Chapter 995: Is There Any Crown Prince of Forty Years in the World?

Fu Zuozhou was let go. Once this news came out, the officialdom, which had been in a state of panic, stabilized again.

Before Fu Zuozhou was released, everyone was wondering what Zhang Juzheng's move meant. Was it to let officials get things done, or was it to be morally noble, clean, and honest?

In this era where a memorial from Yunnan takes half a year to reach the capital, and it takes half a year or even a year to deploy troops to Sichuan and Yunnan, being an official in a region sometimes means having to follow some unspoken rules, and sometimes one is even the one who creates the unspoken rules.

With Fu Zuozhou released, the question had an answer: Zhang Taiyue still wanted orderly officials. Only those who were insatiably greedy would end up like Wang Zhuan and be dealt with.

When uncertainty becomes certain, one knows what to do.

What officialdom fears most is not knowing what the superiors want to do, so guessing the superior's intentions is the fundamental duty of being an official. Once one can determine what the superiors specifically want to do, one only needs to follow.

If they aren't allowed to take too much, then take a little less. For the officials, power is the foundation of everything. Even if they don't get silver or land, as long as they firmly grasp power, these things will come.

When they learned that it was the Emperor who had saved Fu Zuozhou from Zhang Taiyue's hands, the officials in the capital once again praised the Emperor's wisdom. When Zhang Taiyue went crazy, at least there was one person who could stop him.

But soon, a terrifying question appeared in the depths of the officials' hearts: if Zhang Taiyue passed away and the Emperor went crazy, who would come out to stop him? General Qi Jiguang Jiguang? General Qi Jiguang Jiguang would only go crazy with the Emperor! Shen Shixing? Shen Shixing would only nod and agree, not daring to do anything!

The twentieth year of Wanli was another imperial examination year. Preparations for the metropolitan examination had already begun in the first lunar month. Spring was also the time when the haze disaster in the capital was at its worst. The candidates who entered the capital for the first time looked at the haze disaster with its enchanting purple halo and couldn't help but put on masks.

Rumors in the capital said that His Majesty was going to stay in Songjiang Prefecture, every year, for several months to half a year. This rumor seemed to be true. The haze disaster in the capital—nobles like His Majesty naturally had to stay away from it.

After all, air is not like lychees. Lychees can be transported to the capital by a special lychee road, and the nobles in the palace can eat fresh lychees. But how can air be specially supplied?

On the nineteenth day of the first lunar month, good news came from the palace: the Empress gave birth to the ninth prince, Zhu Changze, and Consort Zhuang gave birth to the tenth prince, Zhu Changcong. Naturally, there were "all-is-well" boxes distributed. Two princes became one, and there was less talk about the Emperor being as stingy as ever, but in the mouths of the officials, it was all praise for his frugality, and the flattery was endless.

The legitimate princes born to the Empress were the eldest prince Zhu Changzhi, the fourth prince Zhu Changhong, the sixth prince Zhu Changhe, and the ninth prince Zhu Changze, totaling four sons. The people were discussing that the next Emperor would inevitably be born among these four. The public opinion was quite optimistic about the newborn ninth prince, Zhu Changze.

The reason was also relatively simple: age.

His Majesty was thirty years old this year. Given His Majesty's physique and his tendency to cherish his life, living to the age of seventy, like the Taizu Emperor, was basically not a problem. Would the Crown Prince, Zhu Changzhi, have to be the Crown Prince for forty years? Is there any Crown Prince of forty years in the world?

If the Crown Prince sits for too long, the Emperor and the Crown Prince will inevitably dislike each other. These disciples like the fourth prince and the sixth prince will inevitably be restless. In the end, the Crown Prince, the fourth prince, and the sixth prince will perish together in the struggle for the throne, and this ninth prince will just happen to pick up the leak.

The ninth prince's age is just right—not too big, not too small.

It's not that princes born to concubines have no chance, but the chances are slim. Even if the Emperor had the intention, the old pedants in the court who regarded the ancestral laws as heaven's constitution would not agree. They would fight to the death to block it, because the ancestral laws were the only thing that could constrain imperial power.

