Chapter 580: Literati's Stubborn Integrity

Accompanied by Jinzhi's startled cry, a dull thud of a heavy object striking came from behind Xiao Yin, and all around came a wave of startled cries.

Xiao Yin's brows furrowed tightly; in fact he had already smelled a whiff of blood, and he slowly turned around.

Yet he saw that Chen Zhuo, Official Chen who had just been arguing with him, had actually struck his head against the stone tiger.

These stone tiger sculptures were originally placed on the four sides of the Peace Drum to display solemn majesty.

At this moment, Chen Zhuo slowly collapsed to the side of the stone tiger, blood seeping from his forehead.

Xiao Yin's eyes flickered slightly; this damn literati's integrity.

He fears neither real swords on the battlefield nor conspiracies in the court; what he fears are these so-called literati who stake their lives on their integrity.

Gu Jiu Ling hurriedly pushed through the crowd and ran toward Chen Zhuo, not expecting the students from the Imperial Academy to come rushing over, weeping and shouting.

The leading student from the Imperial Academy hurriedly helped his teacher into his arms and burst into loud sobs.

Gu Jiu Ling reached out to feel Chen Zhuo's pulse, and finding a pulse, she couldn't help but be overjoyed.

One must know that if Chen Zhuo really died here today, the impact would be terribly bad.

Xiao Yin had originally stood in the light of justice, but now he was forcibly dragged into the depths of hell.

One must know that forcing the death of today's great scholar is something even the late emperor would not dare to do.

At that moment Xiao Yin also felt at a loss, he stood there stunned, looking incredulously at everything before him, his heart like sinking into a thousand-year-frozen lake, bit by bit to the bottom, chilling to the point of trembling.

He was still too impatient; after waiting seven years, waiting too long, time too drawn out, he could wait no longer.

He feared that with time too distant, those people would gradually be forgotten.

Unexpectedly, there was still a mishap; if Chen Zhuo died here today, when the case of Qi Sha Gu is retried, it would add a few degrees of uncertainty, and perhaps the foul water would still be splashed back.

After all, people's hearts are what they lean toward, and the human heart is the hardest thing to fathom.

Gu Jiu Ling's face also turned a bit cold; Chen Zhuo is an elderly man, and to have survived such a heavy blow to the head without dying on the spot is already a great fortune.

"Quick! Quickly send to the medical clinic!" Gu Jiu Ling shouted loudly; at this moment the situation is urgent and critical, needing to send Official Chen to her medical clinic for treatment, if he really died it would be extremely detrimental to the Prince.

Several students from the Imperial Academy had long been furious with Xiao Yin, and now they redirected their anger toward him directly onto Gu Jiu Ling.

Everyone was fuming, they had no regard for whether she was the Princess Consort or not, nor did they care about gender propriety.

The leading disciple of Chen Zhuo shoved Gu Jiu Ling to the ground in one shove, Xiao Yin strode over, the Dragon Spring Sword at his waist already drawn, its tip pointed at the student's forehead.

"Seek death!"

"Prince!" Gu Jiu Ling hurriedly pressed down on Xiao Yin's arm, using his arm's strength to push herself up from the ground.

"Prince, no!" Gu Jiu Ling said softly, "This time we cannot let anything else happen."

Xiao Yin's eyes twitched violently as he looked at the restless Imperial Academy students all around, and at the subtle change in the gazes of the surrounding populace.

He knows all too well that now he really cannot provoke these civil officials any further, otherwise even with a hundred mouths he couldn't make himself clear.

Not to mention seeking redress for the wronged souls of Qi Sha Gu, he himself would likely be despised by the world for having forced the death of a model scholar.

Xiao Yin's heart was in turmoil, terribly uneasy, and he didn't even know where he had gone wrong.

Why do these scholars refuse to let him go?

Sometimes he truly wishes he were a treacherous minister or a usurper seizing power.

What good reputation, to hell with it, Xiao Yin refuses to put up with it.

But he simply cannot get past those who have died; they only want to be cleared of wrongdoing, to be able to enter the clan genealogy openly and honorably.

Xiao Yin gripped the hilt of the Dragon Spring Sword tightly, his fingers trembling slightly, yet he still sheathed the sword.

The Imperial Academy student who had shoved Gu Jiu Ling now also had a fine layer of sweat seeping from his forehead.

Seeing Xiao Yin yield, only then did he feel a chill run down his neck.

"Even if the Regent King forced the death of Mr. Chen, does he still want to slaughter all of us Imperial Academy students?"

That student shouted hoarsely, his cheeks flushed red.

Gu Jiu Ling seized Official Chen's other arm and coldly smiled, saying, "Heaven's principles are clear; everyone's eyes are not blind—right does not belong to the weak!"

"First, Official Chen disregarded the emperor's sacred edict, not even putting the Regent Prince in his sight, openly defying imperial orders and forcing death with his own blood spilled in such a holy place—it's as if he had read all those sage texts for nothing."

"Second, Official Chen committed suicide—could it possibly be that our Prince forced him to do so?"

"Moreover, he still has a breath left; if you, these filial sons and grandsons, keep clinging to him without letting go, Official Chen will truly be beyond rescue."

"Let go!" Suddenly a clear, cold voice rang out, and the surrounding scholars made way, clearing a path.

Gu Jiu Ling couldn't help but lift her gaze, meeting Lin Jingyuan's clear, delicate face, and she froze in place.

Earlier, thanks to Gu Jiu Ling's intercession, Lin Jingyuan was finally accepted by Xiao Yin and allowed to remain in Shang Jing, returning to the Hanlin Academy as a minor clerk.

Even out of consideration for Lin Rujun's face, Xiao Yin did not confiscate the Lin family's residence.

However, with a new emperor comes new ministers; after Xiao Yin rose to the pinnacle of power in Southern Qi, it would be impossible to reuse the Lin family's people, since they were formerly the Crown Prince's retinue.

At this time, the Lin family had been retrieved by Lin Rujun from the road to Jiangnan; the whole Lin family seemed to have suffered no major loss, the only punishment being Lin Jingyuan's demotion, yet he remained a capital official.

As the senior matriarch of the Marquisate of Peace and State, Lady Lin's hereditary rank and imperial edict remain, and even her stipends and rewards have not been diminished.

When Xiao Yin initially made this decision, Gu Jiu Ling found it unbelievable.

Only then did she truly understand that this man really repays kindness with loyalty; no wonder those who follow Xiao Yin are devoted to him wholeheartedly.

Lin Jingyuan's gaze shifted slightly uncomfortably, and he said softly, "Official Chen was my teacher when I was at the Imperial Academy; please, Princess Consort, attend to his treatment with care."

Gu Jiu Ling nodded, hurriedly snatched Official Chen from the hands of the Imperial Academy students, and immediately ordered the guards to send him directly onto her carriage.

"Jiu Ling!" Xiao Yin now felt somewhat worried about Gu Jiu Ling.

"This patient Chen Zhuo is nothing but a hot potato!"

"If he's cured, anything can be said; if not, I fear he'll be torn apart by public opinion in Shang Jing."

"Prince, rest assured; unless what is brought to my hands is a corpse, I have no problem here."

Xiao Yin's hand gripping Gu Jiu Ling's arm finally loosened, and he said softly, "Sorry, I've made you endure hardship again because of me."

Gu Jiu Ling smiled at him, boarded the carriage, and took Chen Zhuo toward her medical clinic.

The students of the nearby Imperial Academy followed one after another.

"Go! We'll all go to the Medical Hall and have a look!"

"We must not let the teacher be killed!"

"Go! Everyone, let's go together!"