Chapter 466: Taking Up A Beating

The East Market was in an uproar.

The moment the examination list was announced, the scholars who had gathered to take the exams erupted in fury. To their disbelief, only one name appeared on the list.

Olivier.

Every other examinee had been excluded.

Their anger quickly turned into resentment. Convinced that Olivier was somehow responsible for their predicament, the scholars abandoned the market and marched toward his residence, their voices filled with indignation and accusations.

Meanwhile, inside the governor’s office, Prince Simon listened to the reports with an amused smile.

"All the chaos in this world ultimately comes down to profit," he remarked lightly to Baldwin. "If these people truly cared about justice, where were they when the principality was in danger?"

He picked up his teacup and took a leisurely sip before continuing.

"Dealing with hypocrites who are weak in action but loud in their preaching is surprisingly easy. Just give them something to fight over, and they’ll turn against one another. Once divided, they’re easy to handle. That’s how the game is played."

Baldwin nodded in agreement.

"Your Highness is absolutely right. If the official system were filled with such people, Brambleford would soon become no different from the other territories of the Eldorian Empire. However, do you think Doctor Oscar’s death will end with this?"

"Of course not."

Simon put down his teacup, his expression gradually becoming serious.

"Whether for Doctor Oscar’s sake or for the future of Oxford Academy, we must seize this opportunity to deal a decisive blow to those rotten elements who want to drag our principality back into the past."

He paused before issuing his instructions.

"Discuss the matter with Harry over the next two days. Use the newspapers to launch a fierce criticism of Andy Lacrosse and Olivier. Expose Andy’s incompetence as a doctor and Olivier’s corruption as a religious scholar. The harsher the criticism, the better."

A cold glint flashed across Simon’s eyes.

"Make it clear that their actions threaten the interests of ordinary people. Let everyone understand what these men are really trying to protect. Once their true motives are exposed, they’ll become outcasts, despised by the very people they claim to represent."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Baldwin answered confidently.

As a former imperial censor, he was exceptionally skilled at tearing apart his opponents with words. He could dissect someone’s reputation in a few paragraphs without resorting to a single vulgar expression.

With their plans settled, the two returned to their respective duties.

Baldwin immediately summoned Harry, and the pair began drafting an article condemning Andy and Olivier.

Their target was clear.

They intended to drag these men from their positions of moral authority and throw them into the court of public opinion, where their own words would become the weapons used against them.

***

Meanwhile, Olivier was enjoying a leisurely drink at a nearby teahouse.

He had barely taken a few sips when a group of furious scholars suddenly stormed inside.

Before he could understand what was happening, several men rushed toward him with clenched fists.

"Traitor!"

"You’re a disgrace to the scholars!"

"Beat him!"

Fists and kicks rained down on Olivier.

"Ah! Stop! What are you doing?"

Olivier cried out in confusion, desperately trying to protect himself.

But the attackers showed him no mercy.

He had no idea why the people who should have stood beside him had suddenly turned against him. Before he could even ask for an explanation, he was knocked to the ground and beaten until he could barely move.

Strangely, the usual constables were nowhere to be seen.

Only after the scholars had nearly beaten Olivier unconscious did the authorities finally arrive to intervene.

By then, Olivier was lying on the ground, bruised and battered, unable to comprehend how everything had gone so wrong.

However, the trouble was far from over.

Inside the teahouse, the customers had watched the entire incident unfold. Some exchanged bewildered glances, while others looked at Olivier with open disgust.

"What happened here? Why are they beating that man?" a merchant asked.

Brambleford was not particularly large, and news travelled quickly through its streets. Before long, someone familiar with the day’s events leaned forward to explain.

"Haven’t you heard about the scholars who caused trouble at the governor’s office yesterday?"

"Of course I have. Those fellows have become completely unreasonable! They demanded that the prince release someone from the governor’s office as though they had the authority to issue orders themselves. In other territories, such insolence might have cost them their heads. Our prince is simply too merciful, allowing them to run around making trouble like a pack of headless chickens."

The merchant beside him nodded.

"Exactly! And the man being beaten is Olivier, the ringleader of the whole affair."

He lowered his voice slightly, although the anger in his expression was unmistakable.

