Chapter 176 - Paying Silver Beans As Punishment

Xie Qiao was so tiny... Could she cause a bloodbath?

Perhaps she would be held down by those wolves, tigers, and leopards before she even showed her claws?

Zhao Xuanjing sat there looking serious. He pretended to take it seriously and looked at the crowd sternly. "I feel how tough and angry Young Lady Xie is. For the sake of everyone's lives, as well as the academy's reputation, I'll be the judge of this matter."

Everyone's bodies became stiff as soon as they heard that.

However, they dared not say a word.

"All of you are students of the Royal Academy, yet you can't recognize Master Yun Wei's painting. Well… The punishment will be copying the Painting Classics 100 times, 100 silver beans, and apologizing to Young Lady Xie. The Peony Courtyard students will have to pay 200 silver beans."

Xie Qiao's eyes lit up when she heard that. In that case, should she be compensated for mental damage as well?

"Also, Young Lady Pei… You have a lowly character for instigating the students to stir trouble. Your punishment will be 500 silver beans. If you can't pay that within a day, you'll have to leave the academy." Zhao Xuanjing looked cold as he glanced at Pei Wanyue.

Many people showed sympathetic expressions toward Pei Wanyue as soon as the Crown Prince said that.

Naturally, they were only sympathetic that she did not have 500 silver beans. Everyone knew that she had only enrolled in the academy two days ago. 500 silver beans aside, she would not even have 50, right!?

Although 500 silver beans only valued at 50 taels of silver, it was just too difficult to earn the academy's silver beans!

Everyone needed silver beans. Who would be willing to sell the silver beans that they spent a great effort to make?

Therefore…

Pei Wanyue could not afford that.

As expected, Pei Wanyue's face paled when she heard the punishment was paying silver beans.

500…

Pei Wanyue said immediately, "Your Highness, I-I don't have so many silver beans… Can I copy the book instead?"

Zhao Xuanjing frowned slightly when he heard that. "Do you guys think that my punishment is too much?"

The crowd shook their heads immediately. "It's not."

It really was not too much…

It was just silver beans. One could make them by copying books after studying at the academy for a while. The academy would collect donations every now and then. The Peony Courtyard and Orchid Courtyard would have to donate at least 500 silver beans.

One could even say that the punishment was very light.

However, it was a different story for Pei Wanyue.

Since she was studying in the academy, she would be treated the same. If she could not afford to make mistakes, she should be obedient. Not only had she embarrassed herself, but she had also dragged them into her trouble—being chased out of the academy aside, Qi Huai and the rest were eager to eat her alive now.

The Peony Courtyard students took their dignity very seriously. Now they had lost it completely.

"Since it's not, then let's do that," Zhao Xuanjing said coldly.

Pei Wanyue panicked. She had just come to the academy!

"I'm sorry, Eldest Sister. I really didn't do it on purpose. I've no idea how such a misunderstanding was spread. Also, I-I've never seen Master Yun Wei's masterpiece, so… Eldest Sister, can you forgive me?" Pei Wanyue said to Xie Qiao.

She was really regretful now.

She thought she would be popular at the academy given her appearance and talent…

Never had she thought she would be sent to the last class, Class D. That was why she had been upset.

She had made a mistake by bringing up the painting.

Xie Qiao leaned her body slightly to dodge Pei Wanyue's hand that was coming to hold her.

"I only have one sister. She's sweet and cute. You have the family name of Pei. Are you a traitor to your family?" Xie Qiao said casually and pushed Pei Wanyue away with her words directly.