From Joy of Life, the Tian Gang is reversed

Chapter 224 The Strike of Justice

"Zhao Xun, you just attacked Zhao Biao in the palace, what is your punishment?!"

The hall fell silent, and all eyes turned to Zhao Xun.

Zhao Xun frowned slightly as he looked at the supreme ruler of the Li Yang Dynasty, then smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I was merely fulfilling my duty as a subject and have not violated any laws. Therefore, I do not know what crime I have committed!"

"It was merely my duty; I know not what crime I have committed!" Zhao Dun's face darkened. "Are you saying you don't admit to attacking Zhao Biao?"

“Your Majesty, that was not an attack, but a righteous strike,” Zhao Xun said with a smile. “As Your Majesty said, this is the Imperial Palace, the most sacred place of our Li Yang Dynasty, which cannot be defiled in the slightest. This Zhao Biao openly harassed my guards in such a sacred place, showing no regard for the Imperial Palace or Your Majesty, and severely damaging the image of my Li Yang royal family. Under the circumstances, if we did not respond, the reputation of my Li Yang royal family would be ruined by this fool. Therefore, I acted decisively to protect the reputation of my Li Yang royal family and to protect the sacred place of the Imperial Palace. So, I believe I was only doing my duty and do not know what crime I have committed!”

hiss! ! !
As Zhao Xun finished speaking, a collective gasp filled the hall, and even the temperature in the palace seemed to rise a few degrees.

So, it turns out, you can say things like that?
This Zhao Xun is a real talent.

On the other hand, Zhao Biao was already grinding his teeth, his small green eyes radiating malice as he stared intently at Zhao Xun. Judging from his expression, he would definitely chew Zhao Xun up and devour him if given the chance.

Even Zhao Dun was momentarily speechless.

He already knew what had happened, and it was no different from what Zhao Xun had said, but this interpretation, which occupied the moral high ground, was also beyond his expectations.

If that's the explanation, he really wouldn't be able to retaliate.

“Not only is the young master’s painting skill unparalleled, but his eloquence is also unparalleled. His tongue is comparable to that of Huang Sanjia. No wonder he plotted against you!” At this moment, the old man standing next to him spoke up.

Zhao Xun glanced at him, "Senior is...!"

"Imperial Observatory, Nan Huaiyu."

"So it's you, Supervisor Zhao Xun." Zhao Xun bowed. "Please don't associate me with those who seek fame and fortune; it would be bad for my reputation."

"Hahahaha, what a silver tongue you have!" Zhao Li laughed heartily, leading the group into the hall where they sat down before nodding to Zhao Zhuan.

Zhao Zhuan picked up his wine glass and raised it, "Gentlemen, the reason I invited you all to Tai'an City is to see the next generation of elite figures of my Li Yang Dynasty. Now that Li Yang has unified the world, this is only the beginning. You are all heirs of various princely mansions and powerful families in Li Yang. What the future holds depends on you. Therefore, the reason I invited you all to the capital is to let you get to know each other and understand each other..."

His words were flowery and eloquent, but Zhao Xun knew they were all fabricated. In the end, he just wanted the person sitting next to him to look at everyone and see if their fate and fortune matched the so-called prophetic sayings of wolves devouring tigers and pythons swallowing dragons.

However, although Zhao Zhuan was only seventeen years old and his ending in the original story was not good, at least in this situation, he behaved gracefully and very appropriately.

Looking at the future Emperor Zhao Zhu, he was not showing any brilliance at the moment, and his aura was obscure and unfathomable. It was obvious that someone had done something to him.

Nan Huaiyu's gaze swept over everyone present, especially over the princes and heirs like Zhao Xun, looking at them again and again.

Finally, his gaze fell on Zhao Biao.

"This is... the Greedy Wolf Star in the Life Palace?" Nan Huaiyu's eyes narrowed as he watched the fleeting aura above the fat man's head. This was truly unexpected.

You should know that Zhao Biao was not the main person he was observing today. Zhao Zhu, Xu Fengnian and Zhao Xun were the main people he was paying attention to. How come he saw Tanlang at first glance?

