Upon arriving at the county town gate, Zhen Wanwan got out of the car and walked to the county government office.
Today is market day, and the county town is packed with people. It's so crowded that even horse-drawn carriages can't get in.
Zhen Wanwan was preoccupied with her business and wanted to get to the county government office as soon as possible, so after getting off the bus, she headed towards the county government office on her own.
On the way, she noticed many people whispering and talking about something.
She noticed a few people chatting in a corner of a restaurant and quietly slipped over.
"You didn't see it! My house isn't far from theirs. This morning, I heard them arguing and making a scene. Someone said their son was kicked out of Rende Academy and they're going to the academy to demand an explanation!"
The man stopped halfway through his sentence, and the person next to him, eager to know what happened next, hurriedly called out, "Hey! Why are you talking so slowly? Hurry up and tell us!"
"I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush! When I went out to buy breakfast, I happened to see that family heading angrily to the academy, so I followed them..."
"Guess what I saw?"
Someone chimed in, "What did you see!"
The man, with a hint of pride, then said in a low voice, "I saw that student being thoroughly berated by the teacher in the academy! He said something... something else! Anyway, he said a bunch of flowery, literary things."
"I didn't understand either, but I saw the student's face turn pale instantly, as pale as a dead person, and then the student took his parents home."
"And guess what happened?"
This person kept speaking in fits and starts, which annoyed the people around him: "Just tell me already, I'll treat you to tea later, okay? Stop guessing!"
"Hehe! You said it yourself!"
Having received the benefit, the man licked his lips and continued, "As a result, when the student returned home, not long after, I heard his mother crying as if his father had died!"
"Then when I went out, I paid special attention to his door and saw that the scholar's father had hung a white cloth on the gate and looked extremely pale! After that, they secretly bought a coffin, dragged the person out of the city, and buried him!"
"Hiss! How could this happen?! No matter how desperate he was, that student was studying at Rende Academy and could have taken the imperial examinations in the future. How could he have taken his own life?"
Although they have enough to eat and drink now, they don't have extra money to send their children to private schools.
The tuition fees for private schools were outrageously expensive, costing nearly ten taels of silver every year. Families without assets simply couldn't even dream of studying.
Thus, the birth of Rende Academy became the aspiration of countless poor families and all those who yearn for education.
Because of its stringent admission requirements, everyone is proud to enter the college.
Moreover, once you enter the academy, you can participate in all sorts of competitions or work part-time to earn money for your family.
Not only does reading not cost money, but it can also earn you money—something many people would love to have.
Therefore, while those present felt sorry that the young student had taken his own life, they were even more curious about what crime he had committed.
In addition, several students were expelled from Rende Academy, which caused quite a stir.
The matter was being discussed in every corner of the county town, with more than a dozen versions of the story circulating about their expulsion from the academy.
Zhen Wanwan listened to the discussions of the crowd the whole way, and remained silent.
He didn't want those people to die, but he also didn't want to be talked about or ridiculed behind his back.
She would definitely not be willing to pretend to be deaf and dumb and let others bully her.
Given this, those people knew her status and position, and they also knew that she was the one who founded the academy.
Those who dared to gossip and humiliate her in private should have expected that they would be discovered one day.
This is karma coming back to haunt us!
The problem is that they look down on others and are arrogant.
After figuring things out, Zhen Wanwan continued towards the county government office with a blank expression.
The area in front of the county government office was also quite lively.
Many of the people were pointing and whispering, saying things like "How pitiful."
Zhen Wanwan bypassed the crowd and headed straight for the county government office. The yamen runners at the gate recognized her.
The constable respectfully called out, "Madam Zhen has arrived! My master is waiting for you inside!"
Zhen Wanwan smiled and nodded, then walked inside as if she knew the way well.
Soon she saw Chen Yong sitting at the table and chairs in the yard, waiting for her.
"Lord Chen! I've come here to see those children!"
Chen Yong nodded, signaling the constables to bring the person up.
"Your Highness, please have a seat here."
Zhen Wanwan responded and went over to sit down. Seeing Chen Yong still standing beside her, she said, "Lord Chen, please don't be so formal. In private, I am just your wife. Please sit down! I feel quite pressured standing here!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Yong hesitated for two seconds, but still sat down respectfully in the chair.
Zhen Wanwan sighed, thinking he was resentful that Zhu Yuan had dismissed him from his post, and explained, "Lord Chen, please don't blame my husband. He was just impatient. With your talent and the affection between you and my husband, you will surely rise to the top in no time."
Chen Yong wiped away his cold sweat and hurriedly explained, "Your Highness...Madam Zhen, I have never blamed the Prince. I know that the Prince may seem cold, but he is not a truly heartless person."
"I am just angry at myself for letting my guard down in the past, actually keeping a wild wolf by my side, and almost... almost harming the young prince and the young princess. I deserve to die."
Zhen Wanwan was also quite frightened by this and didn't know how to comfort him, so she simply said a few words of comfort and then sat down and waited.
The constables brought out the children from last night. The leader looked familiar; it was Changshun, who had spoken to her yesterday!
"Changshun! Are you all doing well here?"
Changshun and the others were called out by the yamen runners. They were very nervous at first, but now that they saw Zhen Wanwan standing there, they were no longer nervous.
Zhen Wanwan is their savior!
"We, the common people, are deeply grateful to Your Highness for saving our lives."
Led by Changshun, the children behind him knelt down one after another to express their gratitude.
Chen Yong nodded quietly to the side. These children know how to be grateful; they're not bad at heart!
Zhen Wanwan quickly helped the person up: "Kids, get up quickly! Anyone would have helped in this situation. I was just passing by, so there's no need to be so polite."
Changshun pursed his lips. The constables had already told them that the person who saved them was the Princess Consort of Prince Jing.
Although he had long anticipated that Zhen Wanwan had a noble status, he had not expected her to be this noble.
Now, most of the world belongs to Prince Jing, and his power is immense, so his queen must be very powerful as well.
So, before yesterday, Changshun was still hoping to win Zhen Wanwan's heart, but that hope was shattered after he learned her identity.
Such a noble princess must have many servants around her. He is just a beggar with no money. How could the princess possibly look down on them?
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