Chapter 43

"Who would have thought that the prince chosen to accompany the examination would be the Eighth Prince."

"The Eighth Prince Hongrun? This Highness is not yet fifteen years old, right? Wasn't it said that princes who have not come of age are not allowed to participate in any state affairs?"

"Why is it specifically the Eighth Prince? Wasn't it said that this Eighth Prince, who has always been unruly, has never been favored by His Majesty? Why would His Majesty allow this Highness to accompany the examination?"

The sixteen examination officials looked at each other.

It was no wonder, as the information within the palace was strictly controlled. Without special channels, it was impossible for the outside world to know what had recently happened inside the palace. This was a means to maintain the mystique and authority of the imperial power.

Therefore, not only Luo Wenzhong, but even the sixteen Ministry of Personnel officials did not know that the Eighth Prince Zhao Hongrun's status in the heart of the Emperor of the Great Wei had significantly risen over the past month, and he had been repeatedly praised as a thousand-mile horse. Otherwise, Luo Wenzhong would never have dared to frame this prince.

What was even more shocking to the sixteen Ministry of Personnel officials was that when they saw the Eighth Prince, Luo Wenzhong's expression gradually turned sour.

"What's going on here? Could it be that Lord Luo has a grudge against this Eighth Prince?"

The sixteen Ministry of Personnel examination officials were completely baffled.

At Zhao Hongrun's gesture, everyone sat down in the front hall.

Originally, the main seat should have been taken by Luo Wenzhong, who was the chief examiner, but Zhao Hongrun did not mention it and sat down in the main seat with great dignity.

This made the examination officials somewhat uncomfortable, but then they thought, since he was a prince, it was not inappropriate for him to sit in the main seat.

Around the hour of Si (9:00 AM to 11:00 AM), the Confucian Temple began to allow the scholars to enter for the examination. Thus, Zhao Hongrun got up and went to inspect with the seventeen examination officials.

After all, as the scholars were allowed to enter one by one, the officials and servants had to search each of them to see if they were carrying any "cheat sheets" or other prohibited items.

During the inspection, Zhao Hongrun put on a rather comical mask. After all, supervising the examination was a job that could easily make enemies, and for future considerations, he thought it best to avoid showing his face in public.

Moreover, there might be some wealthy young masters among the scholars, who were regulars at the Water Pavilion. If they saw his real face, it would be even more troublesome for Zhao Hongrun to meet Miss Su at the Water Pavilion in the future.

Considering these factors, Zhao Hongrun asked Mu Qing to get a random mask, which was not an expensive item, just a children's toy from the market in the southern city for a few dozen coins.

"Strange, the search is quite strict. Why do cheating incidents still occur frequently in previous years? Could it be that some Ministry of Personnel officials are involved?"

During the inspection, Zhao Hongrun felt somewhat surprised because he noticed that the people at the entrance of the Confucian Temple conducted a very thorough search before allowing the scholars to enter.

How thorough? So thorough that even the food the scholars brought with them had to be inspected.

Indeed, Zhao Hongrun saw a servant break open all the dry steamed buns a scholar had brought to check if there was anything hidden inside.

"How can anyone eat this?" Zhao Hongrun muttered to himself. He would never eat a bun that had been handled so much.

"Let's go to the 'number rooms.'"

Zhao Hongrun said to the examination officials beside him.

Since the prince spoke, the examination officials dared not refuse. One of them immediately led the way.

The so-called 'number rooms,' also known as examination huts, were the examination sites where the scholars took the provincial examination. Each was a very small, independent room, five feet long, four feet wide, and eight feet high, with three walls and one entrance.

When the scholars arrived, they had to undergo another body search before being allowed to enter the number rooms.

Moreover, once a scholar entered a number room, the official in charge of that area would lock half of the door with a lock, meaning that during the examination period, the scholar could only stay in that room, whether for the exam, rest, or eating and drinking.

"Long heard that the environment of the provincial examination site is extremely simple and harsh, but I didn't expect it to be this bad..."

Zhao Hongrun peeked into a number room.

Inside, there was only a platform made of bricks, which was not even a proper bed, with a simple straw mat and a thin quilt on it.

Zhao Hongrun seriously doubted how much cotton was in that quilt.

In addition, there were two wooden buckets in the room, one filled with clear water and the other empty.

Zhao Hongrun did not want to think about why there was an empty bucket.

Apart from these, the only thing in the room was a wooden board that could barely be called a table, and a long bench below it.

"This is too simple. It's like a toilet... It's hard to imagine that scholars like Lin Yuyang and Yu Ziqi, who are now important officials, took their first steps in their official careers here..."

Zhao Hongrun shook his head in sigh. He knew that Lin Yuyang and Yu Ziqi, who were now the Left and Right Chancellors in the Chui Gong Hall, were from humble backgrounds and had also gone through this harsh examination.

At this moment, there was already a scholar in the number room. When Zhao Hongrun peeked in, the scholar was also looking at him.

After all, Zhao Hongrun was not wearing the three-clawed dragon robe that represented a prince today. He was just wearing a rather fancy purple and red brocade robe, and his face was covered with a comical mask that did not match his luxurious clothing.

Therefore, the scholar was also puzzled about Zhao Hongrun's identity.

It was no wonder, as Zhao Hongrun was only fourteen years old and much shorter than adult men, but he was surrounded by ten imperial guards and seventeen examination officials.

