113 Backstab
◎My father said that if I find him, I can become a high-ranking official◎
When she woke up in the morning, Rong Qianyu washed and dressed, and Rong Pan brought a plate with a gift box wrapped in red silk, which looked very neat.
"Your Majesty, this is a gift from the Governor of Southeast Province. It includes pomelo, tangerine peel, and longan, all good for nourishing the body and replenishing qi and blood."
Rong Qianyu took a look. These things are common in the southeast, but rarely seen in the north.
It is late spring now, which is not the season for longan, golden pomelo and other fruits to mature. If we want to grow them, we can only build a shed and send them to the capital from thousands of miles away.
If someone shows you kindness without any reason, he is either a traitor or a thief.
"Did he have anything else to say?" she asked.
In fact, you probably know without asking that it was an unknown official that Cui Zhicong promised who actually sent the gift to Fengyi Palace.
"There is a letter." Rong Pan handed the letter to Rong Qianyu.
Rong Qianyu took the letter in her hand and peeked a little into the envelope. The letter paper was delicate and white, with a faint scent of young bamboo.
This is four-page paper, which is rarely used in the palace. It must be something extremely important to go through so much trouble. Rong Qianyu threw the letter on the tray.
"Return these things to him and tell him that I understand his intentions, but the imperial physician has already prescribed the medicine. I'm afraid these will counteract the effects of the medicine. Tell him not to send them in the future."
Outside the window, a light breeze blew past the palace bells under the eaves. She shielded her eyes, walked to the window and opened it. The city was calm, but she wondered what the situation would be like outside the city at this moment.
The truth cannot be hidden. The students are getting more and more violent, and it is bound to sweep across the capital, and the momentum is unstoppable.
"But if Your Majesty wants to do anything in the future, you must have your own people under you. Are you really going back?" Rong Pan asked.
Rong Qianyu looked at her quietly. What was wrong with this girl? She said she had come to her senses, but she still secretly gave him this thank-you gift. When she understood, she could see the situation more clearly than anyone else. When she didn't, she was like now, confused and bewildered.
She said nothing, only a look that ordered her to return the things. "People who truly share the same goal are not interested in these conventional rituals. Cui Zhicong's affairs are about to be exposed. If I do this, wouldn't it be a crime of knowingly breaking the law? In the future, don't ask me about such things. I will refuse them all."
"What about Lord Xue?" Rong Pan asked.
Rong Qianyu clutched the rosary in her hand, looking very worried. "It's almost there."
Cui Zhicong's affairs were already known to everyone, and the students of the Imperial College were ready to take action, just waiting for the right opportunity. Unfortunately, the fire that spread across the prairie finally found its source.
A man in a green robe passed through the high wall of the Hanlin Academy, brushing past branches along the way, and entered through the corridor. Passing officials all looked at him sideways, wondering what had happened to alarm the Hanlin Academy.
"Something happened, something happened, something happened!"
A man in a blue shirt, holding his robe, ran into the house, causing everyone to stop writing and watch.
"What's wrong?"
The man gasped, "Guan Fuzhi is dead!"
"who?"
A junior official who had just started working said out of nowhere, "Guan Fuzhi, the tutor who took leave not long ago!"
After hearing this, everyone remembered that this person was the Jinshi who had been unlucky last time.
Most of the officials in the Hanlin Academy are young. Some have served for only three to five years, while others were promoted from students. After ten years of hard study, most of these students are still full of enthusiasm.
Huang Song also remembered after hearing this, "How did he die when he ranked 27th in the last Jinshi exam?"
This person is quite talented and is recognized as a promising young man among his peers, but he has extremely bad luck.
Everyone at the table started discussing, "I heard it was suicide, swallowing gold and hanging himself, a complete death, and he even left a suicide note."
Everyone was talking about something, and there seemed to be a debate going on. Only one person was sitting in the corner, listening silently.
If someone says one thing, someone else will say another. "If you keep chasing shadows like this, won't you have enough work to do?"
"Why would you commit suicide when you're fine?"
The young official who came in to deliver the news picked up the teapot on the table, drank it all in one gulp, and then said, "I still remember that he had just passed the imperial examination a few years ago, but then his family lost their mother, so he observed a three-year mourning period. Later, the late emperor passed away, and the promotion he was supposed to have given him before the New Year was put on hold."
"And then?"
Everyone knows this. The political situation has been difficult lately, with both internal and external troubles causing unrest. People are tightening their belts to get by. Anyone experiencing any tragedy is merely a comforting reminder of the bittersweet experiences; everyone is the same.
The person who had been sitting in the corner without saying a word suddenly spoke. This person was Guan Fuzhi's colleague and friend, and was considered the person who knew him best among those present.
Zhao Huating and he took the imperial examination in the same year and entered the officialdom together. They were also colleagues and had a close relationship, but his luck was much better than Guan Fuzhi's.
"Then there was his sister, who got separated when the rebels entered the city and remains unknown whether she's dead or alive. Then there was the imperial examination. He went to Cui Zhicong and tried to raise his issue with His Majesty, but he was short of money and the gifts he sent were not appreciated by Concubine Ke. He was turned away and humiliated."
"So you're trying to commit suicide?" asked the people present.
"Of course not!" Zhao Huating took a sip of water and continued, "He is a man of real talent, but he has never been successful. Do you know why he suddenly found Cui Zhicong to recommend himself?"
Everyone was unaware of the true situation and just waited for him to tell the truth, looking at him eagerly.
