The beloved baby has a space

Chapter 570: Crying for injustice
Ayu looked at the person who spoke and saw that he was dressed in a blue long robe and a plain scholar's cap, looking every bit the scholar. "Brother, you may have misunderstood. We did not insult the top scholar." Ayu felt confused. If they had insulted the top scholar, why would they have let her brother Ayou take the exam?
Unexpectedly, when the scholar saw Ayu speak, his eyes clearly showed disdain. He opened his mouth, but then kept quiet.

The scholar turned his head and snorted, clearly showing his utter disdain.

Ayu was even more confused: "If you have any complaints, just say them. Why do you have to act like this? We're not your father and mother. We don't have to appease your temper when we're out here."

The main reason is that Ayu has never encountered such an impolite scholar in all these years.

Not to mention the villagers, everyone likes her very much.

The students in Nanhe Town learned of Ayu's existence from the Wang family's sons from the beginning. With this preconceived notion, they naturally wouldn't make things difficult for her and only treated her as a younger sister they liked very much.

In the city, Ayu would be even less likely to be treated coldly. She was well-dressed, and anyone with a discerning eye would know that her family must be well-off, so there was no reason for her to offend anyone.

When it was time for the study tour, the older brothers protected her closely, and Qin Huai was no pushover either; he would never let anyone dance in front of Ayu.
But once you're under the emperor's nose, a single brick thrown down could hit ten officials, so people's standards naturally rise, and many of their true natures are revealed.

"You ill-mannered woman! I'm trying to give you face, and you dare to provoke me!" The scholar was furious, as if he had been greatly insulted. "A young lady like me should stay at home waiting to be married. It's bad enough that I'm making a fool of myself here, but to even talk to a man like that, you truly have no shame—"

Before he could finish speaking, the man realized he couldn't make a sound. He clutched his neck in terror and stared wide-eyed at his companion.

Upon seeing this, the other scholars traveling with him knew that these people must have done something wrong.

"How dare you commit violence under the very nose of the Emperor? You're clearly from the countryside, don't you know the rules of not being rude outside Sansi Street? Release Brother Lu immediately, or I'll take you to the Wanning Prefecture!"

Grandma Wang pulled Ayu to sit down beside her. Under the incredulous gazes of the scholars, she leisurely crossed her legs and spoke in a loud voice: "Then go ahead and sue! A few rascals dare to jump around in front of an old lady like me. Even if your parents came, they wouldn't be able to lay a finger on my Ayu today!"

Another scholar seized the opportunity: "See, see! It was indeed them who did it, causing Brother Lu to be in such a state! Brother Lu is supposed to see Miss Wei today, what are we going to do!"

"Watch your words! How can you speak so carelessly and ruin Miss Wei's reputation!"

"Brother Kelu's voice is ruined. It must have been these people who secretly poisoned him. We weren't on guard, and we don't know what to do now."

Old Mrs. Wang watched the men's act with a cold eye, finding it even more amusing. These scholars thought they were clever enough, but they never imagined that their little tricks were no match for Old Mrs. Wang.

But the scholar called Brother Lu had already collapsed, clutching his own neck. He was barely breathing and had fainted on the ground. His grip loosened, and there were deep marks on his neck.

"Ah, murder!" Seeing that something had happened, the boatman didn't dare to come and call anymore. He quickly moored the boat at the shore, urged everyone to get ashore, and then sent his clever crew member to Wanning Prefecture to fetch the prefect.

When the prefect heard that a murder had occurred on Sansi Street, he dared not delay any longer.

The imperial examination is just around the corner, and Sansi Street is where the top scholar will parade through the streets. We can't afford any problems!
Upon arrival, the prefect saw two groups of people facing off, with a large crowd already gathered around.

Lu Shusheng lay on the ground, and a kind person placed a cloth under him.

On the other side, Grandma Wang pulled Ayu behind her, with Qin Huai, who was almost as tall as her, standing next to her.

Behind them were three or four men who looked like guards.

It's obvious at a glance that they must have bullied those weak and helpless scholars.

The prefect was no fool; of course, he didn't handle the case based on gut feeling. Instead, he brought all these people to the prefectural office.

After asking the questions, I learned the reason for the incident. Wasn't it just that this pedantic scholar looked down on women? How did it escalate to the point of risking his life?
The prefect then asked Old Madam Wang, "Zhang Wangshi, the scholars have accused you of disregarding human life. Do you accept this accusation?"

All eyes were on Old Mrs. Wang, who stood in the courtroom like an ancient pine tree, motionless and unmoving.

Ayu was also a little nervous, wondering what her grandmother was going to say.

As everyone watched, they suddenly saw two lines of tears streaming down Old Mrs. Wang's face. The old woman, seemingly suppressing her emotions, said in a trembling voice, "How could I have known that these high-ranking officials in the capital would be such people who distort right and wrong! My granddaughter and I were on a pleasure boat, thinking of enjoying the scenery of Wanning City and also showing my talented grandson-in-law the world. But who would have thought that we were sitting there peacefully when that scholar Lu rushed over and started provoking my granddaughter without saying a word! I don't consider him a lecher! Should I speak to him politely? If this happened in our village, he'd be thrown into the latrine and fed a couple of mouthfuls!"

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a tickle in their throats and almost vomited on the spot!
Ayu and Qin Huai were both dumbfounded.

Soon, the scholar on the other side became agitated: "What are you saying? Does our Brother Lu even think much of this village—"

He couldn't finish his sentence because the scholar looked at Ayu and finally saw what kind of girl she was.

To be precise, it's a face that's so captivating you can't take your eyes off it.

(End of this chapter)