Chapter 13 013 I Rise Up

The wise ruler promptly retrieved Zhao Jialing's personnel file.

Ma Yuanliang was a native of Fenyin, Hedong. He passed the imperial examination in the first year of the Tianfu era and was selected for the erudite and eloquent scholar examination. He was released from his coarse robes and began his career as a proofreader in the Secretariat.

Wait a minute, wasn't the official in charge of the imperial examinations in the first year of the Tianfu era the disgraced minister Yu Shen?

Zhao Jialing didn't remember these details, but Yu Shen had recently committed a crime, and there were many impeachments against him, which were well-organized. Even if Zhao Jialing didn't want to listen, some things were forced into his mind.

Ma Yuanliang is now a lecturer in the Imperial Academy, a sixth-rank official. She hadn't heard of anything particularly outstanding about Ma Yuanliang; wasn't his promotion too rapid?

"The host is right, Yu Shen is his master," the Wise Ruler System replied.

Zhao Jialing tossed aside the jade ruyi and placed her hands, crossed, on the table. Logically, Yu Shen's faction should have been wiped out, so how did Ma Yuanliang, this fish that slipped through the net, end up here? Does he have some merit?

As she thought to herself, her gaze slid over Xie Lanzhao again.

The hall was deathly silent. The attendants, unable to fathom the emperor's meaning, also fell silent.

After a long while, Zhao Jialing asked, "Xie Qing, why is Ma Yuanliang at the lecture hall?"

Although her tone was flat, anyone could hear the dissatisfaction in her voice.

Not to mention those who heard the voice of the heart.

Impersonation? Whose name are you impersonating? Whose business are you taking over?

Confused, Ma Yuanliang lay prostrate on the ground, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. A flood of thoughts rushed through his mind. This was his first time meeting the Emperor up close; where did the Emperor's displeasure come from? Was it because of Minister Yu? After all, many of his colleagues had been dismissed. He had initially been equally uneasy, but as the turmoil subsided and didn't affect him, his heart finally settled.

Why did it take so long for that knife to fall?

Xie Lanzhao lowered her eyelashes; she too had heard the words "impersonation." She had seen Ma Yuanliang's resume, and indeed, it had been altered. This man was Yu Shen's student, merely seeking fame in the capital. Xie Lanzhao had kept him around only to test the system's power; she didn't know much about his past.

Her thoughts drifted as she addressed Zhao Jialing, saying, "Ma Shijiang passed the imperial examination before the age of thirty, gaining great fame and excelling in both poetry and prose. His writing is as swift as thunder and lightning, and as powerful as a strong wind emerging from a valley; he is a truly outstanding talent."

[This person's reputation is all stolen; he's shameless.] The Wise Ruler System condemns Ma Yuanliang.

[Oh? Even Xie Lanzhao can make mistakes?] Zhao Jialing thought to himself.

Zhao Jialing initially felt secretly pleased when Xie Lanzhao made a mistake, but he quickly frowned.

She has never praised me!

[This isn't really a compliment; Xie Lanzhao was just repeating what others said, while Ma Yuanliang himself was just boasting. He's actually a useless person.]

Zhao Jialing's expression softened a bit. She looked at Ma Yuanliang with a chill and said, "Since your talent is praised by the world, then compose a poem based on 'Wild geese first fly over Longdi'."

The imperial examinations consisted of three rounds, each determining who would remain and who would leave. The Great Yong Dynasty valued literary talent, and the first round was "poetry and prose." Which of those who passed the examinations lacked poetic talent? Ma Yuanliang was renowned throughout the capital, and for a time, even the lecturers looked at him with envy. If his poetry were excellent, perhaps he could catch His Majesty's eye? His official career would be a smooth and promising path.

Ma Yuanliang was sweating profusely, unable to express his bitterness. Xie Zhongshu had him lifted up; what would await him if his poem did not please the emperor? However, no matter how timid he was, he could not remain silent. Otherwise, he could be accused of showing weakness before the emperor, but if he couldn't even compose a single line, all his fame and fortune might turn to dust!

He wrote a poem, but a soft sigh came from beside him.

Even without anyone telling him, Ma Yuanliang knew he had done a terrible job.

Zhao Jialing said, "A horse under the yoke, a withered branch, cannot gallop freely, it is only confined." She stared straight at Xie Lanzhao, "You flatter me."

Xie Lanzhao bowed his head respectfully and said, "Your Majesty has discerning eyes; I have learned much from your teachings."

Zhao Jialing: [San San, she praised me! Haha, Xie Lanzhao praised my good taste! She wrote "The Treasury of Light" before, satirizing me for seeing things through a layer of clouds, unable to see the clear light of the sky!]

"Host, be more composed. And is this the key point?" the Wise Ruler System said.

The ministers below, who heard these thoughts, also thought that His Majesty should indeed be more cautious.

Well, although they knew that His Majesty had nothing to do with the word "composure," his approach was still somewhat beyond their comprehension.

Apart from Prime Minister Xie, does His Majesty have no other concerns?

Xie Lanzhao was in a good mood after confirming her guess through testing.

But because of Zhao Jialing's inner thoughts, his expression underwent a subtle change.

She did write "The Treasury of Light," but that was a discussion of Buddhism with eminent monks at Guangming Temple. What does it have to do with Your Majesty?

Looking at my colleagues winking and making faces, I wonder how many rumors will spread tomorrow.

"Then let's get down to business," Zhao Jialing said, beaming with delight.

