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

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed across Liu Ruozai's eyes.

He clearly hadn't expected that Jia Yun, who had recently risen to fame, would be so humble.

He also learned a thing or two about Jia Yun's background from what others had said. Although he came from a collateral branch of a Duke's mansion, he had won the favor of Li Jijiu.

This person is probably quite talented.

Liu Ruozai nodded slightly and said in a calm tone, "The prefectural examination is imminent. I hope Brother Jia will guard against arrogance and impatience, and remain calm and focused. In the pursuit of knowledge, a solid foundation is of utmost importance."

"I will keep in mind my senior brother's teachings," Jia Yun replied with a bow.

After a few words, Liu Ruozai left with his cousin.

Jia Yun had naturally read some of Liu Ruozai's exam papers.

It is precisely because of this that Jia Yun deeply understands the principle that there is always something beyond this world.

This Liu Ruozai—he's practically a top scholar!

After completing the registration procedures for everyone, Jia Yun, Zhou Xiangyu, Wang Wei, and others were in high spirits and decided to have a few drinks at a famous restaurant near the government office.

This is both a celebration of the successful registration and an opportunity to exchange some test preparation tips.

When they arrived, the restaurant lobby was already bustling with noise and crowded with students from all over the country.

Jia Yun and the others went up to the second floor, found a table by the window, ordered wine and dishes, and ate and chatted.

The topics naturally revolved around the upcoming prefectural examination, as well as the preferences and past question-setting styles of the various academic officials in the capital.

As the three were talking, they suddenly heard a suppressed, excited voice coming from the next table.

Jia Yun looked in the direction of the sound and saw several older scholars sitting at the table.

The leader was about thirty years old, with a thin face and an air of resentment between his brows. His face was flushed red at the moment—clearly, he had drunk quite a bit.

"Eunuchs are in power, blocking the channels of communication, loyal officials are demoted, and the affairs of the country are deteriorating day by day! If this continues, the country will cease to exist!" The gaunt scholar slammed his fist on the table, making the cups and plates rattle. "My father was honest and upright all his life, but he was punished for speaking out and was dismissed and sent back to his hometown... Is there any justice left in this court?!"

His friend at the table turned pale with fright and quickly stood up to dissuade him: "Brother Wenruo, watch your words! Watch your words! The walls have ears!"

The scholar, referred to as "Brother Wenruo," seemed to be getting increasingly agitated due to the effects of the alcohol.

"What's there to be afraid of?! At worst, we'll die! What is the purpose of studying the classics? Isn't it to establish a moral compass for Heaven and Earth and to secure a future for the people? Now that wolves and jackals are in power, if everyone tries to protect themselves, how are they any different from accomplices?! My mind is made up. Tomorrow I will contact my fellow scholars and submit a memorial impeaching the eunuch Wei! I will not regret it even if I die!"

Jia Yun's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.

Impeach Wei Zhongxian? That would be a catastrophe!

Now that "Nine Thousand Years Old" holds immense power in the court, this scholar dares to openly advocate for his impeachment in a place like a restaurant; he's truly courting death!

Nearby, students who knew the inside story whispered among themselves: "That man... seems to be Yang Sichang, the son of Yang He, the former Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War! Minister Yang was implicated in the Liaodong affair and dismissed from office before the new year. It seems that young Master Yang is drowning his sorrows in alcohol because he has a lot of pent-up emotions in his heart..."

Before he finished speaking, several well-dressed students at another table had obviously also heard Yang Sichang's remarks.

One of them immediately raised his voice in a sarcastic tone, "So it's Yang He's son spouting nonsense here! Yang He himself is incompetent, delaying military operations and being dismissed by the court—he only has himself to blame! His son, instead of reflecting on his own actions, is here complaining about the court and slandering virtuous officials. It's truly outrageous!"

Zhou Xiangyu explained to Jia Yun in a low voice, "These are people from 'Shuanglu Academy.' Their headmaster has close ties with the eunuch faction, and many people in the academy attach themselves to Wei Zhongxian in order to advance their careers."

Yang Sichang was already agitated, and these words provoked him even more, making him furious.

He abruptly stood up, pointed at the group, and shouted, "You sycophants, how dare you talk about 'virtuous eunuchs'? Wei Zhongxian, a mere eunuch, wreaked havoc on the court, formed cliques, and pursued personal gain—who in the world doesn't know this?! Have all the Confucian classics you've read gone to waste?!"

"presumptuous!"

"How dare you insult His Majesty!"

The students of Shuanglu Academy also slammed their fists on the table and stood up. The two sides immediately became tense and started accusing and cursing each other, drawing the attention of everyone in the restaurant.

Jia Yun and his companions looked at each other, admiring Yang Sichang's courage but also feeling worried for him.

To criticize Wei Zhongxian so fiercely in such a public setting, even if one's feelings are pitiful and one's intentions are commendable, is far too dangerous.

Those students from Shuanglu Academy were clearly not going to let the matter rest.

Sure enough, one of the men sneered, "Fine! Fine, you weakling Yang! We've remembered everything you said today! Just wait for the Imperial Guards to invite you for tea!"

After saying that, the other party stopped arguing, threw down the money for the drinks, and hurriedly left with his men, clearly to inform others.

Yang Sichang's friends turned pale and stamped their feet repeatedly: "You weakling! You've got trouble from your mouth! You've got trouble from your mouth! Let's go! Let's get out of this place!"

