Chapter 580 - 215: Fan Ju 3
Chapter 580: Chapter 215: Fan Ju 3
Fan Ju, in a fit of passion, ran nonstop to the Prefectural Magistrate’s Office.
It must be said that he had been cunning, having sewn his exam papers into the lining of his clothes. So, even though all his belongings had been stolen, the papers so crucial to his future remained perfectly intact. However, since they had been hidden in such a private place for so long, they had developed a bit of a smell.
He had been worried the officials would be disgusted by the smell, but the moment he entered, he saw Gong Yuanxiu.
The man was dressed in the robes of a Sixth-rank Official, standing with two other officials before the crowd of new scholars, waiting for them to pay their respects.
Considering his age and his attire, his identity was obvious.
Fan Ju wasn’t a complete fool. How could he not realize it by now? He had become the blade Gong Yuanxiu was using to stab Mr. Sheng and Xu Yanlin.
He had been duped!
The infuriating part was that he had actually believed him, nearly losing his life time and again because of it.
All this suffering he had endured was Gong Yuanxiu’s fault.
Fueled by new and old grudges, Fan Ju gave an embellished, thorough account of Gong Yuanxiu’s actions.
"In a moment of indignation, I was fooled by Gong Yuanxiu. But I quickly realized my folly. Selected essays are published after the Provincial Examination. If Zhao Jing’s work truly couldn’t stand up to scrutiny, Mr. Xu would have to bear the consequences. How could he risk his own future simply because he admired Zhao Jing? Mr. Xu is no fool, and neither is Mr. Sheng. Until just now, I didn’t understand why Mr. Gong was goading me to file an imperial petition, but now I do. Zhao Jing’s talent must be genuine. Mr. Gong isn’t afraid of the commotion, nor does he fear repercussions for himself. What he wants to see is Mr. Xu and Mr. Sheng implicated. I don’t know what grudge Mr. Gong holds against you two gentlemen, but I can guarantee that not a single word of what I’ve said is false. If you don’t believe me, you can send someone to the Golden Jade Restaurant and ask about my whereabouts with Mr. Gong on the eighteenth of the eighth month. In my anger, I even flipped over the table, which made a waiter come over to check. The waiter can testify to this..."
After Fan Ju’s speech, not only did the new scholars stare wide-eyed and motionless, but even the officials present fell completely silent.
But their gazes were like physical objects, fixed squarely on Gong Yuanxiu.
Their stares sent a chill down Gong Yuanxiu’s spine. The hair on his back stood on end, and his legs grew so weak that he had to grip a table to remain standing.
Sheng Mingchuan unhurriedly placed the lid back on his teacup. With a soft CLINK, he set it down on the table.
"Mr. Gong, is what this student says true?"
Xu Yanlin also stepped forward. "I’m curious about that as well. I’ll have to trouble Mr. Gong to enlighten me."
What could Gong Yuanxiu say?
He naturally began waving his hands frantically, saying in utter panic, "How can you believe the words of this young punk? I have no quarrel with either of you gentlemen. Why would I try to harm you...?"
"In that case, let’s have the waiter and Shopkeeper from the Golden Jade Restaurant come here."
Gong Yuanxiu grew even more panicked. "No, that’s... that’s not necessary, is it?"
"For the sake of your good name, Mr. Gong, it’s best we summon them."
The Golden Jade Restaurant was near the Prefectural Magistrate’s Office, so the men were brought over quickly.
After hearing Sheng Mingchuan’s questions, the waiter and the Shopkeeper didn’t dare be careless. They looked closely at Gong Yuanxiu, then scrutinized Fan Ju, and finally confirmed, "It was indeed these two gentlemen..."
Gong Yuanxiu flew into a rage. "How dare you implicate me! You must have eaten a bear’s heart and a leopard’s gall!"
"Lord Prefect, my lords, I have been the Shopkeeper at the restaurant for twenty years. Everyone far and wide knows my character. I would never dare to tell a lie. That day, you, sir, came to the Golden Jade Restaurant with this other gentleman and your personal attendant. When it was time to pay, a table, a tea set, and several plates had been broken in your private room. We asked for two taels of silver in compensation, but your attendant refused, throwing down only a few dozen copper coins before leaving. In the end, this old man had to cover the missing two taels myself. My monthly salary is only five taels of silver. Losing two taels just like that... My family has been living on a shoestring budget ever since. We can’t even afford to buy a piece of meat."
In reality, the Shopkeeper’s situation was certainly not as dire as he described.
After all, the Golden Jade Restaurant was the finest in all of Xinghuai Prefecture. To be a shopkeeper there, he had to be, at the very least, a trusted confidant of the owner.
While his official monthly salary might only be five taels, a confidant like him received far more than just a basic wage. They also got a share of the profits, which ensured their unwavering loyalty to the owner.
But the Shopkeeper played the victim in public anyway. It was for no other reason than that he was old and shrewd enough to see that Mr. Sheng did not like this Mr. Gong.
His restaurant’s business in Xinghuai Prefecture depended heavily on this "father and mother official." How could he not say something the Lord Prefect would like to hear? Besides, what he said was the truth anyway.