After briefly understanding the situation from the system, Yanshu said to her mother, "I can see you have something on your mind. Have you and father stopped treating me as family after I've been away for three years? How could you not tell me when something happened at home?"
Ms. Zhu was taken aback. Seeing her daughter's angry expression, she sighed and said, "It's not that we don't treat you as family. Your father forbade me from telling you. He was afraid you'd get angry if you knew, and if you accidentally let the Emperor know, it might incur his wrath and implicate you."
Yanshu deliberately asked, "Incur his wrath? Have you committed some wrong?"
Ms. Zhu looked aggrieved, "How would we dare? It's probably because we're too honest that we're being bullied."
Yanshu then said, "If that's the case, what's there to fear about the Emperor's anger? Do you think he's an incompetent ruler..."
"My dear child, how can you say such things?" Ms. Zhu hurriedly covered her mouth in fright. She continued, "Alright, alright, I won't listen to your father anymore. Actually, Tianrui got into trouble at Songhe Academy - some people were bullying him for being from out of town, deliberately mocking his way of speaking to tease him. Tianrui ignored them, but who knew they would actually tear up his books. You know how much Tianrui values his books, so he couldn't hold back and got into a fight with them. Tianrui is taller, so the other party, being shorter, probably didn't gain any advantage. They actually went to complain to the headmaster, demanding Tianrui apologize to them, otherwise they'd expel him from the academy."
Yanshu raised an eyebrow, "Did Tianrui apologize?"
Ms. Zhu sighed, "You know that stubborn boy's temper. He got angry and came straight home. He hasn't been to the academy for three days now."
Yanshu said, "Good for Tianrui, he's got backbone! This wasn't his fault to begin with. If he had apologized, he'd only be bullied more."
Ms. Zhu sighed, "That's easy to say, but what do we do now? Is he never going to the academy again? That's the best academy in the capital, there are hardly any people from Qingzhou who can get in."
Yanshu quickly comforted her mother, "The capital is big. Besides this academy, there are others. I recently heard that this academy is actually overrated and not that good. You and father don't need to worry yet, I'll find another one for Tianrui."
Hearing her daughter say this, Ms. Zhu was still a bit worried and said, "Your father was afraid of causing trouble for you, that's why he didn't want me to tell you."
Yanshu laughed, "Father is too honest, that's why he's been bullied so much. You can go back and tell him, I'm at least a concubine now. How can I save face if word gets out that my own brother is being bullied like this?"
Ms. Zhu nodded, her worried expression finally easing a bit. She sighed, "Talking to you about this has made me feel much better. Otherwise, I was about to suffocate from keeping it in."
Suddenly remembering something, she quickly took out the bundle she had brought with her and said, "Look at my memory! I made some vegetable dumplings for you at home earlier, I almost forgot to take them out."
With that, just like last time, she took out a bag of hot, delicious food.
Vegetable dumplings?
Yanshu's eyes lit up, "That's great! I've been craving vegetable dumplings these past few days. Mother, we truly are connected."
She quickly accepted them and started eating right away.
Mmm, chive and egg filling in the vegetable dumplings, with bits of vermicelli inside, and some dried shrimp added for extra flavor. It was most delicious. In the blink of an eye, she had already eaten one.
Ms. Zhu laughed, "Look at you eat! Anyone who didn't know better would think I cook better than the imperial chefs!"
"It really is delicious," Yanshu nodded with a smile. "The big buns you made last time, even the Emperor praised them."
"What?" Ms. Zhu looked surprised, "The Emperor ate the buns I made?"
Yanshu nodded, holding up her palm for her mother to see, "He even ate five in one go."
Ms. Zhu's mouth fell open.
So the Emperor could eat that much too!
Well, it seems that next time she comes to the palace, if she makes any food, she'll have to make more.
Yanshu ate three vegetable dumplings in front of her mother. Seeing that it was getting late, Ms. Zhu left the palace.
Yanshu thought for a moment, then asked Renchun to bring a food box. She put three dumplings in it, then left as well, carrying it to Qianming Palace.
Not long after, the Emperor in the study smelled the aroma of vegetable dumplings.
"These are vegetable dumplings made by my mother. She just brought them when she came to the palace. If Your Majesty doesn't mind, please try them."
Yuwen Lan looked at the dumplings, then at Yanshu's smiling face, and raised an eyebrow, "Why are you so generous this time, bringing them to me on your own initiative?"
Yanshu tried hard to smile sincerely, "When I have something good to eat, I always think of Your Majesty first."
