Chapter 108 The Young Man's Glory is Infinite
"This..." This question stumped Hu Hong.
He hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "This is the first time I've seen this either. But Brother Qi, I've heard that those powerful scions of wealthy families act this way. We're just commoners; we can't afford to offend them."
The implication is that arrogant and domineering playboys exist everywhere; they're only obedient in front of those they can't afford to offend. Outside, they'd fight and curse at ordinary people or students they couldn't stand. If they didn't, it's simply because they didn't want to. It's common for them to be incredibly haughty.
Qi Chengming clutched a lock of his hair, which he had tied up, unable to bear looking at it, his face contorted with pain.
He felt a sense of unease, as if his worldview had collapsed.
—Don't be stupid, don't be stupid!
He usually thought Liuzhou was a perfectly normal city; everyone around him was shrewd and intelligent. How come these uneducated types are so popular?
It has a kind of aesthetic appeal reminiscent of an intellectual depression.
Is this what it means to go undercover and see other people from the perspective of an ordinary citizen?
Qi Chengming felt that he couldn't stand the sight of the foolish, and his aversion to stupidity was acting up again. He himself had been so cautious and had such a tumultuous life, which纨绔 (playboy) would dare to be so carefree, innocent, and foolish? They would be happier than him, a prince.
Daring!
We need to find out how to get out and make some changes.
Qi Chengming hardened his heart.
Brother Huang Shi, who was listening anxiously from the side, was also from a prominent local family and knew much more than Hu Hong, a peasant boy with only a superficial understanding. Seeing the young man's face as if the sky had fallen, he chuckled and said to Qi Chengming, "Brother Qi, you don't need to panic too much. Brother Hu is right, but it's rare to see a fool who would lie and cheat without regard for the occasion."
Qi Chengming took a deep breath and asked, "How do you say it?"
Over there, the crowd was still pushing and shoving each other in a fit of rage.
Two servants, already in a panic, escorted the brother and sister towards the carriage. A teacher, sensing something amiss, stood in their way, his brow furrowed, shouting that they mustn't escalate the situation. While Huang Lan's brother fought fiercely, Huang's sister, with her twin braids, was also enraged. Standing outside the crowd, she looked around, picked up a paintbrush, aimed carefully, and with lightning speed threw it, striking the arrogant young man surnamed Yang squarely on the head.
"Ouch!" he cried out in pain, his eyebrows furrowing as he glared around. "Who dared to hit me like that?"
Zhang Ji watched from the sidelines, grinning foolishly, and for a moment forgot to help.
"Quite a few people have hit you!" A hot-tempered old lady in the crowd shouted crisply, and another book bag flew out, hitting the young man surnamed Yang squarely on the forehead, making him see stars. He took two steps back and accidentally stepped on his sister's foot.
The young woman surnamed Yang had never suffered such humiliation before. She burst into tears, sobbing and cursing, "These idiots! You worthless fools! Just wait until I get back, you'll all be in for a world of hurt!!"
The two servants were struggling to protect her, and even the coachman was exasperated, complaining, "Good girl, stop talking! We can't stop them any longer! Hurry, hurry!"
Against this backdrop, Brother Huang Shi smiled and explained in detail to Qi Chengming, a hint of smug satisfaction on his face as he finally felt he could show off:
“I went to the capital with my aunt. When we came back, she remarked to my father that even the most powerful families in the capital were not as unruly as the children from remote small towns like ours.”
"In the capital, even a falling brick could hit three important people, so it's understandable that they wouldn't dare to act recklessly." Qi Chengming thought of Li Banhui again and couldn't help but wonder if that playboy would act just as foolishly in front of ordinary people. He immediately decided to interrogate him thoroughly when he wrote to him again this month.
"Our Huang family isn't exactly a powerful family in Liuzhou. The original Liu family was. They climbed up to the prefect and were arrogant and domineering for many years. They dared not say or do anything... Later, when Prince Rui came, the county government cleared up old cases and beat and detained the entire family, wiping them out completely."
Brother Huang Shi sighed as he spoke.
Anyone who has truly seen the world can only sigh at such a fool.
Because the families of these fools wield great power in the region and have deep-rooted connections with the government, they have enough confidence to do foolish things that would make others shudder. These children have been pampered and spoiled since childhood, with the idea that His Majesty the Emperor comes first and their family second. They have never been out in the world to broaden their horizons, so how come they have grown up to be such a bully and oppressive person in the village?
"What a local tyrant!" Qi Chengming understood, and he also understood why Brother Huang Lan had stopped arguing earlier.
In such places, the spoiled brats have limited horizons; their stupidity stems from ignorance and the eccentricities born of indulgence. The Huang family may not be as powerful as the Yang family, but these younger generations have broadened their horizons, making them seem both laughable and pitiful. Getting involved with them makes one feel like their intelligence is being dragged down.
"So, in Liuzhou, families like this are quite rare?" Qi Chengming breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a huge weight lifted from his shoulders.
"After the Liu family and a few others were gone, there were no more纨绔 (spoiled brats) around here," Brother Huang Shi said with certainty, quite pleased.
The local tyrants were all ruthlessly eliminated by Prince Rui's men as a warning to others. The remaining wealthy families lived in fear, seeing that the prince favored commoners, so they could only keep their younger relatives in check, reminding them repeatedly to behave themselves when they went out, and no longer daring to be as unruly as before.
Who knows if the person you insulted one day works for a prince? Or if you wronged someone one day, and they turned around and ran to the county government to complain and cry. You know, in Liuzhou... the government really does get things done.
Even the prince himself goes to the government office every now and then; how can this not make people tremble with fear?
