Chapter Five: The Loyal Clown of Yingchuan

  Zhang Rui and Guo Jia were walking towards the dormitory, when they suddenly heard several voices arguing in front of them. It turned out that a few students were dragging a peasant-looking man and arguing with him.

  "That tall guy is called Guo Tu, styled Gong Ze. His family is a big clan in Yingchuan and often bullies us poor scholars. Although he's not a good person, his eloquence is exceptional, we can't even argue with him, so we just have to tolerate it." Guo Jia said helplessly.

  "Oh? There's actually someone with better eloquence than me? Come on, Xiao Jiajia, let's go take a look at the situation." Zhang Rui pulled Guo Jia and walked forward.

  The Chinese are really unable to change their habit of loving to watch excitement no matter when, and in a short while, ten or so students had already gathered around.

  "Guo Gongze, have you gone too far? Zhong asks himself if he has ever offended you, why do you always grasp at him and not let go? It's not easy for us students to be in the academy, why stir up more trouble?"

  This guy who looks like a farmer is too honest, others come to his door to make trouble, but he still argues with them, what a...

  "Ha! You call yourselves scholars? How ridiculous! Are farmers also considered scholars? Listen to this, Ha Ha. Xi Zhong, do you know what it means to have self-awareness? Farmers should just go and farm, why would you come here to study? I don't know why the teacher even accepted you. We, the students of Yingchuan, are either elegant or from noble families, how could someone as ugly as you join us? You're a shame to the face of Yingchuan scholars."

  "Guo Gongze, how dare you bully people again?" Guo Jia couldn't help but speak up.

  "Guo Fengxiao, you'd better not cause trouble. If it weren't for the fact that we're from the same hometown, would your mother be able to work as a servant in my Guo family? Would you even be allowed to stay in this academy? Get out of my sight!"

  Guo Jia clenched his fists tightly, his frail body trembling with rage as he glared at Guo Tu, but ultimately walked away to one side.

  "You, you... Lord Guo, I have nothing left to say in my defense, I admit defeat, do with me as you please."

  This guy is really too cowardly, treating him like this, isn't it courting death? Zhang Rui saw that if he didn't intervene, the play would still be uncertain, so he pushed away the crowd and walked towards the two.

  "Hey, brother, I'm a new student who just arrived at the academy today. Seeing you two arguing here, what's going on?"

  "What's with this Master Brother? This is the eldest son of the Yingchuan Guo family, Master Guo Tu." The flattering dead runner beside him said.

  "Oh~~~~So it's the Guang clan from Yingchuan, then your respected father is that who~~~~~that who~~~~~"

  Kuo T'u felt particularly carefree today, so he went out for a stroll with several of his lackeys and ran into that normally honest and reliable Hsi Chung. This gave him the idea of playing a trick on this fellow.

  Intentionally walked to the side of this fool and bumped into him, shattering the jade pendant on his body, then framed this fool. Two sentences made this kid speechless, he had already taken care of himself, and later let him accompany himself for dozens of gold, this fool would absolutely not be able to afford it, and then let him never appear in the academy again.

  Another newcomer, a junior fellow apprentice, seems to be quite respectful, so I'll reluctantly accept him as my younger brother. Hehehe, from now on, when I, Guo Tu, make a move in the academy, I'll have a bunch of younger brothers following me, and those Xun family uncle and nephew will be crushed, let's see who's the real boss of this academy.

  "Isn't that who~~~~~who~~~~~ah, don't remind me, don't remind me at all. Seeing Brother Guo is too exciting, I didn't think of it for a moment. Don't remind me at all, let me think carefully."

  Guo Jia, who already knew that Zhang Rui was a bad egg, sensed that he was up to no good and hid aside to secretly watch the joke.

  "Isn't your respected father that very Guo Meimei, really very famous. Haha... Thinking of the 21st century's Guo Meimei, she is indeed a household name, absolutely not disgracing the great reputation of the Guo family of Yingchuan."

  The students around burst into loud laughter, although they didn't know who Guo Meimei was, but the name sounded like a woman.

  Kuo Tu's face turned green in an instant, he originally wanted to take the newcomer as his younger brother, this kid seemed to be respectful to himself, but unexpectedly this kid was so bad, damn it, he was playing with him.

  "You dare to play tricks on me, Guo? You must not be a nobody. Report your name! How dare you insult my father?! This is the end of it, Liangzi. I'll deal with you after I find out about your family background." Guo's lungs were almost bursting with anger. This kid was too much, first he'd investigate his family background and then think of a way to take care of him.

  "Haha, okay, I'll say it. Below is Pu Yang Zhang Shi Zhang Rui, courtesy name Zhi Bo. Brother Gong doesn't need to bow his head and take off his hat again. I don't even know who your respected father is? How can you talk about humiliating him?" This Zhang Rui fellow isn't someone who causes trouble (Nima, it seems like he hasn't caused much trouble from young to old), but neither is he afraid of trouble.

  Moreover, the other party is Zuo Ci, although Zuo Ci was passed over in history, but for those who are familiar with Cao Cao, how could they not know the value of Zuo Ci? The early Cao Cao was able to stand firm and lay the foundation for contending for the world precisely because he had Zuo Ci.

  People only know that Guo Jia died young, but who would have thought that Xi Zhicai was even younger than Guo Jia when he passed away. Although Xi Zhicai and Guo Jia had no intersection in history, it is difficult to say who was stronger or weaker between the two.

  "Boyang Zhang's family, good Zhang Rui, I, Yuanchuan Guo's family, am not afraid of your Zhang's family. Let's settle this matter once and for all. As for our business, let's not mention it for now. Xi Zhong, return my jade pendant to me. Looking at your honest face, I won't bully you, just compensate me with 10 taels of gold, and we'll consider the matter settled."

  "Ten gold coins, you... This jade pendant was originally not broken by me, it's clear that you deliberately smashed it down." said Xi Zhong.

  "You just said I could dispose of it as I pleased, why are you now trying to renege?" Guo Tu pressed him menacingly.

  "Gong Ze brother, you said that this jade pendant was smashed by Xi Zhong brother, is it true or not?" Seeing Xi Zhi's silence, Zhang Rui spoke up.

  "What's the big deal?"

  "That's easy, although the soil here isn't soft, even if you're knocked to the ground, you won't shatter into pieces. Conveniently, I have a jade pendant right here." Zhang Rui took off the jade pendant from his waist and held it in front of everyone's faces, letting it fall freely at a 90-degree angle.

  With a "crack", the jade pendant broke into two halves.

  "Everyone saw that, if the jade pendant was dropped accidentally, it would break into at most two pieces. But if someone deliberately smashed it downwards, it would shatter into powder."

  The truth is out, Zhang Rui is heartbroken. This jade pendant would be an antique if it could make it to the 21st century, probably a lifetime of food and drink wouldn't be a worry. But for a plaything like this, it's worth it.

  "Hmph, Zhang Rui, you're ruthless, dead farmer. We'll see who's walking in the future. We're leaving." Guo Tu was really miserable today, losing a jade pendant and also losing face, he left dejectedly with a few lackeys.

  The excitement has passed, and the students have also dispersed.

  "In the lower reaches of the Wei River, Xi Zhong said, 'Thank you, brother Zhi Bo, for your help just now. This jade pendant is worth a lot, I'll return it to you when I have money in the future.'"

  "Zhi Cai brother is too polite, although I have just met Zhi Cai brother for the first time, but we had a pleasant conversation, and I feel that we are very compatible, why don't we become sworn brothers?" Xi Zhi Cai was stunned, Gu Jia was completely speechless, it can be said that they had seen Zhang Rui's shamelessness.