"He’s the one who used Doctor Oscar’s death to attack the prince’s policies. He even demanded that Oxford Academy be shut down! And I’ve heard that he wants the prince to classify merchants like us as members of the lowest social class!"

The moment those words were spoken, the merchant’s face turned red with anger.

"What?"

Several people immediately turned toward him.

"That miserable scholar wants to put us back at the bottom of society?"

"Who does he think he is?"

A merchant slammed his hand against the table.

"That little bastard! Let the old man finish his drink, and I’ll personally teach him a lesson he’ll never forget!"

"Serves him right!" another merchant shouted. "Our prince is the wisest ruler I’ve ever seen. He cares about ordinary people and gives merchants and craftsmen the respect they’ve always deserved. And now these self-important scholars want to drag us back to the old days?"

He spat on the floor.

"To hell with them!"

The entire teahouse erupted.

"Those religious scholars have gone too far!"

"Someone should teach them that merchants aren’t their servants!"

"Who’s coming with me to give that fellow another beating?"

"I am!"

"Count me in!"

"Let’s go!"

The merchants abandoned their tea and rushed toward Olivier.

The unfortunate scholar, who had only just managed to recover enough strength to sit up, found himself surrounded by another wave of angry men.

Before he could utter a word, fists and kicks descended upon him once more.

This time, however, the merchants were not merely venting their anger over a personal grievance.

They were fighting for their own interests.

For years, the old social order had placed merchants beneath aristocrats and scholars, treating their wealth and labour as though neither deserved respect.

Now, under Simon’s rule, things had begun to change.

Merchants could conduct business with greater freedom. Craftsmen were valued for their skills. Ordinary people had access to public education, while Oxford Academy offered opportunities that would once have been reserved for the privileged few.

For the first time, many people could see a future in which their standing was determined by their contributions rather than their birth.

And they were not willing to surrender it.

One merchant finally raised his hand, signalling for the others to stop.

"Everyone, listen to me!"

His voice cut through the commotion.

"Even if we beat Olivier to death today, what happens tomorrow? Another Olivier will appear. Then another. We cannot solve this problem by beating up one man!"

The merchants gradually quieted down.

"The real problem is that these corrupt and greedy religious scholars want to restore the old aristocratic system. They want us back where we started, beneath their feet!"

His expression hardened.

"We’ve worked too hard to escape those miserable days. Who among us wants to return to them? If we allow these people to regain their influence, everything we’ve gained could disappear."

He swept his gaze across the crowd.

"We merchants must unite under our guild. We must make our voices heard and drive these corrupt scholars out of Brambleford once and for all!"

"Well said!"

"He’s right!"

"We cannot let them restore the old system!"

Another merchant immediately raised his fist.

"Let’s go to the prince’s royal castle! We’ll demand that His Highness punish these corrupt scholars and put an end to their schemes!"

"Yes! Let the prince know that we stand with him!"

"Those hypocrites deserve to be expelled from Brambleford!"

"Let’s go!"

One voice became ten, ten became a hundred, and soon the entire crowd was moving toward the royal castle.

As the merchants marched through the streets, they spread the news to everyone they encountered.

Shopkeepers abandoned their counters to join them. Craftsmen emerged from their workshops, eager to learn what had happened. Curious townspeople followed the growing procession.

Within a short time, dozens had become hundreds.

Then hundreds became thousands.

What had begun as an angry confrontation at a teahouse was rapidly transforming into a mass demonstration.

***

At the governor’s office, Simon had already received reports of the unfolding situation.

He listened in silence, a trace of surprise crossing his face.

He had expected the conflict between the religious scholars and the people to intensify. However, he had not anticipated that the merchants would organise themselves so quickly.

For a long time, the religious scholar class had enjoyed considerable influence over public opinion. Their authority was deeply rooted in tradition, education, and the old social hierarchy.

Simon had initially viewed them as one of the greatest obstacles to his reforms.

Yet he had overlooked something important.

Brambleford was no longer the principality it had been when he first arrived.

His policies had gradually created new groups whose interests were tied to the prosperity of his domain.

The common people wanted stability and better living conditions.

The merchants wanted economic freedom and social recognition.

The craftsmen wanted their skills to be valued.

