Chapter 27 This is simply alarmist.
After a day of rest, Yuan Yi was still the first lecturer to arrive at the academy.
According to the academy's arrangements, Yang Congen only has one class today, scheduled for the afternoon, to be taught in the Jiazi Hall. This means that he will most likely not come to the academy until after noon.
Yuan Yi sat by the window in a casual manner, flipping through the book he had half-read the day before. His gaze had only briefly swept over the two lines of text when the morning light outside the door suddenly dimmed.
Looking up, I saw Wang Youling, a scholar in the courtyard.
Wang Youling was a student of former prime minister Xie Cheng. Regardless of his writing skills or the depth of his scholarship, this relationship alone made him a figure of extraordinary status in the academy.
Yuan Yi straightened his back without showing any emotion, his right hand still resting on the edge of the scroll. His eyes were as calm as still water as he watched Wang Siye, who was more than twenty years older than him, stride into the room and slam three pages of densely written manuscript onto the opposite table with a deafening thud.
"What a despicable brat! How dare he blatantly plagiarize my student! He's utterly arrogant!" Wang Youling, with one hand supporting his lower back and the other pressing down on the manuscript paper, angrily cursed at the empty chair.
Yuan Yi glanced at the ink marks on the paper and could only make out a few words. The writing style seemed somewhat familiar, but the handwriting was very unfamiliar.
Looking at Wang Youling's expression again, it was somewhat exaggerated, and the performance seemed overly theatrical.
So he slowly withdrew his gaze and decided to pretend he was deaf and dumb.
Wang Youling glanced at the young man opposite him out of the corner of his eye. After waiting for a long time, Yuan Yi not only did not respond, but did not even intend to get up and greet him.
The worst thing about acting is having no one to take your role, which made his emotionally charged performance seem ridiculous.
Wang Youling cursed inwardly: What an ill-mannered young man!
"Yuan Yi, is Yu Mingshu from the Wuzi Hall your student?"
"Yes." Yuan Yi replied without looking up. "What's wrong?"
Wang Youling was enraged by his indifferent attitude.
A mere youth without even the title of Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) managed to get into the academy as a lecturer by relying on personal connections, yet he dares to act arrogantly towards his seniors.
"I heard that your student has only been enrolled for a short time, but he has already become quite the star in the school! Six out of the seven articles on the list every ten days are written by him. Is that true?"
The words seem to be praising Yu Mingshu, but the tone is somewhat sarcastic.
Yuan Yi paused for a moment as he turned the pages of the book, and cautiously replied, "She is indeed quite talented in literature."
Wang Youling threw the manuscript paper in his hand in front of him, "Look, this is the article that Xie Huaijin of Jiazitang submitted last month. Does it look familiar?"
This scene seemed strangely familiar.
Yuan Yi glanced at the text on the paper, then folded it up and swept it aside.
"Are you saying that Yu Mingshu plagiarized Xie Sanlang's article?"
"Isn't this obvious?"
Yuan Yi looked at him and asked, "Where's the evidence?"
Wang Youling snatched back the manuscript and shook it fiercely in front of him. "This is the evidence! Yu Erlang's article is still posted in front of the lectern in Wuzi Hall. It's irrefutable evidence!"
“I stood in the hall comparing it word by word. How dare Yu Mingshu! He didn’t change a single word and claimed it as his own. Such despicable behavior and such despicable character! This boy must not be allowed to stay at Chang’an Academy!”
Wang Youling's impassioned rebuke only earned him a denial.
"She couldn't have plagiarized."
Yuan Yi was very certain because Yu Mingshu's writing style was unique, as could be seen from the article she wrote on her first visit to the academy.
People may share similar views on things and have similar writing styles, but their preferences in word choice are rarely coincidental, and most people wouldn't even notice this detail.
"Then what is this?" Wang Youling tapped the manuscript paper with two fingers, the fragile paper making a crackling sound. "Could it be that Xie Sanlang had some kind of premonition and copied her recent articles a month ago?"
Yuan Yi stared at him intently and asked, "Are you sure this was submitted by Xie Huaijin a month ago?"
Wang Youling noticed the suspicion in his eyes and felt a little guilty, but he forced himself to remain calm: "How could I, a dignified instructor, fabricate evidence to slander a complete stranger?"
