Chapter 635: The Shadowy Power Points to the Leader

Emperor Jia Zhao Year 15, 5th Month, 16th Day, heavy rain pouring, clouds dark and heavy.

The vast Love Shenjing City, like a crouching giant beast, was majestic and stern, filled with a suffocating atmosphere.

The major examination fraud case, after two days of fermentation, finally spread throughout the city, showing a boiling trend.

Nine successful candidates of this year and two failed candidates were implicated and imprisoned one after another. How many more students would be implicated, and to what extent the situation would rot, no one could predict.

The three hundred successful candidates of this year in Love Shenjing City were originally full of joy, waiting for the gold list to be posted.

In an instant, wind and rain surged, and their road to glory and honor was suddenly pressed with a pause button.

Three hundred successful candidates had to stay in the capital because they were waiting for the palace examination results to be posted, and there was no other way, but their inner fear and trembling were beyond words.

Before the metropolitan examination, because that blue-covered booklet circulated in the market, not only did it create a trend of officials being visited, but the contact and interaction between candidates taking the examination were also increased to the maximum extent.

Nine successful candidates had been implicated and imprisoned. Among the three hundred successful candidates, how many were acquaintances and contacts, and the entanglements and connections were even more complex.

Originally very noble and precious successful candidates, who could say that they were completely out of it, and no one could be sure whether the Court of Judicial Review's officers would come to them.

These proud sons of scholars who had stepped into the Hall of Supreme Harmony were now restless, sitting on pins and needles, and could not live a day in peace...

There were still a considerable number of failed candidates in Love Shenjing City. As long as they were candidates, they all had some wealth. They originally planned to live in Love Shenjing to study and accumulate contacts, preparing to make a comeback in the next spring examination.

Since the news of the examination fraud swept through the city, with discussions everywhere, it also put huge pressure on these failed candidates.

By logic, they should be able to stay out of the major fraud case, but this time, two failed candidates were implicated and imprisoned.

Before the metropolitan examination, officials who entered the blue-covered booklet were all visited and sought after by candidates, and these failed candidates were all involved to some extent.

Being implicated in the examination fraud case after failing the examination was not only bad luck but also becoming a laughingstock for others.

Therefore, at dawn this day, many failed candidates, braving the rain and mud, gathered at the four gates of Love Shenjing, waiting for the city gates to open, to flee this place of right and wrong early.

The Court of Judicial Review and the Three Judicial Offices were not completely unaware of the strange phenomenon of a large number of failed candidates leaving the capital.

But before the matter was exposed, even with the Court of Judicial Review's arrogance, they did not dare to stop over a thousand failed candidates from leaving the capital, otherwise, they would have no justification, and it would surely stir up a major event.

After the hour of Chen, as the four gates of Love Shenjing opened, countless failed candidates poured out of the city, fleeing the capital in a panic...

At the same time, in the imperial palace of the Great Zhou, three signal cannon shots echoed, and the drums boomed, opening the morning audience in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Hall of Supreme Harmony, on the dragon throne, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's face was gloomy.

At sunset yesterday, Zhou Zhou Junxing had submitted the progress of the fraud case investigation to the Emperor.

This included the confessions of eleven successful candidates and candidates, as well as the records of the Court of Judicial Review's interrogation and the Sun Dali Temple's hearing.

Although the suspects' confessions were different, the pulse of the fraud and taking shortcuts was true and clear, and it was difficult to refute.

Since Censor Sun Shou impeached the fraud in court, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao not only issued a decree for the Court of Judicial Review and the Sun Dali Temple to investigate the case.

At the same time, he ordered Guo Lin to command the Love Shenjing Zhongche Office to dispatch capable personnel to secretly probe information related to the fraud case.

Before the morning audience at the hour of Chen today, the Emperor received a secret memorandum from the Zhongche Office, which recorded:

Zhou Zhou Junxing seemed to have known about the fraud case beforehand, and the arrest of the suspects was exceptionally swift.

