Chapter 630

Da Zhou Imperial Palace, Meridian Gate.

The east gradually brightened; the golden-red morning glow pierced through the clouds, like a rising tide—slow yet swift—spilling over the thousands of palace halls.

Beneath the gloomy tower of the Meridian Gate, the light was ignited in an almost instantaneous flash.

At this moment, three cannon shots rang out from within the gate, followed immediately by the booming of the morning drums for the Chen hour.

The two massive vermilion gates of the Meridian Gate, studded with bowl-sized copper nails, rumbled open in the morning light.

The officials who had long been waiting outside the Meridian Gate for the morning audience lined up in succession, passed through the gate, and headed toward the Fengtian Hall.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao was the most diligent ruler among all the monarchs in Da Zhou history.

Back when the Retired Emperor, Emperor Yong'an, was on the throne, holding a morning audience every three days was already considered the mark of a diligent monarch.

After Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao ascended the throne, he changed it to a daily audience, with one day of rest every five days—a practice that had remained unchanged for fifteen years through wind and rain.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao had ascended the throne through an extraordinary turn of events, involving bloody struggles and the purging of old evils; even now, there were still whispers of those dark clouds.

Yet, in his dozen or so years on the throne, he had exhausted his efforts and governed diligently; whether in the court or among the people, whether among his supporters or his detractors, he was either universally praised or beyond reproach.

During the Emperor Jia Zhao reign, Da Zhou's national strength was stable and the people lived in contentment, a step further than the Yong'an reign.

This was also the important reason why, although the court and the public were in turmoil when Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao ascended the throne, Emperor Yong'an felt at ease handing over power and retiring to the deep palace after the Emperor had reigned for several years...

The daily morning audience began at the Chen hour and ended at the Si hour.

Officials attending the morning audience had to arrive outside the Meridian Gate by the Mao hour, which was equivalent to leaving home before dawn at 5:00 AM; being an official under Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao was truly an arduous task.

Once the officials lined up and entered the Fengtian Hall, the embroidered guards set up the ceremonial guard of honor, the musicians played their drums and instruments in unison, the Emperor's carriage ascended to the throne, and the hundred officials knelt and paid their respects.

After the civil and military officials took their positions, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao, wearing a black gauze winged cap with folded corners, dressed in a yellow robe with a round collar and narrow sleeves, a white jade belt with nine dragons, and black-soled court boots, stood tall.

He was full of vigor and imperial majesty, surveying the hundred officials, inquiring about governance, and listening to remonstrances.

At today's morning audience, the ministers submitted reports on public affairs, many of which were ongoing matters, such as the livelihood and taxes of the Ministry of Revenue, the river defense and construction of the Ministry of Works, the military training of the Ministry of War, and the selection and performance evaluation of officials by the Ministry of Personnel.

However, there were also many newly emerged issues, such as the military deployment in Datong and other areas along the Nine Frontiers, the looting and conflicts caused by the remnants of the Mongols outside the passes, the frequent occurrence of salt smuggling in the Huai regions, and the harassment by the Xihai barbarian kingdom on the western borders of Yunnan...

Because Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao governed very diligently and needed to hear about government affairs from a wider range of offices through the morning audience, he had revised the ranks of officials attending the morning audience based on the old system of the Yong'an reign.

It was changed to Grade 5 and above for capital officials, and Grade 4 and above for officials from the provinces entering the capital; without special permission, all were required to attend the morning audience to participate in government affairs.

However, the censors of the Censorate, whose duty was to submit reports based on hearsay, were not subject to this restriction; as long as the thirteen circuit supervisory censors of the Censorate reached Grade 7, they could attend the morning audience to listen to government affairs.

Sun Shouzhen, for example, was originally a Grade 7 censor of the Yongzhou Circuit of the Censorate, a bottom-tier role among censors, and naturally had no qualifications to attend the morning audience; even if he wanted to submit an impeachment, he had to go through the Office of Transmission to be presented to the Emperor.

Last year, he impeached Jia Zheng for clinging to the Rongxi Hall, which violated ancestral laws and rituals, and he was highly regarded and rewarded by Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao, who promoted him from Grade 7 to a Grade 7 censor.

