Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Huangfu Ling looked at the surrounding palace guards, her palms sweating. She subconsciously moved closer to Zhang Jingwei and asked anxiously in a low voice, "Husband, should we... force our way out?"

Zhang Jingwei glanced at the sharp, steady-looking guards, shook his head slightly, and lowered his voice to a whisper, "Don't act rashly. These are the elite guards of the Prince of Jin's mansion. They are far superior to the yamen runners in Gaoyang City. They are well-trained and work in perfect harmony. You may be skilled in martial arts, but two fists can't defeat four hands, not to mention you have to take me into consideration. You can't handle it."

"Then...what should we do?" Huangfu Ling's eyes were full of anxiety and helplessness.

Zhang Jingwei thought quickly, speaking quickly but clearly, "Listen, Ling'er, you go first! Return to Yunzhou immediately and find my father-in-law. Tell him the truth about the situation here and ask him to find a way to deal with it. I'll go back with them. The worst that can happen is that I'll spend a few days in jail. As long as I hold my tongue and refuse to confess, they won't be able to find any solid evidence and won't be able to do anything to me for a while."

Huangfu Ling shook her head violently, tears welling up in her eyes. "No! I can't leave you alone! What if... what if they torture me... and blame me? If I hadn't been so willful as to run to Jinzhou, I wouldn't have..."

"Don't talk nonsense!" Zhang Jingwei interrupted her and shook her hand vigorously. Although he was also being held, he still tried to comfort her, "It's okay, believe me. They dare not do anything to me. Go away, be obedient! If you stay here, it will distract me." His eyes were filled with unquestionable determination.

Huangfu Ling looked at her husband's determined eyes and knew that this was not the time to argue. She suppressed the worry and reluctance in her heart, gritted her teeth, and finally looked at Zhang Jingwei deeply, jumped on the horse, and rushed out of this street of right and wrong through a gap made by the personal guards.

However, just as Zhang Jingwei was being held captive by Wang Lian's officers, and the atmosphere was tense, a number of scholars in long gowns, who had heard the news, gathered at the street corner. They whispered among themselves, pointing at Zhang Jingwei, who was being held by the soldiers.

"Is that the famous Zhang Xiannan in Yunzhou?" "Looking at his demeanor, there's no doubt about it! He's really handsome and outstanding! How can anyone stand with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?" "But... brothers, why do I feel like the atmosphere is a little off?" "Didn't Zhang Xiannan say that he was going to compose an impromptu poem today? We've come here specially to listen to his excellent work!" "Wait, look, Zhang Xiannan seems to be forcibly held by those two soldiers?" "Huh? Wasn't he invited here to compose a poem? Why did he bring so many soldiers? This posture... doesn't look like a treat, it looks more like arresting people!"

Yuan Liang, who had been mingling in the crowd, nervously following the developments, saw the scholars gathering in ever-increasing numbers and knew the time had come. He quickly squeezed out of the crowd, pretending to have just arrived and not knowing what was going on, and shouted, "Oh! Misunderstanding! Misunderstanding! Everyone, this is all a misunderstanding!"

Wang Lian's sharp eyes immediately locked onto Yuan Liang, with a hint of surprise and understanding: "Yuan Liang? Why is it you?"

Yuan Liang hurriedly bowed to Wang Lian, his tone filled with feigned anxiety. "Teacher... Oh no, Lord Changshi! I apologize. This is all a misunderstanding. Could you please release Zhang Xiannan first? This... If the students see this, it might spread rumors!"

When the group of scholars heard that Yuan Liang had also confirmed that it was Zhang Xiannan, they became even more excited and talked even louder.

Wang Lian was a man of great character. He immediately saw through Yuan Liang's tricks and sneered, "I finally figured it out. Are you following this Zhang Jingwei?"

Yuan Liang admitted frankly, "Yes, Your Excellency, the Chief Secretary, you are wise. I am now indeed a retainer of Master Zhang."

Wang Lian snorted disdainfully, "Hmph! Your little cleverness isn't even good enough for me. Forget it, it won't work on me."

Yuan Liang waved his hands quickly, his expression sincere. "No, no, no, I dare not play tricks in front of Lord Changshi. I simply feel that the reputation of His Highness the Crown Prince is worth more than a thousand gold coins, and the reputation of the Prince of Jin's Mansion cannot be tarnished. With so many students watching, treating a prestigious county boy like this is probably not the right way to entertain guests, nor is it the best way to preserve our reputation! Lord Changshi, please think twice and release County Boy Zhang for now, to show the magnanimity of the Prince's Mansion!"

