Chapter 597 By then, we will have caught him red-handed. I wonder what he will have to say.
Master Li walked out from the shadows of the corridor, his expression showing no emotion.
He didn't look at Wang Hao and others who were groaning on the ground, but his eyes fell directly on Lin Jiayou.
"Lin Jiayou, come with me." Master Li's voice was not loud, but it was majestic.
When Wang Hao and the others saw the Master appear, their wailing suddenly subsided, and their eyes were filled with resentment and guilt.
Lin Jiayou followed Master Li silently to a secluded study.
"Why are you fighting?" Master Li turned around, his eyes sharp.
Lin Jiayou lowered his eyes, and the bloodstain at the corner of his mouth was particularly glaring.
He did not argue, but said calmly: "The student made a mistake and is willing to accept the punishment."
"What's wrong?"
"It's wrong to fight in a private school. It breaks the rules." Lin Jiayou's voice was flat.
Master Li looked at him. This usually quiet young man with almost no sense of existence was like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, showing its edge today.
He clearly saw that it was Wang Hao and the others who started the fight, but the child didn't say a word to defend himself.
"I saw it. It was Wang Hao and the others who provoked us first." Master Li said in a deep voice.
Lin Jiayou remained silent, but just straightened his back.
Master Li sighed, his tone softening slightly. "That slap you delivered was swift and satisfying. But have you considered that once you deliver it, there's no turning back. Tolerance isn't cowardice, and taking action requires choosing the right moment."
"I understand." Lin Jiayou finally raised his head, his obsidian eyes showing no sign of retreat. "But there are some things that cannot be retreated."
Master Li was shocked. He saw a tenacity and determination in the young man's eyes that was inconsistent with his age.
He suddenly understood why the Duke of Zhenguo and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince both looked at this boy differently.
"You won today, but Wang Hao is the distant nephew of the Minister of War. I'm afraid your life will be even more difficult in the future," Master Li reminded.
"Students are not afraid." Lin Jiayou answered decisively.
Master Li was silent for a long time, then finally spoke: "Wang Hao and his men provoked me without cause, using their numbers to bully the few. As punishment, they must copy the Analects fifty times and be confined to their homes for ten days. I will personally send a letter to the Minister of War's residence."
He paused, then looked at Lin Jiayou. "Although you were acting in self-defense, you still resorted to violence. As punishment, you must clean the corridor and copy the line 'Be respectful without hesitation, as if in deep thought' from the Book of Rites a hundred times."
Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this punishment is biased.
"Thank you, Master." Lin Jiayou bowed deeply without any complaints.
When Lin Jiayou returned to the corridor with a broom, Wang Hao and others had already been taken away by the school supervisor.
He silently swept the dust and fallen leaves on the ground, his movements meticulous.
The wound on his arm was pulled, causing a sharp pain, but he seemed not to feel it.
He thought of Gu Qingchen.
If she were here, she would probably beat Wang Hao and the others until they cried for their parents.
Then he put his hands on his hips and dragged them to the teacher to seek justice with confidence, making the matter known to everyone.
In the end, she always leaves everyone helpless.
Thinking of her arrogant look, Lin Jiayou's tense mouth corners unconsciously rose slightly for a moment.
But she wasn't there.
He couldn't hide behind her forever.
The pain and wounds made him more sober. He had to stand up on his own and face it all in his own way.
When he was cleaning the corner, he saw a small jade pendant on the ground with the word "Hao" engraved on it. It was the one that fell from Wang Hao in the chaos just now.
Lin Jiayou bent down to pick up the jade pendant, and a cool touch came from his fingertips.
He stroked the warm surface of the jade pendant with a deep look in his eyes, then silently put it into his sleeve.
After doing all this, he picked up the broom again and stood upright in the afternoon sun, his shadow stretched out very long.
The silent and patient boy seemed to have completely changed after a brief fight.
Late at night, Gu Qingchen's boudoir window was skillfully pushed open a crack again.
Qian Zhenyun crawled in quietly like a chubby civet cat, making a slight muffled sound when he landed.