This gave Sun Shouzhen the qualification to attend the morning audience, which for a civil official was a situation that opened up a new world for his career, and at the time, it made many low-ranking civil officials envious.

The morning audience lasted for nearly an hour, and the officials of each ministry followed procedures when submitting their reports.

First were the chief officials of the Six Ministries, who were Grade 1 and Grade 2; they listened to government affairs if there was nothing to report, and submitted reports if there were matters to address.

After the chief officials of the ministries reported, it was the turn of officials below Grade 3 to submit their reports to the court.

During the process of the officials' reports, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao would often provide commentary on the spot and issue decrees on how to handle matters; his thinking was clear and his handling of affairs was decisive, which was quite impressive.

After the secondary officials of each office reported, the officials of Grade 4 and below submitted their reports one after another.

Zhou Junxing, as the Grade 4 Director of the Court of Judicature, took a memorial out of his sleeve with his right hand and began to show signs of eagerness.

The officials standing near Zhou Junxing, seeing his demeanor, could not help but feel a sense of vigilance in their hearts.

Zhou Junxing of the Court of Judicature had a reputation as a cruel official that was notorious throughout the court and the public; whenever he had a memorial to submit, it was mostly about dangerous matters, and today, not knowing which official was about to be unlucky, everyone felt a sense of trepidation.

Zhou Junxing pondered for a moment, weighed the disadvantages slightly, and was certain that this matter would bring him more benefits than harm.

At this moment, the previous Director of the Ministry of Works had just finished reporting on the Yellow River flooding, and Zhou Junxing stepped out with his left leg, his spirit sharp, about to step out of the ranks to report a shocking major event.

Suddenly, he heard someone in the ranks behind him say resolutely: "Your subject, Sun Shouzhen, Censor of the Yongzhou Circuit of the Censorate, has a memorial to impeach!"

This voice was clear, upright, and stern, containing a hidden sense of indignation and sharpness, which caused Zhou Junxing to tremble slightly upon hearing it, and he subconsciously withdrew the step he had taken.

Zhou Junxing, as the Director of the Court of Judicature, was the claw and tooth of the current Emperor, handling dark and ruthless cases; identifying people and discerning matters was his prominent instinct.

He only turned his head to look, and he knew who had just submitted the report.

Years ago, when his son Zhou Zian's results were posted for the provincial examination, he had used slanderous words to frame the top scholar of that session, Jia Cong, and was impeached and severely punished by several censors of the Censorate on the spot.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao, pressured by the situation, issued a decree to strip Zhou Zian of his status as a student and forbade him from participating in the imperial examinations for three years.

Because of this, Zhou Junxing harbored deep resentment toward Jia Cong, but Jia Cong was highly regarded by Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao, so Zhou Junxing did not dare to easily provoke him.

However, he paid extra attention to the people and matters related to him, just in case he could find some handle or mistake...

Zhou Junxing was naturally familiar with the Censor Sun Shouzhen who had just spoken loudly, because this person had made his fortune by impeaching Jia Cong's uncle, Jia Zheng.

Zhou Junxing knew that the Censor of the Yongzhou Circuit, Sun Shouzhen, was a thorny character even among a group of foul-mouthed censors.

Last time, the legitimate son of the Duke of Rongguo had only lived in the main hall of his home for a few more days, and he had made a mountain out of a molehill and impeached him, leading many officials to follow suit, leaving the Duke of Rongguo's mansion in a sorry state.

Now, with this expression, he was impeaching someone in court again; not knowing which official was about to be unlucky...

Zhou Junxing suddenly thought that Sun Shouzhen had been recommended by the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Huang Hongcang, and this time he happened to be serving as a co-examiner for the metropolitan and palace examinations, making him a person closely related to this spring examination.

Thinking of this, his heart could not help but jump, and a premonition seemed to emerge faintly.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao had heard the reports from officials of Grade 4 and above and thought that this morning audience was nearing its end, when he saw a person walk out from the end of the official ranks, wanting to impeach someone in court.

When he heard the name Sun Shouzhen, he remembered the matter of Jia Zheng clinging to the Rongxi Hall; this Sun Shouzhen was upright and dared to speak, having once voiced the words in his heart, speaking up for the new nobles against the old nobility.

For such a minister, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao had a certain degree of appreciation, and he said warmly: "Proceed with the report."