Wang Lian's face darkened, and he shouted angrily, "Nonsense! Sweet words and deceitful tricks! Come, capture him too!"

Seeing that Wang Lian refused to listen, Yuan Liang steeled himself and, with all his might, shouted at the top of his lungs towards the gathering of scholars at the street corner:

"Prince—invite County Man Zhang—to compose a poem on the spot—!"

This shout was like dropping cold water into boiling oil, instantly igniting the entire audience!

"Here I come! I really want to write poetry!" "Oh my God! Why didn't I bring paper and pen?! I missed the chance to write down Zhang Xiannan's poems myself!" "Don't be upset, brother. Zhang Xiannan's poems have always been profound. It's a great honor to be able to listen to them in person and feel their charm! It's worth my hard work in studying poems recently. I can savor their profound meaning!" "Just you? Zhang Xiannan's poems are as majestic as a mountain. It's a great blessing for us to be able to admire his style and feel his literary elegance!"

The streets, once filled with whispers, suddenly became abuzz with activity. As expected, this land is full of people watching the excitement! First came the scholars, drawn by the news, then the neighbors, the elderly, and the children. Then came the patrolling inspectors and yamen runners, and the passing merchants drawn in by the commotion... The crowd surged in from all directions, completely enclosing the previously blocked street. The scene grew increasingly lively and uncontrollable.

Wang Lian's face turned extremely grim as he watched the out-of-control situation. He leaned over to Sima Qi and whispered, "Prince! This is a public scene, and public sentiment is surging. If we continue to forcibly detain him, there might be a major upheaval! I, this old minister, think it's safer to release Zhang Xiannan first to appease the people!"

Sima Qi looked at the dark crowd in front of him and the countless pairs of eyes staring at him, his face gloomy enough to drip water. He clenched his fists tightly and squeezed out a few words from between his teeth: "...Listen to the teacher!"

The two soldiers holding Zhang Jingwei loosened their grip upon hearing this. Zhang Jingwei stretched his numb arms and gave Sima Qi a smile that was both sarcastic and smug.

At this moment, Yuan Liang took advantage of everyone's attention being on Zhang Jingwei and the prince, and secretly winked at Zhang Jingwei, silently signaling with his mouth, and quickly spread out his palm, on which was written a word with wet ink - "jump"!

In just a moment, Zhang Jingwei understood.

"Let him go!" Wang Lian ordered helplessly.

At the moment when the two soldiers completely let go of their hands, Zhang Jingwei took a deep breath and used all his strength to let out a shrill shout that could be heard by half the street:

"Oh! Prince, please don't do that!"

Before he finished shouting, he seemed to be pushed by an invisible force and fell backwards suddenly. With a loud "splash!", he fell straight into the fast-flowing river beside the street!

"Ah! Sir!" Yuan Liang cried out in grief and anger almost at the same time. He fell to his knees with a plop and kowtowed repeatedly in the direction of Sima Qi, his voice extremely miserable. "Prince, please spare me! Prince, please spare me! Sir Zhang was just offended by words in the moment, his crime does not deserve death! Please have mercy and spare him!"

This series of events happened in a flash. Sima Qi was stunned, Wang Lian was stunned, Zhou Peng and all his personal soldiers were stunned, and even the crowd of onlookers fell silent for a moment.

Then, an even louder uproar erupted like a volcano!

"Someone fell into the water!" "It was County Magistrate Zhang! County Magistrate Zhang was pushed into the water!" "Quick! Go in and save him!" "I just heard someone shout, 'Prince, don't do it!'" "Ah? Did His Royal Highness the Crown Prince order County Magistrate Zhang to be pushed into the water?" "What? His Royal Highness the Crown Prince pushed County Magistrate Zhang into the water with his own hands?" "Oh my God! Are you saying that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wants to drown County Magistrate Zhang in broad daylight?!"

Rumors spread rapidly among the crowd like wildfire, becoming more outrageous and terrifying with each person they passed through.

Wang Lian was so angry that he was shaking all over. He pointed at the river and yelled, "Quick! Get in the water and save them! Quick!"

Several soldiers hurriedly began to remove their heavy armor and prepare to enter the water. However, after falling into the water, Zhang Jingwei did not struggle or cry for help. Instead, he dove into the water like a fish, using the current to help him swim downstream at an astonishing speed! By the time the soldiers finally removed their armor and jumped into the water, Zhang Jingwei had already swum a long way away, leaving only a blurry black dot.

