Chapter 15: Scientific Expedition (IV) “Wangshu, what do you think about this?”…

In the study of the Xiao Mansion, the door was closed even though it was noon. Xiao Jingshan, the head of the Xiao family, took a back seat because the one who spoke at the master's seat was the fourth son of the current emperor - Xie Jingrong.

"Wangshu, what do you think about this?"

At this time, His Highness frowned slightly, as if he was puzzled.

"What do you want, Your Highness?"

Xiao Wangshu, who was standing on the lower right side of the Fourth Prince, stood with his hands clasped and spoke in a calm yet disrespectful tone.

"How dare you treat His Highness like this?"

Before the superior could speak, Father Xiao, who was on the lower left, was the first to rebuke.

"Your Highness, this boy has been in contact with Yao Ce, and all his actions are known to you. But now he is talking nonsense here, which is disrespectful. He has always been arrogant, and now he is even more daring! Your Highness must not tolerate this, and should treat it as a punishment."

Thinking of what Xiao Wangshu had said before, the Fourth Prince was naturally unhappy, and a look of displeasure appeared on his face.

But he also remembered his mother's teachings that those who achieve great things should not be fussy about trivial matters, and should be respectful to others and should not get angry easily. He looked at Xiao Wangshu with an unspoken intention of asking for an explanation.

"Lord Xiao, please don't be so hasty. Your Highness is wise and brave, and you know Wangshu is loyal. Moreover, I only want to obey Your Highness's orders.

Even if Lord Xiao dislikes me, he should have restrained himself before a major event. Losing patience will only ruin His Highness's plans."

Then he turned to the Fourth Prince and said sincerely:

"As for how to deal with this matter, the Crown Prince is no longer a threat in the court. The mastermind behind this matter can only be His Highness the Sixth Prince."

His words and actions were in accordance with etiquette, but Xiao Wangshu's smile did not show in his eyes. However, with just a few words, he made the Fourth Prince smile happily.

"Exactly! Wangshu is truly my right-hand man! In this case, let's leave this matter to Yao Ce. If you step forward, Lao Liu might become suspicious and ruin my plans."

With a sincere tone, the Fourth Prince walked up to the crowd and patted Xiao Wangshu's arm to show his appreciation.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. However, there is still much more that can be done about this matter. As Sun Tzu's Art of War says, 'The speed of rushing water, which can carry rocks, is due to its momentum; the speed of a bird of prey, which can break bones, is due to its speed. Your Highness, please proceed with your steps."

With a slight smile on his lips, Xiao Wangshu glanced at his father who was still kneeling on the ground with an unwilling look in his eyes.

"oh?"

These words naturally delighted the Fourth Prince, who waved his hand at the kneeling Father Xiao, dismissing him. Father Xiao was old, and though he was beloved by his father, he was still cautious and could not match the dedication of the talents he had personally promoted. The Fourth Prince's move was also intended to elevate Xiao Wangshu's status. As for Father Xiao, he would reward him privately.

Xiao's father, who was kneeling on the ground, felt depressed but could only suppress his temper and leave. In a blink of an eye, he smashed a set of tea sets in his bedroom, cursing Xiao Wangshu as a villain.

Wang, who was serving beside him, calmly ordered the maid to clean up, then stepped forward to help the man sit on a chair, walked around to massage Xiao Jingshan's shoulders, and then frowned and asked in a soft tone:

"Why is the master so angry?"

"Alas! Madam, I am truly furious. It's all because of that brat! He used some unorthodox methods to gain the attention of the Fourth Prince, but now he doesn't even take me seriously!"

Xiao Jingshan slammed the table next to him and became more and more angry as he spoke. Wang patted his back and then lowered her voice to coax him.

"Master, why bother? He's just like my maidservant who came with me as a dowry. He's too fussy to be tamed. Why bother getting angry over such a thing? It's not worth it to ruin your health.

Besides, Master has been loyal to the Fourth Prince for many years, so how could the Fourth Prince surpass you? It's just that the boy is useful at the moment. If Yan'er can make a difference in the future, we will be one family, and there will be no need for that boy anymore."

Waving to the servant to serve tea, Wang straightened her clothes and sat down next to Xiao's father.

"Yes, that bitch took advantage of me being drunk to get into bed with me. She should have been killed!"

After swearing harshly, Xiao Jingshan approached his wife with a smile on his face and said flatteringly:

"Ma'am, you know that my love for you is evident to all heaven and earth."

"Master, you are too old to say such things."

Wang picked up the handkerchief to cover her mouth and smiled shyly.

"Hahaha, let's not talk about that. His Highness will definitely go to the garden after dinner. Tell the maid Guiyi to be smart and take good care of the young lady. And Huaian, please clean up properly. We have to make a good impression on His Highness."

In the evening, Xiao Wangshu declined his father's "kind intention" to stay for dinner on the grounds that he had to concentrate on preparing for the exam.

Xiao's father was happy to see him go, so Xiao Wangshu left smoothly.

So, Xiao's father, who was busy introducing his own children, and the Fourth Prince, who had completely trusted Xiao Wangshu and was busy dealing with the enthusiastic Xiao family, did not know that Xiao Wangshu, who had left the Xiao Mansion, entered the Wutong Courtyard after an incense stick of time.