Sun Shouzhen heard Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao specifically speak to hear his report, his voice stern and gentle, seemingly containing encouragement, and his heart could not help but surge, his expression becoming even more impassioned.

He said: "Your subject is a co-examiner for this session's metropolitan examination. When reviewing the transcripts of the metropolitan examination, I discovered that one candidate's policy essay was outstanding, so I selected him for the top ranks of my room.

By the day the results of the metropolitan examination were posted, because it was related to the previous matter, I felt confused. After private investigation, all matters could prove the doubts. The ritual of the spring examination of the country actually gave rise to filthy matters..."

Sun Shouzhen's words were impassioned, and his indignation was evident in his expression. By the time he finished speaking, many officials attending the morning audience had turned pale with fright.

Because Sun Shouzhen mentioned the filth of the spring examination in his words, everyone could hear what that meant. These officials trembled in their hearts, realizing that a major event was about to happen at today's morning audience!

Zhou Junxing, who was in the ranks, did not feel annoyed at having his thunder stolen upon hearing this; instead, he felt a burst of ecstasy and stuffed the memorial he was holding in his hand back into his sleeve.

Only then did he hear Sun Shouzhen say loudly: "Your subject impeaches the chief examiner of this session's metropolitan examination, Xu Liangxiong, for colluding with the candidate from Hangzhou Prefecture, Wu Liang, to engage in the sale of examination questions and fraud, stealing academic honors for him.

The spring metropolitan examination is a grand ceremony for the selection of talent for the country, the lifelong hope of scholars all over the world, and a major event for Your Majesty to govern the world. How can it be allowed to be tarnished by dark and evil acts!

Your subject implores Your Majesty to strictly investigate this matter, clear up the imperial examinations, punish those who violate the law, and rectify the public's hearing!

Your subject has already written a memorial detailing all the reasons for this matter, and requests Your Majesty to review it!"

As soon as Sun Shouzhen said this, the court was in an uproar.

The officials who could stand in the ranks for the morning audience, except for the censors of the various circuits of the Censorate, were all officials of Grade 5 and above, people who were successful in their official careers, and none of them lacked depth or insight.

Everyone knew deep down that in every dynasty, imperial examination fraud was something monarchs detested, and it would surely shock the court and the public, stirring up huge waves every time.

Any official or scholar involved would fall into an irredeemable situation, their future destroyed, their lives worse than death, and their end would be tragic.

At this moment, the Left Censor-in-Chief Zhou Xianyang and Vice Censor-in-Chief Liu Yuqing, who were in the front row of the Censorate ranks, were both shocked, never expecting that a subordinate censor would actually impeach such a major event in court.

If it were any other matter, they would surely harbor resentment toward this subordinate in their hearts; to impeach such a major event without even greeting their superiors beforehand. But today, regarding the matter Sun Shouzhen impeached, they had not heard a single word beforehand, yet the two of them did not blame him at all, and were even somewhat fortunate.

Although supervisory censors made their living by submitting reports based on hearsay, matters were divided into large and small, heavy and light, and censors were not without taboos; every word and action also concerned their official career, future, and life.

Zhou Xianyang, Liu Yuqing, and others who could reach the position of Censor-in-Chief were even more profound in their depth and well-versed in the sense of proportion.

They all knew deep down that the selection of talent through imperial examinations was the foundation of the imperial court and was watched by scholars and people all over the world.

Once the matter of imperial examination fraud was stirred up, whether it was the person who committed the fraud or the person who exposed it, they would fall into a tide of unpredictable risks; naturally, one should stay as far away from such matters as possible.

Before Sun Shouzhen impeached this, he did not inform them beforehand, which for them was exactly what they wanted, and they could use this reason to stay out of it.

Moreover, after the last impeachment of Jia Zheng, this low-ranking censor Sun Shouzhen began to enter their field of vision.

After many observations, they all knew that compared to other censors, Sun Shouzhen's words and actions were quite different, and he was not the kind of person who spoke recklessly.

Although this person strictly adhered to rituals, he was upright and rigorous in handling affairs; if he dared to report a major fraud case in court, he must have obtained solid evidence and it must be true.

Since that was the case, Zhou Xianyang, Liu Yuqing, and others would be even more inclined to wait and see, and would not easily get involved.