The root cause was suspected to be that Huang Huang Hongcang was poisoned and murdered before the spring examination, and the Court of Judicial Review was in charge of the matter, thus suspecting that there was a secret fraud in the spring examination and secretly starting an investigation.

It might be that the evidence was insufficient, so it was hidden and not released, until Sun Shou impeached on the 14th and the failed candidate Zhou Yan reported it, allowing the Court of Judicial Review to connect the cause and effect and act with lightning speed.

The Court of Judicial Review arrested more than ten suspected scholars, and although they used torture to force confessions, the words and evidence were solid, and there was corroborating evidence.

Except for the interrogation of the main culprit Wu Liang, which was handled by the Court of Judicial Review alone, the interrogation of the other ten suspects was heard by Yang Yang Hongbin of the Sun Dali Temple, and there was no objection...

This secret memorandum from the Zhongche Office gave Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao a clearer understanding of this examination fraud case from another angle.

He used Zhou Zhou Junxing as the Director of the Court of Judicial Review, originally using him as the Emperor's sharp blade, not for his clarity and impartiality, but for his cruelty and ruthlessness.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao knew very well that Zhou Zhou Junxing handled affairs fiercely and decisively, and could be called a capable official, but he was not a gentleman.

Knowing the opportunity beforehand, having no solid evidence, enduring and not releasing, waiting for the opportunity, and claiming credit to seek favor.

That Zhou Zhou Junxing would do such a thing did not make Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao feel surprised.

He would use a cruel official, so naturally, he would have his special considerations and trade-offs for his gloomy actions, as for whether he would settle accounts after the autumn, that was another matter...

The key point of this matter was not Zhou Zhou Junxing's means, but that the chief examiner Xu Xu Liangxiong and the involved scholars indeed had acts of fraud.

No matter how sinister and ruthless Zhou Zhou Junxing's means were, he absolutely did not have the ability to force a high-ranking Grade 3 official and more than ten palace examination candidates to commit fraud together.

Therefore, after receiving the secret memorandum from the Zhongche Office, the interrogation memorial submitted by the Court of Judicial Review was superimposed with corroborating evidence, and Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's anger became even more unstoppable.

Before the morning audience at the hour of Chen, he issued an oral decree in the Ganyang Palace, ordering the Embroidered Uniform Guard to arrest Xu Xu Liangxiong, who was confined at home, and immediately put him into the Sun Dali Temple prison to be tried by the Three Judicial Offices.

Since Censor Sun Shou impeached the examination fraud in court, Xu Xu Liangxiong, as the main culprit, had long been watched by everyone in the court and the public, and I don't know how many people were secretly paying attention to the movements of the Xu mansion.

At dawn today, the Embroidered Uniform Guard swarmed into the Xu mansion, and the dignified Grade 3 Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was pushed and shoved by the Embroidered Uniform Guard into a prison cart.

This explosive news spread quickly in the city, and many officials entering the court today learned of it through different channels.

Xu Xu Liangxiong was officially imprisoned for trial, indicating that this examination fraud case had reached a point of no return, and was nearing a final conclusion.

Although the matter had just happened, the main officials of each office had clearly grasped the context and direction of this matter.

Facing this trend, as people in the officialdom, whether to welcome the Emperor's will or for other purposes, they all had to make some reactions.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao arrested Xu Xu Liangxiong before the morning audience, which was probably his deep meaning.

When a monarch acts, he must not only have a famous teacher but also have the hundred officials speak in unison, crowding forward...

Once the officials attending the morning audience stood in line, they shouted "Long live" and finished the worship ceremony.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao said: "Guo Guo Youchang, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, I order you to re-examine the topics set by Xu Xu Liangxiong and the topics of the metropolitan examination to see if there is any suspicion of selling questions. Do you have a conclusion now!"