"His daughter was ill, but he ran out of money and delayed her treatment. The child died not long ago, and his wife has become mad. She grabbed a quilt and thought it was her daughter, so she started arguing and jumped into the river. He's had such bad luck! His mother died, his sister was lost, his child died, his wife went crazy, and he was even humiliated. It's truly fate that plays tricks on him."
"But I heard that he didn't go to Cui Zhicong, but to a senior official promoted by Cui Zhicong. He also wanted to treat his child's illness, but all other methods were useless. He was desperate and committed suicide."
These words made these young officials feel uneasy. Such an innocent person died tragically, and no matter what, it was Cui Zhicong who was responsible.
Everyone was filled with righteous indignation, but Huang Song was worried. "With the imperial examination underway, if word gets out, I'm afraid the students will panic! What do you think His Majesty will do?"
The man who had come to deliver the letter sat on the table, legs spread wide open, looking very disdainful. He pursed his lips and said, "He's the brother of your Majesty's beloved concubine. What else can we do? Let's just get this over with."
These young officials never placed their hopes on Fu Hua for such things, not to mention the students who were easily provoked. Fu Hua was idle when he was the crown prince, and now that a country was in his hands, no one believed in his ability.
If it weren't for the foundation laid by our ancestors, the country would still be relatively stable today. How could it have withstood such an incompetent monarch like him?
He didn't want to care about the imperial examinations, but he always had to worry about his children's studies. Shu'er and Yan'er grew up gradually, and An'er and Yu'er changed day by day.
This is a good opportunity to find a teacher for the children.
Fu Hua himself still didn't quite believe the many accusations against Cui Zhicong, so today he asked Rong Qianyu to help him choose teachers for the children.
"Cui Zhicong recently recommended a group of students. You should take a look at them together. I want to select the best ones to be their teachers."
Rong Qianyu nodded, "Okay." She knew Cui Zhicong's affairs best and had expected that Fu Hua would scold her today.
Several students lined up neatly, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty."
"No need to be so polite. You are all talents selected by Lord Cui. I have some questions to test you." Fu Hua sat on the dragon throne, as if he was sure of victory. He wished that all the officials who impeached Cui Zhicong would come and see.
Look at how well Lord Cui understands the emperor's mind, knows how to appoint people to the right positions, and how he has slapped those officials in the face.
He asked a simple question as a test run, "Official property is sealed with a seal. If the chief official opens it without consulting the relevant official, what is the crime?"
But even such a problem stumped these powerful people.
"First place, you name it." Rong Qianyu pointed to the first place on the left.
The student bowed, then leaned back, looked directly at Rong Qianyu, and said seriously, "Just open it, what's the sin?"
After hearing these words, Fu Hua almost fell off the dragon throne. He must have heard it wrong.
Rong Qianyu had thought these people were incompetent, but she hadn't expected them to be so ignorant. She and Fu Hua looked at each other, but still politely asked the others, "What do you think?"
It would be fine if you didn't ask, but once you do, everyone starts talking non-stop.
Fu Hua felt a little embarrassed. He had called Rong Qianyu here to ask her to silence the court officials, but he didn't expect to shoot himself in the foot today. This was his beloved concubine's good brother, a talent personally selected. Fu Hua suppressed his anger and continued to ask, trying to prove that the scene just now was really an illusion.
"There is another problem. The war in the north has been going on for a long time, and there is a shortage of money and grain. Those who advocate for this do not consider the national economy and always want to reduce it. The people are the foundation of the state and should be cared for. How can we provide for them and support the army at the same time?"
Several people looked at each other without answering.
To ease the atmosphere, Rong Qianyu started talking about other things: "How were you all chosen by Master Cui?"
Pointing to a tall and thin student in the middle, he asked, "What do you say?"
"My father said that if I found him, I could become a high-ranking official! We gave him five hundred taels of silver! And he let me come!"
Fu Hua's mental preparation was completely shattered by this person's words. He clenched his teeth and said nothing.
"What about you?" Rong Qianyu asked the student on the far right.
“I’m not, I’m not!!”
Rong Qianyu was very happy. Cui Zhicong had finally managed to find someone with decent qualifications. "So you have real talent and knowledge. Please answer the question."
The man wiped his face and laughed foolishly, "I don't know, I don't know!"
"You don't know either?" Fu Hua's tone changed subtly. Rong Qianyu knew that he was really angry this time. He had always chosen to believe Cui Zhicong, but he didn't expect to be stabbed in the back.
The fool continued, "I gave Lord Cui a courtyard outside the capital, plus... plus two maids. Lord Cui said..." He spoke haltingly, but scared the person next to him who was not stupid half to death.
He knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, "He said that Your Majesty and Your Majesty valued him and that Your Majesty would use anyone. This is how I took advantage of the opportunity. I beg Your Majesty and Your Majesty to spare my life!"
"You sold two people, and my family only spent five hundred taels!" Another not-so-bright student laughed at the fool.
"What about you? Is it the same for you?" Fu Hua finally couldn't bear it anymore and picked up the inkstone on the table and threw it at His Highness.
The two fools still didn't understand what was going on, and the others were about to bang their heads against each other, "Your Majesty, please calm down, calm down..."
"Drag these people out and give them fifty lashes. They will never be allowed to take the imperial examinations again, for generations to come!"
Rong Qianyu, contrary to her usual behavior, knelt on the ground and begged, "There shouldn't be any misunderstanding, right? Master Cui..."
Seeing this, Fu Hua felt a headache. He sat back on the dragon chair, lowered his voice, and held his head with his hands. He glared at her through his fingers, "Who are you calling?"
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