Send them to the Disciplinary Hall?!
These five simple words immediately ignited the gossip-loving spirit of several students.
"Jiaren, stop beating around the bush and tell me what really happened."
"Yeah, what exactly did those two guys do wrong?"
"Were they beaten? With a board or a whip? Did they scream and howl like ghosts?"
As they chatted animatedly, other students also gathered around.
Everyone heard that Jiaren had definite news, and they all wanted to ask him more questions.
Come to think of it, it's because Wang Sheng and Liu Kui were so unpopular that almost no one in the school was on good terms with them.
Now that they're down on their luck, they have no interest in caring; instead, they're all incredibly excited.
Jiaren couldn't speak carelessly, lest he ruin the elders' arrangements.
So he kept his mouth shut and didn't reveal another word.
Fortunately, a teacher who was on patrol heard the commotion and came over, giving him a stern reprimand before the schoolhouse quieted down...
The Li family courtyard outside the college was unusually lively tonight because Li Zhensheng, Li Lao Er, and Mr. Wen were staying overnight.
Jiayin quietly took out another jade melon, the kind that was chilled and still cool.
Li Zhensheng and his companions were only slightly drunk earlier, but now, sitting under the eaves, enjoying the night breeze and eating a couple of cool and sweet jade melons, they were completely sober.
Grandma Li hugged her granddaughter, fanned her with a palm leaf fan to swat away mosquitoes, and carefully inquired about what had happened earlier.
She heard that the two students had confessed and had even come up with many ways to harm the Li family, but hadn't found an opportunity to carry them out. She really didn't know what to say.
After a long pause, Old Mrs. Li sighed and said, "How could a teenager be so bold and have such a vicious mind?!"
Li Lao Er comforted her, saying, "Mother, don't get angry with these people. It's not worth it. Since they did bad things, they should be punished. They won't be able to study or take the imperial examinations anymore. They'll probably regret it then!"
Li Zhensheng also said, "There must be someone behind Wang Sheng and Liu Kui. Liu Kui's family is only related to the Yan family by marriage. The Yan family has also left Xindu and has no support. They are just ordinary merchants. It is possible that the Wang family is still not giving up."
Mr. Wen nodded and said, "These two boys are tight-lipped this time, so we can't really interrogate them in front of the dean and the others. But there's always another chance..."
Jiayin rubbed the little fox's head, agreeing with her uncle's words.
If someone is behind the two students, it is very likely the Wang family.
However, the two students enrolled in Luo'an Academy before Wang Laoda returned to Beijing, so the person behind this might be Wang Laosan.
But Wang Laosan has gone mad!
Could it be that someone is using his name to continue harming the Li family, with the plan to shift the blame onto Wang Laosan if the truth comes out, so that no one can hold it against them?
Perhaps because she ate too much for dinner, Jiayin yawned after only a short while of thinking.
When Grandma Li saw this, she said a few words and urged everyone to go and rest.
The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, someone from the academy came to deliver the news.
Mr. Wen took a special leave of absence and did not return to the city. Instead, he accompanied the three Li brothers to the academy.
Jiayin begged her grandma to take her to see the excitement. Grandma Li was also thinking about it, so she hurried to the canteen, thinking it would be convenient to ask for information.
To everyone's surprise, the dean chose the cafeteria as the venue for the conference.
I guess they wanted to make it easier for the students to have a meal after the meeting.
After all, we still have to go to class after eating!
Old Lady Li is a first-rank imperial consort, and Jiayin is a princess. Even if they don't intend to use their status to intimidate others, at times like this, as long as they show their faces, the dean and others will have to bow to them...
Therefore, as soon as the grandmother and grandson arrived at the canteen, they were welcomed into a private room by Zhao Yuru and Tao Hongying.
Inside the private room, there were two buckets of ice, a pot of fruit drinks, and a plate of pastries.
Tao Hongying lowered her voice and said, "Even if Mother hadn't come, I would have gone back to invite her. I didn't expect the gentlemen to be holding a meeting here! Mother, please sit down with Jiayin first, and have lunch in this room with Jiaren and the others."
Grandma Li nodded and told them to hurry up, "Let's see how things go at noon. We're all family, so don't worry about going to work. Jiayin and I will stay in this house. If anything happens, we'll have Shuiling come to you."
Granny He and Shui Ling Shui Yun nodded quickly. Granny He assured them, "Third Madam and Fourth Madam, don't worry, we'll take care of things here."
Zhao Yuru and Tao Hongying then went to the kitchen.
Today, in addition to preparing lunch for the students, they also have to arrange tea and snacks for the dean and professors.
Soon, hundreds of students gathered around, all with excited and curious faces, wondering what had happened at the academy...
But before they could speculate for long, Dean Zhou, accompanied by several gentlemen, led the three Li brothers and Imperial Censor Wen in.
Not long after they sat down, Dean Zhou's attendant brought in three more people.
Jiayin peered out from the doorway of the private room, holding her little fox and watching the commotion. Upon closer inspection, she realized that one of the three people was someone she knew.
This acquaintance was none other than Li Yong's brother-in-law, who was also Lord Zhou, who had helped design the hot spring valley.
She quickly told her grandmother, which prompted Old Lady Li to also come to the doorway, asking in confusion, "Why has Lord Zhou come?"
Similarly, when Lord Zhou stepped into the canteen and saw the hundreds of students, he frowned.
The Liu family approached him in the morning, saying that their child had made a mistake at the academy and asking him to go with them to help plead on their behalf.
Without thinking much about it, he followed.
After all, when his father-in-law's family moved away, they entrusted him to help out the Liu family.
The Liu family is small; the couple runs a shop in the city, and their son is studying at a college.
When he visited the Liu couple, they were always nice to him, so he agreed.
But now it seems that today's events are not as simple as he thought...
When he saw the three Li brothers and Imperial Censor Wen again, he was even more surprised, and his heart sank.
He quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Lord Li, Master Li, Third Master Li, and Imperial Censor Wen, what brings you all here?"
The Li family treated Li Yong as one of their own. Lord Zhou was Li Yong's brother-in-law and had helped their new village a lot.
The three Li brothers exchanged glances, none of them wanting Lord Zhou to get involved.
As for Imperial Censor Wen, he was already on good terms with Lord Zhou, otherwise he wouldn't have directly invited Lord Zhou to Suijintan to help design the reconstruction plans for the valley.
The four men immediately reached a tacit understanding. Li Lao Er stepped forward and asked directly, "Lord Zhou, who are you here for today, Liu Kui or Wang Sheng?"
“Liu Kui,” Lord Zhou quickly said, “The Liu family is related to the Yan family by marriage. When the Yan family left, they entrusted my wife and me to take care of them on a daily basis.”
Li Lao Er nodded and said, "Liu Kui plotted to frame Jia Ren for cheating in the examination, but he was exposed and will be expelled today. There is no room for negotiation. Lord Zhou, you should go back!"
Lord Zhou was stunned for a moment, then his expression changed. He glared at Liu Kui's father and then bowed deeply to the Li family. "Lord Li, I am truly sorry for today. I will definitely come to apologize in person another day."
“Lord Zhou, there’s no need for that. Ignorance is no excuse,” Li Lao Er said, offering a helping hand.
Lord Zhou stood up, bid farewell to Dean Zhou and the others, and then turned and left without the slightest hesitation.
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