Volume Two: Adults and Small Men Chapter Thirty-Eight: I Never Bear Grudges

Wei Ziru and the others slunk away from the Imperial Academy in utter embarrassment, just as they had come striding in with such bluster.

They left with their heads bowed, taking nothing with them and leaving their pride scattered in the dust.

That pride had been shattered by Huang Ming’s public humiliation of them, blow by blow.

As they departed in such low spirits, the Imperial Academy behind them erupted in cheers and laughter.

"Young Master Huang is incredible!"

"Young Master Huang, I am truly impressed. Even if Su Qin and Zhang Yi were alive again, they would amount to no more than this!"

"Who are Su Qin and Zhang Yi?"

"The storyteller outside Zhengyang Gate?" ...

Amid the students’ delighted uproar, Huang Ming was summoned by Li Kejian to his office.

Zhang Bi and Wen Zhen went with him.

The three Imperial Academy officials wore none of the students’ triumphant expressions; in fact, once the four of them were alone, all three looked rather grave.

"Mozhi, today you really did go too far."

"Yes. It would have been enough if you could only protect yourself. Why insist on offending them so completely?"

"And you even dragged the Dean into it. If he truly makes up his mind to drive you out, even I, as Vice Director, may be powerless."

The three officials spoke one after another, voicing their concern.

Huang Ming listened respectfully, no longer displaying the sharp edge he had shown when facing Wei Ziru and the others.

The three men were sincerely thinking of his welfare; how could he fail to tell good intentions from ill?

Only after they had more or less finished did Huang Ming say with a wry smile, "Teacher, Vice Director Li, Registrar Wen, I know what you are worried about... but in that situation just now, if I had not utterly defeated them in argument, it would only become more troublesome afterward."

"But there was no need to offend them this deeply. Do you not think of your future?" Wen Zhen asked.

"Do the three of you really think that, as the son of a eunuch, I could have any future among those people?"

With that one sentence, he left the three speechless again, and they truly had overlooked the peculiarity of his birth.

For an ordinary student, there might still be a path into officialdom, a way to mend ties with those officials. But Huang Ming had no such possibility from the start.

After a moment of silence, Li Kejian still said, "Even if you need not think about the future, what about the present? This time you have truly offended the Dean to the core. They will certainly report your final remarks exactly as they were when they return."

"What I said was not wrong. Our Imperial Academy having its Dean held by a vice minister is itself a problem. To tell you the truth, gentlemen, I have been studying here for several months, yet apart from meeting Dean Wu once at the start of the year, I have never seen him a second time.

"By contrast, Vice Director Li is here almost every day. You are the one who truly runs the Imperial Academy.

"Since Lord Wu does not care in the least for our Academy, why insist on clinging to the post and refusing to let go?"

None of the three could easily answer that. Once again, silence settled over the room.

Huang Ming smiled faintly. "I believe this matter will spread through the capital very quickly, and then someone with an eye for trouble will notice the problem. As long as someone speaks up, our Imperial Academy’s Dean ought to be replaced.

"I plan to have all of us students sign a joint memorial in the next few days and petition the court. Let Vice Director Li be directly promoted to our Imperial Academy’s Dean!"

This time, the three of them were even more stunned.

Very well then. You are only an Imperial Academy student, and yet your tone is so bold that you are already settling the choice of Dean yourself?

"Absurd! Go on out," Zhang Bi suddenly snapped, glancing at a somewhat flustered Li Kejian as he set his face and gave Huang Ming a meaningful look.

Huang Ming understood at once, cupping his hands in salute. "I spoke too freely for a moment. If I have offended you, I beg the pardon of the three of you." With that, he quickly withdrew.

Only then, after a silence, did the two men inside finally speak. "Vice Director, Huang Ming’s words may have been a little rash, but they may not be impossible to try..."

...

"Young Master Huang is mighty!"

"Young Master Huang, you really brought great honor to our Imperial Academy this time. From today on, you are the greatest hero in my eyes!"

When Huang Ming returned to Mystic Hall, his classmates crowded around him at once, surrounding him and showering him with praise until he scarcely knew how to fend it off.

"Enough, enough!" Huang Ming said repeatedly, waving them off with a laugh. "Save the flattery. I know what I ought to do.

"All right, tomorrow evening everyone goes together to House of Delight. I, Huang Ming, will pay for everything!"

"Young Master Huang is mighty!"

Another wave of cheers rose up. If these people had not still had some restraint in their hearts, they might have shouted themselves hoarse in cries of long live.

After quite a commotion, Huang Ming finally returned to his seat, where Xu Qingzhi and Zhang Han came over to him.

"Young Master Huang, will this just be the end of it?" the two asked, still shaken.

"Of course not!" Huang Ming said coldly, looking at them.

Their expressions tightened at once. "Is there more trouble ahead?"

"What are you thinking?" Huang Ming gave a low laugh. "They dared to come right up and bully me to my face. If I do not strike back, would I still be Huang Ming?"

"What?" Xu Qingzhi blinked.

Zhang Han was equally surprised. "Didn’t you already make them lose face and vent your anger?"

"That is only the beginning," Huang Ming said with a cold smile. "Since they made the first move, they should not blame me for what comes next.

"I have always been broad-minded and never one to bear grudges. As for those who bear a grudge against me, I always settle it as quickly as possible.

"This time they used underhanded means to try to drive me out of the Imperial Academy. I have to give them a proper response and make them bleed for it too!"

Xu and Zhang were not the sort to shrink from trouble in ordinary times; this time they had only been a little fearful because they were dealing with officials of the court.

Now that Huang Ming had said as much, their courage returned, and they immediately said, "If you are going to take revenge, count us in!"

"Even if you did not say so, I would not have let you off," Huang Ming said with a sly grin. "I was just about to make use of you, especially the men your two families can call upon. Listen closely. When you go back today..."

As Huang Ming quietly laid out his plan, the expressions on the two men’s faces became increasingly vivid and peculiar.

After a while, Zhang Han slapped the table and said, "What a brilliant idea. This time let’s see how they survive it..."

That single remark immediately drew everyone else’s attention, and all eyes turned toward them.

Huang Ming had already been the center of attention, and now that they were shouting like this, naturally even more people began asking questions. "What are the three of you planning? Count us in, will you?"

"I want to join too!"

"And me..."

Never before had the students of Mystic Hall been so united as they were at this moment.

Looking at them, Huang Ming thought it over carefully, then simply stood up and said, "We are planning how to strike back at those arrogant fools from just now. If any of you have the nerve, do exactly as I say. Make your arrangements as soon as you get back!"