Gu Fangchen had done it on purpose.
He hadn't come today to actually attend the banquet. To put it plainly, he had come specifically to cause trouble!
What was the Qionglin Banquet?
It was a feast held for the newly appointed top scholar and successful examinees, filled with Confucian disciples, a complete home ground for Gu Yuandao.
If Gu Fangchen entered honestly and respectfully, wouldn't that only give his opponent more room to shine? Gu Yuandao would be the host, and he the guest; his momentum would already be weaker from the start.
So he pulled the tiger skin of the Grandmaster's title and had the guards announce her arrival in advance. None of these people would dare imagine someone impersonating the Grandmaster. Thus, even the most powerful Divine Dao cultivators would not use divine sense to investigate beforehand.
Naturally, no one would know who it really was.
All those salutes meant for the Grandmaster, were now given to Gu Fangchen instead!
Gu Yuandao at least had only cupped his hands and bowed, but several elderly ministers behind him had gone straight to their knees. When they saw it was Gu Fangchen entering, their old faces turned green in an instant.
Gu Yuandao's face went dark. He straightened, flicked his sleeve sharply, and shouted through clenched teeth, "Gu Fangchen! You dare impersonate the Grandmaster?!"
Gu Fangchen shook his fan, stepped forward, and chuckled.
"The Grandmaster is far too busy. How could she possibly spare time to attend the Qionglin Banquet to congratulate a top scholar who has achieved nothing?"
"Gu Yuandao, you're taking yourself a bit too seriously."
That light remark stabbed cleanly into Gu Yuandao's heart, making his fists clench tight.
Gu Fangchen knew this "former teammate" all too well.
In Mirror in the Dust, from the player's perspective, Gu Yuandao was the representative figure of the younger generation's Confucian faction, tied to both the imperial court and the immortal sects. Nearly every quest involved him in some way; their paths crossed frequently.
If a player chose the Confucian route, Gu Yuandao was the best companion, upright in character, strong in ability, deeply connected, and highly respected.
Once his favorability was raised high enough, many quests could be cleared with just a word from him.
While building rapport, Gu Fangchen had naturally noticed that Gu Yuandao possessed an intense pride and competitiveness.
At the time, he had assumed it came from Gu Yuandao's impoverished youth.
Now, as this unfortunate fake heir himself, Gu Fangchen realized the blame lay squarely with the Northern Garrison Prince.
The man's parenting method never changed, whether toward Gu Fangchen or Gu Yuandao, suppression was his constant approach. The only difference was that Gu Yuandao had Gu Fangchen as a worse comparison and his own competence to rely on, making his situation slightly better.
But with such a war-saint father pressing down from above, Gu Yuandao's thirst for recognition and validation could never be hidden.
Therefore, the best way to destroy him, was to make him realize his own "incompetence."
No further action was needed. The crack in Gu Yuandao's heart would only grow wider on its own.
Gu Yuandao stared coldly at Gu Fangchen, voice low.
"Ridiculous. Lawless and arrogant. Do you think this is still the princely manor, where Mother can protect you?"
If this was just to humiliate him publicly, then Gu Fangchen had miscalculated.
Such shallow and presumptuous behavior would only offend everyone at the Qionglin Banquet. Everyone he mocked would unite in anger beside Gu Yuandao.
Who was a mere pebble, and who a true pearl?
The scholars and officials in this Qionglin Garden could all see it clearly.
Gu Yuandao still managed to hold his composure, but the elderly ministers behind him had already turned red with fury. One of them stormed forward, face flushed, pointing at Gu Fangchen and shouting,
"You insolent wretch! To impersonate the Grandmaster, do you even know what a grave crime that is?!"
Gu Fangchen raised an eyebrow and glanced at the impeccably dressed old man, then asked humbly,
"My apologies, my lord, I truly don't. Would you enlighten me, just how grave a crime is it?"
"Tell me, is it enough to execute all nine generations of my family?"
The old man froze.
Was this person for real?
He accused him of a capital crime, yet the man wasn't afraid, he even asked if it was enough for extermination of nine clans! It was as if he wanted it to be!
The old man's face darkened further as he prepared to speak, but then he suddenly realized who stood before him...
The imperial decree had not yet been issued. Gu Fangchen was still, in title, the heir of the Northern Garrison Prince.
The son of the Northern Garrison Prince in name.
For someone of that status to impersonate the Grandmaster at the Qionglin Banquet and deceive so many literati and officials, by the laws of Great Wei, yes, it was indeed a crime punishable by extermination of nine clans...
But could he say that aloud?
If nine clans were to be executed, the first to die would be the Northern Garrison Prince himself.
The second would be the very star of today's Qionglin Banquet, Gu Yuandao.
That blow landed right back in their faces.
The old minister found himself caught between advancing and retreating, and finally shut his mouth in frustration.
Everyone else was also taken aback.
Their impression of Gu Fangchen had always been that of a brainless fool. His impersonation of the Grandmaster had made them furious, yes, but also amused.
Only a fool would dare such a stunt, so easy to catch, thinking himself clever while handing others the blade.
Yet, with just a few exchanges, Gu Fangchen had held his ground effortlessly.
He had even silenced the questioning minister completely.
Because his words were simple yet deadly, he was essentially sticking out his own neck and asking, "Do you dare to execute my nine clans?"
What a ridiculous question... Other than the Yong'an Emperor, who would dare execute the Northern Garrison Prince's nine clans?
Even the Emperor himself would think twice before moving against that man.
There was no way this was something a fool could have said!
Gu Yuandao, who had long experienced Gu Fangchen's sharp tongue, kept his face cold.
"Extermination of nine clans may be too much, but sending you into the Demon-Suppression Prison would suffice."
The Demon-Suppression Prison differed from ordinary jails; it was the highest-level confinement in Great Wei, meant for demons and heretics who threatened the very order of the nation.
Gu Fangchen smiled.
"In theory, that's true. But haven't you noticed, hmm, the Blood-Robe Guards haven't arrived yet?"
Gu Yuandao, returning from humiliation and anger to reason, drew in a deep breath. His heart sank.
Impossible...
It was one thing for the Grandmaster to send him a gift, but would she really send this man to attend the Qionglin Banquet in her stead?
Gu Fangchen leisurely took out an invitation from his robe.
"See for yourself. This is the Grandmaster's own invitation. She was too busy to come, so she sent me to represent her. If anyone is unhappy, take it up with her."
And that wasn't all.
With a flip of his palm, he produced the scroll that had been delivered by the white crane. He carefully rolled it back up and tied it again with a red silk ribbon in a neat butterfly knot.
"I've heard many people lately are quite interested in the Northern Garrison Prince's private affairs, namely, whether Gu Yuandao or I carry his true bloodline."
"So I asked the Grandmaster personally."
He held the scroll out toward Gu Yuandao, smiling brightly.
"This is the result of her divination. Do you dare to look?"
Gu Yuandao's pupils contracted. His hand trembled, but he could not raise it.
The people behind him erupted in an uproar.
Gu Fangchen had entered and, in quick succession, thrown out two "Do you dare"s.
And both had gone unanswered.
At the very start of this Qionglin Banquet, the one who stole the spotlight completely, was Gu Fangchen.