Seeing her in a good mood, the Wise Ruler System knew it was the perfect time to motivate her to complete the task, so it continued: "[It's perfectly understandable that he can't write good poetry! When he first arrived in the capital, he sent out his poems everywhere, including the line, "Only when he reaches the highest heavens does he pause, unyielding to wind and thunder across countless valleys," which was quite praised by his contemporaries. But this wasn't his own writing at all; he stole his cousin Xue Yuanshuang's old work!]"

[The Great Yong Dynasty valued reputation in its selection of officials; actual examination results were less important. This lowly person gained favor with Yu Shen through submitting his examination papers and successfully passed the imperial examination.]

[By the way, his cousin Xue Yuanshuang has lived with his family since she was little. The Ma family has some influence in the village and colludes with the county magistrate. They blocked Xue Yuanshuang during the county examination, preventing her from having a chance to go out. If she fails the county examination, how can she participate in the provincial examination? Transportation is inconvenient, books weren't widely printed, and who would know who wrote them? By blocking Xue Yuanshuang, no one would know that Ma Yuanliang is a plagiarist.]

Zhao Jialing frowned even more deeply.

Xie Lanzhao's eyes sharpened. If the system hadn't pointed it out, she wouldn't have known that Ma Yuanliang had such a "name-stealing" affair. The practice of circulating manuscripts had led to persistent problems of plagiarism and theft. During the previous emperor's reign, a scholar had visited a high-ranking official's door with a manuscript, only to find that the manuscript he carried was actually the official's work from before he passed the imperial examinations. Upon inquiry, it turned out that the official had bought it from a bookstore.

When Xie Lanzhao's mother was prime minister, she wanted to eliminate the abuses, since the circulation of examination papers not only led to plagiarism but also to the evil of "bribery." However, ultimately, the problem wasn't with the circulation of examination papers, but with the abuses of "public recommendation." "Public recommendation" meant that powerful officials recommended candidates for the imperial examinations to the officials in charge of the examinations, trying every means to promote them. Unfortunately, she passed away before her plan could be implemented.

Later, Zhao Jialing ascended the throne. The political landscape had subtly changed since her mother's time. Coupled with Zhao Jialing's attitude, Xie Lanzhao was powerless to implement reforms, even if she wanted to. She did spend a considerable amount of time eliminating dissidents. Some of them were not particularly wicked, but she was determined to carry out the "Xuanqi Policies" to the end and could not allow anyone to stand in her way.

"With Ma Jun's talent, how can he be admitted to the second-tier examination?" Zhao Jialing asked Ma Yuanliang.

Very few people were selected for the first-class imperial examination, while those who passed the second-class examination were considered top-tier individuals.

Ma Yuanliang's expression changed drastically, and he prostrated himself on the ground, saying, "I was terrified to see Your Majesty's face, and I deserve to die!"

Zhao Jialing said, "It doesn't matter if you die, but I'm afraid that if you present a poem in the underworld, there will be no place for you in the heavens, and your name will be mistakenly left in the netherworld." This time she didn't delay any longer and said directly, "Ma Yuanliang is a disciple of the disgraced official Yu Shen. His name and reality do not match, and I'm afraid there has been collusion between them. The relevant authorities should investigate this matter thoroughly. If it is true, he should be stripped of his official title and never be employed again."

Ma Yuanliang suddenly looked up, his expression grim.

The lecturers' expressions changed drastically. Unable to hear Zhao Jialing's inner thoughts, they began to have wild thoughts: what if they didn't perform well during the lectures? Would they also be dismissed?! This position of lecturer, seemingly a role meant to be the emperor's teacher, turned out to be a miserable job. The lecturers dared not object, but secretly glanced at the other officials, hoping someone would come forward to dissuade His Majesty.

How could such a thing happen? How can His Majesty be allowed to act so willfully and disrespect the lecturer?

No one dared to refute this, not even Xie Zhongshu.

Xie Zhongshu was neither a treacherous nor cunning person, nor would he yield to the might of thunder.

Ma Yuanliang was a disgraced official who passed the imperial examinations. Was he really guilty? But how did His Majesty know? The lecturer's mind was in turmoil. He felt that the emperor, who had always been inconspicuous, had suddenly become unfathomable.

[Why didn't the host refuse this time?] The Wise Ruler System was pleasantly surprised but couldn't help feeling puzzled.

[Is it because the person exposed this time is a minor official?]

[That shouldn't be the case; it couldn't be because Xie Lanzhao "praised him," could it?]

Zhao Jialing: "..."

She snapped angrily, "Why did you have to be so nosy!"

That's one reason, but not entirely.

Perhaps because the system explicitly mentioned the person who was harmed by Ma Yuanliang, she suddenly felt very sorry for them.

Moreover, she knew that Xie Lanzhao had always wanted more women to have positions of authority in the court. She had previously ignored it, but now she wanted to do something about it.

The autumn lecture could not continue due to Ma Yuanliang's matter.

Leaving the lecture hall, Xie Lanzhao shook his official robe and looked up at the sky.

"Thank you, Zhongshu." Her colleague stepped forward and stood beside her.

Xie Lanzhao asked with her eyes.

"Please don't praise me again in the future."

While Xie Zhongshu's praise could indeed enhance one's reputation, the emperor's wrath was not so easy to bear.

Xie Lanzhao said expressionlessly, "There's no need for that."

Xie Lanzhao's colleague crossed his arms and quickly slipped away.

That's still necessary.

His Majesty is incredibly jealous.