Guo Guo Youchang stepped out of the official ranks and said: "Your Majesty, after your subject received the imperial decree, I contacted the Court of Judicial Review that day and obtained the topics of Xu Xu Liangxiong transcribed from the confessions of the involved candidates.

The text is as follows: 'Covering the hearing, those who learn of the king's affairs, from the Three Emperors and Five Emperors to today, have not changed. However, ancient and modern times have different times, and emperors have different governance, and the world has ups and downs...'

The metropolitan examination policy essay topic set by Xu Xu Liangxiong was: 'Scholars study the classics, think deeply about governance, and finally bow to the king's affairs. From the beginning of the ancient emperors, it is the unchanging sage orthodoxy.

However, there are changes in the Spring and Autumn period, there are wise and foolish monarchs, the people are divided into rich and poor, the enemy chieftains are many and few, and the ministers are loyal and treacherous.

The sage orthodoxy cannot be changed, but the law of the time has no fixed theory. How can it govern the affairs of a hundred generations...'"

Guo Guo Youchang's words were spoken, and the court officials burst into a slight uproar.

The current Emperor was not cautious about Xu Xu Liangxiong's suspicion of selling questions, specifically letting Minister of the Ministry of Rites Guo Guo Youchang conduct the verification.

Minister of the Ministry of Rites Guo Guo Youchang was a Confucian master who could be counted in the world. The words he just said were logically rigorous and hit the nail on the head, making it difficult to question.

A group of civil officials participating in the morning audience were all successful candidates of the imperial examination and were old hands at metropolitan examination policy essay topics.

Hearing the content of the topics and the topics of the metropolitan examination he repeated, and his analysis and inference, they were all quite approving. Xu Xu Liangxiong's suspicion of selling questions had already been nailed down.

Sharp-minded officials among the officials thought of the day before the metropolitan examination, when Huang Huang Hongcang had an accident, and Xu Xu Liangxiong hurriedly succeeded as the chief examiner, taking charge of the responsibility of the metropolitan examination policy essay topics.

At that time, he only had one night to compile the metropolitan examination policy essay topics. With such a short time, wanting to compile excellent examination topics was quite difficult.

Xu Xu Liangxiong had a reputation for being arrogant and was a person who loved face very much. He probably couldn't think of a perfect theme in a short time.

Probably, the topics he had made before were his proud works, so he hurriedly borrowed the theme of the topics to formulate the metropolitan examination policy essay topics. The cause and effect were intertwined, and the sale of questions came into being...

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao on the dragon throne heard Guo Guo Youchang's words, and his face became even gloomier.

He said: "The spring examination is a grand ceremony of the state. Xu Xu Liangxiong, as the chief examiner, was negligent and light in his actions, causing the sale of questions and fraud to arise. I have entrusted the wrong person.

I order the Sun Dali Temple to strictly interrogate him, investigate every inch of responsibility, question his family and slaves, and see if there were any acts of bribery and flattery when candidates visited the Xu mansion. If there is solid evidence, combine all crimes and punish them strictly!"

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's words were stern, echoing in the wide Hall of Supreme Harmony, making the officials in the court feel a chill. They all understood in their hearts that the tone of this examination fraud case had been set, and the main culprit Xu Xu Liangxiong's crimes were already clear, his reputation ruined, and he would fall into an irredeemable state...

As soon as Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao finished speaking, Zuo Censor-in-Chief Zhou Zhou Xianyang stepped out to report: "Your Majesty, this examination fraud case has shocked the court and the public, terrified the scholars, and is truly harmful to the state.

The chief examiner Xu Xu Liangxiong colluded with candidates before the examination, causing the sale of questions and fraud to arise, and must be strictly punished.

However, the disaster is huge, the poison is spreading, and we must prevent it before it happens, trace the source, and prevent future worries.

Your subject heard that before the metropolitan examination, a blue-covered booklet circulated in the market of Love Shenjing, which detailed the candidates for the examination examiners. Candidates, because of this blue-covered booklet, then engaged in the trend of visiting officials.

