The expression on Duke Yansheng’s face could no longer be described as merely ugly. His plump, fleshy face flickered from pale to crimson. A swirling mixture of anger, grief, helplessness, pride, and humiliation brewed within him, gathering like a storm waiting to break.
*I am the Duke Yansheng!* he thought. *The Duke Yansheng, whom emperors of every dynasty have held in the highest esteem! The leader of all scholars in the realm! How dare you soldiers treat me this way? Are you not afraid of being denounced by all the literati under heaven, of being set upon by the collective wrath of the people?*
At the thought of the common people, a sudden burst of courage surged through Kong Yinzhi. He took a deep breath, preparing to speak. But before he could utter a word, the Magistrate of Qufu, Kong Hongyi, hurriedly reached out and clamped a hand over his mouth. "Don’t say it," he hissed. "You’ll get us killed."
Chapter 327