After Rong Shiming crowed this out proudly, he looked to see if Liu Zhenqing was angry and ashamed.

Jiang Zi’er on the side observed this behavior with a cold stare.

But Liu Zhenqing blinked. “Who are you and why are you blocking the road?”

One sentence immediately made the atmosphere of humiliation collapse somewhat.

Rong Shiming sneered, saying: “I forgot that you lost your memory after being kidnapped by fugitives.”

“So I met you before I lost my memory?” Liu Zhenqing said with a good temper. “I’ve been rude. Please excuse me, I’ve forgotten.”

Rong Shiming said proudly: “It’s good to apologize properly when you know you’ve been rude.”

Liu Zhenqing said with a smile: “Ai, don’t worry, maybe I can remember you. Recently, my memories have come back on occasion. Why don’t the two of you introduce yourselves to me and tell me where we met, and what happened at that time and place?”

“You…..” Rong Shiming was about to speak, when he was suddenly tugged by Jaing Zi’er beside him. When he turned, he saw that the girl’s face was already changing colors.

Rong Shiming suddenly realized that they had never met before. The only ones who had met were Liu Xiaozhu and Jiang Zi’er, and that was at the scene of the tryst.

How could this be said, ah! If something was revealed……

Rong Shiming suddenly looked at Liu Zhenqing, and when he saw his smiling face, he felt very annoyed. This idiot probably……didn’t mean that.

“What? Are you two embarrassed? Since we’re old acquaintances, helping someone with amnesia recover their memories is a good thing. You ought to be kind to others.”

After this was said, Rong Shiming could only grit his teeth and prepare to make up lies, but then he saw Liu Zhenqing ask the person next to him, “Jin Li, who are they, ah? We, master and servant, are inseparable. If I’ve met them, then you must know who they are.”

Jin Li naturally knew who they were, and when he saw Rong Shiming mocking his master like this, he was so angry that he trembled all over. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Rong Shiming call out quickly: “We’ve never met officially, but I have seen you harassing…..”

Before Rong Shiming could finish his words, Liu Zhenqing’s face suddenly darkened and he said sternly: “What! I’ve never met you before, but you came forward and said this was a chance encounter, then asked me to apologize? What is this, another person who knows I am from the Imperial merchant Liu family and wants to take advantage of my amnesia to blackmail me for money? Scram, scram, scram, no money!”

Having said this, Liu Zhenqing put on an air of guarding against thieves, waving his hands and scolding him as if the other was begging for food. Everyone around was stunned by this turn of events. At least half of them looked at Rong Shiming suspiciously. After all, not everyone knew their identities, and they were just here watching the entertainment. 

Rong Shiming’s blood surged at once, and he clenched his fists: “You…..what are you talking nonsense about? My cousin is the First Princess of the Imperial Court, why would I still need to blackmail you…..”

Jin Li also thought that Liu Zhenqing really didn’t know them and wasn’t aware of the bad intentions they were concealing, so he quickly whispered: “He’s the cousin of the First Princess, Young Master Rong Shiming.”

When Liu Zhenqing heard this, he promptly let out a sigh and said: “Your cousin is the First Princess, but what does that have to do with you? Why not mention your parents? Is it possible that the First Princess is the one who provides your monthly allowance to support you?”

When these words came out, some people couldn’t hold back their laughter. This relationship was normal, but was actually really embarrassing. The entire family of bloodsuckers relied on the First Princess, so if he didn’t mention the First Princess, then there was really nothing to mention.

Rong Shiming was so furious that steam nearly spouted from his seven orifices. He had wanted to put forward his connections, but those were matters behind closed doors and were difficult to explain clearly. He really couldn’t think of a reason to refute, and just wanted to hit this person, but Jiang Zi’er stopped him. She said with a cold expression: “Young Master Liu, please be careful with your words. How can you offend the First Princess?”

Liu Zhenqing finally looked at Jiang Zi’er. Seeing was believing, ah. This was directly transferring the conflict over and trying to trick him.

Although he always had protective tendencies toward the fairer sex, forget about the rotten ones.

“Who are you?”

“Jiang Zi’er, from the household of the Minister of Rites.” Jiang Zi’er looked icy and arrogant.

Liu Zhenqing immediately regarded Jiang Zi’er as if he had just realized something, and said: “So you are Miss Jiang.”

