"Nonsense!"
The scholars were filled with shame and indignation, some even pointing at the drunkard's nose.
"Which academy are you from?"
"A bumpkin from the mountains." The drunkard tilted his head, pouring wine for himself, his eyes full of disdain as he looked at the scholars. "You speak of academies the moment you open your mouths. Are the academies you once attended the only things worth showcasing? Since you are scholars, demonstrate your knowledge to refute me, instead of turning red-faced and relying on your mouths to satisfy your pathetic self-esteem."
"How are we pathetic?" a scholar retorted angrily.
Leaning against the wall, the drunkard lazily burped, looking at the scholars with bleary eyes.
"Don't you know in your hearts how pathetic you are?" the drunkard narrowed his eyes slightly. "You believe you have grand ambitions and have come to the royal city seeking office. Unfortunately, you have repeatedly hit a wall and are unfulfilled. Finally, there is a city recruiting talent, and instead of going to realize your ambitions, you gather here to talk about trivial matters. Isn't that pathetic? People like you should stay here and wallow forever."
"If life is lost, how can ambitions be realized?"
"Hahaha…"
Upon hearing this, the drunkard burst into laughter, pointing at the scholars and shaking his head.
"Your lives are intact now, but you are still insignificant beings. My life is drawing to a close, but if my ambitions can be realized, I can achieve eternal fame. Can a few years surpass your hundreds?"
With a mocking glint in his eyes, the drunkard swayed away, clutching his wine bottle.
The scholars left behind watched the drunkard's retreating back, clenched their fists, and scoffed.
"Drunkards speak nonsense."
The scholars babbled on with meaningless words. The young man who had mentioned the central government quietly withdrew, glancing in the direction the drunkard had gone, and then followed.
"Senior, senior…"
A clear call rang out, and the drunkard, staggering with his wine pot, slowly turned his head.
"It's you. Are you perhaps indignant and wish to debate further with this drunkard?" The drunkard squinted at the approaching youth. The youth quickly cupped his hands and bowed, "Junior has no such intention. I simply heard your words just now and found them quite insightful, so I came to ask if Senior intends to take office in Fengqi City? It feels as though Senior is very fond of Fengqi City?"
"Where did you see that I was going to take office in Fengqi City?" the drunkard raised an eyebrow.
The young scholar was stunned by his question and, for a moment, did not know how to answer.
"Fengqi City is too small; I'm not interested," the drunkard slowly shook his head and chuckled. "Taking office in such a small place, even if I entered the central government, would not be as enjoyable as drinking. My words just now were simply out of annoyance for the hypocritical behavior of those scholars."
"This… a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall; there is nothing wrong with that."
"Oh?"
The drunkard raised his eyebrows slightly, a smile on his face.
"You still know this saying?"
"Unfortunately, although this is a sage's saying, it requires consideration of the time and context in which the sage spoke it. It cannot be applied to all situations or all people."
"What is the environment of the Tatu Kingdom?"
"There is no way out."
"Fengqi City can break the ossified situation and provide a platform for scholars to realize their ambitions. This should be a joy for those with aspirations."
"Of course, everyone has their own aspirations."
"You must have heard what I said to those scholars. The future you desire dictates the decisions you make, and you must follow your heart. Too many people in this world are willing to hide the ugliness within them, just like those scholars. They are clearly greedy for life, afraid of death, and covetous of wealth and power, yet they pretend to be upright and proper. Utterly laughable."
The drunkard tipped his head back and took another swig of wine. The young man, with his brows tightly furrowed, clenched his fist.
"Senior, this student has something he wishes you to enlighten him on."
"Enlighten is too strong a word; let's discuss," the drunkard smiled and shook his head. "I am not a sage, just a common man. How can I claim to enlighten you? You can speak your confusion, and I will share my thoughts."
"I… I have a mentor…"
A full half-hour later, the drunkard, swaying unsteadily with his wine pot in hand, disappeared from the street. The knowledge-seeking young scholar remained standing on the spot for a long time, motionless.
"Only the heart matters."
The young scholar murmured, standing in silence for a long time before bowing in the direction the drunkard had gone.
"What are you doing?"
Suddenly, a stern whisper by his ear made the young scholar freeze. He slowly looked up and saw an old man standing before him, his face covered in wrinkles and exuding an aura of authority.
"Teacher."
"Who have you been debating with?" The old man's eyes showed a hint of fatherly affection as he looked at the young man. "The scholars in this royal city are mostly unfulfilled. Debating with them will only affect you. How many times have I told you to stay away from those scholars below the city walls?"
"Teacher, I…"
"Stop!"
The old man raised his hand and interrupted the young scholar.
"Come with me into the inner city. The Seventh Prince has matters to discuss with us."
"It's to discuss with you, Teacher," the young scholar shrugged. "I said before that I wanted the Seventh Prince to befriend Chen Yu, the city lord of Fengqi City, but it was directly rejected. He has a deep passion for the Marshal's Talisman, but I don't think he has the destiny to possess it. He is inherently incompetent, and his current position is due to his reliance on the Chief Financial Officer's family. Now, he has also abandoned the Chief Financial Officer's family, which clearly shows his treacherous and narrow-minded nature. He is ignorant but wants to step into the realm of saints. I have nothing to say to him."
"Presumptuous!"
The old man slapped the young man across the face, his brows filled with anger.
"How dare you utter such disrespectful words?"
Despite the imprint on his cheek, the young man's eyes remained smiling. Although he had been slapped, his heart felt an unprecedented sense of relief.
It was not that he enjoyed being beaten, but he had finally spoken his mind.
He had held it in for too long!
"Teacher, what I said is from the bottom of my heart," the young scholar shook his head. "In my eyes, the Seventh Prince is a mediocre talent. He is not fit to sit on that throne. If the Tatu Kingdom falls into his hands, I estimate it will be destroyed within ten years. I know that you have taken me to the inner palace multiple times not to have me speak my mind, but to send a signal to the Seventh Prince that I will be his advisor in the future. However, Teacher, you have never asked me if I am willing to assist someone like him."
"He is the monarch. By assisting him, you can one day inherit my position and sit above the National Teacher!"
"National Teacher?!" The young man burst into laughter. "To assist him, I would rather be a carefree farmer my entire life, growing fruits and vegetables. Teacher, since we have reached this point, I will no longer hide anything. I don't want to stay in this royal city for another moment; I want to go out and see the world."
"Do you want to go to Fengqi City?"
Hearing this, the National Teacher's eyes narrowed. The young scholar also slightly raised his head.
"Do you wish to kill me?"
"Your knowledge and abilities are something I understand best. If you go to Fengqi City…" Before the National Teacher could finish, the young man suddenly knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times. "I will forever remember the grace of your teachings. As the sun rises in the east, I will also emerge from the east. If you wish to kill me, then kill me."
With that, the young man stood up, brushed the dust off his knees, and strode confidently towards the east gate.
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