The Empress's swift and decisive strike was perfectly timed, occurring precisely the day before Princess Shuofeng arrived in Fengjing.

Now, countless elite Xuanji Guards are scattered throughout Fengjing, eyeing it covetously.

In this tense and fearful situation, he dared not make any rash moves, for the slightest mistake would mean utter ruin.

That's a brilliant tactic!

This forced the officials and nobles who were originally observing to stand on the opposite side of the aristocratic families in this women's imperial examination.

If it is successfully held and gains a huge influence, what will the Empress do next?

Shen Yuanzhang secretly speculated that it probably meant the complete abolition of the local recommendation system, or at least that it would remain in name only.

Going a step further, perhaps the supervisory role of the second-in-command in a region should be abolished, allowing the governor to wield absolute power.

The foundations upon which powerful families have held sway over local areas and controlled official careers will be shaken to the core!

what to do?

That death order was like a sword hanging over our heads; it had to be carried out. But how could we break the deadlock?

Wang Chong and Shen Yuanzhang's thoughts once again focused on this person.

Originally just a minor figure, he gained the favor of a talented female scholar.

With a large number of women from the capital taking the exam, they will inevitably take up a significant portion of the available spots for the imperial examinations, and those who resort to ordinary cheating methods will likely not even be able to get into the examination hall.

With so many cases breaking out at the same time, it's perfectly reasonable for Wang Chong to be implicated because of his lending activities.

The Jingzhao Prefecture could adjudicate dozens of cases a day, and it was normal that, for the sake of efficiency, they did not delve into each case in detail.

Moreover, Wang Chong's family members are still firmly under his control. Unless he is given special attention or special protection, he would never dare to reveal who is behind him.

As for the female scholar, she was still at the pharmacy...

With Wang Chong arrested, he naturally no longer needed to repay the loan shark debts.

She was short of money, and in Fengjing, where land was incredibly expensive, it was no easy task to move out and find another place to live.

Moreover, with the provincial examinations underway, inns everywhere were already fully booked, and prices had skyrocketed.

Everything seems to make sense?

Shen Yuanzhang's fingers unconsciously caressed the cold glass, his eyes shifting with uncertainty.

After pondering for a long time without making a decision, he gently waved his hand, and his shadow disappeared silently.

...

Guided by the clerk, Qin Wenyuan, the Director of the Imperial Household Department, stepped into the Phoenix Pavilion.

Leading him to the signing room where the prime minister worked, Qin Wenyuan took a deep breath and pushed the door open to enter.

Pei Xuanyun was about to have lunch when he heard the report and had to postpone it.

A sharp, scrutinizing glint flashed in those deep, worldly eyes.

He was well aware of how much people envied his position, and since taking office as prime minister, he had never had any dealings with members of the imperial family or nobles.

The person in front of me, the Junior Director of the Imperial Household Department, is the highest-ranking official among the imperial clan, yet he is not even a nodding acquaintance.

He gestured for the minor official to leave, and the heavy wooden door closed, isolating the outside room.

"What brings you here, Shaofujian?" The voice was calm yet carried a natural air of authority, and the gaze was piercing.

Qin Wenyuan staggered forward two steps, and when he was three steps away from the desk, his knees slammed heavily onto the blue brick floor.

Boom!

The dull thud of the kneecap hitting the hard ground sounded particularly startling in the quiet signing room.

Qin Wenyuan lay prone, his forehead almost touching the ground.

"Please, Prime Minister Pei, save me!"