"Sister!" He lowered his voice, with a hint of excitement and mystery on his face.
Gu Qingchen was lying on the table, worrying about "Female Training". When she saw him coming, she immediately perked up and pulled him behind the screen.
"GongGong, why are you here again? Be careful or my mother will find out!"
"I, I have something important to tell you!" Qian Zhenyun panted, his eyes brightening surprisingly. "Guess what happened in the private school today?"
He recounted the entire fight between Lin Jiayou and Wang Hao during the day in detail, adding more details.
"What?" Gu Qingchen's eyes widened as he suddenly stood up from the embroidery cushion. "GunGun, are you serious? That taciturn guy beat up Wang Hao and the others?"
"Really! I saw it with my own eyes! Wang Hao's face was swollen!" Qian Zhenyun nodded vigorously, looking proud.
"Great!" Gu Qingchen clapped his hands excitedly and turned around the room twice in excitement. "I knew he wasn't a coward! Finally, all the things I taught him weren't in vain!"
After the excitement wore off, Gu Qingchen stopped again, calmed down, and frowned slightly.
"However, I know Wang Hao well. He's as cunning as a needle. After suffering such a huge loss, he will definitely find a way to retaliate."
She sat down again, her fingers tapping the table unconsciously: "No, I have to find a way to help Jiayou. I'm locked up here and can't do anything. It's so frustrating!"
In the East Palace, candles were brightly lit.
The young prince sat at the desk, with what was spread out before him not a book of sages, but a piece of intelligence from outside the palace.
When he saw the words "Lin Jiayou fought against many enemies alone and defeated Wang Hao and others", a proud smile appeared on his little face.
But then, the smile faded, replaced by a look of deep thought and worry.
"Someone come here." He called softly.
The most trusted eunuch immediately stepped forward and asked, "What are your orders, Your Highness?"
The little prince took a piece of plain white paper, ground the ink himself, and wrote four words: Be careful in everything.
Although the handwriting is still immature, it already reveals a sense of calmness and strength.
He then picked out a box of top-grade wound medicine bestowed by the emperor from his private storehouse and handed it to the eunuch along with the note.
"Find a way to quietly deliver this to Lin Jiayou of Bailu Private School. Remember, don't alert anyone."
"I obey your order."
A few days later, Lin Jiayou was studying in the dormitory when a strange servant quickly stuffed a cloth bag into his bookcase while serving tea.
Lin Jiayou remained calm and waited until no one was around before opening the door.
The medicine bestowed by the emperor and the note with familiar handwriting made him feel warm in his heart.
The concern of His Highness and the Master made him feel that he was not fighting alone.
But at the same time, he was more vigilant.
He noticed that Wang Hao and others looked at him with increasingly strange eyes.
It was no longer an overt provocation and anger, but a kind of coldness hidden in the dark, like a poisonous snake lurking in the dark, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any time.
They seemed to be waiting for something, brewing a bigger storm.
On the eve of the monthly exam, Wang Hao called several followers to the rockery in the backyard of the private school.
He took out a piece of paper covered with densely written small words from his pocket, and a cold smile appeared on his face in the moonlight.
"Tomorrow, I will bring disgrace upon Lin Jiayou!"
A follower chimed in, "Brother Hao, what are you going to do?"
"I've bribed Ah Si, the boy who cleans the dormitory," Wang Hao said, proudly shaking the note in his hand. "Before tomorrow's exam, he'll slip this into Lin Jiayou's pen holder while he's sorting out his pens and ink."
"Wait halfway through the exam and I'll expose him for cheating right there and then!"
"By then, we'll have caught him red-handed. I wonder what he'll have to say! He won't be able to stay at the White Deer Academy any longer!"
Upon hearing this, several followers smiled with a gloating look on their faces.
On the day of the monthly exam, the morning light was dim.
As usual, Lin Jiayou walked to his seat, packed up his writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and waited patiently for the exam to begin.
Not far away, Wang Hao looked at his back, a confident smile on his lips.
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