After listening to the candidates' demands and looking at the tablet of Confucius in front of them, the officials present were shocked.

They didn't expect that the candidates would dare to petition in this way.

Ruan Dacheng was the first to speak: "Quick, tell His Royal Highness the Crown Prince the news."

"Yes, yes, yes, tell His Royal Highness the Crown Prince quickly." The other officials followed suit after they realized what was happening.

Without their instructions, someone in the examination room told Zhu Cilang the news as quickly as possible.

"Your Highness, the candidates for the autumn examination held up Confucius' tablet and boycotted the exam. They not only surrounded the examination hall, but also the six government offices."

"At present, all departments are unable to carry out their duties normally. Your Highness, please be informed."

"What?" Zhu Cilang almost dropped the teacup in his hand.

He quickly put down the teacup and rushed out.

Ni Yuanlu shouted from behind him, "Where are you going, Your Highness?"

Zhu Cilang looked anxious: "There is a student boycott in Nanzhili. I have to calm it down as soon as possible. Once the incident gets out of hand and spreads to other provinces, if students from other provinces follow suit, the consequences will be disastrous."

"How does Your Highness want to calm the situation?" Ni Yuanlu continued to ask calmly.

"I hope that, as the crown prince, I can persuade them with reason and emotion... maybe the students will agree to take the exam." Zhu Cilang's voice became lower and lower.

Obviously he also knew that this method was not feasible.

Ni Yuanlu chuckled: "Your Highness is not afraid that students from other provinces will know, but you are afraid that His Majesty will know, right?"

Zhu Cilang blinked and said nothing.

What Ni Yuanlu said was true, he was indeed afraid that Chongzhen would know about this.

Such a big thing happened when he was ordered to supervise the country, which easily made Chongzhen think that there was something wrong with his ability.

"Your Highness, don't be afraid." Ni Yuanlu said firmly.

"Why?"

"Your Majesty has asked Li Banghua, the Prime Minister, to personally go south to collect the tax arrears. He must have come prepared."

"So if there is a problem, it is Li Banghua's fault."

Zhu Cilang thought about it and felt that what Ni Yuanlu said made sense. With Li Banghua, the cabinet chief minister, in front of him, he really shouldn't have any pressure.

"Then...what should I do? I can't just stay in the Imperial City and not show up, right?"

"Of course not." Ni Yuanlu took a deep breath: "We have to do things that are superficial, and we have to do things that are substantive."

"How many troops can your majesty mobilize now?"

Zhu Cilang calculated in his mind and then said, "The Jinyiwei, the East Factory and the recruited imperial guards add up to about 5,000 people. Excluding the necessary guards, the number of soldiers that can be mobilized is about 3,500."

"Leave a thousand men to protect the family, Prince Yong and Prince Ding, and Your Highness will personally lead four thousand men to the streets." Ni Yuanlu put his hands behind his back with a determined look.

"Catch...the students who are causing trouble?" Zhu Cilang shrank his neck while speaking.

Ni Yuanlu glared at Zhu Cilang and said, "If Your Highness dares to arrest the students, the impeachment petition against Your Highness will appear on Your Majesty's Dragon Book Case in ten days."

"Then why did the gentleman ask me to lead the troops to the street?" Zhu Cilang was very confused.

Ni Yuanlu looked out of the hall and saw that time was running out. He grabbed Zhu Cilang's clothes and walked out: "Let's talk while we walk."

After arriving outside the palace, Zhu Cilang ordered all troops to assemble.

During the break in the assembly, Ni Yuanlu explained, "As long as no one dies, this matter won't be a big deal! Your Highness's soldiers are not there to arrest the students, but to protect them. Your Highness must keep this in mind."

Zhu Cilang suddenly understood.

It was not until this moment that he understood why Chongzhen asked him to be his teacher.

Ni Yuanlu was a man of quick wit and always one step ahead in thinking about problems.

Li Banghua received the news before Zhu Cilang assembled his troops.

It wasn't that the news spread quickly, but that some candidates surrounded the posthouse.

"I am dismissed from my post and apologize for my crime! I am dismissed from my post and apologize for my crime!" The candidates gathered outside the post house and shouted in unison.

The soldiers outside the posthouse drew their weapons, ready to deal with the impending attack.

The candidates showed no fear at all and marched forward despite the soldiers' swords.

The soldiers retreated again and again, and were about to retreat to the posthouse. The leading general drew his sword and said, "This is the residence of the imperial envoy. Who dares to force his way in? Anyone who steps forward will be killed without mercy!"

"Still not backing off?"

The front row of soldiers used their swords to hit their shields, making a harsh metallic sound. The spearmen in the middle shook their spears, making a whirring sound of breaking through the air.

The archers in the back row pulled the bowstrings tight, and the longbows squeaked as they were pulled.

"retreat!"

"retreat!"

Hundreds of soldiers shouted in unison.

The candidates were indeed frightened by the soldiers' behavior at first, but driven by their inner strength, they once again walked towards the posthouse.

Just when a murder was about to happen, an old voice came from inside the inn: "Stop, let them in."

"Go in?" The general leading the troops looked at the group of angry students and swallowed.

These people are angry and the situation will easily get out of control once they are let in.

"It's okay, let them in." Li Banghua, wearing a bright red official robe, stood in the middle of the courtyard of the posthouse with his hands behind his back.

The candidates had become impatient and rushed into the posthouse before Li Banghua finished speaking.

Amid the noisy curses, Li Banghua's eyes fell on a middle-aged man: "Are you the leader?"

"So what? Kill me if you can!" The middle-aged man stood there with his head held high.

Li Banghua smiled calmly: "Why are you so anxious? If you have something to say, just say it. Don't offer your neck to others all the time."

The middle-aged man was choked and said with a red face: "I speak for the scholars of the world, how can I not be anxious?"

"I heard that not only did you boycott the exam, but you also surrounded the examination hall and the six government offices?" Li Banghua continued to ask calmly.

"Yes, when the court dismisses you, we will retake the exam."

"That's it?"

The candidates present were all stunned at the same time.

Does Li Banghua think that this is a small matter?

Li Banghua laughed and said, "Come on, follow me to the examination room for questioning. If you have evidence of my guilt, I will resign from the court on the spot."

"Good!" the students shouted.

"But if not..." Li Banghua's gaze made people shudder.

The middle-aged man gritted his teeth and said, "Let me do whatever I want."