Chapter 123 Seeking Justice

Knowing he couldn't hide it any longer, Zhou Chengyu directly recounted how Master Hu had targeted him at the academy.

Song Yushu felt sorry for him being mistreated at the academy, so he simply let him take leave: "We don't necessarily have to stay at this academy. You can rest for a few days first, and I'll talk to your dean. If it really doesn't work, I'll hire a private tutor for you. There's no need for you to suffer their mistreatment!"

Zhou Chengyu knew he couldn't change Song Yushu's decision, so he obediently stayed in the house for two days to recover.

“Master Hu has been using your leave request as an excuse these past few times. If it weren’t for the few of us knowing what happened, we probably would have been fooled by him. You’ll definitely be harassed by him when you go back,” Liao Yunfei said, worried about Zhou Chengyu’s situation, and took leave to inform him.

“Since you know he’s targeting me, then stop asking for leave so often. Otherwise, if he finds something out of you, he might take his anger out on you,” Zhou Chengyu said. Although he knew Zhou Chengyu was doing this for his own good, he didn’t want them to get involved.

"When are you going back to the academy? Without you, we brothers all feel bored and don't want to listen to Master Hu's lectures," Liao Yunfei said with some distress.

"My mother will take me to the academy to see the dean tomorrow. If we can't reach an agreement, I will drop out of school," Zhou Chengyu said. He didn't intend to hide it from Liao Yunfei and the others. After all, they had known each other for a while, and he wanted to give them some time to prepare.

“Sigh! There are only a few of us in our dormitory. Mao’an has only been gone for a short time. If you leave too, our days will be hard to bear,” Liao Yunfei said dejectedly.

“If we both pass the imperial examination next year, we can get together again. Given how Master Hu is targeting me now, if I don’t leave now, I’m afraid I won’t even have a chance to take the imperial examination.” Zhou Chengyu had come to realize the treacherous nature of Master Hu during this period and dared not gamble that he would let him take the imperial examination smoothly.

“That’s true. None of us have any family background. If he really tries to harm us, we won’t be able to fight back. It’s best to avoid him,” Liao Yunfei said, unable to think of any other way. He exchanged a few more words with Zhou Chengyu and then returned to the academy dejectedly.

When Song Yushu took Zhou Chengyu to find the academy's dean, they were unable to meet him directly and instead waited for half an hour in vain.

"Is your dean actually at the academy?" Song Yushu asked the servant directly.

"You've come at an inopportune time. Dean Su is currently entertaining distinguished guests. You should head back first!"

"When we asked you before, why didn't you just tell us directly? You made us wait for half an hour for nothing. If we hadn't asked, you wouldn't have wanted us to wait all day, would you?"

"You didn't ask just now, do you think the dean is someone anyone can see?" The servants looked down on the two women because of their ordinary clothes, and naturally didn't take Song Yushu's questioning seriously.

"I want to see if I can see your dean today," Song Yushu said, and he really didn't leave. He pulled Zhou Chengyu and planned to go in and talk things out.

"Zhou Chengyu? What are you doing here?"

"Senior Brother Shen, is the Dean inside? My mother and I have been waiting here for half an hour but haven't seen him, so we wanted to go in and take a look," Zhou Chengyu asked him about the Dean's situation, knowing that Senior Brother Shen was an acquaintance and the most valued student in the academy.

"I was summoned here by the dean. Do you have something urgent to do? Why don't you come in with me?" Shen Xiuyuan asked after a moment's thought.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Brother Shen!" Zhou Chengyu thanked Shen Xiuyuan and followed him inside with Song Yushu.

"Student Shen Xiuyuan greets Dean Su. May I ask who this gentleman is...?"

"Why aren't you coming over to pay your respects to Lord Liu? Lord Liu has heard about your situation and, out of a desire to appreciate your talent, wishes to meet you," Dean Su said, not sparing a single glance at Song Yushu and her son behind him.

"This student pays his respects to Lord Liu!" Upon hearing this, Senior Brother Shen quickly bowed to Prefect Liu again.

"No need for formalities. I have read your policy essays, and they truly live up to your reputation..." After praising you for a few moments, Prefect Liu noticed Song Yushu and his mother not far away.

"Who are they? Didn't we tell the gatekeeper not to let anyone in easily today?" Dean Su noticed that Prefect Liu was looking at the two people, so he asked.

“Dean, that person is also a student of the academy. He came with his elders to discuss some matters with the academy,” Shen Xiuyuan quickly explained on their behalf, fearing that Zhou Chengyu might incur the dean’s displeasure.

“You shouldn’t have been so reckless. If someone with ill intentions had come in, wouldn’t that have been detrimental to Lord Liu? You still haven’t been careful enough,” Dean Su said, expressing both his dissatisfaction with Song Yushu and her son and a warning to Shen Xiuyuan.

“Dean Su, there’s no need for that. I know this mother and son. I can call them over and hear what important matter they have to discuss,” Prefect Liu said, recognizing Song Yushu and her son and wanting to lend them a hand.

"If that's how it is, then let them come over," Dean Su said, having heard the prefect's words, and had no choice but to call over Song Yushu and her son.

"This humble woman, Wei, greets Your Excellency, the Prefect!" Song Yushu hadn't expected that the academy's headmaster's distinguished guest would be Prefect Liu, which gave her a bit more confidence.

“Madam Wei, there’s no need for such formalities. What business do you have with Dean Su?” Prefect Liu had no intention of leaving. Since they had run into each other, he naturally wanted to lend a hand.

"Since Lord Liu has said so, why don't you tell me what business you have with me?" Seeing this, Dean Su could only follow up with what Prefect Liu had said.

"I've come here to ask Dean Su if the academy has recently organized any activities that require students to do chores?"

"No, why do you ask that, Madam Wei?"

"I'm just wondering, since the academy doesn't have these things, why does my son have to do so many chores unrelated to his studies for the teacher? Could it be that the academy can't even afford to hire someone to do odd jobs?"

Fearing they wouldn't believe him, Song Yushu finished speaking and then told Zhou Chengyu to take his hand out.

Although the wound has scabbed over after a few days of healing, many cuts and calluses are still visible.

"How could this be..." Even Shen Xiuyuan, who was standing to the side, felt strange. Thinking of Master Hu, who frequently called Zhou Chengyu out, he couldn't believe the thought that had suddenly come to him.

"Dean Su, what's going on? Do the students of the academy have to do other chores on a regular basis?" Prefect Liu asked when he saw that Dean Su had not given an answer for a long time.

“Sir, the academy has indeed not added any extra burden to the students. It is probably impossible to determine from this lady’s few words that the student was injured at the academy,” Dean Su said without showing any panic when questioned by Prefect Liu.

“There’s a teacher named Hu in the academy who often calls my son out, either to move books or to chop wood and sweep. That’s how these wounds came about. Dean Su might as well call this person over and confront him. If we have truly wronged him, I will apologize to him here!”