Chapter 121: Spring Examination results released, Pang Jin goes on a killing spree

For two full days, Li Chen had experienced the joy of a monarch not attending morning court.

It could also be considered an achievement that only an Emperor could unlock.

During this period, Chu Ruoyan also participated in the battle midway, but quickly fell behind.

Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan was in the Sage Realm, so her physique could still withstand the pressure.

"Are you even human for doing this!" Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan said fiercely to Li Chen.

She hadn't expected that just a few days after arriving in the Imperial Capital, she would end up in this situation.

She actually wanted to curse Li Chen for doing this and meeting with retribution, but the problem was that they had ambushed Li Chen, and even lost the fight.

So when it came to retribution, it was nonsense; she had no reason to say Li Chen would meet with retribution.

Moreover, Li Chen hadn't usurped the throne, and after becoming Emperor, he hadn't engaged in tyranny, so she simply couldn't find a reason to criticize him.

But she couldn't help but say something, so she could only criticize Li Chen's personal morality unilaterally.

As a result, Li Chen replied: "We must speak with a clear conscience; you were the one who took the initiative in the second half, and you enjoyed it more than I did; can you blame me for that?"

"You..." Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan couldn't speak, not knowing if it was from anger or shame.

Now she had restored her memory, but her meridians were sealed by Li Chen, so she was in the state of an ordinary person, just with a body strength stronger than an ordinary woman.

To unlock the seal, there were two ways.

Either kill Li Chen, or find someone with cultivation similar to or even higher than Li Chen's to unlock it.

But where could one find such a person? She couldn't even see through Li Chen's cultivation, and even Dingtian Shangren had been easily defeated.

Not to mention being locked in the deep palace; this was his territory.

"If you have nothing else, I'm going to morning court."

This was the main reason Li Chen got up.

"You, how do you intend to deal with us?"

Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan asked; actually, she couldn't hate Li Chen, not knowing why.

If Li Chen had used despicable means, she would definitely be dissatisfied.

But this person had confronted them head-on, one against three, and had won even while being ambushed, winning fair and square; how could one say he was despicable?

As for the Soul-Controlling Needle, that really couldn't be blamed on Li Chen; after all, it was a tool she and Dingtian Shangren had intended to use against Li Chen, only to have it refined by him in return.

Besides, they had indeed met by chance at the beginning, and Li Chen had expressed his liking for her, and hadn't done anything inappropriate.

This made Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan feel somewhat inexplicable; clearly, she had been occupied by this guy, but when she thought about it carefully, there was a feeling that she deserved it.

After all, Li Chen hadn't provoked her; she had come to the Imperial Capital herself, and now she was completely given away.

Her appearance was also within Li Chen's plan; he only needed the first time to start, letting her taste the sweetness, and she actually wouldn't resist much, knowing she couldn't resist anyway.

"Depends on my mood." Li Chen answered very casually, but it was indeed the case.

He had always known about sect matters, but no sect was in the Imperial Capital, and the Imperial Capital didn't allow large sects to move in.

At most, there were some folk martial arts schools, and opening a martial arts school also required registration.

The more formal ones were the various combat academies, which were the official cultivation places of the Tian Ce Dynasty.

Many talents from various departments came from here.

Li Chen had mentioned the issue of sect regulation not only in court but also in the memorials of some local officials.

At the time, Li Chen hadn't cared much; after all, he didn't like such troublesome things.

The sects hadn't provoked him, and he didn't really want to regulate the sects.

But now it was different; two had come to provoke him, so he did have certain ideas.

If he didn't manage them now, then other sect cultivators would also feel that dealing with the Emperor was no big deal.

But now wasn't the time to talk about this; he would talk about it when he came back.

"Tell the palace maid if you need anything; I'm going to court." Saying this, Li Chen left the sleeping palace.

This tone of voice made Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan feel somewhat dazed; why did it feel like she was Li Chen's family member?

After these two days of getting along, they were indeed very familiar with each other.

Not long after Li Chen left, Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan put on her clothes and got up; she wasn't used to the service of palace maids, so she naturally did these things herself.

Looking at this strange place, she didn't even know how she had come; she had lost consciousness after being defeated in the Manghuang Mountain Range.

When she regained consciousness, she had already appeared on the dragon bed.

This was Li Chen's resting place, and every part of it revealed an atmosphere of golden splendor.

Sect cultivators were mainly simple and unadorned, which was indeed different from the luxury here.

Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan left the bedroom and came to the place where she ate.

