“Jin Feng, you created a story that lacks decency, promoted it widely, and still have the nerve to ask what we want? What do you want?”
“Jin Feng, you must revise this story!”
“Where is Chen Wenyuan? Call him out!”
…
The scholars spoke all at once, pointing at Jin Feng and unleashing another torrent of abuse.
Fortunately, Jin Feng was far away, otherwise he would certainly have been sprayed in the face with saliva.
Jin Feng felt his head buzzing from the noise. He raised the megaphone and shouted, “Enough! One at a time!”
But the scholars were too agitated, and the surroundings too noisy. They could not hear Jin Feng at all.
Or even if they heard, they did not stop, continuing to voice their opinions.
Jin Feng helplessly gestured to those below the wooden platform. The escorts stepped forward in unison.
The neat footfalls and the clinking of black armour against weapons immediately silenced the scholars.
“How can anyone understand what you are saying when you all shout together?”
Jin Feng raised the megaphone again and said, “Send one representative forward!”
The scholars looked at each other. Finally, they pushed the middle-aged scholar forward.
“Mr Jin, I am not talented, but I am a Juren from the nineteenth year of Yong’an. Honoured by everyone to be chosen as representative.”
The middle-aged scholar cupped his hands towards Jin Feng and performed a scholar’s salute, “My name is He Mingqin. Mr Jin may call me Old He.”
“So it is Mr He!”
Jin Feng returned the salute.
“In fact, the reason we have come to see the master, I believe the master already knows.”
He Mingqin said, “The story that the master had Chen Wenyuan create is truly harmful to morals. It really cannot continue to spread. Otherwise, in the future, women will no longer care about their reputation, disregarding propriety, righteousness, integrity, and honour. What decency would there be? Confucius taught that starving to death is a minor matter, while losing virtue is a major one. I hope the master will consider carefully and not ruin the customs of a thousand years!”
“So this is how Mr He understands ‘starving to death is a minor matter, losing virtue is a major one’.”
Jin Feng cupped his hands, but his face was full of disdainful cold laughter.
“Is my understanding wrong?” He Mingqin asked.
“This humble scholar believes that what Confucius meant by ‘starving to death is a minor matter, losing virtue is a major one’ refers not to women’s chastity, but to men’s integrity!”
Jin Feng said, “Speaking of which, what is called virtue, this humble scholar believes, does not refer to a woman’s body, but to moral integrity! Even a brothel woman, if she harbours great righteousness for the world, cannot be considered to have lost virtue!
On the contrary, if a woman spends her days scheming to flirt and seduce, even if she is a virgin, she has lost virtue!”
“This…” He Mingqin had not expected Jin Feng to say this and could not think of a rebuttal for the moment.
Jin Feng did not give him the chance to rebut, continuing, “Were they willing to lose their virtue? They were forced!”
“Speaking of it, they were abducted by the cavalry because we men were useless and failed to protect them!”
“Yet even so, they still helped us seize the enemy’s military horse camp!”
“At that time, what were you doing?”
“You were hiding behind high city walls, hiding in your beds trembling. Were you not still praying that the Tubo people would retreat after plundering and killing outside, without attacking the city? Without going to violate your wives, concubines, and children?”
“Have you ever thought how desperate they felt when being violated? If they were your wives or daughters, would your hearts not ache?”
“What do you want now? To force them to death?”
Jin Feng pointed towards the direction of the main camp, growing more agitated as he spoke.
In the end, he was almost shouting.
Many scholars lowered their heads.
Just as Jin Feng said, when Danzhu’s army besieged the city, many people in the city had indeed prayed that the cavalry would withdraw after ravaging outside, without assaulting the walls.
Though no one would admit it, as long as they had any sense of shame, they could not deceive themselves.
They had indeed thought that way at the time.
“Mr Jin, saying this is sweeping everyone with one broom!”
He Mingqin had now recovered, “I dare not speak for others, but if I, He, had been outside the city then, I would never have retreated. I would certainly have fought the enemy to the death!”
“Well said!”
Jin Feng gave a thumbs up, “Since the gentleman has such strong patriotic zeal, I shall write a letter and send the gentleman to the northern frontier to join the Iron Forest Army. They have been clashing with the Dangxiang people recently. How about departing tomorrow?”
“This… how can this be?”
He Mingqin paled in shock upon hearing this.
He had only said it casually. How could he dare go to the battlefield?
With his frail body, if sent to the Iron Forest Army, he probably would not survive a month.
He still had several delicate wives and concubines at home. He did not want to die so young.
“Why not?” Jin Feng asked coldly with a laugh.
“Confucius said people should each perform their own duties. The duty of scholars is to govern the realm. Fighting wars is the business of soldiers!” He Mingqin argued forcefully.
“Pah! Fighting is not your business. Is it the business of these girls then?”
Jin Feng spat, “If the realm were handed to someone like you who cannot distinguish right from wrong to govern, that would be harming the people! I truly do not know how you passed the Juren examination!”
“You… how can you curse people!?”
He Mingqin’s beard quivered with anger.
The other scholars also frowned slightly.
According to the rules, when scholars debated, no matter who won or lost, they should maintain at least the basic demeanour of gentlemen. They could not hit or curse.
“What you do not desire for yourself, do not impose on others. Before doing anything, first put yourself in the other’s position and think if you could accept it!”
Jin Feng pointed at the scholars and roared, “So what if I curse you? If not for this trench, I would want to whip you!”
“All of you, get the hell out of here. After one stick of incense burns, if anyone is still lingering nearby, treat them all as spies scouting the military camp. Break their legs and throw them into the death prison!”
With that, Jin Feng waved for Da Liu to bring out the timing incense, personally lit it, and stuck it on the wooden platform.
Then he jumped down and walked away without looking back.
The group of scholars looked at each other, at a loss.
Finally, they all turned to He Mingqin, “Mr He, what now?”
“How should I know?”
He Mingqin had been cursed by Jin Feng for nothing and somewhat resented the scholars for pushing him forward as representative. He flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.
Though Jin Feng had left, the escort team remained, all coldly watching the scholars.
The leading company commander occasionally glanced at the incense, his eyes full of mocking coldness.
As soon as the incense finished, he would immediately charge across the trench to seize people.
Looking at the stern escorts, the scholars finally remembered that Jin Feng was not only a scholar, but also a general who killed without batting an eye.
Not long ago, this very ground beneath their feet had been a river of blood.
With the leader He Mingqin gone, the other scholars also lost courage and turned to leave one after another.
Some even looked back every few steps, fearing Jin Feng would send escorts to grab them.
Watching from behind the tents, Jin Feng let out a long breath of relief.
Even the muddled ruler Chen Ji would not punish people for their words. Naturally, Jin Feng would not do so either.
In fact, he had only been intimidating these scholars. Even if they did not leave, Jin Feng could never really break their legs.
“Master, words can be diverted but not blocked. Was your approach not too forceful?”
The Ninth Princess walked out from the side and said worriedly, “By suppressing them like this, when they return, I fear it will cause an even greater backlash.”
