It is never a good thing for officials to brawl; a reprimand would be a minor consequence, but if the reputation of the Hanlin Academy were compromised or the Emperor were enraged, the entire institution would face ruin.
Dislike one another as they might, they must never resort to physical violence. It is as if all those years of studying the classics have gone to waste. Do they not know that a gentleman uses his words, not his fists? They are of an age to be husbands and fathers, yet they bicker like children.
Zhao Yan just wanted to kick them both out of frustration. He had grown weary of playing the mediator and was now only overcome by a sense of defiance. Yang Yizhi’s anger was understandable, but Cáo Bóshān was incessantly aggressive, his words sharp and mean-spirited. It was detestable. Zhao Yan thought that if Cáo Bóshān could not control his own tongue, he ought to just donate it to someone else.
Chapter 362