Wang Fufeng's words left the scholars and students stunned. The less foolish among them began to think.
He turned around gracefully and asked gently in the warm breeze, "Yuyao, although your marriage with Young Master Fang was arranged three years ago, the wedding date has not yet been set. With your elder uncle having passed early, it falls to your two elder brothers to plan for you."
"That's right, Yuyao," Wang Mingyu said hoarsely. "We're your cousins. We only want what's best for you, not to harm you."
They don't want to harm her?
Wang Yuyao nearly laughed from anger. These two had supervised her in Anshui Prefecture and now they'd followed her to Fengjing to ruin her plans, yet they claimed not to want to harm her?
If they truly wished her well, they would leave! Leave Fengjing, leave Anshui Prefecture.
But before she could roar in anger, clever people in the crowd started shouting, "So this lady is Young Master Fang's betrothed. No wonder she is so hellbent on slandering Young Master Qingzhu!"
"Good heavens, if she succeeds in slandering Young Master Qingzhu, won't Young Master Fang be able to escape punishment for cheating in the imperial examinations?"
"This is diverting the attack to rescue Fang! The Fang family has made an excellent move!"
"It's too early to say. Her accusations are shifting like a weathervane."
"That's right. The facts haven't been made clear yet."
The clever fellow who started the talk cleared his throat and continued, "Rather than going back and forth blindly, why don't we ask Young Master Fufeng directly - did you in fact ghostwrite for Young Master Qingzhu or not?"
Previously when he was absent, they speculated and doubted and sought justice.
Now he is present in the flesh to answer for himself. Nothing speaks truer than his own words to the thousand suspicions.
Countless eyes turned his way again, and elegant young scholars cupped fists in invitation. "Pray tell, Young Master Fufeng, would you speak a word of truth to all your brothers here - did you in fact ghostwrite for Young Master Qingzhu or not?"
"What about that letter? What really happened with that?"
The conversation had finally returned to the main issue. All few dozen to a hundred scholars pricked up their ears to find the answers.
Even Wang Yuyao shrank back and lifted her head, heart pounding back up into her throat.
Xu Mo was even more fixed in his gaze.
Everyone expected Wang Fufeng would shake his head, explain things, hold forth at length.
But he didn't do that.
The elegant young master didn't shake his head or explain or answer their questions. Instead he turned and clapped his hands toward the entrance.
The clear sound rang out into the street. Those who had been waiting were roused to action and came through the crowd to arrive at Wenchang Pavilion's main hall.
One, two, three...
All the teachers, elders, and friends that Xu Mo had met on his path of learning had gathered here from who knows how many miles away.
They still bore the fatigue of long rushed travels. Their shoulders may have stooped a bit but that did not affect the extreme height of their spirits.
The first to appear was Master Qian. Back then he had taken over from Jiang Sheng and accepted the big handful of copper coins to lead Xu Mo toward the students' imperial examinations, watching proudly as his outstanding student shone brilliantly.
"When I first taught this boy I already knew he had a good foundation, but I taught him all of the children's examination knowledge bit by bit. His diligence at the local school is known to all. What right do you have to vilify his knowledge and diligence built up over all these years?" Master Qian rolled up his sleeves to shout and rail. "Nothing but a bunch of sour grapes unable to acknowledge another's excellence! You scholars just love to disparage each other. Is it so hard to recognize someone else's superiority?"
Next came the teacher who had proctored Xu Mo's qualifying examination to become a xiucai degree holder. Relatively more refined, he said: "Not only is Student Xu diligent, his innate aptitude is rarely seen over the years. I've never met a fourteen-year-old zhuangyuan top degree holder. What fourteen-year-old zhuangyuan do you know?"
Immediately after, another person stepped forward and opened the envelope in his hand. He cleared his throat and said, "I am the honored uncle of the magistrate of Anshui Prefecture. Prefect He asked me to tell the world that you can look down on anywhere else, but you absolutely cannot belittle the impartiality of Anshui Prefecture's examinations. Prefect He is willing to stake his family fortune and life to guarantee there has never been any cheating!"
He was a student who had come out of Anshui Prefecture, so everyone from there protected him.
Even traveling thousands of miles and rushing on the roads, even staking their family fortune and life, even facing the sprawling powerful families of the capital.
