Wang Sheng and Liu Kui were furious and terrified when their page betrayed them.

"No, we didn't mean it, we were just joking!" Wang Sheng tried to cover it up, but even he didn't believe his own excuse.

Soon, the dean's attendant returned, carrying a palm-sized porcelain jar filled with light yellow "bean powder"!

Mr. Cheng knew a little about medicine. He lowered his head and sniffed the air, and his last shred of hope vanished.

He sighed and said, "This is croton powder! This small jar is probably enough for the entire academy to run to the toilet for three days. If someone is weak, they might even die!"

Now, Dean Zhou, Mr. Peng, and Mr. Geng have completely hardened their hearts.

If they claim they only plotted against the Li family once, it could be said that it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, a miscalculation.

But one plan after another failed, and they were determined to fight the Li family to the end, completely disregarding whether it would implicate the academy.

Such a person cannot be kept alive.

Dean Zhou cupped his hands in greeting and said to Dongmei, "We must hear the truth from them."

Dongmei immediately stepped forward and made Liu Kui and Wang Sheng experience the same suffering that Moxiang had endured.

Unexpectedly, the two were even worse than Mo Xiang, crying with snot and tears all over their faces and their bodies were wet. Dong Mei disgustedly withdrew her foot and rubbed it on the ground.

Wang Sheng and Liu Kui vied to confess.

Wang Sheng, fearing he was too slow, shouted, "Our Wang family has a grudge against the Li family. Li Zhensheng is an ingrate. He eats our food, drinks our drinks, and then smears our family, making our entire clan ashamed to face anyone!"

Liu Kui chimed in, "My sister married into the Yan family, but the Yan family was driven out of the capital. My sister has to go back to her hometown and can never come back. I'm so angry..."

The two were initially a little apprehensive, but as they talked, they began to feel more confident and justified.

It's as if their revenge is doing the people a favor, and it's not a wrong thing to do!

The Li family didn't want to waste their breath arguing with them.

After all, the feud between the Li family and the Wang and Yan families could not be explained in less than an hour or two.

Li Laosan simply held up the wooden sign and stepped forward to ask them, "Where did you get this wooden sign? It's so exquisitely crafted, you couldn't possibly have access to it. Someone must be helping you behind the scenes, or you're being used as pawns by someone else!"

Wang Sheng and Liu Kui exchanged a glance, and Wang Sheng insisted, "This brand is a toy I had when I was a child. I only take it out to use occasionally when I see it."

This was clearly a lie. Ye Shan and Dong Mei took turns going up to "teach" the two a lesson, but they just wouldn't change their story.

Li Lao Er could only gesture for Ye Shan and Dong Mei to leave. Finally, he said to Dean Zhou and the others, "Dean, gentlemen, things have come to this point, and it's clear now. Our Li family will continue to investigate the matter behind it, but we ask the academy to deal with these two students as soon as possible."

Mr. Cheng felt as if he had been slapped twice in the face.

He was just protecting those two little bastards, but he never expected them to actually commit such evil deeds, and not just one or two...

At this moment, he stood up and said, "Dean, these two must be expelled. The academy cannot keep such a menace!"

Mr. Peng and Mr. Geng nodded in agreement, "He must be dismissed, otherwise there will be endless troubles."

Liu Kui and Wang Sheng thought they could get away with it by getting a few lashes, but they never expected to be expelled!

The two were startled, and forgetting their disheveled state, they crawled forward like maggots, then grabbed the dean's feet and begged for mercy.

"Dean, we know we were wrong, sob sob, please don't expel us!"

"Dean, have mercy! We're about to take the imperial examination! Waaah, if we get expelled, where will we study... We were just joking, we didn't mean to hurt anyone!"

Dean Zhou completely ignored them and instructed Mr. Cheng, "Lock them up in the disciplinary hall. Tomorrow, invite their family members over, gather all the faculty and students, suspend classes, and hold a meeting. Everyone must take this as a warning!"