In her heart, she thought, [It's better to bring them to you proactively than have you come over to eat them yourself. Now there are four left in my chambers. If you went there to eat, I'd be lucky if you left me two.]
Yuwen Lan: "..."
He knew it.
However, the dumplings looked golden in color and emitted a simple, fresh aroma that was indeed tempting.
He was feeling a bit hungry anyway, so he picked one up and started eating, casually asking, "Did you have a good chat with your mother earlier?"
Yanshu said, "It was good, thank you for Your Majesty's concern."
But in her heart, she thought, [Good my foot! If I hadn't seen my mother, I wouldn't have known that my own little brother was being bullied like this!]
Yuwen Lan: "???"
Before he could ask further, he heard her angrily think, [This capital simply can't tolerate honest people. What damned Songhe Academy, what damned headmaster, I'll make sure to destroy you!]
Yuwen Lan: "..."
Songhe Academy?
He vaguely remembered that when her father brought her brother to pay respects to him last time, he seemed to have mentioned that her brother was going to enter Songhe Academy.
Hearing this... could it be that the young man was being bullied at the academy?
So he tried saying, "If there's anything wrong, you can tell me."
However, she shook her head as if nothing was wrong and said, "This concubine has nothing wrong. Your Majesty, please continue eating. This concubine will go back to write her novel now, and will present it for Your Majesty's review when it's finished."
But in her heart, she thought, [Wait until I write out that scoundrel's crimes one by one for you to see, you'll definitely be angry too!!!]
Yuwen Lan: "..."
It was the first time he had seen her so angry.
So he didn't dare to ask further for the moment, only nodding slightly as he watched her leave.
However, his curiosity was piqued. After thinking for a moment, he summoned the Imperial Guard.
About half an hour later, the Imperial Guard who had gone out to investigate returned to report to the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, it turns out that Young Master Li was bullied at the academy because of his outsider status. The other party, seeing his erudition and quick wit, became jealous and deliberately teased him and tore up his books. Young Master Li, unable to bear it, retaliated with two punches, and is now ordered by the academy headmaster to go home and reflect."
What?
Yuwen Lan almost thought he had misheard, "He was bullied? And he's the one ordered to go home?"
The Imperial Guard confirmed, "Yes. The bullies are led by Jiang Mingzhi, the grandson of the Marquis of Wuyang. When Young Master Li enrolled, he didn't reveal his identity, so the academy thought he was a commoner and handled it this way."
Yuwen Lan almost laughed in anger, "So commoners deserve to be bullied? A place for studying and understanding principles has become such a place where status is everything."
No wonder Yanshu was so angry earlier.
He thought for a moment and said, "Tell the Imperial Censorate to send someone to see what's going on at that academy."
The Imperial Guard acknowledged the order.
Meanwhile, after Ms. Zhu returned home, she quickly told her husband and son what her daughter had said.
"Shu'er said this isn't Tianrui's fault, and told us not to be afraid. She said she would find another academy for Tianrui."
However, Li Huaizhi, the Duke of Loyalty and Righteousness, said, "How can she find an academy for Tianrui while she's in the palace? Besides, the teacher in Qingzhou went to great lengths to use his connections to get us this opportunity. If we leave so easily, wouldn't it be a waste of his efforts?"
Ms. Zhu said, "Then what should we do? Surely you don't want Tianrui to go apologize and be humiliated?"
Li Huaizhi thought for a moment, then said to his son, "Come on, I'll accompany you there again today, and see if we can reason with them."
Li Tianrui agreed, and left with his father.
Li Huaizhi was a man of strict principles. Even when he arrived at the academy in person, he still didn't reveal his status as a duke.
As a result, they waited outside for a full hour before finally meeting the headmaster, Bi Jinghuai, who had been unwilling to see them.
Li Huaizhi, intending to use kind words, first bowed to the other party and said, "My son is straightforward by nature. Although he can be mischievous, he wouldn't do anything excessive. There must be some misunderstanding in this matter. I request the headmaster to investigate the rights and wrongs clearly, and allow my son to return to his studies."
Unexpectedly, the seemingly scholarly headmaster smiled and said, "You've just arrived in the capital. Given your son's talent, let me offer some advice - go apologize to those classmates. If they forgive you, you can naturally return to study. Otherwise, I'm afraid you won't be able to stay at this academy."
Li Tianrui was so angry he couldn't help but say, "Father, let's not study here anymore. Let's go home."
See? Even with his father here, the headmaster was still so biased, not being reasonable at all!
"Young Master Li, please wait."
Just as those words were spoken, a man around 40 years old came in from outside.