Xu Xu Liangxiong was also listed in the blue-covered booklet, and the fraud arose from this. Your subject requests Your Majesty to issue a decree to strictly investigate the source of the blue-covered booklet and strictly punish those who confuse the public with evil words."

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao heard this, and his heart felt a slight chill. Before the metropolitan examination, he had learned from the routine secret memorandum of the Zhongche Office that a blue-covered booklet was circulating in the market.

But in every spring examination, before the examination, guessing the candidates for examiners in the market was a routine matter, so he did not feel surprised.

Now tracing the source, this blue-covered booklet was popular in the market, which stirred up such a storm. It had not been seen in previous spring examinations, and the strangeness in it made people ponder...

He said: "Zhou's words are reasonable. I order Zhou Zhou Junxing of the Court of Judicial Review to strictly investigate this matter and must arrest the originator to rectify the public's view!"

Zhou Zhou Junxing quickly stepped out to receive the decree, but he was complaining bitterly in his heart.

!

He had long ago investigated the matter of the blue-covered booklet, but the other party acted cleanly and left no trace.

Wang Wang Shien, the retired Director of the Ministry of Personnel's file department involved in this matter, had fled before the Court of Judicial Review came to arrest him, and there was no way to trace him...

Zhou Zhou Xianyang continued: "Although the blue-covered booklet stirred up cause and effect, the officials involved in this matter were clearly divided between good and bad.

For example, the chief examiners of the spring examination, Wang Liu Shilun and Chen Mo, held high positions and were listed as candidates for chief examiners, but when facing candidates swarming to visit, they closed their doors and refused to see guests, never colluding, their behavior clean and honest, which is commendable.

But like Xu Xu Liangxiong and others, many of the candidates for co-examiners and paper-reviewing officials were obsessed with seeking fame, happy to be flattered and visited by candidates.

They catered to the candidates who came to visit, drank and talked, did not know how to avoid suspicion, loved to be teachers, and gave guidance on topics, their virtue was flawed, and they harmed the clean name of the imperial court officials.

In this shape, their feelings were extravagant. As examiners, how could they still be diligent and dedicated, fair and selfless, and clear-sighted?"

As soon as Zhou Zhou Xianyang said this, the officials in the court changed color, and a sense of unease arose in their hearts. They were all among the co-examiners and paper-reviewing officials for this spring examination...

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao on the dragon throne had a stern face and was focused, listening intently to Zhou Zhou Xianyang's words.

Zhou Zhou Xianyang heard a slight commotion in the official ranks and subconsciously looked up slightly, seeing Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's contemplative and focused image, and felt a slight surge of excitement in his heart.

He continued: "In this spring examination fraud case, clues appeared before the examination. Censor Sun Shou, as a co-examiner for the metropolitan examination, held himself upright before the examination and never accepted visits from candidates..."

As soon as Zhou Zhou Xianyang said this, some officials in the court secretly sneered.

Sun Shou was only a Grade 7 censor and originally had no reputation in the court. He was just a sesame official, so he was not among the candidates in the blue-covered booklet.

If it weren't for Huang Huang Hongcang's special recommendation, he would never have been a co-examiner. Before the metropolitan examination, he probably didn't have any candidates visiting him. Zhou Zhou Xianyang was just raising the value of his subordinate officials.

Zhou Zhou Xianyang continued: "After the metropolitan examination closed, Sun Shou discovered clues while reviewing papers. Because the evidence was insufficient, he did not report based on hearsay, handling affairs cautiously and steadily.

After the paper review closed, Sun Shou secretly investigated. After confirming the matter, he did not hesitate to impeach the successful candidates of his own chamber, just to clear the spring examination.

On the contrary, dozens of other officials who were co-examiners and paper-reviewing officials of the eighteen chambers, whose talent and wisdom were no less than Sun Shou's,

must have heard of the various strange movements of the candidates before the examination. However, during the paper review process, they did not notice the hidden signs of fraud and taking shortcuts.