"Yes, Dean."

Mr. Cheng instructed his servants to help, and they dragged Wang Sheng, Liu Kui, and the young pageboy out together.

Wang Sheng and Liu Kui continued to cry out, but their mouths were quickly gagged.

The room finally quieted down, making the atmosphere somewhat awkward.

At this moment, the old woman next to Madam Zhou came over to greet her and said, "Director, Madam says the banquet is ready. Please take your seats with the guests."

Dean Zhou coughed twice, stood up, and invited the Li family and Mr. Wen, "It's getting late, it's almost dinner time. If you don't mind, please stay for a simple meal."

That old woman had been with Madam Zhou since childhood. After she came as part of her dowry, she married into the Zhou family and was practically a mistress.

At this moment, she said with a smile, "Dean, you don't know, our distinguished guest will certainly not mind the dishes tonight. Madam was having a headache about what to prepare, but then the cafeteria sent over four large food boxes, and we just had to put them on the table and everything was fine."

Dean Zhou's expression immediately improved upon hearing this. The Li family's actions were truly meticulous and thorough, deserving of praise.

In fact, the Li family saved the academy's life today.

Otherwise, just as Uncle Li said, if a commotion breaks out in the examination hall, no matter which side suffers, the reputation of Luo'an Academy will be ruined!

"Thank you all so much for your understanding and consideration for the bigger picture. We should have been the ones to host a banquet to express our gratitude, but we didn't expect that your family would have to spend so much money!"

Dean Zhou bowed and thanked him, then gestured to lead Li Lao Er and the others toward the flower hall.

The three Li brothers and Imperial Censor Wen naturally exchanged a few polite words, and in no time, the awkwardness of the moment was forgotten, and everyone became friendly and lively again.

Li Lao Er used the excuse of having to attend evening classes to send Jia Ren and Jia Li back to the school dormitory.

Leaving aside the drinking and laughing at Dean Zhou's home, Jiaren and Jiali hurriedly went back to the cafeteria for a quick bite before rushing back to their dormitories.

Since Mr. Peng is also at the dinner table, the students will have to review their lessons on their own tonight.

This is similar to evening self-study sessions in school in my previous life, but without teachers supervising.

The students wouldn't let such a good opportunity pass them by. Although they didn't dare to run, jump, or play around, they could still make some small movements and whisper to each other.

The students sitting around Jiaren were all close to him.

Just then, the student in the front row leaned up to Jiaren and said mysteriously, "Jiaren, did you know? Liu Kui and Wang Sheng seem to have gotten into trouble. They've been arrested!"

Jiaren opened the book and simply replied, "Yes, I know."

"Oh dear, what do you know?" The student, who had a bellyful of gossip he couldn't share, hurriedly slammed Jiaren's book shut.

He lowered his voice and continued, "I mean, they were tied up, gagged, and carried away! The man who captured them was over ten feet tall, with broad shoulders and a burly build. I heard that when the patrol team saw him, they didn't dare to stop him!"

Before Jiaren could even speak, several students nearby enthusiastically chimed in.

"Really? I heard they were sleeping in a thatched pavilion on the other side of the woods when they were dragged into the woods by wild animals."

"Yes, I also heard that they were eaten by wild animals. I heard that only their clothes were found, and their bones were eaten by wild animals without leaving a trace!"

"Oh dear, that's scary! What did the academy say? Are they going to raise the walls?"

"Someone just came to inform us that there will be a college-wide meeting tomorrow. Could it be that they're going to talk about this?"

Everyone was talking at once, creating quite a lively atmosphere.

Jiaren, the only one in the know, found it all quite amusing as these people's stories became increasingly outrageous.

He thought for a moment, and to avoid being blamed by them tomorrow, he simply revealed a few words: "Don't speculate. Liu Kui and Wang Sheng are not in mortal danger. They have been sent to the Disciplinary Hall. You will find out the specifics at the general meeting tomorrow!"

Served at midnight~~