Several people pulled and dragged Yang Sichang, who was still indignant and staggering, downstairs.

But as they reached the top of the stairs, Yang Sichang, overwhelmed with grief and indignation, suddenly broke free from his friend, turned back towards the direction of the imperial city, and shouted hoarsely, "Your Majesty—! Your subject, Yang Sichang, will today die to prove his innocence and punish the treacherous officials at your side!"

Before he could finish speaking, to everyone's astonishment, he leaped out of the restaurant window!

"Someone jumped into the river!"

"It's...it's Young Master Yang! Yang Sichang!"

"He shouted, 'I will remonstrate with the emperor until I die, and purge the eunuch faction,' and then he jumped!"

Upon hearing the sound, Jia Yun and the others' expressions changed drastically. They immediately rushed to the window, then turned and ran downstairs.

A crowd had gathered along the riverbank, pointing and gesturing at the river.

Yang Sichang was seen struggling helplessly in the water. He was clearly not a good swimmer, and his movements quickly became sluggish after choking on water repeatedly.

His friends were pacing anxiously on the shore, but none of them dared to go into the water.

Some of the onlookers, including local thugs, egged them on: "Jump! Why aren't you splashing around?"

"Weren't you supposed to be remonstrating to the death? Why don't you remonstrate then!"

It's truly heartbreaking how cold and indifferent people are.

"Quick, save them!" Jia Yunli pushed through the crowd and jumped into the river.

Zhou Xiangyu, who was traveling with me, was from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, so he was naturally very tactful.

Seeing Jia Yun jump into the river, he also jumped in without hesitation, and then the two of them struggled to drag the motionless Yang Sichang ashore.

But Yang Sichang's face was bluish-purple, his eyes were closed, his mouth and nose were silent, and his chest was no longer rising and falling.

The elderly doctor, who had been brought in by others, checked her breathing and pulse, but ultimately just shook his head and sighed, "She's not breathing anymore, she can't be saved..."

"She's out of breath..."

"Dead..."

"Brother Yang! Brother Yang!" His friends rushed over and wept bitterly, clearly believing that he was dead.

Jia Yun, however, pushed through the crowd and crouched down to examine the area carefully.

He touched Yang Sichang's neck and found no pulse. He then checked his mouth and nose and found no breath.

But based on her experience and intuition as a surgeon in her previous life, Jia Yun judged that this might be suffocation caused by laryngospasm after drowning or by a foreign object blocking the airway, and there might still be a glimmer of hope!

But we must open the airway immediately!

"There's still hope!" Jia Yun said decisively.

He knew that in such an extreme situation, cricothyroid membrane puncture was the only possible way to save his life.

But... the situation was extremely critical, and there was no time to worry about being shocking!

"Quick! Get a dagger! And some wine! Find a clean, hollow reed or quill!"

Although Zhou Xiangyu, Wang Wei, and the others did not understand why, seeing Jia Yun's resolute expression, they immediately went their separate ways to do as she said.

After everything was prepared, Jia Yun hurriedly rinsed the dagger's blade with strong liquor and then rinsed his mouth with a mouthful of liquor.

Amidst the shocked, confused, and even condemning gazes of the crowd, he located the soft spot below Yang Sichang's Adam's apple on his neck and, without hesitation, used the tip of his knife to make a small incision!

"what!"

"What is he doing?!"

"Destroy the body?!"

"The person is already dead! Why treat them like this!"

An uproar immediately erupted around them, and even Yang Sichang's friends were stunned, instinctively wanting to step forward and stop him.

But he was firmly stopped by Wang Wei and Zhou Xiangyu beside him.

Despite the chaos around her, Jia Yun remained oblivious, completely focused on the surgery.

He quickly and steadily inserted the thin reed stalk, sharpened at the end, into Yang Sichang's trachea through the cut.

Then, Jia Yun bent down and blew hard and rhythmically at the other end of the reed stalk!

At the same time, his other hand rhythmically pressed against Yang Sichang's chest.

One moment... one moment... one moment...

Everyone held their breath, watching this act that was almost a desecration of the corpse.

Just as despair filled the air, Yang Sichang's body suddenly twitched, and a soft "ho" sound came from his throat.

He then began to cough violently, and the filth mixed with river water was expelled from his mouth, nose and neck by the airflow!

"He's alive! He's alive!"

"Oh my god! He's really alive!"

"A miracle! This is a miracle of bringing the dead back to life!"

The crowd erupted in uproar.

Jia Yun finally let out a long sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground. His arms were trembling slightly from tension and exertion, and his inner shirt was already soaked with cold sweat.

As he carefully steadied the life-saving reed, he said to Zhou Xiangyu and the others, "Quick! Carry him to the nearest clinic and watch over him carefully. Don't pull out the tube now!"

Everyone looked at Yang Sichang, who had come back from the dead, and then at Jia Yun, whose gaze was calm, their eyes filled with deep awe.

Could this Jia Yun possess supernatural powers? Those with discerning minds had already recalled some of Jia Yun's recent pronouncements and prophecies...

His poetic fame spread far and wide, and he once again saved a life in a moment of crisis, creating this miracle of bringing someone back from the dead.

In the days that followed, it naturally provided plenty of topics for the storytellers under the overpass to talk about.