The Eldest Daughter Returns: Imperial Uncle, I'm Pregnant!

Because her eyesight was poor, Granny Sun could only vaguely make out an outline. She looked in the direction of the voice and said, "Since you say you don't know us, how do you know our family name is Sun, and how do you know my son is a scholar!"

After hearing this, Gu Changfeng had no way to explain. He couldn't very well say that what Aunt Sun said was all true.

"In short, you're just talking nonsense and slandering me."

"That's right! Are you trying to get money or something by slandering my son like this!" Wang Ruyan believed in her son, so she subconsciously assumed that this was a scam.

“I am not talking nonsense. Young Master Gu has known my son for a long time. Because I am not healthy and have no money to see a doctor, my son, being filial, agreed to write articles and do homework for Young Master Gu. In return, Young Master Gu will give my son generous compensation. I have kept my son's manuscripts safe. If you do not believe me, you can send someone to retrieve them to verify!”

Gu Changfeng was speechless for a moment. He couldn't believe that the articles, poems, and manuscripts he usually wrote were all things that Sun Xiucai had given him. He had never heard him mention having such things.

Xue Niang watched the woman speak so eloquently, and then looked at her young master, who was covered in sweat. She immediately felt something was amiss and whispered something in Wang Ruyan's ear.

"Madam, I don't think things are quite right. Let's think of a way to protect the young master first."

After Xue Niang's reminder, Wang Ruyan calmed down. She knew her son better than anyone. Judging from his guilty look, the old woman was probably telling the truth.

"So what? Lord Zhao, even if what she said is true, it was still a matter of money and goods being exchanged. My son did not forcibly seize or rob, nor did he commit fraud or conceal anything. They all knew about it."

Upon hearing his mother's words, Gu Changfeng felt a little calmer.

"That's right, sir. I've only met Young Master Sun a few times at the restaurant. He insisted on befriending me, and I only associated with him because I thought he had some talent."

"Then why did you say you didn't recognize them, mother and child?"

“I was startled, and I really didn’t know his mother. But later he told me that his mother was seriously ill, and I felt sorry for him because he was a filial son, so I gave him money. Young Master Sun said that he couldn’t take my money for nothing, but he didn’t have any valuable items to give me as collateral. So I casually said that he could give me his good articles as collateral. It was just a joke, but I didn’t expect him to take it seriously.”

"Moreover, all the articles I write are my own work, which my father and teachers can attest to, and they will also verbally test me."

Gu Changfeng's servant, Changchun, had already run out from the crowd and quietly went to the Sun family to find the manuscripts in preparation for destroying the evidence.

Gu Changfeng's explanation was perfectly appropriate; on the contrary, it highlighted his philanthropic side. The man was actually quite talented despite having nothing of value, and it was just a joke. This only further demonstrated how much Gu Changfeng valued his writing.

Seeing that Gu Changfeng was finally able to stand firm, Wang Ruyan felt a little relieved. She had been standing for a long time and was a little tired, so she barely managed to stand by leaning on Xue Niang.

"Someone, go to the Sun family and find the manuscript that Granny Sun mentioned. Also, invite Young Master Gu's tutor over."

"My lord! Young Master Gu is talking nonsense. He was about to take the academy exam a couple of days ago, so he bought the questions in advance and had my son write out the answers for him overnight."

"Wow! Buying exam questions!" Everyone was speechless with astonishment. The Mountain Foothill Academy's exams were the strictest and most innovative, yet even they had the practice of buying and leaking exam questions.

Lord Zhao frowned. The Mountain Foothill Academy was a school favored by the Emperor, and it had cultivated many scholars and patriots. In fact, many noble sons studied there, which involved a great deal of issues.

"Plaintiff! You'd better watch your words, or you'll know what the consequences of lying are!"

“What I’m saying is the truth. My son finished writing that night and told me the next day that he was going to wait for Young Master Gu at the back of the academy. But he never came back. I’m so desperate that I’m reporting this to the authorities. Please, sir, do me justice. Young Master Gu must have hidden my son.”

"I didn't! Stop making baseless accusations!"

"Young Master Gu, please have mercy and give my son back to me, please!" Granny Sun knelt on the ground and kept kowtowing to him.

Gu Changfeng never expected that this scholar Sun would tell his mother about buying the exam questions. It was such an unexpected complication. But the problem was that he didn't know where scholar Sun was either, and he was looking for him too.

Since this involves the academy buying and leaking exam questions, it's necessary to invite the academy's dean over; otherwise, he won't be able to explain himself if the emperor asks.

"You dare to slander my son with mere words? My son's talent has been recognized by all the teachers. He would have no problem participating in the imperial examinations. Yet today, my son failed to make the list. To be honest, I am starting to suspect that there might be something wrong with the academy's examinations!"

"Madam, rest assured, I have already sent someone to the academy to invite the headmaster over. We will see the outcome soon."

Wang Ruyan was still smugly convinced that she had the upper hand, unaware that Gu Changfeng's face was ashen and his eyes were filled with resentment as he stared at his mother. What was originally just a matter of finding Sun Xiucai, at worst their family would just have to pay some money, had now become a matter of the exam.

