Chapter 152.1
After Grand Preceptor Zhuang reprimanded Director Zheng, he went back to the imperial study to appease His Majesty.
His strategy was to never deny the mistakes made by Director Zheng, but as the saying goes, water that was too clean had no fish in it[1]. Also, visible shenanigans were always better than those unseen. Moreover, it was an old incident from a few years ago, and now Director Zheng hadn"t done anything like that again, which proved that this person was repentant.
He implored His Majesty to give him a chance to turn over a new leaf.
Furthermore, the Imperial Academy was in the awkward stage of having no Chief, and there was no one more suitable for the position of Chief than Director Zheng.
Director Li was a little young, and his qualifications were not enough. His tactics were even more green, he wouldn’t be able to control those stubborn old people.
Sometimes it was a crafty and resourceful person like Director Zheng who could become a sharper blade able to cut through the thorns for His Majesty.
Why would Grand Preceptor Zhuang be known to be so capable? When it came to a.n.a.lyzing problems, most people really dared not think in such a direction.
However, His Majesty thought that this was a sincere remark. He also hoped for the imperial court of the State of Zhao to be clean, but as Grand Preceptor Zhuang said, blades that were too honest were too blunt to use, and blades that were too sharp were too dangerous to wield.
It was too hard to find a blade that was sharp and at the same time would never cut him.
If only the Old Chief were here...
In the end, His Majesty was appeased. He retained the official position of Director Zheng and decided to appoint him as the Chief of Imperial Academy a few days later, and only fined him half a year"s salary as an example to others.
It was said that the account book was actually forged to slander Director Zheng.
Director Zheng waited outside the palace. When he saw Grand Preceptor Zhuang come out, he made a salute piously, "Grand Preceptor has shown great kindness to this subordinate official. In the future, this subordinate official will certainly go through fire and water and do whatever this one can for the Grand Preceptor!"
Grand Preceptor Zhuang said coldly, "Don"t think that His Majesty will rest easy just because he didn’t pursue your matter this time. Don"t be willful in the future and let people grab your weakness!"
Director Zheng broke out in a cold sweat and bowed down, "Yes, this subordinate official remembers."
Grand Preceptor Zhuang added, "There"s still that monthly exam. You have to find a way to get around it yourself!"
"...Yes!"
Director Zheng went back to the Imperial Academy with a toothache.
Xiao Liulang was sitting in the shade of a tree tutoring Lin Chengye. When he saw Director Zheng coming angrily, he gave the other party a faint look.
Director Zheng suddenly had an intuition that Xiao Liulang was responsible for it!
But wasn"t it strange?
The monthly exam papers were hidden in the secret compartment behind the painting, and the account book was hidden in the secret room of Minghui Hall. How on earth did Xiao Liulang get to know so many secrets? And how could he sneak into Minghui Hall without being discovered by the attendants?
Director Zheng"s heart felt as though it was on fire, embarra.s.sed as he couldn’t go up or retreat.
Xiao Liulang casually looked away. A second glance was unnecessary.
Director Zheng was so enraged. No matter whether it was this guy who did it or not, he hated him to death!
It happened that he couldn"t do anything to this guy again!
“Ah, Director, Zheng." Lin Chengye spotted him.
Xiao Liulang handed Lin Chengye the revised exam paper, in which the places where he didn"t write carefully enough were circled. Then Xiao Liulang looked faintly at Director Zheng again, asking, "Is Director Zheng here to apologize?"
"What is there to apologize for?" Director Zheng was taken aback.
Xiao Liulang lightly flicked his wide sleeves and said leisurely, "My exam paper, I seem to have all the correct answers. How exactly did Director Zheng mark my paper? Is it true that Director Zheng is deliberately targeting me, as rumored?"
Yeah, I"m aiming at you. So what?
Bite me if you dare!
If it was an hour ago, Director Zheng dared to say it, but now he couldn’t.
Director Zheng put on a fake smile and said, "That day, I clearly told them that you rank first in the exam. I don"t know how they misunderstood me and made you the last place."
"Oh." Xiao Liulang raised his eyebrow and replied, "Then, may I bother Director Zheng to change my grades?"
Director Zheng clenched his fists and the veins on his forehead throbbed, "...Change, change it at once!"
Director Zheng not only had to correct Xiao Liulang"s grades, but also had to apologize to Xiao Liulang in public. This was the absolute order given to him by Grand Preceptor Zhuang.
If he couldn’t even bear this humiliation, he didn’t deserve to be the knife in Grand Preceptor Zhuang’s hand.
How happy Director Zheng felt when he bullied Xiao Liulang was how resounding the apology slapped him in the face.
Director Zheng said as he clenched his fists, "Just wait, wait until I become the Imperial Academy Chief one day…"
You would see!
The private elementary division finished school earlier than the Imperial Academy. Little Jing Kong usually did his homework in the cla.s.sroom while waiting for Xiao Liulang to pick him up.
Today, the last cla.s.s of Shuaixing Hall was self-study, and students could just skip it.
Xiao Liulang went to the private elementary division to pick up Little Jing Kong.
"You skipped cla.s.s again!" Little Jing Kong rested both fists on his hips and stared at him.
"There’s no cla.s.s." Xiao Liulang responded.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Little Jing Kong put on a serious expression, saying, "Isn"t the self-study cla.s.s still a cla.s.s?"
Xiao Liulang: Are you the guardian or am I?
"Let’s go." Xiao Liulang grabbed his bookbag and then asked him to carry it.
Little Jing Kong didn"t understand this adult’s confusing behavior, but he also missed JiaoJiao so much that he carried the bookbag made by JiaoJiao himself and left the Imperial Academy following his bad brother-in-law.
People come and go on Chang"an Street.
Today, the brother who was selling candied haws changed spots, which happened to be not far from their house.
Xiao Liulang looked at the bright candied haws nearby and asked Little Jing Kong, "Do you want to eat candied haws?"
Little Jing Kong: "Yep!"
Xiao Liulang: "I won"t buy it for you though."
Little Jing Kong：“…”
This was the second adult’s confusing behavior that Little Jing Kong failed to comprehend.
But he wasn’t someone to be bullied.
He stopped and said fiercely with arms akimbo, "I’m going to raise your rent!"
Xiao Liulang: You still know about raising rent?!