This was a relaxation of virtue before the matter, and a loss of normal behavior during the matter, which was difficult to excuse as a dereliction of duty in the spring examination, causing a filthy trend to breed in the grand ceremony of the imperial examination.

Your subject requests Your Majesty to strictly investigate the act of candidates flattering examiners before the examination, and if there are acts of bribery and secret collusion, strictly punish them.

Rectify the discipline, serve as a warning to others, and clear the atmosphere of the imperial examination, so as not to let this evil wind leave endless poison."

As soon as Zhou Zhou Xianyang said this, the court was in an uproar again.

The co-examiners and paper-reviewing officials for this metropolitan examination included more than a dozen officials of Grade 5 and above, all of whom were in the morning audience.

Zhou Zhou Xianyang's words were clearly aimed at them. These people were all among the candidates in the blue-covered booklet before the examination. How many of them had not been visited and flattered by candidates?

As soon as Zhou Zhou Xianyang finished speaking, their faces looked ugly, and many of them looked indignant, quite dissatisfied.

But no one dared to refute in court. Jumping out at this juncture, showing their faces, and attracting attention was no different from admitting their guilt.

The Ministry of Rites' discipline officials patrolled back and forth to stop it, and the noise slowly subsided.

And in the court, there were more officials who had not been spring examination subordinate officials. Although they could stay out of it, hearing Zhou Zhou Xianyang's words, they all felt a sense of sorrow.

This examination fraud case was triggered by the impeachment of Censor Sun Shou in court. Now that the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate had spoken again with resounding words, it seemed that the fraud case was going to become even more intense...

But the sharp and experienced officials in the court guessed that Zhou Zhou Xianyang's words were just the position and attitude expressed by the Censorate after observing the wind and situation.

Initially, Censor Sun Shou suddenly exposed the metropolitan examination fraud case in court, which even his superiors, Left Censor-in-Chief Zhou Zhou Xianyang and Vice Censor-in-Chief Liu Liu Yuqing, did not expect.

They knew very well that examination fraud involved many people and was dangerous and unpredictable. Without knowing the root cause, they did not dare to easily get involved.

Even though Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao was furious in court, Xu Xu Liangxiong defended himself in court, and the Emperor issued a decree for the Court of Judicial Review and the Sun Dali Temple to strictly investigate, Zhou Zhou Xianyang and Liu Liu Yuqing did not say a word or express an attitude.

After the officials rested for a day yesterday, the situation in Love Shenjing City changed greatly, and more than ten successful candidates were imprisoned, and the fraud case had become a fire burning the sky.

By the time of the morning audience today, Guo Guo Youchang had analyzed the ins and outs of Xu Xu Liangxiong's selling of questions in court, and Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao ordered the Court of Judicial Review and the Sun Dali Temple to strictly interrogate Xu Xu Liangxiong.

Zhou Zhou Xianyang and Liu Liu Yuqing knew that the fraud had become an iron case, and Zhou Zhou Xianyang, as Sun Shou's superior and the head of the Censorate, naturally had to make up for the attitude he had not expressed before.

This was to show his uprightness, maintain discipline, support the right path, hate evil, and show the Emperor that the Censorate did not just have one Sun Shou...

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao heard Zhou Zhou Xianyang's words, and the expression on his face was uncertain. He had been on the throne for more than ten years and had seen many ghosts and monsters in the court, as well as the routines and means of the officialdom.

To say that Zhou Zhou Xianyang's words were entirely out of public interest would be too ridiculous.

However, Zhou Zhou Xianyang's words were not groundless and made a lot of sense.

He looked at the officials in the hall, those who had been spring examination subordinate officials, some pale, some terrified, some lost in thought, their ugly faces different, and his heart felt cold.

