Chapter 64 Chapter 64 If anything happens to you, I will...

Who's in there? Xiaoman looked at Wu Yong and asked.

Wu Yong plucked a broomstick and wrote the word "Li" on the ground. After a pause, he scratched out the word "Zhuangyuan".

How strange! A civil official, a descendant of an aristocratic family, a man of integrity, could actually enter Chen Ling'an's house!

Xiaoman was not in a position to get close, so she sat on the steps under the corridor with Wu Yong and asked quietly what was going on.

Wu Yong chuckled a few times, but asked why she went to Ning Xiyuan that day.

There was nothing to hide, so Xiaoman spoke truthfully, "He Ping was once again punished by the Emperor to move books to the Hanlin Academy. He was told not to return that night, so I brought him some bedding. I happened to run into Liu Jinshu talking to his parents."

Wu Yong gave a thumbs-up. "You're amazing, girl! My master was worried the Liu family would give you a hard time, so he eagerly asked me to pursue you. And then you beat and scolded Liu Jinshu. Hehe, that was a relief!"

Xiaoman smiled and looked at the study, her eyes full of worry.

The people in the room were talking in low voices. After a while, Li Lin sighed and the study door opened.

The two people sitting on the ground turned their heads and looked over at the same time.

Li Lin was startled, coughing awkwardly twice before turning back to repeat to the room, "I will never compromise. Once this door is opened, all the academies will suffer."

As soon as he left, Xiaoman immediately stepped into the study.

The wind blew, and the bamboo forest in front of the window swayed rustlingly. The bright sunlight was cut into broken spots, flowing on Chen Lingan's face and body like water, making him look a little dark and difficult to recognize.

Xiaoman gently sat down on the chair next to him and said, "What happened? You all look so sad."

Chen Ling'an looked at her and smiled bitterly, "Liu Fang submitted a memorial advocating for increasing the number of government schools and closing libraries in various places. The emperor seems to be agreeing."

Xiaoman's heart skipped a beat. "The academy is doing well, why should it be closed?"

Chen Ling'an sneered, "Liu Fang is trying to suppress dissidents. The Emperor wants to strengthen the court's control over Confucian scholars, and the fact that some academies are spreading evil teachings gives them an excuse. Now that word has been leaked, everyone in the public and the government is completely opposed. Now I really admire Liu Fang."

Xiaoman suddenly understood, "No wonder the emperor suddenly ordered He Ping to move books to the Hanlin Academy. It turns out he was afraid that he would be involved in this incident!"

Chen Ling'an rubbed his tense brows. "The louder the opposition, the more cautious the emperor will be. I'm afraid the decree to close the academy will be issued soon."

Xiaoman thought about what Li Lin had just said and immediately guessed his intention. "The imperial edict will be sent to the Jinyiwei, right? Li Lin is looking for you, is he asking you to disobey the imperial edict?"

Chen Ling'an nodded. "Liu Fang will definitely target Nan Cui Academy. Li Lin probably thinks I won't let it go. How could that be possible? I'm a member of the Imperial Guard. How could I possibly disobey an imperial order? He's so naive."

He chuckled softly, his tone disdainful and mocking, but his eyes were clearly filled with deep anxiety and pain.

Her throat was bitter and sore. Xiaoman took several deep breaths before she managed to speak: "I don't want you to die."

He laughed: "I don't want to die either."

"I also don't want you to personally destroy the academy your father founded."

"Yeah, so I plan to continue being 'sick'." Chen Ling'an leaned back and strolled back and forth on the bamboo lounge chair, "I'll wait until this gust of wind blows over before I'm 'well'."

Xiaoman sighed softly, "I'm leaving. Stay home and don't go anywhere."

"Wait." Chen Ling'an stopped her, "What do you want from me?"

Xiaoman waved her hand and said, "It's just a trivial matter, not worth talking about. I'm leaving now, you can take a rest. Remember, if you're going to perform a show, do it thoroughly. Don't let the emperor think you're deliberately avoiding your job."

Chen Lingan smiled.

How could the emperor not know? When he returned from Ningxi Garden that day, he suppressed his discomfort and wrote a secret memorial to the emperor.

He did not form cliques or make friends. He had no teachers, no peers, no father, brothers or relatives. His only support was the emperor.

Only by making the emperor feel at ease can he gain a foothold in the court.

At that time, he could still use the reason that "there were clues long ago" to excuse himself, but now Liu Fang simply submitted a memorial openly, which made his intentions obvious.

That's why Li Lin came to see him.

The emperor could tolerate opposition from his civil officials, but he would not allow the Jinyiwei to disobey in the slightest.

He was just feeling unwell and took a few days off. Lu Liang then asked Wu Yong to convey the message that "the Southern Pacification Office will temporarily take over the duties of the Northern Pacification Office." If he didn't get better, his official position would be lost.

After being demoted, the next step is to purge, punish, and execute.

Chen Ling'an sighed deeply and closed his eyes tiredly.

He knew clearly that immediately taking people to burn down Nancui Academy was the best option at the moment.

My father was the principal for only two years, and the next ten years were all managed by Chen Shao. Whenever anyone mentioned it, they would say that the academy was Chen Shao's academy, and no one would think of my father.

Why couldn't he make a decision?

Xiaoman's face and my sister's face flashed before my eyes...

It’s so difficult, so difficult, father. What kind of mood were you in when you made the choice?