!

In the court, there were not a few ministers who had the same thoughts as Zhou Xianyang and Liu Yuqing.

They all knew that Sun Shouzhen was a co-examiner for this session's spring examination, and as a person who participated in the spring examination, he naturally knew the inside story very well.

The candidate Wu Liang was the candidate from his own room who made the list; if it were not true, he would absolutely not tear down his own stage.

Therefore, just after Sun Shouzhen finished speaking, in a short moment, many sharp-minded officials in the court were certain in their hearts that Xu Liangxiong's fraud was mostly true!

The eyes of all the officials turned to Xu Liangxiong...

Wang Shilun and Chen Mo, who were standing at the very front of the ranks, looked at Xu Liangxiong, who was also a chief examiner for this spring examination, their eyes revealing shock, confusion, and a gradually rising coldness...

At this moment, Xu Liangxiong's face was pale, as if struck by lightning; he never dreamed that he would be impeached in court for selling examination questions and fraud!

This session's spring examination was full of waves; Huang Hongcang was suddenly murdered and poisoned the day before the metropolitan examination, and only then did he have the opportunity to accidentally succeed as the chief examiner for the spring examination.

This was originally an accidental joy, but now it had become a disaster from heaven.

If he were tainted with the matter of imperial examination fraud and could not clear his name, he feared that in an instant, his reputation would be ruined, his career destroyed, and he would be irredeemable!

A chill he had never felt before rose in his heart, and he even felt that his colleagues from the Ministry of Revenue standing beside him were consciously taking a few steps back, as if they could not avoid him fast enough.

He staggered out of the ranks and knelt down quickly under the jade steps of the dragon throne.

He shouted tremblingly: "Your Majesty, your subject has received imperial grace and was appointed as the chief examiner for the metropolitan examination. I only wish to sacrifice my life and go all out for imperial affairs, never having the slightest deviation, and even less daring to engage in fraud.

Sun Shouzhen is immoral and speaks recklessly, framing your subject. Your subject is wronged, I implore Your Majesty to see clearly!"

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao on the dragon throne had a cold face, and anger surged in his eyes.

Sun Shouzhen's impeachment just now had no warning beforehand, which also made Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao very surprised.

However, the reasoning that Zhou Xianyang, Liu Yuqing, and other ministers could think of, how could a person as profound in strategy as Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao not think of the key points?

At this moment, he seemed not to see Xu Liangxiong's excited control and self-defense, only looking at Sun Shouzhen, who was standing straight at the end of the ranks.

He said: "Present the memorial!"

Sun Shouzhen held the memorial high with both hands; because his official position was low, he stood at the end of the official ranks, far away from the jade steps and the dragon throne.

He walked across almost the entire hall, becoming the focus of attention for all the officials in the court.

Although he kept his head down due to the etiquette of the imperial presence, his back was straight, his steps were steady, and he radiated a desperate and fierce spirit, making everyone in the court feel solemn!

He walked for a moment before reaching the bottom of the jade steps, and Guo Lin took the memorial and presented it to Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao unfolded the memorial, which detailed the matter of the Xiao family bookstore, the obscure connection between Wu Liang and Xu Liangxiong, and how Wu Liang's policy essay closely followed the main theme of "Tui Si Ji"...

All the reasons were described in detail and were shocking; although there were some speculative words, with Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's wisdom, he was certain that seven or eight out of ten things in the memorial must be true!

He looked at Xu Liangxiong, who was kneeling under the jade steps, his eyes flashing with sharp light, already faintly revealing a chilling murderous intent...

The imperial court governs the world and needs talented people to assist it; the imperial examination selects the virtuous, which is a matter of the country; imperial examination fraud has always been hated by monarchs.

The candidates for the palace examination are the Emperor's students; to actually be fake goods who muddled through by fraud is no different from fooling the Emperor's hearing, a great humiliation for a monarch!

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's voice was cold, and he said: "The imperial examination is a major event for the country. Now that a minister has reported an act of fraud, it must not be ignored, so as not to chill the hearts of scholars all over the world.

Xu Liangxiong, what do you have to say!"

Because the incident happened suddenly, Xu Liangxiong was still confused at this time, and although Sun Shouzhen impeached the fraud in court, he did not detail the specifics, only mentioning that all matters were recorded in the memorial.

