Silence!

Ye Yiming’s shout plunged the grand hall into a deathly silence.

Everyone present was shocked, staring at Ye Yiming with disbelief. Even Lin Wanjun, seated above, was left gaping.

The shock among others was palpable, but it was Zheng Daxueshi who was most affected.

Zheng Daxueshi, yelled at by Ye Yiming, stood there dumbfounded.

After a moment of stunned silence, he started trembling with rage. His face turned pale, then flushed red, and finally a purplish hue, his eyes bloodshot.

At this moment, Zheng Daxueshi’s face was covered in a dark mist, making him look like a ghost.

"You, you, you are insulting our culture!" Zheng Daxueshi stuttered for a long time before he could say anything, managing only this sentence.

For someone of his stature, saying this much was quite an achievement.

"So what if I am?"

Ye Yiming no longer cared. Since Zheng Daxueshi never took him seriously, why should he bother to be respectful?

With this thought, Ye Yiming decided to act in a more carefree and roguish manner.

"Hah, since you, Zheng Daxueshi, say I’m a mere wastrel, what does a little insult to our culture matter?"

Ye Yiming suddenly felt a great sense of relief, his entire body relaxing.

A wastrel? Fine, I’m a wastrel. Who cares?

With this thought, Ye Yiming paid no attention to the others' opinions. He glanced at Zheng Daxueshi, who was fuming.

"I don’t understand, Zheng Daxueshi. Why do you dislike me so much? First, you say I can’t compose poetry, then you claim I must have some treasure to be so eloquent. Do you know me better than I know myself?"

By now, Zheng Daxueshi had calmed down. Hearing Ye Yiming’s words, especially the last sentence, he snorted heavily and said, "It’s not just any treasure; it’s the legacy of the literary saint. It’s because of this treasure that you are so arrogant."

Seeing Zheng Daxueshi adamantly claiming he had this treasure, Ye Yiming felt helpless and annoyed.

Damn it, what is this treasure? I don’t have anything like that!

Glaring at Zheng Daxueshi, Ye Yiming said clearly, "I really don’t have any literary treasure!"

Even if I am a wastrel, you can’t just accuse me of having things I don’t!

"Impossible! You must have it!" Zheng Daxueshi immediately denied, speaking with conviction.

Zheng Daxueshi’s firm tone made Ye Yiming want to slap him. But seeing the other ministers and Lin Wanjun watching, he restrained himself, glaring fiercely at Zheng Daxueshi.

"Zheng Daxueshi, I don’t care if you believe me, I really don’t have any literary treasure!"

"Impossible. Given your past, only the vast knowledge left by the literary saint could explain your transformation. Nothing else could do it!"

Not only did Zheng Daxueshi think this way, but many ministers also nodded in agreement, looking at Ye Yiming with a knowing expression.

Ye Yiming finally understood that this so-called literary treasure was just the knowledge left by the literary saint!

Now that he understood, Ye Yiming looked at the twenty or so ministers, feeling frustrated. Frowning, he said to Zheng Daxueshi, "I don’t care if you believe me, I have not obtained any literary treasure. As for your accusation of me deceiving the world with it, that’s nonsense!"

"Don’t speak yet." Ye Yiming stopped Zheng Daxueshi from interrupting and continued coldly, "Since you call me a wastrel, I ask you, even if I had the literary treasure, would I seriously study and use it? Even if I read it, as the head of the wastrels, how much could I remember?"

Zheng Daxueshi, hearing Ye Yiming’s words, suddenly remembered that Ye Yiming was indeed a wastrel and wouldn’t have learned so quickly even if he had the treasure.

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The ministers also began to see some logic in Ye Yiming’s argument.

Ye Yiming felt a sense of satisfaction from their silence and turned to the still stunned Zheng Daxueshi.

"Zheng Daxueshi, I’ve told you, though I’m not talented, I have some skills, enough to compose poetry!"

He smiled smugly at Zheng Daxueshi.

This display made Zheng Daxueshi seem to age instantly. The two elderly scholars behind him also felt a complex emotion seeing this.

Seeing Ye Yiming’s smugness, the two elderly scholars exchanged a look, then one stepped forward to speak.

"Maybe the young duke really doesn’t have the literary treasure, or maybe he does. It’s uncertain."

"And you are?" Ye Yiming asked politely, sensing something was off.

"I am Zhou Yan. You may call me Zhou Daxueshi. Regarding what you said, some might still have doubts, but I have a solution."

"Oh? Please enlighten me, Zhou Daxueshi."

Zhou Daxueshi smiled, "It’s simple. Each of us here will pose a question for you to answer. Even if you have the literary treasure, if you can answer all our questions, I will be the first to admit defeat. What do you think?"

The ministers nodded in agreement, even the previously disheartened Zheng Daxueshi’s eyes lit up, glancing at Ye Yiming.

Ye Yiming snorted and agreed. "Fine, let’s do it."

If it’s just couplets, what’s the big deal?

Seeing Ye Yiming agree, Zhou Daxueshi smiled and said, "Great! I will start. My couplet is, 'The moon waxes and wanes, year after year, dawn and dusk, only after night ends comes the day.'"

Ye Yiming frowned, admiring Zhou Daxueshi's skill.

Good! These scholars, Zheng Daxueshi and Zhou Daxueshi, are truly exceptional!

Despite the difficulty, Ye Yiming quickly composed his reply.

"My couplet is, 'Flowers bloom and wither, season after season, heat and cold, only after winter ends comes the spring.'"

Clap! Clap! Clap!

As soon as Ye Yiming finished, the hall echoed with applause, coming from Zhou Daxueshi.

Zhou Daxueshi smiled kindly at Ye Yiming, nodded, and then left.

Ye Yiming, surprised, seemed to understand and bowed deeply to Zhou Daxueshi’s departing figure, a bow filled with genuine respect.

Zhou Daxueshi is truly a literary scholar!

Once Zhou Daxueshi’s figure vanished, Ye Yiming turned to the ministers. "Who’s next?"

The ministers exchanged glances until one stepped forward and said, "Speak of the past and laugh at the present, everything fades with a smile!"

Ye Yiming immediately replied, "A big belly can accommodate the heavens and the earth, what can’t it accommodate within oneself?"

Without hesitation, he faced the remaining ministers.

He didn’t even know the minister’s name!

"Next!"

Ye Yiming called for the next question, confident in his abilities.

As it turned out, he was right! Throughout the process, Ye Yiming didn’t miss a single question, proving his talent to the increasingly convinced ministers.

Time passed quickly, with more and more questions, yet Ye Yiming answered them all.

Finally, the third elderly scholar who had accompanied Zheng Daxueshi and Zhou Daxueshi stood up and posed his question.

"My couplet is, 'Rowing a boat on the Western Lake with a tin pot, the tin pot falls into the Western Lake, alas, the tin pot!'"

Ye Yiming was stunned, pondering the answer for a quarter of an hour before responding.

"My couplet is, 'Crossing Nanping with a blue bottle, the blue bottle gets to Nanping, it’s hard to find a blue bottle!'"