The official from the Ministry of Rites flew into a rage. "You idiot! Have your brains been kicked by a donkey?"
"Didn't you see? Just now, the wife of the Duke of Qing personally came with an oral edict from the Empress Dowager, saying that Zhaoyu Academy was to be merged into Zangshan..."
Chen Lin was seething with anger and didn't listen to a word the official said.
"Good, good! To back up that merchant woman Li Wanming, you even dare to hire someone to falsely transmit an imperial edict?"
He pointed his finger at the official's nose and cursed. "Corrupt official! You only have money in your eyes!"
"Li Wanming is just a lowly merchant woman, and Li Rusong is just a martial man. How could their family know the wife of the Duke of Qing? It's obvious that you corrupt officials took her money and deliberately delayed the seizure to profit from it!"
The official who had talked to Li Wanming earlier was the director of the Ministry of Rites. Hearing this, his beard bristled with anger. He took off his boots and was about to beat Chen Lin up.
The crowd was in an uproar.
The scholars from the Imperial Academy were busy standing in the middle to stop the fight...
The three groups of people were at each other's throats, making quite a scene.
...
Li Wanming watched and couldn't help but feel a bit impressed by Chen Lin.
The matter had been clearly explained to his face, yet he could still conjure up a drama in his mind about official - merchant collusion, where someone was hired to impersonate the wife of the Duke of Qing to delay the seizure!
Such imagination was a waste if he didn't write scripts.
He didn't even think that the Li family's wine shop and several other shops had already been seized. Li Wanming was now a pauper. Where could she get so much silver to bribe the officials of the Ministry of Revenue?
Hiring someone to impersonate the wife of the Duke of Qing and falsely transmit an imperial edict...
This was a great crime that could lead to the extermination of the entire family. Would she dare?
Seeing that the two sides were in a full - scale fight and the old scholars from the Imperial Academy couldn't hold them back, they came to Li Wanming with long faces and pleaded. "Lady Li, Princess - to - be... Please say something!"
Li Wanming stood there with her arms folded, watching the show with great interest.
"What should I say? Is there anything I can say?"
"Even if I tell him that I've been betrothed to the heir of the Prince of Ning and am now the princess - to - be... Do you think Chen Lin in his crazy state would believe me?"
"What if he bites back and says I'm daydreaming? What then?"
Li Wanming stood still, eagerly watching the exciting scene. She even wanted Qing Lan to bring a plate of sunflower seeds.
The Imperial College and the Ministry of Rites fighting in the street was a once - in - a - lifetime sight!
Anyway, her eldest sister was protected by her second sister, and the chaos wouldn't reach them. She might as well just sit back and enjoy the show.
The scholar wiped the sweat from his face, looking helpless with a long face.
He was also speechless!
He really couldn't understand what was wrong with Chen Lin. Why was he so obsessed with seizing Zhaoyu Academy that he was willing to fight the Ministry of Rites?
Judging from the situation, he seemed determined to seize it today. Not even the emperor could stop him...
What was the point?
Did the Chen family have such a feud with Zhaoyu Academy?
What the scholar didn't know was that the last time the Imperial College had a competition with Li Wanming and was badly defeated, the Chen family lost face in the capital, and the entire Imperial College was ashamed.
Some time ago, Chen Jinde got a position for Chen Lin in the Imperial College. He was just waiting for this seizure of the academy to be completed so that he could take office.
Chen Jinde specifically told him that this seizure was ordered by the Empress Dowager and must be done perfectly.
As long as he made an appearance in front of the Empress Dowager, he could regain all the face the Chen family had lost!
That's why Chen Lin was so eager and determined to paste the seal on the gate of Zhaoyu Academy.
Because that seal was not just a seal; it was the face of the Chen family.
...
Li Wanming watched the two groups of people in a heated fight and felt extremely satisfied. The pent - up depression of the past few days had completely vanished.
Sure enough, while one's own failure was depressing, others' misfortunes could really lift one's mood!
She nudged the old scholar beside her who was busy wiping his sweat. "Hey, in my opinion, you might as well let him seal it and then take the matter to the Empress Dowager to see what she says!"
"Ah?" The old scholar was startled.
Such a small matter couldn't even be handled by the three government offices and the wife of the Duke of Qing. Now they were going to take it to the Empress Dowager?
If the Empress Dowager found out, wouldn't she have them all beaten with boards one by one!
He stammered for a long time and said awkwardly. "This... isn't very appropriate. Seizing an academy requires the official seal of the Ministry of Rites on the document... If we really do this, the Ministry of Rites will surely be implicated..."
"Oh..."
Li Wanming nodded and said with regret. "Indeed, it's not good to implicate others."
The old scholar looked at her for a while. Seeing that she had no intention of going up to stop the fight, he could only sigh, roll up his sleeves, and rush back into the fray.
If the news spread that the Imperial College and the Ministry of Rites were fighting while the Imperial Academy was watching, the Imperial Academy would also be in trouble.
Therefore, he had to show that he had tried his best to stop the fight.
Whether it was useful or not, he had to put on a good show.
Strangely enough, although the two sides were fighting fiercely and the situation was out of control, none of the officials from the Ministry of Rites mentioned that Li Wanming was now the princess - to - be.
If they didn't say it, the officials from the Imperial Academy wouldn't either.
If the officials didn't say it, these poor scholars naturally didn't dare to.
Everyone gritted their teeth, waiting to see how Chen Lin would end up!
Alas, it was really unlucky...
This morning when they set out, the officials had said that they were just going through the motions. Once the carriage of the duke's wife arrived, they could go back.
Who would have thought that a full - scale fight would break out here.
...
Wanxin looked at her ex - husband who was making a scene in front of the door and felt extremely ashamed.
Her face was burning. She half - covered her face with her sleeve and whispered to Wanmo. "Second sister, can you think of a way... to make him stop causing trouble?"
She and Wanmo didn't recognize the carriage of the wife of the Duke of Qing, but after hearing what the officials from the Ministry of Rites said, they immediately guessed what was going on.
The royal relatives and nobles had connections with each other. Presumably, someone was willing to help their little sister for the sake of the Prince of Ning's Mansion.
The Empress Dowager Kang just顺水推舟 and did this favor.
It was such a simple, straightforward, and logical thing...
But unexpectedly, Chen Lin was like a blind man and didn't see it at all.
Wanmo knew that her sister was embarrassed. After all, he was her ex - husband.
But there were too many people at the door. She tried to push through twice but couldn't. Standing here and shouting to Li Wanming, Li Wanming didn't hear her.
"Hey!"
Wanmo paused and angrily shouted at He Muhao beside her. "You stay here and watch my sister. I'll fight my way out to find Wanming and tell her to show her identity as the princess - to - be quickly and get rid of that idiot Chen Lin!"