So even if Xu Liangxiong wanted to refute and defend himself, he had no way to start, only shouting that he was wronged to Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao, and using clichés like "Your Majesty, see clearly," which seemed somewhat pale and powerless.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao said coldly: "

This matter will be investigated by Zhou Junxing, Director of the Court of Judicature, and Wei Guanyao, Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, will send officers to assist in the investigation. Once solid evidence is found, it will be handed over to the Three Judicial Offices for trial. Those involved in the fraud will be strictly punished according to the law!

Guo Youchang, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, seal the list of palace examination results. Wait until the truth of the fraud is clarified, then decide accordingly and announce it separately.

In addition, according to what is said in the Censorate's impeachment memorial, re-examine the questions proposed by Xu Liangxiong and the questions made for the metropolitan examination to see if there is any suspicion of selling questions."

Since among the candidates for the palace examination, some had advanced through fraud, the originally scheduled palace examination list naturally invited questioning, and sealing it and delaying it was unavoidable.

The Emperor's voice carried a majesty that devoured people's hearts, circling in the hall and not dispersing, making people shudder.

Guo Youchang, Wei Guanyao, and Zhou Junxing each stepped out of the ranks to receive the decree.

The ministers in the court all looked at Xu Liangxiong, all having the same thought in their hearts: this Grade 3 Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, I fear, will find it difficult to turn things around.

Xu Liangxiong, kneeling before the jade steps, heard Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's oral decree and felt his whole body go cold...

He still wanted to speak to defend himself, but only heard the cold voice of the Emperor coming from the throne above his head: "Dismiss the court!"

As Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao left, the ministers withdrew from the hall in ranks, while Xu Liangxiong's body shook like chaff, still kneeling under the jade steps.

The officials passing by him seemed not to see his existence, and no one stepped forward to offer words of comfort; the former Grade 3 high official of the Ministry of Revenue seemed to be abandoned by everyone in an instant.

Chen Mo, Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, looked at the dejected Xu Liangxiong, lowered his eyes, and walked slowly out of the hall with his back slightly hunched.

Wang Shilun, who was following him, looked at Xu Liangxiong and sighed slightly in his heart, thinking of Chen Mo's evaluation of Xu Liangxiong before the Meridian Gate last night: impetuous and impatient, lacking grandeur and uprightness, not worth plotting with.

It must be that Xu Liangxiong showed negligence in his words and actions during the metropolitan examination, lost his way, and was caught by someone; if he were truly flawless, he probably would not have today's incident...

Zhou Junxing and Wei Guanyao went through the motions of official business, exchanged a few words, went their separate ways, and left.

When he was about to walk out of the hall, he turned his head to look at Xu Liangxiong, who was still kneeling, and a gloomy smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

He was the only person in the entire court who knew the whole truth of the matter, and the pleasure of manipulating cause and effect made him very intoxicated.

Originally, he wanted to report the fraud in court, and he had also weighed the pros and cons; although this move could win full credit for the Court of Judicature.

But once he submitted the report, he had to use Zhou Yan's confession; given his special relationship with Zhou Yan, he would inevitably be suspected, and the risks involved were unknown.

Because Zhou Yan came from the same clan as him and was his distant nephew, as long as Zhou Yan stepped onto the stage, it would be difficult to hide this relationship from others.

But he did not expect that just as he was about to make a desperate report in court, the Censor Sun Shouzhen would steal the show and be the first to uncover the major fraud case.

Not only did he bear the huge tide and pressure for him, but he also made him interrupt his report in time, putting him in a more favorable position.

The final development of the matter also went according to his prior expectations, with Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao handing the case to the Court of Judicature for investigation, which was exactly what he wanted.

As long as the Court of Judicature announced the investigation of this case, Zhou Yan, as a failed candidate for this session, reporting the fraud out of righteous indignation, would become a matter of course.

His special relationship with Zhou Yan would naturally be downplayed as much as possible...

From the moment that blue-covered booklet appeared, he had been working on this matter, and the name of the Court of Judicature would surely become notorious in the court and the public again because of this case!

Now the only thing he needed to consider was that Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao let the Court of Judicial Review assist in the investigation of this case, and the Court of Judicature was thus completely in control of the initiative...

(End of chapter)