When Liu Zhenqing finished speaking, he looked her up and down in an exaggerated manner. This behavior was somewhat flirtatious. Jiang Zi’er said angrily: “What are you looking at?”

“I’m just lamenting. Breaking off the engagement…..was really the correct thing to do.”

“You!”

Liu Zhenqing’s words were so infuriating that the girl’s face distorted.

Rong Shiming immediately shouted, “What an ill-bred thing, bullying a weak woman. You’re unworthy of being a man, how shameless!”

The people around felt that Liu Zhenqing was a bit rude, and all censured Liu Zhenqing with an overwhelming sense of justice.

“Ah?” Liu Zhenqing suddenly called out innocently, “Why are you so angry all of a sudden? I’ve obviously done a good deed. You see, not long after I broke off the engagement, you two became a couple. Doesn’t this mean that I contributed to the happiness of lovers? What? Have I done something wrong?”

As soon as these words fell, the surroundings gradually grew quiet, and the gazes directed at the two people weren’t right.

When Jiang Zi’er reacted, her face turned red at once and she lost her poise, scolding: “Young Master Liu, you just canceled the engagement. Why are you slandering me like this? Young Master Rong and I only met by chance.”

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, men and women did not keep their distance as much. What she said made sense, but if Liu Zhenqing wanted to punish these people, how could he leave a way out for her? He would dig a hole and wait for her to jump.

“Aiya, did I misunderstand? Apologies, don’t mind me, a person with amnesia. I just heard that we were engaged for several years, that we’ve never met in person in the capital, and every time I tried to court you, you would persuade me to leave with flimsy excuses. I thought you were someone who never stepped out the front door, but now you are able to meet Young Master Rong by chance and go in and out at the same time. It is natural that I would mistakenly think that something was taking place……”

Liu Zhenqing used his yin-yang skills to paint them in a darker and darker light, but on the bright side, he used his appearance to his advantage. His innocent facade seemed extremely sincere and pure. Looking at Jiang Zi’er’s trembling form and her anger-reddened eyes, she was probably moved by his sincere blessing.

As long as the people around weren’t fools, they could probably get the gist of it.

“Liu Xiaozhu! It is obviously you who misbehaved, pestering General Huo even though you were engaged. This is something everyone knows, don’t just use amnesia to try to erase your own misery and attack Miss Jiang!” Rong Shiming wasn’t stupid, and grasped the key points of the conflict at once.

Jiang Zi’er immediately cooperated by crying out tearfully, “Young Master Liu’s behavior of harassing others has already humiliated me. I didn’t make much of a fuss, but now that the engagement is terminated, how can you still humiliate me like this……”

“I said this as a blessing, and definitely didn’t mean to slander you. But you’re cursing and crying, which is making me all confused.” Liu Zhenqing looked rather embarrassed, but suddenly clapped his hands and saluted: “I understand, I did something wrong. I apologize to Miss Jiang.”

When he apologized so decisively, the two of them were a little confused for a moment. The people around were also a little puzzled.

Jiang Zi’er looked at Liu Zhenqing suspiciously, but his next sentence made her breath freeze.

“Miss Jiang doesn’t like Young Master Rong, which is why my blessing just now made you so disgusted that you even burst into tears on the spot. If it was a match made in heaven, how could my conjecture have been an insult to you? I was presumptuous and rude.”

Finished speaking, Liu Zhenqing lowered his head and heard the two people in front of him suck in a breath of cold air.

“You…..you’re talking nonsense…..” Jiang Zi’er’s voice shook.

“Really? Then you like Young Master Rong? So you really fell in love immediately after breaking off your engagement with me? Then what was wrong with what I said before? Why did you cry?”

“I…..I don’t…..” Jiang Zi’er was so anxious that she forgot to cry.

“No? Sure enough, you don’t like him!” Liu Zhenqing said with a smile.

The dumbfounded Jiang Zi’er was completely mute, while Rong Shiming on the side was already entirely flummoxed. At this moment, he didn’t know whether to look at Jiang Zi’er or Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing never lost when it came to talking nonsense. “Actually, it’s true that people seek their way up just as water seeks its way down. It’s natural for you to look down on someone so inferior.”