"Father, I heard people say that this ninth one will definitely sit on the throne." Zhu Changzhi was already ten years old and had begun to follow his father to listen to state affairs, just like the Prince of Lu when he was ten and wanted to listen to state affairs and even express his views. His father did not allow a useless person with no experience in listening to state affairs to sit on the throne.

When Feng Bao heard the Crown Prince say this, he raised his head abruptly. It was obvious that these were the whispers of the palace maids and eunuchs, which had been heard by the Crown Prince! Feng Bao had already made up his mind: since they had tongues and didn't know what they were for, he would pull them out!

Eunuchs and palace maids serving before the masters—the Empress Dowager, His Majesty, and the Empress—would not dare to say a single word of nonsense!

But these eunuchs and palace maids serving the young masters always felt that the children were young and it didn't matter if they said a few words.

"Who did you hear that from?" Zhu Yijun stopped writing and asked with some curiosity.

Zhu Changzhi said calmly, "The lecturers were discussing it privately. I heard it from their book boys. Father, I didn't think much of it, but those lecturers don't seem to respect you very much."

"The lecturers eat the monarch's salary but do not do the monarch's work. What Father lets them teach, they don't teach, and what Father doesn't let them teach, they desperately stuff into my head. Father has also read the Four Books and Five Classics and read history to know the rise and fall. They don't let me see the notes Father used when reading, but insist on lecturing to me."

Zhu Changzhi had made up his mind today to complain. After throwing out a shocking topic, he changed the subject and turned to the issue of the lecturers not being respectful.

No one can tell what will happen in the future. If one has the fate, one sits on the dragon throne; if one doesn't, one doesn't sit. But these guys who chew on the roots of tongues must be dealt with.

When Feng Bao heard this, he breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that there was no problem in the palace; it was these lecturers who came into the palace to teach who couldn't control their mouths!

Feng Bao thought carefully. He had also come all the way from a small eunuch in the corridor. His Majesty's imperial prestige was growing day by day. Which eunuch or palace maid would dare to chew on such roots of tongues? Did they want to be blanched in boiling water?

Feng Bao hurriedly changed the Crown Prince's hot water, as the previous cup was a bit cold.

The reason Zhu Changzhi wanted to complain was simple: the content lectured by the lecturers didn't match the situation he saw. The ministers' cultivation was good, but when they quarreled, they were also very fierce, not at all elegant and easygoing.

Cognition and practice were at odds, and Zhu Changzhi was naturally confused. Having doubts, he naturally wanted to find an answer. He wanted to see his father's notes from when he was reading to solve his confusion, but the lecturers wouldn't let him. Zhu Changzhi immediately knew that these lecturers had their own ideas.

His father was a person who couldn't stay idle and wanted to tour the south and stay in Songjiang Prefecture. Zhu Changzhi, the Crown Prince, naturally felt some pressure.

"It's not that they won't let you, it's that they don't have them either." Zhu Yijun asked Feng Bao to take his own handwritten notes from the bookshelf and handed them to Zhu Changzhi, saying with a smile, "You don't have to change the lecturers. What they teach must be correct, but it might not be useful."

It's not easy to teach the Crown Prince. Even if the lecturers know, they dare not answer.

Do you want to tell the Crown Prince: "Those who eat meat have had blood flowing in every blood vessel since the day they were born, blood that has become extremely dirty because of exploitation"?

How would the lecturers dare to teach this?

The local gentry, the powerful and wealthy, the high officials and nobles, the Crown Prince, and the Emperor are all "meat eaters."

Since they can't tell the truth, they can only teach some empty principles. It would be strange if Zhu Changzhi didn't find it annoying.

"Zhi'er, if the ninth one really laughs until the end, what will you do?" Zhu Yijun asked with some curiosity about the Crown Prince's view on fighting for the throne at his age. The answer today doesn't represent his thoughts in the future; it's just idle talk.

"Then let him do it!" Zhu Changzhi thought carefully and said as a matter of course.

