Dugu Xiaojin stepped forward, a sweeping leg kick, and before the students of Tiantong Class could react, they were screaming in pain as they fell one by one to the ground, all knocked over by Dugu Xiaojin.
The children started crying.
A male teacher hurried over, and seeing the children on the ground with bruised faces, he became instantly furious.
"Dugu Xiaojin, why is it you again?"
The incident of Dugu Xiaojin driving away Dongfang Jin was known by all at the Imperial Academy, and the male teachers there all felt it was unfair to the Imperial Grandson, who was an excellent student. They were displeased that Sacrificial Officer Guo favored Dugu Xiaojin and, for the sake of promoting the second over the first, dismissed the other.
Sacrificial Officer Guo must be getting too old, senile indeed.
Dugu Xiaojin greeted with a bow.
"They were blocking the door first."
"You dare to lie? I only saw you tripping your peers but didn’t see them stopping you."
This Dr. Zhao was notoriously snobbish, always favoring noble students and scornful towards those of commoner background.
Other students’ parents had shown their faces at the start of school, but Dugu Xiaojin’s family had never been seen. He always walked to school alone, surely his family must be very poor.
Dr. Zhao glared and grumbled.
"Dugu Xiaojin, I heard that yesterday you even plucked Sacrificial Officer Guo’s favorite orchid. How preposterous. Go call your parents over, I really must ask them how they educate their child."
Dugu Xiaojin bit her lip and remained silent.
"If you don’t bring your parents here today, you won’t need to stay at the Imperial Academy anymore. Don’t think that Sacrificial Officer Guo can always protect you, he is getting old and plans to retire soon."
Dr. Zhao privately thought that by driving away Dugu Xiaojin, he would be avenging the Imperial Grandson, and both Grandmaster Mansion and Crown Prince Mansion would be pleased, he might even become the new Sacrificial Officer of the Imperial Academy.
"Dugu Xiaojin, call your mother over."
"Call your father over."
The nearby children said gleefully.
"It seems you intend to disregard my words, showing no respect for your elders, you are simply beyond help."
Saying this, Dr. Zhao grabbed Dugu Xiaojin and dragged him inside.
Seeing this scene, Feng Bailing was furious, she wanted to rush out, but then she thought again, this being the Imperial Academy, if a student from Yuxiu Academy barged in, it could get back to Yuxiu Academy.
She had just returned to Yuxiu Academy, better to keep a low profile.
She remembered that yesterday Prince Wu had mentioned something about seeds, he would be visiting nearby villages in the next few days.
Half an hour later, Feng Bailing found Prince Wu visiting a village, she grabbed him without regard for his surprised look, and they left.
"Either call your parents here or pack your things and leave the Imperial Academy, we do not welcome students who engage in sneaky tricks and have bad conduct."
Dr. Zhao scolded Dugu Xiaojin.
Dugu Xiaojin was silent, uncertain how to face the situation.
And then a cold voice came.
"How is my son misbehaving?"
"You— you are Dugu Xiaojin’s father?"
Dr. Zhao, initially arrogant, displayed a trace of astonishment, faced with the tall, handsome, and imposing man, who did not look ordinary.
But upon looking further, Mr. Zhao saw Dugu Wu leaning on a pair of crutches, dressed in simple coarse clothes.
Dugu Wu visited the village today and dressed plainly for convenience.
No wonder Xiaojin dislikes having his parents over—his father seems to be a cripple, and his mother must also be a monster or another cripple. Mr. Zhao suddenly felt more confident.
"So, you are Xiaojin’s father. It’s good that you’re here, see for yourself how you have taught your son. He beat up his classmate, even stole flowers from Sacrificial Officer Guo, and furthermore, he talked back to me. A father’s failure in upbringing is your fault—you are unworthy as a parent."
Dr. Zhao lashed out at Dugu Wu.
He thought he could make the cripple unable to raise his head and kneel in apology, but upon hearing this, Dugu Wu just sneered.
Xiaojin could hardly bear to listen anymore.
He wanted to tell Dr. Zhao that his father had a bad temper and aside from Emperor Yongye, no one else dared to speak to him in such manner.
"How preposterous, you dare to laugh? Is your brain not functioning correctly?"
Mr. Zhao was aggravated by Dugu Wu’s attitude.
"I’m laughing at how someone like you could even be a doctor at the Imperial Academy?"
"You cripple, you dare to speak so arrogantly? I am a legitimate doctor of the Imperial Academy, with knowledge in astronomy, geography, and history over the past five thousand years. Besides Sacrificial Officer Guo, my scholarship ranks among the highest at the Academy."
Dugu Wu slightly curled his lips.
"This doctor, then let me ask you, how many people are there in Great Chu, what’s the annual tax revenue, and how many cities are there?"
Dr. Zhao was stumped by the question.
"Let me ask you another question—imagine a wall five feet thick, two mice start burrowing from opposite sides. The bigger mouse progresses one foot on the first day and doubles the distance subsequently; the smaller mouse also makes it one foot on the first day but halves its progress each day. How many days will it take for the two mice to meet, and how many feet will each have burrowed?"
Dr. Zhao couldn’t even remember the question.
Dugu Wu rattled off in a foreign language which Dr. Zhao did not understand at all.
"If you’re not good with literature, then let me ask, do you know how to shoot arrows, ride horses, wield swords and spears, or strategize in military tactics?"
Dr. Zhao’s face turned bright red; he knew none of what Dugu Wu mentioned.
"A failure in both arts and martial skills, yet you dare to be a doctor in the Imperial Academy, claiming to be the foremost academic institution in Great Chu?"
"You, a cripple, what do you know?"
Dr. Zhao was furious.
The deputy dean of the Imperial Academy, Dean Zhang, ran over, gasping for breath.
Upon seeing Dugu Wu, he quickly bowed.
"Zhao Chang, how unthinkable! Who allowed you to speak to Prince Wu in this manner? From today onwards, there’s no need for you to come to the Imperial Academy anymore. Do you not know that the land of the Academy was d by Prince Shun during his lifetime? Xiaojin is the grandson of Prince Shun, and Prince Wu is Xiaojin’s father."
Dean Zhang was sweating profusely.
What—this cripple is actually Prince Wu!
And Xiaojin is the grandson of Prince Shun.
Dr. Zhao was so shocked that his face turned pale, and he fainted.