Chapter 1536: Written Quite Well!

After drafting the report on the investigation findings, preparing all the supporting materials, including the signed and fingerprinted testimonies of Wu Jichuan, Xu Shilian, and the various invigilators and grading officials, and carefully reviewing everything once more, Liu Yang finally set out for Chongzheng Hall to meet the Emperor, his mood far from light.

It was already late in the day, dusk had fallen, and a gentle breeze dispersed the lingering heat that had been spreading through the capital—but it could not blow away the heaviness weighing on Liu Yang's heart.

He was still mulling things over. Although the matter had been investigated and resolved without any obstacles or setbacks, and the outcome was favorable, a shadow still lingered in his mind.

Even if Li Fang's innocence could be proven and the fairness of the court's selection of scholars established, the impact already caused was not something that could be easily erased. In fact, the faster the investigation concluded, the more it might give people a sense of haste, deepening humanity's most instinctive doubts.

Having been dragged into this storm and stained by this trouble, regardless of the facts, Li Fang had already been deeply affected, his reputation damaged, and he would likely find it difficult to shake off the suspicion and criticism of others for some time to come.

This was also the reason Liu Yang's mood remained heavy even after establishing the facts. Sometimes, what the facts were, what the truth was, truly did not matter, nor did it hold much significance—too many people were only willing to believe the truth they wished for.

Of course, what truly made Liu Yang uncomfortable was the faint, elusive haze shrouding the entire affair, and the suspicion that had surfaced in his mind from the very beginning—who exactly was behind it all, pulling the strings.

After learning about Xu Shilian's circumstances, Liu Yang had considered the possibility that this storm was merely an accident and coincidence, with no one deliberately scheming behind it.

However, while drafting the report, he had a second thought—perhaps it was precisely Xu Shilian's temperament that made him easy to exploit and provoke, with little chance of exposing the instigator. Approaching it from this line of reasoning, everything still made sense.

Although his thinking on the matter leaned in a certain direction and he very much wanted to get to the bottom of it, Liu Yang also knew that this matter should end here, at least on the surface. The longer it dragged on, the more the adverse effects on Li Fang, on the imperial examinations, and on the court would only spread further.

Inside Chongzheng Hall, bright lamplight and restrained, simple decor together created a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere. Since returning from Mount Tai, Emperor Liu had issued an order to remove all the extravagant and ostentatious decorations around him.

Moreover, he had issued an explicit edict to the prefectures and circuits, decreeing that henceforth, aside from daily imperial necessities such as salt, tea, sugar, liquor, and porcelain, the collection and tribute of other items was prohibited, and he had the Court of the Imperial Treasury draft a tribute list, defining a scope and standard.

After a period of confusion, Emperor Liu perhaps still had not found a goal or pursuit that could reignite his passion, but in his lifestyle he was attempting to draw closer to the past, to recover the things he had upheld for many years but had gradually forgotten over the past decade.

And he had truly accomplished this—even the jade ruyi scepter he usually used to scratch itches had been replaced with a wooden one, though it was not made of ordinary wood either.

On Emperor Liu's person now, apart from his robes still being silk, only the jade thumb ring and the jade ornaments at his waist could be considered valuable.

When Liu Yang arrived, Emperor Liu had just finished his meal and was leisurely listening to Little Zhou sing, savoring fine wine at a slow pace. This was an imperial brew contributed by Zhang Zi, the Fiscal Commissioner of Hedong—reportedly a batch of Fenjiu liquor sealed away during the founding of the dynasty, only accidentally discovered and presented as tribute at the time of Emperor Liu's Fengshan sacrifices.

Whether it was coincidence or not, given the auspicious symbolism, Emperor Liu did not say much about it. In fact, the name Zhang Zi had once again entered his field of vision, and some vague impressions had become clearer.

As the tanhua of his year, who had also once had a chance encounter with Emperor Liu among the common folk, Zhang Zi's official career had gone rather smoothly. He had served for a time as Emperor Liu's secretary, and after the northern expedition in the Qianyou era, he was posted to Yunzhong County, where under Song Qi's leadership he helped rebuild Yunzhong, and by basking in Song Qi's reflected glory, he achieved considerable accomplishments during his tenure in Yunzhong.

Later, when Song Qi was transferred to the central government and became chancellor, Zhang Zi also rose from Magistrate of Yunzhong to Prefect of Yunzhou, then was transferred to Taiyuan Prefecture, until reaching his current position as Fiscal Commissioner of Hedong. The Great Han's establishment of fiscal commissioners did not follow the principle of one commissioner per circuit—for example, the Fiscal Commissioner of Jiannan, at the time of its establishment, had jurisdiction over the three circuits of Chuanshu, and now it encompassed all five circuits of the entire southwest.

The Fiscal Commissioner of Hedong was similar, responsible for the two circuits of Hedong and Shanyang, managing the most important economic exchange route between the capital and Monan.

In the current structure of the Great Han's official authority, the power of fiscal commissioners was growing increasingly weighty, representing the court's influence and control over local financial power, and serving as one of the prominent measures of centralization.

As for Zhang Zi, being a circuit-level grand official under the age of forty was quite extraordinary, with ample room for further advancement. And having reached this position, Zhang Zi's instinct for currying favor had begun to stir actively. Of course, he did not casually align himself with the powerful figures at court—after all, he was someone who had come out from Emperor Liu's side, so honoring and pleasing Emperor Liu was the primary concern.

