437: Chapter 437 Cats and Dogs

"Just now... you said you were from the Imperial Academy?" Lin Xiao did not answer but instead threw out a question.

Although Lv Sheng was puzzled as to why he would ask this, he still nodded readily.

"That is correct. I am a student under the Imperial Academy Libationer, Meng Sansi."

His apprenticeship was never a secret; it was the capital he was most proud of.

"Meng Sansi? That sounds somewhat familiar..."

Lin Xiao looked at Zhu Ming. "Elder Zhu, have you mentioned this person to me before?"

Zhu Ming was taken aback. Although he did not understand Lin Xiao's intention, he still replied, "Indeed. Meng Sansi is an old friend of mine. He comes from the Academy and has served as the Libationer of the Imperial Academy for many years."

"Oh? From the Academy again?"

Lin Xiao looked enlightened. "That explains it. Back when I was at the Tianwu Grand Tournament, the Academy sent a tutor surnamed Wu, who publicly called me 'Your Majesty' in an attempt to frame me!"

"I killed that man surnamed Wu that day as a warning, but it seems the old ones didn't work, so today your Academy sent a young one to stir up trouble!"

"What, are you trying to provoke me into using force against a scholar who cannot even truss a chicken, so that the world will think I am a tyrant devoid of principles?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, cold sweat broke out on the foreheads of Master Li Jingyi and the other members of the Academy faction!

No... what is going on here!?

How did this get dragged back to the incident with Wu Zike!?

One of the major implicit goals of Master Li Jingyi, Master Xu Huaian, and the others in holding the Qushui Banquet in the Northern Territory was to ease the tension with the Prince of Zhenbei.

Even if they could not invite Lin Xiao through Zhu Ming, it was at least a gentle probe and contact.

If they could speak a few words with Lin Xiao and build a good relationship, that would be the best outcome!

But now, thanks to that question from Lv Sheng, Lin Xiao had "mistakenly assumed" that the Academy was targeting him!?

Lv Sheng's face also turned pale, and he hurriedly cupped his hands in explanation, "Your Highness, please do not misunderstand! The question I asked just now was entirely my own thought; it has nothing to do with my master or the Academy!"

"Scoundrel!! Do you take His Highness and the common people here for three-year-old children to be deceived by you!?"

Before Lin Xiao could speak, Xiao Qingxuan's pretty face frosted over, and she reprimanded him coldly:

"You are a mere student of the Imperial Academy, without even the rank of Jinshi, so how do you have the gall to question my husband, the Prince, in full view of everyone!?"

"Not to mention anything else, the Prince and Elder Zhu are friends across generations; surely Elder Zhu would know whether the Prince has true talent or not!? Is it your place to ask such a superfluous question!?"

The woman's words made the commoners, who had been somewhat curious just a moment ago, suddenly see the light!

That's right! The Princess Consort is right!

Elder Zhu is such a refined and upright great scholar of the age; he has admired the Prince for a long time, so could the Prince's talent be fake?

As for exams and such, the imperial examination is not just about poetry and prose; does it matter if the Prince passed the Juren exam or not?

This is clearly just deliberately stirring up trouble!

Xiao Qingxuan continued, "The Prince's martial arts are peerless, and his poem at Jiangyue Tower is world-famous. That he is talented in both civil and military affairs is no longer news."

"Could it be that the whole world is kept in the dark, and only you, a tiny student of the Imperial Academy, are awake!?"

"If there weren't villains behind the scenes intentionally directing you to provoke the Prince and force my husband into making a mistake, where would you get the gall to act like this today!?"

Lv Sheng was rendered speechless. He wanted to retort, but he didn't know where to begin.

Should he say that it was simply that his pride couldn't take it and he had a momentary lapse in judgment?

He couldn't explain that!

Lv Sheng was so anxious that his face turned red, and his head was buzzing!

Lin Xiao kept his features taut, feigning deep thought, while his heart was blooming with joy!

She is indeed the dear Empress wife he traded a steamed bun for; they truly share a tacit understanding!

He just started it, and she knew exactly how to follow up!

Xie Juner also realized what was happening and sneered, "The Prince truly has eyes like torches. I was just wondering, what Tom, Dick, or Harry would dare to come and question the Prince?"

"So it turns out... it was you Academy people playing tricks behind the scenes?"

"What, the Prince killed one of your tutors, and you are not satisfied? You still want to come and pick a fight?"

The scene was already in an uproar. The commoners were whispering to each other, nodding continuously.

The Prince and Princess Consort are right!

No wonder this Lv Sheng is so incredibly bold!

Any normal person would not dare to ask the Prince of Zhenbei such a question!?

Let alone you, Lv Sheng; even great scholars like Li Jingyi and the others are so respectful when they see the Prince of Zhenbei, who do you think you are?

The Prince's great achievements are there for all to see. So what if he abandoned literature for martial arts? If he didn't abandon literature for martial arts, should he just wait to die!?

The commoners had heard about the killing of the Academy tutor Wu Zike back then, and now that they heard this, they felt even more that the Academy was despicable and shameless.

Master Li Jingyi's face turned green, and he waved his hands repeatedly. "Princess! You must not say such things indiscriminately! Your Highness, this matter has absolutely nothing to do with our Academy! This was all Lv Sheng's own idea!!"

"That's right, Your Highness and Princess Consort, please calm your anger. This Lv Sheng is young and impetuous, speaking wild words. It has absolutely no connection to my Senior Brother Meng or our Academy!" Master Xu Huaian also hurriedly explained.

Seeing the great scholars of the Academy rushing to distance themselves from him, Lv Sheng's blood ran cold, and his eyes were filled with despair.

"Whether there is a connection or not is not for you to decide. I will investigate it clearly myself."

Lin Xiao looked solemn, straightened his back, and said, "I know that some people are desperate for the world to be in chaos, desperate for me to raise an army and rebel."

"Because in the Northern Territory under my rule, regardless of whether one's background is noble or humble, everyone must abide by the laws of the Northern Territory. Even if a Founding Marquis breaks the law, he is guilty of the same crime as a commoner!"

"In the Northern Territory, children can go to school, the poor can find work, soldiers do not bully the weak, and wealthy gentry and clans must pay taxes according to the law!"

"Therefore, some people are unhappy. They want to topple me, they want to return to the time when they could do whatever they wanted!"

"But... I will not let them succeed!"

At this point, many of the hundreds of people present were already teary-eyed!

The cries of "Prince of Zhenbei" came from the bottom of their hearts, filled with adoration.

Inside the restaurant opposite, Emperor Hong and the others were like statues.

"How... did it turn out like this?"

Zheng Yangwei was dumbfounded; he had never seen such a "shameless" person!

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong's eyes were full of complexity, containing praise, admiration, and also unease.

"What a silver-tongued Prince of Zhenbei. Using force against force, shifting the conflict, and even winning the hearts of the people—what a calculation."

"That this person has achieved what he has today is certainly not just due to his martial prowess..."

Emperor Hong clenched his hands tightly, his body trembling slightly, his eyes gloomy.

The heartfelt cries for the Prince of Zhenbei outside sounded incredibly piercing.

The mountain-shaking, sea-roaring sounds at the scene were instantly silenced by a wave of Lin Xiao's hand.

Lin Xiao immediately pointed to Lv Sheng below, who had become bewildered and at a loss due to the various spurning and disdain.

"Today, I will not kill you, not because you do not deserve to die, but because you are not worthy!"

"Go back and tell the person behind you: I am upright and have no fear of a crooked shadow. Once I find out his background, I will surely uproot him!"