Chapter 42

Speaking of the Crown Prince Zhu Heyu, upon seeing that Zhao Junchen had accepted the bet, he was overjoyed in his heart.

Twenty thousand taels of silver, though not a small amount, was certainly not something Zhao Junchen could conjure up out of thin air within a month.

In this way, a month later, not only could the Southern Tour of Emperor Deqing be prevented, but it would also be an opportunity to get rid of the corrupt and treacherous official Zhao Junchen. In Zhu Heyu's view, this was a win-win situation, beneficial to the country and its people.

However, seeing Zhao Junchen's calm demeanor, Zhu Heyu couldn't help but have some doubts. Could Zhao Junchen really do it?

On the other side, the Chief Cabinet Minister Zhou Shangjing, who had been silent all along, sighed inwardly at Zhu Heyu's anxious and uncertain appearance.

This Zhu Heyu, being secretly manipulated by Zhao Junchen, was completely unaware... However, Zhou Shangjing would never remind Zhu Heyu, as the existence of this Crown Prince was more of a liability than an asset to a powerful minister like Zhou Shangjing.

Zhou Shangjing didn't know if Zhao Junchen could increase the revenue of the Ministry of Revenue by twenty thousand taels of silver within a month. After all, Zhu Heyu's restrictions were equivalent to cutting off all of Zhao Junchen's escape routes.

However, Zhou Shangjing was very clear that some questions must never be answered!

For example, Zhao Junchen's question just now — "Your Highness, if I can come up with twenty thousand taels of silver, and the silver is obtained through proper means, would there be no problem with the Emperor's Southern Tour?"

This question, seemingly asked with the utmost concern for Emperor Deqing, actually placed the Crown Prince Zhu Heyu above Emperor Deqing.

If Emperor Deqing's Southern Tour required the Crown Prince's approval, then who was the ruler and who was the subject?

As a minister, one could oppose the Southern Tour, but the hierarchy between the ruler and the subject must never be confused.

However, for such a sinister question, Zhu Heyu had agreed without a second thought!

Zhou Shangjing looked up and, as expected, saw that Emperor Deqing, moved by Zhao Junchen's loyalty, had now come to his senses. The look in his eyes when he glanced at Zhu Heyu was profound and meaningful.

While secretly sighing for the Crown Prince Zhu Heyu, Zhou Shangjing also became more wary of Zhao Junchen's performance.

Why had Zhao Junchen, after a trip to Lu'an Prefecture, returned with such a deep and calculating mind?

...

On the other side, after discussing the Southern Tour in the morning court, Emperor Deqing was also in low spirits. Just as he was about to announce the end of the court session, he saw the Left Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Bao Wenjie, step forward and say, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

Bao Wenjie, an important figure in the Crown Prince's faction, after what had just happened, made Emperor Deqing feel somewhat uncomfortable when he looked at him, but he still said, "What is it? Speak."

Bao Wenjie's face was serious as he slowly said, "In August this year, the provincial examinations in Shandong, Shanxi, and Henan provinces have been marred by cheating. According to my secret investigations, most of the top scorers in these provinces come from wealthy families but are uneducated. Due to their success, the people in the northern provinces are now in an uproar, and the impact is significant. I humbly request Your Majesty's wise decision!"

Upon hearing Bao Wenjie's words, the entire court was shocked!

At the same time, Zhao Junchen noticed that the Right Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Zhan Shanchang, whom he had just met, suddenly trembled and his face turned pale with fear.

The imperial examination system was a crucial means for the court to select talent. The court always took the provincial, metropolitan, and palace examinations very seriously, with strict and meticulous rules to ensure fairness. During the provincial examinations, central officials were sent to supervise, and any cheating cases were severely punished.

During Emperor Deqing's more than thirty years on the throne, there had been two cases of cheating in the imperial examinations, and he had never been lenient, thoroughly investigating each case, resulting in the execution of countless officials at all levels.

Today, another case of cheating in the imperial examinations had occurred, and its scope and impact far exceeded the previous two, causing great shock among the ministers.

Upon hearing Bao Wenjie's report, Emperor Deqing's face turned serious, and his eyes were filled with a killing intent.

Although Emperor Deqing considered himself a wise and enlightened ruler, he was well aware that a ruler's reputation in history largely depended on the pens of the literati. Therefore, he had always been lenient towards scholars, and the imperial examination system, as an important means for the court to win the support of the literati, was of utmost importance to him.