The room was silent. A fragrant breeze passed through the window, causing it to sway gently, like a sigh.

-

Xiaoman didn't go home, but went directly to Linyuan.

Mr. Lin Ting was not at home. Aunt Lin said he had been in the Hanlin Academy recently. "I haven't seen him for a month. He only came back for a meal on the Dragon Boat Festival." She stared at her again and said, "He looked listless."

"I'm in trouble." Xiaoman was thinking about how to start.

Aunt Lin smiled prophetically, "Is it about the Nan Cui Academy?"

"How did you know?" Xiaoman was quite surprised, then delighted. "It must be Mr. Lin Ting who left a message. Tell me quickly, tell me quickly. If he can rescue He Ping, he must have a way to help Chen Ling'an."

Aunt Lin asked, "Why would he help Chen Ling'an?"

"Huh?" Xiaoman was startled. She had never considered this question before and just subconsciously assumed that Mr. Lin Ting would help.

“He, he…”

"Chen Ling'an is neither our student nor our relative. Why should we risk offending the Heavenly Might by helping him?"

"But he studied in Mr. Lin Ting's private school, and it was Mr. Lin Ting who introduced him to the Qiandi." Xiaoman paused and was stunned again.

Aunt Lin looked at her with a hint of pity. "You've noticed, we've done our best for him. When he left Xuanfu, we made it clear to him that whether he becomes an official or ends up in jail, it has nothing to do with us."

"But the academy, the academy is not at fault. Mr. Lin Ting would never approve of banning the academy."

"That's right. That's why the Emperor detained him in the Hanlin Academy to edit books and refused to see him once. This was equivalent to putting him and He Ping under house arrest."

Xiaoman's skin suddenly tightened. "Are they okay? The Emperor is too cruel!"

Aunt Lin exhaled deeply. "You can't be a leader without being ruthless. Lin Ting is the emperor's teacher and even more so his subject. Besides, he's long been away from the court and has finally lived a peaceful life for a few years. I won't allow anyone to drag him into troubled waters again. Xiaoman, there's nothing we can do about this."

Xiaoman felt as if a rock as big as a mountain was pressing on her chest, making it hard for her to breathe or speak. She felt so suffocated that she wanted to scream.

"I..." She opened her mouth with difficulty, tears rolling down her face.

Aunt Lin was also upset and wiped her tears. "Don't worry about it anymore. How can a little girl like you solve this problem that so many capable officials are worried about?"

"I can't bear to see Nan Cui Academy destroyed. It's the only thing his father has left. I have to give it a try."

"Even if it won't change the final outcome, why do you still want to try?"

"Um."

"You're always so stubborn." Aunt Lin shook her head and pulled out a piece of paper from the bottom of the drawer. "Here, I can't guarantee whether it will work or not."

Xiaoman looked at the densely packed names and asked, "What is this?"

Aunt Lin: "This is the list of students from the first two years of the academy. You don't need to look at the ones I crossed out. You can try contacting the rest. Although the imperial power is supreme, there is also a saying that 'the will of the people cannot be violated'. But I warn you, the current emperor is not a soft-hearted Bodhisattva. He really can kill people."

Xiaoman was almost crying as she held the list in her hand. "Thank you, Aunt Lin. I will never tell anyone about you."

Aunt Lin rolled her eyes and waved her hand, "Go away."

When she came out, Chen Yanning was standing in the corridor waiting for her, wanting to go with her.

"I heard everything you just said. I...I always play the role of being protected, but I also want to protect those I want to protect."

Xiaoman whispered: "This matter is very dangerous. It doesn't matter if I'm alone, but you can't. He has finally found you. If someone... he will collapse."

Chen Yanning grabbed Xiaoman's hand and said, "If anything happens to you, I will also collapse."

Xiaoman trembled slightly.

Chen Yanning: "I'm definitely going to go. My brother will collapse anyway, so we might as well do it all at once."

Xiaoman couldn't help but burst out laughing. It was true that birds of a feather flock together. This little sister now has the demeanor of Aunt Lin.

The two of them tacitly avoided Chen Ling'an.

"Who should I look for first?" Chen Yanning looked at the names and said, "I don't know any of them."

Xiaoman smiled and said, "I don't know them either, but I know who to look for—Li and Lin!"

Chen Yanning exclaimed, "The man who stole Senior Brother He's top spot!"

"That's right." Xiaoman recounted her encounter with Li Lin, confidently saying, "He will definitely help us, and maybe even thank us."

The Li family had property in the capital, so it didn't take them much effort to find out where Li Lin lived.

"Who's looking for me?" Li Lin put down his pen, his face full of disbelief. "Say it again."

The attendant replied, "They are two young ladies. One is the sister of He Ping, the second-place winner, and the other is the sister of Master Chen Ling'an."

Li Lin was stunned for a moment, and that shy and elegant face inexplicably appeared in front of him.

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, the attendant asked, "There are no elders accompanying them, and they are young girls. Otherwise, they are still missing?"

Li Lin came back to his senses with a start and said hurriedly, "How rude! You, no, ask the maid to invite them to the small flower hall. I'll be there soon."

The attendant blinked, "Master, have you forgotten? We don't have any maids. Apart from me and the old cow in the stable, there's only an old woman who cooks and is hard of hearing."

Li Lin: "...Then go ahead, but don't scare them."

The long-servant touched his face and said: I don’t have three heads and six arms, how can I scare people?