Chapter 638: The Situation of Attack and Defense Changes

Da Zhou Imperial Palace, Qianyang Palace.

Jia Cong's words were neither biased nor partial, and were fully reasoned, full of meticulous and measured persuasiveness.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's originally furious and angry expression, like a surging tide, gradually faded from his face.

Wei Guanyao, standing to the side, felt secretly surprised and admired after hearing Jia Cong's words.

He remembered the major case of the Water Supervision Office in Jinling years ago, when Jia Cong assisted Prince Ning in solving the case. At that time, Wei Guanyao thought Jia Cong just happened to be there and had some luck.

Two years later, the Jinling Guard Commander Zhou Zhengyang's incident occurred, and the Justice of the Court of Judicial Review Yang Hongbin went to Jinling to arrest him, but he had heard the news and fled in advance, causing the case to fall into a deadlock.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao did not draw personnel from the three judicial offices to go to Jinling to assist Yang Hongbin in arresting Zhou Zhengyang, but sent Jia Cong, who was outside the three judicial offices, to take charge of the case.

At that time, Wei Guanyao had slight complaints in his heart about Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's move.

The dignified three judicial offices were full of talents, but the Emperor turned a blind eye and sent a young noble to take on the heavy responsibility, which inevitably made the three judicial offices lose face.

It wasn't until Jia Cong went to Jinling for less than two months and successfully solved the major case of the Jinling Guard that Wei Guanyao began to look at him with new eyes.

But it was limited to this, because Wei Guanyao and Jia Cong had no official dealings, let alone personal friendship. Although he knew he had considerable investigative talent, he did not know the specifics, nor had he witnessed it.

Now seeing that he did not participate in the investigation of the fraud case, but just listened to his own briefing, he could make a meticulous analysis based on these few words.

The thinking was sharp, the insights were new, and it was thought-provoking. He could keenly perceive the details that others ignored and dig out the suspicious points.

This kind of outstanding talent was indeed amazing, and it was no wonder the Emperor esteemed him so highly.

Just now, in front of the Emperor, his expression seemed fair, and he didn't mention Zhou Junxing in a single word.

However, the tone was deeply hidden with sharpness, and the criticism of the Investigation Office's fierce torture methods was contained but not revealed. It was obvious that at such a young age, his city and heart were already seasoned. The younger generation is to be feared!

……

Wei Guanyao saw that as soon as Jia Cong finished speaking, the Emperor's fury quickly faded, as if Jia Cong's words were exactly what the Emperor was thinking.

Wei Guanyao had some realization in his heart. As the head of the Court of Judicial Review, how could he be an ordinary person? How could he not detect the color of it?

He even thought about whether Jia Cong was speculating on the Emperor's heart, which was why he had these words just now. If it was really like this, the young man's wit and strategy were a bit terrifying...

Moreover, as the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Wei Guanyao had seen too many major cases and had rich experience.

Just as Jia Cong said, the main culprit of the fraud case, Wu Liang, would rather commit suicide than falsely testify that Lin Zhao committed fraud, which was enough to show that the testimony of Lin Zhao's fraud was far-fetched and difficult to conclude.

Moreover, for this major fraud case, the Emperor let the Investigation Office take the lead and the Court of Judicial Review assist. The dignified three judicial offices had to submit to the cruel officials of the internal office, which really lost decorum and face.

Although there was the intention of the Emperor's prominent imperial power to use the Investigation Office to balance the officials of the offices, if this continued, the legal position of the three judicial offices would inevitably fall away.

Wei Guanyao, a chief official of the three judicial offices, had been immersed in the officialdom for half his life and knew the truth of the rise and fall of others, so his thoughts were deeper than others.

In the current situation, if the Investigation Office was allowed to make the fraud case big, Zhou Junxing would invite the Emperor's favor, his power would grow, and after the accumulation, the Investigation Office's deterrence and suppression of the officials would continue to worsen.

