Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

Chapter 1186 The lion opens its mouth

The area in front of the Examination Yuan was packed with people, and on the awards stage, two young students stood facing each other.

Everyone was waiting for Pei Zhaoqi to make his request, including Huai Shaoyong.

Pei Zhaoqi stepped forward, his blue robe fluttering in the wind, his eyes piercing as he looked directly at Huai Shaoyong and said, "I have three requests."

Huai Shaoyong tightened his grip on the answer sheet, his gaze turning hostile: "Didn't you just say you only had 'one request'?"

“That was indeed a request.” Pei Zhaoqi’s voice remained calm, showing no sign of feeling that “going back on his word” was inappropriate. “But after careful consideration, I believe that one request is far from enough to support my acceptance of your challenge, young master.”

"..."

Huai Shaoyong understood Pei Zhaoqi's words. "You mean, if I don't accept your three demands, you won't accept the challenge?"

This isn't a request, it's a threat!

“That’s right.” Pei Zhaoqi nodded, not giving Huai Shaoyong any time to hesitate, and asked directly, “Young Master Huai, would you be willing to hear my request?”

“You…” Huai Shaoyong subconsciously looked down at the audience.

The faces of everyone at Luming Academy were not good, but Headmaster Hou Yirui still nodded.

Seeing this, Huai Shaoyong seemed to have found a pillar of support, and he calmed himself down and looked at Pei Zhaoqi: "What do you want? Tell me."

Pei Zhaoqi spoke loudly: "Firstly, the re-examination was conducted anonymously, with several examiners working through the night to make impartial judgments. Your statement of 'seeking fairness' is a questioning of the examiners' character and the fairness of the government. Therefore, if I win after the paper is written, I ask you to publicly apologize to Lord Shen and all the examiners."

Hearing this, Jiang Zhiming nodded secretly, and the crowd shouted, "He should apologize!"

Huai Shaoyong didn't think he would lose, and immediately agreed: "I'll take that request. What's next?"

"Secondly. The answers to the re-examination papers each have their own focus. On what basis do you, young master, believe that your answer is far superior to others? Is there someone instigating you behind this? Or have you heard some rumors that led you to disregard the rules and disrupt the award ceremony in public? If I win the paper later, I hope that you can give the government an explanation to prevent false rumors from spreading and disturbing people's peace in the future."

Upon hearing this, Huai Shaoyong quietly clenched the answer sheet in his hand and subconsciously retorted, "No one is instigating me behind my back."

Upon hearing this, Shen Zheng frowned secretly.

Sometimes, the more the parties involved argue, the more reasonable their arguments become.

Huai Shaoyong clearly had many options for answering Pei Zhaoqi's question, but he subconsciously refuted the question of whether someone had instigated him.

Therefore, it seems that Huai Shaoyong was indeed persuaded to come.

Who could this person be?

Shen Zheng turned her gaze to the group from Luming Academy and noticed that Headmaster Hou Yirui was also frowning, as if he was unaware of her presence.

This is somewhat intriguing.

While Shen Zheng was still pondering, Pei Zhaoqi had already made his third request.

"Thirdly. Although I have had a dispute with you today, I believe that scholars should make friends through literature and resolve doubts through learning. Therefore, if I win today, I request that your academy donate a hundred volumes of rare classics to Liuyang Prefecture, and that Headmaster Hou and three renowned teachers come to my Liuyang Prefecture three times a month for the next year to impart knowledge and discuss the classics. I wonder if you and Headmaster Hou dare to agree to this request?"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the candidates were dumbfounded.

Even Jiang Zhiming secretly shuddered, taking small steps to Shen Zheng's side and saying in a voice only Shen Zheng could hear, "This kid is taking advantage of everyone..."

It's one thing to want rare and unique books, but to even take the headmaster's books...

Jiang Zhiming was very curious about how Huai Shaoyong would react.

Huai Shaoyong was taken aback at first, then his face gradually turned red. He couldn't help but point at Pei Zhaoqi and said, "You're asking for the moon! A hundred volumes of rare books, and you want my teacher to come to Liuyang Prefecture to lecture for a year? Do you know who my teacher is? Do you know how many academies in the surrounding prefectures are lining up to invite my teacher to lecture? You just casually ask for a year, it's a huge disrespect to my teacher!"

"Is the young master afraid of losing?" Compared to Huai Shaoyong's exasperation, Pei Zhaoqi's reaction was remarkably calm.

Pei Zhaoqi stopped looking at Huai Shaoyong and instead looked at Hou Yirui below the stage.

"Headmaster Hou, your presence here to support Young Master Huai indicates your belief that there was something amiss in the re-examination at Liuyang Academy. Therefore, I would like to ask you, as a renowned teacher, shouldn't you take responsibility for your actions? Furthermore, even if I win this competition, your reputation and that of Luming Academy will be damaged, but the students of Liuyang Academy will still listen to your lectures... In my opinion, this would be a good thing for both you and Luming Academy."

Pei Zhaoqi practically said, "Your reputation, Hou Yirui, is ruined. The fact that the students of Liuyang Prefecture are still willing to listen to your lectures is a sign of respect for you."

As expected, Hou Yirui's face turned red and then pale upon hearing this.

He was furious at Pei Zhaoqi's arrogance, but at the same time, he was wondering if he needed this way out.

"Teacher, we can't agree to his request!" Huai Shaoyong suddenly spoke, interrupting Hou Yirui's thoughts: "The books in the academy are invaluable, but if we give them to Liuyang Prefecture, it's tantamount to them falling into the hands of Tong'an Seal Engraving House. I'm afraid it won't be long before..."

It would then transform from a priceless treasure into a book with a clear price tag of "one hundred coins per book" in the bookstores of Tong'an.

Once the candidates realized this, their eyes lit up, and they started breathing rapidly, each trying to provoke the other.

"Master Hou, you don't actually think Huai Shaoyong will lose, do you?"

"Headmaster Hou, you've come representing Luming Academy, you can't let Huai Shaoyong stand in front of you, can you?"

"Headmaster Hou, your Luming Academy is a large and powerful institution. A hundred books shouldn't be much to you, right? Besides... Huai Shaoyong might not necessarily lose. What is there that you're afraid to accept? Could it be...?"

As the shouts reached his ears, Hou Yirui's expression grew increasingly grim.

But as Pei Zhaoqi said before, he needed a way out, and the century-old foundation of Luming Academy could not be destroyed in an instant.

"I agree."

Even Hou Yirui himself realized that the scales in his heart were beginning to tip.

Why is that?

Was it because of the fleeting panic in Huai Shaoyong's eyes when Pei Zhaoqi asked, "Was someone instigating this?" Or was it because Pei Zhaoqi remained calm and his words were reasonable and well-founded?

Hou Yirui wasn't quite sure, but his intuition seemed to be able to tell him the truth.

"Hou Shanzhang has agreed!" The candidates below the stage were so excited that their cheeks turned red. They shouted to Pei Zhaoqi, "Chief Pei, we're counting on you! Take down Huai Shaoyong in one fell swoop! Bring glory to our prefecture!"

Almost everyone has forgotten that Huai Shaoyong was also from Liuyang Prefecture.

Huai Shaoyong gripped the answer sheet tightly and asked Pei Zhaoqi, word by word, "Now, may we begin?"