Chapter 77

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Yu Ziyou stood up and publicly accused Lin Yanchao, leaving all the outer dormitory students stunned.

"Good job," a few of Yu Ziyou's companions encouraged him.

"Yu Ziyou, you must think carefully before you act. Words cannot be spoken recklessly," Lin Yanchao said.

Yu Ziyou smiled slightly, took a step forward, and stared at Lin Yanchao, saying coldly, "I am not speaking recklessly. Lin Yanchao, everyone knows the level of your writing. I originally considered our classmate relationship and was unwilling to stand up and accuse you, but there are principles to be upheld, and today I cannot remain silent. I ask you one question: Is the paper you submitted today truly your own work?"

"Why doesn't Brother Yu believe me?"

Yu Ziyou snorted and said, "At this point, you still try to argue. I advise you to honestly confess to the headmaster and the lecturers and beg for leniency. If you continue to be stubborn, once this matter is exposed, not only will you lose face, but the headmaster will expel you from the academy. Even if the governor investigates, you will permanently lose your eligibility to take the imperial exams!"

Yu Ziyou's threat was quite severe.

For a student from a poor family like Lin Yanchao, the only way out was to achieve success through education. If he lost his eligibility to take the imperial exams, even if he were very learned, he would have no future. Even if the governor did not revoke his eligibility to take the exams, the stain of cheating would follow Lin Yanchao for the rest of his life, making it impossible for him to hold his head high.

Lin Yanchao, hearing this, did not get angry but laughed instead, saying, "Brother Yu, this is your tactic. If you want to defame me, it should at least be convincing. I said if you have evidence, present it directly. If you don't have evidence, and you insult me like this, I will report it to the headmaster and the lecturers. Do you think you can still stay in the academy? I'll see who ends up being expelled!"

Yu Ziyou shook his head and said, "Brother Lin, you are so stubborn. Fellow classmates, you have all seen today that it is not I who is being unreasonable and pressing the issue, but Lin Yanchao who is not letting himself off the hook."

Pausing, Yu Ziyou continued, "You want evidence, right? Fine, I will tell the headmaster and the lecturers how I saw you cheating today..."

The students were in an uproar.

Yu Qingzhou stepped forward and said, "Yu Ziyou, what are you talking nonsense about? You can't just say things recklessly."

Yu Ziyou sneered and said, "You are about to be expelled from the academy. What right do you have to speak here?"

"You," Yu Qingzhou waved his sleeve heavily.

Huang Biyou stepped forward and said, "Brother Yu, Brother Lin, both of you calm down. Let's slowly explain the situation. Perhaps Brother Yu has misunderstood something."

Zhu Xiangwen also said, "Yes, I don't believe Brother Yanchao would cheat."

Yu Ziyou did not expect that several people in the dormitory would speak up for Lin Yanchao, which was somewhat unexpected. He said unhappily, "What are you all fussing about? I saw it with my own eyes, how can it be false?"

"With your own eyes?" The students were all excited, as they had previously suspected Lin Yanchao of cheating but had not confirmed it.

Xu Jia, now interested, said, "Brother Yu, tell us in detail. Let's expose this shameless person."

Yu Ziyou, hands behind his back, said, "Fellow classmates, I will tell you everything I saw. During today's quarterly exam, I saw Lin Yanchao holding several sheets of paper, hiding them under his desk, and secretly copying them during the exam."

"No way!"

"Just saying it doesn't prove anything!" Several people questioned.

"Just saying it doesn't prove anything?" Yu Ziyou sneered, "I saw it with my own eyes, what more proof do you need? If you want evidence, look at Lin Yanchao's paper and see if the answers match the ones copied from the literary hall."

Yu Ziyou's words made several students who had been neutral start to waver. They commented, "Yes, this is too coincidental. It might be acceptable to guess right twice, but to guess right again this time is too coincidental."

"Three times is the limit."

Just then, the caretaker brought in the students' papers and placed them in the study. Everyone picked up Lin Yanchao's paper and compared it with the literary hall, and indeed, two answers matched exactly.

Yu Ziyou and several students who opposed Lin Yanchao were pleased.

Xu Jia picked up the paper and waved it in front of Lin Yanchao, saying, "Lin Yanchao, this is the evidence. What do you have to say?"

Lin Yanchao said, "In the previous two monthly exams, I wrote the same answers, and no one said I was wrong. Why is it wrong for me to write the same answers in this quarterly exam?"

"That's because you were more discreet before, and no one noticed. But the net of heaven is wide and has no gaps. This time, Brother Yu discovered your trick. Now, with both witnesses and evidence, what do you have to say?"

