Chapter 28
Upon learning that the situation at Bailu Academy wasn't as he had anticipated, Qiu Ran wasn't worried. He shared the same thought as his servant: those women were only fawning over Xie Qinghong because of the Xie family's power. But compared to Xie Qinghong, they should have been more interested in supporting him, the son of the governor.
After all, the grand spectacle of the dragon boat race was evident to all. He collected sachets and handkerchiefs for half the boat, and countless girls secretly admired him. If he were to reveal that Xie Qinghong not only behaved improperly but also attempted to seduce him, those girls would naturally be willing to fight for him.
Qiu Ran was studying at Baihe Academy, but because he was the son of the governor, the academy teachers did not restrict him much. He would go to the academy to study for a few days when he had free time, and it was common for him not to go when he was not free. Recently, because of the dragon boat race, he had not been there for a while, so he decided to go.
The next day, when he arrived at the academy, the servant had already spread the word, and a classmate asked curiously, "I heard that even the Xie family girl from Wangjing has a crush on Brother Qiu, is that true?"
Qiu Ran feigned surprise: "Is that so? Miss Xie is engaged, so please don't talk nonsense, lest you tarnish her reputation."
His classmate, recalling the reputation of the Prince of the South for drawing his sword and killing people at the slightest disagreement, trembled and dared not speak further. But then Qiu Ran said hesitantly, "However, I won first place in the dragon boat race the other day, and it seems I received a silk handkerchief embroidered with the word 'thank you.' But there were too many handkerchiefs, so perhaps it was a mistake."
His words caused an uproar. The students at Baihe Academy were all young men, at the age when they were young and admiring. They had long heard of the Xie family girl. While other families in the capital avoided marrying their children to distant places, she was the only one who stood up. The southern land was desolate and the Prince of the South had a bad reputation. Who wouldn't say it was a pity?
Now, however, she heard that her intentions were not pure and that she would throw handkerchiefs to other men. She was both envious and jealous of Qiu Ran, and secretly thought that this Xie family girl was nothing special. She wondered how many handkerchiefs she had thrown out.
An upright young man interrupted, saying, "Without evidence, you cannot make baseless accusations. Miss Xie is engaged, and even if she is not, you cannot speculate about her behind her back like this. This is the behavior of a petty person."
Qiu Ran's expression darkened for a moment, then he forced a smile and explained, "Brother Liang's words are true. I was just saying it casually, so please don't make wild guesses."
That's what they said, but rumors still spread. Qiu Ran didn't say anything himself, but he had already spread the word, and even had his servants use the fact that he had seen it with his own eyes as a gimmick to exaggerate it, so that both academies would be filled with gossip about Xie Qinghong, and everyone would isolate her.
Regardless of what the people at Baihe Academy thought in their hearts, they all put on a righteous and indignant demeanor and ignored the gossip. The situation was even worse at Bailu Academy; no one believed it at all. The moment the gossip was uttered, it was met with ridicule and sarcasm. Even after several days, the girls were still playing together, their intimacy seemingly genuine.
The servant was completely baffled. He had always done it this way before, so why didn't it work here? He then sneaked over to Bailu Academy, pretending to sweep and clean, and struck up a conversation with the gardener, deliberately asking, "Have you heard about that Miss Xie?"
The gardener didn't turn around: "What is it, Miss Xie?"
The servant said, "I saw that secret rendezvous with my own eyes! Miss Xie accepted her lover's flower crown, which was made of willow branches. However, her lover looked fierce and menacing, and he had a very long sword at his waist." He spoke with great conviction, vividly describing the scene, and anyone who heard it would have to believe it.
The gardener suddenly turned around, and the servant was startled to see that it was a young woman, though she was wearing a smock and a straw hat, so he couldn't tell from her figure. The girl had just been weeding and grabbed a blade of grass she had just dug up, mud and leaves mixed together, and threw it in his face.
Caught off guard, the servant heard her shout, "Everyone come quick! I've caught the source of this rumor!"
He threw down the broom and hurriedly tried to run away, but before he could take two steps, someone kicked him in the knee, sending him sprawling to the ground. He looked up in a panic and saw the Xie family girl smiling, asking, "Are you the one hired by the academy to sweep and clean?"
"Yes, yes, I know I was wrong. Thank you, Miss, for your magnanimity and for not holding it against me!"
Xie Qinghong still smiled and said, "He doesn't look like someone sweeping the academy. He looks more like a young master's page. Do you remember him?"
My cousin recognized him at a glance: "He's Qiu Ran's servant!"
The other students immediately sneered: "Qiu Ran's servant dares to spread rumors. How could he come to our academy without his permission? It seems that Qiu Ran is the mastermind behind this! He is so vicious. We were really wrong about him before."
The servant couldn't get a word in edgewise when he tried to explain. The kick he received earlier had left his knee throbbing with pain, and he couldn't even get up and run away. He never expected that this Miss Xie, who looked so slender, would be so strong, not at all like a delicate young lady.
Xie Qinghong stepped aside and said to him, "Go back and tell your master what kind of skill he has in teaching at the academy. Go find Pei Du and tell him. I'm waiting."
The servant hurriedly ran off, and the others realized that the villain Xie Qinghong had offended was Qiu Ran. In the past, it was said that Qiu Ran was the most outstanding young man in Huaizhou because his father was the governor of Huaizhou, in charge of the state's affairs, and his mother was a noblewoman. He himself was handsome and talented, thus attracting many admirers.
However, Madam Qiu valued social standing and had no intention of finding a wife for her son in Huaizhou. Everyone knew that she was just joining in the fun and throwing around handkerchiefs and sachets, and there wasn't much sincerity in it.
However, seeing that Xie Qinghong had offended the son of the governor of Huaizhou, his classmate couldn't help but worry: "Although Qiu Ran is in the wrong, the governor of Huaizhou has the highest power in Huaizhou. Even if he reports it to the authorities, it will be suppressed, and he may not be able to get justice."
Xie Qinghong comforted them, "Of course we can't take such a small matter to court. Don't worry, I've already figured out how to get justice. By the way, I've booked a table at Yechun Restaurant during the next few days' holiday. Would you all like to do me a favor?"
The classmates happily agreed, and then, united in their hatred, they cursed Qiu Ran.
Judging from the current situation, it should be about time to make it happen in a few more days. Xie Qinghong has not been idle these past few days either. He has already asked people to find out where the governor of Huaizhou came from. He learned that Qiu Ran had used such despicable methods many times in his hometown of Pingcheng before. He would use rumors to force girls to be unable to defend themselves, then he would step forward to play the good guy, making the girls fall deeply in love with him, and then turn around and abandon them. He is a scoundrel!
Xie Qinghong originally only wanted to teach him a lesson, but now she wants to repay him in kind, to ruin his reputation and make him taste the bitter fruit that the girl he abandoned suffered.
The first step is to provoke him, make him lose his temper, and ideally, actually go and talk to the King of the South.
Anyway, it was Pei Du's own doing, so we can't let him stay out of it. We can also take this opportunity to test the sincerity of the Prince of Nan's family. We'll see if the Prince of Nan will believe this "nephew" without distinguishing right from wrong, or if he will distance himself from the Governor of Huaizhou, who is lax in managing his household and spreading rumors.
Xie Qinghong thought that Pei Du should arrive in the south in a few days, and this grand show couldn't go on without him. He decided to wait a bit and let the atmosphere heat up a bit more.
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