“I didn’t say that,” Yuan Yi said calmly. “I just think this matter is absurd and has many suspicious points.”
Wang Youling turned away and shouted, "I have nothing to say to a junior like you! Quickly invite Master Yang over!"
…
At noon, a rain fell in Chang'an.
Jing Hong carried an umbrella in one hand and three steamers of buns in the other as he hurried back to the academy. Xia Man, on the other hand, cleaned up the two tables in the back row and put them together so that Yu Mingshu and He Zheng could have lunch.
The students inside and outside chattered idly, their topics revolving around Xie Ansheng's scandals.
Every now and then, someone would squeeze over and ask the two audience members if they had seen anything steamy or risqué. How beautiful was the girl in Xie Ansheng's arms? He Zheng ruthlessly chased them away.
Yu Mingshu was most worried about the two girls. They looked very young, perhaps even younger than her. They were so thin that they could hardly be grasped. They had no choice but to enter this profession, and survival was already extremely difficult. If they were to suffer retaliation from the Xie family, she feared they would not be able to survive.
She lowered her voice and asked, "How are your two younger sisters?"
"They've already been sent out of the city."
Yu Mingshu felt relieved.
He Zheng's statement implies that he has already taken care of the aftermath.
A loud bang came from the doorway. It turned out that Zhang Jun had kicked the door hard and walked in arrogantly, casting a gloating look at the back row.
Seeing that things were not going well, Du Zhiyai was ready to go to the Teachers' College to complain at any time. He had just taken a step out when someone grabbed him by the back of the collar and threw him back.
Zhang Jun slapped him on the back of the head and ordered imperiously, "Go, tear down all of Yu Erlang's articles on the list! Leave not a single one!"
Du Zhiyai said in a panic, "This, how can this be? Those were selected by Mr. Yang, and Mr. Yuan asked us to post them..."
"Just reveal it when I tell you to, stop arguing!" Zhang Jun yelled. "Be careful not to tear it, these are all incriminating evidence."
Evidence? What evidence?
Yu Mingshu bit into the bun hard, going through all the articles she had written in the previous ten days in her mind. She didn't think she had written any prohibited content, did she?
Zhang Jun swaggered up to Yu Mingshu and Yu Dan, looked them over at the three sitting in a circle, and said arrogantly, "Second Brother Yu, Lord Yang orders you to go to Zhishan Hall immediately."
Judging from his attitude, it probably isn't anything good.
Yu Mingshu quickened her chewing pace, finished the bun in her hand, asked no questions, ignored the exaggerated expression on Zhang Jun's face, and got up to leave.
I bumped into his shoulder as I left.
Caught off guard, Zhang Jun's shoulder instantly bruised, causing him to grimace in pain and stomp his feet at the departing figure.
"Can't you even watch where you're going?!"
Yu Mingshu remained calm and didn't turn her head. Not only did she show no reaction, but even Yu Dan and He Zheng, who were eating at the same table with her, remained indifferent, making his jumping around seem rather comical.
Zhang Jun felt as if he had punched cotton, with nowhere to vent his anger.
Yu Dan asked curiously, "Doesn't Lord Yang need to eat? Why are you calling someone over at this time?"
He Zheng also sensed something was amiss and frowned as he looked at Zhang Jun: "Did Lord Yang order you to tear down the articles on the list?"
Zhang Jun glanced at him sideways, then turned and left.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Yu Dan was completely baffled: "What does he mean?"
He Zheng remained silent, his expression gradually becoming solemn.
Zhang Jun returned to his seat and said affectedly, "I thought this newcomer, Yu Erlang, was some kind of unparalleled talent, but it turns out he's just a despicable scoundrel!"
Those around him listened for a long time but still couldn't understand what he was saying, so they mustered up their courage and stepped forward to ask, "Brother Zhang, what exactly happened?"
Zhang Jun had been waiting for this moment.
"Yu Erlang plagiarized Xie Sanlang's article, and it was discovered by Wang Siye! I wonder just how talented Xie Huaijin is, that he has attracted so many petty thieves who want to steal his articles and his reputation!"
The crowd gasped in disbelief.
"Huh? Another plagiarism?"