Yu Ziyou stepped forward and said, "Fellow classmates, we don't want to make this a big issue. We are all classmates, why make things so difficult?"

Several students echoed, "Brother Yu, you are truly magnanimous."

Lin Yanchao laughed coldly.

"I don't see it that way. Perhaps Brother Yu Ziyou is jealous that Lin Yanchao has surpassed him, and is therefore framing him?" Everyone turned to see who was speaking, and it was Ye Xianggao.

"Ye Xianggao, you..."

Ye Xianggao snorted and said, "I have a normal relationship with Lin Yanchao. I am not helping him, but purely questioning your character, Brother Yu."

Hearing this, Yu Ziyou laughed coldly.

At this moment, Chen Xinggui stepped forward and said, "Everyone, please calm down. This is just a suspicion. Let's not make a big deal out of it and involve the headmaster and the lecturers. The governor is probably still here, and if this affects the reputation of the academy..."

Yu Ziyou said, "This is simple. There's no need to involve the headmaster and the lecturers. Lin Yanchao, if you are innocent, then I ask you one question: Are you willing to let us search your book bag?"

"That's right, do you dare?"

"Do you dare?"

"Bring out the book bag and let us search it!"

Yu Ziyou went to Lin Yanchao's desk to take his book bag, but Lin Yanchao grabbed it first.

"Lin Yanchao, what do you mean by this? Do you dare not give it to us? If you don't give it, it means you are guilty," Yu Ziyou pointed at Lin Yanchao.

Lin Yanchao, holding the book bag, sneered, "Search it? On what grounds? I ask you, if there is no evidence in the book bag, what will you do? Will you admit to falsely accusing me? If you admit it, I will let you search the book bag."

"This..." Yu Ziyou was momentarily speechless.

Xu Jia chimed in, "What's the problem? If it's not in your book bag, you must have hidden it somewhere else."

Lin Yanchao said, "What a stupid question. If searching the book bag doesn't prove my innocence, why should I let you search it?"

Ha, several students laughed.

Xu Jia felt he had been fooled by Lin Yanchao and said angrily, "You lowlife, you are really good at arguing!"

"Lowlife? Say it again if you dare!" Lin Yanchao raised his eyebrows, his tone unusually calm. Xu Jia felt a chill as Lin Yanchao's eyes seemed to cut through him.

Lin Yanchao had not done much, but Yu Qingzhou stepped forward and grabbed Lin Yanchao's sleeve, saying, "Yanchao, fighting will get you expelled from the academy. Don't take it personally."

"Okay, I know. I just want to scare him a bit," Lin Yanchao said calmly.

"Scare? Scare?" Xu Jia clenched his teeth, remembering his fear and feeling embarrassed in front of his classmates. He said through gritted teeth, "Come on, hit me, you don't dare, right? How about it, lowlife..."

Slap!

A crisp sound echoed as Lin Yanchao slapped Xu Jia's face. The slap was so strong that Xu Jia spun around on the spot.

Lin Yanchao slowly rolled up his right sleeve and said coldly, "You are really low. Insulting me is one thing, but you had to wait until I hit you to realize I am both literate and martial!"

After this, the students in the study did not find Lin Yanchao violent, but rather found it amusing. Several people who had conflicts with Xu Jia thought, "Good hit."

Xu Jia, holding his face, said angrily, "Lin Yanchao, you dared to hit me, you dared to hit me! My parents have never hit me, and you actually dared to hit me!"

"I can hit you for your parents. Try saying it again," Lin Yanchao moved his shoulders, looking like a gangster.

Several people quickly intervened, and those on Yu Ziyou's side tried to help, but were pushed back by the other students.

Seeing Lin Yanchao's eyes, Xu Jia backed off and said, "A gentleman uses words, not fists!"

Yu Ziyou stepped forward and said, "Lin Yanchao, don't be too arrogant. Making a big deal out of this won't benefit you."

"What's there to fear? I have nothing to hide. I ask you one question: Do you dare to go to the headmaster and the lecturers with me to confront this?"

Lin Yanchao stared at Yu Ziyou, who felt a bit scared. He had planned to use coercion to force Lin Yanchao to give up his place in the inner dormitory. However, he did not expect that Lin Yanchao, who usually seemed mild-mannered, would be so stubborn this time.

This made him feel that Lin Yanchao was not a weak scholar but a street thug. Moreover, in just three months at the academy, Lin Yanchao had gained good relationships with many people, and several were speaking up for him, making it difficult for him to mobilize public opinion.

Sweat appeared on Yu Ziyou's forehead. At this moment, a voice said, "Why are you not studying and making a fuss here?"

Everyone's faces changed when they saw Headmaster Lin Yin and Lecturer Lin Liao standing at the door of the study.

...

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