People spat at Meng Gurao and threw things at him. The officers and soldiers on both sides were unable to stop him. If this continued, Meng Gurao would be beaten to death.
With a whoosh, two figures flew over from afar.
"Bang, bang, bang!" The two kicked the students surrounding Meng Gurao away one after another. When they landed on the ground, Meng Gurao saw clearly that they were his men, Wang Chao and Ma Han, the captains of Kaifeng Prefecture.
Wang Chao and Ma Han drew their swords. Wang Chao said coldly, "Whoever dares to come up here will die!"
This is not a joke. These two people admire Meng Guruo's character and are his die-hard fans. Let alone these students, even if Zhao Huan came, these two people would probably not take him seriously.
"Wang Chao! Back off!" Meng Gurao shouted.
Wang Chao turned around. Tears streamed down his face: "Sir!"
"I tell you to step back! It was me. I leaked the test questions, and His Majesty paraded me through the streets. The fault is all mine. I am sorry to all the students in the world!" Meng Gu Rao shouted.
Ma Han's heart was broken: "Sir, it's definitely not you! I know what kind of person you are. Why are you taking the blame?"
Meng Gu Rao angrily said, "I order you two to withdraw! Don't you listen to me?"
These two people treated Meng Gu Rao as if he were a god, and always obeyed his words. After hearing this, they were at a loss for a moment.
At this time, Li Shishi stood up and said, "Everyone, listen to me! This was definitely not done by Lord Meng. I guarantee it with my own life!"
The crowd finally quieted down, and some people finally felt that something was wrong.
Li Shishi continued, "This Lord Meng Gu Rao, the current prefect of Kaifeng, is the regent appointed by His Majesty. He has lived a life of integrity. Every year, he donates his salary to students who fail the imperial examinations and have no money to return home. Could such an official be guilty of corruption?"
Finally, someone in the crowd recognized him: "Master Meng, it really is you. Miss Li is right, my name is Chen Zijin, and I was sponsored by Master Meng back then. I believe Master Meng is not that kind of person!"
Li Shishi stood on a high platform and said, "Go ask around. Everyone in Bianjing knows that Lord Meng is the Justice Bao of Kaifeng Prefecture. He is impartial and incorruptible, a good and upright official respected by the people of Bianjing. There must be a misunderstanding here. Everyone, please be patient!"
"Then why did he admit it himself? Why was he still put in the prison van? You can judge a person by his appearance but not by his heart. This is a trick used by hypocrites to deceive people. Who are you trying to fool?" someone shouted.
Meng Gu Rao shouted, "That's right, it was me who leaked the test questions. You can kill me or chop me up as you please!"
Meng Gu Rao knew very well that only by diverting the public's anger towards himself would these students stop causing trouble for the court. Otherwise, if these students started to cause trouble, no one would believe in the justice of the court anymore.
The crowd immediately erupted in anger. He had admitted it himself, so what else was there to say? They looked at Meng Gurao angrily, ready to attack him again.
Suddenly, countless people emerged from the streets. They were all ordinary people from Bianjing. They rushed forward, howling and surrounding Meng Gu Rao.
The people pointed at the students and cursed, "You're blind! This is Meng Qingtian from Kaifeng City. You accuse him of being selfish. I'm the first to disagree!"
"Have you nerds read so much that you've become pig-brains? Master Meng is penniless and has nothing to lose. How could he do such a thing?"
"If anyone dares to touch Lord Meng, I will fight him!"
“Let’s fight!”
Meng Gurao's eyes moistened. With such a person, what more could he ask for? He was well-known for his integrity and honesty, and he had never expected that so many people would protect him.
The public's eyes are sharp, and they remembered this upright and selfless Meng Gurao. People knew Meng Gurao's character very well. His wife, a first-rank imperial concubine, often sold vegetables at the market. How could such a man be a corrupt official who took bribes and perverted the law?
A young woman came running over crying. It was Linghu Yunlong's wife Zhang Ruoxi. Meng Gurao had broken into the Hu Yasi at night and rescued his father, and also cleared the case for his Zhang family.
Zhao Huan paced back and forth in the Wende Hall until he finally stopped. "I can't let what happened to Chen Guoting happen again," he said. "Come here, pass on the order!"
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