Seeing the surprise on the faces of the Li father and son, the man proactively explained, "Mr. Li, don't worry. I was sent by your daughter to look into your son's matter."
Li Huaizhi, being new to the capital, didn't really know the officials yet. He could only nod slightly and say, "Thank you for your trouble, sir."
The other man nodded and then said to Headmaster Bi Jinghuai, "I've already spoken with several students at the academy. The other side disrespected Young Master Li first, tearing books and physically grabbing him. Young Master Li fighting back was understandable. As the head of the academy, you should distinguish right from wrong, comfort those who have been wronged, and punish those who are violent. Otherwise, how can you educate and nurture people?"
Upon hearing this, Headmaster Bi Jinghuai quietly sized him up.
Though the man had an extraordinary demeanor, he seemed unfamiliar, apparently not someone from official circles.
So Bi Jinghuai smiled and said, "You must also be new to the capital, sir. The capital is full of powerful and noble families, unlike other places. Any random student in my academy could be the son of a prince or duke."
The other man looked puzzled and said, "Even so, what does that have to do with this matter? The law applies equally to princes and commoners. Just because the violent ones have different status, can right and wrong be reversed?"
Bi Jinghuai smiled again and said, "I'm not reversing right and wrong. There's a saying that it takes two hands to clap. If Li Tianrui hadn't made a mistake first, the others wouldn't have bullied him. Otherwise, with so many people in the academy, why don't they bully others?"
These words angered all three of them.
The 15-year-old Li Tianrui snorted again and said, "My mistake was thinking this Songhe Academy was a good place! I shouldn't have come here in the first place."
Then he looked at Li Huaizhi and said, "Father, let's go."
At this point, Li Huaizhi had lost hope as well.
He sighed heavily and said to the man who had come, "Thank you for taking the trouble to come here, sir. Since this is the case, I'll find another place for my son to study. It seems this academy is too high for us to reach."
He was about to turn and leave.
But then he heard the man say, "Lord, please wait."
Lord?
Bi Jinghuai paused upon hearing this.
Was he calling that country bumpkin "Lord"?
Then he heard the man shake his head and sigh, "If I hadn't witnessed this myself, I would hardly believe that such a reversal of right and wrong could happen at the prestigious Songhe Academy right under the Emperor's feet. I will report this to the court immediately. It seems this academy needs to be thoroughly investigated."
Li Huaizhi nodded and left the academy gates together with the man.
Bi Jinghuai was stunned.
Report to the court?
Who were they exactly?
Had he misjudged the situation?
As the Li father and son returned home after leaving Songhe Academy, the Emperor in the palace had also just finished listening to the report from Zuo Junliang, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief.
He frowned and said, "How did this Bi Jinghuai become the headmaster of Songhe Academy?"
Zuo Junliang said, "This man entered Songhe Academy twenty years ago, working his way up from clerk to senior student. When the previous headmaster was getting old, the position was supposed to be passed to the then hall master Xu Daoguang. But the Department of Ceremonies in the Ministry of Rites suddenly intervened, helping this man become the headmaster."
The Ministry of Rites intervened?
Hmph, it seems the remnants of the former Minister of Rites haven't been completely cleared out.
Yuwen Lan said, "Investigate the Department of Ceremonies from that year. If there are any who abused their power or neglected their duties, don't let a single one go."
Zuo Junliang quickly agreed.
Perhaps because she was so angry, Yanshu's writing speed today was almost divinely inspired.
She had only started writing in the morning, but by dinnertime, she had finished the story.
Just as she put down her pen, she heard the system say, [There's been a new development. That Headmaster Bi Jinghuai of Songhe Academy found out your father is the Earl of Loyalty and Righteousness. He was so shocked that he ran to your home to apologize.]
Apologize?
Yanshu raised an eyebrow and said, [Did my father and Tianrui forgive him?]
The system replied, [Your father was polite in his words, but he's determined not to go back. He's already inquired at three other academies for your brother. When they learned your brother had once been the top scorer in the county examination, they all eagerly wanted him.]
Yanshu said proudly, [Of course! If one place doesn't appreciate you, there are always others that will! If apologies were enough, what would we need laws for? This scum has already angered me, he must be destroyed!]
But she had another question, [Why would he rather go apologize himself, but insist on shielding those three punks who bullied Tianrui?]
The system explained, [Because the leader of those who bullied your brother is called Jiang Mingzhi, and he's the grandson of the Marquis of Wuyang. You know the Marquis of Wuyang, right? He's the Eldest Princess's father-in-law.]
Yanshu: "..."
So that's how it is.
