Chapter 44

Zhao Junchen, as the Minister of Revenue, and Zhan Shanchang, as the Minister of Rites, should have gone to their respective offices after the morning court session according to the rules.

However, Zhao Junchen did not care about these rules, and Zhan Shanchang could not afford to pay attention to them. Both, either intentionally or unintentionally, ignored these rules.

Upon arriving at Zhao's residence, Zhao Junchen led Zhan Shanchang to the main hall. After they were seated, seeing Zhan Shanchang's anxious and uneasy expression, Zhao Junchen waved his hand, and the servants and maids of Zhao's household all withdrew.

For a moment, only Zhao Junchen, Zhan Shanchang, and Xu Qingyan remained in the main hall.

Zhan Shanchang glanced at Xu Qingyan, who was standing beside Zhao Junchen, hesitating about whether he should speak.

Noticing Zhan Shanchang's concern, Zhao Junchen smiled and said, "Xu Qingyan is my chief attendant, who has been with me since childhood. There is nothing I cannot let him know."

Hearing Zhao Junchen's words, Xu Qingyan raised his head and let out a light snort, showing his disdain for Zhan Shanchang's concerns.

On the other side, after seeing no one else around, Zhan Shanchang knelt down in front of Zhao Junchen again, repeatedly saying, "Thank you, Lord Zhao, for saving me today. If it weren't for your help, His Majesty, under the influence of Bao Wenjie, would have already had me arrested and put on trial. I will never forget your kindness, but I beg you to save me. I am truly innocent in this case of cheating in the autumn examination."

Zhao Junchen tried to help Zhan Shanchang up, but Zhan Shanchang was very determined, only begging bitterly and refusing to stand up.

Zhao Junchen sighed and said, "Didn't I already say that we are both ministers? How can you call yourself a subordinate? And how can you speak while kneeling? Sit down and talk. This way, we can discuss things more clearly. Rest assured, Lord Zhan, no matter what happens, as long as it is within my power, I will not stand idly by."

Hearing Zhao Junchen's words, Zhan Shanchang hesitated for a moment before finally standing up, but he did not dare to sit down. He stood beside Zhao Junchen, slightly bowing his body, as if waiting for a reprimand.

Seeing Zhan Shanchang's appearance, Zhao Junchen shook his head and did not persuade him further. He simply asked, "Tell me, what exactly happened? Did the autumn examinations in Shanxi, Shandong, and Henan provinces really involve cheating? And are you really involved?"

After hesitating for a moment, Zhan Shanchang finally answered with a bitter face, "Lord Zhao, it is true that there was cheating in the autumn examinations in Shandong, Shanxi, and Henan provinces, and I am indeed involved, but I am truly innocent!"

Zhao Junchen sipped his tea, seemingly indifferent, and casually said, "Oh? What happened? Tell me in detail."

Cheating in the imperial examinations was always the most hated by Emperor Deqing. Therefore, when Zhao Junchen learned that there was indeed cheating in the autumn examinations in the three provinces and that Zhan Shanchang was indeed involved, he began to think about how to distance himself from the matter. After all, he was currently in a difficult situation, and it was better to avoid trouble.

Noticing the change in Zhao Junchen's attitude, Zhan Shanchang became even more panicked and quickly explained, "Lord Zhao, you may not know, but the autumn examinations in these three provinces have long been under the watch of Grand Secretary Wen. I was originally one of Grand Secretary Wen's people, and this time, I was responsible for the autumn examinations in the three provinces, following Grand Secretary Wen's instructions. I collaborated with the officials of the Ministry of Rites and the educational administrators of the three provinces, selling nearly half of the examination slots. In total, we received 570,000 taels of silver in bribes. However, I only kept 50,000 taels for myself. The other 220,000 taels were used for various purposes, and the remaining 300,000 taels were all handed over to Grand Secretary Wen. Everything I did was under his orders, and I am truly innocent!"

Zhan Shanchang, who was clearly the mastermind behind the cheating and had received bribes, still claimed to be innocent, which made Zhao Junchen find it amusing.

The Grand Secretary Wen that Zhan Shanchang mentioned was none other than Wen Guanliang, the current Deputy Grand Secretary, whose position and influence in the court were second only to the Chief Grand Secretary Zhou Shangjing.

If there was anyone in the court who was more greedy than Zhao Junchen, it was undoubtedly Wen Guanliang.

It was rumored that Wen Guanliang's current wealth was already in the millions.

Thinking about this, Zhao Junchen nodded thoughtfully and asked Zhan Shanchang, "If that's the case, why didn't you seek help from Grand Secretary Wen when the cheating case was exposed? As a cabinet minister, he is much more capable than I am."

Hearing Zhao Junchen's question, Zhan Shanchang's face showed hatred, and he gritted his teeth, "I thought the cheating in the three provinces was well-concealed, but I didn't expect the candidates to be so stubborn and to make such a big fuss. At first, Wen Guanliang tried hard to salvage the situation, but when the Crown Prince's faction learned about it, that old man suddenly abandoned me. When I went to him for advice, he said that the cheating in the three provinces was entirely my doing, and he knew nothing about it. He even advised me to confess to His Majesty! He clearly wants to sacrifice me to save himself! I have always been loyal to him, serving him faithfully, but I never expected to end up in such a situation. How can this not be disheartening? Lord Zhao, you must stand up for me."