This "as a matter of course" posture made Zhu Yijun frown tightly. He asked suspiciously, "Why?"

Zhu Changzhi originally wanted to answer, but his eyes rolled, knowing that he couldn't say it directly. If he said it, he would be beaten, so he looked around the Imperial Study before saying, "Father has already examined me today. I will take my leave."

Zhu Changzhi knew the terror of his old father. Even at ten years old, he knew that everything he enjoyed today came from his father, the Emperor. But Zhu Changzhi knew even better that this Emperor was not so easy to be. Being a muddled ruler would only mean being bullied, and being a wise ruler would be too difficult and tiring.

Under his father's personal teaching, Zhu Changzhi had a heartfelt rejection of being a muddled ruler.

"Little rabbit." Zhu Yijun looked at the fleeing Zhu Changzhi and smiled. He hadn't used any force to grab him; otherwise, how could Zhu Changzhi have escaped so easily?

After Zhu Changzhi ran far away, Zhu Yijun took the memorial and continued to handle state affairs.

The chief examiner and co-examiners for the metropolitan examination in the second month had already been determined. The examination questions had been presented for imperial review. The Emperor could pick one and seal it, or draft one himself. The same was true for the mathematics examination papers. The Academy of Physical Sciences had produced a total of nine sets of papers, and His Majesty could select from them.

The Sichuan Regional Commander Liu Ting had returned to Sichuan from the front line in Toungoo. While returning to the Great Ming hinterland to rest, he was also a threat to Yang Yinglong of Bozhou. Yang Yinglong had better not make a mistake, otherwise, "Big Knife Liu" would definitely cut off Yang Yinglong's head.

Guangxi had a new situation this year. The passes were closed, and Annamese were forbidden from entering the Great Ming to work.

Last year, some Annamese came to the Great Ming to cut sugarcane, but after cutting it, they refused to leave and secretly stayed in the deep mountains and old forests, causing no small trouble for the local government. After closing the passes this year, they were captured, had their bells removed, and were left to do hard labor.

What surprised the Guangxi Regional Commander Qi Jimei was that many Annamese would rather have their bells removed than not come to the Great Ming. The situation in Annam was very bad now, with four families fighting, making a mess of things.

The Governor of Liangguang, Liu Jiwen, reported that the imported grain from the Annam country was constantly increasing.

Zhu Yijun asked some questions carefully, and after the vermilion approval, he sent the two memorials to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue.

Annam was in chaos now. The four major families were exploiting grain and slaves on one hand and fighting each other on the other. The war combined with grain exports was causing Annam to slide toward the abyss.

Grain is life. In the present day, which still has a small-scale peasant economy as its background, Annam exporting grain like this was causing Annam's order to collapse.

Since the sixth year of Wanli, when Zhang Juzheng proposed the concept of "imported grain," the situation in Annam had deteriorated step by step. Last year, Annam sent an envoy to the Great Ming, begging the Great Ming Emperor to show mercy and stop the imported grain trade, but the Emperor refused and didn't even allow the Annamese envoy to have an audience.

Just as the Prince of Lu said, the Great Ming Emperor was indeed a cold and ruthless person.

The planting area of cinchona trees in Yehai City, Java, was still expanding. Although the production of cinchona frost still couldn't fully supply all the People's Livelihood Pharmacies in the Great Ming, compared to a few years ago, it was no longer so tight.

The cinchona tree had become the "plant gold" of Java. After all, this thing could really cure malaria, and Nanyang was a place where malaria was rampant.

"Eh?" Zhu Yijun picked up a memorial, feeling somewhat puzzled.

The Grand Minister of Agriculture, Xu Zhenming, had obtained a kind of small chrysanthemum from the West. No one knew if it was a chrysanthemum that had "split its legs" or wormwood that had "gone off the rails," but it had the dual characteristics of both chrysanthemum and wormwood. After Xu Zhenming cultivated it extensively, he discovered its wonderful use: repelling insects.