By that time, for Wei Guanyao, a high official of the three judicial offices, not only would his personal official career be extremely unfavorable, but with cruel officials in power, the majesty of the three judicial offices would be weakened, the court and the public would not be peaceful, and there would be endless troubles...

Just now, Jia Cong's words, although ostensibly analyzing the reasons and raising suspicious points about Lin Zhao's suspicion of fraud, were actually pointing at the Investigation Office's fierce actions.

Moreover, as soon as Jia Cong finished speaking, the Emperor's eyes and face eased, which showed that Jia Cong's words were highly recognized by the Emperor. Wei Guanyao naturally would not miss this favorable trend.

He said: "Your Majesty, Earl Weiyuan's words are pertinent and fair, and I deeply agree. Lin Zhao's suspicion of fraud has many suspicious points and cannot be rashly concluded.

Commissioner Zhou of the Investigation Office used excessive torture, causing the case to fall into a deadlock. Since he took charge of the fraud case, his actions have been arrogant, leading to an urgent situation in the city and people being in a panic.

In these two days, a large number of candidates have fled the capital in panic, fearing that they would be involved in the fraud case. This move has triggered much discussion on the street, which really hurts the court's face."

……

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's face was gloomy as he said: "Zhou Junxing acted recklessly, causing the main culprit of the imperial examination fraud case to die, creating complications, and failing my expectations.

From today on, the imperial examination fraud case will be transferred to the Court of Judicial Review. All interrogations and detentions will be under the jurisdiction of the Court of Judicial Review, and the Investigation Office will assist.

The suspect Lin Zhao will be temporarily detained in the Court of Judicial Review prison and reviewed according to the established laws of the three judicial offices. Do not wrong or let go, be upright and fair, and distinguish clear from turbid.

The main culprit Xu Liangxiong, as the chief examiner, committed the crime of dereliction of duty and selling questions, disturbing the clarity of the imperial examination. The crime is one degree heavier. The Court of Judicial Review should intensify the interrogation and bring the case to a close as soon as possible.

For all other culprits, their signed confessions will be reviewed and convicted by the Court of Judicial Review. If there is any further involvement, be sure to think carefully and investigate clearly, so as not to involve the innocent...

The impeachment by the Censorate regarding the conduct of the spring examination officials will be investigated and collected by the Investigation Office, and reviewed and presided over by the Court of Judicial Review. If there is any misconduct, greed, or bribery, it will never be tolerated, so as to clear the official administration..."

Guo Lin, who was attending to his side, silently recorded Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's oral decree, which would be recorded by the writing eunuch, drafted into an imperial edict, and issued to the relevant offices.

Wei Guanyao hurriedly bowed to receive the decree, but his heart was half happy and half worried.

Just now, he followed Jia Cong's words and style, used force to strike, and stated that Zhou Junxing's handling of the major fraud case was out of order and caused many complications, and he could not shirk the responsibility.

In view of the current situation, the Emperor deprived the Investigation Office of the right to preside over the fraud case, and the Court of Judicial Review finally regained the initiative.

Moreover, the main culprit of the fraud, Wu Liang, committed suicide, causing the situation to turn sharply downward, and the investigation and conclusion of the case fell into a passive position. The Emperor had become vigilant to prevent the involvement from spreading...

However, although the Emperor criticized Zhou Junxing, he clearly would not give up this sharp blade, and still let him investigate the conduct of the spring examination officials.

Wei Guanyao felt a slight chill in his heart. The three judicial offices and the Investigation Office were confronting each other in the dark. How could the Emperor, with his deep strategy, not notice?

His retreat and advance of Zhou Junxing's power all had deep meanings.

For the Emperor, the mutual balance between the three judicial offices and the Investigation Office, with neither falling away, was what the Emperor hoped for most...

……

After Wei Guanyao left the palace with the decree, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao glanced at Jia Cong, who was still standing in the hall.

