After Mr. Yue Ming and Mr. Zhuo Ying agreed on a plan, they each set to work.
One went to the Provincial Administration, the other to the Prefectural Yamen, while Ma Guan was instructed to visit Chen Yi at the Xiao Family estate.
The three of them, followed by the academy's other scholars, marched out of Guiyun Academy in a great procession.
Beneath the overcast sky, the crowd streamed south along Kanning Street.
Several people branched off at the entrance to Chuanxi Street, then the rest split into two groups on Zhennan Street, gathering outside the Provincial Administration and the Prefectural Yamen.
Along the way, other scholars naturally came after hearing the news.
They mingled with the commoners who knew nothing of the truth, hoping to find out exactly what had happened the night before.
Liu Si could not bear their pestering, but he could not expose the White Tiger Guard's presence either, so he had the Judicial Department handle it.
The Judicial Department's Thousand-Household Commanders were equally at a loss.
They passed the matter back and forth.
In the end, it landed on Fang Hongxiu's shoulders.
She straightened her robes, rested a hand on her saber's hilt, and walked outside the yamen with a stern expression. After sweeping her gaze around, she declared solemnly:
"The yamen is a restricted area. All unauthorized persons, leave at once!"
The four judicial officers accompanying her looked stunned. They turned to stare at her, their tongues all but tied.
"Our Hundred-Household Commander certainly is fearless..."
Fearless indeed.
But the surrounding scholars were fiercer still.
A teacher from Guiyun Academy stepped out of the crowd, cupped his hands in greeting, and called out:
"Mr. Lingchuan of our Guiyun Academy has been arrested and taken to the Judicial Department. May I ask which law he