Young Master Gao? Call me Little Grand Secretary!

Gao Zhao asked this question casually, but it was extremely difficult for the Biyong Cheng to answer!

He certainly couldn't admit that he knew; that would be suicide!

Can you answer that you don't know?

That bag of IOUs is right there!

Such a big matter, and I, the official in charge of student affairs and conduct, was completely unaware of it. This is dereliction of duty!

He had already foreseen the consequences of this matter escalating!

Whether you stick your neck out or not, you'll still get cut!

The Prime Minister of the Imperial Academy's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, a thin layer of sweat had already seeped through his back, and his official robe was ice-cold inside. He was inwardly groaning.

He's almost served two terms in this position and is about to be promoted, how could something like this happen!

This year, my official career has been fraught with difficulties, with one mass incident after another.

There was a troublemaker named Gao Zhao who could stir up trouble at Biyong all by himself. We thought that after he left, things would be peaceful. But after only a few months of peace, and with the year almost over, he has caused such a mess again!

And this matter is so serious!

Oh my god, this will affect my career!

He couldn't understand the situation, nor dared to say he knew nothing at all, so he could only avoid giving a direct answer and try to pull the situation in a controllable direction.

"There are many scholars, and they go about their own business during their holidays. It is impossible to investigate every single matter. However, since you have evidence in your possession, I will certainly not ignore it! But this matter is too important, as it involves the future of many students. It cannot be decided in a few words at the gate."

Gao Zhao understood his meaning, but remained unmoved, waving his hand and saying, "There's no need for such trouble, and there's nothing difficult to decide! I just need to read through these IOUs one by one, and then have the relevant people compare the handwriting and fingerprints in court!"

"No!"

"Absolutely not!"

These words were like a boulder thrown into boiling water.

The Prefect of the Imperial Academy shouted in a panic, and several other voices in the crowd followed suit.

If the IOUs were read aloud one by one in public, with names and amounts owed made public, and with over a thousand classmates present, one's face would be completely ripped off.

He would certainly lose his place in the Imperial Academy, and his relatives and friends in the village would be disgraced. His future career in the imperial examinations and officialdom would be cut off.

How could we let him do such a thing at such a high price? Everyone couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

However, this shout undoubtedly exposed him, drawing the attention of others.

"Well... I think it's better to be lenient when possible, and there's no need to be so ruthless..."

"Yes, yes, that's exactly what we think!"

"One must be magnanimous..."

……

The students immediately echoed their opinions, offering their own explanations.

The others smiled without saying a word, knowing full well what was going on.

"Why not!" Gao Zhao ignored the changing expressions of the crowd, picked up a stack of IOUs, and declared loudly, "Today I will rid the Biyong of you black sheep! To set a good example!"

"No!" the students cried out again, their faces filled with despair. Some even tried to rush forward and snatch the documents from his hands.

Even the Prefect of the Imperial Academy did not stop it, choosing to remain silent and observe. On this point, their interests were aligned.

However, at that moment, Gao Zhao suddenly stopped, his expression conflicted, and said, "No one is perfect, who can be without fault? This method seems too simplistic and brutal. I should give you a chance to repent!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the tense atmosphere suddenly relaxed. The students who were itching to grab the IOUs stopped abruptly, their tense backs instantly slumping. They felt as if they had escaped a disaster and were filled with gratitude.

The heart that had been hanging in mid-air finally settled back into his chest, the cold sweat on his back subsided slightly, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He had thought that things would inevitably escalate to an uncontrollable point today, with the other party insisting on exposing the scandal in public. However, Gao Zhao unexpectedly changed his tune and was willing to leave some room for maneuver, which undoubtedly gave Biyong a chance to buffer and maneuver.

Gao Zhao also showed a happy expression. The pop-up window in front of him kept flashing, as if the computer was about to crash. In a short moment, more than a hundred gratitude points were credited to his account.

Look what a mess this has become!

I always thought the students of Biyong were all outstanding young people who knew how to be grateful!

It was worth the trip!

Seeing the relieved expressions on everyone's faces, Gao Zhao's expression hardened, and he said solemnly, "To punish without teaching is cruelty, to teach without punishing is treachery! This matter is so heinous that it should serve as a warning to others. I feel we cannot tolerate it; to correct a wrong, we must go to extremes!"

"what!"

The tension that had just eased was instantly jolted back into their throats by those words!

Does correcting a wrong require overcorrection?

Isn't this still about digging up their past and ruining their future?

Seeing his resolute expression, the group of people no longer cared about the dignity of scholars and wished they could kneel down and beg for mercy on the spot.

The Prefect of the Imperial Academy frowned deeply and said in a deep voice, "This matter has escalated to this point, enough to serve as a warning to those who come after. They now realize the seriousness of the situation, and even if they manage to get through this safely, they will be filled with lingering fear and dare not repeat the mistake. I hope Your Excellency will consider their youth and show them leniency!"

Upon hearing this, the students looked at Gao Zhao with pleading eyes, hoping he would spare them.

Gao Zhao shook his head, unmoved, and said, "What you said is wrong. The point is to make an example of them. If they don't pay a heavy price, how can those who come after them be in awe and take it as a warning?"

"The Imperial Academy is a place where the court cultivates talent; how can we allow unhealthy practices to run rampant? We must severely punish them without leniency to rectify the situation!"

His righteous and stern words left the Prefect of the Imperial Academy speechless, his official face turning pale and then red, unable to utter a single word of rebuttal.

The indebted students felt their legs go weak and their faces turn ashen, realizing that they could not possibly escape this ordeal no matter what.

Just when everyone was on the verge of despair, Gao Zhao suddenly changed his tone, softening his voice: "However, my purpose is not to make things difficult for you all. It's about learning from past mistakes to avoid future ones, and curing the disease to save the patient! My main concern is that I don't want you to go astray!"

Everyone: "..."

Why does the art style suddenly seem to have changed again?

Standing among the crowd, Fan Tong looked at the students' distressed expressions and couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Fortunately, her brother Gongming reminded her in advance and she broke off her relationship with Xiangnu in time. Otherwise, she might have been labeled as a pervert!

Thinking of this, and looking at these people again, I couldn't help but feel a sense of shared sorrow, and couldn't help but say, "Since it's for the purpose of healing and saving lives, then the focus should be on warning rather than severe punishment!"

Fan Tong's words instantly drew everyone's attention.

Upon hearing this, the students echoed his sentiments and urged Gao Zhao to be lenient in his punishment.

Gao Zhao tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over Fan Tong who had spoken, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes beneath the big-headed doll mask.

"That makes sense! Then I will punish you slightly as a warning, hoping that you will restrain yourselves, cultivate your character, and never repeat this mistake!"

Swah——

[Gratitude points from Fan Tong +1]

[Gratitude points from Liang Ao +1]

[Gratitude points from Luo Ming +1]

……

The pop-up windows started scrolling wildly in front of me again!

Not only the students who were in debt, but also the onlookers contributed their gratitude points!