Chapter 131: Turned Away at the Door Three Times

"The Master of the Mohist School is truly going too far, using the reputation of the late Prime Minister Du to seek personal fame and acclaim."

"I used to admire the Master of the Mohist School, but I never imagined he would be this kind of person!"

"No wonder Young Master Du threw him out of the mansion; he brought this humiliation upon himself!"

...

Before long, news of Du He casting Merton out of the Du mansion spread like wildfire, becoming the talk of every street and alley.

The Du family was a distinguished clan in Chang'an with a history spanning a thousand years. Their influence was deeply rooted and their power immense. Furthermore, Du Ruhui’s reputation in Chang'an remained at its zenith; having passed away only four years prior, he was still widely remembered as a virtuous statesman.

In an instant, the reputation of the Master of the Mohist School was in critical jeopardy. Throughout the imperial court and among the common people, mention of Merton was met with nothing but furrowed brows.

"The reputation of the Master of the Mohist School is truly ruined now! He couldn't even step through the gates of the Duke of Jiangzhong’s mansion before being driven out," Du He said in the Jiaosifang, brimming with excitement as he spoke to Zhangsun Chong and Yan Xingjian.

The Duke of Jiangzhong they referred to was the title of Qutu Tong, a founding general of the Great Tang who had passed away in the first year of the Zhenguan era. At that time, Merton was likely still just a small child, and the Qutu family naturally did not trust him.

"Good! So, Master of the Mohist School, you have a day like this, do you? From now on, let’s see how you can ever hold your head up in Chang'an again!" Zhangsun Chong laughed heartily.

Merton had repeatedly ruined his plans—first by causing him to lose face at the Jiaosifang, and then by obstructing his marriage to Princess Changle. Zhangsun Chong had come to loathe Merton. When Tie An arrived at the Du mansion to request a portrait of Du Ruhui, Zhangsun Chong happened to be there, and he realized his chance for revenge had arrived.

As expected, with a little provocation, Du He flew into a rage, leading to the conflict at the Du mansion gates. Moreover, it was Zhangsun Chong who orchestrated the subsequent incidents where Merton was driven out of both the Du and Qutu households; otherwise, the news would not have spread across Chang'an so rapidly.

"Brother Yan, I leave the portrait of my father to you," Du He said, bowing to Yan Xingjian.

"Rest assured, Brother Du. My uncle has thoroughly mastered the new painting techniques after much study. Furthermore, he served in the court alongside Prime Minister Du and was intimately familiar with him. Yesterday, I relayed your request to my uncle, and he has already given his consent," Yan Xingjian said proudly.

Yan Xingjian had previously tried to step on Merton to climb the social ladder, only to be soundly humiliated by him. He held a deep grudge, and upon hearing of the plan to deal with the Master of the Mohist School, he spared no effort.

"Excellent! With Master Yan taking charge, the portrait of Prime Minister Du will surely be flawless. Master of the Mohist School, let’s see how you recover from this," Zhangsun Chong laughed gleefully.

Du He’s hostility toward Merton was not mere recklessness, but a calculated move. On one hand, he genuinely did not believe Merton was capable of painting Du Ruhui; on the other, he had a backup plan in the renowned master painter, Yan Liben.

With no further worries, Du He felt free to deny Merton any dignity, casting him out immediately. Furthermore, he had coordinated with the Qutu family, and Zhangsun Chong had done the same with the remaining two families, those of Zhang Gongjin and Yin Kaishan. They sat waiting to watch the Master of the Mohist School become a laughingstock.

"Good! Someone, go and spread the news that the Master of the Mohist School has been cast out of the Duke of Jiangzhong’s mansion as well!" Zhangsun Chong commanded.

"Yes!" A servant immediately rushed out.

Soon, the news that the Master of the Mohist School had once again been driven from a home reached every corner of Chang'an. The city was in an uproar; compared to Du Ruhui, Qutu Tong’s reputation in Chang'an was no less formidable.

During the Sui Dynasty, Qutu Tong had been appointed as the guardian of Chang'an by Yang Guang. After surrendering to the Great Tang, he held high office and had always been a prominent figure in the city.

"To think the Master of the Mohist School is so incorrigible that he dares to scheme against the Duke of Jiangzhong!" an old man in his fifties remarked indignantly. Having lived through both the Sui and Tang dynasties, he held Qutu Tong in high regard.

"I think the Master of the Mohist School has become too arrogant and lost his way lately!"

"To be so ignorant of the heavens and earth, using a late hero to seek fame—I must have been blind to ever trust him."

"If the character of the Master of the Mohist School is this wretched, then the Mohist Village must be a den of iniquity. I won't buy anything from the Mohist Village ever again." Unscrupulous merchants fanned the flames behind the scenes to suppress the business of the Mohist Village.

In a short time, the reputation of the Master of the Mohist School was completely tarnished.

Merton’s next destination was the Duke of Zou’s mansion. The Duke of Zou, Zhang Gongjin, had passed away in the sixth year of the Zhenguan era, and his eldest son, Zhang Daxiang, had inherited the title.

In front of the Duke of Zou’s mansion, Tie An looked at the tightly shut gates with frustration. He glanced at his young master with concern, only to find Merton looking perfectly calm, showing no signs of anger.

"Young Master!" Tie An called out worriedly. He knew that the more Merton remained silent, the more his anger was likely building up.

"I am fine," Merton waved his hand.

He knew that someone must be pulling strings behind the scenes; otherwise, these three families would not have been so uniform in their actions, refusing even to grant him a chance. This suggested that these families felt secure in offending him because they already had someone else lined up to paint the three dukes.

Unless they were absolutely certain, he believed that no noble family—no matter how foolish—would willingly forfeit the honor of having their ancestor placed in the Lingyan Pavilion, especially not all three at once.

Someone who could offend him, influence the ducal families, and have the confidence to provide portraits of the three dukes—Merton couldn't help but recall the group he had encountered in the Jiaosifang, led by Du He.

"Young Master, perhaps we should return and think of another way," Tie An urged.

Merton shook his head and said, "Go to the next one!"

At the Duke of Yun-Jie’s mansion, a crowd of curious onlookers and spies sent to gather information had already gathered. Since the news of the Master of the Mohist School being turned away three times had spread so widely, it was easy for people to guess that his final stop would be here.

"Do you think the Master of the Mohist School is too afraid to come?" a young man dressed as a servant in green robes peered toward the end of the street.

"If it were me, I wouldn't come either. Why invite such humiliation?" someone replied, shaking his head.

"He deserves it. Who told him to use a late hero for his own vanity?" the servant in green said, feigning indignation.

Such conversations occurred frequently in the crowd, with one or two individuals tirelessly slandering Merton. Before long, many began to harbor genuine malice toward him.

"He's here! The Master of the Mohist School is here!" The servant in green caught sight of the carriage bearing the Mohist Village emblem and shouted, his voice filled with excitement.

"What? He actually dared to come!" The crowd grew agitated.

With a creak, the carriage stopped. A coachman as sturdy as an iron tower pulled back the curtain, and a refined young man leaped down.

"Ah! Is that the Master of the Mohist School?"

"I didn't expect someone so young to be so calculating."

"What a pity, with that appearance!"

The crowd watched Merton and whispered among themselves.

"Tie An!" Merton ignored the gossip and turned to call out.

Tie An understood and walked toward the Duke of Yun-Jie’s mansion.

The onlookers wore expressions of anticipation, waiting to see the Master of the Mohist School driven away once again.