"That's alright, that's alright..." Qi Chengming's heart finally settled back into his stomach, and he found the carriage of the Yang siblings, who had left in such a sorry state, even more displeasing.
It seems Liuzhou has been rectified, confirming his previous impression. On the other hand, Yulin Prefecture is in a chaotic mess, getting increasingly disorderly lately, with local tyrants even coming to Liuzhou to act like big shots! Here, they are the real local bullies!
Brother Huang Shi had been talking and watching the commotion for a while, and then, feeling thirsty, excused himself and went to have some tea. Hu Hong greeted Brother Zhang and the others who had returned from the fight and quickly asked them a few questions.
Just as Qi Chengming found a spot next to him, a young man with a tender face—who looked like someone's child who had come out with them—quietly approached Qi Chengming and asked worriedly, "Young Master, I heard there's been some trouble here. Lord You sent me to inquire about it."
"It's nothing." Qi Chengming was about to dismiss him when he suddenly remembered something and quickly glanced at the infrastructure system. "You're the Fifth Prince from the back street, right? Have Youzi go back and investigate the background of that brother and sister. Their surname is Yang, and they seem to be heading to the Star Lord Temple next."
"...Yes!" The five boys' faces flushed with excitement, their hearts pounding wildly, and they turned and ran away.
He had heard that the prince was kind and gentle, and everyone around him remembered it clearly, so he didn't think this matter had anything to do with him. This time, several senior guards said they were going out on business and took him along because they liked him. This kind of environment was perfect for him to sneak in and give a report.
I never expected... I never expected that the prince would actually remember his name!
How did the prince come to know him?
The fifth son couldn't understand it at all, so he went back and worked even harder. He not only told several imperial guards, but also kept a close eye on the departing carriage and tracked it all the way.
...
The students at the academy weren't affected by the earlier incident. Having fought together, their shared hatred and solidarity strengthened their bonds. Many young men and women who were previously strangers now shed their awkwardness and restraint, chatting and laughing in small groups. Some flew kites, some drank tea and composed poetry, some played games, some drew pictures, and some went hiking…
After Qi Chengming retrieved his kite, he threw it back into his book box without even glancing at it, and spent the entire time playing with Hu Hong's kite.
Now he knows several girls, unlike before the fight when he was completely indistinguishable from one another.
The Huang family's younger sister, with her twin braids, was lively and skilled at pitch-pot; she hit someone very accurately just now. The Zhao family's daughter, with her round eyes, ran like a lark; although older, she had a fiery temper and was always the first to charge into a fight.
The Zhou family's daughter, with her round and dignified appearance, seemed generous, but in reality, she was rather soft-hearted. Perhaps due to her humble family background, she hesitated to join in the playful banter, her face filled with worry and concern...
After what happened earlier, Huang Lan put away his easel and came to play kite with his cousin and classmates. Qi Chengming mingled among the group of young men and women, listening for a while, and gradually became amazed—
In terms of status, Zhang Ji is the highest, while Qi Chengming, under an alias, is the lowest.
Zhang Ji was from a prominent, scholarly family, while Qi Chengming was the son of an unknown small merchant. The Huang and Zhao families were also prominent local families, not to be outdone.
The Zhou family had offended someone and fallen on hard times in recent years, so they returned to their hometown of Liuzhou to start a business. Their family background was slightly inferior; they had neither connections with government officials nor any influential local gentry, so they were neither rich nor poor.
Then there was Hu Hong, a farmer's son, and the other few commoner students who also came from ordinary families.
Despite their diverse backgrounds, everyone seemed to have no prejudice or discrimination when they played around... At most, their reactions differed depending on their social status.
For example, the Zhou family's daughter would invite everyone to tea, but Hu Hong couldn't bring himself to offer soy milk and instead ate a meat bun with his head down. The Huang family's younger sister was still angrily criticizing the Yang siblings from earlier, and Zhang Ji, listening for a long time without understanding what was wrong with their behavior, just foolishly agreed.
It's clear that... although people of this age understand the social hierarchy, the loose rules in remote areas and their mutual relationships mean they look down on those who are superior, and there's little friction in their interactions.
Qi Chengming had a very fulfilling day, and his heart was warmed.
very good.
He had already memorized most of the students he met today, knowing exactly who was good at what and who was a good student... He would have them all work for him later! They all had a good foundation.
In the latter half of the afternoon, the academy's teachers, who had anticipated this, began to arrive with oxcarts and donkey carts to take some students who lived far away back home. Many of those who had gotten along well that day also invited their friends to borrow their carts for a ride home.
"Come sit in my house," Zhang Ji said, inviting Hu Hong and Qi Chengming to board a shabby-looking donkey cart.
"Then I'll accept it without hesitation, Brother Zhang." Qi Chengming felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and he didn't look down on the donkey at all, as if he had seen a savior.
After spending most of the day carefree and energetically playing like any other child his age, Qi Chengming was so tired that his eyelids were heavy and his limbs felt so heavy that he could barely walk. The thought of walking another ten miles or so back to Liuzhou City filled him with despair; he had no idea how to refuse Hu Hong. Who was as used to walking as Hu Hong?
Brother Zhang really saved his life!
While sitting in the car, Qi Chengming was so jostled around that he almost fell asleep, but he was still thinking about how much he had gained that day. After this whole ordeal, he enjoyed the thrill of hiding his identity even more.
There's only one thing left—
Qi Chengming squinted, trying to remember something in his half-asleep state:
What kind of troublemakers are these from Yulin Prefecture, bringing such a corrupt atmosphere to Liuzhou... Now that we've run into him, he should be properly disciplined!
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Author's Note: First update! It's the much-anticipated face-slapping moment (How dare you! Offend the Prince!)
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