"Second brother!" Xue Jiyan exclaimed and hurriedly supported Xue Zhongfu who was about to fall to the ground.
Jiang Shuxiu also hurried forward, holding Xue Zhongfu's other arm with one hand, and asked anxiously: "What's wrong? What happened?"
Xue Zhongfu's eyes were dull and his lips trembled slightly. He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, no sound came out.
Jiang Lun immediately recounted the story of cheating in the Spring Examination, the siege of the chief and deputy examiner's residences, and Xue Zhongfu's injury when he intercepted the captain of the Imperial Guards. His tone was filled with anxiety, and his eyes kept wandering between Xue Zhongfu and Jiang Shuxiu.
Jiang Shuxiu and Xue Jiyan were horrified when they heard this. They never expected that such a thrilling thing would happen in the Imperial Examination Hall today.
What makes them even more worried is that Hong Yingrong has not returned yet.
"What about mother? Why didn't she come back with you?" Jiang Shuxiu asked anxiously.
"The old lady was kept in the palace by His Majesty. Eunuch Chen Jin sent someone to deliver a message, saying that she is fine for the time being." Jiang Lun said.
After hearing this, Xue Jiyan's face turned pale. He widened his eyes and looked at Jiang Lun in disbelief, as if he wanted to hear a different answer from him.
However, Jiang Lun just nodded silently, indicating that what he said was true.
"My mother is staying in the palace and is often suspected by His Majesty. My second brother is injured again. We have to find a solution as soon as possible." Xue Jiyan said anxiously.
Jiang Shuxiu took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. At this moment, she had to take responsibility for the overall situation.
"Help Second Uncle go back to his room to rest first. Mother Han, please send someone to call a doctor quickly. Remember to find the best one." She said in a deep voice, and then thought of her mother's family, the Jiang Mansion, which was surrounded and unable to go in or out. She could only send people to the Imperial Examination Hall and the Jiang Mansion to keep an eye on the news.
As the night deepened, the lights in the Xingyuan Marquis's mansion were brightly lit. A sudden incident shattered the tranquility of the past, leaving everyone filled with unease and worry.
…
Inside the Imperial City's Imperial Ceremonial Hall, the torches held high illuminated the surroundings like daylight.
The scribe, the governor, the eunuchs in the hall and others all bowed their heads respectfully, waiting for orders.
Chen Jin stood in the center of the crowd, his eyes solemn.
Seeing the eunuch Li Fang, the seal-holder, slowly stepping over the threshold, supported by someone, everyone immediately knelt down and greeted him in unison.
"Ancestor, good luck!"
The eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department had supreme power among the twelve academies and was also known as the "Inner Prime Minister."
He had the important task of reviewing and stamping the emperor's memorials. At his peak, his power even surpassed that of the prime minister of the previous dynasty and was above the first-rank officials.
Although Li Fang has a head full of white hair, he is in good spirits. His eyes are like torches, and he scans the kneeling people with an oppressive look, as if he can see through the deepest secrets in everyone's heart.
"You are all my children who were raised by me. If you are not doing well, I will not be at peace."
Chen Jin lifted the hem of his court robe, walked cautiously to Li Fang, knelt down again, and lowered his head as if he was repenting.
"Godfather, this time it was my son's fault that he failed to do his job well. Someone ruined your Majesty's great achievements right under his nose. If you want to blame someone, blame me alone!" His voice was low and firm, as if he was taking all the blame.
Li Fang looked down at Chen Jin, her eyes deep and sharp.
Chen Jin didn't dare to look up and meet his gaze. He felt as if a heavy burden was pressing down on his shoulders, making it hard for him to breathe.
"If you were the only one to blame, you would have died long ago!" Li Fang's voice was cold and majestic, which made Chen Jin shiver.
"Do you really think that the Liu family was short of the 30,000 taels of silver, so they asked the pregnant Liu Cairen to steal the test questions?" Li Fang continued to ask, her tone revealing her insight into the truth of the matter.
Chen Jin raised his head, a hint of astonishment flashed in his eyes. He realized that Li Fang had planned and understood everything. In front of this eunuch who held the seal, he seemed to have nowhere to hide.
"Do you believe in godfather?" Li Fang asked tentatively, with a barely perceptible fluctuation in her voice.
"I believe it!" Chen Jin answered without hesitation, his tone firm and his eyes full of trust.
"What if I need to borrow your life?" Li Fang continued to ask.
"My life was given to me by my godfather!" Chen Jin raised his head with a determined look on his face and answered without hesitation.
Li Fang shook her head slightly and sighed softly, "What a pity! The idea of borrowing one's life is ultimately deceptive. Everyone has their own destiny, and fate is hard to defy. How can one borrow it?"
After saying this, Li Fang turned around and walked to the front of the meeting hall, and slowly sat down on the round chair that had been placed there.
"Use torture!" With Li Fang's order, the atmosphere in the entire conference hall suddenly became solemn.
Chen Jin's coat was roughly torn off, and he was then tied tightly to a wooden frame.
The guards brought by Li Fang stood on the left and right, and brought down the wooden sticks in their hands with great force. Every blow made Chen Jin's back skin torn and blood dripping.
The eunuchs in the courtyard witnessed this scene and were terrified.
In the entire imperial palace, anyone who could work in the Imperial Household Department, even those who just swept the courtyard, were all carefully selected elites.
They can tell at a glance whether the blow is real or fake.
The beating that Chen Jin received was not just a real beating, it was a beating to death!
Some eunuchs originally had a lucky glimmer of hope, thinking that Chen Jin's loss of power in front of the emperor might be an opportunity for them to rise.
But the scene before them made them realize that even someone as versatile as Chen Jin could encounter such a fate. If it were them, they would have been dead long ago. Thinking of this, they couldn't help but suppress their restless thoughts.
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