Forced to marry, I picked up a young powerful official

Chapter 247 Are You Disobeying Me?

"No, no."

Huang Jian wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Shanzhang You is highly respected in Yongzhou and has always been known for his virtue. Unexpectedly, he secretly did such a shameful thing. He is really unworthy of being a teacher and is indeed unworthy of continuing to be in charge of Hanwen Academy."

Before Gu Yichuan could say anything, You Kangping called out first.

"Huang Jian, we have a close relationship. It would be fine if you didn't want to defend me, but how can you add insult to injury now?"

Even though he wanted to drag Huang Jian into the water, he couldn't.

If Huang Jian was also sentenced, then no one in the provincial government would be able to save him. Therefore, even though he guessed that the problem was with Huang Jian, he could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger.

Huang Jian's face was gloomy. "Is the court a place to discuss friendship?"

He faced You Kangping, but bowed to Gu Yichuan, "Your Majesty, everything will be handled impartially. Principal You, it is a fact that you hired someone to do something bad and set fire at night. I advise you not to resist stubbornly, confess your crime as soon as possible, and maybe you can get a lighter sentence."

You Kangping's expression changed, and after a moment he said, "So what if I did it? I had no choice but to do it to protect the reputation of the saints!"

"Pedant and narrow-minded!"

Gu Yichuan looked down at him and said, "Did the sages ever say that women should not study? You are so stubborn and short-sighted that you use the sages as an excuse. Promoting education and opening schools to enlighten the people is something that even His Majesty highly praises. How can you slander it?"

You Kangping's face turned pale and he stopped talking.

After a while, he said, "Since the governor has determined my guilt, I have nothing to say. But I am still a juren. As long as this honor remains, you have no right to touch me!"

Gu Yichuan smiled and said meaningfully, "Don't worry, Principal You. I really can't touch you before you are dismissed. But you have behaved improperly and are no longer fit to be a role model for others. As the prefect, I have the right to remove you from your position as principal on behalf of the governor."

As soon as he finished speaking, he called out, "Huang Jian."

Huang Jian replied respectfully, "I am here."

Gu Yichuan said: "Mr. Hou is still a juren, and the state government cannot punish him. I now order you to send him back to Hanwen Academy and announce the punishment in public, so as to serve as a warning to the students of the academy."

Huang Jian hesitated a little, "Your Excellency, I have always been in charge of paperwork, so let Zhang Tongzhi handle these..."

Gu Yichuan's tone turned cold, "Are you disobeying me?"

Huang Jian hurriedly said he didn't dare.

Gu Yichuan pointed to a row of yamen runners and said, "You and Mr. Huang, escort Principal You back."

"Retire!"

Huang Jian looked helpless and dragged You Kangping away from the provincial government.

The team of yamen runners said they were escorting, but in fact they were more like guarding. They walked from the provincial government office to Hanwen Academy in a grand manner. Passersby on the road looked at them sideways. Some recognized You Kangping and, out of curiosity, followed the team to Hanwen Academy.

With the bailiffs watching, Huang Jian did not dare to show favoritism.

All the people in the academy were gathered together and informed in public of what You Kangping had done and the punishment he had received.

For a moment, the whole courtyard was in an uproar.

However, the students were shocked that their headmaster would actually do such a despicable thing, and several teachers in Hanwen Academy also looked very unhappy, and besides being surprised, they seemed to know something about the inside story.

Those random people who followed along the way could not enter the academy, so they just lay on the wall outside to eavesdrop. When they learned about what You Kangping had done, they couldn't help but talk about it.

Huang Jian didn't have time to care about all this. After finishing his job, he wanted to leave immediately.

You Kangping grabbed him and said, "What should I do if you leave?"

"Just take care of yourself."

Huang Jian looked at him deeply and then decisively pushed him away.

He didn't mean to shirk responsibility by saying this, but there were too many yamen runners following him today, and they were all Gu Yichuan's eyes and ears, so he couldn't explain it too clearly.

Even if one wanted to strip him of his honors and titles, it would take more than a month for the decree to be transmitted back and forth.

If You Kangping was a smart man, he should take this opportunity to find another way out.

He waved at the yamen runners and said, "Let's go."

However, two yamen runners remained where they were without moving.

One of them clasped his fists and said, "Sir Huang, You Kangping is now a criminal. The governor has ordered us to keep a close eye on him and prevent him from escaping secretly."

Huang Jian sighed, "Okay, then you two should be careful on your duties."

As if he couldn't bear it, he added, "However, You Shanzhang is in Yongzhou City. After all, he is also a scholar. You should not neglect him."

"Yes."

Huang Jian dispersed the people who were crowded outside the academy to watch the excitement, and left with his people.

The door of Hanwen Academy was closed tightly. The people inside looked at each other in bewilderment. It was so quiet that it was a little eerie.

All we could hear was You Kangping beating his chest and stamping his feet, "What a ruthless Governor Gu!"

"I, You Kangping, have made great achievements and have spent my life studying and educating people. Even the former governor had to address me as You Shanzhang when they saw me. This Gu is just a young boy who relied on his opportunistic skills to gain the favor of His Majesty. When he came to Yongzhou, he treated people with disregard and even sent two petty officials to monitor me. How can I, You Kangping, face others in the future?"

Hearing his words becoming more and more outrageous, a yamen runner could not help but scold: "If you don't want to commit an even greater crime, you better keep your mouth shut!"

You Kangping was filled with resentment and was worried about where to vent his anger. Hearing this, he angrily said, "You are so arrogant!"

"You are just a clerk, a dog running errands in the government office. I have a great reputation, how can you be qualified to lecture me?"

The yamen runner tried to persuade him kindly, but he didn't appreciate it. He looked at him coldly and said nothing more.

You Kangping was still angry and started to insult the two men.

The students were shocked to see the dean, who usually had a stern demeanor, but now was scolding people with such reckless words and ugly behavior.

The teacher of the academy also realized that something was wrong, so he quickly dismissed the students and dragged You Kangping into the house.

……

The news that the headmaster of Hanwen Academy hired thugs to set fire quickly spread throughout Yongzhou.

You Kangping's prestige was completely ruined, especially after he came out of the academy, where he almost always encountered people pointing fingers at him - even if others did not recognize him, the two officers following behind him were a living sign.

He simply hid at home and refused to go out.

After this incident, the other academies in Yongzhou were in a panic and issued repeated instructions to the academies, as if they were afraid that someone would go astray and end up like You Kangping, thus bringing disgrace to the academy's reputation.

Zhanfang Pavilion.

This is one of the best teahouses in Yongzhou.

Shen Nankui and Zhang Qiongsi sat by the window, drinking tea and listening to the people in the teahouse talking about the You Kangping incident.