The sect leader responded, "Didn't Zuo Wushang feel confident he would capture him?"
"Sect Leader, I don't believe they can take down Liang Xiao in a short time!" Yan Jun sighed.
"Liang Xiao is now on high alert against the Rejuvenation Sect. Sending people to assassinate him would be counterproductive, merely losing elites for nothing. Let's see what Zuo Wushang does next," the sect leader said, then asked, "After the defeat in Luzhou, did the remnants of the Great Heng Kingdom exert all their effort?"
Yan Jun nodded. "There were about a thousand remnants of the Great Heng Kingdom in Lu Ma'er's troops, so I specifically let this unit lead the charge. They have been completely annihilated."
The sect leader's eyes glinted with joy. "So, the remnants of the Great Heng Kingdom have been greatly depleted again?"
Yan Jun nodded.
At this moment, neither of them realized that the remnants of the Great Heng Kingdom in the White Ox Mountain troops were merely White Ox Mountain bandits dressed in Great Heng Kingdom attire. The greedy and lustful Lu Ma'er had been bribed by Zuo Wushang and Hong Jie.
"The Great Heng Kingdom replaced our Great Zhou Dynasty years ago, forcing us to flee to the southwest. If we wish to restore the kingdom now, they must also be eradicated, but we cannot openly betray them! Let them fight with Liang Xiao; we'll watch from the sidelines. As for the Southern King, let him act as he sees fit!" the sect leader sneered.
A white-haired old man beside Yan Jun sighed, "That white-haired, black-bladed Shi Liuyun should be from the Shi clan of Xichuan. Leading the Jiangnan iron cavalry to suppress bandits, he has caused us no small amount of trouble."
Yan Jun scoffed, "The Shi clan of Xichuan? Even the Sword clan of Xichuan or the Ghost Valley lineage, what of it? They were all annihilated by our Rejuvenation Sect in confusion! Find an opportunity to eliminate Shi Liuyun as well!"
Inside the Grand Tutor's mansion, Gongyang He had a stern face and remained silent.
Dugu Qun and Ouyang Sheng, among others, were at a loss.
"Father, how could you publicly slap my face like that..." Gongyang Long said with a wronged expression.
Gongyang He glared fiercely at Gongyang Long and cursed, "Idiot! Even if our power is paramount, since you've been elevated to the position of the foremost Confucian scholar, you should pay attention to your words and actions! It's fine for you to bully ordinary people usually, but when you encounter a tough opponent like Liang Xiao, if I don't decisively admit defeat, it will only be more embarrassing!"
Dugu Xiao sighed, "Liang Xiao is eloquent and full of schemes. We must not give him any more ammunition to exploit!"
Gongyang Long merely stared at the floor, gnashing his teeth. "The humiliation I suffered today, I will repay tenfold sooner or later! None of the women around him will escape!"
"Soon. His biggest mistake was falling out with the Southern King. He underestimates the Southern King's capabilities too much."
Gongyang He stroked his beard and laughed heartily, then changed the subject. "Today we have suffered a great loss and lost face. Hurry and summon all the Confucian scholars to think of a plan, preferably to confront him at the event and make him lose face! The people from Izumo Country should be arriving soon. We can deal with Liang Xiao together in the future!"
Without Gongyang He's faction present at the Jiangnan Spring Banquet, the hall remained lively. The talented scholars and beauties did not seem overly restrained by Liang Xiao's presence and continued their activities, only occasionally casting eager glances in Liang Xiao's direction, with many deliberately raising their voices.
He Jingyun and Zhuo Zifang naturally took in the reactions of everyone present and felt a sense of emotion.
Everyone hoped to catch the attention of this Marquis of Anguo, perhaps leading to unexpected blessings!
This was the common thought among the talented scholars and beauties across the country who admired Liang Xiao, especially in the Jiangnan region, which was relatively well-informed about court matters.
A nineteen-year-old Marquis, granted his title through merit rather than inheritance, also a Grand Master of Diligence and Grand Official of the Ministry of Works, and General Who Guards the East – a feat unprecedented in history!
