The second-floor balcony was already crowded with people.
There was no helping it, not everyone wanted to go downstairs to watch the spectacle.
After all, whenever large crowds gathered and caused trouble, once the Five-City Military Command or the Patrol Bureau got involved, something was bound to happen.
Watching from too close was an easy way to get caught in the crossfire.
Old Marquis Qi and Qi Zhen had to push and squeeze their way through the crowd before finally reaching the upper floor. The moment Qi Zhen spotted Qi Yuan, he breathed a sigh of relief and squeezed to the front.
“Yuan Jie’er!”
He wanted to tell her that disaster had struck, that a hole had practically been punched through the heavens.
But Old Marquis Qi didn’t even let him speak. He grabbed him and immediately asked Qi Yuan, “Yuan Jie’er, was all of this within your expectations?”
The old marquis had been worried before.
But the moment he saw Qi Yuan, all that worry vanished into the clouds.
Because he understood very clearly that if Qi Yuan was standing here watching while all of this unfolded, then it meant the situation was unfolding exactly as she allowed it to.
Otherwise, these weak scholars who couldn’t even truss a chicken, did they really think they could seize the statue of Sage Confucius?
Qi Yuan could have sent every one of them straight to the King of H*ll.
Qi Zhen was even more confused.
He truly could not understand what Qi Yuan was trying to do.
Why, when things were already burning, was she pouring another barrel of oil onto the flames?
Just then, he saw one of the Embroidered Uniform Guards below lose his patience and shove a student.
His expression changed.
“Something’s going to happen!”
Sure enough, the students erupted in outrage.
Ren Shuquan immediately shouted until his face and neck turned red: “Murder! This is murder! The court has completely chilled the hearts of scholars across the realm! This empire belongs to the Imperial Grandson anyway! He can do whatever he wants!”
The moment those words left his mouth, an uproar broke out.
Even the commoners nearby began to grow indignant.
Public opinion worked exactly like this.
Whoever controlled it possessed an exceptionally sharp blade.
The mouths of the masses were impossible to silence.
Water could carry a boat, but it could also overturn it.
How was His Highness the Imperial Grandson supposed to deal with this?
Qi Zhen gripped the railing in front of him tightly and thought to himself:
“This railing had better be sturdy. Otherwise, if I shake it apart and fall off by accident, I’m definitely not surviving.”
Lai Chenglong arrived shortly afterward with another contingent of Embroidered Uniform Guards. Seeing the situation, he immediately barked: “Who told you to lay hands on them?!”
In circumstances like this, force absolutely could not be used.
The side that struck first would inevitably invite disaster.
A student uprising was already damaging enough.
His hawk-like gaze swept over Ren Shuquan.
Under normal circumstances, Ren Shuquan would have collapsed to his knees the moment Lai Chenglong looked at him.
After all, who didn’t know Lai Chenglong’s fearsome reputation?
But today was different.
Perhaps because the students obeyed his every command and responded to every call.
The thrill of success had gone to his head.
He let out a cold sneer and held the statue of Confucius high.
“If you want to kill someone, start with me, Ren Shuquan! There are no cowards in the Ren family!”
Then he suddenly threw himself onto the ground and shouted: “Come! Step over my body! This court no longer has justice or fairness anyway! I’d rather die! If I go to the underworld, I’ll be able to face Heaven and Earth, my ancestors, and all the emperors of past generations with a clear conscience!”
Qi Zhen cursed.
“D*mn his mother! Has the Ren family become addicted to playing heroes or what?”
At least Ren Zhong had served as an official for decades.
For him to say such things was barely believable.
But this b*stard Ren Shuquan?
He hadn’t even finished his studies.
He didn’t have a single degree or title.
What nonsense was he spouting about being worthy of the emperors of past generations?
Did any of those emperors even know who he was?!
Lai Chenglong glanced at him coldly and suddenly smiled faintly.
“Your entire Ren family consists of heroes and brave men? Not a single coward among you?”
Ren Shuquan immediately waved away the students who had rushed over to shield him and loudly declared: “Naturally! My uncle gave his life to eliminate traitors. The rest of us in the Ren family should follow his example! Isn’t it just death? What’s there to fear?!”
His words sounded even better than a stage performance.
And unfortunately, the common people loved a good performance.
The crowd immediately began criticizing the Embroidered Uniform Guards, the Patrol Bureau, and the military forces, saying they were pressuring the students too aggressively.
Up on the balcony, Qi Zhen was grinding his teeth in fury.
He wanted nothing more than to jump down and slap Ren Shuquan several times.
This was too d*mn disgusting!
No matter how shameless someone was, they shouldn’t be this shameless!
The sight alone was enough to ruin a person’s appetite.
But suddenly, Qi Yuan smiled.
“He’s here.”
Who’s here?
Qi Zhen was still furious, but he followed her gaze and turned his head.
His eyes widened.
“Censor Tie?!”
What was that old man doing here?!
Wait…
Surely he wasn’t here to support Ren Shuquan?
That was entirely possible!
Civil officials had always stuck together, just like the military nobility did.
Especially the censors. When one died, another immediately stepped forward. They were experts at protecting one another.
And now Ren Zhong had been elevated into a legendary loyal minister.
Censor Tie must think Ren Zhong had been wronged.
We’re finished.
Ren Shuquan’s antics alone were already enough to give everyone a headache.
If Censor Tie joined in, then this situation would truly become troublesome.
At that point, even Emperor Yongchang might not be able to withstand the pressure.
Qi Zhen couldn’t help closing his eyes.
The students also erupted when they saw Censor Tie.
“It’s Censor Tie!”
“It’s Censor Tie!”
Censor Tie’s reputation for fairness and integrity was deeply ingrained in the public consciousness.
Everyone knew the old man feared no power, practiced what he preached, and held himself to the highest standards.
Everyone also knew that he hated evil with a passion.
Surely he had come to speak out on Ren Zhong’s behalf.
The students were so excited that some nearly cried.
“Censor Tie! You must seek justice for Lord Ren! Under this bright and lawful Heaven, has all justice truly disappeared?”
Ren Shuquan slowly rose to his feet, tears streaming down his face.
“Censor Tie…”
He waited for the old censor to help him up with compassion, offer words of encouragement, and then champion his cause.
If that happened, his name would spread throughout the empire.
Everyone would know that he had upheld the traditions of the Ren family and hated evil as fiercely as his uncle had.
Censor Tie walked closer.
Supported by another student, Ren Shuquan stepped forward and called out emotionally: “My lord…”
Before he could finish speaking, Censor Tie swung his arm with lightning speed and slapped Ren Shuquan square across the face.
Everyone froze.
An eerie silence descended over the scene.
Upstairs, Old Marquis Qi and Qi Zhen exchanged a look.
They were equally stunned.
What was going on?
Why was nobody following the script?
Only Qi Yuan wore a faintly mocking smile.
Then she clicked her tongue meaningfully.
She had said it before.
It was about time to haul in the net.
The grand reputation the Ren family had enjoyed over the past half month had been spectacular enough.
It would be something they could reminisce about for the rest of their lives.
They certainly couldn’t complain they had gotten nothing out of it.
Ren Shuquan was completely dazed by the slap.
Chang An, standing nearby, was equally bewildered. Tugging on Xie Ying’s sleeve, he rubbed his eyes and asked: “Xie Ying… tell me, is something wrong with my brain? Why… why can’t I understand what’s happening anymore?”
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