Chapter 59 You Must Stand High Enough
Zuo Sixian and Zuo Jiali's words clearly had a hidden meaning. For a moment, everyone exchanged glances silently.
Bai Shi'an and Bai Ruian immediately looked at Li Suining anxiously.
"Grandpa!" Little Tuanzi was also very anxious and tugged at the corner of Jiang Lao's clothes, "Say something!"
"Okay, okay!" What is puzzling is that Mr. Jiang, who is feared by everyone, is particularly kind to Li Suining for some reason.
He stroked his beard and said, "I saw Bai Qing'an's toast that day. I think he deserves the first prize. What's the matter? Do you brothers from the Zuo family still want to doubt an old man like me?"
Zuo Sixian and Zuo Jiali obviously didn't expect things to turn out this way. Their expressions changed at the same time, but they couldn't say much. They could only lower their heads and say, "Disciple, I dare not!"
"Zuo Jiali, since you've already admitted that you were the one who ordered this, today, I, this old man, will use this incident to set some rules for the Imperial College!"
Jiang Heci's face was extremely grim. "Zuo Jiali, punishment: thirty strokes of the cane!"
"What?" Zuo Jiali looked up in disbelief and shouted subconsciously, "Grandfather, I..."
"How dare you! Your grandfather isn't here!" Jiang Heci repeated coldly, "Zuo Jiali, thirty strokes of the cane. Zuo Sixian, for failing to discipline your younger brother, ten strokes of the cane!"
"Mr. Jiang, you can't..." Zuo Jiali couldn't accept it and wanted to resist.
He and his brother are the sons of the prime minister, and they have always had the final say in the Imperial College. Today, Jiang Heci punished them with a caning in front of everyone. How can they still establish their authority here?
"Jia Li!" Zuo Sixian spoke slowly, interrupting his brother, "Why don't you thank Mr. Jiang for his kindness?"
"Brother!" Zuo Jiali was extremely anxious.
Zuo Sixian looked over coldly, his eyes icy and terrifying, "Do you still want to cause trouble? Don't you admit your mistakes and accept the punishment?"
Zuo Jiali gritted his teeth, but he didn't dare to disobey his brother. After a while, he had no choice but to bow his head and accept the punishment, saying in a deep voice, "Thank you... Mr. Jiang for your leniency!"
Jiang Heci stood up and swept his majestic gaze over everyone. "I want all of you to listen carefully. I don't care who you are, even if you are a prince. Once you enter the gate of our imperial academy, forget your family's status and identity. Here, I want you all to be equal!"
Bai Qing'an kept his head down, and when he heard this, he was slightly moved.
All his efforts are actually for this purpose.
Only when you stand high enough, you will be able to give equality to your family and all ordinary people!
"If any of you can't accept the rules here," Jiang Heci continued, "you can get up and leave now. I, an old man, will not stop you!"
The whole classroom was silent, and naturally no one would leave.
Jiang Heci finally said, "Listen carefully! If I find out that you're forming cliques or causing trouble here again, it won't be as simple as expulsion. You should be prepared to be exiled!"
The old man sneered, "Go to the battlefield and see for yourself, will the enemy's swords fail to hit you just because you are the prime minister's son?"
Everyone was in an uproar, with layers of cold sweat on their backs. They knew that Mr. Jiang was a man of his words, and they would not dare to mess around again.
Li Suining winked happily at Bai Shian and Bai Ruian. Obviously, it was right to ask Jiang Laolai to come. The elder brother could finally review well and prepare for the Spring Examination.
Before leaving, Jiang Heci looked at Bai Qingan again and said, "Your toast was very good, majestic and full of the style of a general's mansion."
He stepped forward, patted Bai Qingan on the shoulder, and said loudly, "Prepare well for the Spring Examination. I, the old man, am waiting to see your paper."
It was impossible to know who lost the toast that day, but now he wanted to tell everyone here that he wanted to see Bai Qingan's paper, and whoever dared to lose it again would have to think carefully about the consequences.
The chief priest and all the gentlemen kept their heads down, and each of them was already sweating profusely.
Soon, Jiang Heci left with a few of the little guys.
"Grandpa, thank you!" After getting on the carriage, Li Suining immediately expressed his gratitude to Jiang Heci.
Jiang Heci smiled and shook his head. "Grandpa wants to thank you. If you hadn't brought me here today, I wouldn't have known how filthy and chaotic this place is. It's truly disgraceful! Such a disgrace!"
The children smiled at each other, thinking that at least before the Spring Examination, their eldest brother would not be bullied anymore.
——
After being caned in the Imperial College, Zuo Sixian and Zuo Jiali were carried back to the Prime Minister's Residence.
Zuo Jiali screamed in pain all the way home, and when he got home, he was furious. "Has that old bastard Jiang Heci lost his mind? Why did he help an outsider bully us? Thirty strokes of the cane. Did he want to kill me?"
Seeing this, their biological mother, Lou, nearly fainted from heartache. "This...was this a beating by Elder Jiang?"
"That's him, that old bastard!" Zuo Jiali was furious. "When I get better, I'm going to find someone to beat him up and kill him!"
"That's enough!" Zuo Sixian shouted coldly, "Hasn't the trouble you've caused been enough? Do you think Jiang Heci's absence is a good thing for the Prime Minister's Mansion?"
Zuo Jiali gritted his teeth and said, "Then we can't get beaten in vain."
He acted coquettishly towards Lou, "Auntie, I'm in so much pain! Thirty strokes of the cane! I might not even be able to walk before the Spring Examination. This Jiang Heci... clearly did it on purpose."
Lou couldn't help but burst into tears, and she joined her son in cursing, "That old man is already confused and heartless. He can't even recognize his own daughter, let alone us. I really don't know why your father still respects him so much."
"Auntie!" Zuo Sixian was somewhat helpless. "Jiang Heci's status and influence cannot be underestimated in the entire Great Jin. The beating he received today was simply a mischief made by Jiali. Don't get involved in this mess."
Lou wiped her tears and asked, "Am I going to let you get beaten for nothing?"
"Is Dad back?" Zuo Sixian asked after thinking for a while.
Lou nodded. "He's back. I guess he's accompanying that little bastard. Your father is also confused..."
"Auntie!" Zuo Sixian quickly interrupted his mother, "If you continue to speak so recklessly, Jiali and I will really have no place to stand in this family."
Lou clapped her hands quickly and said, "Alright, alright, Auntie knows, don't say anything nonsense, don't say anything nonsense."
"Go call Dad," Zuo Sixian said, obviously thinking of something. "Of course, this beating can't be taken in vain, but the person we have to deal with is not grandpa."
"Okay, okay, I'll go right away." Lou quickly twisted her waist and left.
When she reached the door of Zuo Shanzhang's study, she heard the sound of cups being smashed. She whispered to the servant beside her, "What's wrong with the master? Why is he so angry?"
The servant sighed, "It's all because of that little ancestor!"
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