“What did you say! Where am I…..where am I inferior!” How could a grown man endure being looked down upon in public? He didn’t even notice that the topic had been skewed, let alone the moral high ground he’d originally had.

Liu Zhenqing smiled and beheld the fool he had led astray, saying: “You’re inferior to General Huo.”

Rong Shiming suddenly choked up. “That’s insane, why should I compete with him!”

Liu Zhenqing glanced at Jiang Zi’er and said: “After breaking off the engagement and going our own ways, we will naturally choose better partners. I chose General Huo, and if Miss Jiang chooses you, can you not be compared with General Huo?”

Something didn’t seem right, but didn’t there seem to be such a mentality?

The so-called next partner must not lose to one’s ex-fiance’s next partner? And Liu Zhenqing was a cut-sleeve, so just like Jiang Zi’er, he was looking for a man. This…..

Liu Zhenqing said proudly: “How can you compare to General Huo! Therefore, I think Miss Jiang doesn’t want to choose you and let me witness such ridiculousness.”

If looks could kill, Rong Shiming’s current look would probably have murdered Liu Zhenqing several times over. Perhaps it was a momentary revival before death, having been trampled by Liu Zhenqing to the point of being a bloody smear mark, but he actually had an idea.

“Liu Xiaozhu, you are truly ridiculous. Miss Jiang and I can become a couple! If you choose General Huo, will he choose you? Do you think he notices you? The toad wants to eat swan meat. You have the nerve to bring out this comparison, but your wishful thinking is nonsensical!”

Although he discovered the blind spot, he also jumped into the trap. Didn’t this mean he was indirectly admitting his unclear relationship with Jiang Zi’er? Looking at Miss Jiang, her expression was even worse than before.

But Rong Shiming was blinded by his own cleverness, and felt that Liu Zhenqing would be unable to refute such a statement. After all, the entire capital knew that he was the one unilaterally harassing General Huo. If he hadn’t saved the twins, he probably wouldn’t even have received a glance.

However, at this moment, Liu Zhenqing asked with a smile: “Do you know the difference between a frog and a toad?”

The sudden question not only stunned Rong Shiming, but also stunned the people around them watching. Frogs…..were naturally better than toads.

“The frog sitting in the well and looking at the sky can only see this small place and these few people. All its life will be like this. But the toad is different. It has great ambitions to eat swan meat, ah.”

Rong Shiming’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he wanted to scream that this was nonsense, but Liu Zhenqing didn’t give him a chance to speak. He pointed at the Coiling Dragon Jade Pillar that reached into the sky in the distance and said: “In the Great Zhou Dynasty’s past, only the sons of prominent and noble families could become officials, and at the very least, a noble son from a poor family needed a referrer. At that time, when common people wanted to participate in the Imperial Examinations and win top marks, who wouldn’t say it was wishful thinking and nonsensical, ah? And now? The Imperial Examinations have been reformed, and all children can participate regardless of whether they are high or low, and be selected as talents for the Great Zhou Dynasty. How many toads have worked hard to get a bite of swan meat?”

It was almost spring, and most of the people around were students here for the preliminary round of the Imperial Examinations. Hearing these words, they were suddenly enlightened, and felt that the word “toad” was inspiring.

“So I pursue the best? Is that wrong? I, a toad, just want to eat General Huo’s mouthful of swan meat. No matter whether I can eat it or not, why not try hard and see if I can? What if I’m given a bite!”

Liu Zhenqing looked at these people who were completely stunned, laughing wildly on the inside, but incomparably sincere on the surface.

Suddenly, a round of applause and laughter sounded from inside the restaurant door. A man with a strong build and a hint of unruliness on his handsome features walked out. “Well said!”

Liu Zhenqing regarded the person with raised eyebrows. Jin Li reminded him at once in an excited tone: “It’s the leader of the Jinyiwei, the Imperial Guard’s intelligence division, He Lan. He’s General Huo’s good brother.”

Liu Zhenqing momentarily froze. He hadn’t expected such a chance encounter. Fortunately, it wasn’t Huo Fenglie who had come.

He Lan stepped forward and introduced himself directly. “We have met before, but we aren’t close friends.”

It seemed that he had been listening from beginning to end, and used the youngster’s ironic words.