"Has Xie Sanlang been raided again?"
"These dozens of articles by Yu Erlang have appeared on the list in the past month. Are they all plagiarized?"
"He's so arrogant! Does he really think the gentlemen are blind?!"
Zhang Jun glanced meaningfully at He Zheng, "I wonder if Yu Mingshu is as lucky as He Erlang, to be protected by Master Yang and continue to stay in the academy."
He Zheng stood up with a gloomy expression, and a murderous aura flashed in his beautiful starry eyes.
Zhang Jun's smile froze. As he approached the front row, the surrounding students all fell silent in unison.
At this point, a commotion had broken out inside the Zhishan Hall.
Yang Congen had arrived in a hurry and had gotten caught in the rain. He was sitting at the table wrapped in a thin blanket when Yuan Yi handed him a bowl of ginger soup.
Wang Youling called over six other fellow PhDs, who brought chairs from outside and sat in a row under the bookshelf, all staring intently at the door.
Yu Mingshu was taken aback by the scene, but she didn't show any emotion on her face. She stood blankly outside the door, subconsciously looking at Yang Gong's reaction.
Yang Congen stared at the manuscript in her hand, her brows furrowed, saying nothing. Yuan Yi, on the other hand, shook his head at her, the meaning of which was unclear.
Yu Mingshu took a deep breath, calmed himself down, stepped into the room, and bowed to his teachers.
Before Yang could speak, Wang Youling launched an attack on her.
Spit rained down on him, and Yu Mingshu subconsciously took a half step back, thinking to himself: What an rude old man.
After listening to the other party's eloquent rant for a long time, Yu Mingshu finally gleaned the key words from the lengthy discourse:
She plagiarized Xie Sanlang.
This is utterly alarmist!
She stared at Wang Youling's opening and closing lips, finally finding an opening to interject:
"Sir, you say that Xie Sanlang's article is similar to mine. Why not invite Xie Sanlang over to confront me face to face?"
Wang Youling, with an air of superiority, looked down at her and said, "Huaijin is busy with her studies. She doesn't have time to listen to your sophistry. Tell me what you have to say."
Yu Mingshu replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Very well, may I ask you, sir, I have never met Xie Sanlang before, how can I steal the article he submitted a month ago?"
Wang Youling said disdainfully, "Many people have seen you frequently entering and leaving Zhishan Hall, treating the Jingshi Academy as your own private courtyard and wandering around at will. Who knows if you have ever entered my room or touched the manuscripts on my desk?"
Yuan Yi couldn't stand it anymore and frowned as he spoke up for Yu Mingshu.
“Yu Mingshu came to the Teachers’ College mostly to ask me questions and never went anywhere else. As a teacher, it is inappropriate for me to make unfounded assumptions about my student.”
Wang Youling pointed to the manuscript in Yang Gong's hand and said, "Then how do you explain the similarity between the two articles? I saw Xie Sanlang's article a long time ago, and the evidence is irrefutable. I cannot allow this brat to distort the truth!"
Who is really distorting the truth?
Yu Mingshu smiled.
"Sir, you want to convict me with a piece of paper of dubious origin? May I ask if this paper bears an official seal? Is there any record proving the date of its compilation?"
What kind of attitude is this?
Wang Youling turned to his colleagues and complained, "Look at this! A student dares to speak so disrespectfully to his teacher! With such low character, it's no wonder he could plagiarize!"
Yu Mingshu did not argue about the attitude issue, but continued to discuss the matter at hand: "The government always insists on hearing cases without evidence. You, sir, have no evidence, yet you can see right from wrong at a glance. I think it is a waste of your talents for you to stay in the academy to teach. You should go to the Dali Temple to take up a higher position."
Wang Youling scoffed: "I am the witness, and this manuscript is the physical evidence. With both witness and evidence, how dare you try to deny it?"
"A mere piece of writing and a few words can serve as evidence?" Yu Mingshu laughed. "Then I can also say that this article was actually written two months ago, and that I have the original manuscript at home, and my younger brother and page Xia Man can testify to that."
Wang Youling was speechless, and in a fit of anger, she slammed her fist on the armrest, yelling, "You're being unreasonable!"
A note from the author:
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