Tsk tsk, no wonder this scum was so protective of the bullies. It turns out he's the nephew of the Eldest Princess's in-laws. He simply can't afford to offend them.
Birds of a feather really do flock together. What a bunch of lowlifes.
Just then, she heard the system say, [Bi Jinghuai saw that your father wouldn't forgive him and realized this matter couldn't be easily resolved. Now he's gone to the house of a Director in the Ministry of Rites to discuss countermeasures.]
Yanshu narrowed her eyes, [The Director in the Ministry of Rites? The one whose wife he slept with? He dares to protect this scum and go against me?]
The system replied, [He doesn't dare. Wei Guangze, the Director in the Ministry of Rites, told him to figure it out himself and kicked him out.]
Yanshu raised an eyebrow, [Good! I love seeing these scumbags panic and scramble around!]
But then she heard the system say, [Don't celebrate too early. Bi Jinghuai has now gritted his teeth and gone directly to the Jiang family, saying he can use the condition of recommending Jiang Mingzhi to the Imperial Academy to ask for the Jiang family's protection.]
Yanshu scoffed, [Listen to him boast! Recommending someone to the Imperial Academy? The Imperial Academy is so strict now that not even a fly can get in. It would be a miracle if that little punk from the Jiang family could get in!]
Just then, she saw the Emperor stroll in from outside.
So she first said goodbye to the system, then went forward to bow and greet him, "Your humble consort welcomes Your Majesty."
Yuwen Lan said "No need for formalities" and asked, "Have you eaten yet?"
Yanshu said she hadn't, "I just finished writing a story and was about to call the kitchen to send food."
Yuwen Lan said, "That's perfect, I'll eat with you."
Ahem, when he was with her, even food seemed to taste especially delicious.
Yanshu happily agreed and called for the palace servants to bring the meal.
While waiting, Yuwen Lan asked again, "What kind of story did you write today?"
Yanshu was just wanting to tell him and quickly said, "Your humble consort wrote a story about an extremely scummy person getting his just deserts."
Scummy person?
Yuwen Lan pondered silently. This term sounded a bit like that "scumbag" he'd heard before.
But judging from the literal meaning, a "scummy person" seemed to be even worse.
Well, her stories were always faster than the Imperial Censorate anyway, so he nodded and said, "Interesting, tell me about it."
Yanshu cleared her throat and began, "There was a scholar who grew up in poverty and had no status, so he suffered a lot. He was determined to make a name for himself and was extremely pragmatic. As he approached marriageable age, he still couldn't find a wife because his family was too poor."
"But this scholar discovered that there was a rich family in the village with a pretty daughter who was very naive. So he schemed and, taking advantage of a rainy day, he sabotaged the ox cart the girl was riding in, then pretended to pass by and offer an umbrella, causing the girl to secretly fall for him. The rich man loved his daughter, and finally married her to him. With his father-in-law's financial support, this man was able to focus on preparing for the imperial examinations, while his wife took care of all household matters."
Yuwen Lan nodded, "This man seems to have married a good wife. What happened next?"
Yanshu continued, "Later, this man was fortunate enough to pass the provincial examination, but unfortunately, he had no connections or power, and not much ability, so he remained a minor official, far from his goal. Later, by chance, this man started teaching at a prestigious academy. He discovered that many students from this academy became officials, which could help him expand his network and gain powerful connections. So he began to take advantage of this opportunity to actively network."
"His wife had been raising their child in their hometown, but when the child reached school age, the mother and son came to the capital to join him. However, just at this time, his wife's misfortune arrived."
"An official took a liking to the scholar's wife and secretly lusted after her. Though the scholar was clearly aware of the official's intentions, he surprisingly did not protect his wife. In fact, to obtain the position of headmaster, he even forced his wife to serve that official. Later, he also bribed heavily with money, and finally became the headmaster."
Hearing this, Yuwen Lan was shocked, "This man forced his wife to serve others just for fame and fortune?"
Yanshu nodded, "That's right."
Indeed, he was scum.
Yuwen Lan asked, "What about his wife?"
Yanshu regretfully said, "His wife was naturally overwhelmed with shame. She later fell ill from depression and died early."
Yuwen Lan sighed, "What happened after that?"
Then he heard her continue, "With his control, the once academically excellent school began to gradually lean towards the wealthy and powerful, accepting many rich kids and continuously raising tuition fees, allowing him to profit from it. Meanwhile, those children from common families could only look on helplessly."
"Later, this person even established connections with court officials and secretly became a broker for buying and selling official positions, gaining enormous profits from it."