“He Lan, this person is talking nonsense about the spring Imperial Examinations. As an Imperial Guard, don’t pay attention to him.” Rong Shiming was so angry that he had lost his mind. He felt that He Lan should unite with him. After all, the man in front of him was the one who had harassed his brother, and his surname was Liu. If he ignored him, the other people might be even more disgusted by him.

“What Young Master Liu has said is a great truth. As a human being, if you don’t have ambition, you will not be successful in this life. What if you can achieve the best things as a toad?”

The crowd was still a little hesitant at first, but when they heard that the Jinyiwei completely understood, they gradually followed the trend and agreed.

“Besides, Young Master Liu didn’t say anything wrong. His pursuit of the best is indeed a thousand times superior to Miss Jiang’s,” He Lan said sarcastically.

Jiang Zi’er face turned the color of pig liver. Unexpectedly, everyone thought that she and Rong Shiming were a couple. She was truly speechless now, unable to argue. If she had known earlier, she wouldn’t have allowed Rong Shiming to provoke Liu Zhenqing. This was really like dropping the stone on her own foot.

However, Rong Shiming didn’t know how to count his losses in time. He became increasingly angry, and said: “A thousand times? You really know how to boast on your brother’s behalf. Even if Huo Fenglie can ride a horse into battle, he’s still just a common man.”

He Lan’s expression changed, and the people around couldn’t help but hold their breaths.

He Lan was about to speak with a dark expression, but suddenly heard the person next to him, who had just been smiling and joking, change his tone.

“A common man?” Liu Zhenqing regarded Rong Shiming with a half-smile.

Rong Shiming lifted his head, as if unwilling to admit defeat. Liu Zhenqing narrowed his eyes slightly. “A common man held back the barbarians in the north, the great powers in the west, the southern kingdoms, and the millions of troops coveting Great Zhou. If it hadn’t been for this common man, Young Master Rong’s bones would have been crushed into dust by the enemy’s horses.”

Liu Zhenqing spoke softly, but it was as if his voice was filled with poison. “When drinking water, don’t forget the one who dug the well. You enjoy the benefits of this prosperous and peaceful age, but you speak without shame and are rude and ungrateful. Did your parents really raise you well, or was this all taught by your cousin?”

Liu Zhenqing was extremely vindictive. If he hadn’t gotten him back just now, then he did with his next words.

“It should not have been taught by Her Royal Highness. After all, the name of a common man has just been engraved on the Coiling Dragon Jade Pillar with the permission of the Emperor. Will Young Master Rong have the chance to make that list in his lifetime?”

These few words were so lethal that they were like an invisible sledgehammer, smashing Rong Shiming into the ground. He was so disgraced that even Jiang Zi’er beside him was embarrassed and wanted to leave.

The people around watching felt like they had just exhaled the breath that had been stuck in their throats. It was absurd to describe the general who had been named the God of War as a common man. It just so happened that Liu Zhenqing had become their mouthpiece, and it was a pleasure to curse a person without swearing.

But Liu Zhenqing hadn’t said enough. He looked the dumbfounded He Lan, then glanced at the ashen Rong Shiming with a smile: “If you ask me, He-daren has restrained his words a bit. General Huo is not just a thousand times superior to Young Master Rong, ah, but tens of millions of times.”

He Lan’s mouth trembled. This beautiful prose made him worthy of being Zhanyuan’s pursuer, ah. He actually wanted to see what sort of tricks Young Master Liu, who seemed like a completely different person after losing his memory, could come up with. Thus, he took the opportunity to ask: “What should else should be said?”

“Just now, Young Master Rong spoke of a common man who only knows how to ride on horseback. Did he forget the three military books written by General Huo?”

Everyone said that Huo Fenglie’s military strategies were strange and crafty. That was because ancient and modern methods of warfare were different. The Huo family had always felt that they didn’t need to hold with their ancestors’ methods of war. To avoid turning it into armchair tactics, they used actual combat to perfect their own art of war, and then passed it down for future generations to study. Even people who were not warriors who marched and fought wanted to study and learn some of these principles for the battlefield of life.

“Young Master Rong has some ink in his belly, but has he ever published a book, or a collection of poems or paintings?”

“Probably not.” He Lan said: “He only participated in the Imperial Examinations once, and didn’t make it into the top scorers.”

