CWTGD Chapter 292: Repeated Humiliation

As Tang Ning stood up, she finally saw Emperor An’s face, but her gaze only lingered for a moment before she froze.

Since her rebirth, she had never entered the palace, so she had not seen Emperor An. However, before her rebirth, she had seen him many times. In her memories, Empress Lu often summoned her to the palace, and whenever there were palace banquets, she would see the emperor. Though Emperor An wasn’t young, being in his forties, he was still in the prime of his life.

Despite being suppressed by the noble families after his ascension, Emperor An still exuded imperial authority. He was strong in build, good-looking, and spoke with great dignity. However, the man in front of her had deep-set eyes and high cheekbones, and though his complexion appeared normal, his dragon robe looked empty around his waist. Even his speech lacked the strength he once had...

The man before her seemed like a completely different person from the emperor she remembered, almost unrecognizable.

Tang Ning couldn’t help but feel surprised but didn’t show any emotion on her face.

Emperor An didn’t notice her reaction. Instead, he glanced at the people outside and asked, “When will the academy be opened?”

Tang Ning respectfully answered, “We were waiting for Your Majesty to arrive. Now that you’ve arrived, we can open it at any time.”

“Then let’s begin.”

The Wen De Monument of the academy was placed outside the gate, where anyone could see it. After Emperor An personally granted it, the palace had sent the finest stone to make it. The monument was about seven or eight feet high, with five or six guards carrying it to the academy’s gate. When they placed it down with a loud thud, everyone’s gaze immediately turned to the monument, their eyes full of longing.

The elderly Lord Ding, who had previously scolded Cui Lin, stepped forward. “In the eleventh year of Yonghe, the Azure Dragon wept in the Sūn Tan, the Frost Moon’s spirit, on the day of the first month, the eldest daughter of the Rong family, Tang Ning, in respect for the sage Confucius, built the Rongsheng Academy to help the world’s scholars. The emperor has blessed it, so this monument is erected to commemorate it, marking its eternal legacy.”

Tang Ning stood in front of the academy, and all eyes were on her.

She walked up confidently and stood beside Lord Ding. “The academy has received the emperor’s favor, and the Wen De Monument has been granted to record the merits of spreading education. May the academy benefit the world and scholars alike. I, Tang Ning, am unworthy, but I hope to invite scholars of ambition from all over the world. In the future, when the Wen De Monument is full, I hope to record everyone’s achievements for posterity.”

Once these words were spoken, not only the officials from the reformed faction but also noble families like Cui Lin’s, who were watching the covered stone monument, looked eager.

Who wouldn’t want their name to be immortalized? Who wouldn’t want their name to be remembered in history?

Even those noble families, who valued profits, were still concerned about such honors. Watching Tang Ning invite Cao Dejiang and Lu Chongyuan to step forward to unveil and hang the plaque, Cui Lin couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Cao Dejiang could be excused, as he was from the reformed faction and had always been hypocritical. But Lu Chongyuan and Tang Ning had a feud, yet she still invited him.

Even though Tang Ning invited Lu Chongyuan to hang the plaque to show the noble families' "stance" and prevent them from suppressing the academy, Cui Lin still felt dissatisfied. Why had Tang Ning invited Lu Chongyuan and not him? Was Cui family inferior to the Lu family in some way?

Just as Lu Chongyuan stepped forward to lift the plaque and remove the red silk, preparing to hang it up, Xiao Yan suddenly spoke up.

“Wait.”

Lu Chongyuan froze.

Xiao Yan turned to Emperor An, saying, “Since the Rongsheng Academy was personally sanctioned by Your Majesty, and since you’ve come today, there are thousands of scholars gathered here, and it’s a grand opening, why not give the academy another grace?”

Emperor An was intrigued. “What kind of grace?”

Xiao Yan pointed to the plaque. “Lu Zhongshu is from a noble family, but the Rongsheng Academy is meant to accommodate the children of humble origins. Although he means well in supporting it, having him propose the name of the academy seems imperfect. Most scholars are concerned about their reputations, and with the recent incident involving the Lu family…”

He stopped there, not finishing his sentence. He then turned to Emperor An and said, “Since His Majesty is here in person, why not leave a calligraphy inscription for the academy? This way, the scholars who enter the academy in the future will feel blessed by Your Majesty, and they can also admire the emperor’s handwriting.”

Emperor An, hearing this, was somewhat moved.

Everyone likes to hear good things, especially since Emperor An had high hopes for the academy. He also hoped it could train scholars from humble backgrounds and bring them into the court, which would counterbalance the power of the noble families. Naturally, he wouldn’t refuse the opportunity to build his reputation.

However, he glanced at Lu Chongyuan, who was standing nearby, and said, “Lu Qing has already written the inscription…”

“The characters of Lu Zhongshu are no match for those of Your Majesty.” Xiao Yan’s voice was cold and indifferent as he looked at Lu Chongyuan. “Lu Zhongshu is broad-minded, so he surely wouldn’t care about such trivial matters. Since this is for the academy and for the benefit of all scholars, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind letting His Majesty write the inscription.”

The officials standing outside the academy quickly realized something was off and fell silent. Even Cui Lin, who had been angry earlier, couldn’t help but glance at Lu Chongyuan.

Lu Chongyuan’s grip on the plaque tightened, and even though he had been through many difficult situations and dealt with countless troublesome people, he still felt deeply embarrassed at this moment.

If he had never written the plaque, anyone could have written it. But he had written it first.

Xiao Yan had purposely chosen this moment to bring it up, as if he were deliberately stepping on his and the Lu family’s dignity!

But there were too many eyes on him, and Emperor An was present.

Lu Chongyuan clenched his teeth, his throat full of the taste of blood. He lowered his head and said quietly, “All scholars are the emperor’s students, and in the future, they will serve the court. As an old official, I naturally consent.”

Xiao Yan smiled brightly. “Your Majesty, what do you think?”

Emperor An glanced at Lu Chongyuan, who was standing there with his head lowered. “Since Lu Qing has said so, then I shall agree.”

Tang Ning smiled and said, “Hang Li, go get the ink and brush!”

Soon, someone brought the ink and brush, and Emperor An, in high spirits, wrote the inscription for the academy in front of everyone. Afterward, seeing Xiao Yan instructing people to remove the plaque Lu Chongyuan had written and replacing it with Emperor An’s, the original paper was casually rolled up and handed back to Lu Chongyuan.

The officials couldn’t help but look at the Lu family father and son. Even the previously impressive Wen De Monument now seemed insignificant compared to the commotion surrounding the Lu family.

Lu Chongyuan, though embarrassed, tried to maintain his composure, but Lu Qin’s face was already as dark as a pot. His gaze at Xiao Yan and Tang Ning was full of malice.

As firecrackers went off in front of the academy, the smoke made everyone step back. Tang Ning moved away, watching as everyone attended to the emperor. She quietly instructed people to prepare tea.

When she turned to head outside the academy, she found that Lu Qin had blocked her path without her noticing.
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