Chapter 171: Chapter 162: Destined to Meet Villains
Song Wei was at a loss when suddenly there came a knock on the door from outside.
He walked over and opened the door to find Xie Zheng, surprisingly returning after just leaving. He asked, "What’s wrong?"
Xie Zheng came in and closed the door, whispering, "Guess who I just saw?"
Song Wei thought for a moment, "Could it be Hao Yun?"
"It is indeed him," Xie Zheng said. "I was getting a bit tired from reading and stood by the window for some fresh air, just in time to see him with some classmates from the town school, seemingly looking for an inn."
"Are they coming our way?" Song Wei frowned slightly. How could this be a coincidence? Every time he took exams, Hao Yun ended up staying at the same inn?
Xie Zheng shook his head, "Not for now; they’re still looking from inn to inn. But that’s not what I wanted to tell you."
Seeing that he seemed to have more to say, Song Wei invited him to sit by the table and personally poured him a cup of tea.
Xie Zheng took it but didn’t drink, urgently saying, "There’s something I casually mentioned to you the other day. I didn’t give you the details. When I saw those people just now, I realized something was off, and I think you need to know."
"Okay, go ahead." Compared to the urgency of Xie Zheng, Song Wei appeared quite calm.
Xie Zheng cleared his throat, "It’s like this: after you went to the Capital, the town school organized a literary competition. Hao Yun wrote an article and won first place. After the article was published, several students from the town school recognized it as one you wrote many years ago at the town school, albeit with some deceptive revisions. He kept the essence while discarding some parts.
Hao Yun was the top scorer in the provincial exam and had quite a few sycophantic followers. When those followers heard about this, they immediately got angry, claiming their top scorer’s work was absolutely original. Later, someone went to the town school to get your article. Those followers then said that you didn’t gain fame, but their top scorer did, which showed their top scorer’s talent. As for who Song Wei was, they claimed they had never heard of you and slandered you, saying you got into the Imperial College through backdoor connections.
This issue reached the ears of the Magistrate, who was about to get promoted. Outraged, he found the students spreading rumors and threw them directly into jail. When they were released, they were expelled from the town school and permanently disqualified from civil examinations.
Logically, since the provincial exams are imminent, those coming to the province should all be exam candidates. They shouldn’t be appearing, but I just saw them. What do you think they’ve come for?"
Wen Wan was quietly listening all along. After hearing everything, she understood and even saw the whole picture.
No wonder her premonition couldn’t clearly see the causes and effects. It turned out there was such an unknown feud behind it all.
Seeing Wen Wan’s grave expression, Song Wei roughly guessed where the arson case that night would come from.
It seems Hao Yun did a good job of "brainwashing" his followers. Being imprisoned after spreading rumors, expelled, and permanently disqualified wasn’t their fault? Was it all because of him, Song Wei?
After a moment of silence, Song Wei said, "I think I know what they’ve come for."
Xie Zheng was baffled, "You know?"
Song Wei smiled faintly, "Isn’t it obvious? They’ve come to seek revenge against me."
"Re-revenge?!" Xie Zheng was furious, "Are those people insane?"
Throughout the entire incident, Song Wei wasn’t involved at all. He was far away in the Capital, yet he somehow ended up carrying such a heavy burden?
"For scholars who have studied painstakingly for years, being permanently disqualified from exams is a hundred times more painful than death." Song Wei said, "Once forced into a corner, they’ll do anything, including murder and arson."
Xie Zheng was at a loss for how to react, only feeling that a big injustice hung over Song Wei’s head.
Looking at the sky, Song Wei said, "Since they’ve come for me, it’s not suitable for me to show myself at this moment. I need you to do something—stop them from staying at this inn."
Suppressing the fury in his chest, Xie Zheng nodded, "Tell me."
——
A quarter of an hour later, Xie Zheng packed a set of his clothes downstairs and bribed a beggar at the corner of the street.
Among Hao Yun’s followers, there were two that Xie Zheng knew, one with the surname Zhang and the other Lin.
As this group stepped into the lobby of the inn where Song Wei stayed, the waiter eagerly asked if they wanted a meal or a room.
Before they could speak, a man in a long gown entered from outside, looking scruffy and bearded.
Come one, come all; the waiter couldn’t afford to be negligent and also asked the newcomer with a smile if he wanted a meal or a room.