Chapter 131 Asking for help made my beard tremble
There was a fight outside, and this time it was not Song Jin who started it, but Lu Junnian.
Others did not admit how irrefutable Song Jin's words were that day, but he knew it.
Others didn't know that the firecracker rolled under Song Jin's skirt that day, but he knew it too.
After the ceremony, he went to the back to eavesdrop for a while, and immediately guessed that Mo Hongfu had bad intentions and was taking advantage of the situation. Mo Hongfu was not there that day, so how did he know so much about it?
He felt that there was a traitor.
So he ran back and confronted the group of people who refused to admit that Song Jin was powerful.
"No one came out to say it was unreasonable that day, but now everyone refuses to admit it. Who cheated? I think you are fence-sitters, you don't like to be influenced by the wind!"
"Master Lu, what do you mean by that? If you couldn't tell the difference at the time, you don't allow people to question you later?"
"What doubts? How can there be any doubts? You are just following the crowd and have no opinion of your own!"
"Lord Lu, you are wrongly accusing me."
Lu Junnian was not willing to comply, and he immediately sent someone to the government academy to invite Lord Zhang to come and judge the case, while he himself engaged in a debate with his colleagues.
Lord Zhang was already old and was living well in the provincial school. Suddenly, someone came to him and said that he had been defrauded. Then, without saying anything, he stuffed the person into a sedan chair and took him to the yamen. Then a group of people gathered together and started arguing.
Some people say that what Song Jin said makes sense, and some people ask who can prove that she is right?
Some people say that it cannot be proved that she is unreasonable, so she is reasonable.
Some people say that Song Jin was just a small servant, so where did he learn those things? They were all heretical and came from illegal sources.
Some people ask who was the master of Confucius and Laozi, who taught them those things, should we overturn all the things that no one taught us? Who was the master's master?
A group of people were arguing with each other, neither of them giving in. No one could gain the upper hand in the verbal sparring, and finally they started fighting.
When Lin Zhihe walked in, he saw this scene.
A group of officials were fighting with each other, not distinguishing who was who. Only Professor Zhang Mao of the Provincial Academy sat there, beating his chest and stamping his feet, howling hoarsely: "I am old and useless. I talk to young people and say that I was cheated. I think you can just call me useless. I can't be a professor anymore."
The room was bustling with activity, just like a rooster coop that had just started crowing in the morning, with the sounds rising and falling without stopping.
“That’s enough!”
Lin Zhihe shouted loudly, and the people inside paused for a moment. They all turned their heads to look at the door, and saw Prefect Lin standing there with an angry face. They all became obedient at once.
Some let go, some adjusted their hats, some picked up their shoes, only Zhang Mao was still sitting there with tears on his face.
After studying all his life, in his old age he is accused of not being able to distinguish right from wrong and being deceived by lies, but he still treats him like a treasure. Who can tolerate this?
The professor didn't want to do his job anymore and didn't want to get up when he saw the prefect.
"Why is Lord Zhang here too?"
Zhang Mao was of a low rank, but he was older, more knowledgeable, and had many students, so he was inevitably respected. Therefore, Lin Zhihe was polite when speaking to him.
"If I hadn't come here, how would I know that people were scolding me behind my back for being old and useless?" He was full of resentment.
"Who scolded you for saying that?"
Zhang Mao stood up immediately and said, "That scholar Mo was not a good student when he was studying. He has taken the exams for many years but never passed. Now he is a lawyer and stirs up trouble everywhere. I am useless. I taught such a student. Now he is saying behind my back that I was deceived without knowing it. I am so embarrassed. I don't want to be a professor anymore. I will write a letter to the censor when I get back. I will quit being a professor."
Zhang Mao was about to leave after he finished speaking. Despite his age, his beard was shaking with anger. Lin Zhihe hurried to stop him.
"Master Zhang has misunderstood. Scholar Mo was just suspicious. I have already investigated and found no evidence of fraud."
"Then why do you keep people locked up?"
Lin Zhihe was also unlucky. Who could have thought that a woman could involve so many people? At this moment, facing Zhang Mao's "questioning", he had to explain that fraud was not true, but beating was true.
When Zhang Mao heard that Song Jin had scratched someone, he kept saying it was a good thing to do.
"I should scratch him to death so that I can vent my anger."
Zhang Mao was temporarily stable, but he turned around to look at his subordinates and said with gritted teeth: "You are all idle. Wait until I take care of the things outside and then come back to deal with you."
The crowing roosters suddenly stopped crowing as if they had taken a mute drug.
After Lin Zhihe left, Lu Junnian turned around to look at the people who had just been fighting, snorted heavily, and ran out. However, just as he reached the door, someone grabbed his arm and dragged him into a corner.
It’s Ji Shubai.
"Why are you pulling me here? I still have to settle accounts with those yamen runners." Lu Junnian was obsessed with cockfighting today and became addicted to it.
"Master Lin wants to punish Miss Lu." Ji Shubai said anxiously without any preparation.
"Punish? How?"
Ji Shubai was a little flustered, his lips still trembling, "I don't know, he didn't allow me to go to the trial again, Miss Lu got angry and scratched me, please help me persuade her, tell her to be calm for a while, don't provoke Lord Lin again, no matter what Mo Xiucai says, don't pay attention to it, no matter what, just get through today's punishment first."
"She scratched Mr. Mo's face in front of the prefect in court. Can she listen to me?"
Faced with Lu Junnian's question, Ji Shubai didn't know how to answer. He was now desperate and trying every possible means.