Before her eyes was a round table meticulously carved from superior red wood, on which were placed all kinds of delicacies, with an appetizing aroma.

The palace maids serving around saw her coming and were asking if these were to her taste, and that she should let the Imperial Kitchen prepare whatever she needed.

Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan wasn't very picky, and coupled with the high physical exertion recently, she was indeed a bit hungry, so she ate helplessly.

Just at this moment, a figure slipped in from outside the door.

Even though she didn't want to make a sound, she was still keenly perceived by Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan.

"Who?" Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan put down her bowl and chopsticks, staring at the door with caution.

At this time, a beautiful figure appeared before her.

The visitor was dressed in palace attire, her exquisite and beautiful features dotted with a trace of playfulness.

"Don't mind me, I just wanted to see who it was that could keep His Majesty from leaving the room for two days."

Li Sining looked at Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan with curiosity.

Only after looking did she understand why her brother could stay in the room for two days.

This woman was too mature and beautiful; it was one thing to be beautiful, but her figure was also so good.

She also began to realize that Li Chen seemed to like them big.

"Are you his concubine?" Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan asked in confusion.

After all, she had seen Chu Ruoyan, a teammate she had just played with, but she hadn't had time to greet her at that time.

And this one, Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan really hadn't seen.

"No, I'm the younger sister of the 'him' you speak of; don't be nervous, we're all family from now on."

Li Sining's words left Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan not knowing how to argue; she was a married woman, but what had happened in the past two days made it hard for her to explain.

At this time, Chu Ruoyan also walked in, carrying some tonics.

As Li Chen's first concubine, she felt she should be more sensible.

Only by constantly taking care of the "younger sister" who came later could she have an easier time in the harem in the future.

This was the method her mother had taught her; the Chu family wasn't a large noble clan, so as long as someone joined the harem, Chu Ruoyan had to build a good relationship, which would also make the Emperor feel she was sensible and ensure her status in the harem.

The few of them chatted for a while, and Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan roughly understood where she was and who these women were to Li Chen.

Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan now also had mixed feelings, because these women seemed to really like Li Chen, while she was just Li Chen's trophy.

Regarding the inquiries about Li Sining and Chu Ruoyan's backgrounds, she also kept silent, really embarrassed to say it out loud.

So much so that everyone didn't know where Li Chen had found this woman.

Because she wasn't a concubine, Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan's authority was very limited; she couldn't leave this place, nor did she need to see the Empress Dowager.

She could only sit quietly in this place.

Actually, Li Sining had intended to take her to visit other rooms here, where there were many fun things.

But Lady Youlan Lady Youlan Xianzi Lady Youlan didn't seem to be the same age as Li Sining, so she didn't force it.

Here, only Chu Ruoyan could play with her.

Outside the court hall, the three scholars were very nervous.

Especially the leading scholar, named Zhang Gongquan, from the south, the Top Graduate.

Hearing the eunuch's summons inside the hall, he stepped forward and followed the eunuch into the court.

His steps were steady, but his heart was beating as fast as a drum; he was both nervous and excited.

After entering, he looked around, seeing court officials in various official robes standing or waiting, with immense power; every look and every movement revealed unquestionable authority.

The patterns on those official robes were complex and exquisite, each stroke carrying the glory bestowed by the Tian Ce Dynasty.

As Zhang Gongquan walked in, he breathed deeply, trying to calm his heartbeat, which was accelerating due to nervousness.

Finally, his gaze fixed on the dragon chair, where the person sitting was the unique sovereign of heaven and earth!

This Emperor had the appearance of a dragon among men, and the majesty of an Emperor was fully displayed!

Even though he was young, that feeling of majesty without anger made the Top Graduate feel a sense of awe involuntarily. Zhang Gongquan could clearly hear his own heartbeat, which seemed exceptionally loud in this quiet and solemn court.

He felt an invisible pressure surging from all directions, as if he were about to be drowned in this ocean of power.

He clenched his fists nervously, his fingernails almost embedding into his palms, to distract from the nervousness in his heart.

And the two beside Zhang Gongquan were even more nervous, with even slight tremors on their bodies.

Li Chen was different from other Emperors; his absolute aura of a hegemon made even Pang Jin, who had just entered the court, feel great pressure, not to mention these few weak scholars.

However, amidst this nervousness and pressure, Zhang Gongquan also felt an unprecedented excitement.

He recalled the years of his hard study, those days of traveling day and night and writing without stopping, as if they were right before his eyes.

Now, he could finally stand on this stage of power in the Tian Ce Dynasty, standing shoulder to shoulder with these big figures who had only existed in history books and legends.