Does that mean his plan to buy the exam questions is now a done deal? The most important thing is that the Third Prince helped him buy the questions.

"Feng'er, don't be afraid. Your father will stand up for you, and you also have your sister and the Third Prince. No one will dare to do anything to you!"

Wang Ruyan even brought up his identity, thinking that she could use it to enlighten Lord Zhao on what to do. However, Wang Ruyan had not inquired about Lord Zhao. He was an upright and incorruptible man who would not be swayed by either soft or hard tactics. Otherwise, Gu Ziming would not have made an excuse not to come and would have watched from afar.

At this time, the people sent out to find evidence also returned.

"Reporting to your Excellency, I have not found the manuscript that Granny Sun mentioned."

"Have you searched thoroughly?" Lord Zhao asked.

"We searched carefully, looking inside and out, but we didn't find it."

"Impossible, impossible! I tidied everything up last night and put it all on the bedside table. How could it be gone? Did you officials take it because of collusion? It must have been you who took it!"

Grandma Sun shouted loudly, somewhat agitated.

Wang Ruyan gently covered her nose with a handkerchief and said, "I said it was just slander, but it's quite pitiful. After all, that young master Sun is a good friend of my son. Lord Zhao, just give him a token amount. I will send someone to give this mother and son some money to help them make a living later."

Gu Changfeng also breathed a sigh of relief; Changchun was quite efficient in handling matters.

"No! Absolutely not! I don't want any of your money, I just want my son. Young Master Gu, please have mercy and give my son back to me. I'll even accept being punished, as long as you give my son back!"

Gu Changfeng became somewhat irritated by Aunt Sun's nagging, and suddenly shook off Aunt Sun's hand that was holding his sleeve, throwing her directly to the ground.

The local people couldn't stand it anymore.

"Hey, hey, hey, why are you hitting people?!"

"That's right, that's right. Maybe it really is a case of officials protecting each other, taking away all the important evidence. The teacher could have proven it as soon as he arrived, but an accident happened at this critical moment."

"I think it's because Young Master Gu feels guilty that he's so angry."

"If Young Master Sun could come over at this time, everything would become clear."

While everyone was talking about it, Granny Sun, unwilling to give up, tried to cling to Gu Changfeng again. Gu Changfeng, not one to be easily swayed, kicked her over without hesitation.

In an attempt to quell the public outrage, Lord Zhao slammed the gavel so hard that the handle went numb, but the situation below remained chaotic, with everyone on the verge of losing control.

"Stop! Stop!"

Just then, a hurried voice came from outside, and everyone quickly made way for it. It turned out that it was Scholar Sun who had arrived.

When Sun Xiucai saw his mother sprawled on the ground and then saw Gu Changfeng and his mother standing arrogantly to the side, his eyes instantly turned red with anger.

He rushed to his mother's side and helped her up. "Mom, how are you? Are you alright?"

"Son? My son, you're back? Thank God you're safe and sound."

Gu Changfeng became nervous when he saw that Sun Xiucai had returned. What if Sun Xiucai turned against him and reported him?

“My lord, look at him too. Isn’t Young Master Sun safe and sound? Madam Sun even accused us of kidnapping her son. Now it seems that it was a false accusation. I remember that false accusations can result in a beating at best, and imprisonment at worst.”

"Go to jail?" Grandma Sun hugged her son tightly and wouldn't let go. "I'll take the punishment, I'll go to jail. Please, sir, don't make things difficult for my son. He's innocent."

"Silence!" Lord Zhao asked in a deep voice, "Scholar Sun, you're back. What exactly happened? Did your mother falsely accuse the eldest son of the Gu family?"

After calming his mother down, Sun Xiucai lifted his robe and knelt down straight.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, my mother and I have depended on each other since childhood. We sold our family property to come to the capital so that we could take the imperial examination and serve the country. Unfortunately, our family was in dire straits, and my mother fell ill. At this time, we happened to meet Young Master Gu, who helped me through the crisis."

Hearing Sun Xiucai's explanation, Gu Changfeng breathed a sigh of relief. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, patted Sun Xiucai on the shoulder, and said, "Don't worry about such a small matter."

Unfortunately, Sun Xiucai didn't buy it. He brushed the hand off his shoulder and patted his clothes as if there was something dirty on them.

“But my mother is not wrong. Young Master Gu is all show and no substance. In order to pass the test of the elders in the family, Young Master Gu asked me to write articles and do homework for him. I agreed because of my mother’s medical expenses.”

"Oh? Is what you said true?" Lord Zhao asked.

"Sir, he's talking nonsense!" Gu Changfeng retorted.

“Every word is true! If you don’t believe me, sir, you can have his tutor come over. I can recite the essays I wrote no matter how long ago they were written, and I can testify against Young Master Gu in court!”

“Nonsense! Your Excellency, please do not believe the words of these unruly people,” Wang Ruyan said.

"Hmph, Madam, there's no need to rush. What my mother said about buying exam questions and having someone else take the exam is also true."

"What evidence do you have?" Lord Zhao asked.

As he spoke, Scholar Sun took out the questions he had written earlier from his pocket and handed them over.