The grand ceremony of the spring examination was originally a clean and cautious grand ceremony of the state, but there were spring examination officials who were negligent and light, arrogant and wild, not knowing how to guard themselves, not knowing how to restrain themselves, treating state affairs like a child's play!

If this wind is not killed, state affairs will not be peaceful. If mistakes are not corrected, the law will not be spread...

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's sharp gaze surveyed the officials in the hall.

He said: "I approve of the Censorate's memorial. I order the Court of Judicial Review and the Sun Dali Temple to strictly investigate the acts of spring examination subordinate officials colluding with candidates. If there are acts of loss of virtue and rules, or bribery and fraud, do not be lenient.

The Ministry of Personnel shall, according to the results of the investigation, formulate a plan for the disposal of officials according to the regulations of the Ministry of Personnel's official evaluation, and submit it to the Emperor for a decision."

As soon as the Emperor's oral decree was issued, the hundred officials in the hall felt a chill. This examination fraud case was gradually becoming a fire burning the camp, and I don't know how many spring examination subordinate officials were going to fall...

Zhou Zhou Junxing, standing in the official ranks, felt uncomfortable hearing Left Censor-in-Chief Zhou Zhou Xianyang's memorial.

Censor Sun Shou impeached in court and exposed the spring examination fraud case.

At that time, Zhou Zhou Junxing was still fortunate, because Sun Shou exposed this matter before him, which could cover up many loopholes in his provocation.

Once Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's oral decree was issued, the officials in the hall felt a chill in their hearts. This major imperial examination fraud case was gradually becoming a fire burning through the camp, and I don't know how many spring examination officials would fall...

It was as if the exposure of the spring examination fraud case was entirely the work of the Censorate, and the Court of Judicial Review had become their follower and thug...

Fortunately, the Emperor still handed the investigation of the spring examination officials to the Court of Judicial Review and the Sun Dali Temple. The Sun Dali Temple had already lost the initiative at the beginning of the matter.

The official future of dozens of spring examination subordinate officials was now in the hands of the Court of Judicial Review, which made Zhou Zhou Junxing feel a sense of grim triumph.

Moreover, the matter of more than ten involved successful candidates and candidates was not over yet. Yesterday, the Sun Dali Temple set an ambush at the city gate and had already arrested Lin Zhaohe.

Today, Lin Zhaohe would be transferred to the Court of Judicial Review to be interrogated in confrontation with Wu Liang. As long as Lin Zhaohe's fraud crime was determined, the dignified third place in the metropolitan examination would also fall.

At that time, the prestige of the Court of Judicial Review would surely make people talk about it with fear.

Even for Jia Cong, who was the first in the metropolitan examination, Zhou Zhou Junxing believed that as long as the investigation was meticulous, he could not be flawless...

After the morning audience was dismissed, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's imperial carriage walked slowly on the road to the Ganyang Palace.

At this time, the morning sun was rising, and the early summer sunlight was bright, shining all around, without any shadows or ghosts.

However, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's mood was gloomy and heavy, thinking of the heavy ugliness revealed in this fraud case at the morning audience today, and his heart was hard to calm down.

In the past few days, he had encountered troublesome things, and only Jia Cong's successful construction of the rear-loading gun was the only happy event that comforted him.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao said to Guo Lin, who was serving beside him: "Today at the hour of Shen (3:00–5:00 PM), summon Jia Cong to the palace. I want to consult him about the rear-loading gun..." (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 636 =====

At this time, the sun was high, and the early summer sunlight was bright, shining all around, without any shadows or demons.

But Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's mood was gloomy and heavy. Thinking of the various ugly scenes revealed in this fraud case during the morning court session today, he felt indescribably irritable.

These past few days, everything he encountered was annoying, and only Jia Cong's successful creation of the rear-loading rifle was the only happy event that comforted him.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao said to Guo Lin, who was serving by his side: "At the Shen hour today, summon Jia Cong to the palace. I want to consult him about the rear-loading rifle..." (End of chapter)