After all, when it came to the transfers and promotions of circuit-level ministers, although the powerful figures at court (mainly Zhao Pu) had some say, everything ultimately had to pass through Emperor Liu.

Little Zhou was not as talented and versatile as her elder sister, but daughters raised by Zhou Zong all had elevated basic qualities, and Little Zhou's advantages lay first in her youth, and second in her greater skill at pleasing Emperor Liu.

After being announced, Liu Yang entered, and the melodious music echoing through the hall ceased. Facing the Crown Prince, Little Zhou gave a graceful bow, and after receiving Emperor Liu's nod of approval, she withdrew with elegance.

Liu Yang cast an extra glance at Little Zhou, sighing inwardly—in the current harem, the most favored consort was probably this Consort Zhou Yi. One could glimpse this from the frequency with which she accompanied and attended the Emperor lately.

Emperor Liu still wore a calm and carefree expression, as if the "Drum-Declaration Case" that had shaken the court and the realm these past two days had not affected his leisurely mood in the slightest.

Liu Yang composed himself, clasped his hands, and said: "Regarding the matter of Lu Shilian's drum-declaration accusation, your son, together with the officials, has conducted a thorough investigation and has already reached a conclusion!"

"Sit!" Emperor Liu said softly. Taking the stack of memorials and documents Liu Yang presented, he did not look at them, but had Yan Tuo pour him wine, saying: "Have a drink with me!"

He truly meant just two sips—the aroma of the wine was so rich that even smelling it could intoxicate, let alone drinking it. Emperor Liu only dared to wet his tongue with it, and of the one or two liang in his cup, more than half remained.

"When this wine was brewed and sealed, you hadn't even been born yet—your mother hadn't even married me! Taste it—this Fenjiu, born in the same year as the Great Han, is, to me, a taste of home!" Emperor Liu's eyes were full of reminiscence.

"Yes!" Since Emperor Liu had invited him, Liu Yang naturally dared not refuse, and replied respectfully. He took a small sip, and the fiery liquor burned his throat, nearly making him cough. To avoid losing composure, he forcibly held it in, his face turning red from the strain.

"Don't hold it in—that's so uncomfortable, and if you hurt yourself holding it in, it would be even less worth it!" Seeing his state, Emperor Liu smiled and expressed his concern.

Only then did Liu Yang cough, several times in succession, spraying spittle from his mouth. The flush on his face did not diminish but instead deepened, and sweat even seeped out. He took a silk handkerchief to wipe himself before finally recovering.

"Your son has lost composure! This nearly thirty-year-aged liquor is too potent!" Liu Yang said awkwardly.

"It's because you drank too hastily!" Emperor Liu shook his head.

His attention was ultimately not on the wine. Picking up Liu Yang's report to read, Emperor Liu casually asked: "What were the results of the investigation—what conclusion have you reached?"

Quickly steadying his mind, Liu Yang even rose to his feet, and in a cautious, careful posture, said solemnly: "The entire process of this year's examination was conducted in accordance with the regulations, with no violations or irregularities. The selection of scholars was fair, and Lord Li committed no fraud!"

"Oh?" Emperor Liu seemed quite surprised: "If that's the case, then why was Xu Shilian so agitated?"

Liu Yang: "Based on our observations, Xu Shilian was arrogant in his abilities and held himself in high esteem. When his essays were not selected by the grading officials, he felt aggrieved, and coincidentally, Wu Jichuan's fellow-townsman relationship with Lord Li gave him grounds for attack!"

Glancing at Liu Yang, Emperor Liu said unhurriedly: "I had thought the investigation would take some time to yield results, but I never expected it to be this fast—very efficient indeed!"

Hearing this, Liu Yang's expression became especially serious, and he bowed, saying: "Your son initially also believed this matter was complex and intricate, but in fact, the truth is simple and clear!"

Emperor Liu said nothing, burying his head in reading the memorials again.

"In the second round of grading, the results of the scholar selection had some differences, which is a normal situation!" Liu Yang then briefly explained the outcome of the second review: "After two rounds of review by two groups of officials, Xu Shilian was not among those selected as jinshi in either. From this, it can be seen that his so-called injustice and fraud do not exist—he was merely overly disappointed and agitated!"

Emperor Liu finally nodded, raising his eyes: "However, I also received this Xu Shilian, and from his conduct, there were indeed some commendable points. When it comes to the written page, is he truly so inadequate that he cannot catch the eye of the grading officials?"

Liu Yang: "Your son also personally questioned Xu Shilian, and he indeed possesses considerable skill in argument and no lack of insight. However, his manner is overly arrogant. In the various examination topics of the jinshi examination, his answers had no major omissions, but in the policy essay, his writing was extreme and his arguments narrow, which led the grading officials to reject it! In contrast, Wu Jichuan, whom he questioned, wrote with measured and solid insight in his essays, without any bizarre theories or strange talk!"

"Ha!" Emperor Liu chuckled: "Is Xu Shilian's policy essay among these? I'd like to take a look!"

"It is!" Liu Yang stepped forward and helped Emperor Liu pick out from the stack of memorials the policy essay that had already been creased from being flipped through.

"It's actually written quite well!" Upon his first reading, Emperor Liu's assessment was the same as Liu Yang's.