However, the sudden cheating case in the imperial examinations would undoubtedly greatly damage Emperor Deqing's image in the eyes of the literati, and he was naturally furious about it.

On the other side, the Right Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Zhan Shanchang, upon seeing Emperor Deqing's expression, became even more anxious, looking around and finally fixing his gaze on Zhao Junchen.

Then, Zhan Shanchang stepped forward and, as he passed Zhao Junchen, quickly whispered, "Lord Zhao, please help me get through today's crisis. I will repay you within three days!"

Then, Zhan Shanchang knelt before Emperor Deqing and said, "Your Majesty, the provincial examinations in Shandong, Shanxi, and Henan provinces have always been stable. Whether there has been any cheating this time cannot be determined based solely on Bao Wenjie's words. A thorough investigation is needed."

Upon seeing Zhan Shanchang step forward, Bao Wenjie suddenly sneered and said to Emperor Deqing, "Your Majesty, according to my knowledge, the provincial examinations in Shandong, Shanxi, and Henan provinces were all supervised by Minister Zhan. The sudden occurrence of cheating in these provinces makes Minister Zhan highly suspicious and requires a strict investigation."

As Bao Wenjie spoke, the members of the Crown Prince's faction all stepped forward to show their support.

However, in the entire court, there was not a single person who supported Zhan Shanchang's opinion.

Facing Zhan Shanchang's pleading gaze, Zhao Junchen frowned, pondered for a moment, and decided to help him first, at least to get him through today's crisis. As for what to do in the future, he would have to see what Zhan Shanchang meant by "I will repay you within three days."

Moreover, considering Zhan Shanchang's previous behavior, Zhao Junchen felt that there was more to this case of cheating in the imperial examinations.

Therefore, Zhao Junchen suddenly stepped forward and said to Emperor Deqing, "Your Majesty, although the case of cheating in the imperial examinations is serious, I agree with Minister Zhan's opinion that we cannot make hasty judgments. Because it is so serious, we cannot rely on one-sided statements. If it turns out to be a misunderstanding and the court panics, it would be a laughingstock to the world."

Bao Wenjie angrily retorted, "The provincial examinations in Shandong, Shanxi, and Henan provinces have been in turmoil, and the candidates from these provinces have been coming to the capital to appeal. I have met several of them. How can this be a fabrication?"

Zhao Junchen, however, remained calm and said, "Evidence. Without evidence, relying on the statements of a few candidates to claim cheating in the imperial examinations is not credible. Every year, there are candidates who feel they should not have failed. If we believe that cheating has occurred every time a failed candidate feels they were wronged, wouldn't there be cases of cheating every year? In my view, whether or not there has been cheating, the court must not panic before the facts are verified. A thorough investigation should be conducted first before any conclusions are drawn."

Hearing Zhao Junchen's words, Zhan Shanchang repeatedly agreed.

Seeing that both sides had their own valid points, Emperor Deqing pondered for a moment and then said sternly, "The Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Personnel are to jointly investigate the provincial examinations in the three provinces. If there is indeed cheating, it must be thoroughly investigated and severely punished!"

After saying this, Emperor Deqing felt somewhat disheartened and said, "If there are no other matters, court is dismissed!"

After saying this, Emperor Deqing left first. This morning court not only failed to resolve the issue of the Southern Tour but also brought up the rumor of cheating in the imperial examinations, naturally leaving him in no good mood.

As Emperor Deqing left, the ministers in the Hall of Supreme Harmony also turned to leave.

Among them, the members of the Crown Prince's faction, as they passed by Zhao Junchen, mostly showed anger on their faces.

In their view, Zhao Junchen, who was struggling to save himself, was still protecting other corrupt officials, which was a grave sin!

On the other side, Zhan Shanchang walked up to Zhao Junchen, repeatedly bowing and said softly, "Thank you, Lord Zhao, for your fair words today. I have something to tell you. May we discuss it in more detail?"

However, before Zhao Junchen could respond, he saw the eunuch Zhang De, who was accompanying Emperor Deqing, come to them and say to Zhao Junchen, "Lord Zhao, His Majesty has summoned you to the Imperial Study."

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PS: The author's section has been unopenable for some reason, causing a delay in updates. Please bear with me, and I continue to seek recommendations.

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