eurekapd Chapter 145: Academic Discussions Know No Age or Status
Chapter 145: Academic Discussions Know No Age or Status
Others wanted to negotiate with Fang Xiaoxiao in order to obtain the rights to sell her cosmetics, rouge, perfumes, and other products.
Another group of people wanted Fang Xiaoxiao to enter the royal family, and what they wanted to do was to give her some benefits so that when it came time to choose sides in the future, they could get her to say a few good words for them in front of the Crown Prince.
A stone stirred up a thousand waves.
When Fang Xiaoxia stood on the stage and saw the thunderous applause from the crowd, it instantly stirred up a feeling of excitement in everyone.
It was as if she were a soldier on a battlefield with a Gatling gun, surrounded by a group of barnacle-like creatures that were despised and vilified by thousands, and she was happily firing at them.
This feeling is simply amazing.
No wonder singers and actors are so desperate to get into the public eye; they really enjoy the feeling of being worshipped by thousands.
The same applies to those in positions of power.
Think about this.
Before Fang Xiaoxiao could even utter a few touching words, she was interrupted.
The Confucian sage Zhang Xuzi waved his hand, looking smug, and then smiled as he scanned the crowd below the stage.
"Alright, alright, everyone, stop clapping and cheering for me. I am ashamed to admit that I am not as good as such a young girl."
He stood up, looking very guilty and apologetic.
"!!!"
I've seen shameless people, but I've never seen anyone so shameless.
Fang Xiaoxiao couldn't help but secretly criticize him.
You should know that the people in the audience were clapping because of his arrival.
This old guy is even more shameless than Pei Zuo. He stood up and blocked the applause in his own arms, which is utterly ridiculous.
Zhang Xuzi couldn't hear her complaints; he simply launched into a grand discourse on the Dao.
"First of all, I would like to thank you all for taking the time to come to Wenyue Pavilion in Changle County. Secondly, I would also like to thank the Crown Prince for accepting the invitation to support me as a member of the royal family."
"Academic discussions are not limited by age or status, but by ability. I have invited you all here today so that we can appreciate the outstanding talent of Miss Fang Xiao together."
"Of course, I also have a little selfish motive. Back in the capital, I heard that Madam Fang is a poetic genius who is one in five hundred years. So I would like to take this opportunity to have a friendly exchange with her."
"Regardless of victory or defeat, as long as I can spar with Madam Fang, I, Zhang Xuzi, will not have lived in vain, and I will give Madam Fang 50,000 taels of gold!"
"!!!!!!"
Upon hearing this, those who had initially just wanted to watch the spectacle were now wide-eyed with disbelief.
Fifty thousand taels! You must know this isn't silver, it's gold!
This gold alone is worth several times the net worth of many people present.
Fang Xiaoxiao's mind, which had been half-asleep, instantly cleared up when she heard the Confucian sage say, "Regardless of winning or losing, you can get 50,000 taels of gold." Her eyes blazed with a burning desire to immediately challenge him to a duel.
We don't do business that loses money, but if it's a sure thing, we don't need to think too much about it. We just need to say one word: Damn!
Think about this.
Before Fang Xiaoxiao could agree, Zhang Xuzi spoke again.
"Of course, if the stakes are so low, then I am indeed a bit stingy. In order to be fair and just, and to avoid being criticized by later generations for bullying the weak, I have decided that if Madam Fang wins against me, I am willing to recommend her for the position of Director of the Imperial Academy."
"!!!"
"What's going on? What's wrong with the Confucian sage? He thinks so highly of Fang Xiaoxiao, not only giving her money but also preparing to offer her an official position."
"You should know that the Director of the Imperial Academy has power equivalent to that of the Confucian Sage. She is almost the highest-ranking official besides the Confucian Sage, and it can be said that she has absolute power!"
"That's right. If that's the case, then Fang Xiaoxiao's net worth would exceed that of all of us here. In that case, we wouldn't be the ones negotiating business with her; instead, we'd be begging her to cooperate."
Originally intending to undertake the important task of fair trade with Fang Xiaoxiao, the plot twist was so sudden that they were caught off guard and went from being equals to being admirers.
At this point, some people raised questions, saying, "Why are you making such a conclusion so early? Who knows, Fang Xiaoxiao might not be able to defeat the Confucian Sage."
As the Confucian sage just said, one should only be given a position if one wins, not if one wins or loses.
These words, like a stabilizing force, instantly calmed everyone's minds.
They then realized that it wasn't true that winning or losing was acceptable.
"That's good, that's good. If she really becomes the abbot, it will be very difficult for us to negotiate a lower price!"
"Let's wait and see. It's not certain that she'll win."
"Come on, that's the Confucian Sage, the most powerful figure in the entire Dayu Dynasty. His poem 'Ode to Plum Blossoms' is enough to crush everyone else. Besides, that poem was written when the Confucian Sage was eighteen years old."
Yes, a poem titled "Ode to Plum Blossoms" written at the age of eighteen, with such astonishing and unconventional verses, completely drove the literary world of the Great Yu Dynasty crazy.
No one can challenge the title of the Confucian Sage; in fact, many great poets were his students.
The group of people were once again discussing the matter in a scattered manner. Some were optimistic about Fang Xiaoxiao, after all, they knew about the story of composing a poem in seven steps. Others, who had only heard of "Shuidiao Getou," immediately made a judgment and bet that Fang Xiaoxiao would definitely lose, or even lose very badly.
At this point, some people sensed a business opportunity and began to secretly manipulate the betting odds.
Zhu Wen pulled Li Renyi aside and whispered to him.
"Do you think Madam Fang can win and defeat the Confucian Sage?"
"Manager Zhu, don't try to trap me. I'm just a nobody; how could I dare to make unfounded accusations against Confucian sages?"
Li Renyi quickly shook his head and said.
"Besides, if you have the time, Manager Zhu, you should find a few more people. This business is getting too big, and we don't have enough manpower right now. I'm so busy collecting money that my hands are about to cramp up."
Zhu Wen glanced at the large bag of silver coins in his hands and couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly.
"Alright, alright, young master of the Jing'an Marquis's mansion, with your acting skills, can you please stop being so exaggerated? It's only because Madam Fang doesn't care about so much that she's willing to take it seriously. If she really did, with her intelligence, she would have already figured out that you're a fake merchant's son!"
"Gah!!!"
Upon hearing this, Li Renyi quickly placed the money bag in his hand on the front desk, reached out and covered Zhu Wen's mouth and nose, making a gesture of prohibition. After looking around and seeing that no one was paying attention to them, he whispered.