What?
Yuwen Lan couldn't hold back and directly scolded, "This is absolutely outrageous!"
A scholar driven solely by profit and full of scheming had ruined the most important academy in the capital to such an extent.
No wonder, no wonder!
Calculating the time, this person became the headmaster of Songhe Academy about fifteen years ago. How many parasites had been bred in these fifteen years!
Father Emperor, oh Father Emperor, how badly you've neglected the court while being obsessed with cultivating the Dao!
Yanshu leaned close to him and said, "Your Majesty also finds it outrageous, right? If such a thing happened today, this scholar would definitely be severely punished by the law."
Yuwen Lan nodded in agreement, "Indeed. To prevent future occurrences, I will immediately order an investigation."
Yanshu nodded vigorously, "Your Majesty is wise."
Yuwen Lan asked, "You haven't told me the scholar's ending yet."
He wanted to know what kind of death she would give to such a scumbag.
Then he heard her say, "Because this person had made the academy so corrupt, his successors all followed in his footsteps. To quickly take the position of headmaster, they poisoned his food, and he died from it. After his death, his soul arrived in the underworld, where ghost officials listed his crimes. King Yama, in a fit of rage, sentenced him to endure all the punishments of the underworld. First, he was sliced by knives and chopped by axes, then fried in oil and cooked in fire. Finally, he was turned into a stone in a latrine, where people would excrete their filth on him every day."
Yuwen Lan: "..."
"Why did the underworld suddenly appear?"
This was too unexpected, suddenly turning into a supernatural novel?
Yanshu gave an evil smile, "Because his crimes were truly too numerous to list, dying once in the mortal world clearly wasn't enough. Of course, he had to go to the underworld to suffer all punishments."
Yuwen Lan: "..."
Well, it was indeed evident that she was very angry.
Of course, just hearing about it made him want to tear this person to pieces too.
At this moment, the evening meal had been prepared. Fu Hai bowed beside them and said, "Your Majesty and Her Highness, dinner is served."
Yuwen Lan put aside his thoughts and went to the table with her.
Then he heard Yanshu exclaim, "Oh, there's marinated crab!"
Yuwen Lan glanced at the table.
However, his mind suddenly flashed back to the story she just told—
Turning that person into a stone in a latrine...
"..."
Tsk, he felt a bit unable to eat now.
That night, the new story was delivered to the bookseller.
Since it had been a while since Carefree Master had published a book, people's appetites had been thoroughly whetted. Seeing that this story was so explosive, the bookseller immediately had people print copies overnight. By early the next morning, over a hundred copies had been sold.
After reading it, everyone was shocked.
It could be said that this person's level of shamelessness was beyond compare to previous ones.
Of course, his final fate was truly satisfying.
While feeling satisfied, people also began to speculate about this person's identity.
Because Yanshu hadn't changed his identity, directly writing that he was an academy headmaster, and of a long-renowned academy in the capital...
Tsk, even a toe could figure out who it was.
Just at this time, news spread that after an investigation by the Imperial Censorate, the headmaster of Songhe Academy, Bi Jinghuai, was involved in buying and selling official positions, bribery, and corruption. He was directly thrown into the imperial prison.
Within a month, he was sentenced to beheading. Over ten other involved officials were all dismissed and held accountable, without exception.
Songhe Academy was also taken over by the court for reform, to be reopened to the public after the reforms were completed.
As for the cause of the incident, that Young Master Jiang Mingzhi who bullied out-of-town classmates in the academy didn't escape punishment either.
In the end, he was punished by the emperor with sixty strokes of the cane, after which his legs were almost crippled.
As this matter concluded, people couldn't help but marvel at Carefree Master's prowess, and speculations about their identity surged like a tidal wave.
This was a story that took down an entire academy, truly the work of a divine being!
Of course, Yanshu was very calm about this. After all, with the emperor covering for her, many people outside already believed she was part of a new organization under the emperor's command, similar to the Imperial Guard or Imperial Censorate, specializing in collecting secret information to create public opinion for investigating corruption and darkness.
Just as she was quietly enjoying her achievements in the back palace, eating melon seeds and knitting, the system brought her new information.
[Pay attention now, the Jiang family has been harboring resentment since their little rascal was caned. Lately, they've been reaching out to Imperial Consort Ning in the palace and to the imperial son-in-law Zhao Chengwen, planning to cause trouble for your Li family.]
Yanshu's eyes lit up.
Great, it seems that the book "The Two-Faced Scholar Dies Under the Flowers" can finally be published.
This is truly a windfall of good fortune, unstoppable!
