enough to demonstrate his talent?"

The speaker turned out to be an old acquaintance of Jia Yun.

Jia Qiang!

This fellow was punished because of Jia Yun before, but now he has really forgotten the pain of his past mistakes—he has obviously forgotten the fear he felt when he saw the power of Jia Yun's Bajiquan in Rongxi Hall.

Jia Yun glanced coldly at Jia Qiang, too lazy to waste words with him.