If you traveled back to ancient times, while others ate Guanyin clay, you would actually have giant

Among these dozen or so children, only Li Qingsheng is probably of slightly higher status. Zhou Wu has gotten to know the other children somewhat over the past few days; most of them are offspring of ordinary concubines.

Zhou Wu guessed that it was precisely because these children were not the empire's key focus for training that they were assigned to teach them, even though Zhou Wu was only a half-baked teacher.

"Brother Xie, you're drunk. You can't drink anymore."

"Let go, let me drink."

“We know you’re upset, but what can we do? He was chosen by His Majesty.”

"Hmph, bullshit. Zhou Wu is nothing but a sycophant who rose to power. What real skills does he have? In what way am I, Xie Song, inferior to him?"

"Thank you for your discretion, Brother Xie."

Zhou Wu and his group were enjoying their meal upstairs when they heard loud conversations coming from downstairs, seemingly about them.

"Hey, it sounds like they're talking about you."

Li Qingsheng looked at Zhou Wu with a mocking expression, seemingly waiting to watch the drama unfold.

"I'm not deaf."

Zhou Wu initially wanted to let it go, since the other party was drunk and he couldn't recall having any conflict with him. However, he then heard a voice from below, which made him realize why the other party was unhappy with him.

"My teacher had already recommended me to teach the royal children in the palace, but all of that fell through because of Zhou Wu's appearance."

"We can only blame our bad luck."

It must have been a few students from the Imperial Academy who were unhappy because they were taking his place.

Zhou Wu thought to himself, "He's a pitiful person too, so I won't bother arguing with him."

"Have you finished eating?"

"Ah."

"Let's go then, it's getting late, we should head back."

As Zhou Wu led a group of kids downstairs to leave, they bumped right into the group from before.

"Zhou Wu!"

Zhou Wu left immediately, but he didn't expect that the other party would recognize him.

"Brother Xie, you're saying this is Zhou Wu?"

"Hmph, I'd recognize you even if you were ashes. We met at the poetry competition, Miss Shishi."

Zhou Wu shone brightly at the poetry competition where Li Shishi composed poems, overshadowing all the other talented scholars. Xie Song had even challenged Zhou Wu, but was humiliated because of the vast difference in their abilities. That's why Xie Song always remembered Zhou Wu and dreamed of avenging himself someday.

Who would have thought that before the shame of the past could be avenged, a new shame would arise.

Xie Song's eyes were already somewhat glazed over, perhaps emboldened by the alcohol, and he actually glared angrily at Zhou Wu.

"Sorry, I don't know you, but if you keep glaring at me, I'll gouge your eyes out."

Zhou Wu genuinely had no recollection of Xie Song and initially didn't want to pursue the matter, but that didn't mean he would refrain from retaliating when provoked.

"Haha, Zhou Wu, what a grand official you are! What do you have to be proud of? It's just a stroke of luck. I, a student of the Imperial Academy, am not even as good as a country bumpkin like you."

Xie Song felt deeply humiliated that he had never remembered Zhou Wu, yet his enemy had no recollection of him whatsoever.

"The Imperial Academy produced someone like you; it seems they're not very good after all."

As soon as Zhou Wu appeared, the scene immediately fell silent. Everyone was shocked, especially Xie Song and the few people around him, who were all students of the Imperial Academy.

Everyone in the Great Dragon Empire knows the status of the Imperial Academy. Entering the Imperial Academy is equivalent to having one foot already in the hands of the emperor.

"Zhou Wu, how dare you humiliate our Imperial Academy?"

Xie Song seemed to have found something to do with Zhou Wu and was extremely excited.

"No, I didn't insult the Imperial Academy, I was just talking about you."

"Stop trying to deny it. You are insulting the Imperial Academy. Fine, fine, you dare to insult the Imperial Academy, you just wait."

Xie Song left after uttering those harsh words.

Zhou Wu didn't take it seriously and led his students back to the palace.

. . . . . . . .

The next morning at court, memorials impeaching Zhou Wu flooded Li Tiancheng like snowflakes.

"Your Majesty, Zhou Wu has openly insulted the Imperial Academy. I request that Zhou Wu be punished."

“Your Majesty, Zhou Wu is the teacher of the princes and princesses, but as far as I know, Zhou Wu does not teach in the classroom every day. Instead, he takes the princes and princesses to play around. If this continues, not only will the princes and princesses not learn anything, but they will also be led astray by Zhou Wu.”

"Your subject requests that Zhou Wu be punished."

"I second the proposal."

The civil officials were mostly from powerful and influential families, and it seemed as if they had planned it all along, so they launched a coordinated attack on Zhou Wu.

Li Tiancheng never expected that simply arranging for Zhou Wu to teach would cause so much trouble.

Most importantly, it also involves the Imperial Academy, which has cultivated many talents for the imperial court.

Although, according to the spies, Zhou Wu was provoked first, the public's anger was hard to quell.

"Someone, summon Zhou Wu."

At times like these, Li Tiancheng felt a mixture of love and hate for Zhou Wu. He loved Zhou Wu because he was truly capable, but he also hated him because he was a real troublemaker.

Zhou Wu happened to be in the palace for class, so he quickly arrived at the morning court hall.

As soon as Zhou Wu entered, he saw the civil officials on his left staring at him with indignation, as if he had violated a divine law.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

"Zhou Wu, the civil officials impeached you, saying you insulted the Imperial Academy, didn't understand the true path, and even corrupted the royal family. What do you have to say in response?"

Li Tiancheng couldn't show too much favoritism towards Zhou Wu, so he called Zhou Wu over to let him explain himself.

Just as Zhou Wu was about to defend himself, an old man with white hair entered from outside the hall. Li Tiancheng took a closer look and realized that this was none other than Kong Yiji, the current Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

"Someone, quickly help him up."

Seeing the other person walking unsteadily with a cane, Li Tiancheng quickly asked someone to help him.

Kong Yiji was an eleventh-generation descendant of Confucius. He not only enjoyed absolute prestige in the literary world, but also had many disciples and grand-disciples in the imperial court, making him quite influential.

Regardless of the dynasty or the ruler, the descendants of the Kong family always treated the Kong family with the utmost respect.

"Your humble servant Kong Yiji pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"Master Kong, there's no need for such formalities. Please have a seat."

Kong Yiji was undoubtedly the first person to be granted a seat at the morning court session.

"I dare not. I have come today only because someone wishes to ask Your Majesty for confirmation."

As expected, the visitor was not friendly. Li Tiancheng knew that this person was definitely coming for Zhou Wu. He had originally planned to smooth things over, but with Kong Yiji's arrival, Li Tiancheng had to think about it again.

“If Chancellor Kong has something to do, he can just send someone to let him know. There’s no need for him to go through all this trouble to come in person.”

"Your Majesty, there are some matters that I would prefer to handle personally. I have heard that recently a favorite of Your Majesty has been speaking ill of our Imperial Academy. Since its establishment, the Imperial Academy has had six Chancellors from the previous dynasty to the present. Who has not given the Imperial Academy a thumbs up? I cannot allow it to be smeared in my generation. After I die, how will I have the face to meet my sage Confucius?"