Chapter 176: Chaos in Xiaocheng (Sixteen) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Praying for good with a bitter smile.
"Just as Yan Cheng said, I have no direct evidence to prove that he harmed people, but I also have no evidence to prove that I did not harm Yuan Liang."
In particular, at this time he replaced the real "Qishan".
Compared to "Yan Cheng murdered Qi Shan and Tan Qu," the statement "Tan Qu murdered Qi Shan, stole her identity, and framed his fellow student Yan Cheng" is more convincing.
Shen Tang asked in confusion, "You didn't explain?"
Qi Shan retorted, "Who do you think will listen to my explanation? Because the real me is not Qi Shan, but Tan Qu! Tan Qu is just the son of a sandalmaker, of humble origins. Everyone thinks that based on this alone, he has a reason to murder his close friend and usurp his place!"
Even though praying for good was difficult at that time, he still had the heritage and reputation left by his ancestors, which distinguished him from ordinary people.
To the world, it seemed impossible for these two to be friends on equal terms, nor to regard each other as brothers, let alone for the noble one to leave the only way out to the lowly and humble sandalmaker's son.
They even suspected that the sandalmaker's son must have used some despicable means to bewitch the real "Qishan" in order to get to where he is today, completely erasing Qi Bushan's hard work and the hardships of his academic journey...
Shen Tang: "..."
What kind of bizarre logic is this?
Qi Shan chuckled again: "Yan Cheng performed well in the first test, while I was trapped in the secret place and basically submitted a blank paper. Who do you think is more credible, him or me?"
Between the noble and the lowly, who wouldn't lean towards the former?
Between excellence and mediocrity, who wouldn't lean towards the former?
Shen Tang: "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny? I only know that pets care about bloodlines, origins, and lineage, and are picky about appearance, voice, and body shape. Do living people need to use these things to determine their status? Such remarks should never appear in this world."
She continued, "Shouldn't the royal family be the most noble family in a country? Otherwise, how could they be above everyone else? But if they are so noble and have such superior bloodlines, why were they destroyed? The royal families of destroyed countries mostly met with bad ends. According to the logic of noble bloodlines, shouldn't the entire clan be imprisoned, and new and old royal families intermarry to make the bloodline even more noble?"
"So it's clear that's just shameless self-aggrandizement." Shen Tang patted Qi Shan's shoulder, very righteously, "If anyone dares to insult you, just tell me, and I'll crush their brains one by one! Let's see if their brains are filled with brains or intestines that are upside down! Other people's brains are filled with brains, but these people's brains are filled with shit!"
Qi Shan: "..."
If only young Master Shen could be more refined and cultured—
He will probably be very touched.
"In short, I was too young and naive back then. I didn't think things through and acted irrationally. Not only did I fail to harm Yancheng, but I also put myself in danger. The lord didn't make things difficult for me. He simply recorded the facts in a memorial, presented it to the king, and left everything to the king's decision..."
but--
Is there anyone outside the country who doesn't know what kind of person the ruler of Xin is?
At that time, she was madly infatuated with Zheng Qiao, and Yan Cheng had already gotten involved with Zheng Qiao. With just a few words, Qi Shan became cannon fodder.
Was he guilty and deserved his fate, or was he wrongfully imprisoned? That doesn't matter, just as his life is unimportant in the eyes of those people.
Because the incident occurred during the "special examination" period, the punishment was particularly severe in order to serve as a deterrent to others.
Lingchi!
The charges against him were "harming a classmate," "stealing someone else's property," and "framing a fellow student." Compared to these charges, "street brawl" seemed the least serious. Qi Shan was just a commoner scholar with no connections, and he was practically helpless.
Fortunately, he also met a benefactor.
Who is it?
Is it even possible to get Qi Shan out of this situation?
Qi Shan said, "A classmate of mine, who had once received financial assistance from 'Yuanliang,' believed that I was framed by Yancheng because the case did not reveal that I had impersonated someone else or fabricated the inside story."
But his classmate, who was also powerless and of humble origin, was powerless to help even if he wanted to…
All I could do was see him one last time before his execution, to see him off and say goodbye. He casually mentioned that he would pack up "Qishan" and "Tanqu's" belongings so that the two could return to their hometown.
We'll build a cenotaph next to it later, hoping that the two brothers can still have a drink in the afterlife and not suffer so much anymore.
Then, cats were mentioned.
The old cat named "Huaixu".
Out of consideration for our friendship, I'll help take care of that old cat.
Shen Tang: "Cat?"
Is this the key?
Hehe, nature is the key.
Qi Shan was inspired and had a flash of inspiration. He thought of a way to escape and avoid the death penalty—he only needed to overturn the master's conclusion to turn the deadlock around! Because those charges were all based on the premise that "he is not Qi Shan but Tan Qu".
Qishan has yet to reveal his true form.
The master recognized Qi Shan's true identity through his scholarly knowledge, but he couldn't dispel Qi Shan's disguise. In other words, if he could produce absolute evidence to prove that he was "Qi Shan," those serious charges would be untenable.
As for the well-documented street brawl?
The highest level is exile.
The key to everything lies in the "cat"!
The true "Qishan" is naturally afraid of cats; contact with a raccoon dog will cause them to break out in rashes, and in severe cases, even go into shock and die. Tan Qu, however, doesn't have these problems. If he can prove he has the same issue, his chances of turning the tables are extremely high…
As it turns out, Qi Shan made the right bet.
The final result was punishment and exile.
Fortunately, Danfu Wenxin was unharmed.
However, after such a brutal beating, even though he was a scholar with a literary spirit and the protection of his body, he was almost half dead. The humiliation and difficulties he suffered from the beating became insignificant.
On the day he was exiled, several close friends came to see him off.
They might help him make arrangements to lessen his suffering on the way to exile, or give him some travel expenses... But then, Yan Cheng arrived.
Shen Tang felt uncomfortable whenever she heard the name Yan Cheng. She felt that this guy was full of bad intentions and was no good.
What is he doing here?
Are you looking for a joke?
Qi Shan sneered, "No, it's 'giving gifts'."
Send Qishan a "gift" that she will "never forget"!
A small box made of huanghuali wood contained an exquisite little jar.
Upon opening it, they found a pile of ashes.
Everyone present turned pale.
What's the point of sending ashes?
Before Qi Shan and the other classmates could react, Yan Cheng feigned concern, saying, "I know you and Tan Lezheng were sworn brothers, and you suffered greatly because of his death, almost making a terrible mistake. Given the current situation, I don't blame you..."
Qi Shan: [Enough with the nonsense, what is this?!]
He had a vague sense of unease.
The hands holding the wooden box were trembling.
Yan Cheng: [These are Tan Lezheng's belongings.]
Qi Shan scoffed: "Even A Qu's corpse is trapped in the 'Mountain of Books,' so how could his ashes be considered as belongings?"
Cremation is no longer popular these days; it would just turn bones into ashes!
To everyone's surprise, Yan Cheng said: "The ashes are not Tan Lezheng's; they are those of the old cat that has been with him for many years."
Upon hearing this, Qi Shan was struck dumb.
[Its master is dead, and you are afraid of cats and will be exiled, so you probably won't be able to take care of it. The cat is also old and has many ailments... So you thought it was better to end it sooner rather than later. It was a loyal and devoted cat, so you decided to let it go with Tan Lezheng, and let its ashes accompany you on your journey...]
(End of this chapter)
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