Chapter 7 The Treacherous Minister
"Traitors and rebels should be punished."
"It's a pity that the Yan family of Jiangnan, an entire family with impeccable reputations, has been framed like this. How tragic and despicable!"
"Traitors will be punished by Heaven sooner or later."
...
To make it easier to eavesdrop on the gossip, Song Jin released Xiao Hei and quickly and quietly approached the group of students from Wenyuan Academy. She listened with great interest to their indignant denunciation of the treacherous officials, nodding enthusiastically and clapping occasionally in agreement.
She's a pro at joining in the fun; she'll never let the conversation go dull.
It's just a little too obvious.
After venting their anger, the group of students gradually calmed down and noticed a touch of indigo in the light blue.
That slender, graceful figure, that bright and beautiful face, that flamboyant and unrestrained demeanor…
"Hey, why did you all stop talking?" Song Jin was enjoying the conversation, but seeing that they had quieted down made her a little unhappy. She clapped her hands, winked, and urged them on.
"I haven't heard enough yet, keep going. Where did we start? Oh right, let's start with that treacherous minister's sudden confiscation of his property a while ago. You've been cursing him for so long, but you haven't even said why he confiscated his property!"
These people are experts at reading, but when it comes to telling stories, they're still a step behind the storytellers in teahouses.
Song Jin thought this way, and it was reflected on her face. The subtle disdain and condemnation made the group of students choke up, unable to say anything, and in the end they could only return to one sentence.
"Why are you here again?"
They watched Song Jin warily.
These students were all around twenty years old, dressed in blue and white school uniforms. They were all tall and slender, with regular features and a scholarly air about them.
Yes, Wenyuan Academy also considers appearance and height when admitting students. Every year during the admissions process, they invite doctors from Huichuntang to conduct bone age and height measurements, and those who do not meet the requirements are rejected.
While physical appearance wasn't a factor in the provincial and prefectural examinations, it was considered in the palace examination. Leaving aside those who were unattractive to the eye (these were extremely rare), the examination primarily assessed whether the candidate was excessively short, had any physical ailments, or facial defects.
After all the effort, those who could enter Wenyuan Academy were generally over five feet tall, considered above average in height, with decent features (if not handsome), and possessing both knowledge and talent. Therefore, Song Jin gave them a nickname.
Turtle Academy, also known as the Tortoise Academy
A rich and powerful husband?
These students are watched every year by the gentry and ladies of the county and even the prefectural city, who want to snatch them as sons-in-law. Wherever they go, they are the center of attention, and even if they don't show it on their faces, they are still quite proud of themselves.
Now, this group of outwardly reserved but inwardly arrogant prodigies have all turned their attention to Song Jin, this seemingly ordinary country girl, who is standing before them.
Bullshit!
There wasn't a single thing about her that was ordinary or unremarkable.
She was exceptionally tall, with a strikingly beautiful face, an arrogant and domineering personality, and a silver tongue; her insults were incredibly foul.
The saying "Women and petty men are the most difficult to deal with" was perfectly exemplified in her case.
A group of people who had been burned by Song Jin once, twice, or many times before took a few steps back, watching her smiling face warily.
This shrew was a master of changing her expression; one second she was laughing heartily, the next she was kicking out with her long leg, catching everyone off guard. They didn't want to lose face in front of their fellow disciples and the common people.
Feeling utterly innocent under their stares, Song Jin retorted, "What do you mean by this? The academy won't let girls in, and now we can't even take a look? What, I can't even come over? If you're so prejudiced against women, why don't you just stay in a woman's belly and don't get married?"
Where there are people, there are circles; where there are circles, there are leaders. This group of students often gathered together, and Tao Zhiyi was one of their leaders.
His father was the county magistrate's assistant, and as the chief of staff to the county magistrate, his family had been deeply rooted in the county government since his great-grandfather's time. It was a case of the county magistrate changing, but the assistant magistrate remaining a constant – they were true local strongmen. As a young man of his generation who entered Wenyuan Academy through merit and achieved the rank of Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examinations) at just over twenty, he held a considerable position in the Tao family and was a clever man.
Tao Zhiyi said, "We didn't say any of that. You can go wherever you want, no one will stop you, but eavesdropping on our conversation is not gentlemanly behavior."
Song Jin was surprised: "You mean I'm a gentleman just because I don't eavesdrop?"
Such high praise!
Tao Zhiyi was speechless: "Only women and petty men are difficult to deal with."
Song Jin crossed her arms and clicked her tongue: "If you can't win an argument, you resort to personal attacks? I may not be a gentleman, but you people are gentlemen if you talk badly about others behind their backs?"
Tao Zhiyi scoffed, "Long hair, short brains. Go play somewhere else and don't meddle in our men's discussions of national affairs. With treacherous officials in power, scholars are suffering. We scholars should unite and write admonitions so the court will take this matter seriously, reinvestigate, and protect the Yan family."
Others chimed in.
"Exactly! We must let the higher-ups see our opinions."
"The Yan family has been upright for generations and is a model for scholars."
"Severely punishing treacherous officials must not discourage scholars."
...
They were all filled with righteous indignation; anyone who didn't know better would think it was their own family that had been in trouble. These intellectuals, regardless of anything else, are still united when it comes to collective interests.
But now it's the individual's turn.
