Chapter 163: A Trial
Zhu Lan thought of Li Yishen’s death. It seemed that this matter might be related to this fake account.
In fact, this false account was the direct cause of Li Yishen's death!
At night, Qiao Youyou, who was sleeping soundly, made a very slight snoring sound, but Zhu Lan beside her tossed and turned with a pair of bright eyes open.
Should I continue to pretend that I know nothing about this matter?
When she found out that Li Yishen did not commit suicide, she chose to stay put because she was new to the place and had no idea about anything in Long'an County. Now that she had accidentally unearthed this false account, it seemed that something was about to come to light.
If she wanted to protect herself, she would continue to play dumb, hide when possible, complete the work of assisting in disaster relief, and then return to the academy to prepare for her imperial examination.
But...if that's the case, wouldn't my trip to Long'an County be in vain?
On the other hand, she didn't believe from the beginning that Ouyang Ye brought his students to Long'an County just for disaster relief.
You have to know that the person behind Longchang Academy is Prince Yan Yuze. This identity alone is enough to make people think more.
Moreover, it was clearly Yan Yuze who recruited volunteer students in the academy in a big way at the beginning, but on the day of departure, the leader became Ouyang Ye, and Yan Yuze himself disappeared.
What has he been doing these days?
Zhu Lan sat up from the bed and changed her mind.
Since she has made up her mind to enter the officialdom, she cannot be deaf and blind. However, given her current social class, the information she can obtain is very limited.
She is not afraid of the flood. If she always watches the fire from the other side of the river, although she will be safe, she will never be able to reach the other side.
Risks always coexist with opportunities, so why not take a risk and give it a try?
…
Ouyang Ye lived in the smallest room in the yard, which had a narrow door connecting to the kitchen.
It was already late at night, but the light was still on in Ouyang Ye's room.
Zhu Lan knocked on the door gently a few times, and Ouyang Ye's voice came from the room, "Who?"
"I am Zhu Lan, a student. I have something important to report." Zhu Lan said respectfully.
She didn't trust any of the people in Long'an County, including the water department doctor Song Mian, who seemed to be looking for something.
Ouyang Ye is a straight-forward person, and Zhu Lan repeatedly recalls the details of the original plot, so there is nothing wrong with Ouyang Ye's identity. He directly obeys Yan Yuze, and Yan Yuze is loyal to Emperor Liang.
It should be correct that I am indirectly clinging to the emperor.
But this decision is ultimately risky. After thinking it over, Zhu Lan decided not to involve other people for the time being.
After Zhu Lan knocked on the door and asked, Ouyang Ye came to open the door after a long time and asked her what was the matter.
Ouyang Ye was dressed neatly and did not look like he had just gotten out of bed.
After Zhu Lan entered, he hesitated for a moment before speaking:
"May I ask Supervisor Ouyang, in addition to disaster relief, are you also here to investigate the issues behind Long'an County?"
Ouyang Ye raised his eyebrows and sat down calmly, "What do you mean by the matter behind the scenes?"
"Of course it's about the murder of County Magistrate Li."
Ouyang Ye's expression condensed slightly, then he looked up at her without saying anything.
Zhu Lan took out the piece of paper with Arabic numerals written on it from his arms and handed it to Ouyang Ye.
Ever since Qiao Youyou's Mathematics Club was promoted in Longchang Academy, many students have learned to read such numbers. As the dean, Ouyang Ye also does some research in his spare time.
"This is an account book that I found when I was looking through the books left behind by Lord Li. It seems to be a fake account book."
Ouyang Ye just glanced at the numbers on the paper and narrowed his eyes to look at Zhu Lan.
This female student has been in Longchang Academy for five years. Ouyang Ye knows that she is extremely intelligent, but he did not expect that she is so bold that she dares to investigate everything!
"What are the real evidences for what you said?"
"Whether what the students said is true or not, the adults will know after checking it out."
"Where is that account book now?"
"It was just taken away by Lord Song Mian."
"You mean, Mr. Song is a suspect?"
"I didn't know, so I reported this to Abbot Ouyang." Zhu Lan answered truthfully.
Ouyang Ye smiled, "How do you want me to deal with this matter?"
"It is not the students' turn to make the decision on this matter." Zhu Lan paused, "It is just that the students are willing to lend a helping hand to the dean and the headmaster."
Ouyang Ye put away the paper that Zhu Lan brought and nodded calmly, "I already know about this matter. You can go back and have a rest first."
Then he nodded again, "Remember, don't talk too much outside."
"Student understands." Zhu Lan bowed and left.
…
The door was closed again. Ouyang Ye looked down at the piece of paper full of numbers and smiled.
"Master Song, please come out."
The small door leading to the kitchen was pushed open, and Song Mian, dressed in official uniform, walked out.
"The students of Longchang Academy are indeed worthy of their reputation." Song Mian couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh.
"Lord Song, you may not know that this boy is the top scorer in the provincial examination in Jiangzhou Prefecture today. His surname is Zhu and his name is Lan." Ouyang Ye poured him a cup of tea and said.
"Oh?" Song Mian was quite surprised. "Is it the student who proposed 'merit and reward' in the policy question?"
Ouyang Ye nodded, "That's right."
"I see." Song Mian couldn't help but glance outside again. "On my way to Long'an County, I happened to have a meal with Mr. Zhou Xianqing, who set the questions this time. He was very impressed by this article.
Mr. Zhou has always advocated "rewarding merit rather than virtue". At first glance, he was a little angry when this student refuted his point of view. But then he analyzed his point of view in detail in his article, extracted the essence, and made a more complete argument on this basis. It can be said that he is bold and careful. "
Hearing the other party praising the students he taught, Ouyang Ye couldn't help feeling proud and his lips curled up.
"Alright, alright, Master Song, let's get down to business. Is the poetry collection containing the account book that the student just mentioned in your hands?"
Song Mian nodded. "If she hadn't said it, I wouldn't have noticed the problem with this book."
As he spoke, he took out the book "Collection of Poems by Yi Shen" from the several books he brought.
"Knock knock knock." The knock on the door rang again, and the faces of the two people in the room froze at the same time.
Song Mian immediately put away the poetry collection and hid in the kitchen again. Ouyang Ye then stood up and went to open the door.
The man outside the door was dressed in black and wearing a cloak.
He took off his hat, revealing his young face which was both elegant and noble. His pair of fox eyes emitted a dim and mysterious light in the night and candlelight.
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