The students of Oxford Academy wanted opportunities to prove themselves through knowledge rather than family connections.

These groups had different ambitions, but they shared one crucial interest: they stood to lose if the old aristocratic order returned.

And now, for the first time, their interests were converging into a political force.

"Your Highness, this is an excellent opportunity!"

Baldwin could barely conceal his excitement.

"We can use this momentum to weaken the religious scholars’ influence and expose the arrogance of those who wish to restore the old system. Once the people recognise the harm these men pose to their livelihoods, the scholars will find it much harder to manipulate public opinion."

He paused, then added enthusiastically, "This will also help us establish the foundation for a hundred schools of thought in Brambleford. Different ideas can compete freely instead of allowing one traditional school to dominate everything."

Simon smiled.

A weight he had not realised he was carrying seemed to lift from his shoulders.

He had been too preoccupied with the established aristocratic and religious classes, treating their influence as though it were impossible to overcome.

But while he had been fighting against the old order, he had also been building something new.

He had cultivated new interest groups without fully appreciating how powerful they could become.

The common people, merchants, craftsmen, and students of Oxford Academy were gradually developing a shared stake in Brambleford’s future.

They were no longer merely passive subjects waiting for their ruler to make decisions.

They were beginning to defend the changes that had improved their lives.

And that was far more valuable than winning a few arguments with the religious scholars.

"Then let’s take advantage of this opportunity," Simon said.

His expression became resolute.

"Make sure the newspapers explain clearly how the restoration of the old social hierarchy would harm both merchants and ordinary people. We must expose the true consequences of their proposals, not simply attack their character."

Baldwin nodded.

"Understood, Your Highness."

Simon continued, "There is something else. From now on, anyone who has not studied at a public school or Oxford Academy will be ineligible to sit for the domain’s examinations."

Baldwin looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding again.

The order would strike directly at the traditional scholars who relied on their social standing and privileged education to secure official positions.

Under the new rule, they would have to confront a system that increasingly favoured formal education and the institutions Simon controlled.

It was another decisive step toward dismantling the old establishment.

"Have Harry prepare the announcement," Simon instructed. "We must make our position unmistakable."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Baldwin immediately left to carry out the order.

***

The following morning, the Brambleford newspaper appeared on the streets with a provocative headline splashed across its front page.

Who Is to Blame for the Death of Brambleford’s Esteemed Doctor, Oscar?

The article wasted no time in identifying its targets.

Andy Lacrosse was accused of placing selfish interests above a fellow physician’s life, using his influence to pressure Doctor Oscar until the latter could no longer bear the burden.

The article questioned Andy’s competence, his motives, and his conduct, arguing that a man who claimed to uphold professional standards had a responsibility to demonstrate those standards through his actions.

It then turned its attention to Olivier and the other religious scholars.

Their arguments were examined one by one, with the newspaper challenging their claims and highlighting the consequences their proposed policies could have for Brambleford’s people.

Their opposition to Oxford Academy was presented as an attempt to preserve educational privileges for a select group.

Their contempt for merchants and craftsmen was portrayed as a direct threat to the economic prosperity of the domain.

And their calls for a return to the old social hierarchy were exposed as an effort to restore a system in which birth and status mattered more than ability.

The article’s conclusion was even more explosive.

From that day forward, anyone who had not received an education through the public school system or Oxford Academy would be barred from taking examinations within the domain.

The message was unmistakable.

Brambleford would no longer allow traditional privilege alone to determine who could pursue an official career.

When the newspapers reached the markets, workshops, teahoueses, and residential districts, the entire domain was thrown into an uproar.

Merchants gathered to discuss the article. Craftsmen debated its implications. Students celebrated the prospect of a system that recognised their education.

Even among the traditional scholars, unease began to spread.

Some dismissed the announcement as another of Simon’s political manoeuvres.

Others recognised the danger immediately.

If the prince succeeded in making Oxford Academy and the public schools the principal gateways to official positions, the influence they had enjoyed for generations could gradually disappear.

For the first time, their authority was being challenged not merely by the prince, but by an increasingly organised public.

And Simon had no intention of allowing this momentum to fade.

The struggle for Brambleford’s future had entered a new stage.