He said: "Your words just now were sharp and thoughtful, and quite insightful. You have been to Jinling twice and repeatedly broken major cases. I know you have investigative talent.

It is a pity that you are a candidate for this year's imperial examination, and I need to avoid suspicion regarding those related to the imperial examination. Otherwise, when this case first started, if I had let you be responsible for the investigation, perhaps there would not have been such complications."

Jia Cong bowed and said: "Your Majesty overpraises. Minister Wei of the Court of Judicial Review and Commissioner Zhou of the Investigation Office are both capable officials of the court. I am young and dare not compare."

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao smiled faintly upon hearing Jia Cong's words: "At your age, your words and actions are humble and upright, which is naturally good. But if a young man is too cautious, he will be afraid that his sharp spirit will be worn away and his twilight will come early."

Guo Lin, who was to the side, was slightly stunned upon hearing Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's words. The Emperor was a strict and introverted person, and he rarely said such friendly and joking words, even to the several princes.

This Jia Cong, although young, had outstanding talent, could handle affairs, and knew how to speak. It seemed that he was increasingly esteemed by the Emperor...

……

Shenjing City, East, Yuping Street, back alley.

In that quiet mansion at the end of the alley, two black-oiled gates isolated the noise of the city. The flowers and trees in the courtyard were sparse and lush. Under the bright sun of early summer, it revealed an irrepressible vitality and vigor.

A middle-aged man wearing convenient short brown clothes, with his sleeves slightly rolled up, sat at the stone table in the courtyard. He was still in the appearance of a leisurely flower farmer, with a flower hoe and water pot placed by his feet. On the table was a small red clay stove, with steam rising and tea fragrance overflowing.

At this time, a knock of varying lengths came from the tightly closed courtyard gate. The middle-aged man got up and opened the gate. Liu Wenxuan, the shopkeeper of the brocade silk shop, flashed into the courtyard with a solemn expression on his face.

He said: "Proprietor, I just received news that the main culprit of the spring examination fraud case, Wu Liang, committed suicide in the Investigation Office's torture chamber because he refused to falsely testify that Lin Zhao committed fraud!"

The middle-aged man, who had always had a peaceful expression, couldn't help but change his face upon hearing this. The teacup in his hand shook slightly, and a little tea splashed out.

He asked in a deep voice: "Is the news reliable?"

Liu Wenxuan said: "We have eyes and ears near the Investigation Office. After noon, there was a commotion in the Investigation Office's office.

The Justice of the Court of Judicial Review Yang Hongbin left the Investigation Office with an angry face, and when he left, he took Lin Zhao away. Moreover, Lin Zhao was carried away on a stretcher, and he should have been severely tortured. Not long after, there were Investigation Office runners who went to the coffin shop to buy a coffin. Not long after, the coffin containing the corpse was moved to the righteous village in the east of the city for temporary storage.

Our people spent some silver to bribe the runners, inquired about the relevant matters, and went to the righteous village to check. The deceased was indeed Wu Liang, his skull was shattered, and he died from hitting a hard object."

The middle-aged man's expression was solemn as he said: "Wu Liang is the main culprit of the fraud case. He suddenly committed suicide, and this major case has lost its most important support. The situation will definitely change greatly. It is truly caught off guard!

After Wu Liang was imprisoned, he couldn't bear the torture not long after and confessed and signed. I thought this person was weak and had been completely controlled by the Investigation Office. I didn't expect him to have such blood and courage, which was unexpected...

You said Yang Hongbin left the Investigation Office in a rage. It is conceivable that it must be because Zhou Junxing's forced confession was too aggressive, which prompted Wu Liang to commit suicide in anger. Based on this alone, Zhou Junxing cannot escape the blame.

The Emperor wants to investigate his responsibility, and the development of the matter will deviate from our planning..."

……

Liu Wenxuan frowned and asked: "Proprietor, won't all our planning be in vain?"

The middle-aged man picked up the remaining half cup of tea and drank it slowly: "I once said that the spring examination is a major event for the country to select talents. Even the current Emperor cannot fully control it.