Zhan Shanchang had just called Wen Guanliang "Grand Secretary Wen," but now he was calling him by his name.

Zhao Junchen frowned and asked, "Don't you have any evidence to prove that he was the mastermind behind this? If Wen Guanliang is willing to sacrifice you, wouldn't he be afraid that you might turn against him?"

Zhan Shanchang smiled bitterly and said, "From the beginning to the end, although it was his idea, no one else knew about it except me. I was so loyal to him that I didn't dare to let anyone else know, fearing that it might affect him. I never expected him to be so cold-hearted. Alas..."

Hearing Zhan Shanchang's words, Zhao Junchen nodded sympathetically but had already decided not to help him.

This matter was not only troublesome but also risked offending Grand Secretary Wen Guanliang. It was not worth it to help Zhan Shanchang, who was not very close to him.

If Wen Guanliang had already abandoned Zhan Shanchang, and Zhao Junchen rashly saved him, it would be like slapping Wen Guanliang in the face, and Wen Guanliang would certainly hate Zhao Junchen.

Although Zhao Junchen believed that Wen Guanliang's current power and status were not due to his abilities but rather because Chief Grand Secretary Zhou Shangjing did not want to dominate the court, which might cause Emperor Deqing to be suspicious, he still would not easily offend Wen Guanliang.

Therefore, Zhao Junchen said slowly, "Ah, Lord Zhan is indeed pitiful, but if even Grand Secretary Wen cannot save you, how can I? You may have sought the wrong person."

As he spoke, Zhao Junchen picked up his teacup again, clearly indicating that it was time for Zhan Shanchang to leave.

Seeing Zhao Junchen's attitude, Zhan Shanchang knelt down again and said with a sob, "I have fought for Wen Guanliang in the past, and I have offended all the other Grand Secretaries in the cabinet. The Crown Prince's faction also hates me for being a corrupt official. Lord Zhao, the only one who can save me now is you. You have the emperor's favor, and your words can be heard by His Majesty. You can certainly save me. Lord Zhao, at this critical moment, you must help me."

Although Zhan Shanchang's plea was pitiful, Zhao Junchen remained unmoved and had decided to stand by and watch.

Seeing Zhao Junchen's reaction, Zhan Shanchang quickly revealed his trump card: "The 300,000 taels of silver that Wen Guanliang has already returned to me, plus the 200,000 taels I have saved over the years, make a total of 500,000 taels. If you are willing to help me, I will immediately offer this sum to you..."

Zhao Junchen remained unmoved. Some things could not be solved with money.

However, Zhan Shanchang had more to offer. He continued, "Over the years, I have been managing the Ministry of Rites on behalf of Wen Guanliang. Nearly half of the officials in the Ministry of Rites were promoted by me. If I am exposed, their lives will also be in danger, and they will stand with me. If you help me, this half of the Ministry of Rites will follow your lead from now on..."

Zhao Junchen's expression changed, but he still did not speak.

Half of the Ministry of Rites was a great temptation, but it was not worth it to oppose Deputy Grand Secretary Wen Guanliang for it.

However, what Zhan Shanchang could offer went far beyond this.

Zhan Shanchang continued, "Furthermore, Tong Huan, the Director of the Board of Public Grievances, is not only my classmate but also my brother-in-law. We have a deep friendship, and he is also one of Wen Guanliang's people. He is also disheartened by Wen Guanliang's recent actions. If you are willing to help me through this crisis, I will persuade Tong Huan to join me and become your subordinate!"

Hearing Zhan Shanchang's words, Zhao Junchen slowly put down his teacup.

The Board of Public Grievances was a much more important department than the Ministry of Rites.

The Board of Public Grievances, also known as the Silver Platform, was originally the Office of Censors but had become a central government agency responsible for managing the submission and review of documents from inside and outside the court. Its duties included receiving and transmitting imperial edicts, conveying the emperor's will, and handling the submission of documents and appeals from officials and the public. Although it had no real power, it played a crucial role in the flow of documents.

Controlling this department would be of great benefit to Zhao Junchen.

Was it worth offending Wen Guanliang for the Board of Public Grievances and half of the Ministry of Rites?

Zhao Junchen hesitated.

Yes, at this moment, Zhao Junchen was only considering his own interests. He did not even think about whether there was cheating in the autumn examinations in the three provinces or what would happen to the candidates who were cheated.

In Zhao Junchen's view, the imperial examinations could not truly assess a candidate's real abilities. Those who passed the examinations were only familiar with the eight-part essay. Even if they passed, what could they do? More than half of the candidates who passed the examinations would forget the teachings of the sages within five years of entering the bureaucracy and become corrupt officials. The remaining 40% would be gradually eliminated from the bureaucracy for various reasons. Only less than 5% of the candidates who passed the examinations would remain upright, but most of them were stubborn and could not accomplish much.

Since this was the case, whether there was cheating in the imperial examinations or whether the candidates were wronged was not important to Zhao Junchen.

What was important was what benefits he could gain from it.

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PS: Second update!!

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