Song Jin smiled and said, "Impressive, impressive! Then hurry up and write it down, including your names. Once you're done, I'll give it to the magistrate for you. You're welcome; I'm just being kind."
Tao Zhiyi and the others blushed and remained silent.
Everyone knows that although their county magistrate has been honest and upright all these years, working tirelessly for the people's livelihood until his hair turned white, and is a good official with courage, wisdom, and compassion, he is too attached to righteousness. He has always remembered being saved by a treacherous official in his early years and simply refuses to accept this favor.
If they submit a joint petition today, they'll be punished by their families tomorrow.
"Absurd, utterly absurd! These are matters of national importance; what right do you, a woman, have to comment?" Tao Zhiyi retorted angrily, her face flushed. "Don't think that just because the magistrate treats you differently, you can..."
Song Jin shook her fist: "Can you do what?"
"...We can go now." Tao Zhiyi abruptly stopped talking. What was he even saying to this woman? It was like casting pearls before swine. He nodded to the others with a straight face. "Let's go. The provincial examination is just around the corner; we should go back to the academy to study."
The others nodded in agreement.
Seeing that the group was about to run away after losing an argument with her, Song Jin rolled her eyes and grabbed Tao Zhiyi by the collar.
Tao Zhiyi gritted his teeth: "Man, men and women shouldn't touch each other. What are you doing? Don't think that just because Lord Xiao said a few more words to you, you can act lawlessly. Let me go right now, or I'll implicate you."
"What nonsense! You're just a commoner. Wait until you pass the imperial examination before you talk like that," Song Jin loosened his collar, clapped his hands, and said leisurely, "Besides, I didn't do anything. Go inside and call Yan Sheng out for me. I need to talk to him."
Tao Zhiyi didn't respond, but just glared at her, his face flushed with anger. He flicked his robe and stormed back to the academy.
Song Jin didn't care much, shrugged, and waved to the side. Little Black came over very obediently.
The man and his mule waited there.
**
Wenyuan Academy enjoys a prestigious reputation, and surrounding property prices have soared. However, it remains secluded, and the area is inhabited mostly by people of refined taste, whose attire and demeanor range from extravagant to understated.
Song Jin stood there casually, leading his little black mule, cracking sunflower seeds in his hand, and lightly shaking his long legs. His rustic appearance was so striking that passersby couldn't help but take a second look.
On the third floor of the inn right behind her, the window of an expensive private room was slightly ajar, and the person inside stood there taking in everything from above.
The middle-aged man, nearing fifty, wore a grey robe. His hair was streaked with gray, and there were many wrinkles around his eyes, but he was remarkably vigorous, with a sharp and shrewd look in his eyes. At this moment, he nodded slightly, neither humble nor arrogant, and spoke with a hint of bias.
"This woman is a girl from the town below. Although she is flamboyant, she is righteous and skilled in martial arts. She once shot and killed a hungry wolf to save the villagers. A few months ago, she helped the county government catch a villain, which was a great act of righteousness."
He is Xiao Shi, the magistrate of Si'an County. He was the second-highest scorer in the imperial examination in his early years, but he was unsuccessful throughout his life, was demoted many times, and had a difficult life. It wasn't until a few years ago that his situation improved, and he was sent to Si'an County to demonstrate his talents. He has already served two terms, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will be transferred back to the capital next year.
He looked respectfully at the man in black before him and said, "Si'an County is too small. These young people have never seen much of the world and are ignorant of their own limitations. They are deceived by appearances. We will definitely have the academy educate them properly later. I hope Your Highness will not take offense."
The man in black was handsome, tall and strong, his imposing figure and cold, upright posture making him appear like a wall in the room, exuding a strong sense of oppression. He lowered his eyes, looking down, his gaze sweeping over the book basket carried by the mule, finally settling on the bright face of its owner beside it, and slowly began to speak.
"Lack of ability is a minor issue; the real problem is that if one lacks ability but is also arrogant, one will find it difficult to achieve great things."
Xiao Shi's heart tightened. Although he also felt these kids deserved a lesson, he knew the lesson absolutely couldn't come from this person's mouth. He quickly said...
"Your Highness is right. When we get back, I'll have their elders teach them a lesson. The Yan family clearly deserved their punishment, but they're all so arrogant and ignorant, spouting nonsense based on hearsay. They really need to be taught a lesson."
The man glanced at Xiao Shi and asked, "The evidence against the Yan family is conclusive, so why are so many people still speaking up for him?"
During his time away from home, he had heard similar things from many people.
If only a few people spoke up for the Yan family, it could be that these people had ulterior motives. But if so many people held this view, surely they all harbored rebellious intentions?
However, he had personally handled this case, the evidence was conclusive, and there was absolutely no possibility of error.
Therefore, although the man was somewhat annoyed, he was mostly puzzled. Although he had a vague suspicion, he didn't think it was that serious.
"Perhaps it's because Lord Song personally handled this case."
Xiao Shi remained silent for a long while, then gently closed her eyes and reluctantly voiced the man's suspicions. She then spoke with great distress.
"The people have many misunderstandings about Lord Song. It's all because Lord Song is straightforward in his actions and too indifferent to fame and fortune. He doesn't seek fame but only the well-being of the people, which has led to the misunderstandings about him deepening day by day..."
Now it was the handsome man's turn to fall silent.
Straightforward? Indifferent to fame and fortune?
Who are they talking about?
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