Chapter 105: Zhongche Reveals Privacy

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao sighed slightly, eased his excited mood, and opened the second secret document presented by the Zhongche Office.

This secret document recorded the details of dozens of child students gathering at the Ministry of Rites yamen to report the top scholar of the preliminary exam.

But Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao only browsed through these contents, and his attention was on the appendix part of the record.

It was densely written with names, each name followed by background, native place, kinship, and other important information.

Even many places were marked with red lines. If the director on duty at the Ministry of Rites saw these things that day, he would definitely be shocked.

Because the names on these secret documents were exactly the same as the list of students who reported to the Ministry of Rites that day.

The root of this is naturally that the Zhongche Office also planted spies in the Ministry of Rites, and every move could not escape their eyes.

Several names among these had been marked by the Zhongche Office spies, who should be people with greater connections. One of the names was Liu Liu Wenxuan, and the native place information was a student of Deqing Prefecture.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao browsed the information on the appendix carefully, his face slowly becoming gloomy. Suddenly, he waved his sleeve and knocked the candlestick on the imperial desk to the ground, shouting: "Their hearts are punishable!"

It means that the Wang Ziteng, the Military Governor of the Capital Camp, actually had a vague connection with the students' report of the top scholar in this year's preliminary exam.

And Wang Ziteng's wife was the eldest daughter of the Zhang family of Deqing Prefecture!

This child student named Liu Liu Wenxuan had been admitted as a scholar in this preliminary exam, and he was also the leader of the report of the top scholar Jia Cong.

This is committing the Emperor's taboo, and it's no wonder Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao would say "their hearts are punishable."

Like the Zhang family of Deqing Prefecture, a large clan, if there were no outstanding reading seeds in the younger generation, they would fund poor students with talent, and the families who funded them would naturally have more official connections after these people passed the imperial examinations. This is also a common practice for noble families.

The imperial examination is a major policy of the country. If this matter is really related to Wang Ziteng, then his courage is too great.

As for whether Wang Ziteng was the mastermind behind the persecution of the new top scholar Jia Cong because of personal grudges, for an emperor who controls the world's society, it is not the most urgent matter.

Moreover, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao didn't intend to use such a thing to topple Wang Ziteng.

Therefore, this Liu Liu Wenxuan, who was righteous at the entrance of the Ministry of Rites yamen, had a close relationship with the Zhang family, a noble family in Deqing Prefecture, and the Zhang family was actually his benefactor.

And Wang Ziteng's wife and son had just had a conflict with Jia Cong at the Jia Manor because of insulting Jia Cong's birth mother.

It's just that everything is still just a surface, and there is no solid evidence, but his suspicion of this Military Governor of the Capital Camp has already buried a seed.

Whether taking them as disciples or forming marriage alliances, once these poor people pass the imperial examinations, the funding families will naturally have more official connections. This is also a common practice for noble families.

A Military Governor of the Capital Camp who lacks noble roots is more reassuring to him than those old-brand nobles sitting in this position.

Because he is in charge of the Zhongche Office, he has also read these secret documents. The Liu Liu Wenxuan on it has a poor family background. Although his talent is not bad, even his food and clothing are shabby.

But Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao is deep in heart, and without sufficient certainty and necessity, he will not easily move the Military Governor of the Capital Camp who controls the defense of the Love Shenjing.

If you want to get solid evidence, it is also easy. That Liu Liu Wenxuan is just a weak scholar. What will he not recruit under the three woods of the Pushiyuan?

Guo Lin, who was standing on the side, shivered. Seeing the secret document spread out in front of the Emperor, he probably understood why the Emperor was angry.

A military general actually dared to incite public opinion, collude with the Censorate, and interfere with the selection of the top scholar in a provincial preliminary exam.

Are all these just coincidences?

Throughout history, monarchs have been most wary of military generals harboring private thoughts and bewitching the government.

After being funded by the Zhang family, a noble family in Deqing Prefecture, he had the financial resources to travel to the Love Shenjing, worship a good teacher, and make progress in his studies, and then he passed two levels and entered the Yongzhou preliminary exam.

It is hard to believe that the Wang family didn't play a role behind this.

For Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao, the event of reporting and dismissing the preliminary exam top scholar is an excellent opportunity.

The uniqueness of the top scholar Jia Cong's background can allow Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao to push this matter to the result he wants most.

As for this top scholar Jia Cong, he has a bit more sympathy. Jia Cong's disaster today is eight out of ten because he defended his birth mother, but this point is very much in Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's heart.

