147 You are so Beautiful (2/2)
Ning Que asked the next question quickly. ”Is there a regularity in the change of Primordial Qi?”
Prince Long Qing answered, ”Yes.”
”Does a locust tree have a root?”
”Yes.”
”Does a worm have life?”
”Yes.”
”Do normal people have minds?”
”Yes.”
”Does the Tang have an emperor?”
”Yes.”
”Does West-Hill have a doctrine?”
”Yes.”
…
…
Ning Que asked at a quicker and quicker speed, but these questions were so simple and had nothing with debating. Prince Long Qing also answered faster and faster. Their Q&A was as quick and clear as fried beans. People on the scene were so confused about what on earth he wanted to do. At that time, they heard the next question.
”Do socks have holes?”
”Sure.”
Prince Long Qing stopped speaking with his eyebrows lifting. Then he smiled, looking at Ning Que standing in the center of the place. It was like he was looking at a pitiful worm whose cleverness was grinded. He answered with an indifferent mood,
”No.”
The series of problems were vapid and even boring. However, because it concerned Prince Long Qing and had something to do with the conflict from before, people on the scene listened very carefully. When Ning Que asked, the students also thought together and answered with Prince Long Qing in their hearts. When Ning Que asked the last question, they even answered ”yes” in their hearts. Once they heard Prince Long Qing say ”no”, they were astonished after they understood that Ning Que had set up a language trap.
Situ Yilan frowned and thought for a while. Looking at Ning Que, she shook her head and said to Jin Wucai, ”What a pity, he couldn't make a fool of Prince Long Qing.”
Prince Long Qing was certainly the bigwig of the Judicial Department of West-Hill Divine Palace and the talent who attracted people. He was a player. However, he found that Ning Que asking him these questions was only to lure him into some mind-set—wanting him to make mistakes on these simple and stupid questions and wanting him to admit that socks have holes in front of people. So naturally, he would not fall into the trap.
He looked at Ning Que with pitiful expression, and said, ”I don't think that I listened to your question patiently. Yet in the end, you are just playing petty tricks, which truly disappoints me.”
Ning Que looked at him and smiled, then he shook his head after he was silent for a while, saying, ”Of course I'm playing some tricks. But it is a pity, Prince, that even you can't deal with the trick, which really disappoints me.”
No one understood what he said, they just thought he began to talk nonsense out of shame. Even the students who were alienated from him turned their heads, being reluctant to admit that they were classmates.
Ning Que shook his head, then looked down at Sangsang, saying, ”Remember the story that I told you in your childhood? How do the majority of bears die?”
”They die because of stupidity.”
Sangsang said, ”You were right on that day. Most of the men who are too-beautiful are stupid.”
Then she looked at Prince Long Qing and explained carefully, ”If there are no holes in socks, then how can you get your foot in?”
…
…
All the people became quiet again. The ones who figured it out were astonished and lowered their heads, shamefaced. The ones who did not figure it out could guess why the other people were astonished from their looks, but they had no time to lower their heads.
Lee Yu and Situ Yilan could not help but smile. But the people from West-Hill had a very embarrassed look. As well as Prince Long Qing himself, after Sangsang called him a stupid man and figured out that it was a language trap, his face clouded.
”Just now, I asked you and you also answered me. We all know Haotian has eyes. He just looks at everyone, we are just like worms living in Primordial Qi, so we should follow some rules.”
Ning Que looked at Prince Long Qing, saying quietly, ”These rules are the valuable words from the emperor or the Law of Tang in our Tang. In your West-Hill, it should be a sacred doctrine. No matter what it is, we should admit that everyone's private property shall not be infringed upon. Therefore, my things always belong to me. If I don't agree, you can't take it from me.”
Now people just realized his meaning was hiding behind these seemingly boring questions.
Ning Que continued to say, ”My asking you this question is to let you know this. Even though you give the answer that even a three-year-old boy knows, it is meaningless. The socks have holes surely, and my maid is mine as well. As long as I don't agree, you can't steal one Qian from me.”
Prince Long Qing stared at him and, after he was silent for a long time, laughed and said calmly, ”You make sense. But I also know other reasons. If you have no power, you can't protect your last penny.”
Ning Que smiled and asked, ”Prince, are you threatening me?”
Then he looked at Zeng Jing and Lee Yu, making a bow with his hands folded in front, and asked seriously, ”Princess, and Grand Secretary, he is threatening me. What shall I do?”
Grand Secretary Zeng Jing was surprised, and he smiled, ”Maybe you heard wrong. It won't happen.”
Lee Yu smiled and answered, ”Do you want to fight him just with your weak abilities?”
Suddenly, she said, ”However, I really don't know who dares to threaten my people in Chang'an City.”
That was the real threat.
Priest Moli was angry. He patted the table and was ready to stand up. However, just at that time, Prince Long Qing coldly looked at his teacher of previous years, suppressed him, and then looked at Ning Que, asking,
”You are also a student from the Academy. Can I see you on the Second Floor?”
Suddenly, some people answered, ”He didn't even pass the exam for the course of magic skills, so he can't enter the Second Floor.”
Zhong Dajun was the person who interrupted them. Just now, Ning Que's question embarrassed most of the people, and he felt the most awkward. At this time, when he heard Prince Long Qing ask the question to Ning Que, he first said Ning Que did not have the ability of cultivation, and had no qualifications to enter the Second Floor, which seemed to be a way that he could humiliate Ning Que.
Prince Long Qing looked at Ning Que and said, ”What a pity.”
Ning Que smiled after he was silent for a while, ”There is not much pity in the world.”
Sangsang pulled his sleeve and said for a second time, ”Young Master, let's go home.”
Ning Que looked at Zhong Dajun and his students. ”I know you are ashamed of being classmates with me. Today, you only think I just played a language game. I don't care what you think. I just want to remind you that you should put more attention on your study. If you can't answer this question that even three-year-old boys can, it will be time for me to be ashamed of you.”
After he said this, he gave a salute to Lee Yu and some officials, then he left with Sangsang.
He walked out of the yard, and said, ”The peerless talent... the hope of the world...''
Then he shook his head, and said, ”Pia, Pia!”
Hearing his voice, people were silent and embarrassed. Prince Long Qing's face was so ugly now.