This small chrysanthemum was too strange. It didn't need pest control during its entire growth cycle. Originally, Xu Zhenming raised it as an ornamental flower, but he soon realized its wonderful use: repelling insects.

The whole chrysanthemum was picked, dried, and put into strong liquor. After heating, air-drying, and adding ingredients, and repeating this three times, one could get an extract. After high-temperature and high-pressure distillation, one could get a chrysanthemum grease similar to pine resin.

The chrysanthemum grease was crushed and put into spices like agarwood and sandalwood to make incense sticks and incense pillars. One stick could keep mosquitoes and insects away for a whole night.

"How did you think of putting this into a high-pressure pot?" Zhu Yijun asked with curiosity.

Feng Bao thought for a moment and said, "It was all tried out."

Liquor, green vitriol oil, light oil, low temperature, high temperature, etc. —everything was tried one by one. It didn't matter which step had the effect; they tried it bit by bit and slowly tested it out.

"Your Majesty, the insect-repelling chrysanthemum is not picky about the land." Feng Bao thought carefully and added his own view. This thing could grow anywhere; it wasn't picky about the land, and it didn't even need watering. It was just like wild flowers all over the mountains and plains.

The Emperor liked seeds. Ever since Antonio became the King of Portugal, the whole world knew it.

Moreover, before, only Antonio had obtained the Emperor's war loans and the qualifications to buy Great Ming warships. Antonio was also never stingy about sharing his stories.

This word-of-mouth and hearsay turned into: offering seeds to the Great Ming Emperor could exchange for imperial grace, gradually evolving in the direction of religion.

The Academy of Physical Sciences and the Grand Minister of Agriculture, Xu Zhenming, as the Emperor's teacher in agricultural studies, had great power. He wanted to plant everything, and that was how the small chrysanthemum was discovered.

Not being picky about the land was the reason Xu Zhenming decided to invest heavily. Once successfully cultivated, it would become an economic crop for farmers, just like wormwood.

"How much does this thing sell for?" Zhu Yijun asked, holding an incense stick. This stick could only last for one night.

"One qian of silver." Feng Bao said carefully.

"One stick?"

"One stick."

Zhu Yijun was stunned for a moment and said, "Xu Zhenming, why doesn't he go rob someone! One qian of silver for one stick! Even the old monks in the temple wouldn't dare to rob incense money like this!"

One qian of silver could buy thirty to fifty catties of rice. Xu Zhenming actually priced a mosquito-repellent incense stick at one qian of silver. Who would be willing to light such an expensive thing!

According to Xu Zhenming's memorial, this small chrysanthemum could grow anywhere and was no different from wild grass in the mountain gullies. He actually dared to sell it so expensively.

"Incense money can't beg for the Buddha's protection, but it can beg for the Grand Minister of Agriculture's protection, not to be bitten by mosquitoes." Feng Bao thought for a moment and still said a good word for Xu Zhenming.

Going to the temple to burn incense, you still get bitten by mosquitoes. The Buddha doesn't care about this, but the Grand Minister of Agriculture does.

"Can it be sold?" Zhu Yijun frowned. If he had to spend silver to light it, he wouldn't be willing.

Feng Bao said in a low voice, "The supply falls short of demand. The Jiekuyuan has studied it very clearly. Many plagues are spread by mosquito bites. So this incense, sometimes, is a life."

It's expensive because people cherish their lives. Poor people and laborers don't have the silver to buy these, but the local gentry will buy some to keep. Once there is a plague, it can save their lives at a critical moment.

"Your Majesty, it is sold in the imperial manor. Half of the profit goes to the inner treasury, two-tenths to the Baoqi Division, and three-tenths to the farmers." Feng Bao explained the division of profits, which was almost the same as the division of the official factories. The mosquito-repellent chrysanthemums were all planted in the imperial manor farms.

"Then it's really not expensive." Once Zhu Yijun heard it was to save lives, he immediately felt it wasn't expensive. Once he heard that half of the profit went to the inner treasury, he immediately stopped caring about the price.