This time, the Zhongche Office also presented a third secret document. This one was not ordered by Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao in advance, but it recorded the secret affairs of Censor Chen Chen Minyan.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao glanced at this secret document and knew that this old thing Guo Lin, seeing that he transferred Chen Chen Minyan's files from the Ministry of Personnel, dared to guess the Emperor's will and took out the relevant secret documents of the Zhongche Office.

He glared at Guo Lin fiercely: "If you dare to guess and act privately next time, I will break your dog legs!"

Guo Lin was so scared that he knelt down: "The Emperor forgives me, the old slave dare not guess the Emperor's heart."

"It's just that I saw the Emperor using Chen Chen Minyan's Ministry of Personnel files, so the old slave went to turn over the old volumes of the Zhongche Office and felt it was useful, so I presented it together. I will never dare to do it next time."

"Humph!"

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao looked at the third secret document and asked sharply: "Are the records on this true!"

Guo Lin trembled and replied: "Returning to the Emperor, the records on this are all facts, and they are not private secrets. You can know by asking someone."

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao threw the secret document in his hand on the desk with some exhaustion and sneered: "Truly monsters and demons, people's hearts are unpredictable!"

This secret document recorded that Chen Chen Minyan was originally a judge in Dezhou Prefecture, and was promoted to Censor of Yongzhou Circuit because he was valued by Vice Censor-in-Chief Liu Liu Yuqing.

This person regarded Liu Liu Yuqing as his benefactor and always followed Liu Liu Yuqing's lead.

This secret document also had a beautiful and strong brush note: Liu Liu Yuqing's wife, Lady Dong, and Wang Ziteng's wife, Lady Zhang, were aunt-niece cousins and had always been in contact.

The people who organized these secret documents in the Zhongche Office were very capable. Knowing Guo Lin's purpose in finding these secret documents, they marked the key points of several secret documents and even found connections to verify each other.

Otherwise, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao would not have seen the clues so quickly.

Although all this might be a coincidence and not solid evidence, are there really so many coincidences in the world?

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's face was as gloomy as if it could drip water. The mist that seemed to be intertwined behind the dismissal of the preliminary exam top scholar seemed to become clear all of a sudden.

"There are some figures in your Zhongche Office. These secret documents are done very meticulously."

Guo Lin had just been reprimanded by Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao and was still a bit frightened. Seeing the Emperor suddenly praise him again, his three souls and seven spirits returned half.

"The old slave thanks the Emperor for the praise. The old slave serves by the Emperor's side every day, and many things in the Zhongche Office cannot be done by the slave himself, so the slave also pays great attention to recruiting talents daily."

"The Zhongche Office is my eyes and ears. You do a good job, and I will not treat you badly."

"The slave obeys the decree and will definitely do a good job, not failing the Emperor's trust."

"You pass my oral edict, summon Ministry of Rites Left Vice Minister Guo Guo Youchang to enter the palace to report."

In the Lady Rongguo Manor, Liu Jing'an and Jia Cong finished the teacher-student ceremony and said goodbye to return to Mount Mount Luocang.

Jia Zheng, for his part, naturally had to prepare a respectable set of the six rites and tuition gifts for Jia Cong, selecting an auspicious day for Jia Cong to send them to Mount Mount Luocang.

Zhao Zhao Chongli went to visit friends, and Liu Jing'an got on the old servant's carriage.

The old servant looked back while driving, seeing Jia Zheng and Jia Cong still standing at the main gate to see them off.

The carriage traveled for more than half an hour before returning to Liu Jing'an's residence on Mount Mount Luocang.

"Old Song, you have accompanied Bi'er to be an official in the south for two years. Is everything well there?"

Two years ago, on the eve of Jia Cong's entry into Qingshan Academy, Liu Bi passed the 37th place in the second rank of the imperial examination in the 10th year of Emperor Jia Zhao and was selected as the magistrate of Gaochun County south of Jinling.

Old Song was a family servant who had followed Liu Jing'an since he was a child. He had followed him for half his life and was the person Liu Jing'an trusted most.

Because he was worried about his grandson being an official alone in the south, he let this trusted old servant follow him.

"The young master is very good there. He is honest and capable as an official, and everyone in the county office praises him."

"It's just that my old arms and legs are not up to the mark, and I can't stand the humidity in the south. My rheumatism has been acting up for these two years. The young master was afraid that my condition would worsen, so he insisted on urging me to come back."

Liu Jing'an smiled: "You have also passed the age of knowing fate. Your body is not as good as a young man's, so you must take good care of yourself. You have been a northerner since you were a child, and it is not a long-term plan to stay in the south for a long time."

Old Song looked left and right and said in a low voice: "Master, back then when I went to the south, I hadn't seen this Young Master Cong. Seeing his appearance today, I was truly shocked. He is too much like that person!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 106 =====