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He refused to see Liu Rongrong, so she should have found a way to kidnap him, tie him up, and have a bunch of strong men hold him down. Why was she spending her time arguing with someone who had no memory about the philosophy of "what is mine and what is not mine"?

Li Chenjing always keeps his word, proving with his actions how he differs from the previous Dongxu Grand Secretary.

His habit of adhering to rules is gone; he's forgotten the regulations and systems he drafted himself; his cold and callous nature has returned.

Sharp tongue

Even her haughty, aloof demeanor with her upturned eyebrows had completely vanished.

Instead, --

Six Ministries were holding a meeting, but no one else could be found.

The Doctor asked him for instructions, and he drew a funny face on the back of the document.

A scion of a scholarly family invited him to drink tea, play chess, appreciate flowers, and admire paintings, but he showed little interest and utterly despised it. A spoiled brat asked him to skip school, walk his bird, and play dice, and he was overjoyed, nodding repeatedly. He perfectly exemplified the so-called "favoring petty people and distancing oneself from virtuous ones."

If even the Chief Counselor could act this way, who would obediently abide by those deadly rules? In an instant, the tranquil atmosphere of the Dongxu Mansion was gone, replaced by a sinister wind. Some young masters who were born into wealthy and powerful families and used to act arrogantly were quite restrained at the academy. However, upon seeing the strict Chief Counselor's change of heart, their suppressed nature was exposed. They remained the same at the academy as they were at home.

Rule 1: All students entering the Academy Student treated equally, except for the Study Attendant within the academy, and shall not Servant to serve them.

Change!

A young master should be accompanied by five or six people, who will wait on him hand and foot.

Rule Two: If Academy Student is exceptionally talented and has outstanding abilities, the Chief Counselor Secretary may recommend him to the court for early recruitment.

Change!

Talent and knowledge are irrelevant; as long as you can take the Chief Counselor Secretary's son out for a carefree trip, a recommendation for an official position is no problem at all.

Rule 3: Female relatives are not allowed to approach the territory of the Dongxu Mansion.

Change!

Wives, concubines, confidantes, and maids can all roam freely in the courtyard.

Here, a few spoiled young men are huddled together fighting crickets, while over there, Academy Student and young ladies from various families, eager to choose their husbands, are flirting and laughing. Where is the image of the prestigious, high-ranking academy that produces future leaders? Chaos reigns, and the atmosphere is utterly chaotic...

Even with my ears covered, the noise was incessant; nothing from the books could penetrate my mind, and there were also mocking, bitter laughs all around.

"Oh my? Isn't this Academy Student Zhu whom our beloved Grand Secretary Li has taken a special liking to? As expected of the talented scholar Grand Secretary Li saved through special circumstances. He hasn't even reached the Doctor yet, and he already knows how to act like a good student? Let me see, let me see, what book is he reading?"

"Hey! Don't bother her. Can't you see she's studying 'Three Hundred Love Poems'?"

"Ha! I thought it was some kind of Spring and Autumn Annals or a university, but it turns out to be about love poems? Tsk tsk, I thought the Chief Counselor Secretary's son was eyeing some great talent, but it's nothing special."

"Don't say that. You can't judge a book by its cover. I heard that before he entered the academy, our Academy Student Zhu was quite famous in the neighborhood, the Young Master Ba who wrote love letters for people. Hanging around with those people who can't even read a few words, he must feel very superior, right?"

"Then how did he get to know our Grand Secretary Li? Could it be... that Grand Secretary Li, unable to come up with the right words, needs him to write love letters?"

"Your guess might have seemed like a pipe dream before, but now it seems incredibly clever. Look at how our Grand Secretary Li been acting lately, spending his days indulging in pleasure. It's not impossible that he'd go out and find someone to write some lewd and vulgar lyrics."

"Hey, Academy Student Zhu! Don't be too happy yet. Just because you have Grand Secretary Li backing you up doesn't mean you can act recklessly. I only entered Dongxu Mansion because I admired Grand Secretary Li's demeanor, but I didn't expect him to be such a crazy person. Humph, I think it's only a matter of time before he's removed from his Chief Counselor!"

What does Li Chenjing's removal Chief Counselor have to do with her? If she has a problem with him, she should go talk to him herself instead of complaining to her!

Closing her book, Zhu Bafu stood up, about to lash out, when she saw Wei Chenmu standing in front of her. Wei Chenmu looked up at her, nodded slightly, and gestured with his chin towards the classroom door, indicating that she should come out for a get-together.

The Minister of Punishments personally invited her to speak, and whispers arose all around her. She sighed deeply, slumped her shoulders, and reluctantly moved towards the side corridor.

"Young Master Young Master Zhu, now that you've become like this, do you have any plans?"

Wei Chenmu's first words hit her sore spot.

"That's your Young Master, not mine! I didn't take his salary, nor did I owe him any favors! On the contrary, he's caused me a lot of trouble, okay? How would I know what he'll do? I tried my best to help him, and he doesn't even appreciate it! Let him be dismissed, investigated, Heavenly Prison, and exiled by the Emperor! Anyway, it's his own fault for not regaining his memories!"

"Young Master said he doesn't want to regain his memories?"

"Absolutely! You have no idea how eccentric your Young Master's temper is! He said that if he thinks about the past, he's not himself anymore. If he's not himself, who will he become? Did he fall into the water? Did he get his head squeezed in a door?"

"..." Wei Chenmu did not reply immediately, but lowered his head to think.

"Lord Wei, say something! Isn't he acting strangely? I kindly offered to take him to see Liu Rongrong, and he threw a tantrum at me! I was trying to help him, and he's utterly heartless and ungrateful! Humph! He can choose whether or not to see the woman he loves, why should I worry about it?"

"Liu Rongrong?" Upon hearing the sensitive name, Wei Chenmu was shocked. "Young Master Zhu, you're taking your Young Master to see Miss Liu? Absolutely not!"

"Why not? Only after seeing Miss Liu will your Young Master remember his past and return to normal! She is the one your Young Master loves!"

"Once," Wei Chenmu emphasized, "She was just Young Master once liked. Now, the person the Young Master cares about most is you. He doesn't remember Miss Liu, he doesn't remember anyone, he doesn't remember anything. He only remembers you."

"I..." Zhu Bafu was at a loss for words. He scratched his head and tried to explain, "Young Master hurt his head, Lord Wei went crazy with him too? Young Master is mistaken. That's just something he imagined based on fragmented memories! There was nothing between him and me... there was nothing between him and me before, really! I was just helping him put on an act to deceive..."