Catching Monsters

Chapter 739 Is it really worth going through all this trouble?

As soon as Jiang Yun entered the Imperial Study, Yan Hua took the lead in making trouble: "Commander Jiang, you have quite the airs of an official. You arrested everyone in the entire Qinghe Academy without a word of protest."

"I would like to ask Lord Jiang, what law of our Great Zhou Dynasty did Qinghe Academy violate that made you arrest everyone in the academy in such a fit of anger?"

Hearing Yan Hua's words, Jiang Yun subconsciously glanced at Xiao Jingzhi inside the room.

Xiao Jingzhi coughed slightly and said, "Commander Jiang, tell Minister Yan what exactly Qinghe Academy has done wrong."

After a moment of silence, Jiang Yun slowly said, "Minister Yan, the Qinghe Academy is plotting to assassinate an official of the imperial court, and the evidence is conclusive."

Yan Hua frowned slightly: "Nonsense, Qinghe Academy is a place of saints, how could it want to harm an official of the imperial court for no reason?"

Yan Hua naturally did not believe this. Although many court officials had emerged from the five great academies, the academies themselves had not been involved in the court affairs.

The claim that the academy wanted to harm officials of the imperial court is utter nonsense.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun smiled, pointed to himself, and said, "Am I considered an official appointed by the imperial court?"

Yan Hua was slightly taken aback: "You are the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so of course you are an official appointed by the imperial court."

"That settles it then." Jiang Yun looked calmly at Xiao Jingzhi and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I was just about to come and report this matter to you."

"Qinghe Academy reported a murder within its premises and requested that I investigate the case."

"But after I went to Qinghe Academy, I found that there was no murder case in the academy."

"Peng Chenxing set up a barrier inside the academy, intending to capture me."

"What right does the Qinghe Academy have to arrest me?"

Jiang Yun looked at Yan Hua when he asked the last question, and said, "Minister Yan, if that were not the case, I have no grudge against Qinghe Academy, so why would I arrest people from the academy?"

Jiang Yun made no mention of the fact that it was the work of Sage Chu Qinghe. If he did, he would know that the Sage of the Academy wanted to deal with him.

He didn't know if Xiao Jingzhi would speak up for him.

After hearing Jiang Yun's explanation, Xiao Jingzhi breathed a slight sigh of relief. In any case, Jiang Yun had a legitimate reason.

This gave Xiao Jingzhi some room to maneuver. He narrowed his eyes slightly and said slowly, "Qinghe Academy is being far too audacious!"

"Jiang Yun, interrogate him thoroughly. I want to see who has the audacity to do this."

"Yes." Jiang Yun nodded respectfully.

Inside the room, Ministers Yan Hua and the others frowned, exchanged glances, and remained silent.

That’s all for the sake of talking about it.

However, Yan Hua still said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, this matter is only Jiang Yun's side of the story. Now, all the people from Qinghe Academy have been arrested by Jiang Yun and imprisoned in the imperial prison."

"In my opinion, the Ministry of Justice should jointly investigate this case."

"Even if, as Lord Jiang said, a few individuals at Qinghe Academy want to deal with him, they shouldn't implicate everyone at Qinghe Academy without a reason."

Jiang Yun narrowed his eyes slightly, glanced at him, and said, "Minister Yan, the Ministry of Justice should not interfere in this matter. I can handle it myself."

After speaking, Jiang Yun bowed to Xiao Jingzhi and said, "Your Majesty, I shall take my leave now, as I must return to the Northern Garrison Command to hear the case."

Watching Jiang Yun leave, Yan Hua and the others wore somber expressions.

Xiao Jingzhi smiled and said, "If you have nothing else to do, please go back first."

Yan Hua said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, Qinghe Academy is one of the five great academies. How could you just let Jiang Yun..."

"We are all aware of the methods used by the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the imperial prison. If those innocent Confucian scholars in the academy are tortured and released, how will they teach students in the future?"

"Think twice, Your Majesty!"

Hearing Yan Hua's righteous words, Xiao Jingzhi, unusually, slammed his hand on the table and said in a deep voice, "Enough, I haven't even lost my temper or reprimanded you yet, and you're still making a scene here, are you?"

"Qinghe Academy is a sacred place, so why is it targeting my Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard? Shouldn't this matter be thoroughly investigated?"

"Or is it that you and the others are also involved in some kind of collusion with Qinghe Academy, and that you are also involved in this matter?"

Seeing Xiao Jingzhi's rare outburst of anger, Yan Hua and other ministers naturally knelt down immediately.

"All of you, step back! Since Commander Jiang is investigating the case, he will have results soon."

……

The influence of Qinghe Academy, or rather, the influence of the five major academies, was enormous in the capital.

In this world, which powerful and wealthy person doesn't want to send their children to school?

The news that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had suddenly arrested all the people from Qinghe Academy spread throughout the capital at an extremely fast pace.

On the other hand, the reputation of the Embroidered Uniform Guard among the common people was not good to begin with.