The Great Gan Kingdom now had rising stars such as Zhang Yang, Gu Shaoyan, Mu Hong, Li Xiuyun, Nan Jiyun, Lü Changhe, Zhuo Ying, and Yue Qingtian, but Liang Xiao was undoubtedly the sun hanging high in the sky.
He Jingyun watched Liang Xiao walk towards Liu Feng and sighed, "Stars shine brightly, but not as brightly as the sun..."
Zhuo Zifang couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this and nodded repeatedly in agreement.
How could a sky full of stars compare to the blazing sun!
Liang Xiao was even peerless in his shamelessness!
They had to protect this young man!
This was the shared thought of Zhuo Zifang and He Jingyun.
The He family of Jiangnan and the Zhuo family were both loyal aristocratic families. The He family was skilled in mediation, while the Zhuo family held greater prestige. The two families, along with the Li, Liu, and other families, could barely contend with the pressure brought by the Gongyang clan, which was backed by the powerful families of the capital.
Jian Qinwan and the other two spoke softly at another table, not wanting to disturb Liang Xiao. It was only when Liang Xiao, along with Liu Feng and Li Xunfeng, walked towards Zhuo Zifang and He Jingyun that the three girls stopped talking and followed Liang Xiao.
At this moment, Gu Pingtian and He Qiushui also returned to He Jingyun's side, looking at Liang Xiao expectantly, while Ye Qingyi remained silent with her head down.
"Marquis of Anguo, we apologize. We were ignorant of your stature..." He Qiushui said, her face flushed with embarrassment, wishing she could disappear into the ground.
"It was merely a misunderstanding. Miss Qingyi and I are not what you think," Liang Xiao replied with a smile.
Miss Qingyi?
Upon realizing Liang Xiao no longer addressed her as "Tower Master Ye," Ye Qingyi felt slightly better.
"Sister Qingyi has already explained to us," Gu Pingtian replied meekly.
Both Ye Qingyi and Liang Xiao wisely avoided delving deeper into the matter.
To avoid displeasing Jian Qinwan and the other two, Ye Qingyi had already restrained her emotions and tried to remain calm, daring not to reveal her admiration for Liang Xiao.
He Qiushui and Gu Pingtian, knowing they were not worthy of Liang Xiao and having received his magnanimity, now faced him with composure, though their words inevitably revealed some admiration.
Zhuo Zifang smiled and said, "Liang Xiao, do you think Liu Feng and Li Xunfeng are not bad?"
Liang Xiao looked at Liu Feng and nodded, praising, "They possess strategy and integrity. This talented scholar Li also has the demeanor of his elder brother Li Xiuyun, which speaks to the family's heritage."
Liu Feng gave a wry smile. "You flatter us! I just didn't expect the Marquis of Anguo to use a pseudonym to communicate with us..."
Li Xunfeng merely chuckled and said nothing more, though his mind was on his aunt, Li Jinyu.
Li Jinyu had not returned to her old home for a long time since leaving Jinling!
Decades ago, the Li family had been close to the Gongyang clan. Later, seeing the true nature of these aristocratic families, they decided to distance themselves from them and support the Zhuo and He families. However, Li Jinyu and Zhuo Zifang's tragedy was already irreversible, which was also why Li Jinyu rarely visited the Li family.
"People need space to show their worth!" He Jingyun said with a smile.
"That's true," Liu Feng nodded, then said with anticipation, "We heard that the Marquis of Anguo inspects scholars from various regions and will randomly set some unique questions. We are eager to see how many points we can get!"
Everyone chuckled.
Liu Feng and Li Xunfeng returned to continue their conversations with friends. Gu Pingtian and the other two also returned to their circles of talented women. Only Liang Xiao and his entourage remained, listening to Liang Xiao converse with He Jingyun and Zhuo Zifang.
"I heard that Prefect He strongly supported Nie Yuan. How is the progress of Nie Yuan's case?" Liang Xiao asked.
He Jingyun sighed and said, "Nie Yuan was likely framed. However, with eyewitness testimony and physical evidence, it's almost impossible for him to overturn the case. The murder weapon was also his personal sword."