We just planted the cause. As for the result, it mostly depends on heaven's will. As for you saying that the planning is in vain, it is still too early to say.

Since Lin Zhao was involved and arrested, I let Shenglan walk around outside to pay attention to the trend of the situation. She will come back at the hour of the rooster every day to listen to any news, and then plan later."

!

After the middle-aged man finished speaking, the two were silent for a while. The middle-aged man took a new teacup, poured a cup of hot tea, and pushed it quietly to Liu Wenxuan.

Before there was new news, what they could do was wait patiently. The small courtyard returned to peace, and time passed silently...

Until the sun tilted slightly to the west, the sound of wind on the courtyard wall was rustling, and a tall and slender figure jumped over the wall.

The middle-aged man smiled and asked: "Shenglan is back. Is there any new movement outside?"

The tall woman sat down at the stone table and poured herself a cup of hot tea to quench her thirst, saying: "These days, because the Investigation Office has our eyes and ears, I have spent very little time there.

I walk around the streets every day. Because of this imperial examination fraud case, the Justice of the Court of Judicial Review Yang Hongbin is quite active, and I have paid much attention to the Court of Judicial Review office.

Half an hour ago, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Wei Guanyao suddenly returned to the office, and he and Yang Hongbin led more than ten prison carts directly to the Investigation Office office.

I was curious, so I followed all the way. Not long after Wei Guanyao and Yang Hongbin entered the Investigation Office office, they brought out more than ten prisoners from inside and escorted them back to the Court of Judicial Review in prison carts.

I saw clearly from the side that those prisoners were wearing Confucian clothes. Although they were damaged, they were undoubtedly scholars.

These prison carts walked on the street, attracting passersby to watch. Those who knew the bottom of it said that these prisoners were successful candidates and scholars who were involved in the prison because of Wu Liang's confession.

Proprietor, this situation is clearly the handover of prisoners between the two major offices."

……

The middle-aged man heard this, pondered slightly, and smiled: "The fraud case broke out. According to reason, it should be presided over and tried by the three judicial offices. This is the regular law.

But the current Emperor handed it over to the Investigation Office for trial. Wei Guanyao, as the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, is naturally unconvinced. Now that he has caught Zhou Junxing's handle, he naturally will not miss the opportunity.

I guess he must have entered the palace to impeach, and the Emperor must have punished Zhou Junxing, otherwise the Court of Judicial Review would not be so grandly escorting all the suspects in the fraud case away from the Investigation Office."

Liu Wenxuan said: "Proprietor, Wei Guanyao's official reputation is upright and strict, completely different from cruel officials like Zhou Junxing. The imperial examination fraud case is transferred to the Court of Judicial Review for trial.

The momentum will inevitably be much more restrained, which is very unfavorable to what we are planning."

The middle-aged man said: "What you said is correct. Wei Guanyao is an orthodox civil official. He focuses on the overall situation of the officialdom and whether the legal position of the three judicial offices is suppressed by the fierce internal office of the Investigation Office.

As long as the major imperial examination fraud case is not controlled by the Investigation Office and does not become a tool for Zhou Junxing to involve and frame others and invite favor, his goal will be achieved.

In comparison, how the major imperial examination fraud case eventually develops, how many people are involved, and whether it can accumulate achievements for the Court of Judicial Review are secondary to Wei Guanyao.

If I guess correctly, it must be that Wu Liang suddenly committed suicide, causing the major fraud case to fall into a deadlock. The Emperor is worried that this matter will trigger criticism from the scholars and the people.

If the originally justified crime of fraud is misinterpreted by scholars and commoners, becoming the government persecuting scholars, and triggering the successful candidates of this year to commit suicide to prove their ambition, where will the court's fairness and face be?

Besides, this major fraud case has already involved more than ten successful candidates of this year, and the momentum is already quite large. The Emperor has already had the intention of restraint in his heart, so as not to shake the government, leave a handle, and lose the big because of the small.