After leaving the palace, Jiang Yun took a carriage back to the Northern Garrison Office. However, the carriage soon stopped, and the Imperial Guards outside lifted the curtain and whispered, "Sir, how about we go through the back door?"

Jiang Yun frowned slightly and looked outside. At this moment, several hundred students dressed in white Confucian robes were standing on the street outside the Northern Garrison Command, shouting loudly for the release of the prisoners, and holding up various flags. The scene was quite lively.

Jiang Yun was about to have the carriage drive to the back gate when suddenly he spotted Jiang Qiaoqiao and Qiao Haotian in the crowd.

"Release them! Release them!"

The students who come here are not only from Qinghe Academy.

Students from four other academies also came to show their support.

Qiao Haotian and Jiang Qiaoqiao hadn't originally planned to come...

However, the Confucian teachers at the Renyi Academy specifically requested that Jiang Qiaoqiao attend. Qiao Haotian was worried that too many people might cause trouble, so he had no choice but to come along.

Jiang Qiaoqiao and Qiao Haotian stood in the crowd.

"If the Imperial Guards come out to arrest us, we'll run away to the back," Qiao Haotian whispered to Jiang Qiaoqiao. "Did you hear me?"

"Why did my brother suddenly arrest the people from Qinghe Academy?" Jiang Qiaoqiao was still a little confused.

"Why does it have to be me who does it..."

Qiao Haotian frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "The Confucian scholars of the academy specifically called you here to be used as a pawn. You're stupid; you should have refused back then."

Jiang Qiaoqiao smiled awkwardly and said, "I'm from the academy, so of course I have to listen to the Confucian scholars there..."

Just then, a person slowly stepped forward in front of the crowd.

The man, who appeared to be in his mid-twenties, held a folding fan in his hand and raised both hands, saying, "Quiet down, everyone!"

Soon, the crowd gradually quieted down.

Jiang Qiaoqiao asked curiously, "Who is this person?"

Qiao Haotian glanced at it and said in a low voice, "Qin Ruixuan of the Sitian Academy is said to be a man of exceptional talent, with the potential to become a top scholar. He has a great reputation within the Sitian Academy."

"My name is Qin Ruixuan." After bowing to the hundreds of students present, the man said loudly, "Fellow students, the Embroidered Uniform Guards are arresting people indiscriminately, and they have arrested all the Confucian scholars of Qinghe Academy."

"As scholars who study the classics, how can we allow these scoundrels from the Imperial Guards to slander Qinghe Academy?"

"However, it's no use just calling it that."

Upon hearing this, many students present couldn't help but think to themselves, "If we don't shout outside, do you think we'd dare to storm the Imperial Guard's office?"

Following along and calling out a few words in the crowd shouldn't be a problem.

If it were really going to be a serious fight with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, none of the students present would have the guts.

Qin Ruixuan looked in the direction of Renyi Academy and said slowly, "I know that Jiang Yun's sister is also studying at Renyi Academy."

Who is Jiang Qiaoqiao?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qiaoqiao quickly hid behind Qiao Haotian.

The other classmates around her all turned their attention to her.

Of course, there weren't many women in the academy to begin with, so Jiang Qiaoqiao stood out quite a bit in the crowd.

Soon, the other students of Renyi Academy made way for Jiang Qiaoqiao and Qiao Haotian to emerge from the crowd.

"What are you doing?" Qiao Haotian's eyebrows furrowed immediately.

Qin Ruixuan quickly stepped forward, his gaze falling on Jiang Qiaoqiao, and said, "This must be Miss Jiang?"

“Miss Jiang, you study at Renyi Academy, so you should know a lot about the rites of the sages.”

"Now that your brother has suddenly arrested people from Qinghe Academy, why don't you go knock on the door of the Northern Garrison Command and ask the Embroidered Uniform Guards inside to release them?"

Jiang Qiaoqiao frowned and said, "My brother must have his reasons for arresting people from Qinghe Academy. I think we shouldn't get involved."

Qin Ruixuan frowned immediately and said in a deep voice, "Women are women, why can't they understand reason? Never mind, Miss Jiang, whether you agree or not, we have to knock on the door of the Northern Garrison Command today."

After saying that, Qin Ruixuan reached out to grab Jiang Qiaoqiao's hand, intending to drag her to the Beizhenfusi Yamen.

Qiao Haotian then kicked Qin Ruixuan in the chest, sending Qin Ruixuan staggering back several steps.

"You!" Qin Ruixuan clutched his chest, looking at Qiao Haotian in disbelief. "You dare kick me?"

Do you know who I am?

Qin Ruixuan was no ordinary person; his father was the Provincial Treasurer of Huai'an Province.

Qin Ruixuan waved his hand: "These two people are traitors to the academy..."

"Alright, stop shouting. You just want to see me, is it really necessary to go through all this trouble?"

Suddenly, a figure slowly walked over from a distance.

(End of this chapter)