Looking at Zhao Dun, this heir of the Yan King seems to be nothing special. He was born into wealth and nobility, an ordinary yet noble prince.

Yes, he has the destiny of a vassal king. The King of Yan can rightfully inherit the title without fail. As for Xu Fengnian, it's hard to tell. He's just like Zhao Dun, whose nobility is beyond measure. And then there's Zhao Xun, this young scholar who became a scholar of Shangyin and created his own sketching technique—a genius of painting.

He was startled at just one glance.

This... isn't this the aura of Confucianism and Taoism? How could a prince of a vassal state have such aura? Is it just because of his painting skills?
Is his painting skill really that amazing?
His Confucian and Taoist demeanor far surpassed that of a feudal prince, making him arguably the most dazzling person present.

But such a destiny should not be the goal!

As for the sons of the vassal kings, the Prince of Huainan, Shi, had a rather extraordinary air about him, while the others were just so-so, and he couldn't see anything wrong with them.

His gaze then fell upon the two rows of powerful and wealthy families behind him, and his expression immediately darkened.

These scions of powerful families are no weaklings. At least in terms of fortune, they are no less than those ordinary princes. Some of them even caught his eye. Behind their displayed destiny and fortune, there was a hint of discord, which was obviously concealed by someone using some means.

"I was shocked when I saw it! The Li Yang Dynasty is truly a mixed bag!"

After reading it, Nan Huaiyu sighed inwardly. They were all formidable opponents, just as he had predicted.

"Zhao Xun, I've heard that your painting skills are superb, and your ability to depict scenes is unparalleled. Today, let me see if you can capture the grandeur of today's scene in a painting."

The hall fell silent. Zhao Xun stood up, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, “Your Majesty flatters me. My painting skills can at most be described as unique and distinctive, but in terms of artistic conception, they are far from sufficient. Nowadays, the trend of flattery is rampant. Whether it is the pedantic scholars of Shangyin Academy or the students of the Imperial Academy, they are all adept at seeking fame and reputation, praising each other and carrying each other’s sedan chairs. Today I praise your calligraphy as unparalleled in the world, tomorrow you praise my chess skills as invincible. Today you rank first, tomorrow you rank third. This trend has been completely corrupted. Your Majesty must not listen to these flattering words. I am absolutely unworthy of the title ‘unparalleled in the world.’”

These words caused the atmosphere in Chengyuan Hall to become strange once again.

The words sound like self-deprecation, but somehow they feel like an insult, the kind that condemns everyone in a group.

Top three?

Who are you referring to as a yin or yang figure?
Why not add the surname?
"Hahahaha, what a fine example of seeking fame and fortune, mutual flattery! Well said, well said!"

Suddenly, a burst of laughter came from outside the hall. "Huang Longshi has come uninvited. I hope Your Majesty will forgive him!"

Huang Longshi!!

Upon hearing these three words, everyone in the hall except Zhao Li and Zhao Xun showed expressions of fear, staring at His Highness in astonishment.

The old man in black stood smiling outside Chengyuan Hall, but his gaze pierced through the hall and landed directly on Zhao Xun.

Nan Huaiyu, standing in the hall, narrowed his eyes slightly, glanced at him once, then looked away, his expression calm.

"So it's Mr. Huang. Your presence is an honor to the palace. Please, sir, enter the hall."

Immediately, a eunuch hurriedly came to Huang Longshi's side and led him into the hall. Inside the hall, another eunuch added a chair opposite Nan Huaiyu. By the time Huang Longshi was led to the chair, everything was arranged perfectly.

"Your Majesty, I apologize for disturbing you."

"Not at all, Mr. Huang, I am overjoyed to have you here! Please come!"

Huang Longshi smiled and sat down, glancing at Nan Huaiyu, his smile growing even more hearty. Then, he looked at Zhao Xun again.

"Your Highness, we meet again."

Zhao Xun grinned, "Sorry, we're not familiar with each other, and I'm not interested in an old man like you. It's better if we don't associate with each other."

(End of this chapter)