Liu Zhenqing persuaded this person with good intentions: “Why don’t you ask the academics of the Imperial Academy? If he hadn’t inherited the family duties, and just studied and practiced writing, with General Huo’s intelligence and talent, he likely would have passed the Imperial Examinations early on!”

The two sang in harmony and directly turned Rong Shiming into a laughingstock. His eyes became bloodshot.

“General Huo is indeed capable of literary and military skills, and is thousands of times better than someone else,” He Lan said with a smile.

With He Lan’s cooperation, Liu Zhenqing’s operation went more smoothly: “More than that, let’s not just talk about his abilities, but his background. The Huo family have been good and loyal generals for generations. He has a distinguished family background that is praised by everyone. How many families in the capital can compare to him? When it comes to status, he is the General of State, ah! Moreover, he is only twenty-six years old, and no one in his generation can come close to him. When it comes to looks and figure, he is excellent in every aspect. One look at him can make a woman’s heart palpitate, and a man’s legs will grow weak after staring at him for too long. Who wouldn’t want to be protected by a real man such as him? It is natural that he is thousands of times more superior than anyone else.”

The more Liu Zhenqing talked, the more enthusiastic he became, and the more the people around listened, the more they blushed. He Lan’s mouth had already begun to twitch erratically. What kind of braindead fan was this? There was no end to his praise.

As for Liu Zhenqing, he was leaving anyway. He would just say whatever and leave it at that. This was called having no worries at all!

“If you ask me, being able to be liked by a woman is just average excellence. If you can impress and even attract men, that is truly amazing. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be obsessed with being a toad. And not to mention women, I am certainly not the only man who likes General Huo.”

After finishing this long paragraph of praise, Liu Zhenqing had really lifted Huo Fenglie to the sky and demoted Rong Shiming to the ground.

Everyone only had one thought now – right, ah, it was just Rong Shiming. In what way could he compare to Huo Fenglie? There were no longer the same species, okay? What was the problem with people pursuing better things? Miss Jiang’s eyesight was indeed not as good as her ex-fiance’s. 

Rong Shiming also didn’t foresee that when he set out to humiliate Liu Zhenqing, it would instead be him who was severely humiliated. His entire body was numb from the embarrassment and he couldn’t react.

And just when Liu Zhenqing felt that he had won a great victory, he heard He Lan, who had been holding back his laughter until now, burst out laughing and call toward the second floor window: “Zhanyuan, did you hear that? For shame, for shame, we brothers don’t understand you as well as Young Master Liu does.”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked up at the second floor of the restaurant. They saw a tall, silent figure sitting by the second floor window, looking down heavily.

For an instant, everyone seemed to be frozen by his gaze.

When that voice fell, Liu Zhenqing also looked up, and the instant those cold black eyes locked on him, his brain shut down for a few seconds.

Help, help……help……

Is that all you’ve got?!

When his shame reached its limit, it had just the opposite reaction. At worst, he would leave tomorrow, so what was he afraid of?

Liu Zhenqing, who had let himself off the leash, raised his lips and smiled at the uncertain Huo Fenglie. Like a cat with bad intentions, his amber eyes were filled with tiny rays of sunlight. Such eyes were arrogant and full of calculations, so familiar that Huo Fenglie’s heart felt empty for a moment.

Not afraid of death, Liu Zhenqing pointed at Huo Fenglie and shouted to everyone: “Look! Is it not true that men’s legs feel weak when they stare at him and women’s hearts palpitate when they see him, ah? At first glance, you feel that he is a thousand times better! Aren’t you tempted by such good swan meat?! Don’t you want to take a bite? No matter what, you must also think about the sisters at home!”

“If Young Master Rong cannot accept it, go up and compete. Will Miss Jiang also open her eyes to see clearly? Who among these great men of the Zhou Dynasty is more qualified to be an ideal son-in-law than General Huo? If you want to marry, marry General Huo!”

Liu Zhenqing: Er-gou, I’m sorry.

Huo Fenglie: …….

Qin Yu, who was sitting opposite Huo Fenglie and silently watching the show while drinking: Pfft!

He Lan: Hahaha!

Rong Shiming and Jiang Zi’er: How did this happen?

Everyone: I used to think that General Huo was a little scary and hard to get close to, but when I think about it carefully, damn! Isn’t this swan meat delicious?!

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Chapter Ten << Table of Contents >> Chapter Twelve