Xu Mo couldn't describe how he felt. He just felt his throat tighten and his eyes swell up as his vision grew blurry.
As the past was proven bit by bit, Master Qian got agitated enough to want to pull everyone from the local school over to testify!
The scholars and students were dumbstruck, shame and remorse welling up in their hearts.
But some still weren't convinced, yelling hoarsely: "What you've talked about is all in Anshui Prefecture. We're in Fengjing here! Who knows if he got here to Fengjing and found his learning inadequate so he started cheating on the examinations?"
Indeed, Anshui Prefecture could only account for the fourteen-year-old Xu Mo, not the nearly seventeen-year-old he was now.
Wang Fufeng was unhurried. He looked again toward Wenchang Pavilion's entrance, seeming to await someone's appearance.
After a pause, a sigh sounded. Right after, Dou Weiming entered alongside an Advanced Scholar from the Imperial Academy. Helpless, he said: "You've found me out. I thought my hiding spot was pretty good!"
"Greetings to all you students," the Advanced Scholar cupped fist. "Back in the day, I taught Student Xu Mo at the Imperial Academy. His thinking was steady and meticulous - all the teachers acknowledged he had the talent of an Advanced Scholar."
Everyone firmly believed Xu Mo would test as an Advanced Scholar. They just didn't expect him to test as not only an Advanced Scholar, but the zhuangyuan top degree holder.
Now his accomplishments had already vastly exceeded his teachers back at the Imperial Academy.
"I watched him come all the way from Anshui Prefecture to here," Dou Weiming grinned. "Although I originally hoped to take on a son-in-law, now it's just pure admiration for talent - for people of such talent still to emerge gives hope for family and country!"
As expected of an old fox, praising Xu Mo while also flagrantly admitting to nepotism.
But at this moment when Xu Mo was contending directly against the Fang family, the Dou family's willingness to stand out carried a depth of feeling not easily forgotten.
Xu Mo cupped fist: for a moment he truly did not know what to say.
With so many people proving his innocence, it was nailed down clear and bright.
Young Master Qingzhu would always be Young Master Qingzhu. He could stand abreast of Young Master Fufeng, but would never copy off of him or cheat on the examinations.
From Anshui Prefecture to Fengjing, he had people watching every step of the way. His rich growth through experience, sufficient diligence and hard work, as well as modest conduct had contributed to close teachers, elders and friends willing to spread the umbrella wide today to shield him from the pouring filth.
He was fortunate for three lifetimes.
What virtue or deed was this that he had done?
Facing the silent, remorseful scholars and facing the passionately roused teachers, elders and friends, besides bowing in thanks Xu Mo truly could not say anything else. "This student has no way to repay you."
This round, relying on his years of steady work, he had won.
Wang Yuyao had left at some unknown point. The people the Fang family had brought along to stir up trouble had also slipped away after her.
The remaining students came up to apologize, to fawn, or to discuss and hold forth with Young Master Fufeng, but all were blocked off.
"Having rushed urgently from thousands of miles away, the honored guests must be weary. Please be understanding," Xu Mo's tone was sincere. "When there is time in days to come, discussion can continue without being too late."
"Yes, rushing urgently has nearly tired us to death!" Master Qian complained as he grinned. "Xiao Mo, you've got to treat your teacher to something nice!"
Everyone gradually dispersed to go rest up.
Only Wang Fufeng remained ramrod straight, as if he knew no fatigue, yet also seemed to be hesitating over plans and schemes.
He held Xu Mo back and softly asked: "Xu, tell me honestly - is this matter thoroughly concluded?"
That was thinking too little of the Fang family.
It wasn't concluded, the Fang family would definitely still try other tricks, it just remained to be seen if they could turn the game around.
Xu Mo was worried for his friend getting hurt and didn't want to talk more on it.
But Wang Fufeng already understood. He released Xu Mo and looked toward the countless followers gazing raptly and fanatically. "As the new year approaches, I've nothing to give you all in thanks. Since you all wish to meet Young Master Fufeng, then let it be - on the thirtieth of the twelfth month at Ximen Gate."
"On the thirtieth, I will hold a discussion. I look forward to the honored guests showing their faces to exchange thoughts on past and present with Fufeng."