The imperial manor was spread across all prefectures and counties of the Great Ming. Maintaining these imperial manor Beijing Camps also required silver. Things from the imperial manor were one word: expensive. They could sell so expensively, and people still bought them, because of the Emperor's reputation.

They were all real things, good things.

"Our Great Ming has so many rich people." Zhu Yijun felt that being able to be so expensive and still sell out was something that made people sigh with emotion.

Feng Bao also nodded repeatedly and said, "Indeed, so many that even killing them all wouldn't be enough."

In the seventeenth year, His Majesty toured the south and killed 622 powerful gentry families in the Southern Yamen. That area was now prosperous again.

"Don't talk nonsense, don't be so murderous!" Zhu Yijun pretended to scold sternly! The killing in the selection case was because they ignored the national law, absolutely not for the sake of the silver from confiscating their homes.

Gao Qiyu was the chief examiner for the twentieth year of Wanli. This was the opinion of the Cabinet, proposed by the Second Grand Secretary, and agreed to by the Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng. Gao Qiyu presided over this metropolitan examination, and in the future, he would also have his own disciples.

Originally, Gao Qiyu was not qualified to be the chief examiner. As a third-rank graduate, presiding over the provincial examination was already the limit.

He hadn't even passed into the Hanlin Academy. Who would let him preside over the metropolitan examination?

But Ling Yunyi proposed it, and no one in the Cabinet opposed it. The Hanlin Academy was weak, and even the Hanlin Academy was managed by Gao Qiyu, so the Hanlin Academy scholars naturally had no way to oppose it.

At this time, Gao Qiyu held a visiting card in his hand and fell into a dilemma. The card was sent from Ling Yunyi's mansion, asking him to take care of his nephew's grandson.

Ling Yunyi said that this nephew's grandson of his had been relatively naughty since he was a child, a bit dull, and plus he only knew how to read books and was young and inexperienced. Since Ling Yunyi himself had only returned to the capital last year and didn't have many old acquaintances in the capital, he entrusted Gao Qiyu to take care of him. He said to burn the card after reading it.

Gao Qiyu received this card and immediately had many doubts.

The first doubt was: was this nephew's grandson mentioned by Ling Yunyi really just a nephew's grandson? If it was just a nephew's grandson relationship, was it really worth Ling Yunyi writing a card? If it wasn't a nephew's grandson, but a grandson, it would immediately become reasonable.

The second doubt: what did Ling Yunyi want Gao Qiyu to take care of? If it was to take him as a disciple and teach him carefully, or to turn a blind eye to his nephew's grandson's cheating?

The third doubt: should he burn the card? Once the imperial examination cheating case broke out, if he burned the card, he would have to bear all the blame alone.

Gao Qiyu sat in his study at home, staring dead at the card under the light of the lime spray lamp. The three doubts gradually disappeared.

It must be a grandson, not a nephew's grandson. The reason it was a nephew's grandson was to avoid suspicion and prevent others from gossiping.

Secondly, he must help, and it was very likely cheating, not taking him as a disciple. Taking him as a disciple wouldn't require such a big favor. If it weren't for Ling Yunyi's nomination, he, Gao Qiyu, wouldn't have gotten this job as chief examiner.

Finally, it must be burned. Even if something happened, he could only bear it himself. Even if he kept it, it would be useless. After the case broke out, the card wouldn't have been written by Ling Yunyi. Whether it was handwriting or the seal, the final result would definitely be fake.

Ling Yunyi's methods were very ruthless and wouldn't leave such obvious evidence.

For the sake of the court's decency, even if the handwriting was real, it would be fake.

Gao Qiyu looked at the card in front of him and struggled. He was a bit confused. The imperial examination was a major plan for the country to select scholars for the country. Such private transfer—once His Majesty knew, he didn't know about Ling Yunyi, but he, Gao Qiyu, would definitely die.

But if he didn't help, he, Gao Qiyu, wouldn't have to advance, and he would be made difficult by the Second Grand Secretary.

Gao Qiyu took a fire basin and threw the card into it. The fire folder in his hand couldn't be thrown down for a long time. After the three doubts were resolved, a new confusion arose in his heart: this card was a bit strange.