Even a fool could guess that his identity was not ordinary.

"How will the scholars' meals be provided these few days?" Zhao Hongrun asked for the first time.

One of the examination officials stepped forward and replied, "Your Highness, the scholars bring their own food."

"Your Highness?"

The scholar's eyes widened in surprise. He, of course, knew what "Your Highness" meant.

At this moment, Zhao Hongrun pointed at the scholar and asked, "Did you prepare food?"

"Yes, yes..."

The scholar stammered in reply.

Zhao Hongrun glanced at the scholar's package on the table, and the dry steamed buns that had been broken open, and frowned.

"The facilities and environment of the provincial examination are so simple and harsh!"

Frowning, Zhao Hongrun turned and asked, "How much did your Ministry of Personnel report to the Ministry of Revenue for this year's provincial examination?"

"..."

The faces of the Ministry of Personnel examination officials became slightly unnatural.

"Ha!" Zhao Hongrun coldly snorted and said, "By this evening, list in detail the expenses incurred so far for this examination and submit it to me. I will verify it with the Ministry of Revenue."

The examination officials looked at each other. At this moment, Luo Wenzhong said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, this is not in accordance with the rules. ... As far as I know, Your Highness is only an accompanying examiner and has no authority to interfere with the Ministry of Personnel."

"..." Zhao Hongrun coldly looked at Luo Wenzhong and suddenly laughed, walking forward on his own.

'So this Eighth Prince is just a paper tiger?'

Luo Wenzhong felt relieved. He had taken a big risk to refuse Zhao Hongrun's request, as the matter Zhao Hongrun mentioned was significant.

The other Ministry of Personnel officials also felt relieved.

Just then, Zhao Hongrun, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped and turned back, saying, "As far as I know, the son of the chief examiner, Lord Luo, is also participating in this provincial examination, right?"

Luo Wenzhong's heart skipped a beat, and he stiffly replied, "Your Highness, my son is indeed participating in this provincial examination."

"Lead the way!" Zhao Hongrun said calmly, "I will go and see."

Luo Wenzhong had no choice but to lead Zhao Hongrun to his son Luo Rong's number room.

At that moment, Luo Rong was leaning against the stone platform in the number room, wrapped in a quilt, resting against the wall. Suddenly, he saw his father and a group of people coming, and quickly stood up.

"Father, why are you here?"

Luo Wenzhong's face darkened, and he said in a stern voice, "In the examination hall, there are only examiners, no father and son. Address me as 'Your Excellency.'"

Luo Rong, not knowing what was going on, obediently bowed and said, "Scholar Luo Rong, I greet Your Excellency."

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard applause from nearby.

"Ha ha ha, Lord Luo is truly impartial. Good, good, worthy of being an examiner, setting an example. ... After all, if the chief examiner, Lord Luo, cannot distinguish between public and private matters, wouldn't everything be in chaos?"

'Who is this person? Why does his voice sound so familiar?'

Luo Rong was stunned, about to ask, when he suddenly noticed three people glaring at him fiercely. Upon closer inspection, his face turned pale.

It turned out that the three people glaring at him were the imperial guards Shen Yu, Lu Mu, and Mu Qing.

Today, these three were no longer dressed as ordinary people as they had been a few days ago. They were all wearing armor and carrying swords, looking very imposing, which made Luo Rong's face turn pale.

'He... he... could he be...'

Luo Rong looked at the man in the luxurious clothing but wearing a mask beside his father with fear.

"Your Highness is too kind, as the chief examiner, I naturally must be strict with myself."

"Very well!" Zhao Hongrun clapped his hands in praise, then suddenly changed the subject and said with a smile, "Since that's the case, I suppose Lord Luo wouldn't mind if I conduct a more thorough search of your son, right?" He pointed at Luo Rong and said bluntly, "You, come out! I will search you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Yu obtained the key from a nearby official and unlocked the number room, pulling Luo Rong out.

"You... what are you going to do?" Luo Rong was immediately panicked.

After all, he was not stupid and could guess that Zhao Hongrun was out for revenge.

At this moment, Luo Wenzhong stepped in front of Luo Rong and said with a stern face, "Your Highness, my son has already been searched."

"Oh? Is that so? But I didn't see it... Lord Luo just said he would be strict with himself. Why are you stopping me from searching your son? Could it be that your son is hiding something? Tsk, tsk, tsk, that wouldn't be good... the chief examiner of the provincial examination..."

"..." Luo Wenzhong was speechless. He knew Zhao Hongrun was deliberately targeting him, but he could not refute it. After all, if it were proven that his son was hiding something, not only would his son Luo Rong be in trouble, but he himself might lose his position.

"Fine, Your Highness can search."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Yu and the others began to search Luo Rong roughly, not even sparing the number room.

But unfortunately, neither on Luo Rong's body nor in the number room was anything found.

"Are you satisfied, Your Highness?" Luo Wenzhong asked with a stern face.

"Hmph!" Zhao Hongrun chuckled, slowly walked to Luo Rong, and whispered in his ear, "That day, you ordered someone to strip me. I will settle this score with you first."

As he spoke, he pointed at Luo Rong and said with a light laugh, "Strip him! Who knows if your son has copied the Four Books and Five Classics inside his clothes."

"Here... here?"

Glancing at the scholars who were entering one by one nearby, Luo Rong's face turned pale.