"Thank you, Sage," Xie Jia Yan bowed in gratitude to the Sage before taking his seat.
Yao Zhi Nian sneered inwardly, expecting some astonishing words, but finding none.
"Sage, I have something to say," Yao Zhi Nian eagerly stood up.
Song Wei rolled his eyes. "Him again, so annoying!"
The Sage nodded, and Yao Zhi Nian continued, "I believe the students who incited this disturbance should be apprehended. Under severe interrogation, the mastermind can surely be revealed."
Silence fell upon the hall after Yao Zhi Nian's words. Xie Jia Yan's hand, which had been holding a brush, slowly lowered. Lord Yao had always been adept at discerning the Sage's thoughts; how could he have misjudged this time?
"I believe that is not advisable. Those students are young and impetuous, prone to rash actions. They were clearly manipulated this time. If we punish them severely, it will play directly into the hands of the mastermind, further fueling the rumors," Gu Bo Hao countered.
"Then, according to Lord Gu's suggestion, what should be done? With such hesitation and timidity, when will we ever find the mastermind?" Yao Zhi Nian argued vehemently.
He had always disliked this Gu Bo Hao, who entered the Zhongshu Province thanks to his influential father. Now that Old Gu had passed away, he relied on his silver tongue to gain the Sage's favor. Hmph, what a disgrace.
"Sage, the mastermind has not only spread these rumors within the Imperial Academy but also on the streets. Those individuals were all dead men. The living can lie, but the dead cannot," Gu Bo Hao said calmly, ignoring Yao Zhi Nian.
"Oh?" The Sage's interest was piqued.
He had almost forgotten that Gu Bo Hao had previously served in the Dali Temple and possessed a talent for investigation.
"Sage, I was returning from outside the city and happened upon the scene where rioters in the city poisoned themselves after causing trouble. I took a brief look at the time. The fabric of their clothes was ge si, a type of ramie silk unique to Liancheng."
The Sage narrowed his eyes. "Ge si?"
The Sage was, of course, familiar with ge si. She had always favored using the specialty ramie silk from Liancheng for her nomadic attire, finding it soft yet resilient and very durable.
She liked using ge si for both nomadic and everyday wear, which was why the Wang family continuously sent it from Liancheng every year. In those years, even some of his everyday clothes were made of ge si.
"Precisely!" Gu Bo Hao confirmed.
Yao Zhi Nian, this time, agreed with Gu Bo Hao. "Sage, it must be the Wang family, their ambition undying, colluding with the rebels. This is a crime punishable by the extermination of their entire clan."
Yao Zhi Nian emphasized the words "extermination of their entire clan." He detested the Wang family. The Wang daughter had occupied the position of Empress for many years, and the Wang family held the title of the Empress's clan.
Now that Empress Wang was dead, and the Wang family was acting so foolishly, it was as if heaven itself was aiding his Yao family.
Chancellor Mo remained silent, and Song Wei also held his tongue. The last time Empress Wang had been in trouble, the Sage's attitude had been subtle. He felt it was better not to speak if he couldn't ascertain the Sage's intentions.
"Chancellor Mo, what do you think?" After a long pause, the Sage finally spoke, her gaze falling on Chancellor Mo.
"To conclude it was the Wang family's doing based solely on their clothing would likely not be convincing. Previously, when the Wang family's villa in the capital caught fire and Wang Ning Qing perished in the flames, there were many rumors in the capital. Without concrete evidence, it would be difficult to act," Chancellor Mo expressed his concerns.
The mystery surrounding Empress Wang's death remained unsolved, and Wang Ning Qing's death was equally unclear. As the Empress's clan and the foremost of the Five Great Clans, the Wang family had garnered public sympathy through their misfortunes. The Sage already bore the reputation of being unfeeling and ungrateful in the eyes of the populace.
If this matter were to escalate further, the Sage's reputation among the common people would be irrecoverably damaged.
Therefore, the Wang family could not be touched without concrete evidence.
"The Wang family has committed countless crimes, why can't we act against them?" Yao Zhi Nian exclaimed indignantly.