It wasn't that the card had a problem, but the timing of the card had a problem.

No matter the reason, Ling Yunyi decided to defy the world and interfere with the results of the imperial examination. This card shouldn't have been given to him after the chief examiner was determined, but before the chief examiner was determined. If he, Gao Qiyu, didn't agree, Ling Yunyi would have recommended someone else.

Gao Qiyu finally didn't burn the card. He closed his eyes and rested for a long time before his eyes flashed with cold light. This was a dead end.

He was a ruthless person. If someone wanted him to die, then no one would live. He had already made a comprehensive plan to drag everyone down with him.

He decided to provide this convenience. After the imperial examination list was released, he would give the card to Xu Chengchu, let Xu Chengchu impeach him, and he would prepare his final memorial in advance. At the same time as Xu Chengchu impeached him, he would send the final memorial to the Emperor and then hang himself, just like Zhu Wan did back then.

Gao Qiyu didn't know Ling Yunyi very well, but he was a bit disappointed. Everyone was a meritorious official of the eastern expedition. If it weren't for Ling Yunyi supervising everything in Korea, the Great Ming's digestion of Korea and coercion of Japan wouldn't have gone so smoothly.

The Emperor summoned Ling Yunyi back to the court and entrusted him with important tasks. Ling Yunyi was actually this kind of person!

Gao Qiyu knew the Emperor very well. After he hanged himself, the Emperor would absolutely not be like the Shizong Emperor, who endured in silence after Zhu Wan committed suicide!

No matter who wanted to deal with him, Gao Qiyu, they would definitely be dead. Perishing together was Gao Qiyu's choice at the moment.

Gao Qiyu sealed the card and carried it with him to the examination hall to preside over the metropolitan examination. As he walked, he still felt something was wrong. The carriage stopped in front of the examination hall, but he didn't get off.

"Go to the Tonghe Palace." Gao Qiyu walked to the front of the examination hall but turned the carriage around and headed toward the Tonghe Palace.

It wasn't that he was afraid of death, but he felt it was a bit strange. It wasn't rare for high officials in the court to interfere with the imperial examination, but being so blatant was a bit too bold.

In short, the means were a bit too rough.

When in doubt, ask the Holy One. Gao Qiyu had imperial favor.

"I pay my respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be well." Gao Qiyu paid his respects to the Emperor and presented Ling Yunyi's book card before the throne, letting the Emperor decide. If the Emperor let him, he would do it; if the Emperor didn't let him, he wouldn't. A loyal minister should have the appearance of a loyal minister.

Zhu Yijun finished reading the book card and asked, "What do you think?"

"Your Majesty, if the Second Grand Secretary really had such a big official addiction, he wouldn't have made himself notorious. The whole thing seems quite suspicious." Gao Qiyu still felt that Ling Yunyi had some compelling reasons.

But did the Great Ming have such a formidable person? Someone who could force the Second Grand Secretary?

"The Junior Grand Minister had already walked to the examination hall before. Before coming to the Tonghe Palace, what did you originally intend to do?" Zhu Yijun asked with curiosity.

"Hang myself, imitating Zhu Wan." Gao Qiyu also answered this question very simply. Death was fine, but one had to leave a clean reputation in the world.

Zhu Yijun was startled and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Junior Grand Minister, you must not hang yourself! I just lost an orderly official, Wang Zhuan, and I cannot lose the Junior Grand Minister again."

"Junior Grand Minister, where did the book card come from? Did the Second Grand Secretary give it to you personally?" Zhu Yijun asked with a frown.

Gao Qiyu shook his head and said, "No, I saw it in the visiting cards after I returned home, but the gatekeeper said it was sent by the Second Grand Secretary's gatekeeper."

"Then you don't need to worry about it. Go and preside over the metropolitan examination. I will arrange for the embroidered-uniform guards to investigate." Zhu Yijun signaled Gao Qiyu to preside over the metropolitan examination with peace of mind, and he would handle the rest.