"Anyway, please help me persuade her. She hates me now."
Lu Junnian didn't understand why Song Jin hated him, and he missed the rest of the story until Ji Shubai filled it in for him.
He frowned and said, "This is difficult to handle. I'm too stubborn. I'm afraid I won't be able to save my face."
"Stop joking and help me persuade her."
Lu Junnian was not joking. He just felt that he couldn't win the argument with Song Jin. What if he got hit? He couldn't fight back.
But he recommended someone, the prefect's wife Xia Yingqiu.
When he was eavesdropping just now, he saw Rulan, the maidservant beside Mrs. Lin, also listening in the back. Maybe she already knew it now. Mrs. Lin liked the snacks made by Song Jin very much. Besides, she was a woman, so it was easier for her to talk. As long as Ji Shubai could invite her, it would definitely be more reliable than him.
Ji Shubai was persuaded and said he would go find Mrs. Lin. Lu Junnian agreed, but Ji Shubai grabbed his arm again and said seriously, "Lend me some money."
"ah?"
The prefect rarely tried cases, let alone such a small case. So when Mrs. Lin sent her maid Rulan to deliver something to him this afternoon, she found that he was not there. After asking around, she learned that he was trying a case. The maid, like Song Jin, was curious and quietly went to the back of the hall to eavesdrop. She also ran into Lu Junnian. The two smiled at each other, tacitly not exposing each other, and listened silently.
Unlike Lu Junnian, the girl listened to the whole story before leaving. Knowing that the prefect was very angry, she went back to inform his wife first.
"Madam, madam," the girl's voice was much more pleasant than the man's hurried call for adults, "it's so lively outside today."
When the girl named Rulan told the story of what happened before, a girl named Ruyi beside Mrs. Lin interrupted.
"What? Beat someone up?" The girl couldn't hide her gloating expression on her face. "I think this scholar is really weird. He can use any excuse to go to court. He said that someone is immoral and he wants to correct it. But in my opinion, he is obviously thinking about the litigation funds. Do you think he can get the litigation funds if he sues himself?"
Rulan said, "I don't know, but I heard that this scholar has a bad reputation. Last time I saw him in the hall, he was talking so much that he was almost a celebrity in the government. I don't believe he really did it for moral integrity. If he really did it for moral integrity, he would be the first one to kneel in the hall."
"That's right. This lawyer is just like that fly. He won't bother to eat unless he has something to eat. But when he has something to eat, he will come to him just by smelling the food. It doesn't matter if it's a cesspool or a dish, it won't stop him from opening his mouth."
"You little girl, your words are really rude." Mrs. Lin stopped her, but she agreed with her: "But what you said makes sense. I have never seen a woman dressed as a man and then go to court. It is obvious that she is here to destroy someone's reputation. This scholar has also read the wrong books."
Ruyi smiled and said, "I know this. This is what we call a drunkard's interest lies elsewhere."
"Whose girl is this, being harmed like this?"
Rulan said, "I heard that he is the owner of the Lu Family Food Store. Madam has met him before."
Mrs. Lin didn't remember it for a moment, so Rulan reminded her: "The one who performed tea art for you at the Chai family before, and later when Lord Ji sent us some snacks, you said you liked them, and they were made by her shop."
"It turned out to be her. She is actually a woman."
Mrs. Lin had just reacted when the maid outside came in and said that Lord Ji wanted to see her.
Rulan smiled softly: "I'm afraid you didn't come here for that girl. Madam, you must see her."
Madam Lin thought for a moment and said, "Our Lord Ji seems to be smart, but he is actually a fool. Let's ask him to wait in the flower hall."
The servant responded and went out. Mrs. Lin packed her clothes and went out accompanied by the servant.
Ji Shubai was getting so anxious that the stool seemed to have nails on it and he couldn't sit still at all. He walked back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back until Mrs. Lin came in.
"lady--"
Ji Shubai rushed over when he saw someone, but Madam Lin was calm and walked past him: "What's the matter? Sit down and talk. Bring me some tea."
Ji Shubai had no choice but to sit down, and took the tea handed to him by the servant and took a sip before asking for help.
His request was simple. As long as Song Jin could control his temper and stop acting impulsively, he should accept any punishment he received.
Madam Lin sighed softly, "This mistake was made by both men and women, but the responsibility is borne by the woman alone. Lord Ji has been sober for so long, how could he be so confused about this matter?"
Ji Shubai lowered his head, his face full of guilt: "This is all my fault. I was confused, but at the moment..."
But he can't take the responsibility right now. Song Jin will definitely be punished, and he may not be able to share the responsibility even if he wants to.
"Forget it. Lord Lin can only protect one person in this matter. She can't be protected. This girl is too impatient. She will suffer a great loss sooner or later. This may not be a bad thing now. But..."
She looked at Ji Shubai and asked him, "You asked me to persuade that girl. I believe you know that she has a stubborn temper. Since you are willing to help her to this extent, have you thought about the future?"
Ji Shubai looked up blankly. Next?
He could only talk about the future later, and now he had to get through this difficult time.
"Whether this girl is punished or not, her reputation will definitely be bad. What will she do in the future? Has Lord Ji ever thought about her?"
Ji Shubai said sadly: "I have thought about it. No matter what, I will be responsible to the end."
Madam Lin smiled and said, "Master Ji, you are so foolish. I think you don't need to blame yourself today. You will suffer more in the future. Anyway, I will go and ask around. I am still thinking about the snacks of that girl."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