He stripped the Investigation Office of the right to preside over the trial and turned it over to the Court of Judicial Review for trial. It is not just that Zhou Junxing is derelict in his duty, but that Wei Guanyao can help him control and restrain the situation!"

……

Liu Wenxuan frowned and said: "Proprietor, once the situation is restrained, our original hard planning will not be able to take advantage of the chaos and succeed."

The middle-aged man's expression was calm. He poured hot tea into his teacup and said: "Although it is said that success depends on heaven, some opportunities must be created by oneself.

This major fraud case can actually be divided into two lines: one is the fraud of the candidates in this year's imperial examination, and the other is the corruption of the spring examination officials.

In fact, too many candidates involved in fraud is not good for us.

Once involved extensively, even the twenty-three candidates we selected may be trapped in it, and Lin Zhao's matter will likely happen again.

So the current Emperor wants to restrain the situation because of Wu Liang's matter, which is actually beneficial to us.

That blue-covered booklet is not a useless decoration. Chief examiner Xu Liangxiong fell into the trap, but it was just a medicine primer.

Ask yourself, among the spring examination officials this time, how many are clean and self-disciplined? Before entering the spring examination, there was no interaction with the candidates, and no behavior of seeking fame and reputation.

If we want our original hard planning to succeed, we can only make an article on the conduct of the spring examination officials...

Among the twenty-three candidates we selected for this year's imperial examination, how many failed the spring examination?"

Liu Wenxuan took out a list from his bosom, looked at it carefully for a few times, and said: "Proprietor has a good eye for people. Among the candidates you picked, only six failed the spring examination.

These six people have potential and will come back next year. It is not impossible to pass the exam."

……

The middle-aged man heard Liu Wenxuan's words and sighed slightly: "Among the twenty-three people I selected, Lin Zhao was the most valuable. The other twenty-two added together are not as important as him.

Lin Zhao can enter the third place in the imperial examination list and already has the qualification to enter the top rank of the palace examination.

Originally, the Huiyuan Jia Cong was the only candidate for the champion, but Jia Cong is a noble, with outstanding achievements and a world-famous name.

The Emperor has to worry about the criticism of scholars and the people, focus on the overall situation of the world, and balance the reputation of the young minister. I am afraid that Jia Cong will be difficult to be the champion of the world.

Therefore, taking the second best, Lin Zhao is the third in the imperial examination list and already has the opportunity to win the champion. Such a person was originally limitless."

Liu Wenxuan asked: "Proprietor, this time Wu Liang would rather commit suicide than falsely testify that Lin Zhao committed fraud. This move will definitely make Lin Zhao acquitted.

By then, Lin Zhao will still be the third in the imperial examination list and a hot candidate for the champion. Now that he is trapped in the Court of Judicial Review prison, should we take action to help?"

The middle-aged man shook his head slightly and said: "Things are not as simple as you think. Scholars value their reputation the most. He was involved in the fraud case. Even if he is eventually acquitted, his reputation has already been tarnished.

Even if he can pass the exam, his future is probably ruined. Now that he is eye-catching, we must not intervene in this juncture, so as not to reveal flaws..."

The middle-aged man continued: "Those six who failed the exam, although their talent and strategy are slightly inferior, are also useful people.

You find someone to pass the word to them. The imperial examination is a clear matter, but the official conduct is corrupt, admiring fame and greed, private interaction and granting, leading to fraud.

Talented scholars are left behind, where is justice? How can righteous people stand by and watch...

Also let them know that our firm walks in Jiangnan, with wide connections. Jiangnan prefectures and counties are crisscrossed, and official offices are dense. If we plan carefully, there will always be vacancies. Scholars already have the qualification to be granted officials..."

Liu Wenxuan realized in his heart, got up and said: "I understand Proprietor's meaning, I will handle this matter well..." (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 639 =====