Zhu Yijun still said with some worry, "Junior Grand Minister, in the future, when you encounter difficulties, don't think about hanging yourself or perishing together. The door of the Tonghe Palace is not that high for you. If you have something, just come over and ask."

"I thank Your Majesty for the imperial grace." Gao Qiyu bowed again and left the Tonghe Palace. Since the Emperor had taken the matter upon himself, he would preside over the metropolitan examination with peace of mind.

Gao Qiyu didn't find that Ling-surnamed candidate in the examination hall, and he didn't know much about what happened outside the examination hall.

After the metropolitan examination list was released, Gao Qiyu came out of the examination hall. Without hesitation, he went to the Ministry of Personnel and found Shen Shixing to understand the progress of the matter.

"You impeached me a few days ago, making me look gray-faced, and now you come to my door! Ask, ask, ask! I'll tell you one thing: I'm not surnamed Shen! Go, go, go!" Shen Shixing was angry when he saw Gao Qiyu, waving his hands repeatedly, wanting to drive him away.

"Brother, being so petty is a bit..." Gao Qiyu's sarcastic remark made Shen Shixing blush with anger.

Shen Shixing saw that Gao Qiyu was like a dog-skin plaster and had no choice but to welcome Gao Qiyu into the door and tell the whole story from beginning to end.

Shen Shixing shook his head and said, "Ling Yunyi is murderous and has a bad reputation. When he went to Korea, everyone thought he had been exiled. The Taizhou Ling clan's main family even removed him from the genealogy."

"Who knew that the Second Grand Secretary would return to the capital last year to be the Second Grand Secretary? The wind and clouds changed. This Taizhou Ling clan was fickle and turned to fawn on him."

"The Second Grand Secretary has a fierce temperament and naturally doesn't bother to pay attention to them."

"The head of the Ling family has a useless grandson who bought a scholar's title in Suzhou and set his sights on the metropolitan examination. Once the news spread in the court that the Second Grand Secretary had recommended you as chief examiner, the Ling family had already heavily bribed the gatekeeper to forge such a letter."

"The letter is fake. The Second Grand Secretary is seventy-three this year and can no longer hold a pen steadily. Since he returned to the capital last year, all his memorials have been written by the middle secretaries."

"How bold! Aren't they afraid of the matter being exposed?!" Gao Qiyu was furious.

Shen Shixing shook his head and said, "You received the letter, didn't you also not dare to verify its authenticity with the Second Grand Secretary? As long as you don't verify it, and even to show gratitude for the Second Grand Secretary's promotion, you do it, and the matter is done."

"How can one verify the authenticity of such a thing..." Gao Qiyu immediately understood why these guys were so bold. They were betting that he, Gao Qiyu, wouldn't dare to verify it, and he indeed hadn't.

"The Second Grand Secretary is old and can no longer control his subordinates." Shen Shixing sighed and said. ===== CHAPTER 996 =====

"The head of the Ling family has a good-for-nothing grandson who bought a Juren degree in Suzhou, and he set his sights on the Metropolitan Examination. As soon as news spread in the court that Grand Secretary Ling had recommended you as the chief examiner, the Ling family used a large sum of money to bribe the gatekeeper and forged that letter."

"The letter is fake. Grand Secretary Ling is seventy-three this year and can no longer hold a brush steadily. Since returning to the capital last year, all his memorials have been written by the Secretariat drafters on his behalf."

"How truly audacious! Were they not the least bit afraid that the matter would be exposed?!" Gao Qiyu was furious.

Shen Shixing shook his head and said, "When you received the letter, didn't you also not dare to verify its authenticity with Grand Secretary Ling? As long as you didn't verify it, and even did it out of gratitude for Grand Secretary Ling's patronage, the deed was done."

"In such a matter, how could one verify the authenticity..." Gao Qiyu immediately understood why these fellows were so daring; they were betting that he, Gao Qiyu, would not dare to confirm it, and indeed, he had not.

"Grand Secretary Ling is old and can no longer keep his subordinates in check," Shen Shixing sighed and said.