"Student pays respects to Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty, long live, long live!"

"Student pays respects to Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty, long live, long live!"

"Student pays respects to Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty, long live, long live!"

!

The three top scholars of the new examination knelt to pay respects to Li Chen; this action and posture, after the results were released last night, the three of them had been simulating, and were already familiar with it.

Below the court, the officials focused their eyes on the three newly promoted talents.

Li Chen, sitting on the dragon chair, had read the information on these three: the Top Graduate Zhang Gongquan, a southern talent with overflowing talent.

The second place was a talent from the Imperial Capital from the Yunlu Academy, with a scholarly air revealed between his brows.

Because he was a local of the Imperial Capital and from a scholarly family, with people in his family serving as officials, he was relatively more relaxed compared to the other two.

The third place was a student of a northern great Confucian; it was worth mentioning that this great Confucian had also written a poem of praise for Li Chen, which had been handed to Li Chen at the Yunlu Academy last time, but this wasn't enough for Li Chen to remember.

However, no one knew that Master Yu was dead; people at the Yunlu Academy only knew that Master Yu had gone out and hadn't returned.

Li Chen could be considered to have left him a decent exit; otherwise, this second place might have been replaced.

Yu Fuzi's suicide also left a path for his students.

This was perhaps the last thing he could do as a teacher.

Li Chen had indeed been busy these past few days, but when attending morning court, Eunuch Cui had already handed him the so-called "homework."

That was how Emperors of past dynasties held the palace examination; Eunuch Cui knew Li Chen hadn't been exposed to it, and no one had told him how to handle these things, so he had prepared everything.

This was what a slave should consider for his master.

After all, Li Chen had lived in the palace all along, and he knew very well what Li Chen knew and what he didn't.

This made Li Chen very satisfied, so his status in the palace would continue to be extended.

Li Chen first let the three new top scholars rise, then slowly said: "Ministers, the Spring Examination results were released last night, and today I see the three new top scholars. I want to take this opportunity to test your talent and learning, to see if you have the ability to govern the country and bring peace to the people."

After speaking, Li Chen turned his gaze to Zhang Gongquan and asked: "Zhang Gongquan, you are the Top Graduate of this Spring Examination; I ask you, how does the way of righteousness govern the country?"

Zhang Gongquan replied calmly: "Your Majesty, your subject believes that the way of righteousness lies in benevolence as the foundation and ritual as the guiding principle. Those who govern the country should take the hearts of the people as a mirror and morality as a ruler, practicing benevolent governance and applying ritual education, only then can the country be prosperous and the people at peace."

Li Chen nodded slightly, then turned to the second place and asked: "You are a high student of the Yunlu Academy; I ask you, what is recorded in history as a mirror?"

The second place pondered for a moment and replied: "Your Majesty, what is recorded in history is all a teacher of past events. Those who govern the country should take history as a mirror, know the rise and fall, understand gains and losses, only then can they avoid repeating the same mistakes and create a prosperous age."

Li Chen nodded with satisfaction, and finally turned his gaze to the third place and asked: "Since you have entered the top three, I also ask you, regarding grain reserves and water and drought disasters, if you were a parent official, how would you deal with it?"

The third place pondered for a moment and replied: "Your Majesty, grain reserves are the foundation of the country, and water and drought disasters are natural and man-made disasters. If I were a parent official, I would take precautions, store grain widely, and repair water conservancy to cope with unexpected needs. When disasters occur, it is even more necessary to open granaries to provide relief and appease the hearts of the people, only then can we overcome difficulties together."

Hearing this, Li Chen roughly knew that these three indeed had some ability.

At least they had memorized these things in the "textbooks" by heart, and they had passed by their own ability, not by making up the numbers.

As for whether they would do so, it would depend on whether they could remember their original intentions later.

Everyone's experience was different, and their ideas would also be different.

But in the palace examination, they had passed.

Next was the tradition of the Tian Ce Dynasty; Li Chen stood up, walked down from the dragon chair, came to Zhang Gongquan, and personally presented him with the prey obtained from the Spring Hunt, saying: "Zhang Gongquan, your talent is outstanding, and I am very pleased. This prey was obtained by me in the Spring Hunt, and today I present it to you to show my appreciation for you, hoping that you will serve the country in the future and not fail my expectations."

Zhang Gongquan excitedly took the prey, kowtowed, and thanked him: "Student Zhang Gongquan will certainly do his best and die for the country to repay your great kindness."