And in the courtyard, there was a distinguished guest, waving a folding fan, who had been waiting for a long time.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye it is the time for the Spring Examination.

All the students gathered in front of the Imperial Examination Hall, said goodbye to their families and fellow townsmen, and were checked in turn to enter the examination room.

Three days later, all students left the venue and handed in their test papers in sealed containers.

In just half an hour, at the Meridian Gate two streets away, the long-silent drum sounded like thunder, striking hard in the hearts of the people of Bianjing, foreshadowing the beginning of a "war".

His thoughts were pulled back, and his eyes fell on the endless stone bricks under his feet. Yao Ce kept his head half lowered. He followed the steps of his father-in-law in front of him. His hands were already soaked with sweat, but his eyes were firm. What he shouldered was naturally not only his own destiny, but also the hopes of thousands of students.

The square between the halls was empty and quiet, with only a few sudden gusts of wind blowing in the air like a trapped dragon, carrying dust and dead leaves in the air and blowing away clothes.

From the stone steps, on both sides of the towering hall door stood four or five stern-faced guards with swords. When crossing the threshold, the high eaves seemed to come alive and pressed down. Only the six red pillars allowed the person to breathe slightly.

Ministers in red and blue stood in order on both sides.

Being led forward, Yao Ce remembered the etiquette and knelt and shouted:

"Your humble servant Yao Ce pays homage to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty."

"Stand up."

The tone was steady and deep, carrying the unique pressure of a superior. Beads of sweat were already dripping from Yao Ce's forehead. He stood up and stood still in thanks, not daring to look directly at the emperor's majesty.

"Let me tell you all my dear ministers what you said the other day!"

The rising tone at the end added a hint of mockery. The pearl curtain obscured His Majesty's expression, and the ministers felt as if they were hearing the drumbeats of yesterday.

"Your Majesty, I am filing a complaint against the Chief Examiner, the Crown Prince's Tutor, Lord Han; his adjutant, the Minister of Rites, Lord Xiao; and the Vice Minister of Personnel, Lord Lu. One of these three is allegedly selling the exam questions privately. I implore Your Majesty to intervene on behalf of all the students!"

Yao Ce spoke out the words that he had rehearsed countless times one by one. He knew that this was a serious matter, and he couldn't help feeling nervous when he really stood in the hall.

"Speak!"

His Majesty did not get angry but smiled and maintained his tone, but the ministers below were so frightened that they knelt on the ground one after another.

Han Ji, the Prince's Tutor, is old and will soon retire and return home. Your Majesty, considering that he has made contributions in the past half of his life, has specially assigned him an assignment to count as an achievement. Although he is the chief examiner and has little real power, he is still suspected.

So he spoke first:

"Your Majesty, I have no such intentions. I have lived an upright and honest life and would never do such a wicked act!"

As soon as he came out, Xiao's father and Minister Lu also knelt down and shouted that they were innocent. It was hard to tell whether this was true or false.

After the three men left, another minister stood up and said:

"Your Majesty, this is just the words of this student. If you punish him without evidence, I'm afraid it will discourage this old minister."

"Okay, okay! Evidence, right? Then take a look at what this is!!"

The emperor was angry, and the ministers remained silent.

The "evidence" found by the three people earlier was mounted on a long axis and thrown in front of the ministers with a dull sound.

Han Ji, who was at the front, knelt down hurriedly to pick it up, opened it, glanced at it, and was so scared that the scroll fell to the ground again. It rolled a few times and was picked up by other ministers, who started whispering again.

Han Ji, who collapsed on the ground, didn't care about much. He only knew that the Spring Examination ended yesterday and the candidates were released. The drum for hearing the news sounded at the hour of You, and Yao Ce had no time to repeat the test questions.

Furthermore, the scroll was already yellowing, the writing dry, and wrinkled, showing no sign of being written in just three or four days. Furthermore, the content was identical to the Spring Examination questions. Therefore, the leak of the exam questions was a foregone conclusion.

What's more, since Your Majesty has spoken, they cannot escape blame.

"Your Majesty, I know I have failed in my duty. I hope Your Majesty will give me a chance to redeem myself and make meritorious contributions in consideration of my half-life of dedicated service to the court."

Struggling, Han Ji tried to save the situation.

"Mr. Han, are you afraid that I won't give you a chance? This matter is of great importance, and you are already under suspicion. If you take charge, I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the public."

The tone was deliberately prolonged, and the emperor already had a candidate in mind.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to give it a try."

"Your Majesty, I am willing to give it a try."

The Fourth Prince and the Sixth Prince spoke in unison, standing on either side of the hall, looking at each other from afar, their eyes exactly the same.

The two of them refused to give in to each other and had already formed their own factions.

The author has something to say:

----------------------

1. "The speed of rushing water, which can float rocks, is due to its momentum; the swiftness of a bird of prey, which can break things, is due to its rhythm." This is from Sun Tzu's Art of War. The general meaning is that swift water can float rocks because of its powerful momentum; a bird of prey can kill its opponent with a single blow because it has mastered the optimal time and space for explosive force, resulting in a swift and powerful rhythm.

I'm back, the author! Hehe, starting today I'll update one chapter every day for three days. Sorry for the long wait, I love you all.