Yao Jinrong was unaware that his outburst had already made all the students extremely disgusted with him, and they had all shifted their favor towards Tong Su.
In an era where scholars value reputation, a person who is despised by everyone is destined to never be able to survive in the circle of intellectuals and students again.
Tong Su said calmly, "I want to know, if you confirm that I'm just making things up to reach the word count, what will you do?"
Yao Jinrong's eyes lit up: "Then you're just a mediocre student in the county school, you have no skills, you must leave the county school and never come back!"
As he spoke, he laughed triumphantly, as if he could see Tongsu being humiliated and driven out of the county school, with all the scholars and teachers despising her and no one willing to teach her anymore.
"Actually, it's not that I can post the article."
Tongsu suddenly laughed.
The boy was barely old enough to play with a spoon, but his delicate features stood out against his fair skin, making him appear exceptionally handsome. His eyes were as clear as still water, making the entire ceremonial room seem brighter.
"However," she said, a slight smile playing on her lips, a smile that carried an unexpected chill, "if I prove myself and that the article wasn't just something I wrote randomly, then how will we deal with Yao Jinrong's slander against me?"
She said, "I just wrote whatever came to mind, which means I have no talent and will be expelled from the county school. Yao Jinrong didn't write a single word either, so he has no talent either. What was his fate?"
She said, "Scholars value their reputation most. His slander that I wrote the exam paper incorrectly is a contempt for scholarship, something even the most despicable scholar wouldn't do! If I'm smeared like this, not only will I be unable to pass the imperial examinations and enter officialdom in the future, but I'll also be unable to continue on the path of studying literature and waiting for the next exam!"
She said, "Some people, with just a few words, can convict someone out of thin air, yet they still think of themselves as morally superior heroes, smugly laughing and joking, satisfying their pathetic vanity by criticizing others!"
She said, "If I have made a mistake, I will accept whatever punishment I deserve. But I ask you, this 'pen-wielding hero' who claims to be acting on behalf of heaven, if you are proven to have done something wrong, do you dare to admit it? Have you ever sincerely apologized to those innocent people who have been unjustly slandered and humiliated?!"
The resounding rebuke landed heavily on the ground, making the entire county government office seem to tremble.
The room was completely silent. Many of the students who had followed Yao Jinrong in causing trouble at the county school blushed and lowered their heads in shame.
In the dead silence, someone suddenly clapped his hands and laughed: "Good, good, good, good 'Calligraphy Brush Hero'! Such sharp criticism should really make those censors in the court who only know how to grumble listen to it, so that they won't have to submit memorials to impeach this prince every day."
What was supposed to be a serious scene turned into a quiet chuckle when he said his last sentence.
"Your Highness must be joking..."
"Where am I joking?" He raised his eyebrows, looking at Tong Su with a smile, his words carrying a deeper meaning. "Your Highness says I'm ruthless, bloodthirsty, and unreasonable. I don't have that many flaws. Some people, after hearing the rumors, look down on me and think I'm a villain who does all sorts of evil. I'm really aggrieved."
Tong Su: "..."
Tong Su simply pretended not to see it.
The crowd didn't take it seriously, thinking Jin Wenting was just joking, and they all laughed and cheered, filling the cell with a joyful atmosphere.
Amidst the laughter and cheers, Yao Jinrong's face alone was ashen and pale.
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