What the Emperor bestowed was a family heirloom-level existence!

Next was the matter of the Minister of Revenue; unless Li Chen personally bestowed an official position, it would be distributed to the three by the Minister of Revenue, Liu Minghan.

Liu Minghan had already prepared these and distributed official positions to the three according to their rankings.

According to tradition, the Top Graduate Zhang Gongquan was granted the position of Compiler in the Hanlin Academy, from the sixth rank, responsible for compiling national history, drafting edicts, etc., to highlight his literary talent.

The other two also held positions in various departments.

After receiving the decree and thanking him, the three left the court.

With their current status, they were not yet enough to mix in this place.

Perhaps one day, they would be able to come to court again, and Li Chen was also looking forward to it.

Being an Emperor indeed had a feeling of cultivation, hoping that these people he favored would grow slowly.

The palace examination ended, and next was to handle state affairs.

Li Chen hadn't attended court for two days, and the court officials had some things that needed to be reported to him.

The Minister of Justice, Pang Jin, was truly fierce; as soon as he came up, he impeached the Minister of Rites, Yan Hai.

According to Pang Jin's investigation, Yan Hai had participated in the Second Imperial Prince Li Xian's rebellion plan; Dingtian Shangren had been captured, and the Second Imperial Prince Li Xian was now wanted, so Yan Hai would naturally also be implicated.

Lin Yue'e had captured too many people yesterday, but most were small officials, and her intelligence hadn't found Yan Hai either.

But Pang Jin knew that since he had taken over the Ministry of Justice, he had been investigating these things.

In the past two days, he had found many people related to the Second Imperial Prince, and was now preparing for a major purge.

The Minister of Justice was the Emperor's close minister, so he naturally had to clear the troubles in the court for the Emperor.

Li Chen glanced at Yan Hai and asked him if he had anything to say.

Yan Hai didn't even defend himself, admitting he was guilty.

At this time, when the wall fell, everyone pushed, and saying anything was superfluous.

Moreover, contradicting His Majesty might lead to the destruction of his nine clans, so he didn't dare.

Hearing this, the court officials were discussing what Yan Hai's ending would be.

If Li Chen looked at the relationship, he would remove his official hat and demote him to a commoner.

If Li Chen was a bit ruthless, then Yan Hai would definitely go to jail this time.

Li Chen pondered for a moment, feeling that Yan Hai had indeed completed his work recently; at least in the things he had ordered Yan Hai to do, Yan Hai hadn't made mistakes.

Most importantly, this guy had also offered treasures a few days ago.

At that time, Li Chen hadn't known whose person Yan Hai was, nor why he had offered them.

Now he understood; he might have guessed his ending and was begging Li Chen for a way to live.

Well, Li Chen also left some face, removing his official hat and demoting him to a commoner.

Yan Hai excitedly received the decree and thanked him; being able to leave alive was already not bad.

Li Chen couldn't not punish him, because the Minister of Justice had impeached him, and he still didn't deal with it.

Then the ministers would think, participating in a rebellion is fine? Then couldn't I also rebel in the future!

This ending could be considered as taking into account Yan Hai's hard work over so many years.

The new Minister of Rites would be filled by the Vice Minister of Rites, which could be considered a promotion.

After all, the Vice Minister of Rites wasn't the Second Imperial Prince's person, nor had he made any mistakes, and he had been in the Ministry of Rites for so many years, so both his prestige and ability to handle things were fine.

Today, Pang Jin could be said to have gone on a killing spree, constantly impeaching.

Yan Hai could be considered to have a decent ending, while some princes and nobles went directly into the Ministry of Justice prison.

To capture these people, Pang Jin only had Li Chen's permission.

He wasn't Lin Yue'e, who could mess around with Li Chen's waist token.

In this court session, many court officials were sweating profusely, fearing that the next name Pang Jin mentioned would be theirs.

Three were dragged out on the spot by the Forbidden Army.

Pang Jin also became a presence that many court officials feared.

After today, officials large and small in the Imperial Capital would all give this Minister of Justice a wide berth.

Don't look at Pang Jin as a newly promoted court official; he started brushing up his record as soon as he came up, so how could other court officials not be afraid?

Pang Jin's impeachment was just the prelude to this court session, as there had been quite a few things happening recently.

Just as Pang Jin's impeachment ended, the Vice Minister of War, who was also the acting Minister of War, hadn't opened his mouth yet when Pang Jin stood out again.

This left the nearby court officials dazed, all wondering who this guy was going to mess with next?

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 122 =====