Meanwhile, Huangfu Ling did not really leave as ordered. Uneasy, she rushed to seek help from Princess Sima Yanran. When the two women hurried to the scene, they saw a chaotic scene filled with a huge crowd and a great deal of anger.

Sima Yanran stared at the chaotic scene in front of her, stunned: "What...what is going on? Why are there so many people?!"

An enthusiastic passerby immediately came over and told them the latest and most risqué version of the story: "Princess, you don't know yet, do you? The Crown Prince was jealous of Zhang Xiannan's talent. In a rage, he ordered his men to push Zhang Xiannan into the river to drown him! Look... over there, the Crown Prince even sent a team of soldiers into the water to 'hunt him down'!"

Upon hearing this, Sima Yanran was enraged. She pushed aside the soldiers blocking the road and rushed to Sima Qi. She pointed at his nose, her face flushed with anger, and her voice was filled with tears and anger: "Brother Wang! How could you do this! How could you do such a thing! You will only make Huangfu Ling hate you more by doing this! You will never win her heart!"

She spoke loudly and was immediately picked up by the sharp-eared listeners around her.

"Did you hear that? The princess said it herself! The prince has feelings for Zhang Xiannan's wife!" "Oh my God! His Highness the prince actually has fantasies about a married woman?!" "No wonder! No wonder he wanted to do such a cruel thing and drown Zhang Xiannan! He's trying to kill him and take his wife away!"

The final version was quickly finalized through word of mouth, and the details became richer and richer: Sima Qi, the prince of Jin, was jealous of Zhang Jingwei, a man from Gaoyang County, because he was not as talented as him. He also coveted the beauty of Zhang Jingwei's wife, Huangfu, and could not get her. So he ordered people to push Zhang Jingwei into the river in broad daylight with the intention of drowning him. His heart is despicable and his actions are despicable!

Seeing public opinion completely out of control, even beginning to smear the prince's reputation, Zhou Peng was furious. He suddenly drew his sword and rushed into the crowd, placing the gleaming steel blade on the neck of the scholar who had just been the loudest and most enthusiastic in spreading the news. He shouted, "Shut up! Shut up! If you dare to speak nonsense again, I'll chop you down!"

The scholar was startled at first, but then a surge of scholarly arrogance surged up. He stiffened his neck and stared at Zhou Peng fearlessly, his voice even louder: "What are you doing?! In broad daylight, how dare you, a general of the Celestial Empire, attack scholars with weapons?! We are all students enrolled in the official school! Waving swords at unarmed students, is this how you treat students in Jinzhou?! Is this the rule of the Prince of Jin's Mansion?!"

His classmates behind him were also filled with indignation, shouting in unison: "Exactly! This is outrageous!" "We must submit a joint petition to the Emperor, reporting everything we have seen and heard today! Your Majesty, please make a wise decision!"

The scholar with the knife at his neck was even more desperate. He glared at Zhou Peng and said word by word: "Reckless man! Kill me! If you have the guts, kill me now! I will wait in the underworld to see how your three clans will be buried with me!"

"Zhou Peng! Come back!" Sima Qi finally woke up from his anger and confusion as he watched the scene completely out of control and about to turn into a bloody incident. He knew that he could not escalate the conflict any further, so he hurriedly shouted to Zhou Peng to stop him.

Meanwhile, Huangfu Ling had already rushed to the riverbank. Gazing at the turbulent water, she saw no sign of her husband. Far down the river, she saw soldiers searching for him. Her heart was burning with anxiety as she galloped along the riverbank, crying out in a tearful voice, "Husband! Husband! Where are you?"

The situation was completely out of control, a state of chaos. Wang Lian's face was ashen, his chest heaving violently. He stared at Yuan Liang, who was kneeling on the ground, seemingly panicked, but actually orchestrating all this, with an almost murderous look.

This time, Yuan Liang didn't know where he got the courage from. He slowly raised his head and met Wang Lian's icy gaze without dodging. There was no fear in his eyes, only a kind of calmness as if relieved from a heavy burden and a barely perceptible determination.

Sima Qi looked at the unmanageable mess before him, listening to the constant slander and accusations. He felt dizzy and said to Wang Lian dejectedly, "Teacher... let's... let's go! If we don't leave now, I'm afraid we won't be able to leave today! This Jinzhou City... is going to blow up!"

Wang Lian looked at the surging crowd and the enraged students, knowing that this was impossible. Forcing them to stay would only bring disgrace upon the Jin Palace. He stamped his feet heavily, filled with endless regret and anger, and squeezed out a word from between his teeth:

"withdraw!"