Chapter 282: Reason Cannot Be Explained

On the road leading to the suburban Nan Shan Shu Yuan, the party hurriedly passed under the moonlight.

Tonight the southern city gate remained shut all night, and no one knew who spread the rumor that Mr. Wen at Nan Shan Shu Yuan had gotten into trouble, nearly burned to death by the thug they had just captured, his life hanging by a thread.

Mr. Wen had become a god‑like figure in the hearts of the Southern Qi scholars.

Upon hearing that Mr. Wen's injuries were severe, the scholars rushed toward Nan Shan Shu Yuan, each bearing various medicines and supplements.

Crying and wailing filled the road, everywhere, even the southern gate of the imperial city could not be closed.

The city guards, seeing so many scholars surge forward, could only admit that soldiers meeting scholars are a case of reason beyond words, and they let them pass.

Gu Jiu Ling's carriage also hurried toward Nan Shan Shu Yuan.

The carriage stopped halfway up the mountain path to Nan Shan Shu Yuan, unable to move any further.

Ahead, hurried scholars crowded everywhere, blocking the already narrow mountain trail so tightly that no one could pass.

Gu Jiu Ling lifted the carriage curtain, looked at the black‑mass of people outside, and her brows immediately knit.

At this rate the journey would be delayed, and they would be too late to save Mr. Wen, whose death would be certain.

She felt a surge of anxiety, because she was pregnant.

Even though she repeatedly ordered the driver to go faster, the driver and the guards were Xiao Yin's men, and they would not heed her.

The Prince said that even if the heavens fell, whether Mr. Wen died or, to put it bluntly, the emperor passed away, his Princess Consort must be secured first.

No one's life or death has anything to do with his Princess Consort; if something happened to her, all those assigned to protect her would also die.

The driver ignored Gu Jiu Ling's repeated urgings, keeping the carriage steady, which made Gu Jiu Ling both laugh and fume.

Finally reaching the midway point, the carriage could not move another step, and scholars on both sides had gathered to see Mr. Wen.

The scholars had sealed the entrance of Nan Shan Shu Yuan tightly.

Everyone was extremely anxious; inside the academy, the Crown Prince was stationed, and heavy troops kept the academy impenetrable.

Not even a single fly could get in, let alone these rushing scholars.

The students outside spread rumors, loudly cursing Gu Kang as a swine‑dog scoundrel.

"Where has that Gu Kang brat vanished to? If we run into him today, we must hammer him to death."

"He was previously unscrupulous, a notorious playboy in Shang Jing, later driven out by the Gu family."

"Indeed, if he weren't deceitful and malicious, how could the Gu family expel their own legitimate son?"

"His daily misdeeds must be so vile that even his own family looks down on him."

"Mr. Wen is also a fool, taking any disciple, and ended up with such a brute."

"I don't like to hear that, even saints have a day of being misled."

"It was Gu Kang's honeyed words that deceived him, tricking Mr. Wen and nearly taking Mr. Wen's life."

"That brat deserves a severe sentence; even death by slow slicing would not be excessive."

"Yes, yes, execute him!"

In an instant the scholars were inflamed, shouting to execute Gu Kang for Mr. Wen, venting their fury.

The Crown Prince was inside, evidently hearing the outside cries, and these scholars gave Crown Prince Xiao Ting a headache.

They pretended not to care, yet each stood outside, waiting for news about Mr. Wen.

If they did intervene, the crowd's fervor and sheer numbers would be hard to manage, offending scholars across the realm.

The Crown Prince's prestige would suffer, so Xiao Ting had to find a way to calm the crowd.

He sent someone out to announce that Gu Kang had been thrown into the death cell, the matter investigated, and a date would be chosen for sentencing.

The Crown Prince himself gave an explanation, ordering a severe sentence for those outside Gu Kang, which quelled the emotions somewhat.

For a moment Nan Shan Shu Yuan was noisy and chaotic outside, quite lively.

Gu Jiu Ling lowered the carriage curtain, looked toward Yun Duo across the way clutching the Longquan Sword, and whispered to Jiu Yue beside her, "We'll go out."

"Master," Jiu Yue grabbed Gu Jiu Ling's arm.

She had expected many people at Nan Shan Shu Yuan, but not this many.

Moreover, the carriage from Rui Wang Fu could not proceed past the midway, the crowd ahead was even denser.

At this moment her own master was pregnant; if she forced her way through such a dense crowd, a slip could…

Jiu Yue could hardly imagine continuing, her face turning ashen.

She pleaded, gripping Gu Jiu Ling's arm, "Master, please be extremely careful; otherwise, the servant and Yun Duo will go in first to check Mr. Wen's wounds. I have studied the Qihuang art with you for a few days…"

Gu Jiu Ling gently shook her head; she knew the symptoms of intracranial bleeding.

Jiu Yue could only assist with hemostasis and wound care; for this kind of intracranial bleed, only she could go herself.

Riding the carriage again now would be impossible without further delay; any postponement would only increase the chance of Mr. Wen's misfortune.

The pressing situation could not be avoided, but the distance from here to Nan Shan Shu Yuan's gate was only two or three hundred meters.

Although Gu Jiu Ling was carrying twins, her body had been well‑trained.

Xiao Yin's frequent feasting had made her constitution robust; a two‑ or three‑hundred‑meter walk was nothing, just a post‑meal stroll.

"Yun Duo, hold the Longquan Sword tightly; we'll dismount."

Jiu Yue stepped forward, steadied Gu Jiu Ling's arm, and gently helped her down.

When Gu Jiu Ling stepped out of the carriage, the surrounding clamor instantly quieted.

Then, as if a ladle of cold water had been poured into a hot oil pot, the scene suddenly boiled over.

"Look, isn't that Gu Kang's sister?"

"Last time Gu Kang erred, this woman rescued him; now must we also remember his depraved younger brother?"

"If a family won't enter each other's doors, this woman must be no good!"

"Stop him; he must not cause trouble again. This time Gu Kang must die, even if Princess Consort Rui arrives, the matter won't be settled. We must avenge Mr. Wen!"

Gu Jiu Ling halted, looked up at the sharp‑mouthed, monkey‑faced figure at the front, dressed in a silk robe with a thief‑like gaze, lacking any scholar's elegance.

Gu Jiu Ling's thoughts moved, no wonder there are so many people, the crowd's emotions were aroused, it seems someone has already coaxed these despicable things in, stirring up public opinion, adding fuel to the fire.

Everyone has a herd mentality; if one person scolds Gu Kang, perhaps others still aren't clear; if ten, a hundred, a thousand people together scold Guo Kang, then Gu Kang's crime of killing his master can thus be firmly established.

Gu Jiu Ling stared fixedly at that sharp-mouthed, monkey-cheeked guy: "I'm demanding justice for your mother!"

Gu Jiu Ling let out a loud cold laugh: "Which of your eyes saw that my brother intended to kill Mr. Wen?"-

"We are all scholars; even when defining a person's crime, we also need sufficient evidence, with reason and evidence!"

"You will also enter the officialdom; could it be that in the future you will decide cases based solely on hearsay?"