Glory

"Well, if it isn't Lord Wang? You don't have classes today - what brings you to the prefectural school? Could it be you're here to see your future son-in-law Song Liyue?" Zhong Ming tossed his horse's reins to a page and walked over to Wang Wenzhi.

"Zhong Ming, stop that sarcastic talk," Wang Wenzhi fumed. "Since when has Song Liyue become my future son-in-law? Don't spread nonsense."

This Zhong Ming used to have a firecracker temper - explosive at the slightest provocation and brutally straightforward, daring to say anything. He'd been used as a pawn in the capital and transferred to this Lin'an city, but now he'd learned sarcastic remarks.

"That young man broke off his engagement with the Ye family just to become your son-in-law. The Ye family spent four to five thousand taels carefully cultivating a Recommended Man, only to have him break the engagement right after passing the exams. Not only did they get no return, they even lost several hundred taels in the process."

"Song Liyue would rather bear the reputation of an ungrateful scoundrel than break the engagement - isn't it because you keep saying you want him as a son-in-law? Now that he's broken the engagement, shouldn't you hurry up and have him bow to you as father-in-law?"

Seeing Wang Wenzhi's face redden with anger and his eyes bulge like bronze bells, Zhong Ming chuckled again: "But since we're after all classmates from the same examination year, let me tell you - Song Liyue is an opportunist who forgets favors when he sees better prospects. He broke off with the Ye family the moment something better came along, forgetting all their kindness. If you take him as son-in-law, don't be surprised when he breaks off with your family too after becoming a Presented Scholar. Not only would you end up with nothing, but you'd also ruin your daughter's marriage prospects and reputation."

With that, he strode proudly into the prefectural school, humming some tune he'd picked up somewhere.

Wang Wenzhi was furious, but this was at the school entrance with many students watching - hardly the place for an argument. He could only swallow his anger and enter the school. The dislike he'd begun feeling for Song Yifeng since last night grew several degrees stronger.

The prefectural school had talented Presented Scholars like Wang Wenzhi and Zhong Ming giving lectures and reviewing essays. Students could also study together with classmates, making it an inspiring learning environment. Thus even those who had passed the provincial exams still came to study here.

Today was Zhong Ming's teaching day, and many Recommended Man students had come for his lecture. Their conversation had been overheard by quite a few students.

As soon as the two teachers left, the students began discussing among themselves.

"Did you hear what Lord Zhong said? What's going on? What happened with Song Liyue?"

"Wasn't he engaged to the Ye family? They've been sponsoring his education since he was ten. He could afford that two-courtyard house on Willow Lane and buy farmland thanks to the Ye family's money. From what Lord Zhong said, did he break off the engagement?"

Song Yifeng had studied his way up, and many in the prefectural school were his former classmates. While the neighbors on Willow Lane didn't know the Song family's circumstances, his classmates were well aware of his situation.

Where there are people, there are conflicts. Song Yifeng had passed the provincial exams at a young age. With the Ye family's support, he'd become quite well-off and had won favor from teachers like Wang Wenzhi. This made him somewhat arrogant about his talents.

Those who struggled unsuccessfully to become Recommended Men and remained Licentiates, jealous of Song Yifeng, or those who disliked his smug expression, would bring up his sponsorship by the Ye family among students. This led to many knowing that Song Yifeng came from a poor family and could only study through his fiancée's family's support."I know, I know." A scholar named Zhu Lindao, who was related to Old Lady Li, spoke up, "I attended Old Lady Li's birthday banquet last night, and someone at the table mentioned..."

He recounted the rumors he had heard to everyone and concluded, "In short, now that Song Yifeng has passed the examination for Recommended Man, he looks down on the Ye family for being merchants. Not only does he want to break off the engagement, but when they asked him to return the silver they had sponsored him over the years, he shamelessly refused. In the end, the Ye family said they wouldn't cancel the engagement unless he returned the money, so he returned some. It's said he still ended up swindling them out of several hundred taels of silver."

Finally, he added, "Madam Wu was invited by the Ye family to witness the cancellation of the engagement. She saw all of this with her own eyes."

With Zhang Yuniang present, the fact that Madam Wu had been invited as a witness was bound to spread sooner or later. Therefore, last night, she had spoken about it openly and described Song Yifeng's behavior in detail.

After all, since Master Wu needed to interact with wealthy merchants and local gentry to raise funds for road repairs and city wall construction, it was no secret that he had some connections with them.

Everyone understood why the Ye family had invited her as a witness. Since the party breaking off the engagement was a Recommended Man, they needed to invite the wife of a Recommended Man to hold their ground. Otherwise, Song Yifeng could have used his status to pressure the Ye family, and they would have suffered a great loss.

Zhu Lindao had a good memory and excellent eloquence. Most importantly, he had some grievances with Song Yifeng. On his way here, someone had pulled him aside, slipped him ten taels of silver, and promised another ten taels as a reward afterward, asking him to spread the story about Song Yifeng in the academy.

Zhu Lindao didn't know who that person was, but he strongly suspected it was someone from the Ye family. However, given that Song Yifeng had many enemies in the prefectural academy, it might also have been someone who resented Song Yifeng for his excellent essays blocking their own path.

In any case, he disliked Song Yifeng, and twenty taels of silver was a decent sum—enough to treat as pocket money. So, he vividly recounted what Madam Wu had said, leaving all the scholars astonished.

Song Yifeng was quite a prominent figure in the prefectural academy. Passing the examination for Recommended Man wasn't particularly remarkable, but what stood out was his young age, good looks, and the admiration he had earned from Wang Wenzhi. His essays were always posted on the wall after every exam for others to study.

Hearing that this seemingly upright and virtuous person had such a despicable side in private shattered their idolized image of him.

"How can you spout such nonsense? How could Senior Brother Song be the kind of person you describe?"

"Exactly, exactly," someone chimed in. "Could it be that the Ye family did something to force Senior Brother Song to break off the engagement, and now they're trying to ruin his reputation?"

"This is true," another scholar stepped forward. "I also attended the birthday banquet last night and heard this directly from Master Wu. Surely, none of you would question Master Wu's integrity, would you?"

At this, everyone fell silent, looking shocked and uncertain.

Master Wu had a solid reputation in Lin'an City. Most importantly, as the prefect's advisor, he wouldn't speak carelessly. If he said it, it must be true.

By now, it was almost time for Zhou Ming's class, and Recommended Men and Licentiates began arriving one after another.

"What are you all doing here?" someone who had just arrived asked curiously, seeing everyone gathered in a circle.

"Lindao, what are you all doing here? Hurry up and go inside, or you'll be late. Today is Lord Zhou's class," a familiar voice called out from behind Zhu Lindao.