Hearing him say that, Yan Qingqing raised an eyebrow and asked in return, "What, do you think my Xiang Kang can't come up with twenty taels of silver?"
Chen Teng replied arrogantly, "It's not that he can't come up with twenty taels of silver, but that your whole family might not be able to come up with twenty taels of silver."
Before Yan Qingqing could speak, the chubby boy who had gone to find Master Lin said, "Chen Teng, are you blind? The person standing in front of you is Brother Xiang Kang's mother."
"Given what your aunt is wearing, it couldn't have cost less than two hundred taels. Why would she care about your twenty taels?"
The chubby boy's words surprised everyone. They had always thought that Li Xiangkang came from the countryside and had never seen him spend money lavishly, so even Master Lin thought that Li Xiangkang's family was not particularly well-off.
But now, thanks to the little fat boy's reminder, everyone realized that Yan Qingqing's attire was quite remarkable.
Chen Teng also took a good look at Yan Qingqing. Although he didn't want to admit it, Yan Qingqing was understated yet luxurious, and she certainly didn't seem to be short of money.
However, he still stubbornly insisted, "Li Xiangkang comes from a poor and remote rural area, so who knows if he has a habit of stealing since he was a child."
Before he could finish speaking, Yan Qingqing slapped him across the face and said, "Who gave you the right to insult country folk? What would you eat and drink without them?"
"What a waste of your status as a scholar! It's one thing if someone like you fails the exam, but if you actually do, you'll truly be a menace to the region."
Yan Qingqing's words were quite serious for a seven or eight-year-old child, but someone like Chen Teng, who was rotten to the core, was beyond saving.
Chen Teng covered his burning face and looked at Yan Qingqing with a venomous gaze, but Yan Qingqing didn't care at all.
She then turned and waved to Li Xiangkang, who quickly stepped forward and called out, "Mother!"
Yan Qingqing casually grabbed the purse on his body and took out two silver notes, one for one hundred taels and the other for fifty taels, as well as a few loose silver coins.
One of the two silver notes was given to him by Yan Qingqing for emergencies, and the other was secretly given to him by Yuan Huiniang, who was afraid that he would suffer financial losses while he was alone at the academy.
Yan Qingqing displayed the two silver notes in front of everyone and said, "My fourth son always carries at least a hundred taels of pocket money with him. Why would he care about your mere twenty taels of silver!"
Everyone was stunned by Yan Qingqing's domineering demeanor, and at the same time, they envied Li Xiangkang for having such a mother who wholeheartedly protected him.
However, Chen Teng's money bag was found in Li Xiangkang's bed, so he had to give everyone an explanation.
Then Master Lin coughed and said, "Li Xiangkang, can you explain how Chen Teng's money bag ended up on your bed?"
Li Xiangkang replied matter-of-factly, "I don't know! I don't know which idiot did this. If I had taken the money, I certainly wouldn't have left it on the bed waiting for someone to search it."
Twenty taels of silver, even when placed on the bed, would make the students feel uncomfortable.
I wonder if someone is jealous of my first-place ranking in the college exam and is deliberately framing me. I urge the teacher to investigate thoroughly and give me justice.
Li Xiangkang spoke with such conviction that even Master Lin had no way to refute him.
Just as Master Lin was in a dilemma, Chen Teng threatened again: "Master Lin, no matter what, it is a fact that my silver was found in Li Xiangkang's bed. If you don't give me justice, I will go to the prefectural city to find my brother-in-law."
He's a fifth-rank prefectural magistrate, you'll all be in for a beating then.
Yan Qingqing glanced at the students and saw two of them open their mouths but then lower their heads with a guilty expression.
Even Master Lin looked embarrassed. He was just a lowly teacher; how could he afford to offend the Prefectural Magistrate?
Finally, Master Lin had no choice but to look at Lin Qingqing and Li Xiangkang and say, "After all, the silver was found in Li Xiangkang's bed, and Li Xiangkang beat Chen Teng so badly. He should apologize to Chen Teng for both the sentiment and the reason."
Yan Qingqing sneered as she looked at Master Lin. He was well aware of this blatant attempt to frame her, but he had been swayed by power.
Fortunately, he himself is now a fifth-rank official, otherwise his son would be unforgivable.
Chen Teng looked at Yan Qingqing and the others with a smug expression. He knew that bringing up his brother-in-law would work, but ever since their family had that incident, his sister had warned him not to cause trouble and not to cause trouble for his brother-in-law.
He had been holding back for a long time. He had disliked Li Xiangkang for a long time. Not only did Li Xiangkang come from the countryside and start school late, but he also managed to win the teacher's favor. He even got first place in the academy exam this time. How could he tolerate this?
Yan Qingqing glanced at him and said, "Oh, so you're using your brother-in-law's influence to frame me!"
Chen Teng, on the other hand, had an expression that said, "I'm framing you, so what?"
Yan Qingqing looked at Chen Teng and sneered, saying, "How can the son of my righteous son be framed by anyone?"
"Mu Xi, go to the county government office and invite Magistrate Ling over."
Yan Qingqing's words stunned everyone. They looked at her in disbelief. Could it be that the lady in front of them, Li Xiangkang's mother, was recently appointed as the Mingzhao Ren by the emperor for cultivating high-yield crops?
If that's really the case, then Li Xiangkang is being far too low-key!
The more everyone looked at Yan Qingqing, the more they felt that her overall demeanor resembled that of a real person.
To confirm Yan Qingqing's identity, Mu Xi immediately lit up a jade pendant with the words "Ming Zhao" engraved on it.
This is a jade pendant bestowed by the emperor, the most reliable proof of Yan Qingqing's identity.
No one doubted Yan Qingqing's words; impersonating a court lady was a capital offense.
Now Yan Qingqing's personal bodyguard has revealed the jade pendant.
Therefore, everyone, including Master Lin, bowed to Yan Qingqing.
Yan Qingqing said indifferently, "Alright, get up. I never bully others by relying on my power, but I can't stand this kind of framing and slander."
I have ordered Magistrate Ling to be summoned so he can conduct a thorough investigation. If my fourth son has indeed committed such petty theft, I will not protect him; however, if he has been framed, I will not let it go unpunished either!
After Yan Qingqing finished speaking, she looked at Chen Teng and said, "Your sister is just a concubine, yet she dares to call herself Brother-in-law Shen Tongzhi."
I wonder if Madam Shen would be happy if she found out.
Li Xiangkang was already well-liked in the college. He was not only hardworking and ambitious, but also never bullied his classmates. He could be described as an excellent student in both character and academics.
Now, with Yan Qingqing as a powerful backer, and Chen Teng's sister being a concubine who couldn't be brought to the table, the student who had been hesitant to speak just now said, "Actually, this silver wasn't stolen from Brother Kang."
Upon hearing this, Chen Teng glared fiercely at the student who had spoken.
That student was probably bullied by Chen Teng before, so how could he let this opportunity pass him by?
So he recounted everything he had seen. Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Chen Teng with disdain.
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